GERS Day for Mercy
Posted on
August 26, 2020 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
Last week, in the biggest city in Scotland, a young mother was found dead next to her starving infant child, because Scotland’s economic, immigration and welfare policies are decided hundreds of miles away in a foreign country by a party that Scots haven’t voted for in 65 years but which has ruled Scotland for 42 of those years anyway.
There’s other stuff about GERS too, but that seems the important bit.
Mhaihrhi Hunter tweeting yesterday about Rhiannon Spears’ initiative to empower women candidates to stand as councillors. Glad at least someone has their priorities straight, Stu.
It is absolutely appalling that this can happen in a first-world country, especially ours. With the current Tory administration’s “hate the poor, hate the ‘other'” policy, will we hear next that the little boy is being deported?
How are we going to get free of Westminster? Seriously, what is the plan?
imagine if immigration and welfare was devolved to Scotland? The outcry would be going on until xmas. Yet silence from our “impartial” Scottish media.
The fruits of a brutal regime.
But is it just WM?
Run with thieves…
Aye, and according to a Tory on Radio Shortbread, the ‘failing SNP government’ are to blame for an NHS Lothian spreadsheet error years and years ago which auditors found to be the main source of the dire delays on opening the Edin sick kids’ hospital.
… From which we can deduce that the GERS numbers are probably not as dire as Tory Inc. would want.
But hey, agreed, all such – and the even utter disgrace of folks starving towards death – pale in the face of supporting the essential Gruel Britannia message.
Grim.
BBC Scotland using last year’s GERS figures to frighten the horses.
Telling us that Scotland had a deficit of £12 Billion pounds, compared to a UK total of £24 Billion pounds.
No breakdown was included in the figures,,,just big scary numbers that were a year out of date.
The BBC “house jocks” just doing their duty of course.
While a mother dies next to her starving child.boris. Cummings and Gove splaff out millions to there friends and classmates.millions on bridges and ferrys that dont excist if that is not an incentive for nicola sturgeon to get us out of this unholy union.then what ?(serious question)for snp ministers we know are reading this..
‘What the hell have we become? How can this happen in 2021?’ squeaks ArtyBagger in response to Cllr Kim Long’s tweet, somehow missing Long’s ‘a trap created by UK gov rules which deliberately remove all safety nets.’
There are still too many cracks people can fall through whether just from confusin or ignorance about sources of support. Such as foodbanks. Nobody should starve in modern Scotland. Whilst Scotgov cannot account for individual choices & errors it can still do more to help ensure this doesn’t happen again. We MUST do everything we can around this.
If there things we have not stretched ourselves to do then it will be to our shame. WM is responsible but we can still do things.
Starvation often does not kill directly, it weakens you so infections get you instead, or your heart gives out from electrolyte imbalances or the kidneys fail similarly. You can die from starvation while still ‘plump’ & healthy looking.
Mirrors discussion we were having as a family yesterday. It actually beggars belief that the Scottish Government are vying to establish the ‘highest level’of so called progressiveness yet at its heart the condoning of the status quo resulting in such tragic events.
Too sickened to even comment. The SNP are giving everything to fighting for the wrong people at the wrong time .
Rest in peace Mercy,
maybe a wee reminder to check on vulnerable neighbours,whether old or young, single or with family,
know it`s hard with covid about and not wanting to invade their space,
Boris Johnson`s UK Government won`t look after the vulnerable it`s part of their policies to eradicate those not fit for work,
remember `Arbeit Macht Frei`.
Fucking awful. Sickened me !
As did the Grandmother in Syria trying to bring up 16 orphaned grand kids. The oldest working in a garage for about $3 per month. (Ch4 news last night)
until we rid ourselves of the gestapo home office and its rat-shit workforce we will remain open to this fuckin outrage. A thousand curses on them all.
Obviously this wont bother ‘proud scot’ unionists and those of a ‘send them home nature. Aw jock tamsons bairns. Aye righto.
I am indeed shocked reading this 🙁 🙁 🙁
My ignorance perhaps, but I always thought there was some minimal safety net to prevent people literally starving in this day and age. After all we feed convicted mass murderers don’t we?
[…] Wings Over Scotland GERS Day for Mercy Last week, in the biggest city in Scotland, a young mother was found dead next to her […]
Dear god. This one hit home. What a lonely death in a foreign country, far from friends and family, with your child by your side. Vile. Evil. The Hell with the Tory scum. Anybody who doesn’t want Scottish independence is a collaborator in this. Crying here.
Smith in the National
Poverty? The SNP don’t give a fk
I was at hustings, where I addressed poverty,.
I was quite easy as I had written some stuff before , regarding the frequent death of folk getting the benefits cut ,and the consequences thereafter, Part was about child poverty and what I believe solutions.
Any the Two SNP candidates never turned up, stuck in a substitute who read the SNP manifesto.
Where were the Candidates ?…….Despite what was reported, they were at an SNP do
Who told me? the SNP convenor
This was at the start of Sturgeon SNP
I’m happy to name the lot of them
And the bottom of the barrel needing scraping gets lower and lower and lower and lower and lower.
Horror.
Isn’t the UK wonderful? (sarcasm).
I remember Live 8 and it’s brilliant message ; MAKE POVERTY HISTORY. That was fifteen years ago. What went wrong?
Some of us remember when IDS burst into tears at Easterhouse. A crocodile if there ever was.
@ Alec Lomax 11:18 am
Bono’s record sales went up
‘Alec Lomax says:
26 August, 2020 at 11:22 am
Some of us remember when IDS burst into tears at Easterhouse. A crocodile if there ever was’
Maybe they were tears of laughter. In fact, they probably were.
This is horrific. The previous recent occasion was a male refugee who starved to death.
Add to these the poor souls in Dungarvel suffering all the hell of being cut off from the world, their homes, family, culture etc.
Then the people on Universal Credit with all its unfairness; the disabled having their mobility vehicles taken away.
How can the Scottish Government see all this and yet be prepared to wait for next May’s election for a mandate to “do” something?
This is another horrific story. Too many of them since implementation of austerity.
I heard a discussion about this on the John Beattie show yesterday when he was interviewing social workers and others who would have known about Mercy’s situation. One lady clearly explained that without the right to remain she could not work, her former boss was feeding her from his restaurant, she had contacted the various UK authorities about claiming asylum and it had been confirmed that she was due to receive a specific payment but this money had never arrived. Despite contacting them again there was still no payment.
She had then contacted the Scottish people again, by e mail saying that she had no food and the payment had not arrived, then they lost contact with her and now we read of her death.
This only explains part of why she fell through the system, the unavoidable fact is that she did and we have to ask WHY? It seems the father is now looking after the child – was he unable to help her? Was she frightened to ask? Why did the money not reach her from the UK gov.? Were there no emergency procedures that could have been put in place instantly in Scotland? No concerned neighbours? No local Church? There are endless questions but we need answers to make sure this never happens again. Rest in Peace, Mercy.
stonefree says:
26 August, 2020 at 11:09 am
Smith in the National
Poverty? The SNP don’t give a fk
I was at hustings, where I addressed poverty,.
I was quite easy as I had written some stuff before , regarding the frequent death of folk getting the benefits cut ,and the consequences thereafter, Part was about child poverty and what I believe solutions.
Any the Two SNP candidates never turned up, stuck in a substitute who read the SNP manifesto.
Where were the Candidates ?…….Despite what was reported, they were at an SNP do
Who told me? the SNP convenor
This was at the start of Sturgeon SNP
I’m happy to name the lot of them
name them then this lot deserve to be named or are you going to say you will get the jail name the Bast$%^s
Jim Forsyth
Aye, we have a supposed deficit of 15 billion against the UK debt record of 3 trillion… a mere raindrop.
Especially as it is repeatedly stated – how can we have a deficit when we can’t borrow?
Yes, I sort of know that debt and deficit are different things but our deficit is made up!
This is heartbreaking and so sad and there is no way that in Scotland that we the people should be allowing this to happen .
I expect that our Snp’s MPs will write a letter to the home office to that heartless Priti Patel with the usual waffle that it shouldn’t be happening in Scotland .
They should be showing a bit of spirit and it’s time that they got up off their arses and walk out of Westminster and show that we refuse to be ruled any longer by the Westminster regime. .
Fmqs has just started now and I hope that that at least one Msp will ask about this happening .
Baldeagle; I suspect Stonefree’s post was typed in green ink.
The tactical deflection in the prominence of the BBC Proms story while significant real life tragic stories are diminished and consigned to the sideline exemplifies exactly the mentality of Brexit Britannia ruling the airwaves…..
The fact that so many of us identify that trivia is given undeserved prominence in order to obscure the reality is representative of the mindset of many of those ‘ordinary’ people who are eager and willing to be led by charlatans who revel in how submissive and compliant many ‘ordinary’ people can be with the right manipulation….
It is hard not to feel despair that so many people seem to have such an emotional detachment with other people who are suffering through poverty and lack of opportunity and yet are so riled at issues that are truly insignificant…..for someone to die in poverty, not through her own fault but instead via a draconian policy, should be the real awakening for many but instead it is sadly overlooked in favour of the singing of songs that ironically state that you live in a “land of hope and glory” and the other states in the lyrics ” While thou shalt flourish great and free:The dread and envy of them all”……the real contradiction of these songs are the reality of what people who live within this UKnotOK are having to endure and thus suffer the tragic consequences….the ultimate consequence being death by government.
Feel, like others on here, so very sad at this story….sadly it is not unique and I fear will be ongoing as long as the Tories are allowed to continue to pursue their vanity and money making projects where human cost will always be secondary to financial costs.
Back to GERS
As usual Richard Murphy takes the figures apart
link to taxresearch.org.uk
Note that once again one quarter of the deficit is sown to interest charged on the UK’s horrendous national debt run up by Westminster while they squandered Scotland’s oil and gas revenues.
I do wonder why nicola will not say when she was told Covid patients were transferred to care homes
I understand she does not know about individual cases but Whe was she told and why will she not say
Also why do the unionist parties not invite her the congratulate salmo d on proving his innocence
I bet Richard Leonard is regretting he raised the GERS figures, the UK government’s furlough scheme, evictions, and the Scottish Government’s new Child Payment during FMQT considering it was not only shown in full on BBC News 24 in the UK, but across the world. His face got redder and redder as the FM pointed out that not only was he an advocate for Tory rule he was criticising SNP policies the Labour Government in Wales don’t have.
Kate Forbes response on GERS
link to thenational.scot
Meanwhile back in Edinburgh a group of middle class, privately educated woman, who spend a lot of their not inconsiderable income on cosmetics, expensive designer clothes and hair dos, wring their hands and consider how men are so unkind to them
Its very sad that this young woman, denied the right to keep working in her job ended up starving to death, she did have health issues to boot, and was found next to her hungry young child in Scotland.
Of course the Home Office of which we have no control over, which decides who lives and works in Scotland with regards to refugees and immigrants often treats them with contempt.
I’d like to think in an independent Scotland tragedies like this wouldn’t happen, but first we need independence. In the mean time vulnerable folk like this young woman in Scotland will remain at the whims of the home Office.
Aye Agreed that’s the bloody important bit
Not All The Annual GERS Pish
Everyone who voted to stay with this Scabby Union
HAPPY NOW
WHAT EXACTLY DID YOU EXPECT THE TORY PARTY TO DO ?
BE NICE ?
YOU NEED YER BLOODY HEAD EXAMINED and shouldn’t be Allowed a vote in that case because yer too bloody stupid to understand what you are doing
Rant Ends
The views expressed are not necessarily those of the management but there pretty bloody close
THIS SHAMES US ALL.
PATEL SHOULD BE JAILED.
…. AND NICOLA SHOULD BE DOING SOMETHING TO RID US OF WESTMINSTER.
What a horrible end, whoever,whatever you are.
Mercy and Justice seem in short supply today.
The poor soul. What a hellish dystopian regime we exist in. RIP Mercy.
FFS, it’s appalling that a life should end in this way, especially in a country with an abundance of fertile ground which allows food to be grown easily.
I’m not even a proper gardener and it’s crushing to hear of some poor soul starving to death when I’ve been giving away fresh veg for weeks because I’ve grown more than I can possibly use.
And for those with sufficient funds to buy food, there is still the question over the standard of produce you will soon have the choice of as we leave the EU.
link to twitter.com
@Republicofscotland
Whilst this is a tragedy, regardless of how, I don’t yet see that a cause if death has been established. The story above says her baby was malnourished, which would make sense if it had been unfed for several days after Mercy died. But it doesn’t say how Mercy died?
Horrible bureaucratic trap to have fallen into either way
Good point John Digsby, so my previous post could be inaccurate as to assuming actual cause of death.
@John Digsby,
This young woman had contacted the authorities twice with her plight but no help arrived despite promises. It was brutal callousness ..
John Digsby
Can’t believe your post Is that the extent of your sympathy ?
A bureaucratic trap ?
FFS get a grip , wringing hands and putting it down to a system failure then questioning the exact cause of death ,
Aye Sherlock will be shittn himself knowing your about .
Did India have an annual GERI day to tell them how shit they were?
link to twitter.com
Meg merrilees @11:33am
The outstanding advantage of being a small country is that it’s a lot easier to add layers to your “system” by simple fact that all the interested parties, government, charities, churches, etc. are within talking distance of each other. Even if an independent Scotland was only marginally better off financially, our (small) scale could work to everyone’s benefit – less is more.
A system with multiple layers gets exponentially harder as a country gets larger and the communication overhead gets overwhelming – it’s the same in every endeavour involving people.
An independent Scotland could do things that are simply impossible for the UK.
On our impartial BBC Scotland The GERS figures are described as Free of all Political interference
Aye The Anual laugh a minute ” look how much we are subsiding the Jocks fest ” is off and running
For those with a memory the GERS figures were a a concoction and brainwave of a former Tory Minister Ian Lang and were described as a weapon to keep those vile Nats in their place by showing the Jocks can’t survive without Engurland , and it’s worked on the gullible for years
@shug, 1.00pm
I do wonder why nicola will not say when she was told Covid patients were transferred to care homes
I understand she does not know about individual cases but Whe was she told and why will she not say
The FM will not want to draw attention to this issue. State sponsored euthanasia is not officially approved in this country. Whoever authorised or was involved (politicians, NHS managers, doctors, nurses) in sending people sick with COVID back to a non-hospital inhabited by the people who are vulnerable to infection by the SARS CoV-2 virus should be prosecuted for culpable homicide. The doctors involved in this operation broke their Hippocratic oath (do no harm) and should also be struck off the medical register.
Robert Graham says: 26 August, 2020 at 2:57 pm
On our impartial BBC Politics Scotland TV now,the GERS figures discussed by Jackie Baillie and Murdo Fraser free of any SNP political interference
Best quote on GERS (I forgot who said it): “What makes you think they are willing to subsidise a whole nation when they can’t even subsidise a bedroom”
The Rev has again completely destroyed the possibility
Of the GERS figures having any validity.
You may recall that the Republic of Ireland fought for
Freedom against the Butchers of Westminster and left
With No Debt and they used the Pound -Punt as currency.
You may also recall that Westminster informed the EU that if
They don’t get the deal they want from Brexit, they will not pay
The Billions that Westminster owes.
So with this long standing pattern of events created by Westminster
How about Scotland is leaving and we are paying you nothing after
the centuries of stealing from us and ruining our economy by corruption.
Scotland can start out as a completely debt free nation using our right
As so called equal partners to use the UK Pound or any currency we choose.
Sounds wonderful to me!
The link to Kate Forbes response to the GERS figures
In the National is very poor by both parties.
Kate should have used everything that was on her
and the National showing their true, I’m owned by
Rich Tories colour in how it was presented.
Bizarre development for the Lord Advocate who admits to malicious prosecution and it’s likely to cost millions in damages:
link to archive.fo
Aghast at the poor baby found beside it’s dead mother.
No doubt the Tory bastards would put the child down as quicly as they would put down filthy dirty sub human immigrants.
I don’t know why the Tories don’t go the whole hog and put the immigrant refugee men, women and children in the gas ovens and then up the Lum.
That is just about where we are. We ignore this at our peril.
At the risk of being pedantic, Scotland didn’t even vote for the Conservative party 65 years ago as that party didn’t contest sets in Scotland at the time. It voted for the Scottish Unionist Party, which was absorbed into the Conservatives in the 1960s.
From The National link above link to archive.fo
Surely the Lord Mulholland and the Lord Advocate will have to resign?
i am ashamed and heartbroken for this lady and baby and family.
Can we pleeeease leave this cruel union very soon.
Eh Question
When are the GERE figures published ?
Aye that’s the English equivalent why don’t they publish the same shite for England as they have been publishing for the Colonies for almost a hundred years
Something to hide ?
Your bloody right they have something to hide , and it’s parked in off shore Banks isn’t it Boris .
Capella @ 4.37pm
Looks like the Scottish justice system is more and more “world-beating” (in the BrexitJohnson/Hancock sense, i.e. not at all). With enormous cost to the taxpayer.
Some comfort for Craig Murray and Mark Hirst?
I see stonefree has lost his tongue about naming names or could he not get anyone to take the bait so he could say he was not listing the names incase of jailtime he buggered of after his revelation and hidden under his small stone he will be back later telling us he had to go out and his bullshit was running down his legs
Any word about how Craig Murray’s court appearance went?
John Beattie on Radio Shortbread just about wet*ing his pants in excitement about the GERS figures and guess who his guests are , just had to be Andrew Wilson and Kevin Hag*ue ??
Fireproofjim I listened in to it till it seemed to be over but in order to listen, people had to agree not to make any comment/notes/recordings etc. I think it is probably enough to say that no decision was made and a hearing will take place at a later date – don’t want to end up like Mannie.
Craig had posted on his blog the contact number, the case number and the instructions on how to listen in to the virtual court case, and had hoped that enough people would listen in to show that his case has considerable public interest. I got in to the virtual court just 10 minutes or so before it started which means that all virtual places hadn’t been taken, (there is a limit to the number of listeners) so it looks like Craig’s support wasn’t as high as he would maybe have wished for. Shame.
“The Only Thing Necessary for the Triumph of Evil is that Good Men Do Nothing”. The inhumanity of the British regime is not limited to the appalling treatment of refugees, its how all the poor and vulnerable are treated, and pretty soon how every one of us will be put in harms way even worse than under the Covid19 boorach.
I’m thinking in particular of the recent United States legislation allowing chickens with Avian Leukosis (a virus that causes chickens to develop cancerous lesions and tumours), to enter the human food chain. With the combination of UK legislation already passed and soon to be passed trade bills, and with the dreaded Internal Markets bill currently going through, Scottish consumers will end up with their health being put at risk from imported food with little or no indicative labelling.
Dont just attack the SNP for doing nothing. Whatever else, they’re managing this Covid better than Westminster, and Indy support is at 55%. The rest. Its up to us:
– Become an SNP member. Attend the meetings. Speak up.
– Honk your horn at 5 or 6pm. Clap at 7 or 8pm. House lights on/off at 9 or 10pm.
– Make further suggestions here.
– Do something. For Mercy and her bairn, for the NHS, for Scotland, for yourself.
If these suggestions are wrong, then could someone do me the kindness and explain how!
I saw this post this am before any comments had been made. It was so shocking that I just felt no words could express what I felt. All I can say is Rest in Peace, Mercy, now you are free from a cruel world which let you down so badly, and may your little boy have a better life ahead than the one that drove you to your tragic death.
So when I immigrated to the USA on a Fiance visa, I was required to have a job. One of the visa conditions is that I be able to support myself. I got a job offer just as my temporary work permit was about to expire. I took the offer letter to my local immigration office and, after an hour’s wait, I presented the letter, got my photo taken and was issued with a work permit that allowed me to accept the offer. It took less than ten minutes.
It is harder to get into the USA under the present administration. However, once you are in legally, they do not put barriers in your way to be able to stay in work.
If this lady was here legally, why on earth would the Westminster government seek to put obstacles in her path? Surely it would have been kinder (wrong, but kinder) to say “You are no longer welcome here. Please leave.” Am I missing some of the story?
Surely the SNP must bare some responsibility for this. Every constituency in Glasgow, including Sturgeon is snp, as is the council.
@Robert Graham
Sorry, I thought earlier posters had expressed things much better than I could.
When I say bureaucratic trap, I mean a deliberate one. Make the bloody nonsense so complex and horrific to try and make people unwelcome and ‘go home’. If you’ve ever dealt with anyone in the UK on a visa or needing RTW documentation, you will know how arbitrary it is. This woman lost her RTW and now, likely in consequence, is dead.
I cautioned against guessing the cause of death for the simple reason that if it was from hunger, then where were the Scottish authorities to pick up the slack? But there are many ways such shocking treatment could result in premature death, which would more likely make the UK Gov completely culpable.
@ Black Joan 5.05 – it will certainly cast a cloud over the justice system and the Lord Advocate. A person capable of malicious prosecution in one case is highly suspect in all cases. But I don’t know anything about the background. I wonder what the circumstances were.
Put your muzzle on and keep fuckin quiet you moron. What a pathetic shitty country
Meanwhile a young woman boasts of “saving” £200 with the WM Govts “Eat out to help out” scheme. F**K right off.
Sturgeon should take the blame for this woman’s death.
That is why she is feeling so guilty about it today.
Sturgeon has had six fuckin years to fight for Scotland’s Independence and she has wasted every single one of them.
So if you are looking to blame anyone for this unnecessary death, then look no further than our little Unionist First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon.
No one should go hungry in our country, no one should not have a warm dry home in our country. Our political system has failed those without food and homes.
Jim Forsyth
Your effort at 6.54pm is pathetic. My only beef with Wee Nippy is her failure to shoot at an open goal to hasten Independence.
To try to blame her for Mercy’s tragic death is beneath contempt. If that’s what you think, you’re on the wrong site, I suggest you go to the Daily Express’s site.
Hmm, we’re loving the blame game on here these days, aren’t we. Great fun. “Life is a tale, told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,signifying nothing.” Chap above.
Nicola Sturgeon is not responsible for the death of this young woman and the neglect of the child, who apparently is now with the father. Following initial investigations we may find out some of what happened.
A comment above mentioned that social workers were on a radio programme talking as if they knew of the child’s circumstances.
Well let’s wait and see. If that is the case (it was the BBC after all) then questions do need to be asked. Powers exist to protect children which if deployed intelligently could have helped the mother.
A dying mother with her child beside her is a distressing vision I do not want to ever be repeated in Scotland. Whatever events brought this about I cannot comment on since I have no knowledge of the asylum arrangements,that are responsibility of Westminster I understand.Scotland should take upon ourselves the welfare of all who live in Scotland irrespective if that encroaches on Westminster’s asylum fiefdom.
Concerning Gers, a bit more spicy from Nicola Sturgeon at FM Questions today.GERS is a nonsense, the Scottish Government should disown it, and explain why – Richard Murphy can help, if unsure of the detail.
I’ll be sorry to see Ruthie leave Holyrood. She is so patently false, so clearly schooled in presentation technique, it interesting to watch. And, I reckon that she, territorial army officer, would crack under really intense pressure.
I’d like to second Socrates MacSporran, well said! This tragedy goes far beyond everyday political rancour and touches our deepest sense of moral responsibility and humanity …
The comments on this site today are even more poisonous than usual.
I am giving Sturgeon a pass on this one. A tragedy that resonates with basic human dignity. Lessons to be learned I hear that all the time. Today I went to see a neighbour approaching 90 and one of the grumpiest guys in Scotland. I asked him as usual did he need any messages? Grumpy response but as he closed he says thanks for checking up on me. Was it the Mercy situation that prompted me. Probably. Community, Community, Community we have a collective responsibility. It’s not easy with this guy but his backstory is sad as well. I made a mental note to check on him more often.
Socrates MacSporran
You are just another pathetic Sturgeon apologist.
Same as Capella, Cat, robbo, Famous15 and the rest of the dying breed of Sturgeonistas.
What is your advice for next year???
Is it to give your Nicola one more Mandate???
Then five more years of Devolution???
Then even more immigrants dying under her rule???
It is with clowns like you that we are still stuck in this stinkin fuckin Union.
The way our economy is being trashed by its own Government you can forget GERS in future
While a young vulnerable black mother dies,
our woke uni educated whitey liberal is busy trying to get statues removed cause that earns the city woke points,
like letting bearded men into womans changing rooms, woke points,
like forcing lesbians to accept bearded men as sexual partners,woke points,
Black Lives Matter, only if it earns woke points.
Malcolm X was not a fan of whitey liberal thought they were worse than red neck republicans,
at least red neck republicans were up front c@nts but whitey liberal was insidious in infiltrating civil rights until they became bored and found something else to f@ck up.
I read about Mercy’s tragic death first thing this morning. It is a truly distressing set of circumstances. I can’t imagine what that poor young woman must have felt, cut off from all means of support and unable to feed her child.
The attempt to blame Nicola Sturgeon for Westminster’s cruel immigration laws is abysmal.
Anybody who responds to that is worse than he is.
@Jim Forsyth
Go and fetch the Long Stand please there’s a good fella.
@ Tannadice Boy
Yer grumpy guy neighbour visit sounds like a tough gig, but maybe you could try some comedy to lighten the mood.
I visit a lass in her mid 80s and did just that by explaining the concept of Self ID to her, and she’s like “Ya What?”.
She’s been an Indy supporter pretty much all her days but is now avidly asking for more information on the workings of the Scottish Parliament electoral system and how to make better use of her 2nd vote next year.
(I’ll print off Brian Doonthetoon’s workings and examples to help explain the system).
In these socially restrictive times it’s frankly a fuckin joy to speak to such an oldskool rational and receptive person with an appropriately decent level of common sense, especially when so many other “high functioning” young humanoid social justice twibbon wearing warriors claim to be able to cure all the world’s ills yet can’t even manage to segregate their waste into the correct recycling bins…
loads of comments blaming Nicola Sturgeon for Merci’s death………… 🙁
8.12pm
This poor young woman and her wee one.
Victims of a bigoted racist UK policy that shames the British Nationalists who defend it.
Also the GERS figures are a lesson to all countries.. DO NOT enter a political union with a nation 10 times your size.
The UK’s control freakery over borrowing powers could wreck Scotland’s economic recovery.
The SNP must make withdrawal from the Union the one reason to vote SNP in May.
And if there are numbers of Indy radicals elected on the list so much the better.
@Dan
Yup tough gig I can assure you of that but rewarding for me as well in a way. Comedy well the guy runs down the street in his electric buggy which always reminds me of step away from the vehicle ( iron bru advert) but I am glad I went A rich exchange with the auld buddies guaranteed. Woke I never mention that. Why would you. It’s an anathema to them. He is just interested in getting bread, milk and erm..erm. bevy
The BBC in Scotland:
When they need a virologist they go to a bacteriologist.
When they need a historian they go to a archaeologist.
When they need a economist they go to a dog food salesman.
What’s the common thread that connects these people, they are ultra British Nationalists, they will be given pride of place to talk about any subject no matter how few qualifications they have in the subject. Just waiting for them inviting the Orange Order to front the history of Catholicism.
Re jfngw
Never a truer word spoken in jest.
spot on jfngw!
I don’t know who is to directly to blame.
I do know that we should be an independent nation by now.
The dithering has to stop.
And only Sturgeon can get things moving
What can anyone say about this poor woman and her child. It should never have happened and all who had any connection with her, whether social services, immigration, or just the neighbours, should hang their heads in shame for allowing this to happen in our country. It is symptomatic of modern society that we do not socialise as we once did nor take responsibility for the well being of those around us.
Much as I agree with most of the criticism of NS on here, she cannot be held directly responsible for this. She is responsible for many things but this topic is not the forum for them.
Jim Forsyth @8.12
Nicola – “emigrants dying under her rule” – is just contemptible. And utterly stupid, as all emigration policy is reserved to Westminster.
Lurked for a while, but really have to send my condolences to this ladies family and friends.
So sad, and as you say it’s a terrible situation to be happening in Scotland in 2020.
Scotland needs the powers o we immigration
To give us the levers to control and fund who enters Scotland.
What is the Westminster Government saying about this? Very quite today regarding this woman.
Frying Pan Jim,,,
ANOTHER Sturgeon apologist.
If Sturgeon had fought for and won our Independence anytime over the last six years, we would have had control over our own borders.
All immigrants would have been treated humanely and that woman would probably be alive today
No doubt you will give Sturgeon another Mandate for another five years of Devolution, where even more immigrants will die because we won’t have direct control over our borders.
Good thinking Frying Pan Jim.
I would rather get shot of Sturgeon and put somebody in who actually believes in Scottish Independence.
Jim Forsyth
I repeat. Contemptible.
“In these socially restrictive times it’s frankly a fuckin joy to speak to such an oldskool rational and receptive person with an appropriately decent level of common sense, especially when so many other “high functioning” young humanoid social justice twibbon wearing warriors claim to be able to cure all the world’s ills yet can’t even manage to segregate their waste into the correct recycling bins…”
Dan, we are of one mind. Well Said.
Frying Pan Jim. 11 17pm
I totally agree with your description of Sturgeon.
Glad to see you are coming round to the majority’s way of thinking.
Not so many posting here tonight. Why not?
O/T
Celtic going out of the European Cup is bad news all round for Scottish football.
No matter who your team is, Scottish football needs all the support we can give it, and Celtic exiting the European Cup at this early stage suits no one.
If,ifs and ands were pots and pans, there’d be nae work fur tinkers hands
Jist sayin cause someone has to 🙂
Richie’s twofer ending SP?
Rick H Johnston says:
26 August, 2020 at 8:56 pm
Also the GERS figures are a lesson to all countries.. DO NOT enter a political union with a nation 10 times your size.
EFTA, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland would countenance Scotland joining them but NEVER the UK !
Still Positive @ 12.34
I think we’re all heart sick at the needless death of this young woman, even if it is demonstrated to have been inevitable despite the UKs cruelty… the cruelty visited on her and her wean around the time of her passing is, even for us,so used to Westminster inhumanity, something that just takes the feet from under ye.
it makes ye want to weep….. but hopefully it also makes us quietly more determined to get our politicians within slapping distance and far too mindful of our reaction to ever let another mother be in such a situation ,
To be able to make it very Clear to them that no child in Scotlands care should suffer so!
Get ALL powers to Holyrood and this need never happened again!
Leave them with Westminster and we’ll all have to turn British to be able to stand living with this stuff…
Further to my 1.09 comment
I’m saying the same thing to the English, the N. Irish and the Welsh.
They , I suspect, will mostly be of the same mind, and would want care and compassion to be woven throughout their society and will weep for this mother and child too.
The conclusion still stands for them too!
Bring yer government within slapping distance and be prepared to give it that slap.
Do not let Westminster hide behind “British ” and create a degree of separation between what the British do and what the English, Welsh and N.Irish do.
When Westminster say *British * they off load the responsibility take that “British ” from them and make them share it between 4 governments and there’s not one of those governments able to act against the humanity their people demand.
Now we know we’ve really jumped the shark when we have to rely on James (obfa) Kelly to confront NS and the SNP SG on the HCB , have we really sunk that low , please god nooooo
link to twitter.com
No one in Scotland today should be dying of poverty, no one should be malnourished, food banks should not need to exist, charity should not be used as a social security replacement. There should be a duty of care to asylum seekers and those not allowed to work – everyone that can work should be allowed to work – employment should be offered to all, not just asylum seekers.
If we were independent we could be shouting at our government for these outrages, while we are part of this union, with its purposeful confusion of devolved and reserved powers, we are stuck with not knowing who to blame or how. However shit or good the Scottish government is at the moment, the fact is, we’d be better off with full and absolute independence from the uk state and we could know who to hold to account. I am SICK of the devolved government hiding behind the coat tails of the London cabal, it’s pathetic and spineless.
James Barr Gardner.
In 1707 the England +Wales population was less than five time larger.
The growth in England’s population compared to Scotland’s is not suggestive of the prosperity or political stability of the latter.
OT
bit like a kin hardly tak aw this in, ye ken bro like.
Most of Scottish Wikipedia Written By American in Mangled English
link to archive.is
Simple question, why are there no GERE figures published, only UK ones.
link to twitter.com
What characters are these in the tweet:
Foghorn Legoverhorn
Elder Fudd
Lugs Munny
Toad Runner
Speedy Gonawoles
I am glad the Rev Stu takes an alternative view of Scottish Politics.
Before the Rev arrived, our only source of information came from the Record, the Sun, The Herald and the Scotsman.
No wonder we were stuck in this Union for so long. Every one of those papers are staunch Unionist and Anti-Indy.
Well done Rev Stu, please keep with us until the end of the road.
United we stand.
Even lickspittle British nationalist Andrew Marr sees the end of the UK State,(Spectator)
basically thought England was a dump going backward and Scotland was better and going forward.
Andrew Marr
Clearly not a reader of Wingsoverscotland!
The opinion polls confirm what general conversation suggests: that Scotland is likely to leave the United Kingdom before the end of this parliament.
link to archive.is
I just came back to say this
My youngest son committed suicide on 23rd September 2010 he was 31 years old and I came home that cold winters night and found him chocked to death on his bedroom door handle, I had to go downstairs to get a pair of scissors to cut the rope around his neck to get the door open.
The day before a so called carer took him out for the day, and he appeared back at my mothers house where I was visiting, I could not believe this stupid woman did not report his condition and get the head man to have him sectioned for his own safety.
We new he was going to kill himself, I had been on at these people for ages warning them what was going to happen, and you wonder on here about why that young lady starved to death, you don’t know the half of what’s going on in this country of scotland in the present day
I had a meeting with the people responsible for all of this, I went to the meeting, which I demanded btw, they never thought to contact me, and I only went to try to make sure this never happened to any other families sons or daughters, and do you want to know something, its still happening at least twice a week in scotland, and do they learn or care, the answer is, do they fuck
goodbye and do me a favour, stop hating it does no good
I’m not a fan of football in general however this highlights once again the machinations within the COPFS, and the Lord Advocate.
The defendants claim the Scottish government acted disgracefully-and like the Alex Salmond bill of half a million pounds the the Scottish taxpayer is set to fork out £ 50 million pounds in compensation on this one.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/18678401.crown-office-prosecuted-rangers-fc-figures—admitted-malice/
Jeremy vine show today, OK sorry I should not watch. But acceptance all round if you vote for snp next year there will be a ref and Boris can’t stop it
Interesting such a right wing programme accept it
I hope all constituencies are reading Craig murry’s article on mannie Singh
Anyone who let’s that reanna spear stand needs their head examined
Clearly more interested in her career than independence
I was quite surprised to see on a visit to a Tesco’s shopping centre in Maryhill Glasgow recently a pillarbox outside a post office inside the shopping centre that has the EiiR royal cypher on it. I was rather dismayed that my fellow Scots passing by the offending pillarbox either didn’t seem to notice or care about the British nationalists chicanary.
There was no Queen Elizabeth Ist of the UK, in the past Scots raged against this type of imposed tyranny in the Pillarbox war. Of course all sorts of Union Jackery etc is now in full flow in Scotland.
link to en.m.wikipedia.org.
@ Mialuci – so sorry to hear that. Very bad things happen sometimes. I agree that hating doesn’t help anyone. We have to be able to understand and then we have to be able to forgive.
Some unionists I’ve been working on long term have
All bombarding me about the GERS figures. lol
The Rev’s post on that very matter has been dispatched to all a sundry.
Worth its weight in Gold!
@ Mialuci
Sad to hear that Mialuci.
Puts things into perspective,as does the tragic death of Mercy.
Republicofscotland excellent, though short, article.
One particular pillar box in Edinburgh’s Inch district was repeatedly vandalised with tar, paint and a hammer before being blown to pieces less than three months after its unveiling.
And today, we’re reduced to scraping off union flag labels off packages in Tesco. My, how times have changed. 😉
Just caught Sir Ed Davy acceptance speech as Lib Dem leader and at first I thought it was Richard Leonard with a touch less bounce!
We complain about GERS and emphasise that it is a picture of Scotland in Union.
Republicans in USA say the civil unrest is the fault of Joe Biden but forget Trump is the current president and has fanned the flames.
Forsyth hey Jimmie I am not a member of the SNP and I long for independence every bit as much as you say you do but I do not want to repeat the grief I felt in 2014. Not sure we could have won before now but it looks better and better. As for Nicola Sturgeon’s motives,I do not know or care,but if she takes us to a position where we have a fighting chance well I will go with that as there is no realistic alternatives in my lifetime.
i really love and miss your links Cameron
As far as the gers figures are concerned just quote the Macrone report to answer their lies and ask why they hid it for 30years ???but still bring in these gers lies ??? OT what does it say when an Indian man is in jail for Scottish freedom and no Scots are ???
Famous15 says:
27 August, 2020 at 12:30 pm
“..but if she takes us to a position where we have a fighting chance well I will go with that as there is no realistic alternatives in my lifetime.”
Few would disagree with you in principle, but how does the SNP’s capitulation to our subjugation, and abandonment of Scotland’s Constitutional Sovereignty further our interests in any forthcoming referendum, since our “government” has just arbitrarily conceded a veto to Westminster with which Westminster can now obstruct any such referendum taking place?
Westminster can not only obstruct it taking place, but make it untenable by seeing unreasonable concessions introduced as prerequisites to securing a Section 30 consent. This constitutes an abdication of Scotland’s Constitutional sovereighty, and it must not be allowed to stand.
The ONLY realistic prospects Scotland has are derived from Scotland’s Constitutional Sovereignty, and we have a MAJOR problem in that we have the bizarre enigma of a Scottish “Government” which simply pays lip service to Scotland’s Constitution then cravenly capitulates to the will of Westminster.
It is now critical, actually past critical, that we compell that Scottish “Government” to rethink it’s arbitrary disregard for Scotland’s Constitutional Sovereignty, or else we get rid of that Scottish “Government”, or we supplant that devolved Scottish “Government” which has pledged it’s fealty to Westminster rule and install a different Scottish Government which pledges it’s allegiance to the Sovereign people of Scotland.
If we can do this, any of it or all of it, before the end of December when the European Transition Period expires, it is possible we can save Scotland from the effects of Brexit if not the event itself, and secure emergency holding pen status for Scotland’s economy which prevents UK-driven deregulation from wrecking our convergence with EU standards. Leaving this until mid 2021 is too little, too late, to the extent it borders criminal neglect.
We need Constitutionally inspired, decisive action NOW! “This” is our only “realistic” option, but it get’s less realistic with every precious day which we squander doing nothing.
English Opposition parties both lead by Knights of the Realm, says it all really !
leither
I’m struggling with this one, as I don’t know where to start. I’ve fallen through the bureaucratic safety-net myself, and it’s wasn’t a pleasant experience. I also have personal experience of how the system is designed to slow the payment of ‘benefits’ as much as possible. The moral philosophy underpinning the welfare state has certainly come under drastic restructuring since Britain embraced the “radical right”, a.k.a. Thatcherism.
From a post-colonial perspective, British nationalism is to blame for these sad events, as it supports right-wing authoritarianism that is blind to human rights, a.k.a. English Torydum and xenophobic benefits chauvinism.
sorry….xenophobic welfare chauvinism.
Social Policy and Populism: Welfare chauvinism and identity politics in a Europe on the brink of Brexit: Framing social policy and populism in a changing European context
link to pure.ulster.ac.uk
There’s a bit more meat on these bnones.
Immigration, Welfare Chauvinism and the Support for Radical Right Parties in Europe
link to blogs.lse.ac.uk
bnones….oops.
Lets not forget Willie Rennie’s new boss Ed Davey was in the cabinet of the Tory/Libdem alliance of David Cameron and Nick Clegg.
@Mialuci
The loss of your son is a terrible personal tragedy. Any words of mine are inadequate in the face of that but your stark account of that awful homecoming was profoundly moving. No one should have to bury their own child, it is unendurable but made worse by the bitter feeling that your son had been failed.
We have to do better by individuals in desperate suffering. Somehow, just hoping that things will in some way be better in an independent Scotland, is not enough.
New LibDem’s feel they have lost the connection with the common people so they have elected a knight of the realm as their leader. They don’t really rate our intelligence do they.
Ed Davy Elected as Lib people or persons or maybe even neutral gender , leader
The promised land is in sight
Lock up yer bi directional no particular gender daughter sons or whatever they identify as
Gee Wizz now we know why Scotty kept saying Beam me up he saw the future
Knowing what we know, so far, about how the Scot Govt and “justice” system operates in Scotland under Sturgeon,
Would you now support the Scot Govt’s attempts to introduce data collection on children and families under their Named Person Scheme legislation, that attempted to override the privacy laws?
Double-Chin Davey wins the Lib Dem leadership. Although 42% of Lib Dem members didn’t bother to cast their vote. So it was Mr Apathy who really won the contest.
Willie Rennie on his twitter, gushing with praise for his new party No.1 and crediting Davey with all sorts of skills and positive attributes. Funny then that Willie didn’t support him in the 2019 leadership election.
Jfngw
Not only lost connection , This lol have well and truly lost the bleedn plot
I listened to a hustings debate on LBC between both contenders , god sake both of them couldn’t bring themselves to plainly describe a Woman , I couldn’t believe what I was listening to the knots and verbal gymnastics the two of them were going through even confused the presenter .
Happy clapping time ahead for the lib people Wullie will fit in perfectly ,he’s the one with the serious look that he thinks makes him appear intelligent .
Ming the terrible was on late night LBC a clear case of Dementia simple questions eluded him and the presenter had to lead him through the interview , he mentioned great liberal leaders David Steel was one of them , hasn’t anyone told him of Steels previous indiscretions Cyril Smith being one
I don’t often agree with you @ Colin Alexander, but in the light of the GRA Reform Bill and the Hate Crime Bill the Named Person Bill does seem sinister.
The new LibDem leader was considered to be an inferior candidate compared to Jo Swinson only a year ago, what has he done to now become a rising star. Was it because he was knighted for being a member of the Conservative coalition.
It seems his only connection to the common people is austerity that he supported for 5 years, hand in hand with the Tories.
Willie Rennie thinks he’s great, but Willie Rennie thought David Steel and Cyril Smith were great, don’t be like Willie, blind to the criminal activity in his party.
Think the Lib Dem’s have an image problem with their new ‘federal’ leader.
He looks like an incompetent getaway driver in an episode of The Sweeney.
The English Empire was always an accounting exercise, once the cost of maintaining a country was more than what they could drain from it the country was no longer worth fighting for.
Isn’t it strange this seems to have gone out the window with Scotland, we are more of a drain on them than the EU according to their figures but they are determined to keep control of us.
I smell rose food!
Achnababan says:
26 August, 2020 at 1:24 pm
“Meanwhile back in Edinburgh a group of middle class, privately educated woman, who spend a lot of their not inconsiderable income on cosmetics, expensive designer clothes and hair dos, wring their hands and consider how men are so unkind to them”
Not forgetting those of both sexes who boast about “saving” up to £10 on meals when they eat out. One saying she had saved £200. I reckon she must have spent £200 o save that so buy her reckoning I’ve saved £400 by not eating out at all. Wish I could find it. The majority of people who can afford to eat out don’t need discounts.
Colin Alexander @ 2:22 pm
“Would you now support the Scot Govt’s attempts to introduce data collection on children and families under their Named Person Scheme legislation, that attempted to override the privacy laws?”
They did not attempt to override privacy laws. Data Protection is not devolved. It would have required changes to UK legislation, or changes to the Children and Young Persons Act (Scotland) to make the legislation comply.
The Supreme Court said the Named Person Scheme was benign.
This is what a Scottish Government panel set up to review the Supreme Court decision to make the Act comply said..
link to gov.scot
The only reason why am replying to your post, is because I am left wondering if a nationwide Named Person Scheme could have helped prevent the death of a schoolgirl from an untreated perforated ulcer?
link to google.com
Lib Dems…whatever happened to that champion of austerity, Sir Danny Alexander ?
So Ed Davey admits to “Not listening” at the previous elections, but says the Lib Dems have changed and they are “listening now”.
So Ed, if a majority of Scots demand another Referendum on Scottish Independence,,,will you stand in the way of it, or will you “listen” to what the Scottish people are asking for and let it go ahead???
link to thenational.scot
I beg to differ Sturgeon, Leslie Evans and your close clique needs to be purged pronto, oh and you and your hubby should do the decent thing and stand aside for someone who really does want independence for Scotland.
So Willie Rennie’s new boss compared independence supporters to right wing Farage loving Brexiteers.
Of course the LibDems are totally unelectable after their alliance with the Tories that saw a decade of austerity. Willie Rennie and his branch office are also unelectable they are apologists for Sir David Steel with regards to the Jimmy Saville fiasco.
link to thenational.scot
@Alec Lomax
I think he’s doing pantomime work, apparently the sidekick to George Something. ‘They’re behind you’, a bit like his political career days really.
I see Sky News have shipped the little Ultra Unionist House Jock James Mathews over to the good old USA.
They are fuckin welcome to him.
The Scottish Tories were unsure who was causing the rise in support for Scottish Independence.
Was it Boris Johnson or was it James Mathews???
They decided that James Mathews was an even bigger problem for them regarding the loss of support for the Union.
So a quick word in the ear of the Sky News producers, and before he knew anything about it, Mathews was off.
Let’s hope he doesn’t get hit with a stray bullet during one of those protests he reports on,,,,,,,honest!!!
Here’s a peek into some of the forces that drove Berxit, and will ultimately shape Scotland’s civic society. If we let them. The UKIP party fundamentally restructured British politics, by shifting mainstream politics even more towards radical right-wing populism. Which has been a feature of English Torydum since Thatcher.
link to academic.oup.com
link to link.springer.com
mr thms
A shocking and tragic story.
The Scot Govt attempted to introduce legislation that breached children and families Article 8 Human Rights. That’s why it was ruled to be not according to law.
I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to speculate on a particular case, especially as I don’t know if the case has fully concluded.
However, the news report says Social Work were already involved in monitoring that family. That raises questions as to how come the poor lassie was allowed to suffer neglect despite Social Work involvement. I expect that is something that will be looked at.
Current child protection laws allow interventions that override privacy where there is risk of significant harm to a child.
@ jfngw @ 3.22pm
“what has he done to now become a rising star”
Hi jfngw…..he didn’t declare he was a Pansexual for one thing unlike the other contender…..Moran too much like Swinson…..in manner, ideas, speech and frankly after a while ( if you lasted that long…I wouldn’t) would bound to eventually get on most people’s nerves……mind you these and other irritating traits are found in most Lib Dem politicians…..
Ed Davey obviously the lesser of two evils…or rather EVELS as both of them represent English constituencies….Lol
Apparently Willie Rennie gushing about it….though I heard Ed Davey was not his choice before…..he chose Swinson over Davey…look what happened to her….the only thing she delivered as leader was a win for another party in her own constituency in the 2019 GE…..so near the post of PM she was and yet so very far far away……as in a Galaxy far far away…not as in the chocolate bar but t’other one t’in space…mind you she was a bit of a space cadet so fair enough seems fitting……
Lib Dems leader…..what a prize….Lol
Have a nice evening
@ Me @ 5.42
“Ed Davey obviously the lesser of two evils”
Should have been “Ed Davey obviously DEEMED the lesser of two evils”…..deemed by Lib Dems…..ONLY…the rest of us know better….Lol
@Clapper 57
Not sure what a pansexual is, I’ve two options. One involves cookware, the other indiscriminate sex anywhere in the world.
GERS related.
link to twitter.com
link to twitter.com
Rev Stuart
Good luck to your team tonight and the Steelmen as well .
@ jfngw @ 6.14pm
I think in her case,re her leadership campaign, it means her hope of becoming leader has gone…Doon the PAN…..Lol
Pansexual : means that you’re attracted to people of all genders. This includes people who don’t identify with any gender…..
@jfngw
Is it something to do with bread? As opposed to plainsexual
@Grey gull
I thought Pansexual meant you fancied all the dancers on Top Of The Pops, but don’t quote me on that as it might just be hot gossip…
Supported by the Spice Girls.
The Lib Dem’s are listening, the Tories are listening and Labour are listening?
Yes just at the same degree as stones donate at the Blood Transfusion service every 6 months.
Breaking the Law.
link to twitter.com
@Grey gull
Could be, I remember being asked if I wanted a double ender?
Germany withdraws from Brexit talks.
link to google.co.uk
Looking at the global figures for the spread of Covid it is obviously getting worse.
India has exceeded 74,400 new cases in 24 Hours.
BijoLand has seen a dramatic rise from 1,000 new cases to over 1,500 today.
German has managed the virus very well but for the first time in months new cases exceed 1,000.
Poor Spain desperate for tourists can’t stop the rise with over 3,000 new cases and now reaching a total of 29,000 fatalities.
If things get any worse Boris will need to disappear on holiday again.
Pan-, a prefix from the Greek ???, pan, meaning “all”,
i think it means somone that can find arrousal in anything be it animal ,vegetable or mineral.
” can find arrousal in anything be it animal ,vegetable or mineral.”
Blow up doll has to come into the mix surely.
Everyone in the yes movement should send manny singh a card/postcard to let him know we are supporting him. Give those anti independence barstewards something to think about.
And show them we ain’t going away any time soon.
Barbers floor springs to mind.
😉
Dan @7:05pm
Now, that news dropped the old monocle… ta.
Mike d
excellent idea do you now what prison he is in
I will have one away tomorrow
Regarding the increase in numbers in England who are catching this Corona Virus, it is quite a dramatic increase
From 1000 yesterday to 1500 today.
And we aren’t even into autumn yet.
Sandra White has now announced she is standing down from Holyrood.
I am starting to worry at the number of long-serving SNP MSPs who are leaving. They have been there for some time, during which they have surely built-up strong personal followings, constituents who might not be so willing to vote for a younger, untried replacement.
As is well-known in sports teams, getting the balance right between tried and proved strong, and untried but promising is a difficult balancing act.
OK, the SNP has the advantage of a Unionist opposition lacking in brains, charisma or viable policies, but still – too-many proven team players leaving at once, this is worrying.
I wonder at which point when job losses are going thru the roof will the public at large realise that the covid 19 reaction has been totally off the scale. This is mass hysteria. Nothing less. The young are getting fucked over again. old people in homes are as a GP said to me recently “in a waiting room”
@Socrates MacSporran at 8:42 pm
Don’t fret*, in the 6 years since the SNP gained a hunner thousand new members they will no doubt have carefully nurtured the influx of rational enthusiastic members to develop and build resilience to carry us forward.
*Alternatively you may want to FRET LIKE FUCK coz they haven’t…
Effijy says: 27 August, 2020 at 7:43 pm
Forget the fantasy of vaccines. The reality is that the virus is here to stay and the way to deal with it is from a risk management rather than a health perspective.
To do that means having the ability to collect massive amounts of data in order to recognising existing trends like what we saw today with the Police being powers to break up large house parties predominately involving young adults and predicting trends where it is more likely to be safe to use local lock downs in order to deal with outbreaks rather than nationwide ones.
The only way that can be done is that the public trusts and has faith in the government that the data about them being collected will only be used for this purpose and will not be abused. Regardless of Sturgeons position on the constitution, she can’t be accused of not having the trust of the Scottish public in this health crisis which is essential if we are going to live with it.
Going slightly off-topic this subject, I had read there has been a lot of interest in properties in the North of Scotland from ones in the English home counties who are looking for cheaper property to deal with the oncoming economic depression as well as the perception that we are handling the health crisis better here and of course the ability to live anywhere due to being able to work from home. With this potential new influx, will this affect the constitutional argument?
In regards to the current state of the SNP, there was a comment earlier on about Malcolm X’s disdain for white liberals. I get the impression the same can be said for a lot of these new comers into the SNP ranks with their fancy dan ideas or as they are called here woke maniacs.
pipinghot says:27 August, 2020 at 8:54 pm
All these death figures we see constantly on the TV and read online are just figments of our collective imaginations?
Dan says: 27 August, 2020 at 6:14 pm
GERS related.
link to twitter.com
link to twitter.com
So the Gers argument can be reduced to Scotland raises £69 Billion in taxes and the Scottish government spends £32 Billion?
Of course it doesn’t mean that we can’t have fun and say that we also have a £15 billion deficit!!!
Pac Man. re read my post you fucking idiot.
Of course, as well as encouraging welfare chauvinism, right-wing populism also undermines distributive justice and access to human rights.
Critical Social Policy, First Published February 10, 2016
The politics and policies of welfare chauvinism under the economic crisis
Abstract
The ongoing economic crisis that emerged in the wake of the global recession in 2008, and was followed by the more recent crisis of the Eurozone, has introduced new themes and remoulded old ways of approaching the welfare state, immigration, national belonging and racism in Northern Europe.
This article identifies two main ways of understanding welfare chauvinism: 1) as a broad concept that covers all sorts of claims and policies to reserve welfare benefits for the ‘native’ population; 2) an ethno-nationalist and racialising political agenda, characteristic especially of right-wing populist parties.
Focusing on the relationship between politics and policies, we examine how welfare chauvinist political agendas are turned into policies and what hinders welfare chauvinist claims from becoming policy matters and welfare practices. It is argued that welfare chauvinism targeting migrants is part of a broader neoliberal restructuring of the welfare state and of welfare retrenchment.
Keywords
economic crisis, immigration, national belonging, neoliberalism, welfare chauvinism
link
link to journals.sagepub.com
I personally believe that an independent Scotland within the EU, will see house prices rise faster than the south of England, due to the influx of remain voters voters from england.
Socrates MacSporran
Sandra White SNP MSP stepping down is sad news.
From my own experiences in dealing with other MSPs of several parties including SNP, Greens, Labour and Tories, she’s the only MSP of any party that has ever made me think:
This politician genuinely cares about helping ordinary people.
Pacman
for all we know these supposed ‘white flighties’ who are leaving jolly old England, could be moving for a host of reasons including wanting to stay in the EU,wanting to get away from immigrants invading the beaches of England ( their perception, not mine), free personal care, no university fees for their children, a better NHS, or genuinely just wanting to have a simpler, more wholesome life – least likely reason. Perhaps Boris’ sham camping adventure has inspired them…
Sadly, they can sell up, clear their mortgage and still buy a decent property with some land ‘up north’ so what’s not to like about it…. and it may well affect the Constitutional issue!
In my experience, they move somewhere for the rural idyll and then complain that the shops are too far away, the nearest hospital is miles away, the roads are not wide enough, etc and start trying to change it into the place they’ve just left behind instead of integrating.
Dan @ 7.05pm Wow! just wow!
The UK could be about to legislate to change Scots Law………… surely that is a BREACH of the terms of their preciousssss Union and as such will break the Treaty????
link to twitter.com
this is dynamite!
@ Dan @ 6.42pm
Lol….really funny.
🙂
pipinghot says: 27 August, 2020 at 9:32 pm
Thank you for you kind words pipinghot, much appreciated.
People will read your wise, compassionate and heartfelt comment, pause for a microsecond and continue with the scroll button.