From the archives #2
Posted on
December 11, 2017 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
There was a time, readers, when Murdo Fraser was a bright young radical thinker who backed Full Fiscal Autonomy and even supported the idea of Universal Basic Income.
We think “committed Unionist” in this case is a euphemism.
Today? Today he’s just another unelectable rentaquote living on the public purse because of the list system. A somewhat oafish individual long on opinion and short empathy. Thoughtless, tasteless tweets an optional extra apparently.
So aye. A perfect Tory candidate.
Good to see (like classmate Two-Wage Tompkins) that he is a firm supporter of the public sector and of high wages within that sector.
Somewhere along the line a higher ranking British Nationalist must have explained to him that olde England cannot afford to give up control of Scotland’s finances.
For his volte face he’ll get his cut from the English Parliament just like all the other treacherous pseudo Scots.
It seems his driving force is indeed very Conservative – ‘what will make us electable and keep us in power’. As opposed to what is best for Scots. No change there.
Conclusive evidence that in the Tory Party, you have no freedom to be a “free thinking radical”.
You tow the party line or else.
Strange I remember the Tories where in power already when N Thatcher presented the idea of “Right to buy” so was that idea on the back ring for sometime or is this proof you could never trust Murdo
I know little about Murdo Fraser other than his preference for the pathetic, skulking anonymity of Scotland, UK to the proud position of Scotland, sovereign state.
His like are ventriloquists’ puppets for a sociopolitical order that would condemn us to continuing marginalisation and effective ‘oblivion’ as a nation. Our place is on the world stage. Fraser can keep his adolescent ‘British’ imperial fantasies.
This needs posted on his Twitter feed. Although he’ll no doubt claim it wizny him and there’s another Queen’s 11-supporting right wing Tory who was responsible for these outrageous ideas. Then wink and wave us byebye from the window of the departing Gravy Train…
The most ridiculous power hungry politician on a par with Tomkins and Davidson no moral compass just whatever will bring them power. They are quite prepared to lie and cheat and say anything to get them off the hook. Websites like this one are making it more difficult for them because they are at last being called out.
Thatchers sale of council houses was an example of something that was not done for the good of people but to keep tories in power. It did not take a genius to work out what it would do in the long term. Social housing must never again be sold to gain popularity power or anything else. It is what it says and belongs to everyone. No wonder we have so many homeless people and now instead of a providing social housing we have greedy landlords putting up families in one room with few facilities and private landlords renting out ex-council houses at exorbitant rents. Private landlords are making ridiculous profits from the misery of others.
It says all you need to know about Murdo Fraser when he says he is looking for the ‘next big idea’ it does not matter what it is or the damaging effect of it so long as it brings power/popularity.
It is worthy of note that the Scotsman suggested in 2001 that thee was no stronger way to demonstrate that you were a committed unionist than to declare that your ‘hobby’ was Glasgow Rangers.If you support the Teds, you must be one of Murdo’s Queen’s Eleven?
Also, 16 years ago the Scotsman was printing the lie that Scotland would be worse off with FFA because under Barnett we were being subsidised so generously by England. We were too poor.
The Scotsman; lying Brit Nat bar stewards for a generation, the ‘generation’ which wasn’t born when this English propaganda Jackie Baillie strength pish was written, but who will now deliver a resounding Yes result in Indyref 2.
I can think of no other democracy that would allow this man to fail 7 times at the ballot box yet still be a ‘major’ player in the Yoon Branch Office, and access to our MSM on tap.
It must be a masonic thing, or some such nod and a wink favouritism.
The man is a serial failure and publicly exposed buffoon.
I remember during IndyRef1, Fraser and Fergus Ewing and some economists were at a very large and well attended meeting of Scotland’s business community (mainly finance people) in Glasgow.
I was seated just a few rows from the stage. The discussion turned to the alleged £1700 extra money being spent on every Scot than was being spent on our rUK counterparts. I asked Fraser if the figure he quoted took into account ALL of Scotland’s taxation, including North Sea Oil receipts, pointing out that, in fact, that when these are taken into account every Scot subsidised the rest of the UK to the tine of around £500 per person.
Fraser’s response: “Well since you seem to know so much about it, would you like to come up to the stage and explain it to the audience?” (Words to that effect).
I replied: “No thanks. I’m running rings around you sitting right here.”
Remember.
A decade later he wanted to abolish the Scottish Conservatives and start a new party.
And that more devolution was the way to save the union!
link to archive.is
He was indeed a ‘devo max’ enthusiast at one time.
He was also proposing – before Davidson was shoe-horned in as Scottish Tory leader – that the whole label of the Party be changed: that they should stop calling themselves Conservatives or Tories, as that implied being part of the UK Party, and they should get a new name to emphasise the difference appropriate to politics in Scotland.
So what’s he been doing since, and continues to do? Whence the arch-unionism he didn’t evince before?
He knows he is going to further in politics, and he’s trying to cover up his previous ideas, in order to get a knighthood or a seat in the House of Lords
Homes under the hammer, it should be keep he people under the hammer.
And have a read at his opinion piece at the end of 2012.
link to archive.is
One tasty morsel.
” We need to understand that only a unionist referendum victory somewhere in the region of 75:25 will be large enough to marginalise the nationalist movement indefinitely. It is unlikely that such a scale of victory can be achieved simply by fighting for the status quo. ”
Labour Party Manifesto 1959,
`Every tenant, however, will have a chance first to buy from the Council the house he lives in;`
Right to Buy was a Labour policy well before the Tory`s introduced it,
The main problem with RtB was not ring fencing the money raised to be used by the councils specifically to rebuild new more modern council housing,
a lot of council housing needed modernised or knocked down and rebuilt the sale of older housing (1,500,000 houses sold) should have transformed the council housing stock but was frittered away and wasted by councils,Tory and Labour.
In many ways, David ‘You don’t need to be clever to do my job’ Davis and Murdo Fraser are similar.
How true 😀
Perhaps he has been misquoted…difficult to speak with a flute to your lips!
@ Murdo Fraser
The Right to Buy scheme conflicted with the core principle of international development law, i.e. it undermined the potential for individuals to satisfy their basic human needs. As with the Poll Tax, it was poorly conceived, ideologically driven, socioeconomic vandalism, resulting in many harmful unintended consequences. So you can ram your half-baked appreciation of how stuff works, ya smug prick. Stop attempting to convince the electorate that you’re (a) knowledgeable and (b) reasonable. You’re neither, IMHO.
link to parliament.uk
2001, eh, a long time ago in politics.
I suppose back in those days, folks still believed there was a future in devolution.
The devolution experiment has been worthwhile. That which is devolved does quite well, all considered. That which is reserved, is failing miserably. That pattern is nearly total. Therein lies a lesson every Scot needs to take on board!
That is, except for the blinkered Union cult followers, like Murdoch here. They will continue to believe in the fantasy UKOKland.
‘He supported Iain Duncan Smith’s leadership bid because the other contender didn’t listen to advice…’ Had he ever actually met IDS or anyone who had worked with him?!?
Found an article re EU Tax crack down, in the Guardian. How do I archive it and I will try and do’n’Nana.
O/T John Pilger’s film “The Coming War with china” now available on Aljazeera.
Part 1- 47 mins
Well worth it for the archive video footage and good interviews. Interesting insight toward the end – in the US you can change the government but not the policies, in China you can change the policies but not the government.
link to aljazeera.com
If you are suffering from an overdose of Xmas cheer – watch this!
OT TODAY. News from BBC England.
NHS ENGLAND.
“A major London hospital trust has been placed in special measures because of funding problems.
NHS Improvement announced the sanction against King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust the day after chairman Lord Kerslake resigned criticising the “unrealistic” approach to NHS finances………….”
AND:
“Analysis: BBC health editor Hugh Pym
Lord Kerslake’s comments come after the board of NHS England said targets for waiting times could not be met next year even with the extra money allocated in the Budget.
Coming from a figure with such high level Whitehall experience the latest criticism of the government’s handling of the NHS carries some weight……….”
link to archive.is
@ Daisy Walker Open new window Archive.is back to previous windowleft click highlight Guardian article in address bar copy & paste into Archive .is then copy & paste new link from archive .is
O/t
Scottish flights cancelled because of heavy snow in England. Why isn’t that Sturgeon woman down there wi’ a brush and when will the SG Transport Minister resign?
I suppose it will all be same, blame England for Scotland’s woes. Pathetic!
@ frogesque Mibbees she diznae know Snow Shovels are 5.99 at B&Ms lol oany hows its Teresa’s territory .
BREAKING from Pravda Quay
with Jackie Kim Ono
link to imgur.com
There were quite a few of those British nationalist radical thinkers years ago.
The problem as I see it with these radical thinkers, is this, they were only radical as long as long as what they were proposing wasn’t going to be delivered.
And as soon as there is a possibility of what they proposed being delivered they oppose it.
We saw it with their opposition to Devo max, fiscal autonomy and their voting at Westminster against all the amendments to the Smith commission.
“Committed Unionist” is just the right words but not necessarily in the right order. Murdo is undoubtedly a Unionist and a suitable candidate for committal but he has a useful role to play at Holyrood as a warm up act at FMQs for the inimitable James Kelly!
@ Murdo Fraser
Your ignorance of the world would pose a very real threat to Scottish society, if you were ever to gain political power.
‘Consumer Ethics, Neoliberal Externalisation and CSR Bullshitting’ with Dr Alan Bradshaw
link to youtube.com (slow start but gets going)
Now obviously Murdo is a bit of a plank intelligence-wise but I rather think he’s the poster child for why all political careers should be time-limited by law.
Its human nature – as you get older you become more resistant to change, but as we can all see (around the world) in the political world it just results in more and more entrenched position.
There should be an absolute time limit of four parliaments on all politicians.
O/T What do the English public think of the Brexit deal so far? It’s so sad, the level of ignorance on show is unbelievable and just goes to prove that propaganda works.
link to bbc.co.uk
It’s a 2min video so archiving not possible.
“There was a time, readers, when Murdo Fraser was a bright young radical thinker”
Eh? Must be fake news. lol.
Alistair Darling ‘used’ to be a ‘socialist’ too, lest we forget. They are all interchangeable…fundillymundllly ‘radical opportunists’.
Never trust a Tory.
Never waste a penny or a second trying to convince a Tory to vote Yes.
link to twitter.com
Capella @1.48pm
I really enjoyed that film, very eye-opening to hear Eric Li. John Pilger is excellent, wish there were more like like him.
Thanks for the link!
@ BDTT ave found ma Twattersphere Pword .
Aye and that Hamish Macdonnell is an unbiased journalistic type n all. 🙂
@YesTories
I hope you don’t think it unreasonable of me to suggest you re-brand yourselves as @YesConservatives. IMHO, Tory is a specific disposition that can not be separated from the New Right, who are the ones dragging us out of the EU. A realistic ontology is important as a it helps inform identity and objectify belief.
link to iep.utm.edu
We need to covert everyone we can to change from no to YES.
Don’t give up because someone says it.
@wull2
Don’t worry wull, just Rock saying not to try and convince people. No one listens to his ravings anyway, just ignore the grumpy git.
“Never waste a penny or a second trying to convince a tory to vote yes”
Desperate yoon alert !!!
Emm….there was a tory group FOR independence during indyref in 2014.
I usually skip past this person, but just in case anybody does no know, thought I would tell anyone new to this site, and to tell their friends to vote YES next time. Anyway thanks for telling more people.
The right to buy was really the right to steal l know great so called solialists who could not wait to buy .,, these houses were for the ordinary people to live in at a fair rent and to be passed on when no longer needed to other people who needed them any one with any sense of fair play would not have bought them but Thatcher tempted the greedy among us and they responded in their droves I know people who bought their houses under the right to buy and sold later and are now living again in council houses I myself live in a council house but refuse to buy it because I practise what l preach money is not my god
re;threpner@3.11pm
O/T
I can’t watch it but I know exactly what will be being said re brexshit in England. My family from England were well peeved when I had some less than complimetary things to say about the pretendy socialist Labour party recently. They were though very sceptical about the bbc, I guess that comes from thinking the bbc is anti Corbyn. Yes maybe they paint him in a negative light, but he is part of the establishment and the bbc will woo him when needs arise.
People will be led into a massive, just massive sense of security. Wow, it’s all going to be OK told you so. Until it’s too late. You really can fool most of the people most of the time. As was pointed put yesterday on WoS, the UKOK is and has not been a democracy for quite some time. Amazing though that we have all been fooled into believing it was, some still believe it is.
It’s all getting very dystopian, or maybe we have all been party to the lies and deceit for so long it is hard to distinquish dystopia from normal life.
The people of Scotland have a more forward looking, 21st century outlook, and that is what the Britnats and their dodgy pals around the glove really despise.
The likes of Murdo, kiss your ass mate the Britnats will dump you as soon as they can. Meanwhile, we all pay for your lies and scheming via the UKgov instructions that you have to get in your inbox every day, what a bloody waste of public funds.
me@6.23
Globe, not glove ha ha, it is chilly right enough!
Artyhetty says:
How does the old saying go? The British will buy off their enemies and sell out their friends. Or, something like that.
The Right to Buy,
was a way to stimulate the economy,it was the opposite of New Tory Austerity,
it released £billions throughout the UK,most people after buying at a discount spent thousands on improvements that the councils could not afford to do,giving a whole host of types of tradesmen a massive financial boost,
it gave councils the chance to release older stock and reinvest in new housing stock,
main problem was not ringfencing the money received from house sales to rebuild or upgrade existing stock,
as I said earlier it was originally a part of Labour 1959 manifesto.
Scot Finlayso
You don’t appear to be aware of the significant restrictions on the re-use of receipts from RTB sales. This is part of the current housing crisiis, especially in England.
link to theplanner.co.uk
The right to buy was also a massive act of political corruption. The Tories knew homeowners are more likely to vote Tory than council tenants. Council houses were a massive public asset the Tories gave 70% of its value away in discounts. The councils took the hit, not the Tories.
Sorry, Scot Finlayson
No wonder Tory jibes about getting on with the day job has traction with yoons when BBC TV news failed to mention Nicola opening the £65m National Manufacturing centre or that Scottish government paid for Inverness by Pass.
Scot Filayson says…..
“The Right to Buy,
was a way to stimulate the economy,it was the opposite of New Tory Austerity”
Bullshit. It was a way to tempt people into having a mortgage and thus becoming docile, afraid for their jobs and their incomes.
Complete con job……and it worked.
@ Scot Finlayson – my recollection is that the Thatcher government specifically banned the use of proceeds from Council house sales to rebuild.
I had a right bit of fun answering questions on this yoon website.
link to scotlandinunion.co.uk
I’m sure you will as well, some mad yoon will be scratching their wooden head and wondering at my answers.
Im probably the first Iranian rocket scientist they’ve come across lol.
@ CameronB Brodie – snap! and I also thought that the proceeds were sent to Westminster and not retained by councils. But your quote says that 30% of proceeds were retained.
No doubt cuts to rate support grant were approx 30%.
@Capella
Just catching up from this morning but my recollection is the same as yours.
From Wiki: extract.
The policy proved immediately popular. Some local Labour-controlled councils were opposed, but the legislation prevented them from blocking purchases, and gave them half the proceeds.[8] Sales were much higher in the South and East of England, than in the inner City of London and in the North.[9]
Half the proceeds of the sales were paid to the local authorities, but they were restricted to spending the money to reduce their debt until it was cleared, rather than being able to spend it on building more homes.
link to en.wikipedia.org
Artyhetty 6.23
” The people of Scotland have a more forward looking, 21st century outlook, and that is what the Britnats and their dodgy pals around the glove really despise”
Is this taking it too far?
I sense an SNPBAD tsunami on its way!
link to archive.is
Capella 😉
Following on from call me dave.
link to publicfinance.co.uk
Oh dear he, major screw up on misreporting Scotland in reporting a shutdown of hundreds of platforms in the North Sea, misreporting Scotland said after a temporary repair which will hold for a couple of year a permanent repair so that the pipeline is still operational in 20 to 30 years is required. I thought the oil was worthless and running out rapidly?
Sinky says:
11 December, 2017 at 6:59 pm
No wonder Tory jibes about getting on with the day job has traction with yoons when BBC TV news failed to mention Nicola opening the £65m National Manufacturing centre or that Scottish government paid for Inverness by Pass.
……………………………………….
You can bet your bottom dollar if anything goes wrong with either of these projects, and the Inverness one includes a new bridge, then we will hear all about it – it will be SNP bad all day long.
Oh well looks like the English government has finally been replaced by google, I suppose that’s one way of settling yer Tax liability buy the country, oops that’s been done already hasn’t it , every member of the cabinet bought and paid for , According to Mrs Mayhem rather than asking her questions ask the management, in this case Google .
Maybe we’ll get some f/n answers now the adults are in charge.
And it’s nae just Alistair ‘For a Worker’s Republic’ Darling, Baron of Roulanish or Wee Turdo ‘GSTQs11’ Fraser @K1 says at 3:50 pm
link to archive.is
link to archive.is
“They are all interchangeable…fundillymundllly ‘radical opportunists’.”
Aye they are K1, like this Fud, Professor Adam ‘WATP, 2 Jobs’ Tomkins:
link to archive.is
From The Herald 7th June 2015 “From Roundhead to Cavalier: how Tory Scottish Secretary’s advisor wanted to axe the Royal family”
Sky reporting Theresa May has insisted the offer of a Brexit fee of ~£40bn will be “off the table” if there is no final deal on a future UK partnership with the EU.
I very much doubt if that’s the way the EU will see it! The money is owed to cover past commitments and pensions. That has nothing to do with any future agreements.
Thepnr says @ 11 December, 2017 at 3:11 pm
I couldn’t watch it for long before I switched it off.
Most of those happy with the way things are going with Brexit is split into those with the rose tinted nostalgia of British past imperial glories mentality and those with a mustn’t grumble one. Both are simply outdated and can not tolerated in a participative democracy that hopes to prosper in the 21st century global economy.
Simply put, as a society we need to be looking forward, not backwards and simply settling for what the establishment deems is all that we can get just isn’t good enough.
Staying on Brexit, I haven’t been following it that much and don’t claim to fully understand it. Am I right in saying that on Friday the British Government made an agreement on the first step of negotiations and then a few days later effectively say they are not going to follow through with the agreement?
If so, how exactly can you negotiate with such a strategy and how are the EU going to take these negotiations seriously. If this does go on, it isn’t the UK that will be seeking a no deal, it will the EU who tells the Westminster lot to sling their hook.
Thankfully, the SNP government stopped the Right to Buy. A warm and safe home, where you can live a normal life, is a necessity and not a privilege or a luxury. There’s a lot of catching up to do.
Every householder in rented housing ought to be informed about the new legislation, including rent controls.
Andy-b thanks for the link, Wullie Rennie has just joined Scotland in Union and he is no very happy , the answers Wullie gave were even confusing me , best of luck to the arseholes who try and make sense of the garbage Wullie put in , oh well keeps them occupied I suppose . Ha Ha .
One of the questions was what should Scotland in Union do next ? . I wonder what they will make of ‘ Dissolve ‘ or did I give the game away .
I thought they should do the Fandango.
A long essy but it might help explain the problem with Murdo.
link to hbr.org
Hi Scot Finlayson at 6:34 pm.
You typed,
“The Right to Buy”
and
“it gave councils the chance to release older stock and reinvest in new housing stock,
main problem was not ringfencing the money received from house sales to rebuild or upgrade existing stock”
As others have pointed out above, local councils were not allowed to invest any proceeds in new council housing. I always thought that all the proceeds went to Westminster but I’m content to be proved wrong.
Your statement (above) – I read it as contradicting itself.
Sorry for ot but this is just too much..!!
link to archive.is
Trump has ordered a mission back to the moon !!!
Wonder if his wee pal “rocket man” will launch him?
O/T sorry
38 degrees are running a petition to Mundell this is my contribution
Dear David Mundell – Secretary of State for Scotland ,
Mr Mundell your party in government have treated the Scottish Government , the duly elected representatives of Scottish citizens with utter and total contempt, refusing to even consider openly the proposals put forward by them to possibly ameliorate the devastating impact brexit will have on Scotland’s people and finances
I frequently watch PMQ’S and I can say that I along with many others are totally disgusted and repelled at the behaviour of your so called respectable , responsible , adult representatives , their braying, grunting , and misogynistic comments would not even be acceptable in a childrens creche never mind in a supposed seat of government
Your governments deliberate attempts to subvert the rightful return of powers to the devolved governments is correctly termed as a power grab and illustrates the lie that this UK is a family of equals
I, and thousands of other Scots, want to see control over devolved issues come to Holyrood, not Westminster, after Brexit. I don’t want to live in a Scotland where decisions over issues like farming, fracking and fishing are decided by powers in London.
I am writing to ask you to listen to the people of Scotland in your meeting with the Scottish Government on Tuesday. It’s important that this meeting means that Scotland has control over devolved issues when we leave the EU.
Arlene Foster: ‘Nothing is agreed, until everything is agreed’
8th December
link to irishtimes.com
Theresa May: “nothing is agreed until everything agreed”
Today in Westminster
Ah, who’s running this show?
@ geeo 8.30 pm Trumps a expert in tourism, he’s thinking way ahead tae git the prime sites fur Hotels & Casinos lol .
My interpretation of thatcher’s council house sell-off was another way to weaken the power of the unions,made it harder to go on strike when you’d a mortgage to pay.
this wee black dug wants them to move tae ireland where awe there dosh comes fae ,and as i am bisexual ,RC and multi racial I don’t think they want my support
o/t
Hark the Herald: Claire Baker not happy.
SCOTLAND’S top judge has accused Labour of trying to “undermine the independence of the judiciary” with its attempt to compel sheriffs to roll out domestic abuse courts throughout the country.
@https://archive.is/4LDZm
PS:
Wore my WOS beanie hat today as it was cold. Two supportive comments from younger guys who recognised what it was about.
Left Hamish in the house looking out the window. 🙂
Try again link.
link to archive.is
@ Thepnr link to facebook.com Its ah Five Ringed Circus an naebuddy knows who’s running the show fae wan performance tae the next .
Mr Fraser , a guy who doesn’t understand one bit (like his party) about economics.
His beloved fuhrer started the property bubble, continued on by that closet Tory brown.
Daughter and Catalonian husband just back from demo in Brussels
Biggest demo ever in Brussels where the demonstrators were not local – estimates 45000 to 90000
Federal police give the higher figures
Not a peep anywhere on the mainstream media
scotlandinunion.co.uk
Are having a little quiz. They want to know what you think they should do next.
Enjoy.
Cadogan Enright Good article in National today from George Kerevan mentioning the demo.
link to thenational.scot
@Cadogan Enright
Video of the demonstration shows at least 45,000.
link to youtube.com
ronnie anderson says:
Yes, there’s two things at play. Firstly as you say different Tories claim different things. The time for them all to put their own interpretations on everything – spin their own versions of what’s happening – is rapidly disappearing. Secondly, as your link says, they are habitual liars on top of that.
I will quote Foster and May ( although I suspect one is quoting the other) …. “Nothing is agreed, until everything is agreed” . The EU will be meeting this week to pass judgement on this Divorce Deal. If the Tories keep suggesting they intend to renege on it if they don’t get their way later on, that is not going to go down very well!
Question … does the EU27 trust the Tories any more than we do? Which ain’t much, so if they do they are all fools!
Brexit Secretary David Davis: “You don’t have to be clever to do my job”
He doesn’t care because 1. he’s got heaps of money. 2. he knows it’s going to be a No Deal and 3. he knows the britnat media will blame Ireland and the EU.
@ Andy smith 9.11pm
“Bought people live in bought houses”
John Maclean 1879-1923
Scot Finlayson at 6.34
Complete rubbish and the root cause of the huge housing problem we have today which has led to a false quadrupling of the values of individual houses and a huge shortage of affordable accommodation.
Councils found themselves having to sell for instance for £6000 homes they had built less than 10 years previously for anything between £12,000 and £20,000 per unit. They did not even get the money.
So they stopped building houses.
The whole thing became a huge get rich quick racket as many people bought their houses with the intention of selling a few years later for four or five times what they had paid.
It was silly plot of the Tories to try turn people into property owning Tories. It didn’t – it left them as property owning Labour supporters. (There has always been a peculiar notion that Labour supporters were committed socialists).
We now have reached the preposterous point where a house even in Scotland costs about four times a much as the same house anywhere in mainland Europe and which has absolutely nothing to do with the actual physical value of it.
Gala@6:34
I think it’s “‘‘tis better to be an enemy of Britain than a friend for they will sell out their friends to buy off their enemies”
sorta O/T – here’s a letter the nationalist/Republican/EU citizens who are trapped within the DUP nirvana of Northern ireland. They wrote to the irish PM leo varadkar, begging not to be abandoned one more time .
Since it sort of resonated with what many Scots are feeling under UK rule I hope you will read it. The difference with Scotland is of course that Scotland has to do it for herself. I’m convinced ireland and the EU will stretch out welcoming hands but Scotland has to wrest her independence from the UK first.
link to eurofree3.wordpress.com
That was a very odd read. Giving away social housing stock for peanuts was radical I guess. Then not building any after that, even more so. Its a toryboy world, where how much is my house worth now, is the English national obsession, in London and the south east. No wonder at those prices.
A totally fucked market, fucked by one of the most mental tory PM’s since Darth Vader.
Other news, my on going war with Morrison’s and their union jack boxed doughnuts, salted caramel, oh baby, has come to an end, a victorious end.
Went in to local Morrisons today and lo, Morrison’s filled doughrings are no longer swathed in a garish union jack but are now boxed in a lovely Saltire, big bold blue and white Scotland flag.
So I went over to the extremely hot customer services lady, could be Hungarian and she started laughing, again. But she did tell me to let her know if Morrison’s filled doughnuts taste much better in a box with the national flag of Scotland.
And yes, they really do.
If you’re out there Morrison’s people, Cheers!
Private Fraser Public fool
@Dave McEwan Hill
Wrt housing yes and much much more.
It was a method of transferring Money creation from the govt to commercial banks in the name of ‘sound finance’.
Under the crazy idea the government had to ‘balance its books’, the holy grail being the pursuit of government surplus. Of course that surplus had to be balanced by a deficit elsewhere.
That deficit came from the private sector. So any growth from then on would be mainly credit fuelled growth by encouraging people to borrow more to out a roof above their head.
One reason the the Torres and succeding labour government didn’t believe this would be a problem was because they didn’t actually understand that bank borrowing is a misnomer.
Banks don’t lend money, they create it at a cost of compound interest. All well and good as long as new loans are being taken out (money created) at a greater rate than debt is being repaid (money destroyed)..
link to positivemoney.org
Successive uk governments encouraged and supported debt based ponzi -growth then underwrote the ensuing financial catastrophe and are encouraging more of the same.
We still have a media that has us obsessing over government debt when the focus should be on the debt of individuals and makes us believe that house price rises are good.
Our waitress in a restaurant at the weekend was Catalan and told us about the 45,000 demonstrators in Brussels. Surprisingly, we hadn’t heard.
Housing is not only a noun, it’s also a verb.
I don’t think the Scottish government has the necessary economic powers to tackle the social housing problem. Managerial competence is not enough to produce the shift in practice needed to achieve sustainable development patterns. Independence would empower Scotland to meet the needs of Scotland, and provide the space in which to develop sustainable approaches to living.
link to core.ac.uk
@Dave McEwan Hill
Labour Party Manifesto 1959,
`Every tenant, however, will have a chance first to buy from the Council the house he lives in`
this was the still socialist Labour party finding RtB a positive thing for tennents
my problem with RtB was instead of reinvesting the receipts from the sales in modernising the outdated crumbling public housing stock the money was diverted elsewhere by Gov and council.
Every 10 years the UK government signs another Mutual Defense Agreement with the US. No details are ever released and parliament is never consulted’ Is this democracy?
link to caltonjock.com
Interesting article.
Should we just use reverse logic with regard to the Scottish Tories?
In that, the more they protest about independence the more they support it?
The timing of the UK and EU agreement after the first ever Autumn Budget on the 22nd November 2017 and the draft Scottish Budget on 14th December 2017 cannot be a coincidence.
It reminds of the timing of the announcement of David Cameron’s EU deal on 19th February 2016.
It coincided with an agreement between the Treasury and Holyrood on the future funding of Holyrood following the devolution of more tax powers and welfare powers.
So let’s be optimistic about the draft budget on Thursday since it could be lay the foundation for what a future, independent Scotland to hit the ground running.
Sorry for my typos..
I’m using my not-so-smartphone. 😉
But I hope everyone gets the jist..
Whit a prat. The Right to Buy your Council house was a fucking disaster. As no new houses where built to replace the sold council houses. It also caused the increase in rents above what people could afford. Then came the Poll Tax and Council Tax.
Maybe the next Big Idea, unstated, is to sell your souls to the Deil?
I bought my council house 20 years ago because I wanted to improve it.
Before we moved in and bought it we put in central heating, reorganised the bathroom with a new bath, shower as well as a modern bathroom and a fitted kitchen. We also put fitted wardrobes in the 3 bedrooms.
When I retired more than 5 years ago I added a conservatory which we use as a dining room for our ever growing family.
I expect to die in this hoose
Chick McGregor @ 01:04,
I suspect that particular ploy has already been tried by at least some former members of BT. After all, Ruthless is doing spins of the head on Brexit scarily reminiscent of the female in a well-known old horror flick…
…whereas the fundamentalist Arlene has just a whiff of the self-serving and self-righteous dogmatic protagonist of Hogg’s “Confessions of a justified sinner”…
That’s old news Chick. 😉
link to journals.sagepub.com
Is Neoliberal Capitalism God’s Gift to Humanity?
link to medium.com
CUTTING THE BUDDHA’S BODY TO FIT THE NEOLIBERAL SUIT: MINDFULNESS: FROM PRACTICE, TO PURCHASE, TO PRAXIS
link to thediscourseunit.files.wordpress.com
For the early naughtiest his views were OK. Pity we have not got that far yet after so many years. Seems he has forgotten his own principles. Maybe he could rediscover them to the right in the SNP.
Links
link to news.gov.scot
link to snp.org
link to theorkneynews.scot
link to scotgoespop.blogspot.co.uk
Transport Scotland Receives Scottish Public Service Award
link to businesswire.com
link to centreonconstitutionalchange.ac.uk
link to news.gov.scot
Thread: Brexit ‘deal’ – The Rows to Come
link to twitter.com
link to irishtimes.com
link to infacts.org
link to taxresearch.org.uk
link to irishtimes.com
Can’t trust anything these people say
link to theneweuropean.co.uk
link to vanityfair.com
link to politicalscrapbook.net
link to sluggerotoole.com
Brexit: dereliction of duty
link to eureferendum.com
link to thelondoneconomic.com
Mornin’ Nana
Both the Vanity Fair and Irish Times pieces hit the nail on the head. Good catches, both. The break up of the UK is underway, as it has to be.
Society the length and breadth of these islands is too fractured and that’s from street to street, region to region and country to country. The Westminster practice of politics and the media they used to sell their message did their job too well.
There is no societal unity in the ‘United’ Kingdom. They spent so long and so much effort fracturing demographics along voting lines for decades. Most of the halfwits didn’t see the danger until it was far too late. The UK government, and I mean successive UK governments, have brought about the downfall of the UK parliament and UK society. No one else need apply. No big boy did it and ran away. No mystery villain or eeeevil furren aggressor. Simply the sheer fuckwitted, greed and power obsessed of our own intransigent and short sighted power structures.
You know… idiots.
The UK now needs to come apart so that its social unity can survive and move on. And for that to happen, the parliament of the UK and the current practice of politics in these islands NEEDS to and will end. Its been a long time coming, but no less inevitable for all that.
Thanks Nana, as always, for your excellent links.
Macart says:
Yes, along with Kirsty Hughes highlighting the arguments to come. The only way to save their Union would be a soft single market outcome. However, the Brexiteers have come so far and got so close, that they won’t be happy with that.
And anything short of that is definitely ‘being forced out of the EU against our will’. So IndyRef2 must follow.
IMO we are going to know fairly quickly that Brexit will be at the hard end of the spectrum.
Good morning Macart, aye it’s been a long time coming. Can’t come quickly enough for me.
A few more links as it’s a chilly day
link to theneweuropean.co.uk
Exploring trade scenarios after Brexit
link to rand.org
link to thecanary.co
HP laptops found to have hidden keylogger
link to archive.is
Still Positive says:
12 December, 2017 at 1:49 am
I bought my council house 20 years ago because I wanted to improve it.
Who doesn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Snatcher Thatcher’s social housing double whammy scrapped all building regs, all the regs covering room size, windows and lights,ceiling height, circulation areas, even gardens, gone.
If your house or flat feels like a rabbit hutch, there’s no sprinkler system in your block…
If you look, you can literally see the point where de regged developers ditched all building regs in the early 80’s, comparing and contrasting social housing estates built under the regs, post war through the 60’s, to what we have to buy today.
Barratt were major donors to the Snatcher Thatcher UKOK general election campaigns, all of them.
Barratt revenues today, £4.5 bn/year.
In fairness to Snatcher Thatcher, your new house has a 100 year guarantee, maybe.
@galamcennalath
Pretty much a QED on the state of affairs right there GM. Too fractured and too close in numbers. There is no such thing as a significant minority or majority and neither will accept being dragged by the other (sound familiar?). The same goes for any number of major policies from constitutional issues on down. Its not a failure of democracy. It’s what happens when people attempt to subvert democracy and democratic process.
There is only one solution.
They’ll get to it shortly, though given how long it took for the penny to drop on the clusterfuck they’ve created to date? We may have a few more months to wait before the inevitable occurs.
If my memory serves me correctly, wasn’t it an unwritten tenet of the old Labour party that anyone who profited materially or financially from the sale of a public asset.
Was considered to be stealing from the public?
Talking of Tories, the Red Tory millionaire Daniel Johnstone is having a go at SNP shortchanging council in Edinburgh Evening News.
He doesn’t say how much income tax should go up in case it offends the Tory voters that got him elected in leafy Morningside.
However where is the Edinburgh SNP rebuttal unit?
That’s what has always annoyed me about HQ,they rarely rebut any of the tripe being peddled by the British nationalist parties.
Its not if there’s not enough staff a HQ to form a rebuttal team.
@Nana
Jings enough links there for a whole suit of chainmail.
Brilliant! Enough reading for the day. 🙂
I never go out of my way to read what any Labour or tory politician has to say, because what they say has usually not got any truth to it, i will usually let other people deal with them and their lies, am i being lazy, not really because there are a lot of good people out there that are doing a good job in exposing them without my input, i am probably like a lot of SNP supporters, i am quite happy to leave it to the people who do have a voice and can make that voice be heard, people like the guy that runs this site/forum or whatever its called
To much clutter and chatter can just get the rest of us, going over the same old territory and not doing what we should be doing and that’s going on to other forums that are set up to keep the unionist narrative going and expose their lies there, best way to fight an enemy is to take the fight right into camps and stick it to them there
I’ve just checked the date of that archive.
The poor wee soul has been leeching off us for 16 years and is likely to continue despite his eight defeats in the polls.
Bloody Hell.
@call me dave
I’m staying by the fire today, it’s too chilly out. The dug didn’t want to go out this morning, Brrr and he’s got a fur coat!
@ Nana thanks for the links ( some shared to Yes pages ) . That Bbc link is a belter ( Ralf Little ) i think Cardogan Enright will be filing that one for future use , i hope Mr Little takes his complaint to Law these bastwards need brought to book .
Peter McCulloch says:
It’s annoying. It’s like, always letting them away with it, all the time. It’s human nature to challenge when you disagree.
I think it’s an intentional decision, tactic even. Undecided/voting voters don’t like the “they said but we say” type politicking. It turns them off and doesn’t help them make decisions they find difficult. When two groups simply make counter claims, they can’t decide who to trust.
From what I have read, and perhaps experience, is that people make political decisions on what they see in their own lives, or those around them. When it comes to trust, they will listen to people close to them who they already trust in a wider sense.
One thing it means is effective government has positive effects on people’s lives which they recognise and reward with votes. I think it’s safe to say this is SNP strategy.
When it comes to campaigning, I don’t think the media, nor politicians on it, making claims is very influential. Ordinary people talking to colleagues, friends and family is better.
People don’t like being told what to do by authority, they like even less to be told by authority they are wrong and have made mistakes. They like to come to their own conclusions in their own time and way. The people they trust around them are part of that process.
Again, you will never hear the sophisticated SNP politician telling NO voters they were wrong. You will hear low competence Unionist politicians saying that Indy supporting is wrong/stupid/baaaad.
I have faith that the psychology behind the SNP tactics is sound.
God morning Ronnie, while I’m here I may as well share a few more links.
link to gov.scot
Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland, No. 8: 2017 Edition
link to barrheadboy.wordpress.com
Green Investment Bank sold too cheaply, watchdog says
link to archive.is
link to politics.co.uk
The SNP of course continually distributes the actual facts about most stuff and leaves it like that.
It could have ten rebuttal units and all it would do would allow oxygen to the liars and their lies as they control the media.
The wise thing to do is not to engage in most of the nonsense but to get on with doing good stuff and painting a vision of the better country we are about to be
@Nana
Thanks, more reading, just as another nasty shower keeps me inside. 🙂
“Name us 3 things that can only be achieved in the British Union that cannot be achieved by an Independent Scotland?”
A good question!
I wondered why 3 rather than just ONE!?
Also, there are lots which only be DONE only within the UK i.e. negative things. ACHIEVED is inherently positive, and it’s difficult to find much positive the UK can achieve which iScotland couldn’t.
I’m going to try this on a Unionist, for absolute clarity … “Name anything positive which can only achieved in the UK, but not in an independent Scotland?”
Davis’s comments backfired badly, it seems.
link to twitter.com
@gala
Last time I asked someone to name me one good thing about the union, I got a blank look and a load of waffle.
galamcennalath says:
12 December, 2017 at 11:43 am
” … I’m going to try this on a Unionist, for absolute clarity … “Name anything positive which can only achieved in the UK, but not in an independent Scotland? ”
Good one. I have long wondered after an Exocet to serve up to very good friends who simply will not countenance Scottish Independence.
One then has to have ready the counter corollary – what could Scotland do that UKOK could not/would not do.
@ galamcennalath at 11.13
Yes; that was one of the findings from the focus groups studied by a team at Heriot-Watt, who reported to the SIC meeting last month at the Usher Hall.
I do think, though, that it is worth encouraging people to regard the MSM, and particularly the BBC, as sources whom they should not trust.
A way to do that, of course, is to show them how the media’s reports conflict with their own experience.
Dave McEwan Hill says:
12 December, 2017 at 11:33 am
The SNP of course continually distributes the actual facts about most stuff and leaves it like that.
It could have ten rebuttal units and all it would do would allow oxygen to the liars and their lies as they control the media….
That’s true unfortunately, but it might have been different if Holyrood had persuaded Barnier and Juncker that Scottish Sovereignty, even probationary Sovereignty pending democratic ratification by majority, was an adequate benchmark for Scotland to be shadowing the UK’s Brexit negotiations with Scotland’s own provisional negotiations.
The irony is, that the UK’s Brexit negotiations are not revealing anything we didn’t know, except perhaps how thoroughly deluded and misguided Westminster is about the EU. It’s not so much a negotiation process as an educational exercise for Westminster MP’s and UK media. If Scotland however was indeed shadowing the Brexit negotiations with direct Scotland – EU negotiations, then we could have been learning a great deal, fleshing out the real genuine process, terms and conditions of an Independent Scotland’s EU Membership. No more conjecture about E.U. Membership, EFTA contingencies, Lisbon Treaty Articles… we could have the actual deal hammered out.
Yes, it’s true, such negotiations might be premature without a pro Indy majority, but you have to consider, and Europe should consider it too, whether that pro Indy majority would be a shoe-in if Scotland’s membership deal was provisionally agreed well in advance, rather than hastily agreed on the hoof as UK Brexit tail spins.
Same old chestnut I’m afraid…. Sovereignty. Scotland can do nothing without International interlocutor status. In my humble opinion, that should be Scotland’s first and foremost priority. It is mighty tiresome being a wallflower while such momentous events unfold.
It might well be that Nicola’s early meetings with Juncker and Barnier were efforts to negotiate some form of recognition and interlocutor status for Scotland, and maybe too, the requests were rebuffed. I don’t know. But if that was the case, I don’t see going public about it harming our arguments, but instead bolstering the significance of securing Sovereign recognition for Scotland and Holyrood.
But that’s not how things have unfolded. We remain in the dark, playing second fiddle to Westminster and the BBC, and Scotland’s legitimate issues are bottled up and sidelined.
Phil
Create a written constitution that protects the human rights of individuals? Be Scottish, in a Scottish sort of way? Make use of Scotland’s natural wealth for the benefit of Scotland? Distill Scotch? Produce Harris tweed? Etc., etc…
To be honest, I think Davis and a lot people that are in the right circles know that the plan is to walk, and he really does not give a toss about all these pleasantries in the mean time.
The miss mash, double meaning and vagueness of the Irish border deal last week speaks volumes.
One_Scot
I suspect you are right.
Phil says:
Recognise sovereignty lies with the people
Become respected internationally, not a pariah
Get rid of nukes
Stop getting involved in illegal wars
Proportional / representative government at every level
No unelected lawmakers
State broadcaster which supports democracy
Treat our oil like Norway does hers
Introduce a universal citizen’s wage
Introduce a guaranteed living wage
Ban zero hour contracts
Have a state pension which is at least EU average
Ensure the law is there for everyone
Implement Leveson
Reduce inequality to typical EU levels, or lower
Aim for world class education (again)
Essential utilities publically owned, like most EU
Official policy to erase poverty
JUST become a typical Northern European state
… the UK COULD do any/all, but everyone knows they won’t.
Sales of the National….off topic I know, but interesting.
I enquired of my local council, what was to stop me selling newspapers in the street, the reply was very interesting.
“Further to your online general enquiry regarding the sale of newspapers on the street, I can advise that in terms of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, section 39, there is a specific exclusion for the requirement of a street trader’s licence where the sale relates to newspapers only.”
So, there is nothing to stop any of us from popping in to a shop which does not display The National properly, buying a few copies and then selling them on.
There is also nothing to stop any Yes groups from ordering a few dozen copies and going out and selling them, wherever they feel like it.
One_Scot says:
Every so often I see a glimmer of hope that the Tories want something more than a ‘walk away’. But then, almost immediately something else casts doubt on that and I go back to the belief that a hard WTO Brexit is what they actually want. ‘Free on the open sea’ … trouble is, they don’t see that their wee canoe isn’t up to ocean voyages!
I’m curious too… The world seemed incredulous that David Davis had lied about the impact assessments of Brexit, and yet seems to have dropped the issue in a heartbeat.
I’m curious to know whether Holyrood has carried out its own Impact assessments too.
At various times, people have said Scotland should start to emulate New Zealand, and simply start acting as a sovereign nation. Of course it is right to pursue David Davis for contempt in Westminster, but the “sovereign” Nation of Scotland would go past David Davis’s failure, and secure its own impact assessments.
We should start doing things for ourselves, and stop taking the lead from Westminster.
link to politico.eu
link to bloomberg.com
link to politics.co.uk
link to evolvepolitics.com
@david caledonia.
We have already established exactly what you are, and it is certainly not a Yes voter.
A concern troll at best.
I notice a growing call by folk pushing an agenda for a September 2018 Indyref.
That makes no sense to me, here is my opinion why not. (In response to an otherwise good post on indy)
…………
Good post, however, i disagree with September 2018 for the referendum, unless you mean CALLED in Sept 2018 but held soon after (but before march 2019).
The EU want the deal to be in their possession 6 months before march 29th 2019 to be studied and ratified by EU 27.
That makes the deal known by Late sept/early Oct 2018.
If we HOLD a referendum in Sept 2018, then we are calling it around june 2018, allowing for a short sharp 3 month campaign.
The issue with that is, we are then fighting a campaign BEFORE the final brexit deal is known, which means WM can lie, scaremonger etc on a desperate scale never seen before.
A short campaign held AFTER the deal is known completely destroys the No campaign and their ability to mislead on most major issues, like they did last time.
…………
The reason, imo, that WM has went for a transition period of 2 years, starting in March 29th 2019, is less to do with Brexit and more to do with saving the union.
Look where 2 years from March 29th 2019 takes us..
March 29th 2021.
Just in time for a Scottish Parliament election, which they hope desperately will provide a unionist majority if not a unionist party government.
Crucially, by the time of this Holyrood election, the uk (including Scotland) will not only be OUT the EU completely, but we will have lost vast amounts of powers via the current power grab by WM, making good governance in Holyrood all but impossible on a rapidly decreasing budget.
Again, imo, the snap election was a carefully chosen timing, as it puts the next GE back until 2022.
Now, if the unionists win a majority of MSP’s in Holyrood in 2021, indyref is DEAD IN THE WATER for at least 5 years (imagine the devastation a WM gov could wreck on Scots budget in 5 years -2021 till 2026)
With indyref a dead duck, the unionists will expect the 2022 GE to signal a return to a Majority of unionist MP’s in Scotland, further crushing independence hopes for a long time.
WM establishment do not do things randomly, there is always an ulterior motive to their actions. You only have to look at the long term effects of GERS, which we all know were a tory plan to make Scotland’s finances not only look bad, but also to score points against labour as well. Invented BEFORE devolution, but working against the SG after devolution.
Until we know the brexit deal, holding an indyref is crazy, imo.
Once the deal is the deal, the transition cannot change it, it can only partly hide some of the effects for 2 years.
They (WM) are desperate to avoid indyref2 until AFTER we leave the EU.
We simply cannot wait until that happens, or Scotland will never be independent.
The plan has always been a referendum, after the final deal goes to the EU, but held before March 29th 2019.
I see no sane reason to waver from that timetable.
…………………….
I think we missed the boat in 2014 regarding the Vow. The vow when made was woolly and imprecise, and if we’d moved quickly, we could have exploited the commitment to devolve more powers by holding a plebiscite in Scotland to have the electorate determine which “ more powers” were to be devolved and handed Westminster a Constitutional hand grenade to try denying us. The window of opportunity closed, and the Unionists were allowed to weasel out of the commitment.
There are parallels with David Davis and his missing impact assessments. In the void left by his glaring omission, we might have had the opportunity to ram home our own Scottish Impact Assessments safe in the knowledge that Westminster had none of its own assessments done, and thus could hardly formally contest our own assessments.
I just wish Holyrood was being a lot more hawkish and proactive over Brexit. We are giving Westminster such an easy ride, and one opportunity to exploit constitutional differences after another is passed up. Everybody says trust Nicola, we’re nearly ready, the carefully laid traps are about to be sprung….
Yeah? Know what? Don’t tell me. Show me. When does the worm actually turn?
Rev’s just posted a toughie of a question on twitter. Favourite Scottish film.
Couldn’t split Whisky Galore, That Sinking Feeling and Local Hero.
Whisky galore for me, hic
Not so keen on Michael Caine’s Scottish accent as Breck, but I like Kidnapped for a Scottish film.
Or maybe the follow up ‘Rockets Galore’ island saved by ‘pink’ seagulls etc etc… Na!
Nothing beats Alastair Sim in ‘Scrooge’ 1951 He’s Scottish. 🙂
For those with an especially keen interest in how Brexit is playing out on the island of Ireland and its potential ramifactions for Scotland, I strongly recommend information coming from an event hosted by the Irish Ambassador in London a few weeks ago and organised by the Centre for European Reform (CER). (With apologies if this has already been signposted.)
It was the launch of a CER policy brief entitled “Ulster’s fight, Ulster’s rights: Brexit, Northern Ireland and the threat to British-Irish relations”. As well as an opening contribution from the Irish Ambassador, it also involved presentations from a Dr Edward Burke of the University of Nottingham (author of the policy brief) and Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC, a public law specialist with Doughty Street Chambers.
A podcast of the presentations can be found here: link to soundcloud.com
Its a long listen but worth it.
If you can’t face listenening to all of it, then do try and take in the forthright remarks in the third part of the podcast (26 minutes in) from Gallagher. These are especially interesting, not least to compare with how many of us here see the Westminster establishment’s attitude to Scotland and also on her take on the relevance now (or not) in NI of Orange vs. Green divisions over Brexit.
The full policy brief from Burke can be read here: link to cer.eu
The long range weather forecast shows a significant “ Brexit fog” to continue
over the London area until at least May 6th 2021. Previously our FM had indicated that a “ clear view “ of the Brexit outcome should known prior to Indyref 2. The PM has decided that “ the fog of war” , delays and prevarication is the tactic to be used in the fight to defend “ the precious precious union”. Her options remain open ( nothing is agreed until everything is agreed), and Brexit outcomes could still range from WTO “ hard Brexit” through “ single market/ customs union” simulated soft Brexit to even possibly “ remaining in the E.U.” . The position of the Independence opinion polls over these next 12-18 months will determine the London government’s negotiating stance. If they can get away with the “ returned powers grab from Brussels” , and the “ Henry 8th dictatorship ploy at Westminster “ and the Independence polls in Scotland do not move noticeably in favour of the “ break up of the union”, then “ the junta” ( if still in power) might fancy their chances of a “ hard Brexit” and another “ propaganda blitz “ against Independence.However, if our FM sets a date and the polls move in her favour, then we could be looking at a GE ( prior to Indyref2, possible Corbyn government/ and soft or no Brexit to “ head off Independence”.). Our FM seems to be walking a “ tightrope” over timing etc. Would we now be getting close to the time for Scottish government RED LINES over both Brexit ( minimum requirements on market access& customs union deal) together with full repatriation of E.U. devolved powers to Edinburgh. ). Also Holyrood to control immigration to Scotland. Their could well be other significant requirements. Is it now time for our Holyrood government to “ make a stand” now ahead of “ throwing down the gauntlet “ with a date for Indyref2 ??
OT. Here’s one for Scottish leftists still emotionally tied to a mythical British state that is not rotten to its core with English cultural exceptionalism and a neo-liberal philosophy of government.
link to glocalismjournal.net
O/T Last night the Rev retweeted a tweet from James Dornan MSP for Glasgow Cathcart and the first ever to be elected for the SNP in that constituency.
He’s having a small fundraiser to raise some cash to buy Toys or other essentials as Christmas presents for the most deprived children in his constituency. A project he has undertaken every year.
Well I don’t think that it could’ve been well publicised as since the launch more than two weeks ago he had raised £95 of a very modest target of £120. Since the Rev’s retweet last night he has raised an additional £270 making the current total £360.
It would be great if Wings readers could help boost the fund for this very worthy cause. James Dorman I might add is definitely one of my favourite MSP’s at Holyrood, he really is of and for the people he represents.
Any spare change will be put to good use here I’m sure.
link to twitter.com
A wee lesson on how to put a spanner in Unionist Tactics:
We’ve got 540 more teachers due to John Swinney circumventing local councils and directing money to head teachers
Only we’re not supposed to say that, we’re supposed to say that’s really terrible the money’s supposed to pay for the attainment gap but head teachers have just told us who’s responsible for the attainment gap by using the money local councils demanded be controlled by them
Shhh, don’t tell anybody that was the plan all along to
cut out Unionist councils ability to be obstructively political by deliberately not putting funding where it’s meant to go in order to thwart the Scottish SNP government
Because if councils had got their greedy mitts on that dosh it would never have found it’s way into schools
@galamcennalath
12 December, 2017 at 11:13 am
I wouldn’t entirely disagree with what you state the reasons are for the SNP not rebutting British nationalist stories may have some validity.
But there is also a down side to this tactic, and it is this, if these stories aren’t rebutted, then people may draw their own conclusion that what has been said is therefore true.
I would be extremely unhappy if the SNP began telling people they were wrong to have voted no, those who voted no have to experience and suffer the consequences of the decision they took.
As for those low competence British nationalist/Unionist politicians who keep saying that Indy supporting is wrong/stupid/baaaad.
Well let us keep challenging them at every opportunity to explain why, if being part of this union is sooooo good for Scotland, then why is our nation such an economic basket case they claim it to be.
Oh and if you can retweet James Dormans appeal if you visit the link that would be great, get some more exposure for this appeal.
o/t _ A bit , The BBC as usual with the inclusion of the customary ” BUT ” are reporting Teacher numbers have increased by over 500 , making an average of around 24 ish per class .
Christ when I was at school if there was a class of 25 it must have been during a flu epidemic measles, chicken pox or half the pupils were assisting the cops with their inquiries.
I mean get a grip it’s not the end of the world just get on with it and forget the bloody moaning , ok smaller classes might improve some pupils chances , But in the end a good interesting teacher works wonders , assiste by some discipline .
I heard mention of a new report on Brexit from the Rand Corporation on the radio this morning. It is entitled:
“After Brexit: Alternate forms of Brexit and their implications for the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United States“ (See link to rand.org )
The report attempts to quantify the economic impact of eight different Brexit scenarios in terms of their effects on UK GDP and Foreign Direct Investment into the UK (something that apparently the UK Government has been unable to do, or just didn’t want to do; or has done but won’t tell us the results!).
Interestingly, as the title states, the Rand report also provides an assessment of the likely economic impact of factoring in a bilateral Free Trade Agreement between the UK and USA.
On such an FTA, the report notes: “The United States benefits far less than the UK, perhaps giving it leverage (though less interest) in the talks.” And: “It should be noted, however, that while the UK is the largest investor in the United States, UK-owned firms only comprise a very small part of the US economy, and any ‘Brexit effect’ in this dimension is likely to be negligible. Of course, the UK may succeed in negotiating an FTA with the United States, but our research indicates that even a UK–US FTA would have little macro impact on the US economy.”
The real prize, with the ‘right’ terms, for the US could be a new deal with the EU but we know from the recent TTIP negotiations how difficult, and unwelcome by many in the EU, that proved – and that was pre-Trump and ‘America First’!
To give one further quote: ” Much of the British debate has focused on whether the UK should leave the EU Single Market and Customs Union. Given that trade with the EU has gone from being 33 per cent of total UK trade in 1973 to almost 60 per cent in 2014, any disruption to the UK–EU trading partnership will have consequences. Indeed, any option that involves leaving the Single Market and the Customs Union will have a significant negative effect on future UK economic growth.
Out of eight different scenarios evaluated (in Rand’s research) for their impact on UK trade and GDP, some of those most discussed in the press have the harshest outcomes.”
Interesting story from Press Gazzette. I throw huge bundles of fresh unread free Metros in the recycle bin every morn, that they give away on the bus. Very nice way to start the day. There was a petition online to get British Airways to stop giving them out free on all their flights too.
link to pressgazette.co.uk
Well done heedtracker! I disposed of a fair few Metros myself this morning. I encourage all Wingers to do likewise as a matter of course.
Meanwhile back on tory uk-ok la-la land….
Inflation hits 3.1% versus a target of 2%.
Whats to blame…is it….
A) failed tory government policies..?
B) plane fares and computer games..?
C) henry, the mild mannered janitor..?
Yup…its apparently B !!
Nothing to do with gov policy at all..so thats alright then…!!
link to archive.is
This link on the beeb gimp online network pops up, as click on their news pages. Why would this crew be protesting their probity of Britishness and honesty so hard?
Why you can trust BBC News
link to bbc.co.uk
Learn how the BBC is working to strengthen trust and transparency in online news
8 December 2017
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You’d need a heart of stone not to throw up all over your keyboard. There is no brasser a neck, than the beeb gimp brass neck.
Oh dear…it just gets worse and worse for WM gov.
Looks like the EU are on to them again..
link to archive.is
………
“Remarks by David Davis that Phase One deal last week not binding were unhelpful and undermines trust. European Parliament text will now reflect this and insist agreement translated into legal text as soon as possible,”
– Guy Verhofstadt, who leads the European Parliament Brexit coordination.
………….
Oh dear…hahaha!
If we tell the HQ of the company’s who advertise that we put a lot of the rags in the bin they might stop advertising in them.
Mark Fletcher says:
12 December, 2017 at 3:01 pm
Well done heedtracker!
Every little helps.
Robert Graham says:
12 December, 2017 at 2:43 pm
o/t _ A bit , The BBC as usual with the inclusion of the customary ” BUT ” are reporting Teacher numbers have increased by over 500 , making an average of around 24 ish per class .
Christ when I was at school if there was a class of 25 it must have been during a flu epidemic measles, chicken pox or half the pupils were assisting the cops with their inquiries.
I mean get a grip it’s not the end of the world just get on with it and forget the bloody moaning , ok smaller classes might improve some pupils chances , But in the end a good interesting teacher works wonders , assiste by some discipline .””
………………………
When I was at Primary school in the 1950s the class sizes never dropped below 45 – got the school photos to prove it
Anent the sale of council houses which formerly were low-rented, the introduction of the so-called economic-rent meant that it was cheaper to buy if the tenant paid the full rent. If the tenant had their rent paid for them there was no incentive to buy but they could still do so, often with a third party footing the bill.
It’s water under the bridge now, it did create a boom in home-improvements but sadly the unintended consequence is that there are now people who own hundreds of council flats.
@ geeo
Everyone knows it’s Putin who is driving up our inflation. Just like he had a hand in Grenfell.
Yes, I kid you not. Local London paper had it as a headline. Putin is behind pushing the backlash on Grenfell! A new low is established every fecking day in this country.
Vlad the cladder.
Not only do I grab a pile of Metros in the morning and trash them, I place my own copy of The National (having read it of course) on top of the remaining pile. Been doing it since I re-started by The National 2 weeks ago.
So peeps – if you have finished reading your National place it in the Metro ‘bin’ if there’s one near you.
@ Heedtracker
“Our website, like our TV and radio services, strives for journalism that is accurate, impartial, independent and fair.”
I read a book called Death of the Liberal Class by Chris Hedges and in it he hit the nail on the head, he says anybody claiming to be impartial & objective is a charlatan as “impartiality” & “objectivity” are code for moral disengagement thus never challenging power structures or the given narrative.
Give me my news biased, at least then the agenda is clear.
@valerie…”Vlad the cladder”…lol
Kremlington council leader !
Suggest also that during IndyRef2, we crowdfund purchase of the National for about a week or two (perhaps even every Monday/Friday). I’m sure if we purchased 10k or 20k for distribution (with a Wee Blue Book I2 inset) we could get The National publishers to give us a good price.
We get a band of willing YES volunteers to stand outside train/bus stations handing them out in the run up to the vote. Oh and if you already intend voting YES, DON’T take one. They’re for undecideds.
A gem of a Scottish film much overlooked is Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger`s, `I Know Where I’m Going`,
if you have `the cringe` dinnae watch it,but if you are not corrupted/infected by `the cringe`it is a fantastic atmospheric pure Scottish mystical film,
“I reached the point of thinking there were no more masterpieces to discover, until I saw I Know Where I’m Going” said Martin Scorsese
SeanW92 says:
12 December, 2017 at 3:51 pm
@ Heedtracker
If you’re a certain age, you might recall BBC r4’s Brian Redhead for example. He used to drive tory scumbags wild with fury, for er, asking them questions. Even James Tiberius Naughty was endlessly attacked by planet toryboy for being a lefty rotter. Look at Naughty today, a bloated old tory reactionary, sliming around the EU and the USA, trying to boost up the far right, for his successor and all round tory nutcase, Nic Robinson.
BBC Scotland radio was a once a nest of hard core progressive lefties, women like whatsherface, the one that’s now a raging tory unionist, detests SNP, likes Munro bagging, one of many beeb Scotland hacks that all used to kick chunks out of English high tory rule. They’ve all gone and its merely Call Kaye, for your ultra yoon frontal lobotomy.
There are clearly two reasons behind the beeb gimp network becoming the tory britnat attack propaganda unit, its been completely taken over and infiltrated by massive numbers of right thinking tory types and or, they all get paid so much by aunty beeb, their own personal bbc greed trumps all and any hack principles they once have had.
Look at Eddie Mair, ex BBC Scotland continuity guy couple of decades ago, ferocious tory britnat, only 400 grand a year, today.
Cheap at half the tory UKOK price and he doesn’t cost Central Office a bean.
Re Fav Scottish film. I always preferred The Maggie over Whisky Galore.
Fave Scottish Film – Gregorys girl by a mile
Although I still quote “Theres 2 g’s in bugger off” from the wonderful Local hero whenever an irk arises!
Best Scottish film ever, Braveheart, just because it drives tory britnat gits crazy:D
Fav Scottish film……The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.
Shows how Edinburgh middle classes can delude themselves………..for a while.
Fav film. Local Hero
By a mile.
Dan The Man sayeth sooth.
“The Maggie for me,
The Maggie for me,
If you’re no the Maggie,
You’re nae good to me.”
American capitalist outwitted by a wily Gael and finally discovers the values of Community.
Some great shots of 50s Glesca and the West Coast too.
Heedtracker
Mark Fletcher
And there was me thinking I’m the only one who sometimes dumps metros off the bus and into the nearest bin 🙂
Rather hard to pick a favourite Scottish film. One worth watching though was “A Sense of Freedom” about notorious Glesga hard man and gangster Jimmy Boyle.
Why do I like it? Probably because it takes me back to 1960’s and 70’s Glasgow and the life that he led was not that much different from mine in respect of our environment and the influences around you in those times.
The man that went in was different from the man that came out of Barlinnie. Everyone deserves a second chance if they can change their ways from that which shaped their lives from their beginning. They had no say in the environment they were born into, it’s a toss of a coin how you will turn out I believe.
@ Thepnr Sense of Freedom. The only film appearance by the late great Ben Gunn .
The Wicker Man
Surprised no one has nominated it sooner!
Paul Colvin poetically sums it up.
I just finished this one guys, hope you like it. Paul
This is Power! 12th December 2017.
You struggle with the acceptance that Southern Ireland’s free
You still cling to an ancient past and your barbaric history,
Eire owes you nothing except a mutual respect
But even that’s a massive struggle and one some still reject.
They’re now telling past suppressors what they can and cannot do
Because the British Brexit Eejits have not a single clue
And while the rabid Bulldog bares its teeth and stares Karma in the face,
It stares upon the upstart’s flag yet still feels no disgrace.
It’s irked by its incessant failure to accept they might be wrong
And, of course, that Eire, is singing her own song
But Eire’s not being difficult, it’s only playing by EU rules
Rules that seem so alien to the UK’s Brexit fools!
The Empire never will strike back, it is finished, it is done
But in their manic arrogance, these idiots think they’ve won
And when our referendum comes around, and one day soon, it will
Reflect upon the Irish and feel the power of that thrill.
It’s an independent country with powers not extreme
I only hope that Scotland next time has the conviction of her dreams.
I noticed a post on here highlighting that inflation is around 3%.
I didn’t catch all of what he had to say, however an economist on the Daily Politics programme today ended his spiel by saying that in relation to food, travel, etc, it’s actually 4.5%.
@Fred
In the maligned,misunderstood and much exploited by the unscrupulous RtB,
the sitting tenant was the only one that could purchase their home,the deeds would be transferred to his/her name only,
where you got the money was up to you but only your name would be on the deeds,the only legal owner.
@Petra
Yes! Radio shortbread said same.
3% Generally 4.5% food products single example within the general number.
PS:
SNP dropping in lots of teacher numbers up figures 543 more says N. Sturgeon. 🙂
heedtracker says:
12 December, 2017 at 4:10 pm
‘BBC Scotland radio was a once a nest of hard core progressive lefties’
Lesley Riddoch used to do what is now the Call Kaye slot and gave the Tory nutcases a hard time live on air which was good entertainment. How times have changed.
OT from the Rev.’s twitter.
Bloody hipsters.
link to citeseerx.ist.psu.edu
On teacher numbers, it is local authorities that employ teachers and the bulk of the 4000 fewer teachers Iain Gray refers to were lost under Labour controlled Glasgow City council partly due to falling school rolls.
Labour’s claims of a historic cut of £1.5 billion from local authorities is entirely bogus as in 2013 spending of £1 billion on Policing by local authorities was transferred to central government.
Labour think voters are daft asthe main cause of any cuts is due to the £3 billion reduction to the Scottish budget since 2010 from Westminster with more to come and without the powers of a normal country the Scottish government can’t mitigate all the draconian Tory welfare cuts.
@Petra
And asset price inflation such as housing is much higher.
O/T
Kirsty hughes writes
link to infacts.org
link to theconversation.com
Interesting article about how the Swiss have built in resilience to collapse.
link to marginalrevolution.com
It’s something scotland has the resources to do but not the powers to carry it out. The bottom line is water, energy and food and we are pretty well placed to be honest. Of course this is the primary reason the UK establishment won’t let us go.
Best Scottish film.
Gregory’s Girl.
I will pop my cogs thinking that child, Allison Foster, who played the real Gregory’s girl – his wee sister, Madeline – should have won an Oscar.
Best film MADE in Scotland but not specifically about Scottish life
A tie between
Deathwatch (1980)
link to imdb.com
and
Under The Skin (2013)
link to imdb.com
Rock,
“Never waste a penny or a second trying to convince a Tory to vote Yes.”
Thepnr,
“Don’t worry wull, just Rock saying not to try and convince people. No one listens to his ravings anyway, just ignore the grumpy git.”
Thepnr (10th May 2015 – “The power of the press”):
“Embrace the NO voters, even the Tory ones if you hope to reach your ultimate goal.”
Rock (26th November 2017 – “The National FAQ”):
“How many have you converted so far since you started “embracing” them in May 2015?”
Thepnr (26th November 2017 – “The National FAQ”):
“Precisely none Rock though that won’t stop me trying.”
Re my 6.20
A clip from Deathwatch featuring a young Robbie Coltrane
link to youtube.com
@Rock
Been on the Buckfast again? Not good for you and you should desist.
Glamaig
Lesley Riddoch used to do what is now the Call Kaye slot and gave the Tory nutcases a hard time live on air which was good entertainment. How times have changed.”
Yes she was amazing. It’s Muriel Gray of all yoon people I have just been told I forgot her name of. She was very anti tory back in the 80’s on BBC Scotland radio, very. In fact it was their fury at Thatcher that must have influenced loads of Scots, like me:D
It all just goes to show how beeb Scotland was and is a red tory SLabour stronghold and redoubt, against the ever growing vile sep threat to their lovely beeb gimp reign.
It was all fine in those hard long tory Scotland years but we all know its the hated SNP they’e all after in the 21st century. Making stacks of cash out of BBC Scotland minor celebdom, probably helps to oil their UKOK vote SLab rage at us. Will they all succeed and bring down the SNP Scots.gov, over to you Jackie for the latest YOU hate the SNP, don’t YOU Scotland, news.
And lets not look under that future Lady Sarah Smith’s rise to red tory yoon greatness BBC stone, either. Oh god.
Home office block SG plans to have safe spaces to inject heroin.
Clearly better to have needles discarded all over the place…just wow!!
Nearly 500 new teachers = SNP BAD hysteria.
Private Care provider closing PRIFIT MAKING care homes = SNP BAD “SG must do something” hysteria.
BBC on full retard mode tonight.
heedtracker says:
12 December, 2017 at 4:31 pm
Best Scottish film ever, Braveheart, just because it drives tory britnat gits crazy:D
I would like to see Braveheart done properly with authenticity and historic accuracy.
Truth be known, I’d like to see a Lord of the Rings type epic trilogy of 13th – 14th Century Scotland, from Film 1, Balliol and about Berwick and Dunbar, Film 2, to Wallace and Stirling Bridge and Falkirk, finally the third film, Bruce, Bannockburn, and the Declaration of Arbroath.
With modern techniques, CGI and a dispassionate Holyrood, not Hollywood, sensitivity to accuracy, authenticity and truth, the trilogy could be absolutely stunning, and an affirmation of Scotland’s sovereign recognition and struggle for Independence.
We should do it. The trilogy of films could do for Scotland and Scotland’s film industry what Lord of the Rings did for New Zealand. We should raise the money from our Diaspora, from Europe, and whatever else it takes.
Geeo 6.34
This was the book which opened my eyes to approaches to addiction – including the creation of safe places.
link to chasingthescream.com
What if the SG went ahead with such spaces anyway.
Surely Westminster would have no legal authority to order Police Scotland to close them.
And if non-Scottish forces were sent here to do so, that would be ‘interesting’.
@Breeks
That sounds to me like a worthwhile project. Would take some bigwigs though to raise the profile and of course the funds.
Noticeable tonight on “ the Jackie Bird show” that her attention intensified
when the subject of “ higher taxation” and potential avoidance for those earning over £150000 pa was discussed
with “ toddle oo the noo” . I wonder why ??
OK my last attempt to highlight James Dornan’s appeal for funds to provide a Christmas present for the most deprived children in his constituency.
Fund now up to £455 almost 3x what he was seeking, such a worthy cause deserves more support I would say and we know we can trust him with our money. No execs to pay! Can we get it to £1000?
link to twitter.com
I promise not to say anymore on this subject, my thanks to the Rev for indulging me.
Ruth Davidson signals move to switch from Holyrood to Westminster
Hark the Herald.
link to archive.is
“This is John MacKay lies from Glasgow” had more bad news for us tonight. Many Care / Nursing homes across Scotland will have to close next year. Twelve for starters. The Chief Medical Officer (or whatever) says that we need north of a £billion just to stabilise the situation.
Looking forward to someone from STV (and BBC) interviewing Ruth Davidson (and / or Mundel) to ask her when we are going to receive our £2.9 billion (Scots equivalent of the DUP bung), why Hammond has cut our ‘budget’ by around £500 million over the next two years and is using a loophole to circumvent paying our Barnett share of NHS money being doled out south of the border.
The Care Home saga was followed by more bad news about the attainment gap and me immediately switching the television off. Who knows maybe I missed even more grim news? Strange that the BBC and STV rarely have anything positive to say about Scotland, such as in relation to the rise in the price of a barrel of oil, new oil fields and news articles akin to those that you can find on sites like Talking up Scotland. The SNP Baad ‘stories’ are being accelerated, big time, now. I don’t see them managing to hang on in there until 2021. Get out there folks and convert that much needed, at least, 4% of Scots to get us on our way out of this hellhole in 2018.
Also on “ shortbread” tonight , dubious survey on “ Scottish football” leaving Hampden .
It would appear that there are certain elements within the Hierarchy of our NATIONAL GAME
who wish the “ world famous decades old historical connotations” of Hampden Park as our NATIONAL stadium to be discarded . The thin end of the wedge as regards our NATIONAL football team. A worldwide statement ( when we used to qualify for European NATIONS & world cups ) of our Nationhood ??
Link to story about ‘safe injection rooms’.
link to archive.is
Home Office quote.
“A range of offences is likely to be committed in the operation of drug consumption rooms. It is for local police forces to enforce the law in such circumstances and, as with other offences of this type, we would expect them to do so.”
But what could they do if Police Scotland didn’t?
I’m surprised nobody’s nominated “Trainspotting”. Is it too wicked?
call me dave says:
12 December, 2017 at 7:05 pm
Ruth Davidson signals move to switch from Holyrood to Westminster
Hark the Herald.
link to archive.is
Careerist admits to being a careerist.
It would only be news if she signalled that she was thinking about spending some time in her constituency and holding surgeries, as she is paid by the taxpayer to do.
“Ruth Davidson signals move to switch from Holyrood to Westminster”
Bigger, cheaper cakes in britnat Westminster.
North Chiel I don’t know anybody who likes to go to Hamden park, for myself Murrayfield is a far better stadium with a far better atmosphere. However unless its going to be a huge crowd think they should move the matches about Scotland.
Politics poll by populous on the go just now, unfortunately screened out on tablet, tried again on desktop with difference post code and age, and they had a trick question where I was a day out in guessing what I had put for my date of birth, so got bombed out!!! so don’t
know what its about…
mike cassidy says:
12 December, 2017 at 6:20 pm
Best Scottish film.
Gregory’s Girl
Bill Forsyth’s not exactly a cheery chappy, from his hoose in Italy. Must be hell over there:D
link to bigissue.com
“Scotland’s always been one of these little countries that’s had an identity problem,” Forsyth says. “It’s either had an inferiority complex or the opposite.?It’s just a little schizophrenic nation like most little nations seeking an identity. There’s nothing awfully special about it. There’s history but every place on Earth has its history. Beyond that it’s a place where people live and get on with things, like any other.”
One last one for the road, okay maybe a few: link to wp.me
No one has mentioned Outlander. While not a movie, it is a major production made recently in Scotland. And allegedly brings many tourists here to ‘see the real thing’.
My favourite historical inaccuracy is the way highlanders speak with lowland Scots accents! But still, whatever anyone says about it, Cameron was sufficiently feart of any effects to have it effectively banned in 2014.
It is astonishing that such a big production about Scotland made in Scotland, has never been shown on the a main TV channel in Scotland.
admiral says:
12 December, 2017 at 7:15 pm
call me dave says:
12 December, 2017 at 7:05 pm
Ruth Davidson signals move to switch from Holyrood to Westminster
Hark the Herald.
Herald’s got some tory front.
“But her comments, in an article with The Spectator magazine, come amid continuing speculation that she could be a future leader of the UK Conservatives after her success in transforming the fortunes of the party north of the border.”
So the whole of the vote Colonel Ruth UK media in Scotland, led and coordinated by the shameless tory beeb gimp network, don’t even get wee mention?
Its how UK democracy works right enough.
admiral says:
She’s just a loyalist arse filling a seat. When she does speak, she says what she’s been told to.
She should fit in well as a Unionist MP in London.
“ Lenny Harley@ 0737pm” , point taken Lenny as regards Murrayfield being much better stadium. However ask yourself why ? No problem with “ UK” government spending tens of millions on national stadium for England? How about Scottish government pledge for new national stadium for our country after INDEPENDENCE??
What happens in a safe injecting room.
link to archive.is
They tried it successfully in England 10 years ago.
link to archive.is
@ Heedtracker
‘re Bill Forsyth.
Sounds very like the internal identity turmoil Britnats go through. I’m a proud Scot but, but.
If he thinks we have an identity problem, God knows what he thinks of the English.
North Cheil, why spend millions on separate football stadium, Murrayfield is superb Stadium, money could be better spend elsewhere.
If the Prancing Colonel heads for Westminster and Scotland dissolves the Union, I will be doubly delighted. With luck, she will not then show her torn face in Scotland again.
She is a fully-fledged ugly Tory beast and her arrival will be trumpeted by her own kind. I think she will let them down though. She is gung-ho but lazy and frequently poorly-prepared.
She gets an easy time here, unbothered by compliant journalists. I doubt whether she could survive proper scrutiny.
I cannot wish her well.
Golfnut says:
12 December, 2017 at 7:47 pm
@ Heedtracker
‘re Bill Forsyth.
I think he was ardently NO in 2014. He’s not exactly a happy NO vote. He was on Andrew Neil’s BBC Politics show I think and the Sunday Times, 2014, extremely aggressive about Scottish democracy being a waste of time. It was at the end of the Sunday Times that was a surprise as he explained how lovely his home near Venice is. He’s a lot like Billy Connolly really.
He’s right in one sense in that Scotland is probably unique, that its a country that has produced so much, in so many fields, for centuries, yet proud Scot buts like these guys piss all over everything. Although to be fair, its almost certain that every last English colony had lots of guys like this kicking about.
Hampden Park: the site of many memorable matches;world record attendances; the birth of Scottish nationhood’s sporting voice..’The Roar’…allowed to shrink and become not fit for purpose…undermined by the two ‘Old Firm’ for selfish disloyal reasons and their supporters with their Irish and English regalia.
And what do we get? the English management carpetbaggers and their Scotch minions floating a move. And our gutless weery willies want our ‘National’ team to play at sectarian Ibrox and Parkhead..homes of blue noses and green brigades..or wee stadiums like Aberdeen…or Murrayfield the shrine for worshipers of odd shaped balls.
Where’s our pride yet again?..England , Wales and Ireland have their new large stadia…but North Britain?…well whadya expect?
@Mark Fletcher
Nicely put, echoes my thoughts exactly.
Many Tories vote for SNP in Holyrood elections but would vote NO to Independence used to be the case
More and more we’re hearing Tories beginning to change their minds on Independence and maybe that’s why Ruthie’s getting ready to jump ship to that big London before she’s made to look a complete failure in Scotland dashing her high hopes of wrapping a stoat roon her neck
Davidson is looking for a safe Tory seat in Scotland, looks like goodbye Fluffy then.
Linked story still pushing that she expects to be the next First Minister. Now how likely is that, the have cake and eat it Brexiters (could include Davidson on certain days) have more chance of their dream EU deal.
Ruth Davidson going down to England for the next step of her career?
Down there, you need a good warm, friendly persona to win over people. They’ll have a hell of a job doing with that that torn face, bulldog chewing a wasp coupon of hers. Media training won’t work but a hammer and a chisel might just do it.
Scottish based films worthing mentioning is Dear Frankie and The Wicker man.
The Guardian: Picks up on Ruthie.
Ruth Davidson says she would consider standing to be an MP in future
link to archive.is
Re Hampden
The SFSA chief did say they would like more work to be done regarding the possibility of upgrading Hampden.
That would be the best option if feasible.
Keep the new main stand and build 3 new similar ones adjoining it.
If SFA have any acumen they will be lobbying the SG and business interests right now in support of creating a redeveloped National Stadium we can be proud of.
With the bridge and all the new hospitals built and paid for there has to be money available for a new Hampden which should have similar versatility to the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
It’s now or never for the National Stadium.
@ Nana at 6:12pm …… “Kirsty Hughes article.”
Well worth a read. Support for ‘Remain’ in Scotland now standing at 68%, Ruth Davidson’s Brexit twists and turns are linked to her anti-Independence stance, in the main, and her latest Smart Alex move has probably made life much more difficult for Treeza May now. Good one Ruth.
“ lenny@ 0756” sorry Lenny, I ‘m with “ Lochside@ 0806 pm on this
We need a National stadium for our National game .
It’s now or never for the National Stadium.
Hampden belongs to another era. Its murder to get too now. Mount Florida Station, nowhere to park. Move it down to the Clyde in the middle of Glasgow, open it up to lots of other sports.
The Irish faffed about with Croke Park before biting the bullet for,
link to avivastadium.ie
I see from the Twittersphere that the Rev and I share a liking for “Restless Natives”.
From Wikipedia:
“Restless Natives is a 1985 comedy film directed by Michael Hoffman and starring Vincent Friell, Joe Mullaney, and Ned Beatty.
Filmed in Scotland, the story follows the adventures of two young men who don masks (a clown and a wolf-man) and hold up tourist coaches in the Highlands. These modern highwaymen become local folk heroes as well as a tourist attraction in themselves.
The soundtrack features music by Big Country. This music was not released on an album but was combined into two lengthy tracks, each featuring various pieces of music and clips of actors from the film’s audio, which appeared on limited edition formats of two Big Country 12″ singles. It was released on CD for the first time on the 1998 Big Country collection Restless Natives & Rarities, where it is presented as a single 35-minute track.”
You can watch it (or download it for keeps, using your favoured Firefox plugin) at this link:
link to gostream.is
BTW: all three series of Outlander are available, in rather good quality, at the same source.
link to gostream.is
Bttd re Restless Natives, the bike riding scenes by the clowns were done by two of my mates Angus Duff and Dougie Allan from Largs.
North Chris, not my National game I’m afraid , used to be season ticket holder at Pittrodrie , however just see it nowadays as nothing more than divide and rule , get rid of both the so called old firm and I might take an interest in it again. The oddly shaped ball is a far better game especially at International Level.
Re Bill Forsyth.
I think he’s just a chronically downbeat person.
Rather than a scotbut type.
Even the ringing phone at the end of Local Hero was a ‘happy ending’ compromise between his own ending and the studio’s desire for a return to Brigadoon finale.
link to archive.is
Remember, the wonderful “Comfort And Joy” is a downbeat comedy inspired by the murderous Glasgow icecream wars.
Hell, he even managed to make a film with Robin Williams at his cinematic, boxoffice peak which the studio hated.
link to archive.is
Ot
Notice an advert on CNBC this evening with the Irish wanting all investment post Brexit to go from Uk to ROI.
If we were independent how many jobs would be heading here?
There is a Scottish film that just finished filming on November 26th, 2017,
`Outlaw King` is its pre screening title,
big budget (£120 million) and big names (Chris Pine, Captain Kirk),the story of King of Scots Robert I
have heard they are making it a trilogy,
link to en.wikipedia.org
I can hear the lickspittle yoon cringers groaning already,
all together `It won`t be historically accurate` waaa waaa waaa.
What about ‘Highlander’?
Just saying.
The EU will have to watch and not burn it’s bridges with Scotland, when we get independence from the UK, we might want to have another vote..
“ Lenny @ 0854pm , “ the oddly shaped ball is a far better game especially at international level” . Can’t agree with that statement, sorry . Nothing could surpass the “ pure football science , elegance & artistry of the Dutch national side of the seventies, ( sheer poetry in motion). As for Hampden memories , absolutely nothing could compare with the drama, atmosphere & sheer ecstasy of the Scotland v Czechoslovakia World Cup qualifier at the National stadium in 1974 ( under Willie Ormond), which surpassed any game including Scotland v England matches , I have ever witnessed at Hampden. Anyone who was at Hampden that night could never ever forget these wonderful memories.
Thought Ruth was linked with Soames seat when he retires. She can’t be PM if she holds a Scottish seat unless they are scrapping EVEL.
In the Guardian article, which to be fair is not all that incisive, she sidesteps the question on coming third in 2021 as per current polls by pointing out she will have been leader for 10 years by then and ready for a change.
I think she might jump ship before then if the opportunity presents itself and not necessarily to a Scottish seat.
Hi Legerwood at 9:20 pm.
You typed,
“What about ‘Highlander’? Just saying.”
You’re skimming through the comments, iye? There have been a number of mentions of Outlander today. Here’s just one:
link to wingsoverscotland.com
Nobody mentioned T2 yet? I thought it was awesome.
I think she might jump ship before then if the opportunity presents itself and not necessarily to a Scottish seat.”
She could well be a foreign national too, although Wellington was a Dubliner. But then Dublin was just another British city, like Edinburgh.
North chiel at 9.38
I was there. That was in the days when we played football the way we invented the game and not the fannying about in the midfield we have now adopted in the mistaken belief that that is the right way to play
North Chiel I saw the Scotland v Czech game in 1977 from a Bar in Lahr Germany, (must have been a good night, think Gordon McQueen headed one! As can still remember it ) can’t remember the 73 game which was qualifying for the World Cup in 74 .
Anyways I much prefer motorcycle Road Racing (Isle of Man TT etc ) to any game involving chasing balls,
That is a sport where the participants have bigger balls than the round ones that are chased by prima donna’s
Saw many memorable Scottish games at Hampden Park.
Great atmosphere in those days.
I was at the Scottish Cup final in 1980 (as a neutral) and still have the programme. In the programme there is an artists impression of the new Hampden promised (by the Labour government) of an all covered and seated 80,000 stadium.
This was subsequently cancelled by Thatcher and the rest is history. How the SFA had to build the existing stadium piecemeal over a number of years raising funds from all sources to achieve the current stadium we have today.
Another case of how we Scots were robbed when a small percentage of our own oil revenues could have been diverted in the 80s to build such a stadium.
Makes my blood boil still to this day.
Brian Doonthetoon
Highlander (link to en.wikipedia.org) is not Outlander as far as I can see (I’ve never watched either).
Or is that not what you meant?
(Restless Natives is obviously the correct answer anyway, so everything else is academic 🙂 .)
The best and most greatest acting in a Scottish film? I agree with Stu it has to be ‘A Shot at Glory’ starring our very own Fat Sally 🙂
Och Crazycat, just one of my increasingly occurring senior moments.
Just put me on the reject pile.
8=)
Brian Doonthetoon says:
12 December, 2017 at 9:44 pm
Hi Legerwood at 9:20 pm.
You typed,
“What about ‘Highlander’? Just saying.”
You’re skimming through the comments, iye? There have been a number of mentions of Outlander today. Here’s just one:
link to wingsoverscotland.com
……………
Who was skimming?
On the subject of Outlander – apparently visitor numbers at Doune Castle have risen by 91% on the back of that series.
Just watched Oliver Mundell on ITV. Can anyone inform me of what he has made an arsehole of previously, prior to becoming an arsehole of an MSP? What a boring, inarticulate individual.
Sorry, an arsehole is useful. Perhaps I should have used the term “hemeriod”. Nevertheless, the same excreta comes from the same area.
Is this typlcal of our opposition in Scotland’s Parliament?
Hi Legerwood.
As I typed previously – mea culpa.
8=(
Free from the shackles that Westminster bind us with there would be hundreds of great Scottish films to choose from.
It’s not a lack of will nor a lack of of talent that prevents this, it’s a lack of purpose. Once Scotland gains her Independence the floodgates will open in film making.
An Independent Scotland will be a very attractive place indeed.
Ruth Davidson is in a dreadful position. She fell for the BBC novelty star role, and got a slight validation for that at the GE in June. (Take a bow, BBC. Result!)
But that was the Colonel’s peak. BBC have bigger fish to fry. She’s yesterday’s future.
Talk of Davidson going to WM etc is just unimportant drivel.
When we vote Yes within the next 14 months, Davidson and all her unionist chums will be out of office here anyway.
What she dors in an election in a foreign country is of ZERO concern to us.
With Scotland gone, the need for ruth davidson by the Tory Party becomes next to ZERO.
I hate when folk talk about “the next election” as if we will be taking any part in it.
TheItalianJob says:
12 December, 2017 at 10:25 pm
Saw many memorable Scottish games at Hampden Park.
Great atmosphere in those days.
A lot of Scots have but its all over now. Move it to behind the Transport Museum, make it like the Man City set up. Young Glasgow no longer wants to stand in the rain on chilly Wednesday evenings watching cup ties, over at Hampden. Its been ruined and died a death.
I’m with
Scot Finlayson @ 16:03 (“I know where I’m going”)
Dan Huil @ 16:18,
Tinto Chiel @ 16:44 (“The Maggie”)
Desimond @ 16:25,
ScottieDog @ 16:36 (“Local hero”)
All of these have to be seen at least once before you shuffle this mortal coil. So get to it! (Seeing them, that is, not the other! =grin=)
But if I had to settle on one, it would be “The Maggie”, I think. That scruffy wee kid teaching the big Yank about the real facts of life… =gulp=
@Lenny Hartley
Restless natives is a brilliant film. For me a close second to local hero.
I would agree Restless natives or Local Hero too close to call.
Films, eh?
Don’t forget Loach’s, ‘Ae Fond Kiss’ and ‘Seachd’, the first (and beautiful) full length gaelic film.
Remember just the other day, David Davies claimed he would deliver a trade deal within 8 MONTHS ?
………….
Well….link to archive.is
“Meanwhile, EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier insisted there is “no possibility” that Britain and the EU can conclude a free trade deal by the time Britain quits the bloc”.
………
Just not quite working, is it…?
From Tom Brake, Lib Dem on Twitter.
Red Tories abstaining as per.
What a disgusting display from Corbyn over Brexit. Folk in the south are in despair at this behaviour.
——————-
Labour whips telling Labour MPs to abstain on the vote to stay in the Single Market. Sad. Their young supporters in particular will be disappointed. Pleased to see some Labour MPs disregarded their whip. Anna Soubry and Ken Clarke and the SNP also joined our ranks.
Not unexpected.
link to twitter.com
Any remaining questions on Westminster’s idea of democracy?
No? Good!
If Scots stand by and allow Westminster Ministers to interfere and be directly involved in Holyrood, then Scots can basically fuck off.
Links
link to businessforscotland.com
link to autonomyscotland.org
‘Difficult’ devolved Brexit talks end without deal
link to archive.is
Scotland’s Place in Europe – An evening about BREXIT with Michael Russell MSP
Very informative #BREXIT Q&A with Michael Russell MSP, @Feorlean Scotland’s BREXIT minister.
link to youtube.com
link to randompublicjournal.com
link to opendemocracy.net
From 9.45am
link to parliament.uk
link to theconversation.com
link to qz.com
link to evolvepolitics.com
link to rt.com
link to uk.businessinsider.com
It’s like the Marie Celeste on here this am!
Whaur’s awebody?
Something on ah dinnae ken aboot?
@ Macart 2.40am Scary, very scary. Thought there would have been ‘some’ reaction?
Wakey, wakey!!
We can’t go on pretending that poverty is solved by getting a job
link to blogs.lse.ac.uk
link to politico.eu
link to itv.com
Long read
Is trust in journalism really declining?
link to byline.com
Well obviously my refresh button not working too well.
Thank goodness for you, Nana. Thought I might have to do ironing instead!
Now – porridge and links. Thank you.
@Liz Rannoch
Scary doesn’t begin to describe it Liz.
So just in case anyone else was wondering? That link I posted last night was about amendment 158 to the Brexit bill. It was an amendment which, had it been successful, would have prevented Westminster from altering the Scotland Act at will and repatriating powers from the EU as and when it felt like it.
The amendment was defeated needless to say, as Westminster government of any stripe will only ever vote in the interests of itself. Sewel convention, partnership of equals, family of nations. ALL of it… exposed for the utter bullshit and empty rhetoric it always was.
The devolved legislations were effectively betrayed by the commons chamber last night and nary a peep has been seen in today’s meeja. The very idea of devolution and partnership of nations betrayed by the same people who begged for one more chance to come good. Life come at you fast right enough.
If you think this latest criminal act toward our electorates needs righting, then you know what needs done. Get behind Scotgov and get behind a Scotref. If you continue to allow that commons chamber to dictate your life choices you WILL lose more than you can possibly imagine.
Do NOT say people weren’t warned.
Good morning Liz, you are saved from the ironing but links may make you wish you had a pressing engagement after all.
Mornin’ Nana
Nice choice of articles as usual. 🙂
Take it you caught that act of treachery last night?
Brian Doonthetoon says:
12 December, 2017 at 11:10 pm
Hi Legerwood.
As I typed previously – mea culpa.
8=(
…….
Merci beaucoup
Westminster votes, Labour abstains, to vote down Amendment 158 that would have prevented them changing the Scotland Act, and thus they have empowered themselves to remove powers from Holyrood.
In other words, Westminster votes to arbitrarily subjugate Scotland.
Ruth Davidson reveals her sight within sight again, she wants a seat in Westminster because she knows Holyrood under the U.K. control is destined for irrelevant obscurity.
Coming to a News Channel near you… any minute now.
At what point does Scotland recall its 1707 SOVEREIGN Parliament outside of Westminster’s Control?
What a joke to expect Scotland’s interlocutor status recognition from Europe when it isn’t even recognised by the U.K.
Labour abstains from the Westminster votes, but the SNP permanently abstains from the argument over Scottish sovereignty. But don’t worry Scotland, in the wasteland we live in after Brexit, we’ll can point the finger at the Scottish Unionists and smugly say we told you so.
@Liz Rannoch
I think we’re all just a bit numbed. Well I am. Feels like being on an out of control roller coaster where most of the passengers are asleep.
What is it going to take to make the population understand what is happening?
Good morning Macart, aye I did. I expected as much.
I’m waiting for Nicola’s response to this outrage and trying to stay calm.
I hope Nicola invites thats nice labour chappy and explain his parties latest stab in the back to the Scottish electorate , lets hear him explain how exactly his party is working for people up here , the mumbling incoherent reply should be interesting .
And what about the ” Mooth ” defender of all things union , whats your excuse yah piece of useless garbage how say you ?.
link to politicshome.com
Brexit: separation deferred
link to eureferendum.com
link to taxresearch.org.uk
link to blogs.lse.ac.uk
Outlander…
I am trying to catch up…so apologizes if this has been said!
Anyhoo…
Just like Braveheart ..it got the story told.
It is no a documentary but and it’s a big but!!!
Internationally!!
There are many..very many…people who NOW know that there was a “thing” called Culloden…. and it was a big deal!
It did matter.
Just like Braveheart….if anybody is interested it can be researched.
While some might disagree,about the way the story gets told,surely!! all that matters is that it “does” get told?
I don’t care how fantastic the narrative gets!
This production…for once …..takes a look at that Battle!!! And how it hurt!
A Battle that was very important but has been very much ignored, for (and I am being diplomatic here) whatever reason!
But thanks to Outlander….a Battle that is now clearly getting the recognition it deserved.
Say “Culloden” and there is now a good chance that as many people who know what Braveheart “kind of” means….will have a wee bit of a grasp of our history?
Don’t even get me started on the local employment opportunities!
But apart from all that…..it’s a bloody good and well acted story.
And if you ever watch it ….and then turn over to the BBC…
Well…the costumes and set’s from the BBC are a bit shit!
UK democracy, English MP’s vote to remove Scotland’s powers, whilst Scottish MP’s are excluded from English matters. If this is not an example of a vassal state or colony then what is?
Thepnr at 3:11 pm
You wrote… “O/T What do the English public think of the Brexit deal so far?
…. I can’t speak on behalf of all English people but, as someone who voted Remain, but also as a democrat, I am reasonably happy with the way things are going.
Despite the abuse and haranguing I received in threads here on wings some time ago, my predictions at that time look like they will come to pass …. whilst the naysayers here on Wings were arguing that we would never get a free trade deal whilst being outside the single market. As usual most contributors were unable to think beyond what they desperately hoped would be the outcome (i.e. failed negotiations and no free trade deal … because they hoped that would cause the greatest fuss and therefore improve the electoral chances of the SNP) … and could/cannot comprehend that a free trade deal is as important to the EU as it is to the UK.
I think the only thing I got wrong was the size of the bill that we would agree to pay to leave … I think I said about £50 billion.
But hey, I am not one to gloat!
Totally OT
Just rung a call centre. When they answer isn’t it just sooo good when you hear a Scottish accent at the other end? You know you can talk quicker, say what you want, phrase things as you normally would, and always be understood.
Now, I’ve had some great service on the phone from Milton Keynes, Manila, or Mumbai but the communication is just not the same as talking to another Scot.
Come Indy, more things are probably going to be dealt with by folk closer at hand. Another wee Indy benefit.
Macart & Nana
Not kidding about trying to catch up
What happened last night?
jfngw 9:58 am
You wrote “UK democracy, English MP’s vote to remove Scotland’s powers, whilst Scottish MP’s are excluded from English matters. If this is not an example of a vassal state or colony then what is?”
Oh dear! Still not “got it” have you! For the umpteenth time, and for those who continue to not know their a**e from their elbow ……
Laws that only apply to England can only be passed following votes by the full House of Parliament at Westminster … including MPs from Norther Ireland, wales and Scotland and the House of Lords.
Please, please try to keep up. You just make yourself look silly.
@ jfngw.
Almost, but not just yet, time for Scots MP’s to be recalled to Scotland.
Great links for coffee Nana!
A good antidote to the hard core tory propaganda belching out of the BBC this morning.
As usual nothing about Scotland on the beeb gimp network today, but the professional bbc liars of BBC r4 had future SLab Lady Sarah Smith presenting their completely grotesque vote tory propaganda Today show this morn. God only knows why.
Sarah’s hyper Scotch bbc voice certainly bettertogether booms out across teamGB airwaves, as a hard core far right nutcase paedophile on horseback in Alabama, just lost Orange Hitler his majority, but its no biggee UKOK planet toryboy and Teresa May has sent Orange Hitler a Xmas card too, all sold by a BBC Scotland tory. Really really weird outfit.
Ain’t no shyster like a beeb gimp shyster.
link to bbc.co.uk
All existing EU legislation will be copied across into domestic UK law to ensure a smooth transition on the day after Brexit.
The government says it wants to avoid a “black hole in our statute book” and avoid disruption to businesses and individual citizens as the UK leaves the EU.
Liz g says:
I agree. Having the story told in a semi-fictional dramatic fashion is much better than not having it told at all.
Anti Scottish propaganda, now and for the last 300years, operates largely by omission.
And when our story is told briefly, it is so often from an English or Imperial British standpoint, and as a minor distraction.
Any programme, series, movie which highlights that there ACTUALLY IS A STORY to tell, is achieving much. And the more reality it exposes among the swashbuckling the better.
It is essential for the mythology of the Union cult that Scotland and all things Scottish are seen as a sideshow to the narrative of Greater England. They hate anything which detracts from their ideas of a UK.
Earnestly attempted to persevere with Outlander, but many episodes were apparently a sex manual. Very similar repeating scenes, as with the Vikings. Battles, killing, sex, killing, betrayals. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer more storyline.
Who will blink first asks big auntie darn Sarf?
Davis or Rebel MPs
I always believed snakes don’t blink.
Meanwhile radio shortbread doesn’t report the WM vote last night to kick us into the the long grass and threaten our parliament. Fat kids again… on your call…FGS!
Anyone get to the end of that beeb propaganda?
UK gov, “also predicts the repeal process will result in a “a significant increase in the decision-making power of each devolved administration”, as powers in devolved areas are repatriated from Brussels.”
Or in reality, they’re going to strip power from Holyrood. But that’s how beeb gimpery works. That beeb gimp Uk gov “predicts” word choice, is very BBC sneaky creepy too.
Nothing to see move on suckers.
Searched the BBC online page, nope not a mention, this BBC who are usually on the ball with anything that the Scottish government does, doesn’t do , or has an interest in , They have obviously just missed last nights betrayal of Scotland by Unionist MPs,
I guess it will be headlined at a later date to be announced, a bit like those corrections hidden away on page 22 of a news paper caught out lying .
” Macart says:
13 December, 2017 at 9:03 am
So just in case anyone else was wondering? That link I posted last night was about amendment 158 to the Brexit bill. It was an amendment which, had it been successful, would have prevented Westminster from altering the Scotland Act at will and repatriating powers from the EU as and when it felt like it. ”
Surely the SNP mission should now be to engineer a situation where Westminster is forced to take powers from Holyrood and
demonstrate this in practice. We then have a casus belli or “casus referendum”. Going directly on the EU membership issue would be divisive (and would quite possibly be too late). But if the pro-EU people were confident that they could get something close to 62% in a post-Indy referendum then they would hear a very loud dog whistle.
And denouncing all the Westminster clowning over Brexit (rather than promoting the EU as a panacea) would be perfectly acceptable as part of the IndyRef2 campaign. Loads of ammunition along the “Are we really worse than that?” theme.
WARNING
Just took part in a YouGov online poll. It was on politics and the constitutional question. The question were to my mind designed to produce an apparent high support for “better” devolution for Scotland
@PictAtRandom
I don’t believe the SNP will need to “engineer a situation where Westminster is forced to take powers from Holyrood and demonstrate this in practice”.
I think we can be fairly certain that Westminster will be removing devolved powers that are current included in the Scotland Act 1998.
Power over fisheries and agriculture in Scotland for starters.
@PictAtRandom
It’s provocation enough to be sure, but I doubt the Scottish Government will make any move just yet. I reckon they’ll keep their word and stick to the letter of their statements to date. As and when the final details of the Brexit deal become known and not before.
I doubt they’d need to force anything much either. Westminster will do exactly what’s expected regardless and act in its own interests. Last night they effectively told ALL the devolved legislatures (NI, Welsh and Scottish) their input to pretty much anything wasn’t required.
The media have gone awol on the subject and the unionist political class have kept their collective traps shut. They’re sleepwalking the electorate into this.
No more open skies then..
link to balpa.org
Way o/t no apology.
The Scottish civil service .
Where did it come from , has it always been there, who set it up , who appoints the head and therefore the staff, ?.
The last few weeks have seen complaints regarding apparent bullying by the Scottish government and ministers, the recipients of this alleged abuse have been civil servants , this of course has been picked up by newspapers like the Herald whose comments section would put even the Scotsmans to shame , in the total bile and hatred for the SNP government .
My question is who do these civil servants actually answer to, are they Westminsters little army of spy’s. installed to obstruct the implementation of SNP government policy, keep an eye on what’s going on and report to their ultimate masters in Whitehall ,
I wonder if this is the start of yet another attempt at an attack on our government, the same way Councils try to implement their ideas and not government policy, a general gumming up of the works from within, indeed , the Enemy Within . The Unionists wouldn’t do that would they ? .
G A Ponsonby’s complaint about the lack of scrutiny of Ruth Davidson, together with all responses from the BBC, has been published. It makes for interesting reading.
link to indyref2.scot
call me dave says:
May’s cabinet is split along the same lines. Looks like they have got this far on an ‘agree to disagree’ basis. A concensus may be impossible. It probably always was, between pro and anti EU factions, and will continue to be.
Added to this, we seem to have a delusion that the Brexit process involves negotiations with the EU. It doesn’t. The EU holds all cards. Whether the Tories are actually believe this, or whether it’s putting on a brave public face, I don’t know.
At each stage there are three options – cancel Brexit, jump off the cliff with nothing agreed, or accept what the EU wants.
After many months of farting around, they accepted what the EU wanted. Why wait? Simply to show they had the power to prevaricate? Who was the show for?
Next stage. The EU will offer two option – Norway and Canada. There will be little scope to deviate from these. Also, a transition period will probably only be forthcoming when the UK formally agrees to accept one of those frameworks.
IMO the two Tory factions will go for soft Norway, and hard Canada. The soft brigade would accept the deal as offered. The hard brigade would use the threat of crashing out to try enhance Canada.
So who will blink first?
The hard brigade will fight hard. They have got so close, they won’t give up now. They include the influential DUP. They will have the gutter press and the rabble rousers like Farage behind them. I think they will win through and the UK might end up crashing out!
Canada doesn’t cover services. 70% of the UK’s economy and 40% of exports are services. If there is to be a deal, the UK will want to include services. IMO the EU will say, if you want to include services you must accept a Norway solution. This will cause a breakdown if the UK is trying to enhance a Canada solution to encompass services.
We all know the red and blue tories are going to shit all over Scottish democracy, with their Great Brexit reform bill, and their shit is going to stink like its Henry VIII, who also liked his arse wiped by swan necks, decapitated, or maybe not. Its why only the royals can kill swans in teamGB today.
But BBC Scotland do want you to get involved with their great UKOK Scotland gets shat on phase, of betterogether, pending your gender. Only clever women apply please. No stupid women.
link to bbc.co.uk
What we are looking for
We welcome applicants from any area of expertise, but particularly the following:
all aspects of Brexit, especially farming, fishing and business
business and the economy in Scotland
politics
health
education
science, technology, engineering and mathematics
law, especially Scottish constitutional law
“The aim is to offer an introduction to the media, including practical experiences in front of a camera and in a radio studio, as well as masterclasses with industry professionals including experienced programme-makers.”
Must NOT be a vile separatist, or thick, ok ladies.
For Ruth Davidson, if she’s looking in!
link to carpetbags.co.uk
Macart @ 11:10 am
On Brexit you state: “The media have gone awol on the subject and the unionist political class have kept their collective traps shut. They’re sleepwalking the electorate into this.”
I agree with this. It is a well-used Establishment tactic – to work to ‘normalise’; to draw things out in time; to avoid any tangible sense of a negative step-change; to distract, including by decrying other villains; to obfuscate and confuse; to tire and bore etc.
My concern is that too many in Scotland’s electorate sleepwalked through 2014. We will have to find a way of giving them a rude awakening some time soon as they won’t get it from the corporate media in Scotland. On the contrary.
What’s she like eh? 🙂
Bed bugs in Nicola’s constituency … she should whizz round there on Christmas eve and sort it all out.
This is the current state of the Scottish MSM folks. FGS!
Is there a Scottish budget coming soon…Oh wait!
stewartb says:
Yes. They are totally incompetent, but the loyal media are adept at hiding this, often smoothing out the ‘bumps’ so the population can sleep soundly and not begin to show too many doubts about what’s going on.
Somehow, I have always thought that Scottish Independence will happen for some unexpected reason and happen quickly.
There is a danger to the Establishment where they always hide too much negativity entering the public domain – should their smoke and mirrors suddenly collapse and some issue become big news they will be overwhelmed by a public who have become used to things appearing to tick over smoothly. There will be a big out of control backlash.
And in the current Scottish constitutional climate something unexpected could be the catalyst we need.
A “tangible sense of a negative step-change” could mark the end of this tottering Union.
call me dave @ 12:08
When I saw this I thought it was a clever spoof and didn’t bother to read it.
“Nicola Sturgeon ate my hamster!”
Wow!
call me dave says:
13 December, 2017 at 12:08 pm
What’s she like eh? ?
Bed bugs in Nicola’s constituency … she should whizz round there on Christmas eve and sort it all out.
This is not funny. This is exactly what the Nazis did to, well we all know how the Nazis dehumanised people. This is a new and dangerous phase in tory journalism.
We’ve already BBC Breakfast tv news use a gorilla, that Celeb get me out of here had sickola sturgeon with Kezia Dugdale.
Where will the UK media go next?
So the Scotland Act can be changed and tweaked however the unionists Britnats see fit. Got you now you uppity sweaty jocks ha ha. UKOKgov and their Labour supporters perhaps feeling emboldened by what has happened in Catalonia. You can basically do what you want and get away with it, even when in the EU, so out of the EU it’s party time! Woo hoo!
How are the Labour branch, cleaning cupboard dwelling, MSPs going to explain this one then! Lowlifes of the highest order, out to shaft Scotland while taking a nice big fat wage from the public purse. Have a nice xmas hope you all choke on your farmed turkeys!
Wonder what else the Britnats will come up with in the run up to crimble when everyone is preoccupied with trying to afford to buy nicknacks and food. Xmas is a great distraction and a terrible time for many.
With the absolute disgraceful UKGov austerity, universal credit, (credit?!), sanctions, foodbanks, Grenfell, paradise papers, (the royals anyone?) dodgy Britnat MPs in WM and some unionist ones at Holyrood, it’s just like Xmases past. Fantabulous UKok, everything’s rosy, for a few. For others, a living nightmare caused by Tory and red tory so called policy.
I wonder how it must feel to live in your country and know at least halve of the people despise you Imean those media broadcasters and newspaper hacks who keep telling lies and twisting the truth do they not realise that by so doing they are helping to keep people including children in poverty in a rich country and if they told the truth it would help to put an end to it .,??? Well I do not hate you I feel sorry for you because one day you are going to have to answer for all your lies and as in the tv., show there will be no hiding place
@heedtracker
Careful!
Nazis even!
The only effective way to completely remove bedbug infestation is fumigation of sealed buildings. Zyklon was used extensively by the wehrmacht and the American Army for this purpose.
link to en.wikipedia.org.
iRef2 could get really nasty.
Why has my blog not come up ???
Apparently the EU intend that the recent Brexit ‘Divorce’ Deal be turned into a binding treaty before moving on to trade.
I don’t blame them! No one in their right minds would trust promises made by Westminster!
Murdo “Always a bridesmaid, never a bride”! must be ecstatic at the thought of losing his leader. Ruthless at last!
Urban myth in formation:
Separatist movements in western Europe are fomented and promoted by Russia. Scots and Catalan nationalists are agents of a foreign power intent on subverting the democratic politics and the territorial integrity of their parent states.
The Guardian-Daily Mail axis.
I wonder how it must feel to live in your own country and know that at least have of the peopl despise you I mean those tv broadcasters and media hacks who tell lies and twist the truth do they not realise that by doing so they are helping to keep people including children in poverty and if they told the truth it would help to end it well I do not hate you I feel sorry for you because one day you will be held to account for your lies and as in the tv., show there will be no hiding place
‘Move it down to the Clyde in the middle of Glasgow, open it up to lots of other sports.’
Starting from scratch may well be cheaper and therefore more likely to happen.
If so that would be great.Not dogmatic bout Hampden,so long as we have a world class National Stadium that holds >65K.
@ RJS 11.55 p.m:”That scruffy wee kid teaching the big Yank about the real facts of life… =gulp=.”
Quite so. When he says to Paul Douglas at the end of The Maggie, “Good luck tae ye!”, it almost sounds like a Glasgow threat. Sublime…
Unfortunately, Tommy Kearins didn’t become an adult actor but he played the part flawlessly.
@Nana (11.20) –
‘G A Ponsonby’s complaint about the lack of scrutiny of Ruth Davidson, together with all responses from the BBC, has been published. It makes for interesting reading.’
link to indyref2.scot
It’s a great wee read Nana, and here’s a thing: many of us were well hacked-off with politics in general prior to the announcement of the date for indyref1 and the launch of this place. Back then, five or six years ago, we may have glanced at that Posonby/BBC exchange and said ‘aye, so what?’ because we knew that to even mention the word ‘bias’ would instantly draw accusations of paranoia, tired jibes about tinfoil hats etc.
Now, having digested the analysis of hundreds of examples, right here and on other blogs, we can swiftly decipher what’s happening. It’s worth thinking back, trying to remember how it felt to see an example like this before we were clued-up. That’s how the bulk of ‘No’ voters probably feel even now – not the apron-waving diehards, but the passive, quiet voters who can’t or won’t be bothered getting their heads around this stuff.
That correspondence is about as good an example as we’ve seen of the BBC doing its ‘haughty dismissal’ routine – so blatant that only the most dim-witted and/or wilfully ignorant could miss it.
Macart says:
13 December, 2017 at 11:10 am
@PictAtRandom
It’s provocation enough to be sure, but I doubt the Scottish Government will make any move just yet. I reckon they’ll keep their word and stick to the letter of their statements to date. As and when the final details of the Brexit deal become known and not before.
Sorry, but I cannot fathom the logic. I mean I think you’re correct Macart, but as winning strategies go, the SNP strategy seems bizarre, and that’s me being kind.
The EU is wiping the floor with David Davis and May, getting everything it set out to achieve all the way back in 2016. It clearly set out its chronological agenda, no talks before Article 50 is triggered, no Trade talks until the divorce bill is settled, no negotiation on the divorce bill, and no compromise about Trade talks while EU member Ireland has reservations about its border. Cue UK capitulation on the Irish Border, and subsequent revocation. The EU tells it like it is, and while professional, tolerant to a fault, and affable towards discussion, it doesn’t compromise its principles.
Compare and contrast that to Scotland’s approach to Brexit. We have no known certainties, no “deal breaking” benchmarks, no ultimatums, no deadlines, no awkward “Hobson’s Choice” dilemmas we can foist upon Westminster. To all intents and purposes, the Holyrood Government seems to have adopted the “playing possum” approach, and frankly I’m sick of it.
Absolutely every aspect of Scottish Independence is being held in abeyance until the final Brexit Deal is known, which unfortunately resigns Scotland to a watching brief from the sidelines while 3rd parties negotiate our sovereign interests without even consulting us.
We are powerless not by circumstance, but by our own design and tacit submission. We seem to have a one dimensional strategy fixated upon a dystopian Brexit agreement, but with no plans or contingencies to deviate our path to avoid Brexit, nor indeed do we seem able to plan strategies for what to do after Brexit and beyond.
When Westminster was bound to capitulate before Irish and EU demands for no Border last week, yes, we were absolutely correct that a precedent was set that different parts of the UK could secure different status before Europe, -three cheers all round! But then Nicola cites this as vindication that Scotland wouldn’t need a hard Border either, except of course, that Scotland in the Single Market WOULD need Border checkpoints if England was outside the Single Market. Come on Nicola, – focus please…
What is going on at SNP HQ? Do we really have a cunning “EU style” strategy thoroughly planned with every contingency catered for? Or do we have a “Westminster Brexit type” strategy which resembles Panzer-Fright? – Immobilising panic whenever there’s a searching question asked or decisive action is required? Quick! Roll out an SNPBad smokescreen!
Our sovereign Remain vote was flouted. No outrage. Scotland is excluded from Brexit negotiations. No outrage. Northern Ireland secures a soft Brexit for itself. No outrage. Get back in your box Scotland. Now Westminster resolves to strip powers from Holyrood, and there is barely a ripple of protest. What is it going to take to ratchet up the jeopardy and see us grabbing Westminster by the lapels? Ok Westminster, you’ve had your fun, but now we’re going to tell you what happens next.
We can all scoff at David Davis candidly admitting the UK has no impact studies for Brexit, but where are Scotland’s own impact studies for Brexit??? We do have them right? Right??? What right have we to judge David Davis if we’ve been just as unprofessional and unprepared as he was? I know that’s an awkward question, but it’s apt isn’t it?
We are not approaching the Brexit deadline of March 2019 like hardened EU negotiators with a tried and tested game plan and crystal clear objectives. I dearly wish we were, but we’re not. Increasingly it feels like we are freewheeling, just like Brexiteering chancers. Sketchy preparations, and trusting our capacity to react spontaneously to problems as and when they happen. We have no plan to swing the opinion polls besides a horrible Brexit, and until the opinion polls swing, we have no other plan. Please, tell me I’m wrong and that isn’t our strategy…
This is getting scary now. We are running out of time..
How I dearly wish Nicola would call a press conference, and say “Listen, this Brexit carry-on has gone on long enough. It’s just getting silly, and Westminster, BBC, all of you, you’re just making one mistake after another, not learning a thing, and you’re still charging up the wrong dreel altogether. Scotland, whether you love us or hate us, has sovereign rights. Yes, even in the 300 year old Union of the Kingdoms, there are rights enshrined to protect Scotland’s rights and institutions… constitutional rights and institutions which are right now being directly threatened by Brexit. Let me take a moment or two to set out and articulate those constitutional rights so they, and the way they empower Scotland, can be properly understood by all…
“Democracy passes into despotism”. – Plato
“Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty”. – Thomas Jefferson
“The despotism of custom is everywhere the standing hindrance to human advancement”. – John Stuart Mill
Breeks 11.10
You wrote “Our sovereign Remain vote was flouted. No outrage”
… no, it was a UK referendum (the UK that the majority of SCots had voted to be part of). No reason for outrage.
You wrote “Scotland is excluded from Brexit negotiations. No outrage.”
… Scotland, like South Oxfordshire that voted Remain, is represented equally by the UK Government in the Brexit negotiations. No reason for outrage.
You wrote “Northern Ireland secures a soft Brexit for itself. No outrage.”
There is no “equivalence” between the position in NI and in SCotland – as you well know. No reason for outrage.
You wrote “What is it going to take to ratchet up the jeopardy and see us grabbing Westminster by the lapels? Ok Westminster, you’ve had your fun, but now we’re going to tell you what happens next.”
…. it will take a referendum where your views are shown to represent the view of the majority of Scots – then, as last time, if the majority of SCots want Independence then they will have it. But Ms Sturgeon isn’t going to demand a referendum because, I assume, she thinks she would lose it.
I was watching PMQ’s today on the Daily Politics programme to see May and Corbyn, as per usual, blaming each other for the horrendous mess that we’re in. Figures flying backwards and forwards in relation to the dire state of the country – the number of homeless people, lack of housing, NHS shambles, education fiasco, and so on, with the usual retorts of, “it was worse when you were in power.”, “No it’s worse since you Tories came to power”, accompanied with much bleating and booing. The bottom line being that most of the allotted time was taken up, once again, with them playing the blame game.
This has been going on constantly for decades now and it looks as though this is what we’ll be suffering for decades to come (and worst still) if we don’t get our Independence. Surely the Scots have had enough of this Tory – Labour, Labour -Tory, Tory – Labour ad infinitum with the only potential break to that Establishment monopoly, in the foreseeable future, being UKIP replacing the Tories?
I know that this issue relates to the basics, and is as nothing compared to what we are all aware of on here, but I’ve mentioned it wondering how long it’s going to take for the penny to drop? For the Scots who have little knowledge of politics at all. Surely even they can see what’s going on?
And just to add that Andrew Neil very conveniently ended his visit to the Commons with some Scottish Tory lackey standing up and bleating on about the SNP planning to raise taxes, by pointing out that it’s totally unnecessary due to the Westminster Tories ‘giving’ Holyrood £2 billion. Treeza May’s response was, “We’ll be keeping an eye on the situation.” No mention of the fact that the SG’s budget has been slashed by billions due to the Tory (with the support of Labour) austerity cuts, is having to mitigate hellish Tory welfare policies and that they ain’t giving the Scots anything at all. All they are doing is throwing a few crumbs our way from the very lucrative ‘loaves’ that they receive from Scotland. No mention of the fact that in real terms Scotland is being shortchanged by £500 million over the next two years, we’ve been done out of £2.9 billion (NIron £1 billion bung), we’ve to fork out around 9% towards the NI £1 billion bung and will have to pay around 9% of the EU divorce bill …… and the rest!
And for those people who are new to the site I reckon I should mention that Westminster has ensured that the Scottish Government is totally limited in what they can do to raise money as they only have control of 20% of economic levers (poisoned chalice) and 15% control over piecemeal welfare powers. Up until 2016 it was 7% overall.
@Ian Brotherhood
“Now, having digested the analysis of hundreds of examples, right here and on other blogs, we can swiftly decipher what’s happening. It’s worth thinking back, trying to remember how it felt to see an example like this before we were clued-up”
Very true Ian, thank goodness we have Wings. It’s imperative we get the information out to those who are not aware. Just chatting to a friend last week showed me just how uninformed folks are. I think we are going to need loudhailers and soapboxes.
A few more links
link to indyref2.scot
link to thoughtcontrolscotland.com
link to politicshome.com
link to euronews.com
I like what you’re saying breeks, at 1.33. I too cannot understand the silence.
Is there no one from the SNP willing to stand up and say something in response to all that has happened this week?
I’d have thought the prospect of having devolved powers taken away from the Scottish government is a pretty big “significant and material change in the circumstances”
If we could hear the SNP putting up more of a fight it would go a long way to getting the 47% over the 50%.
Dave still, apparently, does not understand the concept of plural democracy within a voluntary, multi-national, political union. Dave is a Tory, so probably believes Britain is One Nation and that all men have the same notion of good. Dave probably thinks the British ‘constitution’ provides adequate protection for Scotland, against Westminster’s despotic excess.
Dave does not value enlightenment and so, logically, is against human emancipation.
Best Scottish film has to be One Day Removals…
link to youtube.com
The ‘F’ word may be used in this movie more than any in history… you have been warned.
There’s none so blind, as them that will not see.
Scottish unionists disrespect progress itself. They are ALL conservatives.
Ruth Davidson will actually be disappointed, that, for example,there is improvement in Scottish education.
Anyone who thinks she wishes the best for US ALL is deluded, or has a hidden agenda, or is just thick.
Unionists will always use their superior voting numbers to hinder any move for real democracy for Scotland.
They have no intention to allow that, their cash cow loss would be disastrous for them. So, taking that into account, we can not trust anything coming from Westminster. Zilch,nothing.
They think that their double talk and devious ways will hold us fast, it has worked for centuries, they have a proven system of how to deceive us. They cant ever, ever, be trusted.
I am content with the SNP over most things, but now is a time to have fire in their soul, and be much more vocal in deriding the dark forces that constantly work against us for Westminster gain. Call them out, and let the people see more clearly. Let’s get going, light the fire!
Just a reminder folks – if you are passing any Metro newspaper outlets (Metro bins) in train or bus stations (or anywhere else), grab a pile as you go by and you know what to do with them. That rag is full of unionist propaganda pish (full Jackie Baillie strength) that’s pumped into our bus/train stations and then carried off into our workplaces/homes every day, polluting and disinforming the gullible. Let’s put a stop to it.
And if you’ve a spare National on you be sure to leave it in the Metro ‘bins’. Let’s get intae these propaganda merchants.
CameronB Brodie 2:17 pm
Wrote “Dave still, apparently, does not understand the concept of plural democracy within a voluntary, multi-national, political union. Dave is a Tory, so probably believes Britain is One Nation and that all men have the same notion of good.”
… and CameronB Brodie is still pseudo-intellectual that uses long words that add up to a very large pile of bovine excreta.
Just a reminder folks – if you are passing any Metro newspaper outlets (Metro bins) in train or bus stations (or anywhere else), grab a pile as you go by and you know what to do with them.
If you think they’re a bit heavy in bundles, emptying a travel mug of cold coffee on top is also fun, or any other fluids that come to hand:-)
.
Breeks not in disagreement with anything you posted , re our return of serve or lack of it .
Every single thing Nicola and her government does , talks about , plans , proposes , is instantly relayed to Westminster , thats why i questioned earlier , Who do the civil service in Scotland work for ? .
I lost any if i had any respect in the first place for that lot when they received an award for assisting the lying b/rds on the NO side , and assisted them in perpetuating a total lie .
I believe the same middle class lot permeate the BBC , their excuse for protecting the union was ? f/d if I know , money maybe , or something else that hasn’t been divulged yet .
Probably every single room in Bute House is bugged , as is all rooms in Holyrood , the security services know exactly what is going on with a minute by minute update , so maybe in action at present is the best thing to do , keep the b/rds guessing , Remember the SNP are the No1 Enemy of the State and regarded as a dangerous hostile threat to the establishment .
Dog Soldiers is my favourite followed by The Wickerman,followed by the Australian guys one.
What make you think I’m as ignorant as you appear to be, Dave?
link to philosophynow.org
link to researchgate.net
link to unesdoc.unesco.org
As it’s a quiet afternoon, some links for you
Former European Commissioner Viviane Reding is “saddened British people [are] victim to political crooks”.
link to twitter.com
link to thelocal.fr
link to politico.eu
link to theneweuropean.co.uk
Thanks Petra,
I think a lot of our posters should take turn once a week to post this, especially for our new people who do realise this. If we do this it will appear at random times of the day.
Scottish Government is totally limited in what they can do to raise money as they only have control of 20% of economic levers (poisoned chalice) and 15% control over piecemeal welfare powers. Up until 2016 it was 7% overall.
Jings:
James Kelly (aye that wan) ‘Scots’ Labour Finance spokesperson it is rumoured.
and
Kezia not welcomed back with open arms…gone home. 🙁
Joe of the courts @ 10.29
Whit can I say… its grown up TV.
The story is right there.
Culloden wiz complicated and heartbreaking.
How else can ye tell it,without having a couple run right thru it?
And I might add most of the sex is actually married sex….that’s a wee bit different.. Is it no?
Project North Britain, the venerable one designed to expunge references to a country call Scotland/Alba from memory is back in operation. Count the number of occasions Scotland is particularly mentioned, SNP excepted, by name in political debate, news broadcasts, weather forecasts, general media mainstream discussion where the terms north, UK or Britain cannot be easily substituted or the country treated as a mere region on a par with an English city or county eg we have representatives from London, Birmingham, Manchester and Scotland.
That the ‘democratic’ British state would do such a thing is just my fevered, Russia addled, imagination, isn’t it?
Nana says:
“The EU will harden its position on Brexit trade talks after London said it would only pay its divorce bill if it got a deal “
I can only deduce that the Tories, or at least a significant influential faction, are Hell bent to sabotaging talks to get their hard cliff jump Brexit!
Occasionally I see a glimmer of hope that the Tories are not intending mass UK suicide, then they kick another can of petrol onto the bonfire.
The failure to pass Amendment 158 is indeed a provocation, as with all provocation though they are trying to elicit an immediate response and as we know immediate responses done in haste can be made to look rash and angry. Don’t get me wrong I am angry, but the media would just love the chance to portray Nicola and the SNP, and therefore the whole independence movement, as unhinged and angry – ok they already do that but let’s not present an open goal to them. The most difficult thing to do can be to bide your time and not respond immediately. As it sadly stands just over half of the population don’t as yet support Independence, our task is to persuade that crucial 10% to change their minds.
I’ve thought ever since the EU referendum that this would be a slow burn, the realisation of the implications get to people at different times. We are all clued up and informed but the vast majority of the population aren’t and we have to acknowledge that, we see the reality much more quickly and get frustrated when others don’t – I mean how can anyone think that those in Westminster in charge of the negotiations are best placed to protect Scotland’s interests! In the same way as we see the utter devastation that they are causing people domestically with their agenda of cuts and driving people to despair, others think it can’t be “that bad”. It’s not until the tide laps at their door that many realise what’s happening and become engaged, you can’t force people to engage politically when they are not ready to.
The cause of Independence will be won one conversation at a time – we have the whole UK establishment and MSM ranged against us – but one by one people are starting to talk about the utter shambles that is Brexit, the dangerous buffoonery of the Foreign Secretary, the fascist outpourings from the right wing brexiteers when anyone disagrees with them etc.- people are engaging in discussion, frustratingly slowly but it is happening. Friends and family have all been stunned in the last couple of weeks at the comments made by people in conversation who previously never mentioned politics and who we know were no voters. They see the incompetence at Westminster and are also having their confidence in the media challenged, but importantly they are now voicing these concerns.
It’s no use however berating them saying if you’d voted yes none of this would’ve happened, instead I feel that empathy and agreement that everything is indeed a shambles will get them to continue the conversation where we can drop in some of the multitude of facts, figures etc that we all know. The look on their faces when you start informing them about the outrage that is Universal Credit, the media’s non reporting of all the good news in Scotland, the new oil fields, Nicola’s speeches which are never covered all round the world etc – not all at the one time of course- but one conversation will lead to another and slowly the lights will come on and then they will ask what can we do about it- that’s when we can get onto the cause of Scottish independence.
For what it’s worth I think after they get Fishing and Agriculture back the real target they are after is planning for energy. They have already said that they want Britain wide rules, but won’t mention their goals of giving permission to their friends to frack Scotland and build new Nuclear power station all done under the cloak of national necessity. I mean how can those uppity Scots put at risk the energy security of England. If we want folk to pay attention to the power grab that is under way then perhaps we need to point them in the direction of where the money is to be made for the Tories pals. I would imagine that in the areas of Scotland where fracking was going to happen, before the SNP banned it, if you say that it might happen anyway via the Brexit Bill that may well get their attention.
Fear is the only thing the English government understands, that’s why they monitor eveything from MP MSPs phones, Twitter, Websites such as this one we’re on now, EVERYTHING!
Why do they fear Norn Ireland? Because they monitor the same things there too
There’s your answer as to why they don’t fear Scotland
The SNP are only a political threat and to the English government that’s no threat at all because they know they can change the political rules at will (2014 referendum) denying the SNP political power to do anything meaningful about whatever the English government ideologically decide to do about anything they want
The English government are fully aware that the general population does not either watch the HOC doings or really care that much about what goes on there
The general voting population are at the mercy of the dripping tap of propaganda perpetrated by the Government controlled media which will support and endorse whichever party of Unionism is in power at the time
The misreporting and non reporting of actual news in order to avoid the facts will continue unabated and no amount of Websites to the contrary will overcome them as long as the people remain apathetic and meakly wait to receive news of their fate and then moan about it later to whomever is the closest to them which in Scotlands case is the SNP
Sumdy shoulda dun sumfin aboot it, how cum they didnae tell us, followed by It’s aw their fault, if they hudnae stirred things up this widnae be happenin
The stupidity gets worse and you hear *Ahm votin fur* followed by the name of a Unionist party who got us into the mess in the first place
The Norn Irish aren’t afraid, the Catalans aren’t afraid
Scotland lost it’s bottle a long time ago and no matter how much we try to persuade folk with all the evidence and logic in the world they’re not listening to us in enough numbers quickly enough and the inevitable will happen
That’s why the only hope we have is for the SNP, because let’s face it that’s all Scotland has with any kind of voice in Scotlands defence, is to find some way to change the game and stop playing by English rules
I’m a big fan of the FM but she’s been done over by the Media and they’ve reduced her standing to a whiny Kezia Dugdale figure (although she’s not) so she’s seen as a nuisance now as opposed to being the “Most dangerous woman in Britain” remember that
The SNP might think about hiring a Nigel Farage type figure (except on our side) who firebrands their way through TV Newspapers and politics causing headlines all over the place but isn’t actually connected to the Scottish government as an elected representative
Just like Farage was for the Tories, and hey, it worked for them
But then Nicola cites this as vindication that Scotland wouldn’t need a hard Border either, except of course, that Scotland in the Single Market WOULD need Border checkpoints if England was outside the Single Market. Come on Nicola, – focus please…
I agree that a hard border would be necessary between a Scotland that is in the Single Market and an England outside of it. This applies whether Scotland is in the EU or EEA/EFTA. It could though be the softest of hard borders like that between Norway and Sweden.
link to politico.eu
What that link shows I think is that here two main reasons for a hard border assuming we remained in the Single Market but had a seperate Customs Union deal with England through EFTA membership. The first is that if excise duty or VAT for example differed between the two countries then a hard border would be necessary in order to reduce smuggling of goods subject to excise duty, unless of course both countries agreed to keep taxes such as these aligned.
The second and more problamatic is free movement of labour. I doubt that the rUK would allow any EU citizen coming to work in Scotland just to move down to London to work if they were inclined to do so. Also what of Scots that want to work in the rUK after Indpendence or English people that want to work here? A free travel area between Scotland and rUK would seem to be an absolute necessity for all our sakes or chaos.
Similarly for the reasons above I don’t believe it is possible to resolve the issue of a hard border between NI and Eire, how can it be unless the UK accepts that the cost of such is that it will not “take back control” of it’s borders? This is a conumdrum that cannot be resolved easily in my opinion.
If the border issue is not resolved then hard Brexit here we come. Therefore Nicola Sturgeon is right in saying that if it can be resolved for NI/Eire then so too can it be resolved for Scotland.
@Fiona Laing
Great post and agree with all you said. I take it your name is a pseudonym and that you’re really Joanna Cherry or Nicola Sturgeon 🙂
Fiona Laing: amen to all that.
“Hold! hold!” and then we win when the vital 10% finally see the Consequences-of-Brexit Incontinent Elephant crapping all over their nice, beige fitted carpet.
It might not be a decision based on principle or political awareness, but it’ll do for me in the circumstances.
😛
BREAKING from Pravda Quay
with Jackie Kim Ono
link to imgur.com
I hope you’re right Fiona (4.10pm) and that people are starting to waken up to what is happening because some I speak to look bemused if I mention the Brexit mess and the danger of a power grab.
When I suggested to one lady that it is going to get a lot worse the response was “Do you think so?” Others make a big deal of the fact that they’re not really interested in politics as if that somehow is going to protect them from the fallout. See no evil etc.
I fear things will have to get an awfie lot worse before some will find an interest in their own self preservation.
Dr Jim,
“I’m a big fan of the FM but she’s been done over by the Media and they’ve reduced her standing to a whiny Kezia Dugdale figure (although she’s not) so she’s seen as a nuisance now as opposed to being the “Most dangerous woman in Britain” remember that”
I do not for one moment doubt Nicola’s commitment to Scottish independence. I only wished she had not trained as a lawyer.
It is the lawyer in her that made her squander a once in a 1000 years golden opportunity by wasting more than a year flogging a dead horse – a separate deal for Scotland which was never going to happen.
Scotland was on the verge of independence immediately after the Brexit vote.
The unionist parties were without leaders and completely lost, the SNP had 56 out of 59 MPs and 50% of the vote, the EU’s eyes were (favourably) on Scotland.
Instead of striking when the iron was hot, she tried to be ultra cautious.
The result: She was outsmarted by the collusion between Saints Theresa and Ruth on one hand, and Corbyn on the other.
Result: fall in SNP support from 50% to 37%, loss of half a million voters and 23 MPs.
The moment has been lost. In my view there is a 1% chance of an independence referendum happening before Brexit has been completed.
As I have said before, after Brexit has been completed, Scotland will be at the mercy of the Westminster government, with no official status in the EU other than a region of the UK.
There is 0% chance of winning a referendum held after Brexit has been completed for the next 620 years.
The Catalan elections will be held one week tomorrow on the 21st Dec and I can’t believe what I read in The National today.
SCOTTISH campaigners have voiced concern at Spain’s decision to ban official international observers from next week’s Catalan Parliament elections.
link to archive.is
Nah on second thoughts I can believe it and am not surprised.
@Robert J Sutherland
Enjoyed your “Long Post” in the paper too.
The BBC again,
How f/n petty of the trusted BBC
On their website they have, a snp mp has urged Mrs Mayhem to tell RBS to get a grip over their proposed branch closures.
The SNP MP in question is Ian Blackford the leader of the SNP group at Westminster, can’t they even give the guy some respect and use his recognised description, I know it’s petty but FFS get a grip we know that the BBC try daily to diminish all references to the party that they try to forget .
If God has a conscience he would flatten that f/n place tonight, will it be missed, aye like a boil on yer arse . Once gone the sooner forgotten .
Thepnr @ 17:18,
No international observers? Jeez, you have to wonder at what “Mr Democrat Legalité” Rajoy is so afraid of. You don’t have to suffer from paranoia to think there’s something he’s very anxious to hide.
But then he has already been humiliated on the international stage. His ploy to use EU resources to drag Puigdemont & Co back to face his warped (in)justice in Spain backfired when it became clear that the Belgian courts were going to tell him ever so politely but firmly to f*** off.
Rock we heard you the first 25 times reapeating over and over again doesn’t make it better .
A European member state ( Spain ) refuses international observation of the upcoming election, well and they say North Korea is a pariah state, kettle and pot comes to mind ,
The longer the EU sit on their arses over this abuse of democracy , and moral outrage verging on a dictatorship, and a obvious totalitarian regime, the harder it is for supporters of the EU to convince others that it’s a good idea joining, and gives credence to the case for leaving .
Robert Graham,
“The longer the EU sit on their arses over this abuse of democracy , and moral outrage verging on a dictatorship, and a obvious totalitarian regime, the harder it is for supporters of the EU to convince others that it’s a good idea joining, and gives credence to the case for leaving .”
Rock (19th September – “The warning notice”):
“The difference is spineless “sovereign” Scots bottled it despite getting a free vote whereas the Catalonians are showing real spine, although they will be crushed by the Spanish state while the EU does little more than make a few noises.”
Thepnr says:
13 December, 2017 at 4:40 pm
@Fiona Laing
Great post and agree with all you said. I take it your name is a pseudonym and that you’re really Joanna Cherry or Nicola Sturgeon
Thanks Thepnr, but I haven’t got the patience of either Joanna or Nicola, there is no way I could keep my cool when faced with the onslaught of stupidity and vileness that they both face on a daily basis- and that’s just from elected parliamentarians!
Fiona Laing says:
Great comment Ms Lang. Wait and see how bad it gets is one thing but is it not fair to say that its Scottish independence that really draws SNP votes?
How many Scots just didn’t bother to vote in the snap vote Teresa Strong and Stable UK GE, and why not?
Low turn out in Scotland, is clearly great for unionists in Scotland.
Also, what’s the likelihood of a Scottish version of the bank of merry olde England. Mark Carney etc, if its even permitted by our chums in the south?
Regarding the Catalan election – there is no way Rajoy would’ve called it if he wasn’t sure the Spanish state could pauchle it. In the same way we got IndyRef1 – they thought there was no way we could win – I expect the independence parties to “lose” on the 21st in Catalonia.
@Rock/Craig
“Flogging a dead horse” Is that a fantasy of yours?
Do you sit on the settee staring at the screen with your pyjamas around your ankles waiting on a response to the tripe you post?
Shhh, keep it quiet, more of Englands oil is found. From the Herald on Sunday’s business pages. What do you expect.
The plundering of Scotland’s oil assets continues at maximum pace.
“Hurricane said firms had expressed interest in taking stakes in a range of its West of Shetland assets. It thinks potential partners will wait for the results of the early production system on Lancaster before making commitments.
Chief executive Robert Trice said a successful system would provide significant cash flow and a “read-across” to the production potential of other assets. Previous expert studies found Hurricane’s acreage could contain around 785 million barrels oil equivalent.”
Apologies if already reported.
If God has a conscience he would flatten that f/n place tonight, will it be missed, aye like a boil on yer arse . Once gone the sooner forgotten .
God is a tory. He’s also a where to start mentalist, showering his reps on earth with riches beyond avarice, Brenda worth £60+bn, rickets now back in the very merry tory teamGB zone.
So you can bet God is not on your side in this one:D
He also has a wicked sense of humour.
Tears of a tory clown, who voted for everything she’s blub blubbing about.
Thanks God.
link to bigissue.com
Rock the strange thing is i actually agree with your reply , and Spineless fits the bill exactly .
But the best vehicle we have ,in fact the only one is the SNP so rather than abuse them hows about trying to help , some useful points some may have missed , we dont know it all , sometimes a good idea can be disregarded because of the messenger ! .YOU .
Have a nice day .
There is 0% chance of winning a referendum held after Brexit has been completed for the next 620 years
Worst Back to the Future movie concept ever Rock.
Anyway even in 2644, there will still be awful arseholes like you Rock, raging away, “My great not a unionist unionist ancestor Rock voted YES in 2014 but now its 2644, we can NEVER go it alone without the English!”
@sensibledave 10:12
I see you don’t fully understand EVEL, Scots MP’s get a vote in parliament but their vote is almost meaningless as MP’s from England have an effective veto, legislation for England needs the support of MP’s in England.
This is not true for Scotland, WM can over-ride Holyrood and even if all 59 MP’s from Scotland vote against changing Scottish legislation, they have no veto like MP’s from England. MP’s from England can change Scottish Legislation. That is the definition of a vassal state asfar as I can see.
I see you like to insult rather than provide facts.
Heedtracker – ok I see your point, and well put . I can’t disagree with anything said .
Two things.
Fiona Laing @4.10, couldn’t agree more. Secondly, James Kelly as Shadow Finance WTAF?!?
The British state is the product of methodological nationalism, which is supported by the One Nation ideology, which gives preference to English cultural values and norms. The British state does not provide for a pluralism of democracy among the constituent nations. Scots now appear to live under English despotism.
link to unesdoc.unesco.org
Thenpr, Fiona is an exceptionally hard working person, even been on Telly several times 🙂
Her Paw and Maw are good Nationalists as well. 🙂 all of them a huge asset to our cause.
Rock
A large part of the No vote was a response to a perceived risk from self-determination. We all perceive and respond to risk differently. Your indiscriminate slagging-off of Scots is unlikely to help the cause, IMHO. Gonna no do that?
Jfngw 6.23pm. A waste of energy replying to a member of 77th bgde.
Now that the Scotland Act can be altered by WM at will, does that mean WM can now vote away Holyrood’s right for a Legislative Consent Motion on Brexit? Have they done this to ensure Holyrood’s LCM (presuming a Brexit vote isn’t given consent in Holyrood) doesn’t have to be over-ruled by WM thus WM is not then seen as breaking the Devolution settlement (when, yesterday’s vote, means they already have)?
Anyone know?
Macart – James Kelly as Shadow Finance WTAF?!?
All part of the master plan to undermine devolution and the Scottish Parliament. Let’s face it there could be NO OTHER effing reason.
Who actually voted for this clown, he brings shame on on our parliament every time he speaks and gives me a hellish dose of the Scottish Cringe.
Government defeated by Parliament on amendment 7,
@Scot Finlayson
Is that Clause 7 rather than amendment 7? Clause 7 is the one the included amendment 158.
Scot Finlayson says:
13 December, 2017 at 7:15 pm
Government defeated by Parliament on amendment 7,
What a tory catastrofuck, strong and stably. Imagine the work ahead for tory beeb propagandists now. Probably they just wont mention it much.
From Faisal Islam’s TL
‘Tellers up on Amendment 7
Ayes: 309
Noes: 305
Government first defeat on EU Withdrawal Bill
Does anyone know if the govt can force this through using the Parliament Act?
@Scot Finlayson
Amendment 7 right enough, just found it in the Guardian.
link to archive.is
Shinty: re Kelly The Mogadon Man. I feel your pain but isn’t he just a list MP? I think very few people have actually voted for him: it’s the D’Hondt dividend, don’t ya know?
Unelectable planks fill up the benches in our parliament and contribute nothing, expensively.
Theresa May heads off tomorrow to meet the EU.
What a ringing endorsement of her leadership she takes with her…oh ma sides…hahaha.!!!
OT European Parliament has approved Brexit talks can move forward to next phase.
They are respecting the agreement that was reached over NI Border, and giving short shrift to David Davis’s comments that the agreement wasn’t binding. That’s not how Europe is choosing to see it.
Hey Rock you big arse, why don’t you come back and try to sell mental tory Teresa’s historic political blunders thus far, probably the most stupid clown tory that ever got farted into the teamGB politics scene Rock, from her big tory majority, she flips it all in a hilarious toryu creepshow mess, just at the time in teamGB history when its really needed.
Snatcher Thatcher must be spinning like a top in her pyramid Rock:D
Must seem like another universe now for the tory delight,
link to news.sky.com
May calls for snap General Election to ensure Brexit ‘unity’
The PM reveals she changed her mind about an election during a walking holiday as she accuses opponents of gameplaying on Brexit.”
A vote for MPs. But what is the choice?
Accept deal or cancel Brexit?
Or, accept deal or leave with no deal?
Brexit phase 2….
Uk….”we want a bespoke trade deal of great benefit to us”
EU….”no problem, but ECJ being final arbiter on any legal disputes is an absolute red line for us”
Uk….”oh bugger”!!!
@Rock
Don’t misuse my comments to further your tripe
and as for your 620 years wait for Independence there are blessings in that you won’t be alive to see it
@galamcennalath.
Basically, if Parliament reject the deal, then the government will require to ask the EU to extend article 50 period to continue negotiations.
This is apparently built into Article 50 but requires a unanimous agreement.
If no extension given, then its out on WTO terms.
Also, by any deal requiring parliamentary say so, presumably ‘no deal’ would require to be agreed by the WM parliament as well.
If i read this result right, the uk gov huffily walking out and saying no deal is no longer a viable option as the parliament would need to agree to that move.
It is a clusterfeck for sure…!!
The tory on C4 news right now looks like he’s shit his breeks:D
What a laugh.
Nigel Farage?Verified account
@Nigel_Farage
16m
My contempt for career politicians knows no bounds.
What happens if Parliament (which has more Remainers than Brexiteers) should, and probably will, vote against any Brexit deal,
removal from EU is 2 years unless,
unless the European Council, in agreement with the Member State concerned, unanimously decides to extend this period,
amendment 7 gives scope for extending the timescale for Brexit.
@geeo
Sounds more ‘useful’ than I thought!
Sounds as if it has to be within the Article 50 period.
Clarifying the situation asap is obviously relevant to IndyRef2 timing.
I am certain what little strategy WM has is to play for time. If they can reach June 2021 then they hope for an anti Indy majority in Holyrood which removes the ‘Scottish Problem’. Sounds like this might force their hand long before that.
I’m under no illusion folk are clicking my links, especially where Dave is concerned. 😉
Scots have never enjoyed effective political agency within the British state. This is detrimental to the psychological well-being of Scots. It also undermines our cultural and economic potential.
link to researchgate.net
There was a comment from “somebody” on the Channel 4 News that this government defeat could result in May trying to hold another snap election to reinforce her mandate.
If that comes to pass, the simplest thing is for the SNP to go into that election on a single issue: that if the voters of Scotland return a majority of independence-supporting MPs to the UK parliament, then that will be taken as a mandate to hold a vote at Holyrood, to dissolve the Treaty of Union, ie independence for Scotland.
Scotland can then negotiate with the EU for continuing membership (to maintain the status quo), with a referendum on continuing membership once the dust settles and we, Scots, see how membership of the EU is working.
Too simple?
If there is a snap GE, the SNP should say that if the majority of MP’s returned to WM are SNP, then Scotland will call for another ind ref immediately, on the same timescale as this one.
Tinto Chiel – Unelectable planks fill up the benches in our parliament and contribute nothing, expensively.
Exactly, and ‘they’re doing it deliberately’ undermining Scotland every chance they get.
Indy all the way for me, get rid of the chancers, change the voting system. Lists, who thought that up? (not for WM ofcourse, FPTP for them)
Not keen on FPTP, but in it’s favour would keep out James Kelly, Annie Wells, Murdo Fraser and many, many others from all parties.
It cannot be right that in a ‘democracy’, candidates rejected by the electorate can become MSP’s by the back door. That’s the real scandal.
Hopefully one day all our parliamentarians will be working (their arses off) FOR Scotland and the people of Scotland above all else, irrespective of political views.
wull2: don’t they have this mandate already, when the SG wants?
BDTT: it my be simple, but I like it. We need to play our sovereignty joker at the right time.
The time may be now.
Does the SG see it this way?
I don’t see what else the SNP could meaningfully do in the event of a snap election. How can you have a manifesto when you have no idea or control over the ensuing economic madness coming down the line.
The Torres will fight on ‘no to independence’ anyway and the SNP should take em on.
Wonder how the ‘Scottish’ Tories voted?
Every one of them represents a seat where a majority of their constituents want absolutely nothing to do with Brexit!
Vote for accountability? Or did they just brown nose the Tory English Nationalist right?
Perhaps the answer is to impose time limits on list MSPs, a maximum of perhaps three terms as a list MSP, after which, if not elected as a full constituency MSP – they are out.
Here’s a wee funny, you cannot now access The Scotsman’s articles without registering or turning off your ad-blocker.
Oh No, you have your ad blocker switched on!
Please register to access this site
Well that’ll be the last time I visit their waste of space site.
” galamcennalath says:
13 December, 2017 at 8:51 pm
Wonder how the ‘Scottish’ Tories voted? ”
I believe that ‘Mutineer’ Paul Masterton abstained.
I see that we’ve got the same old folk, so-called Independence supporters, on here doing their utmost to undermine Nicola Sturgeon / the SNP. The obvious target of course with Nicola and the SNP known to be THE greatest threat to the Union.
Whilst most of us are working online and on the streets trying to convert people to our cause they use this site to discredit the SNP, just like the MSM. Unlike the MSM however they’re smart enough to avoid mentioning the ‘day job’, but rather focus on their action, or lack of they say, in relation to Brexit. In doing so I actually wonder how many people they’ve managed to turn against the SNP and as a result supporting Independence at all.
Hi wull2 at 8:20 pm.
You typed,
“If there is a snap GE, the SNP should say that if the majority of MP’s returned to WM are SNP, then Scotland will call for another ind ref immediately, on the same timescale as this one.”
But if the SNP have gone into the snap election as I have suggested above, “that if the voters of Scotland return a majority of independence-supporting MPs to the UK parliament, then that will be taken as a mandate to hold a vote at Holyrood, to dissolve the Treaty of Union, ie independence for Scotland”, WHY would there be any neccessity for another independence referendum? With a majority of Scottish constituency MPs, they will have created the mandate to have a vote at Holyrood for independence!
And, as Tinto Cheil pointed out, the Scottish parliament ALREADY has a mandate from us to have a referendum at a time of the Scottish parliament’s choosing.
T Jenny
I’m pretty sure that the whole reason for trying to get a NO vote tonight was so that the Government had ‘control’ of the outcome and implementation of any type of Brexit deal –
this way – they HAVE to get MP’s agreement on the negotiated deal so I think that rules out the possibility of forcing things through under the Parlament Act or Henry viii clause.
This returns the final say to our elected representatives and certainly rules out a ‘No deal’. They’re going to have to do some really hard work now..
Mundell’s face is a picture when the Deputy Speaker reads out the confirmation of the vote. And if (t)Ruthless thinks she’ll can survive down there then she’s a bigger idiot than I thought. She’ll only go there if she is in a position of power, not as a back bencher- she might even replace Fluffy!!!
Ha ha ha ha I enjoyed that vote tonight, ha ha ha. That was sweet.
In a snap election the SNP should stand on a manifesto of fighting the ‘Westminster Brexit’ by any and all means. They already have a mandate to call IndyRef2. So that’s a settled issue.
With polls showing almost 70% of Scots are Remain, absolute opposition to Brexit should be their stance in a Brexit based general election. No pissing around with single market compromises and special deals for Scotland.
Obviously, “by any and all means” includes calling IndyRef2 as per the outstanding mandate.
Fighting “Westminster Brexit”, because it surely is not ours, can be widened to their broken promises, threats to Holyrood, and lack of mandate to take such drastic action as Brexit.
@galamcennalath
“Wonder how the ‘Scottish’ Tories voted?”
AsI’ve just posted elsewhere gala, it doesn’t matter who voted against the amendment. What they did as a chamber was morally indefensible. Your are either part of a partnership, or you are not. You are a valued equal, or you are not. Last night the majority of that chamber decided we are neither partners or equals.
There is no possible argument they could offer and no other possible explanation.
Seems a pretty inescapable and logical conclusion to draw, yes?
Someone made the point earlier that it is a Treaty of union – not an Act of Union.
An international treaty between two sovereign nations.
Therefore, if there is another snap GE, ( there might be a leadership bid which could just need a GE to endorse the new appointee) Scotland should state that a majority of SNP returned is a declaration that the Treaty is no longer viable and we could walk away.
The vote last night? this afternoon? which allows WM to decide rules in Scotland already breeches the terms of the Treaty anyway which states that Scots Law should at all times be superior in regard to Scotland – something we must not let slip any further.
They were spouting about (t)Ruthless on the radio tonight and how she thinks she may head south soon, but not before 2022 as she still thinks she ‘ll be the first Conservative First Minister of Scotland – Does she drink Brasso?
@ BrianDTT If there’s another snap GE ( every likelihood Feb/Mar/May ) it should be fought on Independence ( not returning our Hens Teeth candidates ) to Westmidden to be held up to ridicule & outvoted at every vote . Those current MPs should stand for the Scottish Parliament & Westmidden ( but if elected not take up their seats in Westmidden ) .
We’re never going to get out from under playing by their rules & the many twists & turns they can & will make , its now time to cast the die whichever comes first GE/Brexit outcome .
Chist my thoughts .
You know this new Indy App that has recently had a successful fundraiser, well could that be used as a means of informing those that and Independence minded of forthcoming events such as marches ect?
Look at Catalonia, how was it possible to get 45,000 as a minimum into Brussels to carry out a demonstration? I don’t know how they did it but it was obviously well organised in advance.
We need something like that so that even at short notice we can have gatherings, marches or whatever. I hope that through this app that will become possible and all you’ll need do is download it to your phone then there can be no excuses for missing something because you didn’t know.
Those that think Nicola should have forced a referendum after Brexit vote,
do you have or was there any any Polls that showed a majority Yes vote after Brexit ?
So : all Scottish Tories voted with the government tonight.
Despite their constituents voting remain.
This is a big story.
Vote Tory = Vote for brexit.
An inconvenient truth for Ruth Davidson.
But will the media ask the awkward questions ?
Meg Merrilees @ 21:08,
I also happened to catch that little promo for Ruthless, from Red Tory Sarah Smith. How the Rude One has such a wonderful chance of becoming the next First Minister.
If I had been drinking anything at the time it would have been sprayed all over the radio set. As it was I merely laughed. Loudly. How on earth can Sarah Smith come out with such arrant nonsense?
There is no way under the sun that Ruth Davidson is going to be next First Minister. She has as much chance of that happening as I do.
Unless there’s a Unionist coalition post 2021 with NorthBritLab, that is, like Aberdeen City Cooncil. Maybe Sarah Smith knows more about that than we do, of course.
Or maybe it was just some more truly ridiculous puffery from the BBC’s northern interplanetary correspondent, serving up some candyfloss to please her London masters.
Mind you, if the SNP do have a majority in 2021 – assuming we’re still in this failing UK state by then – I’m fairly sure that Sarah is right in saying that Ruth will try to pursue what’s left of her career down south. Rude Gal has a record of flitting to suit her personal ambitions, as indeed do the rest of her minions. Good riddance when she does.
O/T History program about Napoleon , pretty good apart from “A french marksman shot Lord Nelson to Britain at the time this was like The Battle of Britain, Winning the World Cup, the death of Princes Di all in the one day”
Now as I said the program is pretty good and I have learned a lot from it, but why o why
do they let themselves down by calling England Britain…..
@CameronB Brodie
We have arrogantly, culturally blindly walked into this ‘situation’. Exaggerated individualism the mark of Calvinism in its repressive, misanthropic Knoxian mutation, the essence of the bluff Scotch stereotype, is not the stuff with which to construct a modern Scottish national community in any way at ease with itself. As handmaid of British Unionism, fat with racial exceptionalist mythology, this mutation did and does more to destroy our unique cultural patrimony than the more obvious antagonist. It operates with impunity under the label the Scottish education system.
Effectively, we need a revolution in our ‘psychology’, the way we perceive ourselves. The British prism through which our self-perception is filtred is more than a distortion it is a grotesque à la Francis Bacon.
More than ever Scottish nationalism requires an assertive ‘cultural wing’. We should not allow ourselves to be terraformed into British state mark#2, alias Greater England.
What a difference a day makes, from this:
link to twitter.com
To this:
It appears a Parliament can resist the MayBot and her Neo Fascist Government to maintain democratic accountability.
Just so long as it is Westminster’s Parliament according to BritNat Labour leader Jeremy ‘Contradiction’ Corbyn.
link to archive.is
“Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said it was vindication for his party’s push for a meaningful vote in Parliament on the terms of Brexit.This defeat is a humiliating loss of authority for the government on the eve of the European Council meeting. Theresa May has resisted democratic accountability. Her refusal to listen means she will now have to accept Parliament taking back control”.
Very simple Devolution is dead, 12 May 1999 – 12 December 2017.
Yesterday I was pushing a fundraiser by James Dornan MSP to raise funds for Xmas presents for underprivileged children in his constituency. Something he does every year.
Well here’s why he is one of my favourite MSP’s. His heart is in the right place. Speaking today about poverty he had this to say while the Tories brayed in the back ground as they are wont to do. Watch and see how our SNP representatives say their piece on the behalf of their constituents. (Link from Rev’s twitter)
link to scottishparliament.tv
His fundraiser is here, stalled for now at £560, we can do better.
link to gofundme.com
Jockanese Wind Talker @ 21:52,
“Devolution is Dead”. That’s it in a nutshell, after that vote. Print the stickers, and spread them around.
Unionism’s last betrayal in a long, long line of betrayals.
Enough.
I’m not sure what has stunned me more this evening.
Learning about that vote
or learning that Jane Fonda will be 80 on midwinter next week.
That makes her only six years younger than my elderly mum.
Branson’s Virgin Care awarded a £104 million NHS contract in England, no debate on the private sector contract was held beforehand.
link to lep.co.uk
Here’s one Crowdfunder that the Yes Movement should avoid contributing to , the mans a embarrassment to the Independence movement . He was ejected from the Clutha for taking moby photo’s of us Yessers ( to what end i have not got a clue ) . He wants £2500 LoL .
I am Sean Clerkin and I was wrongfully convicted of wasting police time at Hamilton Sheriff Court. What happened was that Ruth Davidson was launching the Tory Party campaign at the last Scottish Parliamentary Elections at Hamilton Football Ground when I managed to pose as a Journalist. I protested against Tory Austerity Cuts. At that point the stadium manager came out and escorted the head of Tory Press out of the ground thinking it was me.
This was all seen by the press and the stadium manager who knew he would be ridiculed in the media the following day assaulted me by punching me to the ground. On recovering and being taken outside the ground I called the police who took a statement from me about the assault.
Only 24 hours later the police wrongfully charged me with wasting police time. I was found Guilty of the false charge despite the fact that over 5 minutes of CCTV footage was edited out showing the assault. The medical evidence also supported the fact that I was assaulted but all of this was totally ignored.
I am going to appeal against this wrongful conviction and I need your financial help to get Justice.
Please click & DONATE.
youtu.be/AsS1TJCds88 Clerkin outside Hamilton Sheriff Court ( ranting a speciality )
How long before the loony batshot mental BritNat media start blaming the 35 Scottish SNP MPs who voted against the Tory Gov thus preventing England’s desire to leave the EU? Those Jocks had no bloody right. The bloody SNP are stopping our full English Brexit.
Any minute now.
5-4-3-2-1…
But perhaps they’ll say nothing because then they will merely remind people that the SNP are the third largest block of MPS in WM and that has to be brushed under the carpet. Te SNP – the party whose name must never be mentoned by anyone, anywhere in the UK media.
@ Jockanese Wind Talker at 9:52pm …. “House of Commons Twitter.”
Thanks for that JWT.
If anyone is interested I see that if you click on that link and scroll down you’ll find two lists of names … the Ayes and Naws.
………………….
Twelve Tories voted against May. Did you see some of their “colleagues” turning to glower at them? Stephen Hammond has been sacked. He may have lost his job, but can no doubt live with his decision and hold his head high unlike the 13 Scottish Tory stinkers.
……………………
@ Brian at 8:08pm …… “WHY would there be a necessity for another Referendum?”
I reckon that no matter how many SNP politicians were returned to Westminster following a snap Election Brian, we would still have to hold another Referendum. Can you imagine how the Unionists would react to that, “dissolve the Treaty of the Union”, taking into account how they rioted when they won in 2014? We’ve also got a number of politicians hanging on by the skin of their teeth, so could actually see our numbers drop.
…………………………
You’ll all be pleased to hear that Kezia’s returned from a five star hotel in Australia saying, “Please don’t doubt the fact that I’m devoted to the Labour Party, I love my job and think that I’m better placed to do it for a long time now having had this experience.” Eh!
No mention of how much money is going to be donated to charity. In saying that maybe she requires it for something else. The whole point of going there in the first place?
I’d be more interested in the press chasing Davidson for a statement on her MP’s (according to the election leaflets anyway) voting against their constituents choice in the referendum, rather than some statement from the hapless Dugdale. It’s the Scottish media serving up bread and circuses, they are a shame to journalism.
May the farce be with you, tory creeps of the Scotland region:D
link to twitter.com
Back In the day – WM back pedalling for decades but the desire for Scottish autonomy won’t go away – kicking it into the long grass won’t work – now is the time.
‘I take the hon. Gentleman back a stage further, to the original Scotland and Wales Bill, which was later split up and replaced by two Bills, the Scotland Bill and the Wales Bill…
This has been a back pedalling debate for Government Members. I have never heard so many back pedalling speeches in one debate…
I have listened to the speeches of some senior Conservatives on the Back Benches. Warnings were sounded about what they would and would not allow the Government to do. It was significant that warning shots were fired across the Government’s bows by such senior hon. Members. They said that they would not tolerate devolution proposals being put before the House in the future…
If we wait until we have Socialism before we act, that will be the surest recipe for delay in our approach to the problems of devolution. I say that in all honesty. I am a realist. I work and live in the real world. There is no point in turning a blind eye to the problems that we face in this country, especially when at the general election nearly two-thirds of the people in this country—certainly in the South-East of England—voted for their own pockets. We have a massive job to do to convince these people to have care and compassion for their fellows throughout the world, and to have care and compassion for the underdeveloped countries of the Third world. Anybody who believes, against that selfish background, that Socialism is just round the corner is living in his own fool’s paradise…
The Secretary of State said that there was a demand at one time for devolution but that, going on the results of the general election, that demand was no longer there. However, he said that if the demand was again created—it seems as if we are in Sainsbury’s the grocers in a supply and demand context—the Government would come back and offer devolution again. That would be the greatest mistake that this House of Commons could make. Now is the time to do something meaningful about devolution…
Let no one be under any misapprehension. This subject will not go away. It will be raised again and again, because the people of Scotland want more say in their own affairs. We have a responsibility to make sure that their demands are met in a meaningful way’
link to hansard.millbanksystems.com
Ottomanboi @ 9:49pm today
I wish I’d said that. 😉
———-
I also wish more Conservatives appreciated that a nation’s economy is shaped by the practice of its culture, not the other way around. Brexit is already deepening Scotland’s marginalisation within the UK, and certainly won’t assist Scotland to practice its culture. This is likely to further damage Scotland’s public health and undermine the viability of a sustainable Scottish culture, in the long-run. This is make or break time peeps.
link to link.springer.com
link to tandfonline.com
link to jspp.psychopen.eu
(all full articles)
@ Phronesis ….. “Hansard.”
Thanks for that Phronesis. I’ve just skimmed through it because I’m short of time. It looks really interesting and highlights that Tory tactics haven’t changed.
Some laughs in there too such as in relation to Dennis Canavan with a couple of examples at 8:32pm …. “The Conservative Party is so two-faced that it published two manifestos, one for Scotland and one for England and Wales ……” and “They (the Tories) floated hair brained schemes. I remember the now deposed Ayatollah of Cathcart, Mr Teddy Taylor ……..”
………………………….
Strange that I was just reading about him recently and thinking of buying his autobiography “Let the People Decide.” He had a long and ‘battle-filled’ career. Sad to say he’s lost four of his five children to motor neurone disease, cancer and so on. Lost his only daughter earlier this year. Poor guy. It doesn’t bear thinking about.
I read that Spain is banning International observers from attending the Catalan election next week – Why?
They don’t like furriners Meg ?
Just like our cuddly wee fascists. Panto-fascists, like Bojo, Mogg and Rape clause.
MF & our new death watch defense secretary would fit right in, in Rajoys (fluffys spit!) sickening regime too.
Take heart peeps. All will defo end well. HTF could it not, up against these specimens.
Even old Auntie is looking desperate and clumsy in her efforts these heady days.
Dennis Canavan was a personal friend of my old man when i was a kid.
My old man bet Dennis that people followed personalities over Party, and that infact, it was the duty of politically minded people to ensure that was the case.
My old man voted labour, mostly, but only if the candidates were working for the electorate, otherwise he would refuse to endorse them.
The bet with Dennis was, my old man would run against labour as a COMMUNIST PARTY candidate in the local elections.
People knew my old man well, locally, as he was a prominent union figure at the time, and they voted for him in decent numbers, only losing out by a few dozen votes in the end.
People didn’t care he was a communist party candidate, they voted for the person he was.
I learned never to conform to an ideology for the sake of it, but rather, be true to yourself and seek out representation from those who share your values, regardless of political allegience.
The SNP fulfill that criteria for me, and i will always vote SNP as long as they do so.
My vote is never just given, it is ALWAYS earned, as it should be.
Pity those ‘Scottish’ labour politicians who line up against Scotland every day in Holyrood and Westminster, have forgotten such basic principles and put themselves first and foremost.
Canavan, and folk like him, at least held my respect, if not my endorsement at the ballot box.
I cannot think of a single current labour politician in Scotland who i can remotely respect.
Meg merrilees
Why what?
P.S. This book is G.P. recommend reading for anyone affected by brain disorders. I’d suggest it’s a possible antidote to the ‘Scottish Cringe’.
Starts with a bit of history….
link to evolbiol.ru
The British political elite and culture industry have really done a number on the minds of Scots, over the centuries.
link to pdfs.semanticscholar.org
link to onlinelibrary.wiley.com
link to journals.sagepub.com
P.S. I wish more leftists appreciated the significance of identity, in relation to equality and social justice.
@ CameronB Brodie – I think leftists regard “identity politics” as a distraction from the supreme goal of international brotherhood. That’s why Scottish workers are the same as English workers. (Strangely, not the same as Dutch workers who run Scotrail. That anomaly still to be resolved.)
Like the idea of training people out of the “cringe”. You have stiff competition. Nic Robinson this morning on R4 says we are all becoming less Anglican. Who is this “we”?
Links
link to news.gov.scot
link to snp.org
link to scottishlegal.com
The Case for a Differentiated Brexit
link to scer.scot
link to randompublicjournal.com
link to rbs.postach.io
link to tarffadvertiser.blogspot.co.uk
2018 fishing quotas agreed – but Brexit muddies waters
link to euobserver.com
link to politics.co.uk
link to irishtimes.com
link to vice.com
link to tompride.wordpress.com
From ‘Sufficient Progress’ to a Future Relationship – Germany’s Priorities in the Brexit Negotiations
link to scer.scot
link to rt.com
link to bloomberg.com
link to opendemocracy.net
Get ready for a GE. May on her way out. Get rid of the Tories in Scotland. They could not make a bigger mess. What a bunch of losers. Get rid of the lunatics. Any politician who opposes Independence lasts on average two years. Who wants the poison chalice?
Just keep on voting SNP/SNP. Vote for Independence in the EU for prosperity, peace, equality and happiness.
@Nana
Oooooo Nana’s links. 🙂 Coffee time.
Just caught all the hoo ha about last night’s vote and ‘Defeat for May’ STOP PRESS! What a load of horse shit. Parliament has a say on the type of Brexit…
Oh does it?
No. No it really, REALLY doesn’t. The UK will accept the Brexit it is given and there are only two varieties hard and not so hard. The UK, and yes I mean population as well as governments, are not in control of Brexit. The EU are and indeed always have been. The arrogance on media display is breathtaking. Parliament decides… the type of brexit, on extensions to negotiations, on future trade relationships.
For the hard of thinking policy wonks out there? One more time with feeling. Article fifty has been triggered and Brexit is happening as we speak (not concluded, but happening). At any stage, anything put to a vote of members can be kicked into touch by one unhappy member and that includes extensions of negotiations.
The UK is the leaving member. The European Union is the body that is being left. Twenty seven member states – twenty seven economies – twenty seven governments and their populations. Home of the Hague, the ECJ and ECHR. It’s already taken HMG all this time to decide to acquiesce (with appalling grace) over everything said institution demanded from day one, but give it up they did because that is the reality of the situation then, now and tomorrow.
Brexit will be what the EU decides it’s going to be and no one else. Parliament can hee and haw. They can argue and throw strops at one another. They can even continue to pretend to the general public about ‘deep and special relationships’, ‘strong and stable government’ (HAH!), ‘kinder, more honest, politics’ and ‘getting the best for Britain’. All the throw away sound bites from your fav party leaders. None of them will alter the economic and political reality. They could continue with all of that, but I wouldn’t advise it.
The political class and their meeja screwed up big time and the majority of households the length and breadth of these islands are going to suffer the consequences for generations to come.
Worth remembering though, the EU didn’t do this to the UK. The UK did it to itself.
The Tories – unionists did it. They did it to themselves and the rest of the UK. Thank goodness for the SNP Gov in Scotland. Standing up for Scotland. Sent the Westminster clowns homewards to think again.
Illegal wars, financial fraud and tax evasion. Causing the worst migration crisis in Europe since the 11WW. They tried to use it to feather their nests. Look at them now. A total and utter mess. Psycho bastards. Their own description. The sooner they are gone the better. Labour are as bad. The sooner Scotland has FFA/Independence in the EU the better. Just vote for it. For prosperity, peace, equality and happiness.
Nana, it is your links that are keeping this article alive, there is only so much people can take about Murdo Fraser.
Thanks for your input we would be lost without you on here.
Your links do show there is plenty going on that are much more important than Murdo!
From the Evening Standard…
Mrs May is now facing the prospect that the vote may have damaged the confidence of EU leaders in her ability to conduct Brexit negotiations as they prepare to rubber-stamp a move towards trade talks.
Such a pity Scotland’s sovereignty isn’t damaging the confidence of EU leaders in May’s ability to conduct Brexit negotiations…
Brexit shambles, aye it is that, and we Scots have no say on our future, all agreed by Tory and Labour apologists in Westminster.
The Tories only want Brexit to line their own pockets, they care nothing for the ordinary people of England and far lesser for Scots.
While there may be little the English can do, with the dark money working against them and us, we CAN do something about it.
We, all of us, including the SNP need to get our finger out and up the pressure on these deceitful bunch of shits, by every available way we can, and perhaps some ways we have not thought of yet. Have we no pride left?
What a Brexit shambles, aye it is that, and we Scots have no say on our future, all agreed by Tory and Labour apologists in Westminster.
The Tories only want Brexit to line their own pockets, they care nothing for the ordinary people of England and far lesser for Scots.
While there may be little the English can do, with the dark money working against them and us, we CAN do something about it.
We, all of us, including the SNP need to get our finger out and up the pressure on these deceitful bunch of shits, by every available way we can, and perhaps some ways we have not thought of yet. Have we no pride left?
Sorry for double post
For about two years now I have been listening to LBC in the mornings, and I have noticed, particularly since the Brexit vote, a kind of creeping fascism becoming more apparent in some of the callers as well as some presenters.
The discussion this morning on Nick Ferrari’s show was a good example. People phoning in were furious at last night’s tory rebels. One man even accused them of aiding our enemies. Others wanted them to lose their jobs as MP’s. There was no hint of tolerance from the brexiteers at all.
It seems that if you aren’t for Brexit then you are disloyal, a ("Tractor" - Ed). Nick Ferrari read out a list of the rebels’ names. Of course their names can easily be found anyway, but there is no need to stir things up even more. Has he forgotten Jo Cox already?
Sorry. I forgot that I shouldn’t mention certain words.
The Tories are to government what the Mafia is to business.
Never vote Tory. You won’t regret it.
From WoS twitter…John Pilger talks about the BBC … “The BBC? is and has long been the most refined propaganda service in the world”
link to mobile.twitter.com
… sums it up perfectly.
@ John H – Der Spiegel article spells out the aggression developing in England towards “foreigners” – EU citizens. From Stu’s twitter.
I hope this doesn’t spread to Scotland. There are certainly some complete idiots among us too, but at least the leadership in the Scottish Government is not fueling hatred.
link to archive.is
@CameronB Brodie
My view on Scotland and her cultures may be considered ‘radical conservative’.
A root and branch recension of our cultural trajectory at this stage of the liberation process, however faultering that process may be, is highly desirable. Whether we have prepared the intellectual ground sufficiently to undertake such a task is germane, enmired as we still are in the peculiarities, eccentricities and fatuities of the anglo-saxon worldview.
Until the 18th century, despite many travails, we managed to retain some sense of our intellectual Europeanhood. It was a lifeline which impeded the provincialisation and marginalisation of our culture. British imperialism effectively severed that line. We need to reconnect.
Unchaining our minds to think well outside the cliché wrapped box would be a start.
That we shall have to use the English language, among many, as a reboot mechanism has a certain delicious irony.
Thanks for coffee time linksmanship Nana, which should be womanship!
Stinky old The Graun very creepy over their Brexit Scotland region, its nothing for us to be concerned about. Instead today, it was the Russian’s that got the SNP 56 out of 59 Westminster seats. Severin Carrell’s on fire today, there’s more than one The Graun thing about his Scotland region this week.
link to archive.is
“In the UK general election in May 2015, eight months after the referendum, pro-independence campaigners tried to track voting boxes going to counts in Glasgow because they suspected fraud. In the event, the Scottish National party won an unprecedented 56 out of Scotland’s 59 Westminster seats.”
The Graun used to be a newspaper. That Vlad Putin is some guy but nascent Scottish democracy has certainly pulled off a lot of very cheezy tory masks.
BREAKING from Pravda Quay
with Jackie Kim Ono
link to imgur.com
@ Nana, you’re an institution!
jfngw 6:23 pm
You wrote “I see you don’t fully understand EVEL, Scots MP’s get a vote in parliament but their vote is almost meaningless as MP’s from England have an effective veto, legislation for England needs the support of MP’s in England.”
What you seem incapable of accepting is … for a new law that only affects England to be passed … requires the law to be passed by a majority in the House ….. JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER LAW made by the UK Parliament.
As discussed before, Scotland has its Parliament, Wales and NI have their Assemblies … and England just has EVEL.
Your outrage that this represents some sort of attack on your democratic rights in Scotland is just ridiculous … and indicative, once again, of the “made-up”, faux, grievance culture that exists amongst many indy supporters.
Every law, that affects me living in England, has to be passed by Scots, Welsh and NI MPs having their say and their vote. This is not the case the other way round is it. So, if EVEL constitutes the end of the world for you … tough! Just as an aside, could you give me a list of the outrages that have befallen you under this system since it was introduced please?
No? ….. thought not!
How’s them “facts”?
Capella says:
14 December, 2017 at 10:02 am
“I hope it doesn’t spread to Scotland too…”
I hope so too, but unless Scotland keeps up the volume on its welcoming pro European and pro immigration rhetoric, then what is left is a void which xenophobia, exceptionalism, and sectarianism will encroach upon and fill.
It is vital that Scotland’s tolerance and inclusion is not silenced or held in abeyance by the rancid media like the BBC, who’s manipulative efforts and pro UKIP saw Scotland shamed by David Coburn’s “election” to MEP.
These are dangerous times for Scotland. Vive la difference!
Just as an aside, could you give me a list of the outrages that have befallen you under this system since it was introduced please?
No? ….. thought not!
How’s them “facts”?
Brexit sensibleD, you barking mad chappy, sorry, imperial master.
English MP’s out number Scots, Welsh, NI put together but thanks to the endless catastrofuck that is the 21st century tory creep show, we are now governed by 10 DUP bigot zoomers.
Thanks for that sensible.
Live blog on today’s proceedings as EU leaders meet in Brussels
link to politico.eu
No blank cheque for the British government. We will only agree to a post-Brexit transition period if there are concrete results in the negotiations.
link to twitter.com
LIVE from Pravda Quay
with Jackie Kim Ono
link to imgur.com
Capella says:
I was just about to highlight that myself and saw you beat me to it.
As Stu says, “horrendous”.
England is edging ever close to fascism on many levels, and we really need to distance ourselves from it asap.
Also, this Spiegeleisen article, and others I’ve seen, show how the rest of the western world is viewing the changes within the UK. In the eyes of many, the UK was already a pariah state with its hypocritical foreign policies. Now it will be ostracised for it’s internal behaviour.
Scotland is in a different path, we need to take a good few quick steps down it!
Sometimes the spell checking and mods can be very odd.
Spiegel online becomes “Spiegeleisen” ehh?
An alloy of iron and manganese, apparently!
Saw this and thought of you sensibledave.
Its your world of toryboy reign sensible, Scots like me can only watch in awe, at just how you shitheads have actually turned this farce UK into planet toryboy. And yes, we all know, your house in the south east of England is worth a fortune today sensibledave.
link to thecourier.co.uk
Just noticed sensibles wee contribution .
Silly me i was going to reply , then i thought whats the f/n point if he dosent understand the 10-1 built in majority at Westminster means we always lose , he is a lost cause .
John H. @ 14 December, 2017 at 9:28 am
I recalled recently reading that Alex Jones of Infowars infamy used the argument in a libel case against comments he made on his show that he is acting up a persona on his show and the comments made is not reflective of him as a person.
Jones and Ferrari are shock-jocks who make a living out of controversy. Also, lets not kid ourselves that the callers he put on are in the first in the queue. They will be screened and the ones deemed will provide the most entertainment on the show.
If you took the likes of Ferrari out of his comfort zone and placed him in a real debate with the likes of Alex Salmond he would be torn to shreds and made to like the fool and amateur he is.
The problem is that is he is an ‘enabler’ that legitimises the views of the ignorant, gullible and stupid. How to deal with the likes of him is hard. You shut him down and he becomes a martyr. The only sensible thing is to highlight how stupid his arguments are and how stupid the people are who falls for them.
@Nana
“No blank cheque for the British government. We will only agree to a post-Brexit transition period if there are concrete results in the negotiations.
QED Nana. The EU decide.
When I was growing up in the 60s I would often hear adults stating that what happened in Germany in the 1930s couldn’t happen here.
Well isn’t this exactly what we see is happening in the UK, as a result of the xenophobia that has been peddled by the right wing press down the years?
And in my opinion the Gordon Brown’s of this world can’t escape their culpability of their sloganising about ‘British jobs for British Workers for making Farage’s views mainstream, acceptable and normalised in England just as the right wing press have.
Silly me i was going to reply , then i thought whats the f/n point if he dosent understand the 10-1 built in majority at Westminster means we always lose , he is a lost cause .
EVEL was merely a silly little toryboy post Scots indy ref1 tantrum.
How DARE the jocks even come that close to shaking off us toryboys for good! Lets teach em a lesson in our Westminster, before we really begin reneging on everything the complete suckers actually believed what we said were going to do, if they voted to keep us in charge of their country.
Nana says
All along the EU have stated that a transitional period can only be made available if it is clear what is being transitioned to i.e. the general form of the final deal needs to be known and agreed (but not all the fine details). And that has to be done by Oct 2019.
The EU position is both logical and crystal clear.
The Tories, however, speak/spoke as if a transition period was theirs for the taking. They treat it like an extension to the status quo. Basically, it seems like an exercise in kicking the can further down the road! They can avoid deciding hard or soft for as long as possible.
Actually, everything the Tories have done in Brexit fits that mould. They can’t settle their own internal difference, so prevaricate!
Another aspect is of course their beloved Union. They are hard core English nationalist but their nationalism is the style which necessitates lording it over others. Their Union matters to them. And to try to maintain it, they want to delay forcing Scotland out of the single market before 2021.
My prediction, for what it’s worth … the EU will offer ‘Canada’ or ‘Norway’ off the shelf deals. ‘Canada’ does not cover services, which is the bigger part of the UK economy. The Tories will want ‘Enhanced Canada’. The EU will say no. Talks will break down. And that could all happen next year.
PacMan 10.37am.
I agree with what you say PacMan. Unfortunately he has just been awarded the title of “Journalist of the Year”.
link to archive.is
@ galamcennalath – aw – I was impressed by Spiegeleisen! Thought you must be an expert in German colloquial expressions.
But I agree. In Germany they will be more sensiive to the rise and spread of fascism like a spreading miasm.
@ Breeks – on the basis that “the ruling values are the values of the ruling class” (wee bit of Marxism snuck in there on Budget day) I support the Scottish Government’s continuing restatement that EU nationals are welcome here, as are refugees and immigrants generally who contribute so much to our community.
We’re aw Jock Tamson’s bairns indeed.
PacMan says…
Jones and Ferrari are shock-jocks who make a living out of controversy. Also, lets not kid ourselves that the callers he put on are in the first in the queue. They will be screened and the ones deemed will provide the most entertainment on the show.
If you took the likes of Ferrari out of his comfort zone and placed him in a real debate with the likes of Alex Salmond he would be torn to shreds and made to like the fool and amateur he is.
The problem is that is he is an ‘enabler’ that legitimises the views of the ignorant, gullible and stupid. How to deal with the likes of him is hard. You shut him down and he becomes a martyr. The only sensible thing is to highlight how stupid his arguments are and how stupid the people are who falls for them…
You’re talking LBC, but I’m hearing GMS and Tokyo Kaye.
Brexit: grandstanding
link to eureferendum.com
Will not archive
link to independent.co.uk
Capella says
I support the Scottish Government’s continuing restatement that EU nationals are welcome here, as are refugees and immigrants generally who contribute so much to our community.
We’re aw Jock Tamson’s bairns indeed.
I heartily support it too Capella, but I just wish it was restated a lot louder, a lot more often, with a lot more defiance of the Brexit narrative.
O/T but the FCC votes on net neutrality today and will most likely vote to end it with a Trumpian chairman.
While in EU we are still committed to maintaining it. After March 2019, who knows what will happen.
link to aljazeera.com
heedtracker 0:20 am
I wrote “Just as an aside, could you give me a list of the outrages that have befallen you under this system (EVEL) since it was introduced please?
You wrote, because you are a rather silly person … “Brexit sensibleD, you barking mad chappy, sorry, imperial master.”
I can’t wait for you to tell me what EVEL … has to do with Brexit. Doh!
Once again no SNP representative on BBC TV Question Time to-night yet Yoons always get a majority when in Scotland.
The SNP is the third largest party in House of Commons. In the 17 Question Time episodes from Jan 15 to May 2015,in the last period when the Lib Dems were the third force in House of Commons, they had 10 panelists.
Last night we had over an hour of highlights of English football. There was a full and exciting league fixtures in Scotland which BBC TV ignored on BBC1 or BBC2.
However BBC schedule this afternoon gives us another episode of the £15 billion railway in London for which Scotland got no Barnet consequentials.
Ian Murray attacking SNP in Edinburgh Evening News over EU single market. What a cheek from the abstainers.
Battle of Dunbar 1650. Skeleton and face reconstruction story
Terrible defeat and many prisoners taken.
But a bit of polishing up the words on BBC web site re prisoners.
some were employed locally! some were sent to help with drainage projects in the fens, some went further afield across the Atlantic!
Jings! Lots of choices.
————————————————————–
Of those who survived their incarceration, some were employed locally in coal mines, at salt pans and as weavers, while others were sent to King’s Lynn in Norfolk to help with drainage projects on the Fens.
A number went further afield – across the Atlantic to places such as Barbados and New England, USA, where they worked as indentured servants in ironworks and sawmills. Of those, a lucky few eventually earned their freedom in the New World.
————————————————————-
The good old days 🙁
PS:
Derek will be shuffling the budget papers about now and no matter what it will be SNP very very bad.
We (insert unionist party of choice) would have done better, but were not saying how.
Still we got until January to finally reach a decision. 🙂
Not so sensibledave says: I can’t wait for you to tell me what EVEL … has to do with Brexit.
English MPs aided by Ruth Davidson’s 13 MPs outvoted the vast majority of Scottish MPs from three parties to allow Westminster to amend the Scotland Act without any say from the Scottish government whatever its political hue.
@heedtracker –
It’s great to see you crossing swords with SD again.
The Saint and Greavsie of WOS!
😉
Proud Cybernat says:
please keep up the “jackie Kim Ono”, brings a wee laugh when there is’nt many around!.
I am sure you can find an endless amount of appropriate subjects.
Another Union Dividend @ 11:42
The dismal 13 Tories representing Scottish constituencies are not Ruth Davidson’s any more than the Labour handful are Mr Leonbard’s. They belong and owe allegiance to Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn respectively. Ruth Davidson and Mr Leonard are leaders of nothing except their grouping in Holyrood.
London is always in charge.
Trying to keep up with posts, links etc while waiting on a delivery so apologies for not replying earlier.
@Les, you are welcome
@ Macart Aye the EU are running the show, no matter what the rabid media hacks say
@Fred, if we don’t get indy soon I may well end up in an institution.
o/t
LBC – where Daily Mail-Express-Telegraph readers hang out .
If there was an Edinburgh version it would attract Herald – Scotsman readers , you get the idea ,right wing nutters are not shy in voicing their particular view of the world , i suppose thats why they are so noisy and vocal in Holyrood .
call me dave says:
Scotland has been dealing with perfidious Albion for a millennium!
In return for the mutually agreed Solemn League and Covenant, the Scottish parliament entered the English Civil War on the English parliament side. Their intervention was probably decisive. Then the two partners fell out over the English reneging on the agreement and on the future of King Charles. Dunbar was a clash of what had become the national armies of England and Scotland. The selling off of prisoners of war into virtual slavery seems excessive, even by those times!
@ Nana – the Independent reports that deporting EU citizens for sleeping rough is unlawful. But oh dear, the Home Office defence is appaling:
Rough sleepers could damage the reputation of central London. Really!?
O/T a bit
I received an email from yougov flagging up their latest survey, and on going to the website I was stunned. Just for a change the questions were all about Scotland, how brexit will affect the country,perceptions of parties,policies,leaders and voting intentions. Seems to me the yoons are filling their pants about what might be happening in their precious yoonion
Watching FMQ’s, I have to say I really do not like Leonard, not one bit, he has the attitude and demeana of a dodgy car salesman.
I can’t wait for you to tell me what EVEL … has to do with Brexit. Doh!
Everything. Is it a tory thing, that when something happens, that’s it, dead stop?
or
What is EVEL for sensibleD?
Its weird that you’re defending something that is so meaningless/vital, sensible.
So you’re up sensibleD, why did Cammers stand on his No.10 doorstep podium thingee 19th Sept 2014, the morning after his vote NO triumph, the day before in Scotland, and announce EVEL?
Can I make it any simpler for you sensibeldave?
The Saint and Greavsie of WOS!
Showing your age there Ian:D
Great days, Dickie Davis too. They even ruined that great TV sports Saturday, all down to Murdoch’s billions at SKY.
Bleating heart Leonard. Banging on about homelessness.
9 Labour councillors in Aberdeen. Run up £1.2Billion debt. Sold the City on the Stock Exchange. Wasted £200Million on a grotesque mess in the City Centre. £7Million+ interest a year for 30 years. Shut essential roads. Increasing traffic chaos. Wasted £300Million on a Conference Centre without any business case. The present one cost £26Million of public money paying off the debts. The Art Gallery will be shut for years. Demolished. Cost £30Million. There is no money to finish it. They have cut funding for essential public services. Wasted £1/2Billion.
Less direct flights from Scotland. Saving money and emissions. Expanding Scottish economy. No need for overnight stays and more flights from Heathrow.
Two new ferries being built in Scotland for Orkney/Shetland. More funding and investment.
1/4 of children in Edinburgh are privately educated. Unionists wasted £Millions on the tram mismanagement. Subsidised public transport in Edinburgh. OAP can’t use their off peak travel (bus) passes on the Trams. More buses have to run. The Trams are running emptier. Undersubscribed.
O/T
Like most Wingers I have been following the daily reports on the Inquiry into Labour’s Vanity Trams Fiasco hearing everybody blaming everybody else.
The latest news is that the culprits have finally admitted that this disaster of a project has cost the taxpayer in excess of £1Billion.
While I abhor the continuing obscene spending on Transport Infrastructure in London and The SE of South Britain I have this week been following the nightly episodes of the documenmtary series ‘The £15Billion Railway’ a.k.a. London Crossrail.
From what is shown no expense has been spared in this exercise – everything being well up to luxury standard in particular the spectacular stations.
On reflection this is an enormous project and considering that our wee 8 mile (all on the surface) toy tram fiasco cost £1Billion it is absolutely amazing what is being achieved for £15Billion with Crossrail.
I wonder how much of Crossrail would be built for £15Billion if TIE/Edinburgh Council had anything to do with its construction.
The first time I ever visited london I could not believe on first impression how much it differed from how I thought it would be and that was around 2000. Dirty and with quite a few poor souls sleeping rough in the city centre, impression of a capital city in great britain not good. Best thing about it was the road home to Scotland.
@ Another Union Dividend says at 11:33 am …. ”Once again no SNP representative on BBC TV Question Time to-night yet Yoons always get a majority when in Scotland…..”
And to add insult to injury as far as I can make out Question Time is funded by Scottish television license payers. Question Time was supposedly ‘moved’ to Glasgow, although it’s produced by independent production company Mentorn based in Oxford.
……………………………..
What a shower, eh! Lazy bunch of fly-men and to think that these morons ousted decent hardworking people like Alex and Angus.
‘Tories claim credit for SNP campaign as ministers agree to take action on delivery surcharges.’
‘Moray Tory MP Douglas Ross, who raised the practice at Prime Minister’s Questions last week, took credit for the government’s response……
An SNP spokesman tweeted: “The Scottish Tories really are the worst sort of political parasites. @theSNP does all the legwork and they swoop in and try to claim credit. On delivery charges, oil & gas tax, police & fire VAT, broadband … it’s pathetic.”
link to thenational.scot
……………………………….
So what happened to our swords, Jack?
‘Letters: The 1708 anti-Union Rebellion has been successfully wiped from our history.’
”……As heid bummer of Glasgow’s leisure, parks, museums etc, Lord McConnell’s Wife Bridie instantly removed the Jacobite swords from the Kelvingrove Museum forecourt, then received a huge grant to make a mishmash of the long-established and respected Kelvingrove thematic art galleries, with a spitfire hinging frae the ceiling. The offensive broadswords bore the inscription: “Prosperity to Scotland and NO Union”. Where are they now?…”
link to thenational.scot
………………………………..
The Guardia Civil akin to the Nazis right enough.
‘Police and protesters clash as works removed from Catalan museum.’
link to thenational.scot
……………………..
‘OUTLAW KING. Netflix-backed Robert the Bruce movie shot in Scotland brings ‘huge benefits’ to the screen sector.’
link to thenational.scot
Sick that the Tories used 12 Scottish seats to support the Government yesterday. One abstained (Masterton) and none voted for the Dominic Grieve amendment.
PISA tests are based on child abuse, cruelty and elitism. In South Korea etc children have to study from 8 am till 12pm. Increased level of suicide by pupils, 34% of children are out of education before they are 15 years. Yet they come top of the list. They are trying to change their systems to less stringent education system.
Scotland has one of highest university education population. 55%. 30% from school. 25% mature students. Lifelong learning. More Universities per head of pop. 15. Plus colleges and apprenticeships. Unionist Council,have been cutting Education allocations. Using the Gov statute of limitation (30 per class) as the norm. Not the limit. Instead of keeping class sizes down. Cutting additional needs provision. Cutting education allocated funding. To spend on grotesque projects of no value. Unionist councils refusing to increase council tax £5 per month on average for the better off. To support essential services.
BBC – Herald stop lying about unemployment in Scotland. 4.1%. In the rest of the UK 4.3%.
Brexit is causing inflation and contracting the UK Economy. Costing jobs. Tory taxes on the Oil & Gas industry 40%. Costing £Billions and 120,000 jobs in Scotland. Scotland could have had full employment.
Trident £1Billion. Tax evasion £3Billion. Loan repayment on money not borrowed or spent in Scotland £4Billion. Lost Oil & Gas revenues £4Billion+++. Scotland can’t borrow £5Billion? 10% to invest in the economy. Total £20Billion lost a year to Westminster mismanagement and misappropriation.