God loves an optimist
The Independent, 22 December 2014:
We can only admire Mr Murphy’s ambition.
Because the same day the Independent reported Jim’s £1m fundraising mission, we got an email from Ed Miliband. Yeah, we move in pretty fancy circles these days.
Alert readers will recall that this isn’t the first email Labour have rather hopefully sent us regarding this particular appeal. On Thursday the party claimed to have gathered £32,105 of the required sum. Today we can deduce it’s claiming to have £58,278 in the bank, which means they’ve pulled in £26,173 from the whole UK in that time.
The last time we did a fundraiser, to a total audience of just a few hundred thousand, we made just short of twice that much in the first 12 hours.
If the entire UK Labour party can only solicit half as much money as this wee website in eight times as much time, while blindly spamming the whole of Britain to the extent that it’s even trying to get cash out of us, we can’t wait to see Jim Murphy try to cobble together a million quid from Scotland alone.
He won’t need any media money. The BBC will back him to the hilt. It won’t help raise his funds, but lots of free backing and easy questioning.
Oooh Mr -Im- on- a- Labour- mailing- list- Campbell
My begging email will be along
any minute,
any minute now,
shortly,
in a mo,
presently,
drums fingers on desk.
Doesn’t he already have a million from expenses?
it is just for his expenses
“Harry Potter author JK Rowling has launched a passionate defence of the Union after revealing she donated £1million to the fight against breaking up Britain.
The best-selling author said she loves Scotland and wants ‘to see it thrive’ – but her highly personal article immediately sparked a torrent of vile abuse from nationalist cyber bullies – or ‘cybernats”
From the Daily Heil, mid June. More money than Tony Blair so come on JK Rowling, your country needs to you to help stop Scottish democracy all over again. Takes you back eh, “With head and heart vote NO!” Rowling tweeted.
[…] God loves an optimist […]
I’m sure JK Rowling is a DevoMax fan.
Probably time to switch her allegiance to the SNP then, might make things a bit awkward at Darling’s next dinner party though.
I still cannot believe that people lost their lives yesterday, and all Jim Murphy can think about is turning it into a photo opportunity. Absolutely sickening.
The man makes my skin crawl.
Surely, he can get all 7000 members of the northern sector to stump up, £142.86 each. No, didn’t think so.
“Closely fought seats” one wonders whether they’d be calling things close if the % was on the other boot. Hard not to think they might take a 24% lead for them as not really very close at all.
Course we should expect some fancy narrative ploy where they get to say that any reduction from a 24% lead t is a massive swing to SLab.
Anyone know whether SLab have ever had a 24% lead in the past?
But publicity from the BBC is free ????????????
And there is the daily record, the Scotsman, the express, the Gurdian, the mail, the sun, the star etc etc etc.
Jim will not have to buy publicity with these august, unbiased journals fawning over their every word.
By Jim’s grasp of the situation if each of his 20,000 members paid an extra year’s membership of £40 he would have 80% of what he needs.
He knows very well that the Tame unions, including UNITE, plus the COOP, Social clubs, Millionaires, and other fiddles, including local Government admin resources will always be at their disposal. Labour does not need to work to earn their money.
Admire Stu’s fund raising capacity. The cross party ‘Scottish Republican Socialist Movement’ could sure use your advice. We are not very good capitalists or fund raisers.
LOL! That’s made me chuckle. Talk about a party that is so lost in its ways. Seriously, for the Labour Party …how did it come to this?
I foresee a lot of buses if he wants a million.
[…] God loves an optimist […]
J. K. Rowling-Innit has no idea what she is talking about other than she prefers Scotland subservient and docile. I’m sure she wil donate another million to save Murphy’s hide, after all, to her a million is a mere bauble, to Murphy it’s a lifebelt. And she enjoys giving charity.
The compliant media are already giving us a Murphy story a day. Some as relevant as ‘he brushed his teeth today’.
Jaykie Rowling gets her payback from the Establishment
link to bbc.co.uk
Enjoy!
Who needs a million quid when you have the media in your back pocket?
Jim should put Kezia on the case – she’s so keen on fundraising she is still appealing for donations for her Deputy leadership bid on her campaign website! link to keziafordeputy.scot
I never understood why she needed to raise so much money in a contest she never looked like loosing- would be interesting to know how much was raised and what it was spent on. And where the balance is ‘resting’.
What ever happened to the money raised for the Bitter together Campaign, surely they never needed to spend one penny of that? As people have said with a compliant media who needs money.
Yes but it only takes one big donor- a Trade Union or a writer of children’s novels- to make a one off donation to bounce them over the line
[…] The Independent, 22 December 2014:“Labour’s newly-elected Scottish leader, Jim Murphy, has told his party’s major donors and fundraisers that he needs to find £1m to combat the rising fortunes of the SNP.The call to arms ahead of next year’s general election is Mr Murphy’s first acknowledgement that Labour will struggle to hold on to their former heartland unless they mount a forceful campaign against the nationalists.Although UK Labour can expect trade unions to underwrite any campaign funding gap, the majority of the affiliated unions in Scotland chose to back Mr Murphy’s left-leaning opponent, MSP Neil Findlay, in the leadership contest.”We can only admire Mr Murphy’s ambition. […]
My nose is bugging me to ask!
why do you get letters?
have you been a doner in the past?
or
are you Member of the labour party?
If Trade Unionist stopped funding right wing political Parties and betraying their members. A new Left would emerge, to defend the vulnerable, the weak and the poor. Ie a better, more equal society. Trade Union leaders are dinosaurs. The Trade Union hierarchy are part of the establishment. Trade Union leadership often collude with the establishment, against the interest of their members.
Good social/employment Laws come from the EU, making Trade Unions redundant but they still continue to support the establishment because they are part of the establishment. They don’t like change.
Anyone know what NBLab budget was for previous elections ie 2010 and 2011?
Anyway, if Murphy hasn’t worked out that NBLab’s problems are about representation rather than presentation then he’s on a loser regardless of budget.
Oh, these next 6 months with Jim Murphy are going to be hilarious. But, seriously, how did this party become so lost not only in direction, but in its ethics and morals too. Did ambition override some peoples core-priciples? The result in May will be very interesting. I guess at that point, we will know if Labour have become the new Liberals …as in, a party never again destined to hold real power within the halls of Westminster.
Murphy should start an Indiegogo fundraiser – they’re always good for a laugh.
When you consider all the media hype surrounding Murphy’s coronation the Survation poll shows the more that people hear and see Jim Murphy the more they dislike and distrust him.
A £1 million spent promoting Jim Murphy as the New Labour Messiah will be money completely wasted.
Sums up New Labour – our part in it’s downfall.
The SNP, Greens and SSP have a flood of ordinary people joining and paying subscriptions because they trust those parties to practise what they preach. Establishment parties just preach.
How much did you give them Stu. Same as last time?
Just thinking about people other than JKR who will be rewarded for their backing of the NO campaign in the New Year’s Honours List to be revealed shortly.
Ken McQuarie surely an OBE, Boothman an MBE. Lord Darling of Loretto perhaps. G.Brown CBE. J. Murphy MBE for services to Irn Bru. Johan Lamont, MBE for keeping quiet.
Must be more who’ve received their letter from the Palace!
“I left my ‘donation’ in a large brown envelope on their door mat. It went on fire though, so Jim, you’ll need to stamp on it. Don’t forget to wipe your feet afterwards.”
Murphy’s fundraising announcement wasn’t for the plebs, it was for his pals in big business: ‘Labour kept you in the union, now pay up’. Also it will be a rallying call for other Labourites such as Brian Wilson and Alistair Darling to flex their influence to wring out cash from other dubious shadowy sources. Prepare for same heinous Indy-Ref tactics to stop the SNP flooding Westminster, cue the foot soldiers of the BNP and OO hitting the streets. Just to think that Murphy needs a considerable war chest to save Labour in Scotland that amounts to 10 years of his trough expenses.
How about a New Years Honour’s list bingo:
link to en.wikipedia.org
link to en.wikipedia.org
Both seem like firm favs in addition to JKR
link to en.wikipedia.org
Could they really be so crass as to reward them this soon after?
Poor wee Hypocrite Jim, too wee (no members, no wonder) too stupid and too poor. He wants some more. (The £millions on expenses is not enough. Enough is never enough. A Political charlatan). Don’t donate one penny more. Fools and their money are easily parted.
All establishment UK political parties are funded by fraudulent Banks, landowners, the
elite and the wealthy for favour and influence. Even the Greens secretly get funding from landowners, against the public interest, while criticising the elite ownership of land,
The SNP is funded by it’s members. Crowd funded. That it why it is so successful. A Party funded by the people for the people. It can govern in tbe interests of all the people. Make the right decisions for the electorate, not in favour of interest groups. ie put policies in a manifesto and follow it through to the best of their abilities, which are vast compared to others. Not tell lies to get
elected, make false promises and then break them.
Nicola is the fairy at the top of the tree. Can make folks dreams come true. Cameron is the evil wizard. She’s right behind you Cameron, but miles in front.
Stu, it is probably not quite the time to think about such things but should you consider something along the lines of the Wee blue book (GE2015 edition for Devomax or whatever) then I hereby pledge £20.
That letter reminds me of the beggars you get asking for 78p because that’s how much they need for a bus ticket back to where-ever.
Speaking of which, there was a chap sitting outside the tesco express on Lothian Road in Edinburgh who asked for the princely sum of £13.52 ‘to get home’ that night.
It never occurred to me he might be a Labour fundraiser.
Stu has a rival in the dissect-the-propaganda department. Good analysis of a letter the MSM are promoting in England to discredit Russel Brand (potential London mayor candidate).
The Conclusion is particularly apt!
link to anotherangryvoice.blogspot.co.uk
OT Nasty little Facebook page flagged up earlier on here called God Hates Scotland. It has been vicious, mawkish, mocking and vile about yesterday’s crash, mocking victims and scots. I reported it to Facebook who replied today they would not remove the page. I am raging.
” Thank you for taking the time to report something that you feel may violate our Community Standards. Reports like yours are an important part of making Facebook a safe and welcoming environment. We reviewed the Page you reported for harassment and found that it doesn’t violate our Community Standards.
We encourage people on Facebook to challenge ideas, institutions, events, and practices in the interest of free discourse. Humor or satire or related social commentary is equally permissible…”
Humour, satire, social commentary is apparently now equated with mocking innocent victims. Wanted to vent my anger about FB…
JKR is a total deluded hypocrite. A tale teller. She funds a Party which creates lonely, child poverty in Britain and all over the world, but funds a Charity for lonely child poverty victims aboard. The Unionist Labour Party’s illegal wars, bankers fraud, tax evasion and corruption have caused, illegal and civil wars. The resulting austerity is causing poverty, hardship and death all over the world.
The Labour/Unionists secretly hid the McCrone Report and created poverty and hardship in Scotland. Thatcher secretly took the equivalent of £Billions out of Scotland and lied about it, causing poverty, unemployment deprivation in Scotland. Thatcher cancelled a pipe line wasting the equivalent of £Billions of Gas. JKR likes to pop off. She should mind her P’s and Q’s or read a good economic history book. Arrogant, ignorance and conceit is not an excuse.
‘God hates Scotland’ It’s a parody, Not to be taken seriously? It’s a joke? Satire not Saltire? God help people who can’t laugh at themselves. Humourless.
Sorry to go of topic but what has happened to the the news of the Westminster Sex scandal it was on the news yesterday morning but has since vanished is this them closing ranks again to protect themselves it stated that 3 serving mp,s were involved surely they must report this or have they served a D notice on it ?
seanair says:
23 December, 2014 at 9:46 am
Just thinking about people other than JKR who will be rewarded for their backing of the NO campaign in the New Year’s Honours List to be revealed shortly.
Ken McQuarie surely an OBE, Boothman an MBE. Lord Darling of Loretto perhaps. G.Brown CBE. J. Murphy MBE for services to Irn Bru. Johan Lamont, MBE for keeping quiet.
Must be more who’ve received their letter from the Palace!
Maybe, like the Treasury, Buckingham Palace will introduce a special award this year:
For making the Queen purr.
He wouldn’t have publicised that figure unless it was already earmarked. Probably from Tory Central Office or left over from the Project Fear warchest.
Guarantee you he’ll ‘raise’ it, a brilliant success for creepy Jim.
Scottish Labour is like a tree full of monkeys.
The monkeys at the top look down and see happy smiley faces.
The monkeys at the bottom look up and all they can see is arseholes.
MajorBloodnok says:
“I left my ‘donation’ in a large brown envelope on their door mat. It went on fire though, so Jim, you’ll need to stamp on it. Don’t forget to wipe your feet afterwards.”
Ah the delights of ‘shite-alight’. A boyhood favourite of mine as a young rapscallion in Airdrie. Many a slipper ruined with the occassional sock thrown in!
With regards to Murphy’s £1m, can’t he just ask his Tory donors for it again like last time?
Maybe Jims pal, the Stoney Tory farmer could ask the Weirs “nicely” to throw him a fat mil…
@H
I’m not au fait with Stu’s methods but I expect there’s a place on most party’s websites where you can sign up for email alerts as a supporter without being a member. In the current reality of the online world such a database becomes a valuable campaigning resource. Apart from all the journalists signed up as a free newsgathering source of course.
If you set up an email account just for the purpose and give them as little info as possible you needn’t feel too sullied by the process. If you do it for all the parties you can even feel suitably ecumenical.
I’m sure in Jimbo’s case God will make an exception.
We have got to remember that Jim Murphy’s branch office is the UK’s only hope of maintaining the Brit Nat’s ‘union’.
Dont be surprised if suddenly some dirty money from a corrupt oil trader comes into the coffers of Slab
The signs for Murphy are not good. Doubt about him is evident and spreading in the media witness Sanderson’s piece in today’s Herald.
The knives will soon be out. He has so many enemies waiting for the opportunity.
They say in politics that if you can fake sincerity you’ve got it made. Murphy can’t. But he will insist in trying. Only a faltering media actually support him and they thought they could persuade the rest of us. The average punter has no respect for him at all. Glasgow has a word that describes Murphy exactly. A chancer.
The media support team now face a dilemma. Many of them might already suspect that pushing Murphy is counter- productive.
On the other hand those who control the media would rather see a Tory Government. Would promoting a lame duck Labour figure in Scotland not suit their agenda perfectly well.
Last thing they want is a Labour revival in Scotland putting in a Labour government
Interesting to see how this all works out
So Labour emailed you to get publicity for their fundraiser. I don’t think they will get much out of us.
If you donate 1p, it costs them 20p for every transaction.
I’m sure BBC Scotland will stump up the cash from the Petty Cash Tin and mark it as Sundry Items.
They could maybe even filter the cash through a tax haven under a pseudonym – Mr Noam Orals maybe..
Whatever did happen to the remaining funds after the YES referendum?
That’s a legitimate question for someone to ask; be they pro or anti, YES or NO.
As to ‘Murphy’s Appeal’ which is surely an oxymoron, the ker-ching sounds of his own wee cash till will soon be chinging away as he swaps one gravy train for another.
He’s had the time to write a book ‘just in time’ for a Christmas market about ‘great football games’ and be a Minister of State, and be a founder member of the right wing Henry Jackson Society, and be all things to all men in his East Renfrewshire constituency, and also visit 100 towns in 100 days with just an irn-bru crate or two, plus put up a willing back for an egging without even turning round to look to where it came from, but sadly, this has its effects and Jim Jim had to suffer some kind of delayed shock, which forced the maximum publicity from his media chums while he put his weary feet and motor-mouth to rest for at least three days.
So, all in all, the guy’s a walking and talking miracle and has to be worth every penny he can raise for good old SLAB – well, some of it for SLAB anyway. Ain’t wee lucky?
I often come to comment then realize you have bloody well said it all. Thanks! 🙂
He’s after the money that Better Together refused because they couldn’t spend it all before the Referendum. He can think of NO Better Home than his pocket.
If Labour had boots on the ground committed activists then they would not need such extravagant sums…oh wait.
Ken500
I write for a living. I get humour, parody, satire. But that page’s crude mocking of Yesterdays carnage in George Sq, the Clutha tragedy, calling people paedophiles, etc. Not particularly clever or funny, or respectful. I am certainly not easily offended, just disappointed that such unfunny crud gets allowed out there. Apologists will say free speech, I guess. The Scots are fair game. Part of the issue is that such crude stereotypes are repeated throught the social media and make the job of getting a true picture of Scotland much harder.
Murphy is being hailed as the saviour of the London Labour Party in Scotland.
He’s called on donors and fundraisers to garner £1m for party funds. Just how much money and how quickly it is raised will be an indicator of his true popularity.
On another blog, someone has suggested Murphy sells his London pad to a Russian oligarch looking for investments outside the Rouble zone …. it should net near enough a million for Jim.
Duh! Jim’s not going to put his own money where his mouth is, in a month of Sundays. He is only good at spending taxpayer’s or sponsors’ money.
O/T, but I’m too angry not to express this. Checked out the link to God Hates Scotland on Facebook, and was truly stunned by what I read, a few hours after the George Square disaster, eg,
“5 million retarded Scots, and you’re crying because 6 die. Grow up ffs, its not like they were important or famous!”
I reported this to Facebook, and received the following reply;
Thank you for taking the time to report something that you feel may violate our Community Standards. Reports like yours are an important part of making Facebook a safe and welcoming environment. We reviewed the Page you reported for containing hate speech or symbols and found that it doesn’t violate our Community Standards.
Unbelievable.
woosie -the answers at your fingertips – do you want to be part of that absurd ‘Facebook Community’?
Would people please refrain from reporting pages like God Hates Scotland.
Do you not realise that these pages are doing our work for us?
“If that’s what they really think of us next time I’m voting yes!” is what will be going through many heads.
I’m sure if Jim and his colleagues reduced their expenses claims, they would soon acquire the required amount.
Oh don’t underestimate Murphy’s connections. He can easily raise the cash from organisations which support Apartheid or pro Zionist groups he is affiliated with.
I agree “Al says:”. Perpetrators use the demonising, dehumanising and inferiorising (just created a new word)of their victims to justify their actions. The British Empire was built on the criminal abuse of others! This blatant abuse of the Scot’s is encouraged by the establishment to keep us down, servile and subservient. Tick tock!
I see we have a man pleading that we all get back together in the National, he voted No by the way and where I come from that means he voted for Britain and the Union, not Scotland. He seems to be a follower of London Labour, so he can wait till Hell freezes over before I will forgive him.
I am sure we’ll be hearing any minute now from Blair McDonought for donors to stop sending Labour any more money as they have excelled their target. Won’t we?
@truth
Such hate sites enforce prejudice, they demean and demonise. If I were to say such stuff face to face I would be up for hate crime, or get my face punched in. The poster spouts bile, hiding behind a computer. By your logic If leaving things be when gross misinformation is spread was the right way then surely YES would have won the Referendum. I will happily continue to report hate when directed my way. Don’t worry, FB won’t do thing about it.
i’am hoping to get a new tartan shirt for Christmas, could send them the buttons off my old red worn out thread bare shirt, i think murphy is hoping my new shirt fastins at the rear with a zip.
Murphy’s main purpose is to try to undermine the support for the SNP. A disgraceful stance, considering there are people with nothing who could do with politicians calling for an end to sanctions for those who are dependent on social security, I see that no mercy is being shown even at Xmas. People will really be suffering, to face such poverty at this time of year just shows how cruel westminster is, and we have Murphy asking for money for his own crusade against the SNP.
Despicable really.
Truth says:
23 December, 2014 at 11:37 am
Would people please refrain from reporting pages like God Hates Scotland.
Do you not realise that these pages are doing our work for us?
“If that’s what they really think of us next time I’m voting yes!” is what will be going through many heads.
===================================
I wonder how all those people who wanted to stay with the union think of how they like the rest of us are viewed by some their unionist buddies.
@Helena – he worked for Labour during the Indyref, so he said. Like you I won’t be won over and I consider him a ("Tractor" - Ed).
Westminster’s super-hero, Jim “the tweetman” Murphy will get his money. Westminster and the unionist media will make sure of that.
Jim Murphy wont be in New Year Honours
Removal Van will instead deliver Stone of Scone to his 2nd home London
I had a look at the God Hates Scotland page
Not sure if it is sincere in its hatred…it may be (very bad taste) satire.
@ Helena Brown
He called himself David.
Does that ring a bell on this site?
BtP
Last comment disappeared
This is weird
My two comments above do not show up on my iPad feed but are visible on my notebook one.
It would be an awful lot simpler if the BBC just directed some of our license fees into Labour Party coffers.
WGD in stonking form as usual:
link to weegingerdug.wordpress.com
Merry festives Paul; forward in 2015
@Mealer
Am sick of BBC Labour Jim Murphy
Some people do not conform to the ‘norm’, and have a strange sense of humour. They are often reclusive, and have nothing better to do, and use the Internet. They need help, not prosecution, That is why too many vulnerable people are in prison, they know not what they do. They do not get the specialist help they need and that is less costly.
Get over it, not obsessing. Sticks and stones can break bones but? God but the grace?
@Helena Brown
Yes. I get really annoyed with that naysayer attitude of ‘let’s all move on from indyref and become good little serfs all together again’.
I could rant on at great length … sufficient to say “in their dreams” !
I doubt Labour in Scotland will have any bother raising a million. They’re the establishment party here: big business, the very wealthy and Tories will happily fund them, as they funded them via Better Together.
They’ll do that while funding the Tories down south with no hint of irony, because their preferred option is Tory, but they know fine well Labour is just as amenable to them when in power and there isn’t any real difference. The establishment’s real fear is the SNP and losing Scotland, because they know fine well we subside the UK, and by extension them, to the hilt.
It was notable that to raise the million quid from Labour’s Scottish branch offer was around £142.85.
It would currently be around £10 for the SNP to achieve the same goal.
How many of the labour members out of that 7000 membership would even give a tenner, far less over £142 ?
It is more about being true to their policies than merely the popularity of its leaders which make the SNP successful, something which labour do not seem to be even begin to understand.
Ken500. I am sure that there is nothing wrong with that poster on FB other than being a sick wind up merchant. Usually I ignore such types, certainly don’t excuse them. Obsessing? Really? Sticks and stones lost us a referendum… Wings was created to fight stereotypes, highlight injustice in the media, bullying etc.
I am certainly not ‘there but for the grace of God’, being an atheist I am where I am through evolution and natural selection. As for tolerating abuse, no harm done, eh? All good fun. Harmless. Just like Jim Murphy. Said my bit. Tried to raise awareness of the new order establishment spreading more anti-scots hate in the guise of shite humour, satire…
Reply to Author_al
I became an Atheist and a Partick Thistle supporter at the age of eight when I fun oot God wis English.
O/T Stu can anything be done about that disgusting site “God hates Scotland” and their callous and derogatory remarks towards the victims of the horrendous accident in Glasgow yesterday. The whole site is malicious dogma based on a semi religious tenet.
I wonder if there is some laws being broken by what they are saying?
@ Mealer
Less simple if we have all stopped paying it. Once again I appeal to you all. Arrange your affairs to comply strictly with the law, and stop paying the propaganda tax.
@H I get emails as well, from Ed, Murphy, Sarwar etc, even though I have never been a member of the Labour party or have ever voted for them.
I let them come just to see what rubbish they spout – it just goes to show that their information on potential voters is not accurate.
I probably fit a ‘profile’ – since they use American advisers these days – of a ‘typical’ Lab voter
BBC R4 news dude whips though his lunchtime intro on Welsh devo with “Scottish independence has had its moment, what next for Wales” so another rancid propaganda day in BBC land/pretence whitters on but Rowling and Murphy were very alike in their too small, poor, Scotland’s not going to happen so vote NO or else stuff and both needed concocted attack by yes voters. Who knows who was rotten to Rowling in Twitter and Murphy egg tragedy was really worked over by teamGB. Poor wee Murphy and Rowling.
If she doesn’t cough up say 500 grand, she’s either not a true Brit or she’s got the sneering condescension of BBC R4 on in the back ground all the time. And the queen purrs.
@Helena Brown and @James Caithness
Comedy gold:
“I have made some early attempts on Twitter to engage the SNP and our new First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in the desire to discuss the potential benefits of a #OneScotland philosophy to our divided nation. I even offered to speak as a (sic) ordinary panel member on her current tour. But no… Perhaps she is mulling things over. Perhaps she agrees with me and is already working quietly behind the scenes? Perhaps”.
The SLabber activist writing in The National is begging YES voters to forgive and move on, and unite as a Nation. NS has been asking for cross party cooperation since she was elected as FM. What has been SLabber response?…Bailey, Kelly, Foulks, Murphy, Dugdale etc spouting anti SNP venom at every opportunity! Sandy Wilkie…. Jog on ya tosser!!
Snode1965
Aye,it’s time we moved on.Moved on to independence.
@Des 7.44am
You stole my line! 🙂
Please be sure to understand this about Jim Murphy:
Murphy works for the Unionist Establishment at Westminster.
WM’s current priority is to ensure that Scotland remains part of the Union.
WM need to have at least one viable Unionist Party in Scotland – Labour is the only choice available.
If Labour go down to single figures on May 7 as the polls say they might, then Scotland will move to the threshold of Independence.
To avoid this, Westminster will use maximum force – as in Indy.
For us, till May 7, it will be GE politics.
For WM, it will be Independence politics.
@manandboy
Yes, the GE will be about saving their Union for WM.
A couple of good things, though.
They will all be fighting on two fronts, among each other in a Lab-Con-UKIP contest, plus against Scottish aspirations. History shows, fighting on two fronts rarely works out well.
Also, they are fighting for their Union … again, after just 8 months. And, they will have another fight in 2016 at the Holyrood election. Then if WM has a Con government an EU referendum in 2017 will become yet another challenge to their Union. Their dual strategy of threats combined with false promises doesn’t have much of a shelf life left. It will fall flat before long!
OT so many apologies, just to remind people things could be worse.
The Spanish government’s courts have just decided to present criminal charges against the President of Catalonia and his team for arranging a referendum, suspended pending a Constitutional Court ruling on its legal standing but not actually declared illegal, in which nearly two and a half million Catalans voted, 80% in favour of independence.
Possible penalities include barring from office and prison.
Snode1965
forgive them?
i am miffed that this whole thing has to be dragged on because of their mistake.
but then they admit guilt by asking for forgiveness, yet @ the same time saying that they are PC and we should join them?
perhaps they could tell me who to vote for?
i mean they did ‘win’ after all, didn’t they?
as with many my political drive for change, is @ dissonance with those of WM coalition, labour, and the impunion, et al.
i will always vote for what is best for me and for scotland.
proven; snp, scotgreens, ssp, RIC, common weal, et al fight for social justice and to end poverty.
fight for change, not status quo.
Im sure some of Murphys fellow bloodthirsty warmongering Neo-Cons at the Henry Jackson Society will lend old Jimbo a few bob.
@ ronald russell (12.56pm) Re: “God Hates Scotland”
I have twice attempted to gain access to the aforementioned tripe in the past hour and all i keep getting is “this content is currently unavailable” so it would appear that it may have been taken down.
I tried clicking on the link supplied here on WOS and i tried through googling it – same result both ways.
If anyone is concerned about that sort of material, IMO, your first port of call should be the police. I didn’t get to see the comments but if certain individuals are referring to a nation of people, in the manner described, not only is it a hate crime/speech it is also racist.
I don’t do facebook therefore know very little on how it operates but i’ve been informed from a reasonably reliable source that they rarely remove such material until they reach a certain volume of complaints.
Knowing who to report facebook to, i would imagine, would help deal with facebooks ignorance on such matters.
Anti-nationalist patriot MP Jim Murphy is The Spectator Campaigner of the Year.
If creepy Jim, Darling and Brown were the ones who saved the Union then raising a million smackeroonis to save their party in Scotland should be a swizzle.
Before anyone is allowed to donate, however, they should be forced to take the Labour Basic Skills Test. I would hate to think the actions of stupid, gullible people were all that was actively keeping Labour afloat in Scotland.
Labour’s plan to make benefit claimants take skills tests is smart policy
20 Jan 2014
link to newstatesman.com
I am glad to hear that I am not alone in despising these people, seems that though they won the skirmish they are well aware that the price was too high for them. So all us ahem Fellow Scots, should simply forget that they cheated and get back together. well son I have a very long memory and I doubt either of us will live long enough to see the day.
On Stu’s behalf I would say that London Labour have no idea who they are corresponding with. For instance we both got Christmas Cards from the delightfully stupid Cara Hilton. Needless to say they are not any where in the house now, unlike the one Hubby got from Nicola.
@Mealer@fred, It was bad enough getting Trolls on here, without having to read their pish in ma daily paper!! 🙂
o/t Horrible paedophile sentenced today.
@tom_watson Just tweeted, Judge just sentenced Charles Napier to 13 years. Big success for you and @metpoliceuk and ‘Op #Cayacos’.
Meanwhile the establishment are trying to place yet another ally to chair the abuse enquiry.
_ Brenda Hale is a member of the Athenaeum Club in Pall Mall which Jimmy Savile joined in 1984
@Helena Brown
Am still recommending the National to anyone who asks, we have an order for it and the Sunday Herald. It is not perfect by any means, but I do believe that we need to support it. My first thoughts on reading the letter from the NO supporter was “Why was this published in the National?” since every other “news” outlet is full of this type of “we need to move on…” plea.
On second thoughts, however, I believe that it is important for us to understand that some people are quite happy to vote NO, thereby condemning thousands to food banks, never mind the obscenity of nuclear weapons near Glasgow, and then with no hint of irony propose that we all work together as “one Scotland” as if nothing had happened.
Hello? Common Weal, Women for Indy, RIC, National Collective and countless numbers of continuing YES groups are already doing this. If he wants to join in then he is welcome. If he wants to continue carping, then I hear the Labour Party are looking for negative campaigners.
Och Bill Dale I am not suggesting anyone stop buying and reading The National, we do, it is the only game in town. I am not even angry with them publishing his letter. Unlike the Unionists I do believe in Free Speech, he has every right to ask, just as I have every right to say no.
Just wanted to add Bill that yes if he wants to join us he will be welcome but he voted for one flag and another country, I voted for another and yes many people are happy with the status quo what ever that is/was. Many also shut their eyes and ears to what was being said and held their noses. Sandy Wilkie was not short of information he voted NO knowing what he was doing, he is one of those who set out to pour fear into Scots ears,hi weasel words fall on deaf ears and in my case literally.
I agree Helena, and that is one of the reasons why I believe that my first reaction to the letter was also valid – this is not an ordinary NO voter, this is someone with an agenda being given an opportunity to promote his imperialist agenda under the guise of One Scotland.
Perhaps a letter to the National making clear the imperialist nature of the writer would be in order? Or perhaps just do what we always do with trolls, starve them of publicity. 😉
Murphy is no different to the charlatans we meet in our daily lives. The fact that he spent 3 years at Uni only to fail. Since that day has never worked outside the labour party and government speaks volumes.
He is a career politicion and a one trick pony. How dare he lecture us and ask for our donations to further his career.
A contemptable human being.
Could oor Jim not have a word with his hero, Tony Blair? I gather he’s worth a pound or two these days.
Snode1965
yes, you’re so right.
To ALL WINGERS,
The man (Sandy Wilkie) pleading in the National for everyone to work together ,has a history of not being able to do so. You should always be careful about going public as someone will inevitably know of you. I believe you will find that he used to be an executive in Dumfries and Galloway N.H.S. (AMONG OTHER ROLES) and I have had very, very, good reason to state that he is pompous and pretentious Enough said I think. I will not go into specifics. He equates to the exact opposite of everything he is trumped up to be by his own article, and if the National gives him any, I repeat any further space, I will stop buying it. As for his call to Nicola, she is fortunately ,hopefully ,in a position to check this character out, prior to even responding to his e mail.!! You have been WARNED.!!
link to itv.com
Bought my first National today. First time I’ve heard of that Wilkie character. Is that clown for real? Aye let’s all be mates again and work together, oh and why is the FM not contacting me? News for ye pal – probably cos you’re a no-mark.
Be mates with scumbags who lied and cheated our people so they could keep their snouts in the trough? Who put the fear of death into our old folk? NEVER. I for one will despise garbage like you until I’m on my deathbed.
I think the vile FB page mentioned here has now been removed.
I receive regular begging emails from the Tories, because an Indy page said to do a survey, to upset the poll. I like getting my Tory emails and smile as I delete.
De Valera
Could he afford it?
“Tony Blair claims he is only worth £10 million”
And not £100 million as some claim, he also does NOT rule out working for Vladimir Putin as a “paid advisor”.
Really? Wonder why he hasn’t been vilified in the press then?
link to archive.today
Likewise I have read the letter in the National today from Mr Wilkie making a plea for Yes and No to come together in a unified dialogue.
I would have no issue doing so with individual left leaning No voters who want to see a Federal solution like Mr Wilkie but under what auspices? I can’t see such a dialogue taking place with Murphy or Kezia. They have been particularly vitriolic about Yes voters. There is no route to dialogue there. It would feel like a handshake while waiting for the knife in the ribs.
I will not move on from my aspiration for Scotland to take control over all public services and welfare whether as an independent country or under a federal framework. I will talk those who favour the latter but not as a sop to “move on”.
Sandy Wilkie’s ‘Working together’ is like ‘Better together’ –
it’s got nothing to do with ‘together’,
and a lot to do with conning people.
But how did he get a big free advert in The National?
@Bob Mack
Would it not be better to support the National rather than giving them ultimatums on an internet message board on who they should be prepared to accept articles/letters from? Do we want to achieve something here, or are be content to endlessly have a go at the only daily pro-independence newspaper in Scotland?
You could do worse than subscribe to iscot.scot
Lets grow our fledgling media, for £5/month or £36 for the whole year, it will be sent to your home. Well worth it.
@ Muttley 79,
Perhaps you are right, but this man is a devious, self obsessed, manipulative individual. Believe me I know. He is very fortunate that I was not on a train to Dumfries two years ago for a man to man CHAT. It was a serious issue for me and I hate to think of this bully even given one line of space let alone half a page.
First I’ve heard of iscot.scot. and will certainly check it out.
Anyone know what’s happening with the Scottish Independent newspaper? The website has promised action for quite some time now.
I wish all these diverse initiatives would all come together into one rather than this scattergun approach.
@HandandShrimp
I agree. When those ‘get together’ naysayers (like in today’s National) make proposals, I take it to mean ‘get together under something very close to the old pre-ref status quo’.
The status quo slowly disappeared as the referendum campaign progressed and was finally blown away when the No side offered the indisputably popular DevoMax.
When naysayers come forward and offer a united front on the FFA/DevoMax settlement THEY put on the table, then they will undoubtedly be joined by a broad church with both Yes and No voters.
Anything short of that, and they have a bloody cheek!
the weight of MSM is overwhelmingly biased in favour of the impunion, and they delete anything that they disagree with.
i say keep them off of the EMBRYONIC national, atm, imo this should be for 5yrs @ least.
Re Mr Wilkie. Over my rotting corpse..
@Dave Beveridge
I hope you do check it out, best of all as far as I’m concerned is that it has been set up and is run by grassroots supporters like me 🙂
This first issue is online and can be viewed for free and looks very professional, hope to get my printed copy soon so can’t say how that looks.
Good luck to any new venture that promotes the irrefutable case for Independence, you have my support at least!
I imagine the Rev’ s reply was brief and to the point. Two words would be enough.
@Bob Mack
Apologies if there is a personal issue between you and the guy.
Sandy Wilkie aka lizardvanilla.
The National is on a wind-up here. At least they published a photograph.
The maturity shown therein matches that of the published text.
Ignore it all.
We have a country to win.
Link for iscot online mag…
link to iscot.scot
I got my magazine the other day and it is really good, have put it in a safe place for posterity.
Received first issue of iScot yesterday and it looks good.
Not had chance to have a read yet!
@ Dave Beverage iScot.Scot if you look at the vid & the last name is our very own Winger Kendomacaroon Bar aka Ken McDonald.
I too reported the vile – God Hates Scotland page on Facebook. I received an initial notification from Facebook, saying that it doesn’t violate our Community Standards. Within 1 hour I received 2 further notifications saying “We reviewed the Page you reported for containing hate speech or symbols. Since it violated our Community Standards, we removed it”. I noticed the first message has also been changed to reflect it being remove.
Better late than never Facebook. Oh and anyone who thought that page was “satirical” is deluded. It was full of hate venom and bile.
@David Mooney
I never visited the page at all, point of principle. It didn’t seem like something I would want to read.
I’m glad it has been removed judging by the comments I have read on here. I don’e believe their is any justification on either side for hate disguised as “satire”.
Keiser Report right now on RT, brilliant.
As others have said, the iScot hard copy is very good. It has a good contribution from Major Bloodnok of this parish.
After two refusals the page was deemed to break Facebook terms and removed. They informed me by a notification while I was waiting for my wife outside Queen St station as I do regularly. Just happen to be by the wall of bouquets and messages. The mood is sombre, Glaswegians talking in muted voices. “My heart is breaking,” says one. No joke.
I believe a 19 year youth handed himself in to Sunderland police. His “joke” was along the lines of a Glasgow bin lorry picking a record amount of trash
Here’s a view from an independent country and a very different take on party funding.
In Finland, political parties are not allowed to accept ANY donations from corporations, or, I think, large doantions from individuals high up in the business world. This is to prevent lobbying, political parties becoming handpawns of rich business interests, and to safeguard people’s democracy.
So, how do the parties fund themselves?
Membership fees, obviously, but also state political party subsidy, i.e. the state grants money to all political parties that have MPs – we have a fully proportional, open list PR system so smaller parties have it easier to get an MP or two in our 200-member Parliament. At persent I think we have 8 or 9 parties in Parliament. All parties with MPs get a state subsidy, calculated on their membership (not MP) numbers.
Giving tax-payers money to political parties might sound horrifying to you Scots but you have to understand we have a different political culture. A culture that shuns business/corporate interests and wants to ensure democracy for the people, even the poor ones, by denyig corporate money.
That’s the idea, at least.
Some parties used to massage their membership numbers (a farmer signs up for KESK and sings up his wife and all under-age children as well…) to get more state subsidy but that’s being better scrutinised now since the party-funding scandal we had a few years ago.
Ordinary people are allowed to make small donations – I don’t know what’s the limit, I’ve never come agaist it, sending the odd tenner to the Green Party. I think it’s something like 5000 euro.
Some of the political parties tried to get around this law by selling third-rate paintings (donated by party-faithful third-rate artists) at inflated prices to big businesses. Or forming dubious “charities” that donated most of their money to one political party or another. Or organising “lecture tours” by front-line politicians, with outrageously priced tickets bought by corporate intrests.
That was several years ago, our big election/party funding scandal (about the same time as the Westminster expenses scandal). Several politicians have been charged and convicted, some even with (suspended) prison sentences.
The rules were revised and refined after that. It remains to be seen how effective the new rules are. We have a GE coming up in March 2015.
One thing remains unchanged: political parties are NOT allowed to accept donations from businesses.
Ah, I think the butter is soft now (I’ve been keeping it next to the warm fan air of my laptop). Got to go and make Scottish shortbread biccies as X-mas pressies for those of my family with a sweet tooth. I even bought tartan ribbons to tie the tins with. 🙂
Willie Haughey will probably be funding his campaign. He’s linked with Glasgow labour and isn’t short of funds.
O/T @Alex Clark Be glad you didn’t read it. It clearly went beyond what any normal person would consider acceptable.
For clarification I think it important that those of us who choose to criticize a particular point of view or statement, do so having at least read or examined the subject we are criticizing. No matter how repugnant it may be (within reason of course). After all Stuart and the contributors have to wade their way through mountains of crud in order to expose WM, BT, BBC SLab and ConDem – lies, misinformation, corruption and ineptitude. The devil is often in the detail.
@ Mark Coburn
Is Mr Haughey not domiciled in The Caymans?
@lumilumi says
“Here’s a view from an independent country and a very different take on party funding.
In Finland, political parties are not allowed to accept ANY donations from corporations, or, I think, large doantions from individuals high up in the business world. This is to prevent lobbying, political parties becoming handpawns of rich business interests, and to safeguard people’s democracy.” etc…
Thanks for that. Sounds like the way to go for me. Not perfect but what system is.
The best response to the comment article in the National is to write in to refute it.
Re the FB page I glanced at it and was disgusted at FB’s decision to leave it up but Police Scotland are on twitter saying they are monitoring all comment on the George Square accident, so they might have had some input re it’s removal.
I think I will subscribe to iScot and see what it’s like
Just started on Indylive “Occupy BBC Scotland” mainly Anonymous guys there just now. Worth watching though.
link to new.livestream.com
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.? Naw,me neither.
BBC MURPHY has announced that said Murph needs cash and as sure as night follows day he will get it.
As has been rightly pointed out previously by Taranaich and others this isn’t about Murph and NBLab ,it’s a continuation of the WM onslaught against the progressive forces for change in Scotland and it’s gonna get dirtier and stronger.
This is a not unexpected escalation in all anti-indy media and UKOK State broadcasts reaffirming that they are bricking it.Still.
Why won’t these uppity jocks f***in STAY DOWN!
The point is are we ready to LIE DOWN ?
Don’t think so.
Guy’s Dud Smurphy is no fool!
He intends using those Irn Bru crates/hustings to gather up empty ginger bottles.Very good deposit per glass bottle.
Look out for him at an ice cream van near you!
If you see Mr Whippy getting an MBE, you’ll know he has the funds.
They should just ask the Tories,better together,broad shoulders, champers gulping post indyref parties and all that.
BBC Scotland’s reporting of the deaths in Glasgow was ghastly. This truly is a dysfunctional organisation.
Helena Brown says
” we both got Christmas Cards from the delightfully stupid Cara Hilton.”
What the hell is wrong with me?
Do I smell or something?
Even Gordon nae pals blanks me.
🙁
I’m a tad confused about the original subject matter.
I mentioned a few days ago, that the hiring of Mr Murphy’s Scottish campaigning team appeared to be a UK Labour programme, and now it would appear that Mr Miliband is pleading for money to help out the Scottish Labour campaign, yet Mr Murphy has tried to state that Scottish Labour is a separate entity.
Perhaps I have misinterpreted something along the way, but could it be the case that Scottish Labour is indeed controlled by its southern masters, and that Mr Murphy is actually a liar?
Re: the FB page people have been talking about. I had a look earlier.
Now, I’ve got a robust sense of humour and thick skin but it had me falling foul of that internet law, whatsitcalled, the one that says successfull satire is taken seriously.
I just didn’t get a “satirical” feel from the sickening comments about the Clutha tragedy and the bin lorry tragedy yesterday.
My condolences and sympathy go out to the family and friends of the victims, especially at this time of year. However, seeing the front pages of the UK/Scots press…
Most of them grabbed the easy, sensationalist headline,Christmas carnage and variations thereof. The National had a really stopping, poignant front page. Black around the edges (and no header/banner ads) and a solemn Police Scotland officer carrying a floral tribute from the public and the dignified headline “Glasgow grieves again”. I think that captured the mood better than any of the other MSM.
gillie says
“BBC Scotland’s reporting of the deaths in Glasgow was ghastly. This truly is a dysfunctional organisation.”
Can you expand that gillie I missed most of it but what I did see they were duly reverential and respectful to the interviewees.
@Ronnie & Thepnr et al. Thank you for your kind words about iScot Magazine. We are a very small group of grass roots volunteers promoting a pro Scotland agenda.
If you haven’t read the online magazine already, please give it a try – there is no paywall. http://www.iscot.scot
We need to reach as many people as possible, and our business model is to supply the printed version free of charge, relying on donations and a limited amount of advertising to cover our overheads.
Unlike the National our magazine is grass roots. We wish them well, however the created it for purely commercial reasons. Ours was based on a need for change borne out of frustration with the Scottish MSM.
Its success will be down to people like yourself supporting grass roots initiatives. Word of mouth or even a coin in the kitty goes a long way to sustaining a truly independent & pro Scottish publication.
Yours aye
Kendo
If you
In my opinion it does not hurt to have various ventures in pro-nationalist media whatever the form.
Beware of having all your eggs in one basket.
Some will rise and fall, but we need numbers to get successes.
This youtube clip was sent to me this afternoon.
This is why the uk wants to break away from the European Court of human rights
link to youtube.com
The letter in the National from the No voter about moving on and working together..
Sentiments like that – are easily interpreted as a plea to accept the result as final, and give up trying.
What does working together actually mean in practicality?
Politics goes on as normal anyway, trying to make the best with the powers we have.
Sure we can work together, but that doesn’t mean agreeing that the result was the right one, or continuing to aim towards more powers for Scotland.
The closeness of the result unsettled a lot of unionists, and effectively means that the game continues, whether they like it or not.
iscot looks very interesting,but I wasn’t able to read it on my iPad.I couldn’t enlarge the writing.
Hello Ken
Good luck with iScot.scot, why do people not get that it’s not all about the money?
I know your heart is in the right place and wish you all the best.
Just thinking, for the next one could you get an interview with the woman who climbed Edinburgh Castle with the Yes sign despite her lung problem. Not so much about the climb but about her before the climb.
I believe she was a policewoman before her illness, an Inspector I believe?
I met her along with other wingers at the last PQ demonstration against the BBC, smart woman (as well as brave) and her voice should be heard. We would like to hear it.
I looked at that facebook page too, and thought it was appalling. It wasn’t satire, it was just cowardly abuse. In response to those who tried to defend it as satire, I would ask you in all honesty to imagine how you would feel if someone had said or written those things about someone you loved who had died.
You must surely all have known a family member or friend who has passed away. My parents have had to bury two of their five children in my lifetime. Do you have even the faintest idea of how it feels to lose a child? One couple lost their daughter and their parents in one fell swoop yesterday. Think carefully about how you would have felt, or would still feel, if things like that were being said about your daughter or mother or father. It’s just not on, guys.
@Mealer
The iScot magazine is designed specifically for iOS and android devices, and TBH yours is the first issue I’ve read. I’ll check and get back to you.
John king says:
23 December, 2014 at 7:35 pm
gillie says
“BBC Scotland’s reporting of the deaths in Glasgow was ghastly. This truly is a dysfunctional organisation.”
The BBC took us from George Square to the studio to look at comments posted by our political leaders, First David Cameron, 2nd Willie Rennie, 3rd Dud Smurphy, 4th and last, Ruthless David’s son
They seem to have forgot about the Nation’s First Minister and that Party with 100,000 local members? The BBC know they are Bad!
O/T Interesting analysis from Tom Pride
link to tompride.wordpress.com
@ Blair paterson at 10:23 am
what has happened to the the news of the Westminster Sex scandal?
this rape and murder of children is something i feel very strongly about. I am sure all of you do too.
I posted about this yesterday
link to eurofree3.wordpress.com
To be quite honest I felt sick(headache, stomachache, nausea etc) the whole time I was researching the background and writing up the post.
Psychomatic?
No a real physical reaction to the horror and evil in this history
There is news of british and welsh children being involved and also Northern irish children in the Kincora house scandal link to eurofree3.wordpress.com
I have been unable to find out if Scottish children were involved – this doesn’t mean they weren’t
i have included a reference list so you can all read more if you want to
As Blair Patterson said “since vanished is this them closing ranks again to protect themselves it stated that 3 serving mp,s were involved surely they must report this”
The establishment will close ranks (we’ve seen it happen often enough before) and will report it only as long as ordinary people like you and me keep the news out there
I beg everyone to spread news of this vile behaviour as much as you can.
not a nice christmas message I know but if we don’t act the story appears destined to be buried under the festivities
best to all with sincere condolences to the victime of the glasgow bin lorry tragedy
Ben
ben madigan
I share your abhorrence of this vile behaviour
One thing I notice is that they always try to paint these Paedophile rings as Historical, this to me at least makes me think that it is still going on.
Ben,
I don’t think that Exaro have any intention of letting go and the more people they get talking, the more that will feel safe to come forward.
@Alex Clark,
Thank you Alex. Do you know the name of the person you refer to ?
Kendo,
I was going to buy it quarterly but the only payment option is rolling DD and I don’t like DDs unless absolutely unavoidable. Why not accept direct payments?
I loved the online version and would like to have the print one.
@Mealer
You need to check your settings on your iPad
==> Settings
==> General
==> Acessability
==> Larger Text ON
When you load the iScot Magazine you can increase the page size as per normal.
looked at I-Scot
great articles–MSM won’t touch
liked the format über flip
brilliant quality photos on Apple retina display
is mag monthly?
I will subscribe,to this rather than the national
I subscribe to herald,sunday herald on-line , & buy the sun
I subscribed to iScot magazine a few days ago and got the magazine today, very quick. Had a quick skim through it, it looks very impressive and the quality of the photographs is magnificent. Well worth buying and supporting.
@ Lenny Hartley
This is exactly the question I asked in my post
I imagine that at present the establishment is busy working out how to hide/squirm out of these revelations
A scape goat may be offered to public opinion
Kendo,
Cheers! The bairns awa tae bed so won’t be able to alter settings til the morn.
Ken
Her name is Lesley, Ronnie Anderson knows the full name. Sorry,
Here is the Wings story about her, must admit it made me cry. So to see her the same day was great.
link to wingsoverscotland.com
Here’s the picture from PQ, Ronnie is the one giving her a cuddle lol.
link to i60.tinypic.com
@bookie from hell
Yes sir, the publication is planned for monthly digital and print release, around 14 days between the two.
@Harry Thank you sir.
You know the support of many wingers buying the friends of WoS badges on previous indiegogo fundraisers partially funded the start up of iScot. @ Alex, thank you, I’ve logged it for a future article.
I can be reached on ken@iscot.scot
@ Ken
She’s called Lindsay Jarrett
link to thebmc.co.uk
There’s a link to her blog in that article.
Hyvää Joulua, Good Yule, or Merry Christmas to all Wingers!
Here’s my X-mas pressie for you all.
link to youtube.com
It’s one of the best-loved Finnish Christmas carols.
Originally a poem (1887, in Swedish) by a first-wave “fennomaniac” Zachris Topelius (1818-1898), journalist, author and academic. He’s best known for his patriotic historical novels and poems – and his fairytales and school textbooks, with strong patriotic Finnish themes. Even the post-war generation (my parents’ generation) still read some of them in primary school, so you could say he’s been hugely influential!
In 1895, a certain Jean Sibelius set the poem to tune.
It was first translated into Finnish in 1909, and in 1986 it was incorporated in the revised hymn book of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran (“state”) church in a new Finnish translation. However, nobody sings the new translation because the older translation is familiar to everyone.
Here it’s performed by the Finnish a capella group Rajaton in the medieval Porvoo cathedral, I think sometime in the mid-2000s.
The song is called “En etsi valtaa, loistoa” after the first line. It translates “I seek no power nor glory”. There’s a strong religious theme but even as a non-religious person I don’t mind because there’s a strong message of equality as well. Freely translated, it goes something like this (Morag and other more musically talented Wingers will notice that you can’t sing this translation but this is what the Finnish words mean):
I seek no power nor glory, crave no gold,
I only ask for heavenly light and peace on Earth.
Grant a Christmas that brings happiness and lifts minds to God.
No power, no gold, just peace on Earth.
Grant me a peaceful cottage and a children’s Christmas tree,
The light of God’s word to enlighten my soul.
Bring into homes, even the humblest, the sweetest Christmas,
The light of God’s word, and noble minds.
To the poor as the rich, comes Christmas so sweet,
To the darkness of the world bringing heavenly light.
For you I crave, for you I wait, thou lord of heaven and Earth.
To the poor as the rich, bring your sweet Christmas.
Snif… Sorry, my eyes always well up a bit when I hear this.
Hyvää joulua, everyone!
PS. We’ve got snow, even here in southern Finland!
@ Lumilumi,
Merry Xmas to you and yours .Sounds as if it could be the hymn for the new Scotland we hope to create. Thank you
Nana Smith @8.47pm.
Nana i watched that clip you posted.I am trying to get my head around it.
Britain is acting in this way?.
That lady was close to tears. I have bookmarked that page and i will revisit it tomorrow.
If this is going on to that extent then never mind independence, THIS need seeing to. This has been going on for too long now, and covered up as well by all parties in Westminster.
What can we all do? which campaign groups can we help?.This MUST be pushed to the forefront,i am effin livid.
Please keep us posted.
to lumilumi @10.20
Lovely carol. I love Finlandia (the symphony)and the vodka. My favourite Finish town is Savonlinna, but have fond memories of Lahti and Mikkeli. I really appreciate your comments on WOS. I raised a glass of Koskenkorva to you and your nation on 6th Dec.
Kippis
No snow lumi-lumi, but we have you honey xx
@crazycat
Thanks for posting the correct name. Apologies to Lindsay for my error with your name. Memeory is not what it used to be 🙂
@lumilumi
Nice to see you back posting, you have been missed from those that liked your posts. I’m one.
Thepnr
Great pic- so many Wings champions in one picture! Slainte Alex – have a great Christmas when it comes mate.
i moved here nearly 30yrs ago.
i’ll perhaps one day tell you my story.
the place of scotland is amazing, as are the people of scotland, mostly.
you scots already have a very deep and unshakable knowledge of the human condition.
the social language of the scottish people is very healing and reaffirming, and very different than, ldn and the se, which is now a very alien place to me.
which is exactly the point, we NEED indyscot because we in scotland are now so very ‘distant’ from the seat of governance, WM.
we long ago reached, the divide, the fork in the road, where being part of the impunion is very detrimental to scotland, it’s people’s and way of life.
we here know this very well.
ps
solstice pressie for grouse beater and i haven’t read it as yet.
link to truthtrustconsent.com
@ Thepnr
Pure fluke I remembered that! I only posted it to help Ken find her.
Merry Christmas (and to everyone else of course).
@Crazycat @Thepnr Thank you for your mails, much appreciated.
Alex, you look very like yer phoatie as does young Ronald.
Tory money will make its way to them. LibDems may not have enough seats to help Lab or Tories form government and its looking like there is some form of tacit agreement that they’ll go to the country again rather than do any kind of a deal with the joint forces of Greens, Plaid Cymru and SNP. They’re going to gamble on Labour squeezing SNP and/or polarising the vote on a second attempt.
A voice in the wilderness.
New Labour turns to dross
Since the referendum I have not watched BBC TV or listened to BBC Radio apart from very occasionally in the car when I could not be bothered to retune. I have two internet radio’s which are nearly constantly tuned to Manx Radio.
I am reconsidering if this is a wise choice, Manx News at 2300 hours, who do they have being interviewed about the Glasgow Tragedy? Yes you guessed correctly Jim Murphy.
Think it will be Led Zep radio for me from now on, no news to get me annoyed….
@ cearc at 9:44 pms who says:
“I don’t think that Exaro have any intention of letting go and the more people they get talking, the more that will feel safe to come forward”.
Agree Exaro have no intention of letting go
The issue is not how many survivors come forward (because many have ) but in making sure investigations and inquiries go forward to ensure prosecutions
Rory Bremner has just (on BBC tv reprise of Referendum) described Wings Over Scotland as, “The Yes campaign’s propaganda arm.” And he wasn’t making a joke.
That’s how much Vote-No Rory did his homework.
What an arse.
@ben madigan
Exaro News are the ones to follow on the issue you mentioned.
Just noticed.
This is Wing’s 3,000th post. Look at the top right of the column.
Congratulations to Stuart. May the 6,000th be posted in an independent Scotland
@cearc
please email me at ken(at)iscot(dot)scot and I’ll resolve it for you
OK! It’s not!! There seem to be a lot of 3,000th posts.
Anyway it’s an awfy lot!
Nana Smith
thanks for posting that youtube clip, we empower ourselves with knowledge.
Now when you dial 999 they say “fire, police, ambulance or Jim Murphy’s PR department?” The latter has a response time of under 5 minutes.
Fred Blogger @ 11.32pm. Fred i agree,but what can we do with the knowledge?, (Frustrated)
Anyone see this?
link to edinburghnews.scotsman.com
Community Councillors decide to replace Saltire with Union Jack for the centenary of John Muir’s death.
What a bunch of clowns – When was John Muir seen as anything other than a famous Scottish American?
Do they really represent what the local community wants?
link to dunbarcommunitycouncil.org.uk
Community councillors made the decision to keep in line with “the United Kingdom parliament protocol” for special occasions.
Just wanted to say for those that may have followed my link earlier to the Lindsay Jarrett story and couldn’t fathom why I may have cried.
Try this link to the first page of comments, maybe read some.
link to wingsoverscotland.com
@fred blogger
many thanks for the link a couple of threads back to the Ken Loach film “Days of Hope”. Just finished watching it tonight and it is a brilliant insight into the history of the Labour movement (and duplicity of the Labour Party and TUC). Very relevant to today. Just reminds me of how good the BBC once was (1975) before John (now Lord) Birt modernised it.
Worth watching, not Christmassy!
I will try again.Fred Blogger@11.32pm.
Fred, but what do we do with the Knowledge??
Must get my eyes re-tested, read the headline as, God Loves an Opportunist.
Smithie
i was hoping to avoid answering that question.
imo we see how toxic the impunion is.
acknowledge our feeling of frustration is real, not caused by us/one, but done to us/one, as it always is, and therefore as always in truth.
no one feels frust without cause.
our frust is 1st being in the act of discovery of cause and remedy, it has a solution always, even if the actual solution is frustrating unavailable to us/one atm.
note that it is and rest the feeling in the back of one’s mind and edge forward to make solution a reality.
(then we be frustrated), and work out from that place of frust why we are and then how to change our world and then the world.
A women was trolling the people who lost their daughter in Portugal. She possibly had mental health issues. When the Press exposed her she committed suicide. She could have received specialist help.
Some people with mental health issues do not conform to the ‘norm’ in society. They are unable to socialise and cannot appreciate normal boundaries because they do not understand ‘normal behaviour’. They are born that way. They often become becom isolated, because they do not understand how to interact socially, although they want social contact. They do not get the help they need, but have use of the Internet, and can behave unacceptably, without meaning to cause offence. They do not understand offence, but like to get noticed, because they have very little social contact.
They often end up in jail.
Kiitos, lumilumi.
@Author_al
Such hate sites enforce prejudice, they demean and demonise. If I were to say such stuff face to face I would be up for hate crime, or get my face punched in. The poster spouts bile, hiding behind a computer. By your logic If leaving things be when gross misinformation is spread was the right way then surely YES would have won the Referendum. I will happily continue to report hate when directed my way. Don’t worry, FB won’t do thing about it.
Actually, there is a small difference between hate sites and sites that espouse misinformation. Hate sites are just bile filled hellholes, but when you show people what britnats really think of Scots, it does wonders for conversion.
@ muttley79 at 11:25 pm
Totally agree. Exaro has done incredible work and long may it continue.
I cited many of their reports on my post and encourage everyone to read the site regularly and share it with friends and acquaintances.
I hope people will be aware of the issue (because it’s so horrifyingly vile and depraved ) and of the fact that the establishment will do everything in its power to bury it (because it rocks its very foundations).
@Ken500
I have been reading your posts for the last two years. You can go of in all directions and I didn’t get it.
Maybe now I do, forgive my ignorance.
Capella
glad you enjoyed it, a great juxtapose.
Community Councillors decide to replace Saltire with Union Jack for the centenary of John Muir’s death.
Oh gawd. Still fearful, still craven.
Have a restful festive break, friends, for the time you have to rest – best achieved by avoiding relatives.
🙂
Fred Blogger @12.08. Thank you sir for your reply.
To be honest i don’t think i am clever enough to understand your meaning, however this is something that i feel strongly about. This may or not be the forum to pursue this subject, but i cannot let go of this.If anyone has any thoughts on this then please say so and point me in the right direction,Thanks,Jim.
Smithie
perhaps gather insights from the work of kids company link to kidsco.org.uk, dr alice miller, dr bob johnson, dr dot rowe, robert whitaker et al.
to find out why these people act so appallingly towards children, and parent’s.
Hi Ken 500
I appreciate that what you are saying about people with mental health issues is perfectly valid; I am very familiar with autistic spectrum issues, etc, and the vulnerability of such people. Believe me, it breaks my heart that the vast majority of people on the autistic spectrum will never have a job in their lives. And I don’t know if you remember a while back that I quoted at length an article in the Guardian about a man with Asperger’s Syndrome who starved to death because he was declared fit to work and his benefits were almost completely removed. This is a subject very close to my heart, so I am sympathetic to your stance on this.
What annoyed me, however, was the idea that the facebook page in question was simply satire and that people who didn’t get it had no sense of humour, which is what you appeared to say in your first post on the issue. Maybe you didn’t mean it to come across like that, but that is how it appeared to me.
Anyway, I don’t want to fall out with you on this, so no hard feelings. 🙂
Fred Blogger@12.59am.
Fred i am at a loss as to why this subject does not create a bigger outrage?/controversy.This subject alone could bring down the UK.Why is it swept under the table?
Nana Smith,
Thank you for posting that link. I fear that the Named Person in Scotland will add more false flags and referrals to social service. http://no2np.org
Social services need to be supported and watched very carefully at the same time. Take that on board as an operational imperative.
Get a big bit of paper with EXPENSES written at the top. On it, write a number from one to nine, prefix it with a pound sign and add a random number of zeroes, e.g. ‘3’ can become £3,000,000.
Here endeth the socialist lecture from Jim Murphy. What’s not to like about that?
@cynicalHighlander 11:08pm
Thanks for that link – excellent article.
Jimmur Phymp
“Now when you dial 999 they say “fire, police, ambulance or Jim Murphy’s PR department?” The latter has a response time of under 5 minutes.”
Ha ha ha
dont you move,
stay right there
The Northern Irish Stormont executive has been given a £2 billion Christmas present.
And the ability to set their own cooperation tax.
This will mean an influx of ‘international ‘head offices’ For N.I. no doubt a massive boost to the economy.
A good handshake for the OO in the wake of all the pro union activity around referendum issues.
I hope this new cash gets shared evenly amongst ALL the communities there.
I watched the Scottish Bafta Award speech of Tommy Gormley on youtube.
Northern Ireland has had a major push with film studio production facilities.
Cardiff has had its major public funding push too.
Scotland gets proposals. Recommendations. Yet to be confirmed.
Labour leader is requesting some solidarity from wings. ‘LET’S PUSH THIS OVER THE LINE ‘
I posted a very similar comment on this forum in September 2014. Ed and I had reasons to differ back then.
Nothing has changed.
The sense of humour of some people who do not fit the ‘norm’ can be very different. The definition of satire can vary. If a person who doesn’t hold conventional values or a conventional value system of what is the ‘norn’. They can make comment which is hurtful and unacceptable to others. To be inclusive that had to to be understood, The scale can vary. People on the spectrum are one in ten of the population of varying degrees. To be inclusive that has to be considered. To totally condemn people who do not fit the ‘norm’ can cause as much damage by being too judgemental. Often when excessive trolls are exposed for making comments which give outrageous offence,they are people with mental health issues who in reality would not hurt anybody but have need of special help, but can alternately end up in prison because of the outrage. Some homeless people can fall into that category, they end up in prison where it could be considered they are warm, fed and safe but if intervention was given earlier they could address their problems and not end up in prison, which is more costly and alternately upsetting.
The named person scheme happens now but without the named person, it is just an extension of what happens now. Various professionals can be envolved, teachers, doctors, police, social workers. The person who has the closest contact is just named to help vulnerable people. The system still stays as it is now, vulnerable people were always given consideration but some fell through the net. Naming someone is just an attempt to stop that happening by naming someone who is the first contact, if vulnerable people experience difficulties.
Social workers and professionals should have clear guide lines, but the majority do a difficult caring job. The guideline for professionals come from the government and a standard professional code. Naming someone who has the closest contact (and or knows the person) could stop abuse happening by professional agencies, before any action is brought forward, which could help rather than hinder the excesses of the State. The extreme comments were not on the facebook page at first, but it doesn’t change the fact that some people deal with extraordinary, distressing situations by satire. Humour relieves the stress. Or some people find it hard to maintain acceptable social participation because they can’t conform to the ‘norm’, They find it hard to understand what is the ‘norm’, so can’t conform.
The ‘outrage’ can cause mass hysteria, when it hasn’t be established whether people are just fundamentally bad, displaced or have issues which need to be understood. Non conformists push the barriers. E.g. without autistic people the world would not have developed. They are responsoble for all major (scientific) discovery.
Regret if offence was given, where no offence was due. Peace and goodwill to all men (and
women). Condolences to Glasgow, such an a major tragedy.
Hi Stuart,
Bloody cheek, I know it’s that time of year but this appeal really is turning a joke into a pantomime.
Auld Rock
Loyal NI get control of corporation tax in spring 2017 and have to show Westminster they’re financially viable. Its clearly as big a con as the Lord Smith farce and its probably never going to happen because look who’s the decider? as UKOK real world austerity can’t be BBC covered up, glossed over, lied about etc anymore.
With regard to Unionist politicians calls, ‘to come together’ to prevent food banks etc. They are having a laugh, causing great offence and bring very unChristian. They are responsible for the food banks and the attacks on vulnerable people. It is only by getting rid of Unionist politicians that food banks will go. Their policies caused the food banks and attacks on vulnerable people, by sanctioning people and taking the safety net away. Westminster awarded the wealthy and undeserving (them) and took away from the most vulnerable. They are hypocrites, with apocalypse approaching.
Very angry xmas f you from rancid Graun and someone called Ralf Behr says shut and be nice like the Scottish “shy unionists” wot won it. Wont be buying a UKOK newspaper again, or until after we are a nation state
“The referendum campaign was sometimes reported as a carnival of civic engagement bringing people to politics who had previously been excluded. A violent undercurrent was noted in reports of “cybernats” trying to impose digital mob rule. But there was also a third, under-reported constituency who felt duty-bound to vote but resented the nationalists for forcing a divisive question on to the agenda. Those shy unionists were instrumental in deciding the result, yet invisible in the online melee. When Better Together campaign strategists were testing opinion in focus groups of undecided voters, they found dismay at the way the campaign was damaging relationships with friends and family. This was often expressed as irritation at how social media had been polluted with propaganda. “I want my Facebook back,” was a common refrain.”
Shy unionists? lol. you couldn’t move for raging red tories like Murphy or Bird or Press and Journal letters page stuffed with enraged tory britnats, cringers, proud Scots buts across the whole teamGB media. History written by winners.
I wish you all an enjoyable ,peaceful and happy Christmas.
I hope all those who have lost loved ones find some comfort, though this time of year somehow highlights personal tragedy.
Let’s hope that 2015 is the beginning of a new era for Scotland and all her people – with a few easily spotted exceptions.
Bob Peston of BBC R4 explains how teamGB economy news for last 4 years has actually been a giant fraud, another teamGB con, its the idiots at the OBR y’see, says the idiots at the Treasury y’see. A scarier Whitehall clown show, you couldn’t invent. Treasury liggers rewarding themselves prices for attacking Scottish democracy last week with all the Scottish economy is dead if you vote Yes stuff that the OBR gave them, now say the OBR are useless, shock!
At least you’re alright jack so Merry Xmas proud Scot buts.
Balls as Chancellor, for economic history to repeat itself. No way. Make Labour/Unionists history in Scotland, is the way ahead.
@ Thepnr
Thanks for the link, didn’t realise Tony was feeling the pinch as well.
Nobody is immune from austerity it seems.
A happy Christmas to all Wingers, Stu & all your families.
Thank you all for your company, insights, vast store of knowledge & especially your humour. You are all stars of the Cybernat world & I’m so glad I found this site.
I hope 2015 will be kinder to you than 2014 was.
O/T
Scottish Government meets Riverdance-a bit of seasonal fun to put a smile on your faces 🙂
link to youtube.com
A Merry Christmas to all Wingers. All the very best folks.
Thoughts go out to those who have suffered loss in the George Sq. tragedy.
A happy Christmas and a good New Year to all Wingers, indeed to all supporters of Scottish independence. I believe that independence for Scotland is now inevitable, and hope that we can get there sooner rather than later.
Anent the John Muir Trust & the Butcher’s Apron. The environmental lairds incl’ the JMT are obviously uneasy with the governments proposals to break up large landholdings.
In many areas of the Highlands the southern-funded wildlife mafia have replaced traditional sporting estates and not always to the benefit of the locals.
Overmighty subjects are never a good idea, Scotland should be for the people and a bit of wing-clipping of these agencies is badly needed.
Read “Isles of the West” by Ian Mitchell.
O/T
Guardian having a go at RT now. Keeping up their inaccurate, partial standards. Whatever next!
link to rt.com
Rory Bremner got paid big bucks from the BBC for programmes about the Referendum. (including some YES people). Bremner and the BBC/Unionists all it together for financial advantage.
As we’ve passed the shortest day let’s go all out to make it a ‘Scottish Spring’ on the 7th May 2015.
Auld Rock
Ken500 @7.26am
O/T
Interesting to see the subject of Autism Spectrum pop up. It is much misunderstood and now with social media can actually cause problems, because as you say Ken, some Asd people have communication problems and can say totally inappropriate things which can even be hurtful or anti social. The spectrum is as wide and varied, just as the people who fit the norm are wide and varied.
Regards the named person I presume this is about GIRFEC. Different to having a named person when being treated under the Mental Health (Scotland) act, which has just been reviewed. I think the jury is out on girfec, but, parents should ultimately be named person, unless there is good solid reason for them not to be.
Lollymum, the link to Riverdance vid is not showing, can you post again?
Ken500
there is NO specialist help, the UK govt (lab and tory) has done it’s very best to crush it’s existence.
it’s all behaviourism now, ie blame the victim.
see this quaker psychiatrists life time struggle to get his and his wife sue’s healing work acknowledged by the state. link to truthtrustconsent.com
Smithe
i’d wager that the scots are among the most politically turned on people on the planet.
yes, we are @ a frustrating point in our history right now but truth will prevail.
also our passion and need for indyscot is because we are sickened by abuse and social inequality.
imo the best way forward is to focus on and get as many pro indy mp’s elected as possible.
O/T
Sorry-revised address for Scottish Govt Meets Riverdance
link to youtube.com
Macart, Merry Christmas to you as well, and to all Wingers. Relax, refresh and clear the head, May beckons ad we will need all our strength.
Commiserations to those affected by the terrible accident in George Square what anyone says cannot help much, but thoughts have to be with them.
@ heedtracker, Re: Your username.
@ 8.01am it appears as “heedtacker”
@ 8.19am it appears as “heedtracker”
Just a wee strange observation.
😉
Dear Stu, Chris (Cairns) & aeb’dy,
without you, unvanquished fellow-travellers, I could not have stayed sane, since the 19th. But that which does not kill us, makes us strong. A heart-tired, heart-felt thankyou. Independence is coming. We all know that. Some, like my friend who passed away this week, will not see it, in this world, but they passed the flame of hope and belief on to us and they know we will never give up, ‘the dream will never die’. Merry Christmas and here is to 2015 (and May…).
@Stoker, Just a wee strange observation.
😉 Both ridiculous. I work in AI and we were test tracking with infrared cameras, all rather a long time ago. New Years resolution, spell check Vote YES CiF’s!
I’m rather cheesed off to be still entrenched in this absurd UKOK reigns over Scotland regime that makes billionaire queen’s purr and looks like the end of the red tories in Scotland but we only have to win once.
Merry Christmas and massive thank you to Reverend Stuart Campbell and everyone on Wings Over Scotland, hope Santa’s good to you. All the very best for 2015
Capella
Thanks for RT link-I’ve posted a comment on it.
Hetty
sorry about Rivedance link-took it from Twitter not realising it would be different- I now know better 🙂
At almost 63, I’m still learning- dohhhh!
Hope you enjoyed it (eventually)
heedtracker, Re: Your username.
@ 8.01am it appears as “heedtacker”
@ 8.19am it appears as “heedtracker”
Macrame
Marconi
Macaroni
Macaroon
Mickey Rooney
🙂
O/T
Shettleston train station have introduced a ‘book trolly’ where people are being encouraged to bring along books in exchange for another, and it’s proving popular.
I’m thinking this could be ‘rolled out’ if people can cite this at their local train stations to encourage them to take up this idea? It could be a useful ‘tool’ in the dissemination of information leading up to GE.
The WBB could also be deposited at train stations for this purpose but also books like Mcwhirter’s ‘Disunited Kingdom’ that Stu’s article mentioned the other day and other related books that we all have.
Some cafe’s have this facility too, wherein you can take a book, bring it back after reading or replace with one of your own.
If we rolled this out across train stations, then people could drop off material as they journey about the country.
‘“The initiative has been welcomed by customers. And it is set to be followed up, with members of the local community in talks to ‘Adopt the Station’ and undertake gardening and even introduce artistic displays exploring Shettleston’s heritage.”’
There’s a contact number on the page, where enquiries can be made.
This is an article from 2010 but as far as I am aware it’s still up and running, actually I just phoned the number and in fact it’s very much up and running in its 4th year. John was very helpfull and has just informed me that Dumbartion Central also have this as well as a couple of others. He also said it’s been difficult to get media attention for this and therefore it’s not well known.
He said that it can’t be ‘rolled out’ as not all stations are ‘manned’ and not all are ideal and it’s better if it’s brought about from ‘grassroots’ up.
He went on to mention a scheme that is up and running in Weymss Bay and Pitlochry where a book can be bought for a £1 and then left at another station and is been run by volunteers.
He’s very open to discussing this with anyone, and very helpful.
But for the purposes that I am suggesting we just have to drop off our materials and utilise this in some way?
link to scotrail.co.uk
The people shitting themselves over that ‘offensive’ Facebook page are idiots.
That is all.
@ smithie
Here are a few links for you. I too am at a loss as to how this outrage is allowed to continue. Also John Hemming mp is pushing for answers.
link to forced-adoption.com
link to theduckshoot.com
link to greens-efa.eu
link to youtube.com
link to youtube.com
link to youtube.com
Murph wants £1million to stop the SNP..put another way he wants OUR wee country to stay in the state its in..people using food banks..on unliveable wages..children in poverty..old people deciding whether to eat or heat, and he wants money to keep it like that..words feckin fail me..anyone who donates to this moron and his actions are as guilty as he is…xxx
Ken500 wrote, “Good social/employment Laws come from the EU, making Trade Unions redundant …” Extraordinary! We can therefore rely on the EU to save us from unemployment, wage cuts, and public spending cuts. According to Ken500, we don’t even need an SNP government – the EU will do it all for us! How supine can you get? And this is from a supporter, presumably, of Scottish independence – looks just like dependence – on the EU.
Will Podmore
all i see in your post is tacit contradiction, although you obviously don’t.
Plodmore: looks just like dependence – on the EU.
Another leap of logic from Plodmore.
He’s the kind of man who lives in reasonable harmony with his next door neighbour, and within the law and council regulations, and though he’s borrowed his neighbour’s lawnmower a few times, a tool or two, and accepted a lift into town now and then, he’d never claim he was dependent on his neighbour.
But he sure as hell relies on his neighbour following the same path and comming to his aid if his house was burgled.
God save us from fools.
The EU members contribute to the EU. Scottish taxes have been secretly taken and misused. All EU countries agree a contribution. The UK contributes less (pro rata) than any other EU state. Germany (80 million pop) Contributes, 25Billion Euros, France (70 million pop)/Italy 20Billion Euros, Spain (pop 47million) contibutes ?. The UK (62million pop) contributes 15Billion Euros. (with a rebate). Total EU population 500million, The larger richer countries contribute more and the small poorer countries receive Grants etc to stop poverty. The EU was set up after the war to trade and stop poverty in Europe. People in Europe were starving after the 11WW.The Marshall Plan included airlifting food into Europe. 26million Russians died (out of a population of 150million).
The UK contribution £12Billion receives £6Billion back in CAP payments. Saves £Billions? In Defence shared Defence costs and receives £Billions? In Grants.
The UK Treasury receives all of Scotland tax revenue and gives less back.until the SNP gained power in Holyrood there were no accounts to show how much Scotland raised, as the UK Gov kept the information secret and claimed not to be able to produce separate accounts. Since 1928 Westminster has secretly taken more out of Scotland than Scotland received. Check out Wings.
Thatcher secretly took all the Oil revenues and savagely cut the Scottish Budget, taking the equivalent of £Billion, and claimed Scotland was subsidised. Her Minister Laing and Forsyth colluded in the cover up, The Gov papers were released a few months ago after being kept secret for 30 years, With her handwriting, ‘this must be kept secret’. One of her Ministers resigned because she cancelled a pipeline wasting the equivalent of £Billions of Gas. It was burnt off.
Labour/Unionists did the same, The McCrone Report was kept secret for thirty years and Brown and Blair spent the Oil revenues on illegal wars/Trident, tax evasion and bankers fraud. (Pozzi property schemes based in London & the Midlands) and told Scotland it was subsidised. The EU is more open than the Westminster Gov. It was only when a SNP Gov was elected that the Accounts were published on the Scottish Gov website and it was all open to see how Westminster has lied and lied again. Scotland raises more and spends less, than the rest of the UK. Scotland raised £53Billion+, with more taxes raised in Scotland going through London HQ’s. The rest of the UK raises £437 and borrows and spends more.
Westminster policies have depopulated Scotland Unemployment was always higher. People had to emigrate to get a job. That is why there are so many people of Scottish heritage world wide. In America, Australia, NZ, Canada etc. There is a 40 Million Scottish diaspora. Westminster Politicans and the Gov of the BoE believed unemployment in the North was a price worth paying for jobs and prosperity in London S/E. Scotland is outvoted 10 to 1 at Westminster. No taxation without representation. Democracy only came to Scotland in 2000 with the Scottish Parliament and is not complete until Scotland has full fiscal autonomy/Independence, and manages it’s own affairs. People in Scotland know what’s best for Scotland and can manage their own affairs..
How are Trade Unions going to stop people from unemployment, wage cuts and Public spending cuts when the Trade Unions fund the political Party which caused illegal wars, supports Trident, tax evasion, banking deregulation and fraud. Creating £Billions of debt. Put up student fees and introduced the ‘room tax’ and sanctions against the vulnerable. Blair/Brown should be put in jail, if there was any justice.
If you are going to defend the EU at least give us the facts, rather than a muddle of missing figures and question marks – “France (70 million pop)/Italy 20Billion Euros, Spain (pop 47million) contibutes ?.” “Saves £Billions? In Defence shared Defence costs and receives £Billions? In Grants” “taking the equivalent of £Billion”
Not very convincing Ken.
And of course I agree that Thatcher was a disaster for Scotland, as she was for all of Britain, except for the finance capitalists she represented. And of course I agree that Labour continued her policies. As does the SNP.
You then denigrate our trade unions, note the word unions, which unite our class and which we have to make do their job, of fighting for wages, for full employment, against the employing class, against the EU (Employers’ Union).
Looking for salvation from outside is a counsel of despair. Only the unity of our class can free us from capitalism’s waste and wars.