Salmond pointed out. That it took from 2011 to 2014 to get a referendum, and he started on day one.
He pointed out that Cameron’s position on a section 30, was not what it was in 2011. Salmond pushed Cameron into a concession, with a very clever strategy. Many believe they just agreed at the outset because the SNP won the election.
If Nicola was serious. She would start all the negotiations now, in readiness for the end of the pandemic. If she plans to wait and wait. Then forget indy ref 2 in this parliament.
Which is why we are all confident that there won’t be a referendum. She demonstrates this every day she delays.
John Main
3 years ago
@Stuart MacKay – 17 May, 2021 at 4:52 pm
‘Apparently so many people are rushing to affirm the “too wee, too poor, too stupid” mantra.’
Tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands, of so-called Scottish Independence supporters just went out and voted SNP1 SNP2. By doing so, they denied the pro-Indy super-majority in Hollyrood that was there for the taking if they could have been arsed to understand the system and how to make their votes count.
There’s your “too stupid” right there.
If you want my advice, you will add a new term to the mantra.
Too lazy.
Bartleby64
3 years ago
Pixywine, yes I am well aware that there is an enormous number of coronaviruses. This is a novel coronavirus, it is a new form, there’s nothing odd about that. 20% of common colds are caused by coronaviruses and there are altogether 7 types which infect humans. Why do you find it so hard to believe in the existence of the current one?
No, you are nothing like me.
Tannadice Boy
3 years ago
@Big Jock 6:30pm
We have a similar profile. I am absolutely hoping Stu’s works get archived in the National Library of Scotland. Why?. Because his claims about Sturgeon will be proven to be true. His assertions will be frozen in suspension for now. After time pillow talk, the new movie, the new book etc will release new material for the revisionist historians to have a field day. Absolutely confident it will come out in the wash. Academics don’t you just love them?. Probably not but they will get to the truth eventually. I can’t tell when that will be but Sturgeon should forget about her legacy of a foundation in her name. It will be built on match sticks.
Brian Doonthetoon
3 years ago
We’re gonna have a cartoon a week until November. Mostly, they will be supplied by Chris Cairns. I guess Stella or Rev Stu himself will fill in as golfing holiday relief. Stella would be my choice, as I don’t believe Rev Stu really sees himself as a practising cartoonist. Well, he does practice but hasn’t quite mastered the art.
Is every new page gonna turn into this example? Where the actual subject of the cartoon – Hamish (Scotland) and his backup, standing against Westminster imposed idealogical policies – is suppressed, in a rush to prove that one particular theory about coronavirus is more believable than another?
And it’s only Tuesday. Another three and a bit days until we get a fresh page to comment on.
““A world of conspiracy theories, hatred and paranoia. This is a brand of nationalism that seeks to peddle falsehoods and unfounded allegations against anyone who isn’t a believer. It is nasty, sewage politics that debases public life. And yet the Wings Over Scotland [sic] is cited as an authoritative source by some leading SNP figures who really should know better.”
– Murray Foote (Daily Record)”
Oh, THAT Murray Foote!
James Che.
3 years ago
Does any one know the deaths from influenza for England and Wales 2018/2019?
Does anyone know the total winter mortality deaths for England and Wales 2018/2019.
Does anyone know if the mortality deaths for covid have been counted separately from flu deaths in England and Wales for 2019/ /2020 as I can’t find that particular years statistics?
Have they ceased counting flu or other winter mortality deaths when covid started?
Alf Baird
3 years ago
Ruby says:
“Do you think we could compare ourselves to Native Americans &
Indigenous Australians who both have very high rates & drug & alcohol addiction?
Do you think being colonised is the root cause?”
The short answer is yes. Sir Harry Burns, former Chief Medical Officer, considered Scotland’s poor health statistics to be very similar to other aborigine peoples who have become ‘dislocated from their culture’ mainly as a result of colonialism. Aso related to colonialism, Professor Michael Hechter found Scotland’s structural inequalities were due in part to an imposed ethnic/cultural division of labour. This it was argued is a consequence of colonialism which results in under-development of a people and their culture, which is also a result of cultural and linguistic imperialism and the imposition and domination of an elite cultural hegemony which does not reflect the indigenous culture, language or values, leading to discrimination becoming institutionalised and oppression internalised, and hence fewer socio-economic opportunities for the indigenous people.
Very interesting Alf, but I think it’s more to do with booze,fags, greasy fish /chips, kebab and burger shops, lack of exercise etc etc.
Cultural and linguistic imperialism? No’ really!
Ruby
3 years ago
Alf Baird says:
18 May, 2021 at 7:44 pm
The short answer is yes.
Reply
Thank you Alf that is very interesting.
Ruby
3 years ago
akenaton says:
18 May, 2021 at 8:17 pm
Very interesting Alf, but I think it’s more to do with booze,fags, greasy fish /chips, kebab and burger shops, lack of exercise etc etc.
Reply
None of the above leads to drug or alcohol addiction.
Brian Doonthetoon
3 years ago
So, (I hate starting sentences with “So”)
How many of the commenters on this page are gonna be at Holyrood on Saturday, to demonstrate our desire for INDEPENDENCE?
The Alex Salmond debacle provided evidence of serious shortcomings in the SNP government led by Nicolas Sturgeon and there are growing concerns her government has become distracted by the pursuit of controversial political doctrine with result that it has lost its way in the efficient provision of Health, Education, policing and local government.
Worryingly boundaries between politicians, the Scottish Government, the Scottish civil service and the Law are being compromised, placing the health and well being of the people of Scotland increasingly at risk of political and social disorder due to the imposition of draconian laws and policies changing the accepted norms of society without consultation or approval of the electorate.
Tannadice Boy
3 years ago
@Alf Baird 7:54pm
Now that maybe interesting reading Alf or at least the precis is promising. I would prefer this literature to Fanon.
Dave Somerville
3 years ago
Any Indy Rally will be hijacked by the Sturgeon lot, taking full credit for it and she will tell the world that Boris Johnson is a very bad man for not allowing Scotland it’s rightful Independence Referendum.
She will be full of faux outrage.
Rinse and Repeat.
I am not given Sturgeon the chance to claim any credit off the back of me marching up and down an Edinburgh street.
Get an Referendum date wrote down in black and white Nicola.
Then I might consider getting back on the Campaign Trail.
drookit
3 years ago
Brian Doonthetoon says:
18 May, 2021 at 8:29 pm
So, (I hate starting sentences with “So”)
How many of the commenters on this page are gonna be at Holyrood on Saturday, to demonstrate our desire for INDEPENDENCE?
answer. no-one. AUOB have said games a bogey, as they don’t want folk travelling through from the level 3 area of Glasgow.
“We’re gonna have a cartoon a week until November. Mostly, they will be supplied by Chris Cairns. I guess Stella or Rev Stu himself will fill in as golfing holiday relief. Stella would be my choice, as I don’t believe Rev Stu really sees himself as a practising cartoonist. Well, he does practice but hasn’t quite mastered the art.”
Pfft! That’s an outrageous, insulting, derogatory, hurtful, and quite possibly verging on hate speech comment!
I thought Stu’s previous work was a stunning modern day manifestation of the Lowryesque genre. 🙂
I didn’t hear all of her acceptance speech today but I did hear the bit where she said that for as long as the pandemic exists she will direct all her efforts to steering the country through that safely.
Did she mention Independence?
After all, she could have said that she will begin preparations for an Indy ref later this summer if the virus figures are got under control or some similar throw away remark just to give the lumpin proles some hope.
Still, she promises to make this the best country ‘to grow up in’.
Pity for those of us who have already grown up.
has Judge Dorian got him in chains yet or is the judge waiting on orders from She/Her on what to do next.
Dan
3 years ago
Meg merrilees says: at 9:21 pm
“Still, she promises to make this the best country ‘to grow up in’.
Pity for those of us who have already grown up.”
Maybe all Scots should just start necking those puberty blockers and we can stall time till we all, as a nation, are ready to grow up and take full responsibility for governing ourselves…
Brian Doonthetoon says:
I don’t believe Rev Stu really sees himself as a practising cartoonist. Well, he does practice but hasn’t quite mastered the art.
Reply
Oh I don’t know about.
I see no reason why his work couldn’t be eligible for the Turner Prize. I thought it was a very memorable piece of work with a very profound message.
I thought it was a very memorable piece of work.
PS The language in the you tube video that you didn’t know if it was Italian or Spanish was Portuguese.
Tannadice Boy
3 years ago
@Briandoonthedoon 7:35pm
I have met you and will testify to your Independence credentials. Myself I prefer a stall on the street to persuade people. I have marched up and down Carlton Hill and it never made any difference. The one thing Sturgeon has got right. It’s counter productive. I wish you well in Dundee. We have already left Dundee. My wife is delighted I am not. Moved further south for the time being but still in Scotland for family reasons. Soon to leave after something happens. I wish you well. Keep the good fight up in Dundee.
Captain Yossarian
3 years ago
I noticed that John Swinney was bagged earlier today. Sounded to me like Sturgeon wanted rid of him as quickly as possible. The forensic MSP from Dumbarton was less than complimentary about Swinney’s achievements to date, imploring him to try much harder next time. Minister for Covid Recovery cannot be that complex, can it?
He just needs to be joined by that other vainglorious fool James Wolffe and we will at last be getting somewhere.
Ruby
3 years ago
PaulaJ says:
18 May, 2021 at 4:37 pm
Ruby says:
“Do you think we could compare ourselves to Native Americans &
Indigenous Australians who both have very high rates & drug & alcohol addiction?
Do you think being colonised is the root cause?”
I honestly don’t know, Ruby, but I can’t remember ever talking to anyone who suggested that was the cause. Sad, if true.
Reply
Neither have I.
It was just something I thought might be a possibility.
Jockanese Wind Talker
3 years ago
“I don’t believe Rev Stu really sees himself as a practising cartoonist. Well, he does practice” @ Dan says at 9:21pm
I think his male anatomy drawing on his spoilt ballot paper was one of his finer postmodernist pieces!
😉
Tannadice Boy
3 years ago
@Captain Yossarian 10:09pm
I could have bagged Swinney in 2015 but didn’t. And suspect many others could have. Wheest for Indy and all that. It’s over. The cause is lost. I would ask you to consider the fate of the undying faithful. It’s not hit them yet. As the recent elections have confirmed. The one thing I want you to do, as you are a Unionist, is to promote the archiving of these articles into the NLS. If you are fair you would want that. History will be kind to Stu. And archiving will be untouchable in the years ahead. Don’t be frightened of the truth however unpalatable that proves to be.
Don
3 years ago
Ruby says:
18 May, 2021 at 10:30 pm
PaulaJ says:
“Do you think we could compare ourselves to Native Americans &
Indigenous Australians who both have very high rates & drug & alcohol addiction?
Do you think being colonised is the root cause?”
What the Hell is wrong with you brains ? Scotland has nevee ever been a colony , Scotland chose to join the bigfer UK by its own choice , Get off you knees for Gods sake and stop the fake whining.Scotland CHOSE to jin the UK to get access to Englands trade routes after nearly being Bankcrupted by the Darien Scheme Cock up, learn soem effing History instead of making up your own fantasties.
Don
3 years ago
Ruby says:
18 May, 2021 at 10:30 pm
PaulaJ says:
“Do you think we could compare ourselves to Native Americans &
Indigenous Australians who both have very high rates & drug & alcohol addiction?
Do you think being colonised is the root cause?”
What the Hell is wrong with your brains ? Scotland has nevee ever been a colony , Scotland chose to join the bigfer UK by its own choice , Get off you knees for Gods sake and stop the fake whining.Scotland CHOSE to jin the UK to get access to Englands trade routes after nearly being Bankcrupted by the Darien Scheme Cock up, learn soem effing History instead of making up your own fantasties.
Don
3 years ago
@James Che. 18 May, 2021 at 7:37 pm
“Does any one know the deaths from influenza for England and Wales 2018/2019?
Does anyone know the total winter mortality deaths for England and Wales 2018/2019.
Does anyone know if the mortality deaths for covid have been counted separately from flu deaths in England and Wales for 2019/ /2020 as I can’t find that particular years statistics?
Have they ceased counting flu or other winter mortality deaths when covid started?”
I’m sure you will have worked out WHY Flu Deaths are down ? Social diostancing, working from Home , Extra Free Flu Jabs down to age 50, Hand sanatising, Lockdowns etc ect ect
Graham
3 years ago
Ruby, for what it’s worth, I have suggested that is the case. Not just on specific things like alcohol but also generally on the collective psyche and attitudes. I’ve lived in two former colonies and have ties with a third, and it was the North American Indians who made me realize what is going on in Scotland. They unintentionally made me see myself and thereby my kin in their own context. The Scots are miserable and if you grew up being treated as if your people are inferior it’s not hard to see why, and seeing similar outcomes, attitudes and behaviours in other much more obviously and visibly subjugated people drew some incredible similarities for me. They’d scoff and ridicule me for saying it, but yes, they are suffering in a similar way to indigenous people. It’s not just drugs, it’s everything. Even how we treat each other. I also notice the other side, the ‘settler’ side, the guilty consciences, insecurity and brutal attitudes that are common across the globe.
Graham
3 years ago
See what I mean? Furious denial.
McDuff
3 years ago
Ruby
Scotland DIDNT’t choose to join the UK, ordinary people did not have a vote. It was a handful of Aristos who saw the chance to make money for themselves by joining England and they received payment for doing so. In fact the people rioted all over Scotland in protest with troops brought into Edinburgh and elsewhere.
I`m sorry but your ignorance of this important fact of Scottish history and the Union is quite staggering.
I don’t know or what you are but to suggest Scotland has not been treated as a colony suggest you must be a raving Unionist.
James
3 years ago
‘Yossarian’ (colonel) “The forensic MSP from Dumbarton…”
COMEDY GOLD!
Alf Baird
3 years ago
Graham @ 11:15 pm
“Ruby, for what it’s worth, I have suggested that is the case. Not just on specific things like alcohol but also generally on the collective psyche and attitudes.”
This is the case, Graham. On the matter of ‘national psyche’, Dr. David Purves notes the following in his book ‘A Scots Grammar’:
“Since the Treaty of Union in 1707, generations of Scots have had to come to terms with a situation in which they were taught English at school, and where the way of speech natural to them was officially regarded as wrong by definition, or as a dialect unworthy of use as a serious medium of communication. The dilemma involved introduced a schizoid element into the national psyche, for with many people, the ‘true self’ associated with the complex of feelings and attitudes acquired at home in childhood had to be denied in the interests of material advancement, in favour of a false persona.”
There is nothing natural about cultural and linguistic imperialism, or colonialism, all of which leaves a messed up people in its wake.
Saffron Robe
3 years ago
It is worth noting that the Celts are the indigenous people of these isles. The Anglo-Saxons are not.
crazycat
3 years ago
@ McDuff at 11.32
It is not Ruby who is saying that Scotland chose to “join the UK”.
It is Don at 11.03, referencing an earlier post by Ruby.
Don doesn’t know
a) how to use blockquote
b) that the UK did not exist prior to 1707, and therefore Scotland did not “join” it, but participated in creating it
c) that, as you point out, it was only the elite who made the decision (and only they who risked bankruptcy).
It is therefore Don who should take his own advice and “learn soem effing History” (sic), and whom you might wish to address when you say
I`m sorry but your ignorance of this important fact of Scottish history and the Union is quite staggering.
I don’t know or what you are but to suggest Scotland has not been treated as a colony suggest you must be a raving Unionist.
LeggyPeggy
3 years ago
I see that Rhiannon Spear has become the Women’s Convener on the Snp NEC again , do any Snp members know if there was a vote taken by the membership on her election or was she just *put* into the position by Mr & Mrs Murrell . That’s another blow for women’s rights with her back in the post .
I wonder who’ll now be *put* into the the vacant post of equalities Convener although we’ve all got a good idea who that’ll be ?.
Captain Yossarian
3 years ago
Tannadice Boy says:
18 May, 2021 at 10:40 pm
‘History will be kind to Stu’ – It’s a great shame these events weren’t taking place 3 or 4 months ago. All the information was there and someone just had to step forward with it. It makes you wonder if Holyrood will ever be any good, doesn’t it. They lack the confidence and the gumption to do anything which could be seen as controversial and the complexities of independence seem to me to be utterly beyond them all.
Wherever you end-up in the world, there will be no need to miss your football. I used to listen to ‘Off the Ball’ every Saturday in Africa.
Ian Brotherhood
3 years ago
Asked via twitter if there would be any interest in a Friends of Wings social before the end of this year.
Healthy response, with the to-be-expected scattering of angry dismissals, but a lot has changed since we had the last one. Regardless of who’s to blame for the changed atmosphere, what’s the feeling here?
Fishy Wullie
3 years ago
Don says:
18 May, 2021 at 11:04 pm
What the Hell is wrong with your brains ? Scotland has nevee ever been a colony , Scotland chose to join the bigfer UK by its own choice
—————————————————————
Scotland did not join the UK, we entered into an enforced union with England that created the UK, the UK didn’t exist before then you f@cking idiot.
Your time would be much better spent educating yourself rather that wasting your time on here talking shite.
Alf Baird
3 years ago
Saffron Robe @ 1:12 am
“It is worth noting that the Celts are the indigenous people of these isles. The Anglo-Saxons are not.”
The Neolithic peoples in Scotland predate ‘Celts’ by a considerable length as did the Pictish tribes who were around pre and during the Roman period mostly along the east coast. The north and north-east of Scotland and northern isles were also heavily Norse influenced during the viking period, whilst from medieval times the more heavily populated eastern Scotland historically traded with the near continent and Baltic which influenced population and language development, particularly the development of the Scots language and culture, the latter giving us the basis of our national consciousness, in addition to Celtic influence.
Scotland has two indigenous languages efter aw – Scots and Gaelic – yet only one has been afforded statutory authority and support. As Billy Kay wrote, a consequence of this anti-Scots language prejudice and general misunderstanding, which is politically motivated, is that British “educationalists often refer to the ‘inarticulate Scot’ as if it were a hereditary disease, instead of shackling people to one language” (i.e. English), the latter no more than linguistic imperialism and therefore an attempt at linguicide, a common feature of colonialism, which is racism.
Stuart MacKay
3 years ago
Swinney becomes new COVID recovery cabinet secretary.
Ah well, that’s the day off to an interesting start.
Stuart MacKay
3 years ago
So the Succession of Sturgeon is underway. I wonder who is going to take over. I wonder….
Dorothy Devine
3 years ago
Don’s ‘effing history’ is pretty skewed.
Ian B, count me in – child minding duties allowing.
Daisy Walker
3 years ago
@ Iain Brotherhood re WOS Social
Not having been able to attend any in the past due to personal circumstances – I would very much like to attend one now.
Can I suggest holding it in the open, in a picnic type format.
Also, better get it in before Covid Lockdown 3 starts in August. Can we call that the Rangers strain of the virus do you think? Or would Orange Covid be a better name.
Brian Doonthetoon
3 years ago
Hi Ian B.
There’s an AUOB static rally at Bannockburn on 26th June. Maybe work around that for a get-together? The Holyrood rally has been cancelled.
Dorothy Devine
3 years ago
Daisy Walker , please don’t suggest a lockdown in August . I know it’s selfish but I have a very BIG birthday in August and I want my kids, sons in law and grandkids in attendance!
Perish the thought of a lockdown then.
Don
3 years ago
Daisy Walker 19 May, 2021 at 8:35 am.
“Also, better get it in before Covid Lockdown 3 starts in August. Can we call that the Rangers strain of the virus do you think? Or would Orange Covid be a better name”
Why not just call it “Kenmure Street” incident as that happened first and likely kicked off any growth in spread of the Virus in Glasgow again or does that not suit your own MO of invented conspiracy theories and “othering” ? Try to get a grip of reality. Why are you not condemning the protest at Holyrood this weekend coming if you think stopping the spread of the Virus is important or do you thinking its only Yoons that can do that ?
Captain Yossarian
3 years ago
Stuart MacKay says: I wrote-in a couple of weeks ago saying that the country I last worked in used to send its crooked parliamentarians to Malaz Jail. There used to be a hand-painted sign on the perimeter wall of Malaz which said ‘we don’t fire warning shots’.
On his first day there, his hair would be shaved-off and he would be de-loused. He would then be allocated a space on the concrete floor to sleep and would be handed a loose carpet which would be his only pocession while there.
I always thought Swinney had that haunted shaven-headed look of Malaz about him you know.
Don
3 years ago
@Stuart MacKay 19 May, 2021 at 8:29 am
“So the Succession of Sturgeon is underway. I wonder who is going to take over. I wonder….”
More than likely the bloke that paid £30K to frig all the polls to get the answers he wanted to fool the willingly gullible. As a political movement we have to be one of the most gullible nations on Earth. link to archive.is
Dave Somerville says:
18 May, 2021 at 8:54 pm
Any Indy Rally will be hijacked by the Sturgeon lot, taking full credit for it and she will tell the world that Boris Johnson is a very bad man for not allowing Scotland it’s rightful Independence Referendum.
She will be full of faux outrage.
Rinse and Repeat.
I am not given Sturgeon the chance to claim any credit off the back of me marching up and down an Edinburgh street.
Get an Referendum date wrote down in black and white Nicola.
Then I might consider getting back on the Campaign Trail.
Nice try, Dave.
You know fine well that Nicola Sturgeon has shunned indy marches for a long long time. She hasn’t been seen near them. With an increasing number of indy supporters now very angry with her, do you think she would be brave enough to face em now?
The people that march will be strong supporters of “Do Something Now!”, many will be activists,many will be ALBA supporters still seething at the way she treated Alex Salmond. So do you think Sturgeon, with her “Now is Not The Time!” stance, will turn up to face the angry mob? Aye right. We march for Scotland, not for Sturgeon. Just sayin. 🙂
Nicola Sturgeon is probably wishing the AUOB marchers would just go away. All the more reason to keep em going. 🙂
true scot
3 years ago
Sad how fast these comments become rudderless without fresh posts. Language and ‘scottish identity’ seem to be the prevailing themes – and 1707 this/that/whatever. Who cares? Someone once said that when meeting an Afghan villager, expect them to hold a grudge about wars and invasions from hundreds of years ago. That concept is familiar to anyone sadly browsing these comments.
What is lacking is the voice of business, the voice of economists. You will never convert anyone except the left behinds with this level of looking backwards and downwards.
Why don’t some of the long term supporters of independence on this site, who have been thinking about independence for many years – just start stating (loosely) quantifiable benefits of independence to the economy? There’s an absolute certainty that Scotland is being robbed in this union – lets start talking in solid terms about why that’s true?
Bear in mind 60% of trade (= the livelihoods of regular punters) relies on free movement of goods and people on this single land mass. But don’t forget that a lot of the tax take comes from that trade. You can’t just turn off the taps and still say the bath will fill up anyway – so the experts on these comments – tell the soft no’s how that bath will be filled?
Or how about I just check in tomorrow and find I’ve been called a yoon and everyone just keeps taking in the vague abstract about gaelic and what happened in the past.
If you don’t know how an independent scotland would work as an economy – then you’re in good company. Nobody currently does.
Out.
Stuart MacKay
3 years ago
Captain Yossarian, that doesn’t look like anything I wrote, unless of course there’s somebody else with the same name.
Dan
3 years ago
Jockanese Wind Talker says:
18 May, 2021 at 10:35 pm
“I think his male anatomy drawing on his spoilt ballot paper was one of his finer postmodernist pieces!”
#HateCrimeKlaxon
FFS JWT, this is Scotland 2021, and you should well know by now that it is also quite feasible for a woman with her female anatomy to sport a cock and baws.
Please kerb your misgendering, ignorance of the law is no excuse!
robbo
3 years ago
Don says:
19 May, 2021 at 8:49 am
Daisy Walker 19 May, 2021 at 8:35 am.
“Also, better get it in before Covid Lockdown 3 starts in August. Can we call that the Rangers strain of the virus do you think? Or would Orange Covid be a better name”
Why not just call it “Kenmure Street” incident as that happened first and likely kicked off any growth in spread of the Virus in Glasgow again or does that not suit your own MO of invented conspiracy theories and “othering” ? Try to get a grip of reality. Why are you not condemning the protest at Holyrood this weekend coming if you think stopping the spread of the Virus is important or do you thinking its only Yoons that can do that ?
—————–
Not very good with current affairs, are we Don? The planned march/gathering has been cancelled a few days ago.
No biscuit for you.
Captain Yossarian
3 years ago
Stuart MacKay – It’s about Swinney, Stuart. Covid is nearly over and so there’s no need for him stick around for too much longer.
Ian Brotherhood
3 years ago
@Dorthy Devine, Daisy walker, BDTT –
Thanks for feedback.
There’s a lot to think about.
The more I think about it, the less inclined I am to even suggest a gathering of the kind we used to have. Something open-air, perhaps piggy-backing bigger events? Aye, that sounds more viable.
But it’s not going to be the same. We just can’t extend the ‘come all ye’ type of welcome. Too much bad blood now. And I certainly wouldn’t want to spend the entire night at the door, watching out for familiar faces who, sadly, would no longer be welcome.
Don
3 years ago
@ Dorothy Devine 19 May, 2021 at 8:31 am
“Don’s ‘effing history’ is pretty skewed.”
Only as i’m a realist that can understand a bit of economics and the other things my own side tell me unlike many others here
There are also people here still think the last Indyref was rigged despite having that explained tp them many several times link to wingsoverscotland.com
Ottomanboi
3 years ago
Alf Baird 08:25
The anglicizing effects of the Protestant Reformation impeded the development of a synthesized or standard form of Scottis; as did the late arrival of printing. Most early books were printed in England where texts with Scottis orthography were often composited to suit English forms. English experienced the same with books printed in the Netherlands. The spelling «ghost» is an example of that.
The union with England stopped further development, dead.
Scots/Scottis needs a large dose of language planning. It needs the political will to undertake that. And it needs the financial resource and linguistic expertise. It is not a field for the amateur or part time enthusiast. However, it does need people to write in it, in any style or dialect.
There are models elsewhere, Hebrew, Finnish, Greek, Norwegian, Ukrainian, Arabic dialects and my own ancestral language Syriac. All offer insights as to psychological pitfalls for the unwary and the dangers of parochialism particularly concerning orthography, grammar and lexis.
Gaelic in the modern form is the spoken insular variety. There were other forms with markedly different pronunciation on the mainland. These are of more than just historical interest in language revival.
You omitted the Norse dialects of Orkney and Shetland which were related to Faroese and old Norwegian dialects although a form of Danish was used officially.
Latin and French eg Le Roman de Fergus, also figure and not forgetting the Scottish origins of the Welsh literary work known as Y Gododdin set in the Edinburgh area.
A rich and varied field for research and development.
Hope my «foreign» overview is of interest.
Don
3 years ago
@ Captain Yossarian 19 May, 2021 at 9:26 am
“Stuart MacKay – It’s about Swinney, Stuart. Covid is nearly over and so there’s no need for him stick around for too much longer.”
I think its more about finding a high profile roll for Angus Robertson because we need more half German carpebaggers instead of sovereign Scots at the top of Scottish Politics don’t we ?
Jockanese Wind Talker
3 years ago
Another easily discredited lie from @Don says 18 May, 2021 at 11:04 pm
Scotland was not bankrupted by Darien and actually the opposite was true, the Scottish treasury was in rude health at the time of the Union.
Individual Scots were impacted by financial losses caused by Dariens failure the Country was not!
Englands treasury was however nearly empty following its military campaign in the previous 80 Years War and its involvement in the War of Spanish Succession which was being planned and then waged at the time.
England devised the plan to ruin Scotlands Nobles via Darien which included King William’s trade embargo via the English Navigation Act, which prevented any English colonies trading with, or even assisting, the Scots which contributed to the failure of the colony.
Sabotaging Darien also helped Williams attempt to appease Spain in advance of the War of Spanish Succession by preventing a Scottish colony in this historically Spanish colonial area, in he hoped the Spanish would fight against the French on England’s side.
Scottish Nobles were nearly bankrupted by Darien and then further financially threatened by the Alien Act of 1705 and therefore able to be bribed with English gold to sell out their nation via the Union.
Don
3 years ago
@true scot 19 May, 2021 at 9:06 am
“What is lacking is the voice of business, the voice of economists. You will never convert anyone except the left behinds with this level of looking backwards and downwards.
Why don’t some of the long term supporters of independence on this site, who have been thinking about independence for many years – just start stating (loosely) quantifiable benefits of independence to the economy? There’s an absolute certainty that Scotland is being robbed in this union – lets start talking in solid terms about why that’s true?
Bear in mind 60% of trade (= the livelihoods of regular punters) relies on free movement of goods and people on this single land mass. But don’t forget that a lot of the tax take comes from that trade. You can’t just turn off the taps and still say the bath will fill up anyway – so the experts on these comments – tell the soft no’s how that bath will be filled ?”
I shall present myself to the authorities for immediate re-education and hope I don’t get the full 7 year sentence!
😉
crazycat
3 years ago
@ Ian Brotherhood at 9.31
I too would welcome some sort of gathering. My list of “familiar faces who, sadly, would no longer be welcome” might not be the same as yours; I would be rather surprised if any of the ones I’m thinking of would have any interest in turning up to such an event! (Certainly you shouldn’t have to be a gatekeeper, though!)
Stuart MacKay
3 years ago
Captain Yossarian, Would be nice but I don’t think covid is nearly over. The appointment of Swinney signals to me that Sturgeon is leaving. I suppose she could still hog the limelight with the daily briefings but I thought that would be Swinney’s job.
I seriously doubt she will be devoting her full or indeed any attention to the referendum. So what’s next for the leaderene?
The Isolator
3 years ago
The takedown of the the Scottish Parliament and Sturgeons faux government continues apace.
The Murrells have played a blinder on behalf of the British State.Absolute shitehawks.
Alf Baird
3 years ago
Ottomanboi @ 9:34
“The anglicizing effects”
The effects of linguistic imperialism are far reaching and ultimately inhibit the development of a people and their nation.
A key issue here is that ‘a people’ lose their identity when they lose their language, which is the aim of cultural and linguistic imperialism. According to the 2011 census there were only 1.6 million Scots speakers left in Scotland, and the next census will highlight a further downward trend. Coincidentally, perhaps, there were 1.6 million Yes voters in 2014. It is also the case that peoples in self-determination conflict are linguistically (and hence culturally) divided.
The reality is Scots have two indigenous languages – Gaelic and Scots – and Scots have the right to learn either and use them. Yet the right of Scots to learn and use the Scots language is denied by UK and Scottish Governments. Even the European Council has highlighted this injustice, again: link to eacea.ec.europa.eu
“Language is resoundingly more than a mere means of communication; it is the means by which humans can claim diversity and define their identity” (Shaw 2001).
The role of language in defining identity is vitally important in Scotland’s case because it is largely those who do not primarily identify as Scots that tend to vote against Scottish independence. It is our language which gives us our national consciousness and once a language disappears there can be no national consciousness and hence no desire for nationhood. Which brings us back to the objective of cultural and linguistic imperialism as key behavioural tools of colonialism.
Stephen
3 years ago
Ottomanboi
Printing in the Netherlands
/
I wonder if you know that the reason why people used to choose the Netherlands to print and publish their books was to evade strict licensing laws.
Hobbes and Spinoza both published there.
Captain Yossarian
3 years ago
Stuart MacKay: That would be fabulous news. Malaz has a woman’s wing too.
Stephen
3 years ago
Licensing
/
Censorship
Republicofscotland
3 years ago
Well a huge trade deal is in the offing with Australia and New Zealand with regards to beef and lamb, though you wouldn’t think so as the BritNat media don’t want to scare the horses.
This deal will all but consign Scottish hill farming to the bin, and will also have a heavy impact on Scottish beef farmers, many I think will go bust, as will their counterparts in the rest of the UK.
The only thing holding its implementation right away is Boris Johnson, he can’t decide whether to charge a tariff for the imports or not, but its definitely coming.
First the Scottish fishing industry is badly impacted now the farming industry looks like it will be too. Remind me again which party the majority of these industries voted for in the 2014 indyref, and in 2016, and indeed this month, ah yes the Tories.
The Tories are hellbent on destroying the Scottish economy, and Sturgeon the Betrayer is allowing him to do so.
Republicofscotland
3 years ago
Well Boris Jonson just loves to breach International Law, this time by upping the number of nukes in the UK from 180 to a whopping 260, (and remember these nukes are based 30 miles from Scotland’s largest city) he’s breaking the (NPT) the Non Proliferation Treaty.
Johnson also plans to send more UK troops abroad, and I doubt very much it will be just for peacekeeping missions though that will be the official narrative spewed out by the BritNat media.
Sturgeon the betrayer is by not holding an indyref keeping us tied into this.
Breastplate
3 years ago
True Scot,
I’m not sure why you are asking for an economic forecast of an independent Scotland as it is immaterial.
The economy is not linked to the constitution of a country. This is also what Unionists believe for pretty much every single country except Scotland.
Ask them “should Poland be an independent country?” and they will look at you with incredulity for asking such a thing.
Should France be an independent country?
Should Finland be an independent?
The answer will be Yes, of course.
Not once will anybody ask to see the balance of trade, the national debt or ask what currency they are using before deciding.
They won’t ask because it does not fucking matter.
Another country will not and cannot prioritise Scotland’s needs.
Independence is a constitutional matter not a financial matter.
It matters who is making the financial decisions in a country.
It matters who decides policies.
It matters that different countries need different policies.
It matters that you enact policies that are beneficial to your country.
It matters that you don’t enact policies that are detrimental to your country.
Decisions matter and it matters who make those decisions.
It matters that you don’t let another country determine your future.
Should Scotland be an independent country?
Of course it fucking should.
Republicofscotland
3 years ago
So the High court in England has told the Tory government that it can keep secret the amount of taxpayers cash it wasted on unusable PPE supplied by PestFix, Clandeboy and Ayanda, and Sturgeon the Betrayer says if Johnson says no to an S30 she’ll take it all the way through the courts. Who f*ck is she trying to kid.
I myself have a small rubber boat I push about in the bath, so I was thinking of asking for millions from the UK government to start a ferry company….anyone got Chris Graylings number?
Ruby
3 years ago
Luigi says:
19 May, 2021 at 9:06 am
Nicola Sturgeon is probably wishing the AUOB marchers would just go away. All the more reason to keep em going. 🙂
Reply
Do you think that is why ‘The Royal Mile’ will be closed for the next 7 months?
Closed to traffic from the High Street to the Parliament.
Council saying residents can call for free taxis just like MSPs do all year round.
Will non residents wanting to come to shop/dine/drink in the area be eligible for the free taxis?
Just wondering where the taxis are going to pick up/drop off residents?
How will businesses get their deliveries?
What about the tour buses?
Could be a lot of problems for the newly elected Edinburgh Central MSP to sort out. 🙂
Angus Robertson’s office might to alternative place to have a protest. Could be a mass protest about everything anyone is unhappy about.
David Caledonia
3 years ago
Both votes SNP vs
Both votes yes
Both votes SNP allowed 23 additional unionists
to gain seats on the list
If the SNP support backed
Both votes yes, this would have made the Alba Party
the second largest party with 30 seats, a pro-indy
supermajority of 30
AlbaParty.org/join
Ruby
3 years ago
Republicofscotland says:
Sturgeon the Betrayer says if Johnson says no to an S30 she’ll take it all the way through the courts. Who the f*ck is she trying to kid.
Reply
Did she/her not recently take one thing almost all the way through the courts and ended up losing & costing the taxpayer £500K and another thing that cost goodness knows how much that she ended up losing but keeps insisting that she won?
Will the SNP pay the costs of taking it all the way through the courts? Will WGD organise a crowd funder for her?
Don.
And if you are able to research yourself don, if you background check half the names who are actually in the treaty of the union, you will find a few Scottish names as original, the rest were those whom given Scottish land and castle as a reward by England for fighting in previous wars for them.
Such as 1066, a lot of the names were french /Normandy or English in origin.
The never sold their country, the Scots never voted to join the treaty, the Scots are not actually in the treaty or under any obligation to the treaty of the union,
Your sole is tint.
Dave Somerville
3 years ago
Luigi. 9.05
Luigi, I never once mentioned Nicola Sturgeon would turn up at any rally.
What is it with some contributors twisting words to suit their own tiny agenda.
I was meaning she would hijack the message any Indy Rally would send out.
And I personally will not give up any of my time to further the cause of Sturgeonism.
She will appear on our screens telling the people of Scotland she can’t do a thing regards a Referendum, all because of a big bad man in Westminster stopped her.
How do I know this? Because it’s what she has been doing since she moved into Bute House.
Let’s see a date for the Referendum wrote down in black and white first.
Then we really do have something to march for.
And not some vanity project for the Murrells.
Pixywine
3 years ago
Bartley. ” A novel virus” Give it up man. It was downgraded to no more serious than a flu virus in March/April 2020 before the lockdown so give over with 77th propaganda. We’ve heard that shit before. Imagine the brass to keep spraffing that shit.
David Caledonia
3 years ago
I went into a pub in Greenock on Monday, place was nearly empty, I had my camera with me as I was out and about that day, I asked a guy from gourock who I was chatting with would he mind if I took a photy of him, no go ahead he said, so I took one photo of him, he was drinking soft drinks as he said he had a motorbike and he was driving back to Gourock on it.
I moved to another part of the pub because I wanted to take a photo of that part, I spotted a couple sitting near the part I wished to take a photo of, I asked the guy do you mind me taking a photo of you both, no not at all he said, so I took the photo, but his partner said, I don’t want my photo taken, no argument happened concerning this, but a wee plonker from the staff asked me to leave because I took a photo, I deleted the photo but I still had to leave as this in her little mind was a grave offence that maybe I should have been hung drawn and quartered for, I was leaving anyway as I was going for my bus home.
This silly little woman is employed by someone who relies on people like me to make a living, and this silly female is asking me to leave for taken a photo that I was given permission to take buy the guy in the photo
That is one bar I will never go into again while the owner employs a fool like her.
Been about 2 years since I entered any bar, well before the pandemic restrictions where put in place, and this kind of nonesense was one of the reasons why, pubs where closing down at the rate of two a week because of lack of custom, any bar owner reading this that went bust now knows what part of the reason was, you are employing idiots that ask customers to leave for no good reason, your paying them, and they take it upon themselves to ask your livlihood to leave, I spent about a fiver in that bar, but I will not be spending any more time of money in that bar,
Its name is the same as the thing you put on the bottom of a horses leg and its on Kilblain Street in Greenock, next to the bus stance………………. Keep well clear is my advice, and don’t dare take a photo lol
David Caledonia
3 years ago
excuse my gramma, me eyesite and me typing skills are getting worse and worser by the day, aw ra best
Pixywine
3 years ago
Calton Jock. Get rid of your cookies then I can read your stuff.
What are AUOB going to do on Saturday if they find some anti lockdown protesters outside Holyrood? Would you join us? Or will your Stockholm Syndrom kick in?
Pixywine
3 years ago
The asshole Sturgeon is advancing the UNs Green Agenda. The High Street in Edinburgh is being pedestrianised So we go back to the 19th century. Sheer fucking ideological insanity. I’d rather drive my own car than use inferior public transport.This city this country is utterly fucked by dick heads in council who are taking orders from “Common Purpose”. We are all going to regret bitterly voting for any of the UNs useful idiots in Holyrood
Stuart MacKay
3 years ago
Republicofscotland
Sheep farming is already on the edge of the precipice and a trade deal with NZ will send it over. The Kiwis bit the bullet over farm subsidies a while ago and there’s simply no chance that Scottish farmers can adjust in time after the body blow that Brexit delivered.
I skimmed through some of the provisions on the Internal Market Bill and there does not seem to be any possibility for local support of farmers. So for example the government does not seem able to source food in Scotland for school meals as that would seem to run afoul of the extensive non-discrimination clauses.
Only some form of autonomy would put us in a position to save farming. The quality is there but marketing and branding as distinctively Scottish would appear to be a good way of saving many, but probably not all, producers.
Ironic that the first to say yes to Brexit and No to independence are the first to be sacrificed.
Fireproofjim
3 years ago
I see Pixywine is back with his usual illiterate foul mouthed ranting, and his anti vaccination, science denying rubbish.
Don
3 years ago
@Fireproofjim 19 May, 2021 at 12:07 pm
“I see Pixywine is back with his usual illiterate foul mouthed ranting, and his anti vaccination, science denying rubbish.”
Though well camouflaged among so many who are equally terminally confused.
Don
3 years ago
@Stuart MacKay 19 May, 2021 at 11:51 am
“Sheep farming is already on the edge of the precipice and a trade deal with NZ will send it over. The Kiwis bit the bullet over farm subsidies a while ago and there’s simply no chance that Scottish farmers can adjust in time after the body blow that Brexit delivered.
Ironic that the first to say yes to Brexit and No to independence are the first to be sacrificed.”
Come on Stuart i though you were better informed that that surely, or are you just playing to the audience ? When is the movement going to become realistic and accept Indy is not going to come without some serious pain ? link to blogs.lse.ac.uk
Don
3 years ago
@Pixywine 19 May, 2021 at 11:29 am
“Bartley. ” A novel virus” Give it up man. It was downgraded to no more serious than a flu virus in March/April 2020 before the lockdown so give over with 77th propaganda. We’ve heard that shit before. Imagine the brass to keep spraffing that shit”
“I’m not sure why you are asking for an economic forecast of an independent Scotland as it is immaterial.
The economy is not linked to the constitution of a country. This is also what Unionists believe for pretty much every single country except Scotland”
Real Economists with more knowledge that a random like yourself say differently, do you think I should beleive you or them ?
Fair point Dave, but I just don’t accept your argument that Sturgeon will attempt to “hijack” any future indy march. Stay away? Yes; Try to ignore? Absolutely. But “try to hijack”? Come on – that’s stretching it quite a bit beyond credibility IMO. How on earth could she hijack it – stick her feet in the ground and say “not ye”? Aye right that’ll go down well lol.
If you want to boycott any future indy march, that’s entirely your choice. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. IMO, we need to keep marching in spite of Sturgeon – believe me the last thing she probably wants is big indy marches making a return. We march for Scotland not Sturgeon. Boycott if you wish, but don’t expect others to swallow it.
Stuart MacKay
3 years ago
Don
You keep referring to that as if it was some form of divine, infallible statement. I’ll let you into a secret, it’s a Ph.D. student’s blog post.
Fireproofjim
3 years ago
I wonder if there are any subtle clues to the petrol bombing of Peter Lawell’s house last night.
Something like a Union Flag perhaps and a tape of the Sash.
These disgusting knuckledraggers are a dangerous blight on the West of Scotland with their perverted sense of entitlement for their useless lives.
It’s time that Rangers took some responsibility for the actions of these louts.
I am not a Celtic fan (Aberdeen for my sins) but I fear what these dangerous fools are capable of in the event of independence, brainwashed as they are by their Orange godfathers.
robertknight
3 years ago
Any bets as to the likely shape of Robertson’s reward for services rendered? (And I’m not talking about those to Austria – he got his bauble from them back in 2016).
Stoker
3 years ago
Republicofscotland says: “Sturgeon the Betrayer says if Johnson says no to an S30 she’ll take it all the way through the courts.”
See right there, that’s a revelation in itself. As someone recently pointed out on here or Twitter: given the length of time it takes most Court cases to run the full procedure why isn’t she asking for the S30 right now?
She knows UKGov will just laugh at her *again* as they say no. Ask now, they refuse, start legal proceedings, simple! She’s a procrastinating proven liar with no intentions of delivering indy, that’s why.
And as a lot of countries have already proven, Covid is no excuse. Our elections have also just proved that.
Socrates MacSporran
3 years ago
Fireproofjim
Jumping to conclusions perhaps re the Lawwell fire-bombing. Wee Peter is not exactly flavour of the month with a section of the Celtic Family.
That family has its own range of nutters, so, perhaps premature to point the finger at the opposition. Best leave it to the authorities to try to sort-out.
Cenchos
3 years ago
Idea for Indy.
R&D could benefit by the creation of a carefully overseen Scottish patent and bursary office, building on the historical narrative of Scottish innovation: the object of which would be to unburden the would-be innovator from soul-destroying legal processes and financial pressures.
I think the Rev will be really pleased down in Bath.One of his favourite SNP politicians,Shirley-Anne Sommerville has caught Nicola’s attention as a rising talent.
Breastplate
3 years ago
Don,
I’m sorry if this is confusing for you but economists are no experts when it comes to a country’s constitution. In fact to use your words they become a mere “random”.
It is no surprise that Unionists paint the bleakest picture they can regarding independence because it is not new.
This particular argument is a quarter of a millennium;
Change the record please, you and your arguments are beyond tedious.
Ottomanboi
3 years ago
«Despite his lack of either scientific qualifications or an electoral mandate, Bill Gates regularly presses the need for mass global vaccination with products made by the companies he owns, using platforms given to him by the media outlets he funds»
«The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have an incredible record of bringing about substantial change in the world’s poorest countries, empowering them to improve their life chances in a range of ways, from improving healthcare and combating infectious diseases to increasing access to education»
Nicola Sturgeon. link to insider.co.uk
Captain Yossarian
3 years ago
Cherrybank – She has a talent for returning all problems back to sender. Nothing sticks to her. Swinney was exactly the same.
Captain Yossarian
3 years ago
Cherrybank – I’ve just hear she’s the new Education Minister…words fail me.
Socrates MacSporran
3 years ago
We will no doubt see, in the Independent Scotland which is coming, the end of an Honours System which passes-out various degrees of Orders of the British Empire. However, I suspect, there will still be an Honour System, which recognises excellence in various fields.
I do hope, however, this system does away with recognition of time-servers and rule-followers in government service. I hope, in an Independent Scotland, Buggins’ Turn for a gong will be a thing of the past.
I also hope, there is recognition for Heroes of the Independence Campaign, and that Gareth Wardell, “Grouse Beater” is among the first recipients.
I know Gareth has terminal cancer and may well not live to see INdependence, but, some of his recent postings have been above his blog’s long-established level of excellence.
His part in the battle will hopefully be recognised, although probably not, if the SNP has anything to do with it. He is one of several true heroes of the fight, who has been dumped on from a great height, by the so-called Party of Independence. In reality – the Party of Devolution.
Republicofscotland
3 years ago
Stuart MacKay @11.51pm.
Stuart.
Its no secret that Australia has ruined its beef exports market, with China, China purchased the majority of beef from Australia’s super ranches.
However Australia is the tip of the USA’s Five Eyes spear, and the country’s government has been goading China for a while now on behalf of the USA, and China finally retaliated by sanctioning Australian beef.
So a new market must be found, I have read that Australia is receiving funding from the USA to continue its actions against China.
robertknight
3 years ago
So Robertson gets “constitution, external affairs and culture secretary”. Who’d have thought an ex-BBC journo of the diplomatic and foreign affairs variety would be so qualified? Surely a bastion of the British Establishment with those credentials. Oh no, wait…
Republicofscotland
3 years ago
Ruby @10.51am.
Yes Ruby, I know what you are referring to, and although Joanna Cherry did win a case in the English courts, its a completely different matter that the courts would actively grant the S30 and potentially see the UK break up, seriously damaging England’s economy, and possibly damaged Westminster’s pride, due to the removal of Trident and the likely loss of the seat permanent on UNSC which would be a huge blow to Johnsons and Whitehall’s ego.
UNSC seats are permanent, for the permanent members, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. but there is a a way to remove a permanent member, also all the permanent members possess nuclear weapons, not a prerequisite I think, but I’m not sure.
Republicofscotland
3 years ago
Stoker @12.32pm.
Yes as we are all aware that Sturgeon the Betrayer has no real intentions of holding an indyref, even if the way was clear. I think Sturgeon is quite happy to govern and blame the Tories for not being able to move further down the indy road.
However, she undermines her own position simply by the fact that she hasn’t prepared the road to an indyref, in areas such as currency, a central bank, government bodies we would require and clear info on a border with the rest of the UK, she done no preparations for any of this which needs to be done well in advance in my opinion.
robertknight
3 years ago
@RepublicofScotland
There is no chance that any Govt.of an Independent Kingdom of Scotland would start off a relationship with a larger neighbour and biggest export market by telling the Kingdom of England & Northern Ireland (KENI), to get their nukes out of Scotland on week 1.
HMNB Clyde and associated facilities would no doubt become a Sovereign Base Area for KENI, perhaps on a 20/30 year lease or similar – Scotland’s answer to Gitmo.
Stuart MacKay
3 years ago
Republicofscotland
Well then it’s game over for the farmers because there’s nothing the English Establishment love more than meddling in other countries affairs and strutting around like they’re shoulder to shoulder with the big boys on the stage. If all those Tories in Perth and Aberdeen are the price I’m sure they’ll find a way of getting over it, if they even notice at all.
Back to what Don was wittering on about over the instant and permanent contraction of the economy on independence. Absolute nonsense. It might be an uphill struggle but there’s a market in Europe for Scottish beef, with or without, tariffs with some clever marketing – just the same way NZ markets their lamb .(I happily pay the premium for it here in Portugal as it’s way better than the local stuff). Just one tiny example where standing on our on two feet generates, not destroys, value. Who knows maybe there’s an instant 10% premium on not being English.
James
3 years ago
Pixywine
Away and lie in your pish.
The more pedestrianisation the better – fcuck off somewhere else in your clown car.
Republicofscotland
3 years ago
“HMNB Clyde and associated facilities would no doubt become a Sovereign Base Area for KENI, perhaps on a 20/30 year lease or similar – Scotland’s answer to Gitmo.”
Robert Knight.
Robert, I’m afraid that’s not likely for Faslane/Coulport is where the Scottish navy will be based, so I’m afraid the nukes will have to go, the only thing in dispute would be the timescale of their removal.
A short lease could be negotiated, I hope at considerable cost to Westminster that would help fund the building of our own ships/crafts, whilst Westminster fits out a suitable port for its nuclear subs.
Of course looking at the bigger picture, the Great Satan (USA) will do everything in its considerable power to help Westminster thwart our independence in order to keep the nukes in Scotland, which are thirty miles from our largest city, of which the nukes pass through on trucks at all times of the day and night.
Could you ever envisage Westminster allowing these nukes to pass through London on trucks while the Queen slept.
Republicofscotland
3 years ago
Stuart MacKay @2.05pm.
I suppose there is the possibility of a short term contraction, but surely that would be balanced out by our export market, we’d also have control of immigration which would allow our tax based to grow as well. England has conveniently kept our population small and manageable whilst stripping our assets, that would stop as well.
We have a huge surplus of energy that the world requires including England who already syphons off our excess electricity to keep the lights on. Joining EFTA would allows us access to EU market and the UK market, so although there are bumps on the road along the way, such as amassing enough of a reserve currency (which would be less than a larger country) and a lender of last resort if needed, I see no reason why an independent Scotland wouldn’t start off in a reasonably healthy state.
James Kelly of Scot goes Pop fame, blogged that’ if the SNP came back in 2026 asking for another Independence mandate, we can assume we have been had’!
Really?? wait until 2026 to find out if the SNP are a bunch of lazy, deceitful bestards?
The less cognitively challenged, or utterly naïve, Independence supporters worked that out years ago!
Republicofscotland
3 years ago
So Keith Brown is the new Justice secretary, with plans to reform the Scottish justice system, and on the same day (RCS) Rape Crisis Scotland is screaming out for the not proven verdict to be abolished, and in Alex Salmond’s case, I’d imagine replaced with guilty.
I see that one of the columnists in the National newspaper in recent day, of who will remain nameless said that Sturgeon on hearing the outcome of Alex Salmond and the Alba party’s vote portion, screamed in delight that they’re dead (Alba party and Salmond).
lothianlad
3 years ago
As for WGD ‘Gimme a quid’ Kavannagh…. Imagine shaking a can for your personal bank account from true Independence supporters only for those same independence supporters to be sneered at and blocked because they don’t like the lies of his beloved leader!
What a sad place the Nicola cult have led the Indy cause!
seems like if your selfish and greedy, there is money to be made in exploiting the goodwill of independence supporters. SNP careerists are no exception!
Grouse Beater
3 years ago
University tutor who schooled Nicola Sturgeon feels he did not do enough to make her understand the essence of democracy.
Pixywine, I am not a man. Please take your stupid conspiracy theories and shove them up your arse. It’s hardly my fault that you are incapable of understanding what you read.
James Che.
3 years ago
The realty of the treaty of union.
A good few Scottish rich and titled men sold to a good few rich and titled English men a pup in 1707.
The Scots men wanted more money, so they came up with idea to sell a country to England’s rich men.
the fact the country did not solely belong to them, might be overlooked if the titled English gentlemen were blinded by greed, it would be the biggest scam in history if they could pull it of,
So they hummed and haggled for a while, for it to seem genuine.
And of corse the titled English gentlemen never checked the finer details in the contract agreement, so busy was their thoughts and expectations in the financial end gain.
The English titled gentlemen paid the asking price asked for by the titled Scottish gentlemen.
The fact was, that the sovereign population and people of scotland were the true owners of the land known as Scotland, just as England belonged to the English people .
That the titled Scots gentlemen had no bill of sale what so ever from the Scots people to prove they had ever bought Scotland in the first place was neither here or there,
Still they had pulled it of, it was like selling a London Bridge to Americans, the biggest con ever committed, the best crime thought of going unseen, pretending you own something, while not holding an original bill of sale for any of it, no questions asked.
Now the titled English gentlemen thought they had bought a whole country and kingdom for less than a kings ransom. Not only that, they thought the sale included the people in Scotland as well,
Over the following years they began to realise that the sale was not as watertight as they had first believed,
The sovereign Scottish people were not in the sale, the people of Scotland had escaped the sale, not one name was mentioned in the sale,
But by far the emotion that caused them the most distress was the land belonged to a sovereign nation. A free nation at that,
What to do, how to save face,
BLUSTER. If the titled English gentlemen had been scammed and conned into parting with their money, the only avenue was to carry on pretending they had bought a country from the Scots, keeping it quite that it was actually just a few Scots, that never owned or had a bill of sale that dammed country,
Nope they would just have to pretend. And they have kept up the pretence for 300 years over the Scottish sovereign people.
That has to be the second biggest con in history.
Alf Baird
3 years ago
Don @ 12:24 pm
“The economy is not linked to the constitution of a country”
The main aim of colonialism to to plunder and exploit other countries which by implication leaves them under-developed and impoverished. In this sense the resources of a colonised country are not used to enable its own development or the development of its people. This is why the UN describes colonialism as ‘a scourge’ and calls for its ending.
Big Jock
3 years ago
Republic- I suspect Sturgeon’s ‘afternoon delight’ will be exposed eventually. The puppet enquiry she blustered her way through. Will not be the end of the matter.
I think more than ever Salmond will have his justice.
Breeks
3 years ago
@Don…
You want evidence of Scotland’s economic injury through the Union?
Read the McCrone Report. Easy read, won’t take you long, just 20 pages of it. Then look at Scotland’s wealth, compare it to Norway’s wealth, then join the dots, and hey presto, a graphic picture emerges.
It’s essentially the difference between competent long term husbandry of a valuable resource in Norway’s case, and short sighted plundering exploitation in Scotland’s case… though not even by Scotland, but A. N. Other…
Alf Baird
3 years ago
James Che. @ 3:46 pm
“The realty of the treaty of union.That has to be the second biggest con in history.”
You are right, a political con trick of the highest order. The Treaty was/is colonialism disguised as a union, and independence is therefore decolonisation.
Dave Somerville
3 years ago
Luigi 12.24pm
Last time I’m explaining this.
Any Indy Rally held in Edinburgh, you can bet Sturgeon will attach herself onto it.
Not physically, but through the media.
She will piggyback onto the message the true Indy supporters are trying to send to the people of Scotland.
She’ll be on the Marr show like a shot, portraying herself as the warrior of the Indy Movement who can’t go any further until that bad English government gives her this Section 30 order.
But she will tell her gullable Flock that she will never give up the fight for Independence.
Rinse and Repeat for five years, Job done!
I will not contribute to her con anymore.
Get a date wrote down on a legal document stating when the next Indy referendum will be held, then I will consider taking part in any future Rallies.
But not until then.
holymacmoses
3 years ago
I think if Sturgeon doesn’t attend then she isn’t quoted – simple as that.
Republicofscotland
3 years ago
So Sturgeon the Betrayer was sworn in as FM today at Edinburgh’s Court of Session, the physically-distanced ceremony, was before Lord President Lord Carloway, Lord Justice Clerk Lady Dorrian, and Lord Menzie.
No doubt Sturgeon the Betrayer, aimed a nod and a wink towards the direction of Lady Dorrian.
Fair enough Dave. We will have to agree to disagree. 🙂
twathater
3 years ago
What is disconcerting is the amount of yoonies still visiting the site , you can all go back to barracks now lads sturgeon is back in command and as your senior officers will be well aware the onion has nothing to fear from her as she is one of the best assets the onion has ever owned
Still I suppose the squaddies have to be kept employed and one never knows when sense will prevail and sturgeon and her clown troupe will be outed as assets of the onion
Argentocoxos
3 years ago
Brian Doonthetoon
Thanks for the link the other day, I can only post on WiFi not mobile data, hence the delayed reply, cheers.
Ruby
Loved yer wee snippet aboot the Craiks of which I’m one & rather well known for having plenty to say too. Cheers
James Che.
3 years ago
Alf Baird,
It also means that the con was scots and Scotland were captured, but only if the con is to believed.
The titled English gentlemen were swindled, duped, conned, tricked, fooled and fraudulently scammed into buying a country and people that were not for sale in 1707, except by a group of Scottish gentlemen looking to make a quick buck.
It also means that the only persons involved on that contractual agreement going by the name of “The Treaty of the Union” was a private Limited Company.
If it was a Public Limited Company however I am sure all of us Scots would have been informed by now, and our public shares from the Company would be lining our pockets.
However they are legal distinct entities. With their own assets, profits, and liabilities. And tax liabilities
.
I will not go any further into how the treaty of the union is registered in the way of companies, but it is a thought that has crossed my mind recently that Westminster’s British government is in receipt of profits from the treaty of the union as an entity, and has been for 300 years.
robertknight
3 years ago
@twathater
You need to give the 77th Pongos some credit.
It took most of us a while to suss Sturgeon, given all the screening and misdirection we’ve had over the past 6+ years.
If it wasn’t for the Rev’s forensic work, some of us might yet need to be convinced. However, there are plenty in the Yes movement outside WoS who still live under the misconception that she’s pro-Indy.
There’s still a job to be done by the 77th in protecting Robertson – who as we know will be squeezing into the Dear Leader’s size 4 stilettos at some point down the line. He also needs to be ‘seen’ to be pro-Indy. If not, ALBA, ISP etc. will become a problem for the pro-Union/SNP campaigns.
“Now, we can’t be having that, can we Darling? No Sah! Mehhhhh…”
Saffron Robe
3 years ago
Alf Baird says:
“The Neolithic peoples in Scotland predate ‘Celts’ by a considerable length as did the Pictish tribes who were around pre and during the Roman period mostly along the east coast.”
Dear Alf,
You are quite correct and I don’t disagree. However my point was not that the Celts are the only indigenous people of these isles, or that they were not preceded by other peoples and cultures, but that, by comparison, the Anglo-Saxons are invaders to these isles and, as the Celtic annals attest, their history here has been one of aggression towards the indigenous people which continues right up to the present day with the cultural and economic suppression of Scots and Scotland under the Treaty of Union.
Ruby
3 years ago
A lot of posters say WGD should be ignored but I found the links posted on the following interesting. Lord Advocate described as ‘a pimp for the government’ ‘Scotland as a banana republic.’ this was in 2012.
“An anti-SNP and anti-Sturgeon blog elsewhere (no, not that one) publishing a letter by Alistair Bonnington who apparently was a university tutor to Sturgeon, but here’s who this guy is:
The same poster made the post about Alistair Bonnington made the following post on a WGD article entitled ‘The entitlement of British nationalism’ which seemed to be all about Rangers fans.
“I feel bound to quote the author on this article:
“This is your reminder that the purpose of this blog is to promote Scottish independence. If the comment you want to make will not assist with that goal then don’t post it.“
Don
3 years ago
Shirley-Anne Somerville has been given the Education Job , didn’t the Rev have something on Her and it wasn’t very complementary IIRC
Re discussion about ancestry and the make-up of peoples across the UK, it is work looking at this DNA study completed in 2105, the most extensive there has been I think.
A couple of headlines from it is that Orkney has the most distinct DNA compared to anywhere in the UK (Norse in make up obviously) but also that in terms of hierarchical grouping: ‘the north of England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland collectively separate from southern England. Then, at the next level, Cornwall forms a separate cluster quite distinct from Devon, followed by Scotland and Northern Ireland separating from northern England . . . While there is no clear ‘Celtic Fringe’, as is so often assumed, there is evidence of ancient British DNA in common with other British populations, especially in Scotland and Northern Ireland, but less in Cornwall, or Devon, in contrast to what might have been expected’.
The other thing that was shown to be true is the by and large, the Anglo-Saxons did not simply replace, drive out the people here before them, but interbred with them.
I find the survey fascinating and the researchers describe themselves as being ‘astonished to obtain 17 clusters of individuals based solely on similarities in their DNA that matched remarkably well their geographical locations’.
I do think this notion raised above that the Anglo-Saxons can still be thought of as invaders / colonisers compared the ‘Celts’ (not at all a uniform group anyway), pretty silly given the Anglo-Saxons began to arrive c.450AD and mixed and interbred with the natives of the time.
Big Jock
3 years ago
The Picts just disappeared from history at some point. I wonder if the Gaels interbred with them.
Most of my ancestery is Irish 3/4 and Scots the rest. Hopefully no Anglo Saxon in my DNA. I don’t have a single relative in England. As far as I know I never did.
Big Jock
3 years ago
Don- Somerville is incredibly stupid. Education is the worst post she could have got. Sturgeon is promoting pals, its nepotism on steroids.
I give her a year.
Don
3 years ago
@Breeks 19 May, 2021 at 4:03 pm
Well done for demonstrating how exceptionally clueless you are.
“Read the McCrone Report. Easy read, won’t take you long, just 20 pages of it. Then look at Scotland’s wealth, compare it to Norway’s wealth, then join the dots.
You mean this McCrone ? Do stick with it till the end as who knows you might actually learn something worthwhile that might actually stick in your head. . link to bit.ly
Norway and Scotland are completely different , Norway produced about 4 times as much Oil as Scotland and does it as half the production cost to recover it. Can you work out for yourself the difference that makes or do you need that explained as well ? link to archive.is
Scotlands Wealth is explained here by the Scottish Parliaments retained advisors from Clydebank Universtity Economics Office I’m sure they understand Scotlands wealth far better than you no matter how much you like to think otherwise ? link to archive.is
Confused
3 years ago
the people of the isles genetic studies –
“The most striking observation is the extraordinary correspondence between the genetic clusters and geographical location.”
– scots aren’t anglo, even northumbria and cumbria aren’t very anglo; they should be part of our territory
northumbria held parts of lothian for about 5 minutes, then you get the anglo trash claiming scots are really english
– some of the english get all upset about the norman invasion, and its consequences; tolkien was one. Some of the (dumber) english claim to be vikings, probably for the shield maidens.
mchardy’s new history of the picts claims the picts are still here in us; the scots and pict leadership interbred, but the picts had no written culture, which is how they “disappeared”
Big Jock
3 years ago
Confused. So I might be a Pict after all. Always thought I was special!!
On behalf of the 77th command, I would like to point out the we do not have “squaddies” in our ranks.
The regiment is made up of good sorts from the upper middle classes. Privately schooled, oxbridge types with the minds and the wit to achieve goals without ever being seen to take credit.
Tbh, we are stood down for the time being (and have been for over a year now). Our deep cover operative (let’s call him Mr Fish) was activated to complete our plans. Mission accomplished for now. We are not expecting to rejoin the fray for another four years so plenty of time to catch-up on other important matters. This usually means baiting the French which is always good fun.
Stuart MacKay
3 years ago
twathater,
They’re still here because there’s a better class of commenter to troll. If they head back to barracks they might get reassigned to The National or Bella Caledonia. Yes, they’re irritating at times but I would wish that assignment on anyone.
Stuart MacKay
3 years ago
replace “would” with “wouldn’t”, doh!!!
LeggyPeggy
3 years ago
I see that Fiona Robertson has managed to get the Equalities Convener post again on the Snp NEC even though the membership rejected her last November .
Dave Somerville
3 years ago
Luigi. 5.23pm
Keezzzzz!!!!
crazycat
3 years ago
@ Leggy Peggy
Spear and Robertson were runners-up last year. As soon as there was a vacancy, they will automatically have filled it.
crazycat
3 years ago
@ Big Jock at 7.40
Many are chosen, few are Pict.
(from a t-shirt purchased 20 years ago for a relative, so I can’t claim the credit)
Pixywine
3 years ago
Daisy Walker. The lockdowns are political.
Dave Somerville
3 years ago
It’s funny how all these independent nations the English colonised around the world, including us, have then got to beg the self same Bastards for the permission to hold an Independence Referendum to become an independent nation.
Confused?
Nicola will explain all, one day.
Breeks
3 years ago
Don says:
19 May, 2021 at 7:33 pm
Norway and Scotland are completely different , Norway produced about 4 times as much Oil as Scotland and does it as half the production cost to recover it.
Oh aye, right enough, we’re “different”, aren’t we? Scotland’s the only country on the planet who discovered an oil bonanza and got poorer. Scotland has the “wrong” kind of oil doesn’t it? We’ve heard all the shite before. It’s too volatile, it’s running out, decommissioning the rigs will bankrupt us… yeah, yeah, yeah. ZZzzzzz…
The real difference is Norway is a sovereign nation investing in it’s population and future generations. It developed Statoil, a state owned oil company and invested in it’s own support industries which are thriving to this day and look after it’s population for generations to come. Scotland is totally different, because Scotland has it’s resources plundered by a parasitic “partner” which takes the maximum out for the minimum in, lies repeatedly about the value of Scotland’s resources, and is too greedy and busy plundering Scotland’s wealth to create an oil fund for the benefit of future generations of Scots.
I don’t know where you get the idea that Norway has produced four times as much oil as Scotland, that’s shite, – probably some BritNat think tank made it up. That’s usually where the bullshit comes from, before it’s trumpeted on BritNat media to indoctrinate the unwary.
And no, what Gavin McCrone said in the ‘70’s is much more relevant than what Gavin McCrone said before Scotland’s Referendum, because in the 1970’s his Report was meant to be top secret, so he could be candid and tell the truth. In 2013 he was trying to shut the stable door after the horse had bolted, and diffuse his own report to undermine Scottish Independence. He also lied through his teeth about his report not being secret, and we know that because of the covering letter attached to the Report and signed by him, which declared the information inside the report was so sensitive that it had to be kept secret and it’s circulation tightly controlled.
But keep trying Don. You never know, maybe you’ll manage to fool somebody with your BritNat Bullshit. Maybe try over on WGD.. they’re dumb enough to believe in all kinds of fairy stories.
Dave Somerville
3 years ago
America was the exception to the Referendum rule, they just kicked the bastards out.
Breeks
3 years ago
Oh aye Don, a last wee tip for you.
If you hear anything about Scotland and Scottish Independence on the BBC, it’s a fairly safe bet it’s a load of shite. The clue is that it’s on the BBC, the state owned propaganda channel.
Since you’re a fan of YouTube, away and search for the “London Calling” video about the BBC bias during the 2014 IndyRef. Maybe you’ll learn something, although you’re so full of hate and vinegar, you probably won’t.
Pixywine
3 years ago
Don. Go fuck your Mother you arsehole.
Breastplate
3 years ago
Don,
Let me get your argument for the Union correct.
Scotland should stay in the Union because it doesn’t earn enough money to be independent.
Presumably then, that if Scotland can generate enough money you would stand behind independence.
Obviously no surplus is needed for self determination as the UK has a massive national debt and getting bigger.
At what point do you believe the UK should be stripped of its independence?
Or you could save us all your ramblings, tell the truth, admit you’re a hypocrite and that you believe under no circumstances Scotland should ever be independent.
MaggieC
3 years ago
From Chris McEleny on twitter ,
“ Who would’ve guessed that the Daily Mail @Mike_Blackley was the most visited website by Scottish Government staff….Wings over Scotland also the most visited independence supporting site. “
Well I guess the new Cabinet Secretary for Health & Social Care is going to have his work cut out getting to grips with these new fangled health and care issues.
Id just like to point out something when it comes to the argument – ‘there are no native peoples on these islands’ (or something similar).
If that’s the case then there are almost no native peoples pretty much anywhere, because so few would pass that test. I disagree with it but lets run with that:
Peoples, cultures and civilisations have their homelands. Over time the genetic mixture of those peoples change slowly and mix with other neighbouring peoples.
There are times when this happens over the course of just a few decades and pretty much every time this is not considered integration, or adaptation. It is called invasion.
Ultimately the forced introduction of alien cultures of peoples of a different ethnic heritage, financed by NGO’s and helped along by the political class while arguments against are frowned upon and now becoming outlawed cannot be seen as anything else.
There is nothing natural about the numbers being brought to Scotland (and anywhere else in Europe). There is nothing helpful about it to ordinary Scots. Ultimately it will, and is intended to, create a perpetually divided society that can never find political cohesion.
If you doubt that claim then I ask you – why is it always the same people who shout BLM (and the anti-European hatred that stems from that marxist terrorist organisation) that want Africans to come here in vast numbers? If native Europeans are so evil to black people and must be punished what is the game in trying to get as many of them here as possible?
Like the trans folk these people are being used. The groups advocating for them are tools of the financial elite who want the nation state to die.
Unfortunately too many Scots are too busy biting their nails and trying to appease political players who will accuse them of bigotry no matter what they do.
The solution is to recognise the forces behind this – the groups and characters around the IMF, WEF and other globalist institutions and get their tentacles out of our nations. African and Muslim nations in particular who have been most heavily abused by these financial gangsters.
A global movement for nationalism and the rights of the peoples of the world to run their countries for the benefit of their own people as a priority and not be just the indebted vassals of global international corporations and banks.
J.o.e
3 years ago
I just wanted to add an addition to my previous comment:
Some years ago on this site i was making comment saying – it does not matter how much you appease the fanatics, how much ground you give, they will always want more. Arguments may initially make sense and be justified but eventually the continual pushing will take their demands to never before imagined levels – to the point of insanity that hurts people.
This is exactly what happened with the transgender issue. It will happen with everything else you give ground to these people on.
Im not a sage, or a fortune teller. I just know what has gone before and I have read what has been planned. This is how populations have been decimated in the past and unimaginable horrors and bloodshed unleashed on innocents.
The first few times it was class warfare. Very justified to begin with given the excesses of the wealthy versus the grueling hardship of the poor. However that very quickly becomes gulags for anyone who might disagree with the ruling clique.
Now its racial and sex ‘privilege’ and is leading to a similar place.
Southernbystander
3 years ago
Confused @ 7:34 said:
‘– some of the english get all upset about the norman invasion, and its consequences; tolkien was one. Some of the (dumber) english claim to be vikings, probably for the shield maidens.’
The English have been upset by the Norman invasion from the moment it happened. There is documentary evidence from the time bemoaning that the true Englishman (read Anglo-Saxon) is gone, no more, replaced by the foreign invading Normans. The Normans of course are in fact of Viking descent though those who claim Viking ancestry won’t be referring to that.
Where I live (West Yorkshire) there was a surprising cluster of Romano-British DNA but then not so surprising because the area corresponds to the old Kingdom of Elmet, a last Celtic stronghold in England till c600AD, and a place of dense forests and lawlessness according to legend (see Ted Hughes Remains of Elmet). It was ruled by one King Gwalog who ended up in Wales. And now the DNA evidence proves this but also that the inhabitants did not flee but bred with the Anglo-Saxons.
I cannot claim this lineage personally though, as I am from the south so am very likely pure Anglo-Saxon, which I am perfectly happy with, though frankly I could not really give a toss what my genetic make-up is in terms of ancestry, though I find it interesting nevertheless. I don’t really hold with the idea that culture has much to do with DNA.
Tannadice Boy
3 years ago
Now we are oot of Dundee my Internet Service Provider has thrown a tantrum. I log onto WOS under an ISP e mail. I will never do that again. Ah well I disappeared a few years ago and shortly will be cut off. Could be my last chance to wish you well Stu. Rest assured we are not moving to Bath. A nice town but not on our list. Although we might not be too far from you. My wife is delighted she is not stepping over druggies to get to the supermarket.
Remember 300 years of Scotland not being permitted debt
Brian Doonthetoon
3 years ago
Hi Tannadice Boy.
Cornwall is nice. The people are a bit like us – they resent control from London.
David Caledonia
3 years ago
A lot of brilliant stuff on here today, and unusually I have read most of it, I must have to much time on my hands lol.
I will not go into certain personalities and their silly nonesense as we all know who they are, but one thing I just have to point out again is this.
Do not reply to them, you only give them a platform, ignore them, the poor souls will get bored and go away eventually.
Anyway, I’m off to youtube to partake in my fav comedy shows, is there help anywhere for all us youtube addicts lol
Tannadice Boy
3 years ago
@Brian Doonthetoon 10:33pm
Of our 6 locations 2 of them are in Cornwall. Pricey but manageable. My wife is so happy even although we are in a temporary situation just now. Keep the flag flying Brian you are a good un.
Liz g
3 years ago
Joe @ 9.20 & 9.57
{ Firstly let me fess up and apologise espically to Ruby … the other day the way I wrote my post I claimed several times there were 70 million people in London alone … I know there’s not, and everyone else probably does too, and I’m too affronted to go back and look to see if anyone bothered to correct me on it.
I was rushing to make my point about immigration and even though I read it back I didn’t spot my idiotic claim ( tis a wonder there’s no been Hammers wielded ) numbers have never been my strong suit but I’m no usually that far oot , can I just leave it at we need people ? 🙂 }
Anyhoo joe
We need people…or we need a very radical and fast rejiging of Scotland !
What exactly do you suggest we do about it?
Assuming we agree that Westminister manage things to suit London ( and why wouldn’t they ? )
And
Westminister are to be gotten out of Scotland’s Business because we are fed up funding London.
I’ll quite happily discuss “fortress Scotland ” and seriously too.
I’d go from Fortress Scotland right over to an open door policy and everything in between … we’ve led the way and changed the world before…
It is a conversation that Scotland needs to have and we need to do it with cool heads.
It’s also a conversation that western democracies seem quick to shut down any sense on.
I won’t entertain a Breeding programme suggestion , no matter how prettily worded.
Those notions are gone, they are not coming back and everyone ( not you personally joe ) better make their peace with that.
So Joe .
New people … how and when ?
Or
Design Fortress Scotland to sustain a 21st centurary lifestlye and keep the young people out numbered, out voted , and out of the Emirgation que ???
You have the Conch !!!
Brian Doonthetoon
3 years ago
Hi Tannadice Boy.
Me and wife #1 did the St Austell area back in the 80s. A long drive but a great holiday. Never fancied the surfing an’ thah on the north coast.
Ever noticed that the sand is a lot finer on Scottish beaches (Broughty, Monifieth, Carnoustie, Tentsmuir For example) than English beaches, where the sand tends to irritate the tootsies? Carlyon Bay had decent sand. And a naturist beach…
Fireproofjim
3 years ago
Don
I worked twenty years in the offshore industry and can assure you that Scotland and Norway have produced very similar quantities of crude oil over the last forty years or so and the production costs are just the same. The oil companies have an interest in keeping costs low.
The difference being that not a single penny of the Trillion dollars worth of revenues was allocated to Scotland and the majority was used to reduce the top level of income tax from 60% to 40%. Great for the rich.
Norway has invested every penny for the good of their nation. Tragically there will come a time when we are left only with the old rusting abandoned oil rigs but we can look across the North Sea to the richest country in the world.
Brian Doonthetoon
3 years ago
Hi Liz g says at 10:46 pm.
You mentioned, “Fortress Scotland right over to an open door policy and everything in between … we’ve led the way and changed the world before…”
@Brian Doonthetoon 10:54pm
I had the privilege of working in the Western Isles thee greatest beaches in the UK. We had a holiday on Barra and I have to say the beach on Vatersay was outstanding. A weeks holiday that seems a long time ago now. But was the best family holiday we have ever had. The colour of the water on Vatersay was turquoise. Amazing!
Stephen
3 years ago
All this talk about maintaining the purity of Scottishness is for the birds.
We need open borders to trade and to survive.
This has been our wont.
We have travelled.
Indeed Scots were at the vanguard of the empire.
This narrative about Scotland being colonised by England is rubbish.
An independent Scotland needs to be open for business and welcoming to all.
Liz g
3 years ago
Brian Doonthetoon @ 11.07
Wow scary stuff,and I’d guess we don’t yet know the half of it.
I long read I’ll certinly save for later and I’ll be looking at it with the Rev in my ear too.
I’ll be trying to pick out our value to Westminister and NATO going forwards.
Because if the war games that they play every year aren’t drawing income to the UK treasury ( aye right) I’ll certinaly be arguing they sure as shit better to Holyrood..
Or they can simulate the hell out of the Highlands and see how far they get …
Brian Doonthetoon
3 years ago
Hi Stephen at 11:10 pm.
You opined,
“This narrative about Scotland being colonised by England is rubbish.
An independent Scotland needs to be open for business and welcoming to all.”
Can you square those contradictory statements?
Stephen
3 years ago
It’s not contradictory.
I believe both statements to be true.
Research the history of the empire and you will find that Scots were at the heart of it.
We benefited from it.
Just consider the street names in Glasgow.
All this about relishing the purity of our stock is ridiculous considering how widely we have travelled and the interbreeding which has taken place.
Are we going to deny the vote to people who live in Scotland but are from somewhere else?
We need all the help we can get.
Dave Somerville
3 years ago
WGD must be the worst of all the Indy blogs.
Full of all sorts of freaks and Sturgeon fanatics.
No wonder Sturgeon’s a fan.
It’s a website that I have never visited.
Wee brass neck scrounging bastard.
Liz g
3 years ago
Stephen @ 11.10
Well yes Stephen it’s a daft notion to be sure… but , in, breaking down the conversation to ..Corporations and their power over us and buying local to help the environment … there may be lessons to be learned from the world when it was less integrated and interdependent .
Of course the racial purity nonsense is no anything any serious person entertains ( science has gone far to far for that anyway ) but to study and look at tribal and clan systems for what they have to teach us now could be useful.
We know to our cost all about how our natural tribal instincts are used against us and are encouraged to see them as regressive.
( One look at Westminister and we get all the confirmation bias we need of extreme *Tribe gone wrong civilise immediately * type performances.)
But, not everything about the Tribes and the Clan system was bad for humanity and certainly not for the planet..
Mibbi we should look closer at them to see if there’s anything we could use to advance humanity ?
And certainly look to see what Scotland can use..
Stephen
3 years ago
Liz
Yes
I’m all in favour of buying local to support the environment and I agree with you about the egregious effects of multinationals.
I’m not sure, however, that there is any merit in searching for an ethnic tribal base for an independent Scotland.
Liz g
3 years ago
Stephen @ 11.57
Me either Stephen..
That’s not what I said at all.
I’m saying there’s a conversation to be had.
Encompassing the full range of possibilities .
And to deny that our ( and everyone else’s ) tribal instincts are not being played on is naive.
To deny we have such instincts serves only those who who’ll use them.
So.
I say include them without shame in the conversation and see where we are willing to go next.
J.o.e
3 years ago
‘We need open borders to trade’
lol
Stephen
3 years ago
Ok Liz
Sorry if I misunderstood.
It’s good to talk as Bob Hoskins once said!
Breeks
3 years ago
Stephen says:
19 May, 2021 at 11:10 pm
All this talk about maintaining the purity of Scottishness is for the birds.
We need open borders to trade and to survive.
This has been our wont.
We have travelled.
Indeed Scots were at the vanguard of the empire.
This narrative about Scotland being colonised by England is rubbish.
An independent Scotland needs to be open for business and welcoming to all.
Jeezo. This is a full on Neil Oliver level of deluded bullshit. “Open borders to trade and to survive” is it? Brace yourself Stephen. You might want to be sitting down while somebody tells you about Brexit.
Stephen
3 years ago
Breeks
Yes
Your arguing skills are poor though.
Liz g
3 years ago
Stephen @ 1.17
That’s disappointing Stephen…
A personal attack ?
Is not the level I thought I was engaging at.
Bye Stephen
David Caledonia
3 years ago
Cornwall Spain or Turkey
Turkey every time for me, and then Abuyog
David Caledonia
3 years ago
you will engage with twits and they always end up being abusive, ignore them every time
Rob Brown’s Jaggy Blog is proving to be a good and timely addition to the indy blogging community. If there are Wingers who haven’t visited yet you should pop over there.
Scozzie
3 years ago
Well the New SNP Cabinet sure makes for a gallery of amateurs and failures. Seems like any kind of knowledge of the ministerial brief is not required on the job description.
I see Bagpus Blackford is still whittering on about Brexit… man, he really doesn’t do self awareness – let it go mate the SNP blew its chance to do anything about Brexit, you’re embarrassing yourself now.
Effigy
3 years ago
Fake Trade Deals Westminster Style.
Very rich shill Liam Fox has signed up a trade deal with Papua New Guinea.
I know they must be about 10,000 miles away and are known for protected
exotic bird species.
Does any know of buying a product from that country, any product?
If we do buy something, how much does it cost to export that distance
and what harm to greenhouse gasses for all that fuel?
Now would that little pretty poor and remote country with minimal resources be able to
govern itself, whoops it seems to be doing that already with England begging for a deal.
If you were a small country looking to trade, would you give one country a sweater deal than you
would a group of 27 countries who are a little closer to you and who honour their trade deals?
Now we rejoice that Australian farmers can export their foods here without tariff?
Well that should make larger profits for the supermarkets who won’t cut prices and
of course it should herald the end for many local farmers.
Well farmers, you do tend to vote Tory, don’t you.
Perhaps the plan is to have everything shipped in from 12,000 miles away creating demand for new
ships to be built in the U.K., or England as it’s also known.
Just need to find a ship yard owned by a Tory donator and they can take as much as they like
from the tax payer.
FYI At the moment, something as simple as a metal clad socket with a NATO approved manufacturer already costs hundreds of pounds.
It’s a nice way of claiming it’s something special or complicated so must cost tax payers money
big time.
Dorothy Devine
3 years ago
Effigy , shrunken heads???
Famous15
3 years ago
The madness continues. Cll George Gordon objects to a small sea sports development at Silverknowes,Edinburgh. Again,against the very favourable local support. He says it is on amenity land. Dog shite versus healthy sport for young people.
He is an SNP councillor.
Why are they doing this? What motivates such an idiotic objection. Motive???
I am horrified at the unseemly choice of Somerville as Education Minister as she has literally no professional education qualifications. I thought I had better check it out, however and discovered that her Wikipedia page has already been updated to include her new post. (And I was right about her lack of professional education qualifications).
I shudder to think of the ill-informed decisions that will be taken under her direction.
Amazing how fast the SNP can get off the ground when it is a question of promoting themselves, in comparison to their lack of speed and direction concerning independence!
J.o.e
3 years ago
@Liz G
Hungary are currently well into a process of national revival and incentives to families have got their birth rates up and marriage rates up.
You can stimulate population growth without putting a gun to womens heads and saying ‘breed’. If women want to do other things then that is fine.
A country can have a sensible immigration policy that respects the needs of the people who live there with taking on a ‘fortress’ mentality.
There is nothing normal about throwing open borders. The ‘boats from Africa’ (or anywhere else) immigration policy is not something any sane country would suggest.
Besides, as I have already said – the 1 ndustry that requires an expanding base of people is the Banking industry. The first reason is for the generation of more debt and the second is the artificially high housing prices.
I can point to a number of places on mainland Europe filled with multi-lingual christian-based highly educated young people who are on the verge of grinding poverty who can’t even enter our country for a holiday much less come here and make a life.
The immigration we are seeing is not for our (or the migrants) benefit.
J.o.e
3 years ago
Correction – without taking on a ‘fortress’ mentality.
highseastim
3 years ago
David Caledonia @ 3.28am :- aye and quite a few of them frequent this site.
Famous15
3 years ago
I do not think a Minister requires qualifications in the subjects their ministry deals with as this would be nearly impossible in some area of expertise. Very few medical people at consultant level for example would be attracted to politics,the notable exception in the SNP was hit by the Cherry vindictive NEC ruling.
What a Minister DOES require is the intelligence and wisdom to hear the advice of Civil Servants and government advisors and advance the policies which would do the most good.
Shirley-Anne Somerville has demonstrated in her previous post that she has none of these qualities. She is however,very woke like her boss.
I remember in the eighties the equivalent to woke was the fear of witchcraft and the homophobia and conversion therapy views of the bible belt Republicans in the USA. Many people in senior positions in the public services here got free trips to the US to get “brainwashed”. It was very effective,so much so,that my pis staking of their new found views fell on deaf ears.Like the woke!
Meg merrilees
3 years ago
Just reporting a curious thing if anyone is interested –
I was awake early and heard the some of the first new broadcasts of the day on BBC R4 (poss 5.30/6.00 can’t remember which)
They reported that the inquiry into the infamous Martin Bashir interview with Princess Diana has reached the conclusion that Bashir obtained the interview by deceit as it was supposed to be an interview with her about her charitable activities.
Haven’t heard a peep on any radio broadcast since then about the inquiry and the only mention on their webpage says that the report is due on May 14th.
Interestingly, it was reported about a week ago that Bashir had retired from the BBC on health grounds – conveniently it now seems.
So what now BBC – do you indulge in underhand tactics and devious means to get your message across? Surely not!
How will the establishment react to this deceit?
Sue them?
Meg merrilees
3 years ago
Famous 15 @9.46
A discussion about the new cabinet on Radio Scotchland about an hour ago commented on the fact that she/her has moved Swinney to safety as there will be a lot of trouble coming down the line towards whoever the Education Secretary is – they actually suggested that Somerville was perhaps a sacrificial lamb!
Stuart MacKay
3 years ago
Effigy
As a major exporter of commodities, Papua New Guinea mainly exports gold, copper, palm oil and coffee. Main exports partners are Australia, Japan, Germany, China and Singapore. Papua New Guinea mainly imports fuel, rice, vehicle, machinery and equipment.
There are three possibilities I can think of – Fox has mining / palm oil plantation interests; there is some connection with the Australian trade deal or it’s part of the grand plan to get involved with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) – I see that the wikipedia page describing the agreement has already been updated to show the UK’s application.
Republicofscotland
3 years ago
So the Home office has said that it will get the two men who alluded them on Kenmure street in Glasgow at a later date. The Home Office also admitted to to trying to coerce the Sikh community into helping with removing the men, and no doubt other folk who live in Scotland, but the Sikh community wisely decided to have no dealings with that particular devil.
Meanwhile I see Sturgeon the Betrayer has all but shuffled the chairs on the Titanic with her cabinet positions, the most outrageous of all is appointing the ultra dense Shirley Anne-Sommerville as Education secretary.
No doubt Larry Flanagan, General Secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland will never be off the phone to this dolt, as she further f*cks up children’s education in Scotland.
Liz g
3 years ago
Joe @ 9.00
While I agree that the current immigration set up is not in our intrests I’d also point out that in recent history two relitivly empty countries that did open their borders America and Australia did rather well from it.
They, as would we,had to eventually get more selective but they strengthened their worker/tax base.
As for stimulating population growth …. why would we need to choose that ?
There are plenty of people already around Scotland just needs to attract them here.
As you said yourself there are some right on our doorstep.
Also
I am presuming you mean ” culturally ” Christian here for the purposes of ease of blending into community’s , but I would point out that’s no always as straightforward as it seems as we saw on Saturday Christians have their nutters too and many cleave to a way of life we are trying to get away from.
A strong secular Constition would, I think , be a pre requisite for us to do what we can to eliminate serfdom in all it’s forms.
Yes you are right. But im pointing out that there are practical ways to get a country revived without the ‘we need open borders’ nonsense that countries are already putting into practice. Why shouldn’t Scotland put the well being of Scots first?
I agree with the secular constitution but European Christians are pretty much in alignment with this anyway. I don’t know of any European christians who are not generally content to work under a secular government. When it comes to womens rights and secularism its not European Christians, or people from European countries that are Christian, who are the main problems.
Either way what we are seeing now is utterly unnecessary and is sinister from the way its done, to the groups behind it and in the way we were never asked while criticism is always painted as the expression of some sort of racist, evil (and soon potentially criminal) ideology.
Again – if the trans debacle hasn’t got anyone wondering what insanity might be in store for us with any of these other ‘woke’ pet projects then they probably need to stay off the whisky for a bit.
Ruby
3 years ago
Immigration could be increased by having free movement from the EU. ie being a member of the EU.
This could also attract people & businesses from the RUK.
I’m not convinced that it is a good thing to have a country divided up into different communities ie Muslim communities/Sikh communities etc.
I understand why people would want to do that but I think it should be discouraged.
Immigrants from the EU & RUK more likely to integrate due to similar culture.
Robert Graham
3 years ago
A bit o/t
I know the clowns over the rainbow in WGD land still read the comments here so here’s a question given that most of you lot have one foot in the grave do you expect to see a Independent Scotland in your lifetime under this SNP leadership ? it’s a honest question .
I wonder what the people on the doging side referred to as the WGD I wonder what exactly they are going to talk about for the next 5 years ? It’s just round the corner , it’s within touching distance ,we are on our way , a section 30 gold standard approval will be agreed by Bawjaws they talk about gaining independence as if it’s early 2014 ,
Christ that’s really stretching their belief in Princess Nicolas ability we have gone into reverse since the vote in 2014 no preparations have been made to present a believable case for a Independent country to the people who need to be convinced ,
She has poisoned the well of hope and belief she has singlehandedly fragmented and divided the YES movement , she’s either stupid or she is indeed following orders I would like to believe she’s not a very good politician or tactician because the thought of her being controlled by the English establishment is very troubling and has wider implications but this could explain some of the wreaking and divisive decisions she has made since becoming First Minister .
Ruby
3 years ago
To be able to discuss immigration you need free speech and we haven’t had that since Labour’s PC brigade started calling people racists if they dared to mention immigration.
Same applies now to self-id/GRA any criticism and you are branded transphobic & worse.
Dan
3 years ago
Ruby says: at 10:38 am
“I’m not convinced that it is a good thing to have a country divided up into different communities ie Muslim communities/Sikh communities etc.
I understand why people would want to do that but I think it should be discouraged.”
Aye, but the way things are being steered by the current wazzocks of the political class and the agendas they are pushing, societies are going to be divided anyway, but not only by religion, or ethnicity, it’s more likely to create yet another split between the sane and the stark raving bonkers factions.
It’s all just more pish being rained down on us to continue the divide and rule modus…
Alf Baird
3 years ago
Interesting title ‘Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution’, in a territory treated as a colony whose constitution is ignored and disrespected.
According to the UN, independence is decolonisation: link to un.org
‘Cabinet Secretary for Decolonisation’ may therefore be more apt, especially in a country whose independence is being blocked, and to negotiate independence via the UN C-24 under the UN Charter instead of with Downing St.
Ruby
3 years ago
Republicofscotland says:
20 May, 2021 at 10:06 am
So the Home office has said that it will get the two men who alluded them on Kenmure street in Glasgow at a later date. The Home Office also admitted to to trying to coerce the Sikh community into helping with removing the men, and no doubt other folk who live in Scotland, but the Sikh community wisely decided to have no dealings with that particular devil.
Reply
“The Home Office also admitted to to trying to coerce the Sikh community into helping with removing the men”
In what way? Did they say
“If you knowingly employ an illegal immigrant, or have ‘reasonable cause to believe’ the person does not have the right to work in the UK and you still employ them, you could face unlimited fines and a prison sentence of up to five years.”
‘Penalties for illegal renting
You could be sent to prison for 5 years or get an unlimited fine for renting property in England to someone who you knew or had ‘reasonable cause to believe’ did not have the right to rent in the UK.”
Perhaps none of this applies to Scotland and it’s OK to employ & rent to an illegal immigrant.
Perhaps it’s OK to employ people & pay them well under the minimum wage cash in hand in Scotland.
J.o.e
3 years ago
@Robert Graham
Its should be blatantly obvious to anyone who is not mentally ill that the SNP are not doing what they are supposed to.
So with that put aside – Scots need to stop being led by the nose by exciting and promising leaders. Scots need to be setting the agenda and grading politicians on their abilities to stick to it.
The cause of nationalism goes to more fundamental depths than the game we call politics. Scots need to be economically aware of Scotlands health and promote it by supporting pro Scottish businesses and people. Their needs to be deliberate pushing of our celebrations and culture nationally and internationally.
We need to have legal experts that push back against the BS we are seeing in the legal arena.
It has to feel good and to be rewarding to be Scottish. Not to always feel like the abused partner in a relationship you can’t seem to get out of while waiting on a corrupt band of imbeciles.
Pride needs to come back. Not the ‘Im proud to be Scottish but not if it offends anyone’ but far more ‘im proud to be Scottish, I don’t need any specific reason and you can GTF if you don’t like it’.
What’s most important, and to get back to leadership – we need public figures who are not in the political game and can’t be destroyed by the political game.
Mr Campbell showed that this is effective. People look to him for views and how to conceptualize what’s going on as well as for information – and he was difficult to get rid of because he never entered the farce of politics.
Politics is just 1 facet of all this. An important one but while we have years to wait to change the political landscape there are many positive things to be doing that advances the Scots as a people.
Lastly – Scots need to stop falling into political traps like referendums
Ruby
3 years ago
Dan says
“it’s more likely to create yet another split between the sane and the stark raving bonkers factions.”
Reply
‘Nurse Ratched’ will be along soon to sort out those who claim to be sane.
“And they’re coming to take me away ha-haaa
They’re coming to take me away ho-ho hee-hee ha-haaa”
I’ve no idea how the Home Office plans to snatch the men, here’s the article and a snippet from it.
“However, the UK Government is likely to face a robust legal challenge. Robina Qureshi, director of charity Positive Action in Housing, said: “We are exploring what legal actions there are to take action against the Home Office.
“It’s wrong to call them illegal — the Home Office is casting aspersions on men from the Indian community. They have been living and working peacefully in the community for years and it’s just a matter of not having the right paperwork. They are not criminals, they are not costing anybody anything. Detaining them will only rack up a bill for the taxpayer.””
“Perhaps it’s OK to employ people & pay them well under the minimum wage cash in hand in Scotland.”
Perhaps that’s an assumption of yours. ( I know a prolific commentor, from another blog who’s very fond of using the word perhaps)
My view is that the Home Office (a misnomer if ever there was one) has been removing folk that IT finds are illegally living in Scotland, and as you’re fond of saying Ruby, Perhaps Scots are fed up with this kind of treatment, I know I am. England has been keeping Scotland’s population small and manageable for a long time, (ever wonder why England has ten times more folk than Scotland does), no we need control of immigration to grow our tax base, and I for one believe it we’d had control of we’d have voted to leave this union long before now.
robertknight
3 years ago
@Alf Baird
Given his background, ‘Cabinet Secretary for Devolution’ may therefore be more apt. Another creature of the British Establishment.
James Che.
3 years ago
From observing mass immigration being imposed on all western countries to present date, allowed and encouraged through the front door and the back door by our governments in their millions across Europe, allowed and trafficked by cartels trading in people
I would suggest that these poor immigrants are going to be used as future slave labour at the cost to locals and the immigrants,
Sweater shops for all,
If our countries cannot provide transport systems that are on time and regular, if our health care systems are diminishing through sell offs, and privatisation and the NHS already could not coping during the pandemic
If we can’t pay decent wages or find work for people already unemployed in western countries, or provide decent housing for our own homeless who lie on the streets ignored by our politicians,
How on earth will importing mass immigration of people help the situation or the immigrants.
We used to have, poor house in times not so far in our past, nowadays we have food banks for ordinary people with families.
The immigrants will become used and abused, they will be in the poorest houses like Grenfell tower or living on the street, they will be used to keep cost of wages down for the elites to an all time low, which they themselves will Fall foul of. Many are not being recorded through the official paperwork, this not only makes them vulnerable, it means they may fall foul of pimps and prostitution, fed by drugs, and of corse if no one is aware you’re here, an immigrant can just as easily be disposed of. No one would be looking for your death in the papers,
Here in Britain the structures for society are crumbling at a faster rate than thought possible in my life time.
These immigration policies without support for the migrants, or the people already here will impose poverty on the masses,
This may be advantageous for elitism and slave labour. But not for the immigrants or locals.
Both these two sets of people will be held hostage to conditions like in the earlier centuries, being held by masters and to poor to escape.
This is not about being kind to our fellow man, woman or child, this is about being kind to the rich,
The use and terminology of the phrase “Human Resources” in government, Councils and big businesses is not there by accident this century.
Republicofscotland
3 years ago
Alf @11.04.
Yes Alf, that crossed my mind as well, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, it has a hollow ring to it when you know that Scotland is treated like a colony, but outwardly to the masses it give off the impression that something important is going on behind the scenes with regards to a constitution or movement to get Scotland out of this union, when we know that’s not the case.
Its almost akin to Boris Johnson’s empty title Minister for the Union.
Dave Somerville
3 years ago
Talking to two Tory Voting nurses this morning, and they went on to tell me how much they hated Nicola Sturgeon because she’s determined to break up the UK.
I told told them that while Sturgeon was running the show, there would be no chance of the UK being broken up, and that Sturgeon was probably as bigger Tory than Ruth Davidson.
They were taken back by my negativity I had regarding Sturgeon and had never heard of any splits within the Yes Movement.
Also got the usual Salmond reply.
Point being, the ignorance among usually quite intelligent people is astounding and depressing at the same time.
It’s very interesting talking to complete strangers to see exactly where we are regarding widespread opinions.
And it seems to be along the lines of:-
Sturgeon is “Robert the Bruce” in a skirt, and Alex Salmond is the worst threat to women since “Jack the Ripper”.
Breeks
3 years ago
Republicofscotland says:
20 May, 2021 at 12:26 pm
Alf @11.04.
Yes Alf, that crossed my mind as well, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, it has a hollow ring to it when you know that Scotland is treated like a colony…
Not just a hollow ring to it, but if Westminster’s unconstitutional encroachment over Scotland’s sovereign rights continues to be ignored, and the Scottish “Government” meekly acquiesces to going along with it, just as they did over Brexit, then I think it goes beyond being something hollow, because it is actually setting unconstitutional precedents which Westminster will seize upon like a cable tie; tightening incrementally, without ever releasing.
It’s possible, I think, that the Scottish Government’s unconstitutional “concessions” to Westminster might be ultra vires under Scotland’s sovereign Constitution and can be undone, but unless or until Westminster recognises Scotland’s sovereign ascendency, (which it won’t until compelled to), the Scottish Government’s cowardice is allowing Westminster to entrench it’s colonial beachhead and thus make it’s encroachment all the harder to remove.
You almost want Scotland to have a Constitutional Minister, a bit like the office of Lord Advocate, who should properly be sitting outside of Government and independent, holding the Government in check, and compelling them to act Constitutionally, rather than a token mouthpiece Cabinet bauble talking pish on behalf of the Government of the day.
Sadly, we know that probity and principle makes no more sense to this SNP “Government” than the sovereign Constitution.
Breeks
3 years ago
Dave Somerville says:
20 May, 2021 at 12:38 pm
Talking to two Tory Voting nurses this morning….
….. the ignorance among usually quite intelligent people….
Tory voting nurses pass for intelligent people?
Dave Somerville
3 years ago
Breeks
Sturgeon is in favour of Devolution for four simple reasons:-
1/ The huge salary the Murrells pick up.
2/ The luxury Mansion lifestyle.
3/ The Power it gives them.
4/ The fear of losing it all when we finally do become an independent nation.
James Che.
3 years ago
Breeks,
The problem we have, is the Scottish government ( snp) does not seriously recognise the sovereignty of the Scottish people either, or they would have acted when we gave them all those mandates.
The pressure on the snp this year will have to reach a crescendo,
Snp don’t try for independence”. Or “snp squandered sovereign mandates” might be a good flag to fly on a rally or march
They have never joined the people in support for independence, but we can call them out on it publicly, and we must.
Jack Murphy
3 years ago
I notice Sturgeon hasn’t taken the opportunity of the Grand Reshuffle of her Cabinet to boot out Lord Wolffe her political [?] Lord Advocate.
This week would have been the perfect time to boot him and his Office out of the SNP Cabinet.
Dave Somerville
3 years ago
James Che
Sturgeon doesn’t do “Indy”, that’s for the scum end of society.
She’s more of a “Rainbow Rally” wummin.
Show her one of them and she’ll be front and centre before you can say “shut that door”.
John Main
3 years ago
@Republicofscotland – 20 May, 2021 at 12:20 pm
“we need control of immigration to grow our tax base”
I don’t agree with you, as I think we need control of our education and employment policies so that we can grow our industries, create new classes of gainful employment, hire our unemployed and unemployable, increase the wages paid to the people already living here, and hence grow our tax base that way.
A bit like the Germans have always done without even having to think about it.
But let’s just say you have it right.
To have control of immigration, an Independent Scotland can’t be in the EU. So careful what you wish for.
Socrates MacSporran
3 years ago
Jack Murphy
Regarding James Wollfe – the two irreplaceable members of the Cabinet are Wolffe and John Swinney – they know where all the bodies are buried, and, with that knowledge, they could bury Sturgeon.
Salmond pointed out. That it took from 2011 to 2014 to get a referendum, and he started on day one.
He pointed out that Cameron’s position on a section 30, was not what it was in 2011. Salmond pushed Cameron into a concession, with a very clever strategy. Many believe they just agreed at the outset because the SNP won the election.
If Nicola was serious. She would start all the negotiations now, in readiness for the end of the pandemic. If she plans to wait and wait. Then forget indy ref 2 in this parliament.
Which is why we are all confident that there won’t be a referendum. She demonstrates this every day she delays.
@Stuart MacKay – 17 May, 2021 at 4:52 pm
‘Apparently so many people are rushing to affirm the “too wee, too poor, too stupid” mantra.’
Tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands, of so-called Scottish Independence supporters just went out and voted SNP1 SNP2. By doing so, they denied the pro-Indy super-majority in Hollyrood that was there for the taking if they could have been arsed to understand the system and how to make their votes count.
There’s your “too stupid” right there.
If you want my advice, you will add a new term to the mantra.
Too lazy.
Pixywine, yes I am well aware that there is an enormous number of coronaviruses. This is a novel coronavirus, it is a new form, there’s nothing odd about that. 20% of common colds are caused by coronaviruses and there are altogether 7 types which infect humans. Why do you find it so hard to believe in the existence of the current one?
No, you are nothing like me.
@Big Jock 6:30pm
We have a similar profile. I am absolutely hoping Stu’s works get archived in the National Library of Scotland. Why?. Because his claims about Sturgeon will be proven to be true. His assertions will be frozen in suspension for now. After time pillow talk, the new movie, the new book etc will release new material for the revisionist historians to have a field day. Absolutely confident it will come out in the wash. Academics don’t you just love them?. Probably not but they will get to the truth eventually. I can’t tell when that will be but Sturgeon should forget about her legacy of a foundation in her name. It will be built on match sticks.
We’re gonna have a cartoon a week until November. Mostly, they will be supplied by Chris Cairns. I guess Stella or Rev Stu himself will fill in as golfing holiday relief. Stella would be my choice, as I don’t believe Rev Stu really sees himself as a practising cartoonist. Well, he does practice but hasn’t quite mastered the art.
Is every new page gonna turn into this example? Where the actual subject of the cartoon – Hamish (Scotland) and his backup, standing against Westminster imposed idealogical policies – is suppressed, in a rush to prove that one particular theory about coronavirus is more believable than another?
And it’s only Tuesday. Another three and a bit days until we get a fresh page to comment on.
D:Ream/Labour 1997 springs to mind.
A quote from this page:-
link to wingsoverscotland.com
““A world of conspiracy theories, hatred and paranoia. This is a brand of nationalism that seeks to peddle falsehoods and unfounded allegations against anyone who isn’t a believer. It is nasty, sewage politics that debases public life. And yet the Wings Over Scotland [sic] is cited as an authoritative source by some leading SNP figures who really should know better.”
– Murray Foote (Daily Record)”
Oh, THAT Murray Foote!
Does any one know the deaths from influenza for England and Wales 2018/2019?
Does anyone know the total winter mortality deaths for England and Wales 2018/2019.
Does anyone know if the mortality deaths for covid have been counted separately from flu deaths in England and Wales for 2019/ /2020 as I can’t find that particular years statistics?
Have they ceased counting flu or other winter mortality deaths when covid started?
Ruby says:
“Do you think we could compare ourselves to Native Americans &
Indigenous Australians who both have very high rates & drug & alcohol addiction?
Do you think being colonised is the root cause?”
The short answer is yes. Sir Harry Burns, former Chief Medical Officer, considered Scotland’s poor health statistics to be very similar to other aborigine peoples who have become ‘dislocated from their culture’ mainly as a result of colonialism. Aso related to colonialism, Professor Michael Hechter found Scotland’s structural inequalities were due in part to an imposed ethnic/cultural division of labour. This it was argued is a consequence of colonialism which results in under-development of a people and their culture, which is also a result of cultural and linguistic imperialism and the imposition and domination of an elite cultural hegemony which does not reflect the indigenous culture, language or values, leading to discrimination becoming institutionalised and oppression internalised, and hence fewer socio-economic opportunities for the indigenous people.
link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com
Tannadice Boy @ 7:33
“Academics don’t you just love them?. Probably not but they will get to the truth eventually.”
Yes, and here’s an example:
link to amazon.co.uk
Very interesting Alf, but I think it’s more to do with booze,fags, greasy fish /chips, kebab and burger shops, lack of exercise etc etc.
Cultural and linguistic imperialism? No’ really!
Alf Baird says:
18 May, 2021 at 7:44 pm
The short answer is yes.
Reply
Thank you Alf that is very interesting.
akenaton says:
18 May, 2021 at 8:17 pm
Very interesting Alf, but I think it’s more to do with booze,fags, greasy fish /chips, kebab and burger shops, lack of exercise etc etc.
Reply
None of the above leads to drug or alcohol addiction.
So, (I hate starting sentences with “So”)
How many of the commenters on this page are gonna be at Holyrood on Saturday, to demonstrate our desire for INDEPENDENCE?
link to caltonjock.com
The Alex Salmond debacle provided evidence of serious shortcomings in the SNP government led by Nicolas Sturgeon and there are growing concerns her government has become distracted by the pursuit of controversial political doctrine with result that it has lost its way in the efficient provision of Health, Education, policing and local government.
Worryingly boundaries between politicians, the Scottish Government, the Scottish civil service and the Law are being compromised, placing the health and well being of the people of Scotland increasingly at risk of political and social disorder due to the imposition of draconian laws and policies changing the accepted norms of society without consultation or approval of the electorate.
@Alf Baird 7:54pm
Now that maybe interesting reading Alf or at least the precis is promising. I would prefer this literature to Fanon.
Any Indy Rally will be hijacked by the Sturgeon lot, taking full credit for it and she will tell the world that Boris Johnson is a very bad man for not allowing Scotland it’s rightful Independence Referendum.
She will be full of faux outrage.
Rinse and Repeat.
I am not given Sturgeon the chance to claim any credit off the back of me marching up and down an Edinburgh street.
Get an Referendum date wrote down in black and white Nicola.
Then I might consider getting back on the Campaign Trail.
Brian Doonthetoon says:
18 May, 2021 at 8:29 pm
So, (I hate starting sentences with “So”)
How many of the commenters on this page are gonna be at Holyrood on Saturday, to demonstrate our desire for INDEPENDENCE?
answer. no-one. AUOB have said games a bogey, as they don’t want folk travelling through from the level 3 area of Glasgow.
link to twitter.com
Brian Doonthetoon says:at 7:35 pm
“We’re gonna have a cartoon a week until November. Mostly, they will be supplied by Chris Cairns. I guess Stella or Rev Stu himself will fill in as golfing holiday relief. Stella would be my choice, as I don’t believe Rev Stu really sees himself as a practising cartoonist. Well, he does practice but hasn’t quite mastered the art.”
Pfft! That’s an outrageous, insulting, derogatory, hurtful, and quite possibly verging on hate speech comment!
I thought Stu’s previous work was a stunning modern day manifestation of the Lowryesque genre. 🙂
link to wingsoverscotland.com
Big Jock @ 18.57
I didn’t hear all of her acceptance speech today but I did hear the bit where she said that for as long as the pandemic exists she will direct all her efforts to steering the country through that safely.
Did she mention Independence?
After all, she could have said that she will begin preparations for an Indy ref later this summer if the virus figures are got under control or some similar throw away remark just to give the lumpin proles some hope.
Still, she promises to make this the best country ‘to grow up in’.
Pity for those of us who have already grown up.
Anyone know what`s happening with Craig Murray,
has Judge Dorian got him in chains yet or is the judge waiting on orders from She/Her on what to do next.
Meg merrilees says: at 9:21 pm
“Still, she promises to make this the best country ‘to grow up in’.
Pity for those of us who have already grown up.”
Maybe all Scots should just start necking those puberty blockers and we can stall time till we all, as a nation, are ready to grow up and take full responsibility for governing ourselves…
link to archive.is
Info for anyone planning on take the bus to Holyrood.
Road closed for 7 months. Residents to take taxis.
The newly elected Edinburgh Central MSP might have a few problems to sort out.
Can’t help thinking that the last 7 months would have been a better time to do this.
@ Scot Finlayson.
June 7th?
link to twitter.com
Brian Doonthetoon says:
I don’t believe Rev Stu really sees himself as a practising cartoonist. Well, he does practice but hasn’t quite mastered the art.
Reply
Oh I don’t know about.
I see no reason why his work couldn’t be eligible for the Turner Prize. I thought it was a very memorable piece of work with a very profound message.
I thought it was a very memorable piece of work.
PS The language in the you tube video that you didn’t know if it was Italian or Spanish was Portuguese.
@Briandoonthedoon 7:35pm
I have met you and will testify to your Independence credentials. Myself I prefer a stall on the street to persuade people. I have marched up and down Carlton Hill and it never made any difference. The one thing Sturgeon has got right. It’s counter productive. I wish you well in Dundee. We have already left Dundee. My wife is delighted I am not. Moved further south for the time being but still in Scotland for family reasons. Soon to leave after something happens. I wish you well. Keep the good fight up in Dundee.
I noticed that John Swinney was bagged earlier today. Sounded to me like Sturgeon wanted rid of him as quickly as possible. The forensic MSP from Dumbarton was less than complimentary about Swinney’s achievements to date, imploring him to try much harder next time. Minister for Covid Recovery cannot be that complex, can it?
He just needs to be joined by that other vainglorious fool James Wolffe and we will at last be getting somewhere.
PaulaJ says:
18 May, 2021 at 4:37 pm
Ruby says:
“Do you think we could compare ourselves to Native Americans &
Indigenous Australians who both have very high rates & drug & alcohol addiction?
Do you think being colonised is the root cause?”
I honestly don’t know, Ruby, but I can’t remember ever talking to anyone who suggested that was the cause. Sad, if true.
Reply
Neither have I.
It was just something I thought might be a possibility.
“I don’t believe Rev Stu really sees himself as a practising cartoonist. Well, he does practice” @ Dan says at 9:21pm
I think his male anatomy drawing on his spoilt ballot paper was one of his finer postmodernist pieces!
😉
@Captain Yossarian 10:09pm
I could have bagged Swinney in 2015 but didn’t. And suspect many others could have. Wheest for Indy and all that. It’s over. The cause is lost. I would ask you to consider the fate of the undying faithful. It’s not hit them yet. As the recent elections have confirmed. The one thing I want you to do, as you are a Unionist, is to promote the archiving of these articles into the NLS. If you are fair you would want that. History will be kind to Stu. And archiving will be untouchable in the years ahead. Don’t be frightened of the truth however unpalatable that proves to be.
Ruby says:
18 May, 2021 at 10:30 pm
PaulaJ says:
“Do you think we could compare ourselves to Native Americans &
Indigenous Australians who both have very high rates & drug & alcohol addiction?
Do you think being colonised is the root cause?”
What the Hell is wrong with you brains ? Scotland has nevee ever been a colony , Scotland chose to join the bigfer UK by its own choice , Get off you knees for Gods sake and stop the fake whining.Scotland CHOSE to jin the UK to get access to Englands trade routes after nearly being Bankcrupted by the Darien Scheme Cock up, learn soem effing History instead of making up your own fantasties.
Ruby says:
18 May, 2021 at 10:30 pm
PaulaJ says:
“Do you think we could compare ourselves to Native Americans &
Indigenous Australians who both have very high rates & drug & alcohol addiction?
Do you think being colonised is the root cause?”
What the Hell is wrong with your brains ? Scotland has nevee ever been a colony , Scotland chose to join the bigfer UK by its own choice , Get off you knees for Gods sake and stop the fake whining.Scotland CHOSE to jin the UK to get access to Englands trade routes after nearly being Bankcrupted by the Darien Scheme Cock up, learn soem effing History instead of making up your own fantasties.
@James Che. 18 May, 2021 at 7:37 pm
“Does any one know the deaths from influenza for England and Wales 2018/2019?
Does anyone know the total winter mortality deaths for England and Wales 2018/2019.
Does anyone know if the mortality deaths for covid have been counted separately from flu deaths in England and Wales for 2019/ /2020 as I can’t find that particular years statistics?
Have they ceased counting flu or other winter mortality deaths when covid started?”
How hard can it be ?
link to ons.gov.uk
link to ons.gov.uk
I’m sure you will have worked out WHY Flu Deaths are down ? Social diostancing, working from Home , Extra Free Flu Jabs down to age 50, Hand sanatising, Lockdowns etc ect ect
Ruby, for what it’s worth, I have suggested that is the case. Not just on specific things like alcohol but also generally on the collective psyche and attitudes. I’ve lived in two former colonies and have ties with a third, and it was the North American Indians who made me realize what is going on in Scotland. They unintentionally made me see myself and thereby my kin in their own context. The Scots are miserable and if you grew up being treated as if your people are inferior it’s not hard to see why, and seeing similar outcomes, attitudes and behaviours in other much more obviously and visibly subjugated people drew some incredible similarities for me. They’d scoff and ridicule me for saying it, but yes, they are suffering in a similar way to indigenous people. It’s not just drugs, it’s everything. Even how we treat each other. I also notice the other side, the ‘settler’ side, the guilty consciences, insecurity and brutal attitudes that are common across the globe.
See what I mean? Furious denial.
Ruby
Scotland DIDNT’t choose to join the UK, ordinary people did not have a vote. It was a handful of Aristos who saw the chance to make money for themselves by joining England and they received payment for doing so. In fact the people rioted all over Scotland in protest with troops brought into Edinburgh and elsewhere.
I`m sorry but your ignorance of this important fact of Scottish history and the Union is quite staggering.
I don’t know or what you are but to suggest Scotland has not been treated as a colony suggest you must be a raving Unionist.
‘Yossarian’ (colonel) “The forensic MSP from Dumbarton…”
COMEDY GOLD!
Graham @ 11:15 pm
“Ruby, for what it’s worth, I have suggested that is the case. Not just on specific things like alcohol but also generally on the collective psyche and attitudes.”
This is the case, Graham. On the matter of ‘national psyche’, Dr. David Purves notes the following in his book ‘A Scots Grammar’:
“Since the Treaty of Union in 1707, generations of Scots have had to come to terms with a situation in which they were taught English at school, and where the way of speech natural to them was officially regarded as wrong by definition, or as a dialect unworthy of use as a serious medium of communication. The dilemma involved introduced a schizoid element into the national psyche, for with many people, the ‘true self’ associated with the complex of feelings and attitudes acquired at home in childhood had to be denied in the interests of material advancement, in favour of a false persona.”
There is nothing natural about cultural and linguistic imperialism, or colonialism, all of which leaves a messed up people in its wake.
It is worth noting that the Celts are the indigenous people of these isles. The Anglo-Saxons are not.
@ McDuff at 11.32
It is not Ruby who is saying that Scotland chose to “join the UK”.
It is Don at 11.03, referencing an earlier post by Ruby.
Don doesn’t know
a) how to use blockquote
b) that the UK did not exist prior to 1707, and therefore Scotland did not “join” it, but participated in creating it
c) that, as you point out, it was only the elite who made the decision (and only they who risked bankruptcy).
It is therefore Don who should take his own advice and “learn soem effing History” (sic), and whom you might wish to address when you say
I see that Rhiannon Spear has become the Women’s Convener on the Snp NEC again , do any Snp members know if there was a vote taken by the membership on her election or was she just *put* into the position by Mr & Mrs Murrell . That’s another blow for women’s rights with her back in the post .
I wonder who’ll now be *put* into the the vacant post of equalities Convener although we’ve all got a good idea who that’ll be ?.
Tannadice Boy says:
18 May, 2021 at 10:40 pm
‘History will be kind to Stu’ – It’s a great shame these events weren’t taking place 3 or 4 months ago. All the information was there and someone just had to step forward with it. It makes you wonder if Holyrood will ever be any good, doesn’t it. They lack the confidence and the gumption to do anything which could be seen as controversial and the complexities of independence seem to me to be utterly beyond them all.
Wherever you end-up in the world, there will be no need to miss your football. I used to listen to ‘Off the Ball’ every Saturday in Africa.
Asked via twitter if there would be any interest in a Friends of Wings social before the end of this year.
Healthy response, with the to-be-expected scattering of angry dismissals, but a lot has changed since we had the last one. Regardless of who’s to blame for the changed atmosphere, what’s the feeling here?
Don says:
18 May, 2021 at 11:04 pm
What the Hell is wrong with your brains ? Scotland has nevee ever been a colony , Scotland chose to join the bigfer UK by its own choice
—————————————————————
Scotland did not join the UK, we entered into an enforced union with England that created the UK, the UK didn’t exist before then you f@cking idiot.
Your time would be much better spent educating yourself rather that wasting your time on here talking shite.
Saffron Robe @ 1:12 am
“It is worth noting that the Celts are the indigenous people of these isles. The Anglo-Saxons are not.”
The Neolithic peoples in Scotland predate ‘Celts’ by a considerable length as did the Pictish tribes who were around pre and during the Roman period mostly along the east coast. The north and north-east of Scotland and northern isles were also heavily Norse influenced during the viking period, whilst from medieval times the more heavily populated eastern Scotland historically traded with the near continent and Baltic which influenced population and language development, particularly the development of the Scots language and culture, the latter giving us the basis of our national consciousness, in addition to Celtic influence.
Scotland has two indigenous languages efter aw – Scots and Gaelic – yet only one has been afforded statutory authority and support. As Billy Kay wrote, a consequence of this anti-Scots language prejudice and general misunderstanding, which is politically motivated, is that British “educationalists often refer to the ‘inarticulate Scot’ as if it were a hereditary disease, instead of shackling people to one language” (i.e. English), the latter no more than linguistic imperialism and therefore an attempt at linguicide, a common feature of colonialism, which is racism.
Swinney becomes new COVID recovery cabinet secretary.
Ah well, that’s the day off to an interesting start.
So the Succession of Sturgeon is underway. I wonder who is going to take over. I wonder….
Don’s ‘effing history’ is pretty skewed.
Ian B, count me in – child minding duties allowing.
@ Iain Brotherhood re WOS Social
Not having been able to attend any in the past due to personal circumstances – I would very much like to attend one now.
Can I suggest holding it in the open, in a picnic type format.
Also, better get it in before Covid Lockdown 3 starts in August. Can we call that the Rangers strain of the virus do you think? Or would Orange Covid be a better name.
Hi Ian B.
There’s an AUOB static rally at Bannockburn on 26th June. Maybe work around that for a get-together? The Holyrood rally has been cancelled.
Daisy Walker , please don’t suggest a lockdown in August . I know it’s selfish but I have a very BIG birthday in August and I want my kids, sons in law and grandkids in attendance!
Perish the thought of a lockdown then.
Daisy Walker 19 May, 2021 at 8:35 am.
“Also, better get it in before Covid Lockdown 3 starts in August. Can we call that the Rangers strain of the virus do you think? Or would Orange Covid be a better name”
Why not just call it “Kenmure Street” incident as that happened first and likely kicked off any growth in spread of the Virus in Glasgow again or does that not suit your own MO of invented conspiracy theories and “othering” ? Try to get a grip of reality. Why are you not condemning the protest at Holyrood this weekend coming if you think stopping the spread of the Virus is important or do you thinking its only Yoons that can do that ?
Stuart MacKay says: I wrote-in a couple of weeks ago saying that the country I last worked in used to send its crooked parliamentarians to Malaz Jail. There used to be a hand-painted sign on the perimeter wall of Malaz which said ‘we don’t fire warning shots’.
On his first day there, his hair would be shaved-off and he would be de-loused. He would then be allocated a space on the concrete floor to sleep and would be handed a loose carpet which would be his only pocession while there.
I always thought Swinney had that haunted shaven-headed look of Malaz about him you know.
@Stuart MacKay 19 May, 2021 at 8:29 am
“So the Succession of Sturgeon is underway. I wonder who is going to take over. I wonder….”
More than likely the bloke that paid £30K to frig all the polls to get the answers he wanted to fool the willingly gullible. As a political movement we have to be one of the most gullible nations on Earth. link to archive.is
Dave Somerville says:
18 May, 2021 at 8:54 pm
Any Indy Rally will be hijacked by the Sturgeon lot, taking full credit for it and she will tell the world that Boris Johnson is a very bad man for not allowing Scotland it’s rightful Independence Referendum.
She will be full of faux outrage.
Rinse and Repeat.
I am not given Sturgeon the chance to claim any credit off the back of me marching up and down an Edinburgh street.
Get an Referendum date wrote down in black and white Nicola.
Then I might consider getting back on the Campaign Trail.
Nice try, Dave.
You know fine well that Nicola Sturgeon has shunned indy marches for a long long time. She hasn’t been seen near them. With an increasing number of indy supporters now very angry with her, do you think she would be brave enough to face em now?
The people that march will be strong supporters of “Do Something Now!”, many will be activists,many will be ALBA supporters still seething at the way she treated Alex Salmond. So do you think Sturgeon, with her “Now is Not The Time!” stance, will turn up to face the angry mob? Aye right. We march for Scotland, not for Sturgeon. Just sayin. 🙂
Nicola Sturgeon is probably wishing the AUOB marchers would just go away. All the more reason to keep em going. 🙂
Sad how fast these comments become rudderless without fresh posts. Language and ‘scottish identity’ seem to be the prevailing themes – and 1707 this/that/whatever. Who cares? Someone once said that when meeting an Afghan villager, expect them to hold a grudge about wars and invasions from hundreds of years ago. That concept is familiar to anyone sadly browsing these comments.
What is lacking is the voice of business, the voice of economists. You will never convert anyone except the left behinds with this level of looking backwards and downwards.
Why don’t some of the long term supporters of independence on this site, who have been thinking about independence for many years – just start stating (loosely) quantifiable benefits of independence to the economy? There’s an absolute certainty that Scotland is being robbed in this union – lets start talking in solid terms about why that’s true?
Bear in mind 60% of trade (= the livelihoods of regular punters) relies on free movement of goods and people on this single land mass. But don’t forget that a lot of the tax take comes from that trade. You can’t just turn off the taps and still say the bath will fill up anyway – so the experts on these comments – tell the soft no’s how that bath will be filled?
Or how about I just check in tomorrow and find I’ve been called a yoon and everyone just keeps taking in the vague abstract about gaelic and what happened in the past.
If you don’t know how an independent scotland would work as an economy – then you’re in good company. Nobody currently does.
Out.
Captain Yossarian, that doesn’t look like anything I wrote, unless of course there’s somebody else with the same name.
Jockanese Wind Talker says:
18 May, 2021 at 10:35 pm
“I think his male anatomy drawing on his spoilt ballot paper was one of his finer postmodernist pieces!”
#HateCrimeKlaxon
FFS JWT, this is Scotland 2021, and you should well know by now that it is also quite feasible for a woman with her female anatomy to sport a cock and baws.
Please kerb your misgendering, ignorance of the law is no excuse!
Don says:
19 May, 2021 at 8:49 am
Daisy Walker 19 May, 2021 at 8:35 am.
“Also, better get it in before Covid Lockdown 3 starts in August. Can we call that the Rangers strain of the virus do you think? Or would Orange Covid be a better name”
Why not just call it “Kenmure Street” incident as that happened first and likely kicked off any growth in spread of the Virus in Glasgow again or does that not suit your own MO of invented conspiracy theories and “othering” ? Try to get a grip of reality. Why are you not condemning the protest at Holyrood this weekend coming if you think stopping the spread of the Virus is important or do you thinking its only Yoons that can do that ?
—————–
Not very good with current affairs, are we Don? The planned march/gathering has been cancelled a few days ago.
No biscuit for you.
Stuart MacKay – It’s about Swinney, Stuart. Covid is nearly over and so there’s no need for him stick around for too much longer.
@Dorthy Devine, Daisy walker, BDTT –
Thanks for feedback.
There’s a lot to think about.
The more I think about it, the less inclined I am to even suggest a gathering of the kind we used to have. Something open-air, perhaps piggy-backing bigger events? Aye, that sounds more viable.
But it’s not going to be the same. We just can’t extend the ‘come all ye’ type of welcome. Too much bad blood now. And I certainly wouldn’t want to spend the entire night at the door, watching out for familiar faces who, sadly, would no longer be welcome.
@ Dorothy Devine 19 May, 2021 at 8:31 am
“Don’s ‘effing history’ is pretty skewed.”
Only as i’m a realist that can understand a bit of economics and the other things my own side tell me unlike many others here
link to scottishparliament.tv
link to ifs.org.uk
There are also people here still think the last Indyref was rigged despite having that explained tp them many several times link to wingsoverscotland.com
Alf Baird 08:25
The anglicizing effects of the Protestant Reformation impeded the development of a synthesized or standard form of Scottis; as did the late arrival of printing. Most early books were printed in England where texts with Scottis orthography were often composited to suit English forms. English experienced the same with books printed in the Netherlands. The spelling «ghost» is an example of that.
The union with England stopped further development, dead.
Scots/Scottis needs a large dose of language planning. It needs the political will to undertake that. And it needs the financial resource and linguistic expertise. It is not a field for the amateur or part time enthusiast. However, it does need people to write in it, in any style or dialect.
There are models elsewhere, Hebrew, Finnish, Greek, Norwegian, Ukrainian, Arabic dialects and my own ancestral language Syriac. All offer insights as to psychological pitfalls for the unwary and the dangers of parochialism particularly concerning orthography, grammar and lexis.
Gaelic in the modern form is the spoken insular variety. There were other forms with markedly different pronunciation on the mainland. These are of more than just historical interest in language revival.
You omitted the Norse dialects of Orkney and Shetland which were related to Faroese and old Norwegian dialects although a form of Danish was used officially.
Latin and French eg Le Roman de Fergus, also figure and not forgetting the Scottish origins of the Welsh literary work known as Y Gododdin set in the Edinburgh area.
A rich and varied field for research and development.
Hope my «foreign» overview is of interest.
@ Captain Yossarian 19 May, 2021 at 9:26 am
“Stuart MacKay – It’s about Swinney, Stuart. Covid is nearly over and so there’s no need for him stick around for too much longer.”
I think its more about finding a high profile roll for Angus Robertson because we need more half German carpebaggers instead of sovereign Scots at the top of Scottish Politics don’t we ?
Another easily discredited lie from @Don says 18 May, 2021 at 11:04 pm
Scotland was not bankrupted by Darien and actually the opposite was true, the Scottish treasury was in rude health at the time of the Union.
Individual Scots were impacted by financial losses caused by Dariens failure the Country was not!
Englands treasury was however nearly empty following its military campaign in the previous 80 Years War and its involvement in the War of Spanish Succession which was being planned and then waged at the time.
England devised the plan to ruin Scotlands Nobles via Darien which included King William’s trade embargo via the English Navigation Act, which prevented any English colonies trading with, or even assisting, the Scots which contributed to the failure of the colony.
Sabotaging Darien also helped Williams attempt to appease Spain in advance of the War of Spanish Succession by preventing a Scottish colony in this historically Spanish colonial area, in he hoped the Spanish would fight against the French on England’s side.
Scottish Nobles were nearly bankrupted by Darien and then further financially threatened by the Alien Act of 1705 and therefore able to be bribed with English gold to sell out their nation via the Union.
@true scot 19 May, 2021 at 9:06 am
“What is lacking is the voice of business, the voice of economists. You will never convert anyone except the left behinds with this level of looking backwards and downwards.
Why don’t some of the long term supporters of independence on this site, who have been thinking about independence for many years – just start stating (loosely) quantifiable benefits of independence to the economy? There’s an absolute certainty that Scotland is being robbed in this union – lets start talking in solid terms about why that’s true?
Bear in mind 60% of trade (= the livelihoods of regular punters) relies on free movement of goods and people on this single land mass. But don’t forget that a lot of the tax take comes from that trade. You can’t just turn off the taps and still say the bath will fill up anyway – so the experts on these comments – tell the soft no’s how that bath will be filled ?”
I’m not so sure about that link to archive.is
Apologies @ Dan says at 9:14 am
I shall present myself to the authorities for immediate re-education and hope I don’t get the full 7 year sentence!
😉
@ Ian Brotherhood at 9.31
I too would welcome some sort of gathering. My list of “familiar faces who, sadly, would no longer be welcome” might not be the same as yours; I would be rather surprised if any of the ones I’m thinking of would have any interest in turning up to such an event! (Certainly you shouldn’t have to be a gatekeeper, though!)
Captain Yossarian, Would be nice but I don’t think covid is nearly over. The appointment of Swinney signals to me that Sturgeon is leaving. I suppose she could still hog the limelight with the daily briefings but I thought that would be Swinney’s job.
I seriously doubt she will be devoting her full or indeed any attention to the referendum. So what’s next for the leaderene?
The takedown of the the Scottish Parliament and Sturgeons faux government continues apace.
The Murrells have played a blinder on behalf of the British State.Absolute shitehawks.
Ottomanboi @ 9:34
“The anglicizing effects”
The effects of linguistic imperialism are far reaching and ultimately inhibit the development of a people and their nation.
A key issue here is that ‘a people’ lose their identity when they lose their language, which is the aim of cultural and linguistic imperialism. According to the 2011 census there were only 1.6 million Scots speakers left in Scotland, and the next census will highlight a further downward trend. Coincidentally, perhaps, there were 1.6 million Yes voters in 2014. It is also the case that peoples in self-determination conflict are linguistically (and hence culturally) divided.
The reality is Scots have two indigenous languages – Gaelic and Scots – and Scots have the right to learn either and use them. Yet the right of Scots to learn and use the Scots language is denied by UK and Scottish Governments. Even the European Council has highlighted this injustice, again: link to eacea.ec.europa.eu
“Language is resoundingly more than a mere means of communication; it is the means by which humans can claim diversity and define their identity” (Shaw 2001).
The role of language in defining identity is vitally important in Scotland’s case because it is largely those who do not primarily identify as Scots that tend to vote against Scottish independence. It is our language which gives us our national consciousness and once a language disappears there can be no national consciousness and hence no desire for nationhood. Which brings us back to the objective of cultural and linguistic imperialism as key behavioural tools of colonialism.
Ottomanboi
Printing in the Netherlands
/
I wonder if you know that the reason why people used to choose the Netherlands to print and publish their books was to evade strict licensing laws.
Hobbes and Spinoza both published there.
Stuart MacKay: That would be fabulous news. Malaz has a woman’s wing too.
Licensing
/
Censorship
Well a huge trade deal is in the offing with Australia and New Zealand with regards to beef and lamb, though you wouldn’t think so as the BritNat media don’t want to scare the horses.
This deal will all but consign Scottish hill farming to the bin, and will also have a heavy impact on Scottish beef farmers, many I think will go bust, as will their counterparts in the rest of the UK.
The only thing holding its implementation right away is Boris Johnson, he can’t decide whether to charge a tariff for the imports or not, but its definitely coming.
First the Scottish fishing industry is badly impacted now the farming industry looks like it will be too. Remind me again which party the majority of these industries voted for in the 2014 indyref, and in 2016, and indeed this month, ah yes the Tories.
The Tories are hellbent on destroying the Scottish economy, and Sturgeon the Betrayer is allowing him to do so.
Well Boris Jonson just loves to breach International Law, this time by upping the number of nukes in the UK from 180 to a whopping 260, (and remember these nukes are based 30 miles from Scotland’s largest city) he’s breaking the (NPT) the Non Proliferation Treaty.
Johnson also plans to send more UK troops abroad, and I doubt very much it will be just for peacekeeping missions though that will be the official narrative spewed out by the BritNat media.
Sturgeon the betrayer is by not holding an indyref keeping us tied into this.
True Scot,
I’m not sure why you are asking for an economic forecast of an independent Scotland as it is immaterial.
The economy is not linked to the constitution of a country. This is also what Unionists believe for pretty much every single country except Scotland.
Ask them “should Poland be an independent country?” and they will look at you with incredulity for asking such a thing.
Should France be an independent country?
Should Finland be an independent?
The answer will be Yes, of course.
Not once will anybody ask to see the balance of trade, the national debt or ask what currency they are using before deciding.
They won’t ask because it does not fucking matter.
Another country will not and cannot prioritise Scotland’s needs.
Independence is a constitutional matter not a financial matter.
It matters who is making the financial decisions in a country.
It matters who decides policies.
It matters that different countries need different policies.
It matters that you enact policies that are beneficial to your country.
It matters that you don’t enact policies that are detrimental to your country.
Decisions matter and it matters who make those decisions.
It matters that you don’t let another country determine your future.
Should Scotland be an independent country?
Of course it fucking should.
So the High court in England has told the Tory government that it can keep secret the amount of taxpayers cash it wasted on unusable PPE supplied by PestFix, Clandeboy and Ayanda, and Sturgeon the Betrayer says if Johnson says no to an S30 she’ll take it all the way through the courts. Who f*ck is she trying to kid.
I myself have a small rubber boat I push about in the bath, so I was thinking of asking for millions from the UK government to start a ferry company….anyone got Chris Graylings number?
Luigi says:
19 May, 2021 at 9:06 am
Nicola Sturgeon is probably wishing the AUOB marchers would just go away. All the more reason to keep em going. 🙂
Reply
Do you think that is why ‘The Royal Mile’ will be closed for the next 7 months?
Closed to traffic from the High Street to the Parliament.
Council saying residents can call for free taxis just like MSPs do all year round.
Will non residents wanting to come to shop/dine/drink in the area be eligible for the free taxis?
Just wondering where the taxis are going to pick up/drop off residents?
How will businesses get their deliveries?
What about the tour buses?
Could be a lot of problems for the newly elected Edinburgh Central MSP to sort out. 🙂
Angus Robertson’s office might to alternative place to have a protest. Could be a mass protest about everything anyone is unhappy about.
Both votes SNP vs
Both votes yes
Both votes SNP allowed 23 additional unionists
to gain seats on the list
If the SNP support backed
Both votes yes, this would have made the Alba Party
the second largest party with 30 seats, a pro-indy
supermajority of 30
AlbaParty.org/join
Republicofscotland says:
Sturgeon the Betrayer says if Johnson says no to an S30 she’ll take it all the way through the courts. Who the f*ck is she trying to kid.
Reply
Did she/her not recently take one thing almost all the way through the courts and ended up losing & costing the taxpayer £500K and another thing that cost goodness knows how much that she ended up losing but keeps insisting that she won?
Will the SNP pay the costs of taking it all the way through the courts? Will WGD organise a crowd funder for her?
link to tinyurl.com
What about a different type of protest?
Don.
And if you are able to research yourself don, if you background check half the names who are actually in the treaty of the union, you will find a few Scottish names as original, the rest were those whom given Scottish land and castle as a reward by England for fighting in previous wars for them.
Such as 1066, a lot of the names were french /Normandy or English in origin.
The never sold their country, the Scots never voted to join the treaty, the Scots are not actually in the treaty or under any obligation to the treaty of the union,
Your sole is tint.
Luigi. 9.05
Luigi, I never once mentioned Nicola Sturgeon would turn up at any rally.
What is it with some contributors twisting words to suit their own tiny agenda.
I was meaning she would hijack the message any Indy Rally would send out.
And I personally will not give up any of my time to further the cause of Sturgeonism.
She will appear on our screens telling the people of Scotland she can’t do a thing regards a Referendum, all because of a big bad man in Westminster stopped her.
How do I know this? Because it’s what she has been doing since she moved into Bute House.
Let’s see a date for the Referendum wrote down in black and white first.
Then we really do have something to march for.
And not some vanity project for the Murrells.
Bartley. ” A novel virus” Give it up man. It was downgraded to no more serious than a flu virus in March/April 2020 before the lockdown so give over with 77th propaganda. We’ve heard that shit before. Imagine the brass to keep spraffing that shit.
I went into a pub in Greenock on Monday, place was nearly empty, I had my camera with me as I was out and about that day, I asked a guy from gourock who I was chatting with would he mind if I took a photy of him, no go ahead he said, so I took one photo of him, he was drinking soft drinks as he said he had a motorbike and he was driving back to Gourock on it.
I moved to another part of the pub because I wanted to take a photo of that part, I spotted a couple sitting near the part I wished to take a photo of, I asked the guy do you mind me taking a photo of you both, no not at all he said, so I took the photo, but his partner said, I don’t want my photo taken, no argument happened concerning this, but a wee plonker from the staff asked me to leave because I took a photo, I deleted the photo but I still had to leave as this in her little mind was a grave offence that maybe I should have been hung drawn and quartered for, I was leaving anyway as I was going for my bus home.
This silly little woman is employed by someone who relies on people like me to make a living, and this silly female is asking me to leave for taken a photo that I was given permission to take buy the guy in the photo
That is one bar I will never go into again while the owner employs a fool like her.
Been about 2 years since I entered any bar, well before the pandemic restrictions where put in place, and this kind of nonesense was one of the reasons why, pubs where closing down at the rate of two a week because of lack of custom, any bar owner reading this that went bust now knows what part of the reason was, you are employing idiots that ask customers to leave for no good reason, your paying them, and they take it upon themselves to ask your livlihood to leave, I spent about a fiver in that bar, but I will not be spending any more time of money in that bar,
Its name is the same as the thing you put on the bottom of a horses leg and its on Kilblain Street in Greenock, next to the bus stance………………. Keep well clear is my advice, and don’t dare take a photo lol
excuse my gramma, me eyesite and me typing skills are getting worse and worser by the day, aw ra best
Calton Jock. Get rid of your cookies then I can read your stuff.
What are AUOB going to do on Saturday if they find some anti lockdown protesters outside Holyrood? Would you join us? Or will your Stockholm Syndrom kick in?
The asshole Sturgeon is advancing the UNs Green Agenda. The High Street in Edinburgh is being pedestrianised So we go back to the 19th century. Sheer fucking ideological insanity. I’d rather drive my own car than use inferior public transport.This city this country is utterly fucked by dick heads in council who are taking orders from “Common Purpose”. We are all going to regret bitterly voting for any of the UNs useful idiots in Holyrood
Republicofscotland
Sheep farming is already on the edge of the precipice and a trade deal with NZ will send it over. The Kiwis bit the bullet over farm subsidies a while ago and there’s simply no chance that Scottish farmers can adjust in time after the body blow that Brexit delivered.
I skimmed through some of the provisions on the Internal Market Bill and there does not seem to be any possibility for local support of farmers. So for example the government does not seem able to source food in Scotland for school meals as that would seem to run afoul of the extensive non-discrimination clauses.
Only some form of autonomy would put us in a position to save farming. The quality is there but marketing and branding as distinctively Scottish would appear to be a good way of saving many, but probably not all, producers.
Ironic that the first to say yes to Brexit and No to independence are the first to be sacrificed.
I see Pixywine is back with his usual illiterate foul mouthed ranting, and his anti vaccination, science denying rubbish.
@Fireproofjim 19 May, 2021 at 12:07 pm
“I see Pixywine is back with his usual illiterate foul mouthed ranting, and his anti vaccination, science denying rubbish.”
Though well camouflaged among so many who are equally terminally confused.
@Stuart MacKay 19 May, 2021 at 11:51 am
“Sheep farming is already on the edge of the precipice and a trade deal with NZ will send it over. The Kiwis bit the bullet over farm subsidies a while ago and there’s simply no chance that Scottish farmers can adjust in time after the body blow that Brexit delivered.
Ironic that the first to say yes to Brexit and No to independence are the first to be sacrificed.”
Come on Stuart i though you were better informed that that surely, or are you just playing to the audience ? When is the movement going to become realistic and accept Indy is not going to come without some serious pain ?
link to blogs.lse.ac.uk
@Pixywine 19 May, 2021 at 11:29 am
“Bartley. ” A novel virus” Give it up man. It was downgraded to no more serious than a flu virus in March/April 2020 before the lockdown so give over with 77th propaganda. We’ve heard that shit before. Imagine the brass to keep spraffing that shit”
Your mental you are so why keep “spraffing” your shit.
link to thelancet.com
@Breastplate 19 May, 2021 at 10:38 am
“I’m not sure why you are asking for an economic forecast of an independent Scotland as it is immaterial.
The economy is not linked to the constitution of a country. This is also what Unionists believe for pretty much every single country except Scotland”
Real Economists with more knowledge that a random like yourself say differently, do you think I should beleive you or them ?
link to blogs.lse.ac.uk .
link to ifs.org.uk
Dave Somerville says:
19 May, 2021 at 11:21 am
Fair point Dave, but I just don’t accept your argument that Sturgeon will attempt to “hijack” any future indy march. Stay away? Yes; Try to ignore? Absolutely. But “try to hijack”? Come on – that’s stretching it quite a bit beyond credibility IMO. How on earth could she hijack it – stick her feet in the ground and say “not ye”? Aye right that’ll go down well lol.
If you want to boycott any future indy march, that’s entirely your choice. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. IMO, we need to keep marching in spite of Sturgeon – believe me the last thing she probably wants is big indy marches making a return. We march for Scotland not Sturgeon. Boycott if you wish, but don’t expect others to swallow it.
Don
You keep referring to that as if it was some form of divine, infallible statement. I’ll let you into a secret, it’s a Ph.D. student’s blog post.
I wonder if there are any subtle clues to the petrol bombing of Peter Lawell’s house last night.
Something like a Union Flag perhaps and a tape of the Sash.
These disgusting knuckledraggers are a dangerous blight on the West of Scotland with their perverted sense of entitlement for their useless lives.
It’s time that Rangers took some responsibility for the actions of these louts.
I am not a Celtic fan (Aberdeen for my sins) but I fear what these dangerous fools are capable of in the event of independence, brainwashed as they are by their Orange godfathers.
Any bets as to the likely shape of Robertson’s reward for services rendered? (And I’m not talking about those to Austria – he got his bauble from them back in 2016).
Republicofscotland says: “Sturgeon the Betrayer says if Johnson says no to an S30 she’ll take it all the way through the courts.”
See right there, that’s a revelation in itself. As someone recently pointed out on here or Twitter: given the length of time it takes most Court cases to run the full procedure why isn’t she asking for the S30 right now?
She knows UKGov will just laugh at her *again* as they say no. Ask now, they refuse, start legal proceedings, simple! She’s a procrastinating proven liar with no intentions of delivering indy, that’s why.
And as a lot of countries have already proven, Covid is no excuse. Our elections have also just proved that.
Fireproofjim
Jumping to conclusions perhaps re the Lawwell fire-bombing. Wee Peter is not exactly flavour of the month with a section of the Celtic Family.
That family has its own range of nutters, so, perhaps premature to point the finger at the opposition. Best leave it to the authorities to try to sort-out.
Idea for Indy.
R&D could benefit by the creation of a carefully overseen Scottish patent and bursary office, building on the historical narrative of Scottish innovation: the object of which would be to unburden the would-be innovator from soul-destroying legal processes and financial pressures.
Get your bureaucratic abusing hands off me!
link to thecritic.co.uk
I think the Rev will be really pleased down in Bath.One of his favourite SNP politicians,Shirley-Anne Sommerville has caught Nicola’s attention as a rising talent.
Don,
I’m sorry if this is confusing for you but economists are no experts when it comes to a country’s constitution. In fact to use your words they become a mere “random”.
It is no surprise that Unionists paint the bleakest picture they can regarding independence because it is not new.
This particular argument is a quarter of a millennium;
link to let.rug.nl
Change the record please, you and your arguments are beyond tedious.
«Despite his lack of either scientific qualifications or an electoral mandate, Bill Gates regularly presses the need for mass global vaccination with products made by the companies he owns, using platforms given to him by the media outlets he funds»
link to off-guardian.org
«The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have an incredible record of bringing about substantial change in the world’s poorest countries, empowering them to improve their life chances in a range of ways, from improving healthcare and combating infectious diseases to increasing access to education»
Nicola Sturgeon.
link to insider.co.uk
Cherrybank – She has a talent for returning all problems back to sender. Nothing sticks to her. Swinney was exactly the same.
Cherrybank – I’ve just hear she’s the new Education Minister…words fail me.
We will no doubt see, in the Independent Scotland which is coming, the end of an Honours System which passes-out various degrees of Orders of the British Empire. However, I suspect, there will still be an Honour System, which recognises excellence in various fields.
I do hope, however, this system does away with recognition of time-servers and rule-followers in government service. I hope, in an Independent Scotland, Buggins’ Turn for a gong will be a thing of the past.
I also hope, there is recognition for Heroes of the Independence Campaign, and that Gareth Wardell, “Grouse Beater” is among the first recipients.
I know Gareth has terminal cancer and may well not live to see INdependence, but, some of his recent postings have been above his blog’s long-established level of excellence.
His part in the battle will hopefully be recognised, although probably not, if the SNP has anything to do with it. He is one of several true heroes of the fight, who has been dumped on from a great height, by the so-called Party of Independence. In reality – the Party of Devolution.
Stuart MacKay @11.51pm.
Stuart.
Its no secret that Australia has ruined its beef exports market, with China, China purchased the majority of beef from Australia’s super ranches.
However Australia is the tip of the USA’s Five Eyes spear, and the country’s government has been goading China for a while now on behalf of the USA, and China finally retaliated by sanctioning Australian beef.
So a new market must be found, I have read that Australia is receiving funding from the USA to continue its actions against China.
So Robertson gets “constitution, external affairs and culture secretary”. Who’d have thought an ex-BBC journo of the diplomatic and foreign affairs variety would be so qualified? Surely a bastion of the British Establishment with those credentials. Oh no, wait…
Ruby @10.51am.
Yes Ruby, I know what you are referring to, and although Joanna Cherry did win a case in the English courts, its a completely different matter that the courts would actively grant the S30 and potentially see the UK break up, seriously damaging England’s economy, and possibly damaged Westminster’s pride, due to the removal of Trident and the likely loss of the seat permanent on UNSC which would be a huge blow to Johnsons and Whitehall’s ego.
UNSC seats are permanent, for the permanent members, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. but there is a a way to remove a permanent member, also all the permanent members possess nuclear weapons, not a prerequisite I think, but I’m not sure.
Stoker @12.32pm.
Yes as we are all aware that Sturgeon the Betrayer has no real intentions of holding an indyref, even if the way was clear. I think Sturgeon is quite happy to govern and blame the Tories for not being able to move further down the indy road.
However, she undermines her own position simply by the fact that she hasn’t prepared the road to an indyref, in areas such as currency, a central bank, government bodies we would require and clear info on a border with the rest of the UK, she done no preparations for any of this which needs to be done well in advance in my opinion.
@RepublicofScotland
There is no chance that any Govt.of an Independent Kingdom of Scotland would start off a relationship with a larger neighbour and biggest export market by telling the Kingdom of England & Northern Ireland (KENI), to get their nukes out of Scotland on week 1.
HMNB Clyde and associated facilities would no doubt become a Sovereign Base Area for KENI, perhaps on a 20/30 year lease or similar – Scotland’s answer to Gitmo.
Republicofscotland
Well then it’s game over for the farmers because there’s nothing the English Establishment love more than meddling in other countries affairs and strutting around like they’re shoulder to shoulder with the big boys on the stage. If all those Tories in Perth and Aberdeen are the price I’m sure they’ll find a way of getting over it, if they even notice at all.
Back to what Don was wittering on about over the instant and permanent contraction of the economy on independence. Absolute nonsense. It might be an uphill struggle but there’s a market in Europe for Scottish beef, with or without, tariffs with some clever marketing – just the same way NZ markets their lamb .(I happily pay the premium for it here in Portugal as it’s way better than the local stuff). Just one tiny example where standing on our on two feet generates, not destroys, value. Who knows maybe there’s an instant 10% premium on not being English.
Pixywine
Away and lie in your pish.
The more pedestrianisation the better – fcuck off somewhere else in your clown car.
“HMNB Clyde and associated facilities would no doubt become a Sovereign Base Area for KENI, perhaps on a 20/30 year lease or similar – Scotland’s answer to Gitmo.”
Robert Knight.
Robert, I’m afraid that’s not likely for Faslane/Coulport is where the Scottish navy will be based, so I’m afraid the nukes will have to go, the only thing in dispute would be the timescale of their removal.
A short lease could be negotiated, I hope at considerable cost to Westminster that would help fund the building of our own ships/crafts, whilst Westminster fits out a suitable port for its nuclear subs.
Of course looking at the bigger picture, the Great Satan (USA) will do everything in its considerable power to help Westminster thwart our independence in order to keep the nukes in Scotland, which are thirty miles from our largest city, of which the nukes pass through on trucks at all times of the day and night.
Could you ever envisage Westminster allowing these nukes to pass through London on trucks while the Queen slept.
Stuart MacKay @2.05pm.
I suppose there is the possibility of a short term contraction, but surely that would be balanced out by our export market, we’d also have control of immigration which would allow our tax based to grow as well. England has conveniently kept our population small and manageable whilst stripping our assets, that would stop as well.
We have a huge surplus of energy that the world requires including England who already syphons off our excess electricity to keep the lights on. Joining EFTA would allows us access to EU market and the UK market, so although there are bumps on the road along the way, such as amassing enough of a reserve currency (which would be less than a larger country) and a lender of last resort if needed, I see no reason why an independent Scotland wouldn’t start off in a reasonably healthy state.
link to twitter.com
James Kelly of Scot goes Pop fame, blogged that’ if the SNP came back in 2026 asking for another Independence mandate, we can assume we have been had’!
Really?? wait until 2026 to find out if the SNP are a bunch of lazy, deceitful bestards?
The less cognitively challenged, or utterly naïve, Independence supporters worked that out years ago!
So Keith Brown is the new Justice secretary, with plans to reform the Scottish justice system, and on the same day (RCS) Rape Crisis Scotland is screaming out for the not proven verdict to be abolished, and in Alex Salmond’s case, I’d imagine replaced with guilty.
I see that one of the columnists in the National newspaper in recent day, of who will remain nameless said that Sturgeon on hearing the outcome of Alex Salmond and the Alba party’s vote portion, screamed in delight that they’re dead (Alba party and Salmond).
As for WGD ‘Gimme a quid’ Kavannagh…. Imagine shaking a can for your personal bank account from true Independence supporters only for those same independence supporters to be sneered at and blocked because they don’t like the lies of his beloved leader!
What a sad place the Nicola cult have led the Indy cause!
seems like if your selfish and greedy, there is money to be made in exploiting the goodwill of independence supporters. SNP careerists are no exception!
University tutor who schooled Nicola Sturgeon feels he did not do enough to make her understand the essence of democracy.
Link here: link to wp.me
Pixywine, I am not a man. Please take your stupid conspiracy theories and shove them up your arse. It’s hardly my fault that you are incapable of understanding what you read.
The realty of the treaty of union.
A good few Scottish rich and titled men sold to a good few rich and titled English men a pup in 1707.
The Scots men wanted more money, so they came up with idea to sell a country to England’s rich men.
the fact the country did not solely belong to them, might be overlooked if the titled English gentlemen were blinded by greed, it would be the biggest scam in history if they could pull it of,
So they hummed and haggled for a while, for it to seem genuine.
And of corse the titled English gentlemen never checked the finer details in the contract agreement, so busy was their thoughts and expectations in the financial end gain.
The English titled gentlemen paid the asking price asked for by the titled Scottish gentlemen.
The fact was, that the sovereign population and people of scotland were the true owners of the land known as Scotland, just as England belonged to the English people .
That the titled Scots gentlemen had no bill of sale what so ever from the Scots people to prove they had ever bought Scotland in the first place was neither here or there,
Still they had pulled it of, it was like selling a London Bridge to Americans, the biggest con ever committed, the best crime thought of going unseen, pretending you own something, while not holding an original bill of sale for any of it, no questions asked.
Now the titled English gentlemen thought they had bought a whole country and kingdom for less than a kings ransom. Not only that, they thought the sale included the people in Scotland as well,
Over the following years they began to realise that the sale was not as watertight as they had first believed,
The sovereign Scottish people were not in the sale, the people of Scotland had escaped the sale, not one name was mentioned in the sale,
But by far the emotion that caused them the most distress was the land belonged to a sovereign nation. A free nation at that,
What to do, how to save face,
BLUSTER. If the titled English gentlemen had been scammed and conned into parting with their money, the only avenue was to carry on pretending they had bought a country from the Scots, keeping it quite that it was actually just a few Scots, that never owned or had a bill of sale that dammed country,
Nope they would just have to pretend. And they have kept up the pretence for 300 years over the Scottish sovereign people.
That has to be the second biggest con in history.
Don @ 12:24 pm
“The economy is not linked to the constitution of a country”
The main aim of colonialism to to plunder and exploit other countries which by implication leaves them under-developed and impoverished. In this sense the resources of a colonised country are not used to enable its own development or the development of its people. This is why the UN describes colonialism as ‘a scourge’ and calls for its ending.
Republic- I suspect Sturgeon’s ‘afternoon delight’ will be exposed eventually. The puppet enquiry she blustered her way through. Will not be the end of the matter.
I think more than ever Salmond will have his justice.
@Don…
You want evidence of Scotland’s economic injury through the Union?
Read the McCrone Report. Easy read, won’t take you long, just 20 pages of it. Then look at Scotland’s wealth, compare it to Norway’s wealth, then join the dots, and hey presto, a graphic picture emerges.
It’s essentially the difference between competent long term husbandry of a valuable resource in Norway’s case, and short sighted plundering exploitation in Scotland’s case… though not even by Scotland, but A. N. Other…
James Che. @ 3:46 pm
“The realty of the treaty of union.That has to be the second biggest con in history.”
You are right, a political con trick of the highest order. The Treaty was/is colonialism disguised as a union, and independence is therefore decolonisation.
Luigi 12.24pm
Last time I’m explaining this.
Any Indy Rally held in Edinburgh, you can bet Sturgeon will attach herself onto it.
Not physically, but through the media.
She will piggyback onto the message the true Indy supporters are trying to send to the people of Scotland.
She’ll be on the Marr show like a shot, portraying herself as the warrior of the Indy Movement who can’t go any further until that bad English government gives her this Section 30 order.
But she will tell her gullable Flock that she will never give up the fight for Independence.
Rinse and Repeat for five years, Job done!
I will not contribute to her con anymore.
Get a date wrote down on a legal document stating when the next Indy referendum will be held, then I will consider taking part in any future Rallies.
But not until then.
I think if Sturgeon doesn’t attend then she isn’t quoted – simple as that.
So Sturgeon the Betrayer was sworn in as FM today at Edinburgh’s Court of Session, the physically-distanced ceremony, was before Lord President Lord Carloway, Lord Justice Clerk Lady Dorrian, and Lord Menzie.
No doubt Sturgeon the Betrayer, aimed a nod and a wink towards the direction of Lady Dorrian.
Dave Somerville says:
19 May, 2021 at 4:10 pm
Fair enough Dave. We will have to agree to disagree. 🙂
What is disconcerting is the amount of yoonies still visiting the site , you can all go back to barracks now lads sturgeon is back in command and as your senior officers will be well aware the onion has nothing to fear from her as she is one of the best assets the onion has ever owned
Still I suppose the squaddies have to be kept employed and one never knows when sense will prevail and sturgeon and her clown troupe will be outed as assets of the onion
Brian Doonthetoon
Thanks for the link the other day, I can only post on WiFi not mobile data, hence the delayed reply, cheers.
Ruby
Loved yer wee snippet aboot the Craiks of which I’m one & rather well known for having plenty to say too. Cheers
Alf Baird,
It also means that the con was scots and Scotland were captured, but only if the con is to believed.
The titled English gentlemen were swindled, duped, conned, tricked, fooled and fraudulently scammed into buying a country and people that were not for sale in 1707, except by a group of Scottish gentlemen looking to make a quick buck.
It also means that the only persons involved on that contractual agreement going by the name of “The Treaty of the Union” was a private Limited Company.
If it was a Public Limited Company however I am sure all of us Scots would have been informed by now, and our public shares from the Company would be lining our pockets.
However they are legal distinct entities. With their own assets, profits, and liabilities. And tax liabilities
.
I will not go any further into how the treaty of the union is registered in the way of companies, but it is a thought that has crossed my mind recently that Westminster’s British government is in receipt of profits from the treaty of the union as an entity, and has been for 300 years.
@twathater
You need to give the 77th Pongos some credit.
It took most of us a while to suss Sturgeon, given all the screening and misdirection we’ve had over the past 6+ years.
If it wasn’t for the Rev’s forensic work, some of us might yet need to be convinced. However, there are plenty in the Yes movement outside WoS who still live under the misconception that she’s pro-Indy.
There’s still a job to be done by the 77th in protecting Robertson – who as we know will be squeezing into the Dear Leader’s size 4 stilettos at some point down the line. He also needs to be ‘seen’ to be pro-Indy. If not, ALBA, ISP etc. will become a problem for the pro-Union/SNP campaigns.
“Now, we can’t be having that, can we Darling? No Sah! Mehhhhh…”
Alf Baird says:
“The Neolithic peoples in Scotland predate ‘Celts’ by a considerable length as did the Pictish tribes who were around pre and during the Roman period mostly along the east coast.”
Dear Alf,
You are quite correct and I don’t disagree. However my point was not that the Celts are the only indigenous people of these isles, or that they were not preceded by other peoples and cultures, but that, by comparison, the Anglo-Saxons are invaders to these isles and, as the Celtic annals attest, their history here has been one of aggression towards the indigenous people which continues right up to the present day with the cultural and economic suppression of Scots and Scotland under the Treaty of Union.
A lot of posters say WGD should be ignored but I found the links posted on the following interesting. Lord Advocate described as ‘a pimp for the government’ ‘Scotland as a banana republic.’ this was in 2012.
“An anti-SNP and anti-Sturgeon blog elsewhere (no, not that one) publishing a letter by Alistair Bonnington who apparently was a university tutor to Sturgeon, but here’s who this guy is:
link to newsnet.scot
or indeed by LPW
link to lallandspeatworrier.blogspot.com
“
The same poster made the post about Alistair Bonnington made the following post on a WGD article entitled ‘The entitlement of British nationalism’ which seemed to be all about Rangers fans.
“I feel bound to quote the author on this article:
“This is your reminder that the purpose of this blog is to promote Scottish independence. If the comment you want to make will not assist with that goal then don’t post it.“
Shirley-Anne Somerville has been given the Education Job , didn’t the Rev have something on Her and it wasn’t very complementary IIRC
Humza Useless moved to Health , God Help Us. link to bbc.co.uk
Re discussion about ancestry and the make-up of peoples across the UK, it is work looking at this DNA study completed in 2105, the most extensive there has been I think.
A couple of headlines from it is that Orkney has the most distinct DNA compared to anywhere in the UK (Norse in make up obviously) but also that in terms of hierarchical grouping: ‘the north of England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland collectively separate from southern England. Then, at the next level, Cornwall forms a separate cluster quite distinct from Devon, followed by Scotland and Northern Ireland separating from northern England . . . While there is no clear ‘Celtic Fringe’, as is so often assumed, there is evidence of ancient British DNA in common with other British populations, especially in Scotland and Northern Ireland, but less in Cornwall, or Devon, in contrast to what might have been expected’.
The other thing that was shown to be true is the by and large, the Anglo-Saxons did not simply replace, drive out the people here before them, but interbred with them.
I find the survey fascinating and the researchers describe themselves as being ‘astonished to obtain 17 clusters of individuals based solely on similarities in their DNA that matched remarkably well their geographical locations’.
link to peopleofthebritishisles.web.ox.ac.uk
I do think this notion raised above that the Anglo-Saxons can still be thought of as invaders / colonisers compared the ‘Celts’ (not at all a uniform group anyway), pretty silly given the Anglo-Saxons began to arrive c.450AD and mixed and interbred with the natives of the time.
The Picts just disappeared from history at some point. I wonder if the Gaels interbred with them.
Most of my ancestery is Irish 3/4 and Scots the rest. Hopefully no Anglo Saxon in my DNA. I don’t have a single relative in England. As far as I know I never did.
Don- Somerville is incredibly stupid. Education is the worst post she could have got. Sturgeon is promoting pals, its nepotism on steroids.
I give her a year.
@Breeks 19 May, 2021 at 4:03 pm
Well done for demonstrating how exceptionally clueless you are.
“Read the McCrone Report. Easy read, won’t take you long, just 20 pages of it. Then look at Scotland’s wealth, compare it to Norway’s wealth, then join the dots.
You mean this McCrone ? Do stick with it till the end as who knows you might actually learn something worthwhile that might actually stick in your head. .
link to bit.ly
Norway and Scotland are completely different , Norway produced about 4 times as much Oil as Scotland and does it as half the production cost to recover it. Can you work out for yourself the difference that makes or do you need that explained as well ? link to archive.is
Scotlands Wealth is explained here by the Scottish Parliaments retained advisors from Clydebank Universtity Economics Office I’m sure they understand Scotlands wealth far better than you no matter how much you like to think otherwise ? link to archive.is
the people of the isles genetic studies –
“The most striking observation is the extraordinary correspondence between the genetic clusters and geographical location.”
– scots aren’t anglo, even northumbria and cumbria aren’t very anglo; they should be part of our territory
northumbria held parts of lothian for about 5 minutes, then you get the anglo trash claiming scots are really english
– some of the english get all upset about the norman invasion, and its consequences; tolkien was one. Some of the (dumber) english claim to be vikings, probably for the shield maidens.
mchardy’s new history of the picts claims the picts are still here in us; the scots and pict leadership interbred, but the picts had no written culture, which is how they “disappeared”
Confused. So I might be a Pict after all. Always thought I was special!!
Twathater 5.36
On behalf of the 77th command, I would like to point out the we do not have “squaddies” in our ranks.
The regiment is made up of good sorts from the upper middle classes. Privately schooled, oxbridge types with the minds and the wit to achieve goals without ever being seen to take credit.
Tbh, we are stood down for the time being (and have been for over a year now). Our deep cover operative (let’s call him Mr Fish) was activated to complete our plans. Mission accomplished for now. We are not expecting to rejoin the fray for another four years so plenty of time to catch-up on other important matters. This usually means baiting the French which is always good fun.
twathater,
They’re still here because there’s a better class of commenter to troll. If they head back to barracks they might get reassigned to The National or Bella Caledonia. Yes, they’re irritating at times but I would wish that assignment on anyone.
replace “would” with “wouldn’t”, doh!!!
I see that Fiona Robertson has managed to get the Equalities Convener post again on the Snp NEC even though the membership rejected her last November .
Luigi. 5.23pm
Keezzzzz!!!!
@ Leggy Peggy
Spear and Robertson were runners-up last year. As soon as there was a vacancy, they will automatically have filled it.
@ Big Jock at 7.40
Many are chosen, few are Pict.
(from a t-shirt purchased 20 years ago for a relative, so I can’t claim the credit)
Daisy Walker. The lockdowns are political.
It’s funny how all these independent nations the English colonised around the world, including us, have then got to beg the self same Bastards for the permission to hold an Independence Referendum to become an independent nation.
Confused?
Nicola will explain all, one day.
Don says:
19 May, 2021 at 7:33 pm
Norway and Scotland are completely different , Norway produced about 4 times as much Oil as Scotland and does it as half the production cost to recover it.
Oh aye, right enough, we’re “different”, aren’t we? Scotland’s the only country on the planet who discovered an oil bonanza and got poorer. Scotland has the “wrong” kind of oil doesn’t it? We’ve heard all the shite before. It’s too volatile, it’s running out, decommissioning the rigs will bankrupt us… yeah, yeah, yeah. ZZzzzzz…
The real difference is Norway is a sovereign nation investing in it’s population and future generations. It developed Statoil, a state owned oil company and invested in it’s own support industries which are thriving to this day and look after it’s population for generations to come. Scotland is totally different, because Scotland has it’s resources plundered by a parasitic “partner” which takes the maximum out for the minimum in, lies repeatedly about the value of Scotland’s resources, and is too greedy and busy plundering Scotland’s wealth to create an oil fund for the benefit of future generations of Scots.
I don’t know where you get the idea that Norway has produced four times as much oil as Scotland, that’s shite, – probably some BritNat think tank made it up. That’s usually where the bullshit comes from, before it’s trumpeted on BritNat media to indoctrinate the unwary.
And no, what Gavin McCrone said in the ‘70’s is much more relevant than what Gavin McCrone said before Scotland’s Referendum, because in the 1970’s his Report was meant to be top secret, so he could be candid and tell the truth. In 2013 he was trying to shut the stable door after the horse had bolted, and diffuse his own report to undermine Scottish Independence. He also lied through his teeth about his report not being secret, and we know that because of the covering letter attached to the Report and signed by him, which declared the information inside the report was so sensitive that it had to be kept secret and it’s circulation tightly controlled.
But keep trying Don. You never know, maybe you’ll manage to fool somebody with your BritNat Bullshit. Maybe try over on WGD.. they’re dumb enough to believe in all kinds of fairy stories.
America was the exception to the Referendum rule, they just kicked the bastards out.
Oh aye Don, a last wee tip for you.
If you hear anything about Scotland and Scottish Independence on the BBC, it’s a fairly safe bet it’s a load of shite. The clue is that it’s on the BBC, the state owned propaganda channel.
Since you’re a fan of YouTube, away and search for the “London Calling” video about the BBC bias during the 2014 IndyRef. Maybe you’ll learn something, although you’re so full of hate and vinegar, you probably won’t.
Don. Go fuck your Mother you arsehole.
Don,
Let me get your argument for the Union correct.
Scotland should stay in the Union because it doesn’t earn enough money to be independent.
Presumably then, that if Scotland can generate enough money you would stand behind independence.
Obviously no surplus is needed for self determination as the UK has a massive national debt and getting bigger.
At what point do you believe the UK should be stripped of its independence?
Or you could save us all your ramblings, tell the truth, admit you’re a hypocrite and that you believe under no circumstances Scotland should ever be independent.
From Chris McEleny on twitter ,
“ Who would’ve guessed that the Daily Mail @Mike_Blackley was the most visited website by Scottish Government staff….Wings over Scotland also the most visited independence supporting site. “
link to twitter.com
Link to Scottish Government FOI ,
“ Breakdown of websites accessed by Scottish Government staff: FOI release “
link to gov.scot
Well I guess the new Cabinet Secretary for Health & Social Care is going to have his work cut out getting to grips with these new fangled health and care issues.
link to twitter.com
Id just like to point out something when it comes to the argument – ‘there are no native peoples on these islands’ (or something similar).
If that’s the case then there are almost no native peoples pretty much anywhere, because so few would pass that test. I disagree with it but lets run with that:
Peoples, cultures and civilisations have their homelands. Over time the genetic mixture of those peoples change slowly and mix with other neighbouring peoples.
There are times when this happens over the course of just a few decades and pretty much every time this is not considered integration, or adaptation. It is called invasion.
Ultimately the forced introduction of alien cultures of peoples of a different ethnic heritage, financed by NGO’s and helped along by the political class while arguments against are frowned upon and now becoming outlawed cannot be seen as anything else.
There is nothing natural about the numbers being brought to Scotland (and anywhere else in Europe). There is nothing helpful about it to ordinary Scots. Ultimately it will, and is intended to, create a perpetually divided society that can never find political cohesion.
If you doubt that claim then I ask you – why is it always the same people who shout BLM (and the anti-European hatred that stems from that marxist terrorist organisation) that want Africans to come here in vast numbers? If native Europeans are so evil to black people and must be punished what is the game in trying to get as many of them here as possible?
Like the trans folk these people are being used. The groups advocating for them are tools of the financial elite who want the nation state to die.
Unfortunately too many Scots are too busy biting their nails and trying to appease political players who will accuse them of bigotry no matter what they do.
The solution is to recognise the forces behind this – the groups and characters around the IMF, WEF and other globalist institutions and get their tentacles out of our nations. African and Muslim nations in particular who have been most heavily abused by these financial gangsters.
A global movement for nationalism and the rights of the peoples of the world to run their countries for the benefit of their own people as a priority and not be just the indebted vassals of global international corporations and banks.
I just wanted to add an addition to my previous comment:
Some years ago on this site i was making comment saying – it does not matter how much you appease the fanatics, how much ground you give, they will always want more. Arguments may initially make sense and be justified but eventually the continual pushing will take their demands to never before imagined levels – to the point of insanity that hurts people.
This is exactly what happened with the transgender issue. It will happen with everything else you give ground to these people on.
Im not a sage, or a fortune teller. I just know what has gone before and I have read what has been planned. This is how populations have been decimated in the past and unimaginable horrors and bloodshed unleashed on innocents.
The first few times it was class warfare. Very justified to begin with given the excesses of the wealthy versus the grueling hardship of the poor. However that very quickly becomes gulags for anyone who might disagree with the ruling clique.
Now its racial and sex ‘privilege’ and is leading to a similar place.
Confused @ 7:34 said:
‘– some of the english get all upset about the norman invasion, and its consequences; tolkien was one. Some of the (dumber) english claim to be vikings, probably for the shield maidens.’
The English have been upset by the Norman invasion from the moment it happened. There is documentary evidence from the time bemoaning that the true Englishman (read Anglo-Saxon) is gone, no more, replaced by the foreign invading Normans. The Normans of course are in fact of Viking descent though those who claim Viking ancestry won’t be referring to that.
Where I live (West Yorkshire) there was a surprising cluster of Romano-British DNA but then not so surprising because the area corresponds to the old Kingdom of Elmet, a last Celtic stronghold in England till c600AD, and a place of dense forests and lawlessness according to legend (see Ted Hughes Remains of Elmet). It was ruled by one King Gwalog who ended up in Wales. And now the DNA evidence proves this but also that the inhabitants did not flee but bred with the Anglo-Saxons.
I cannot claim this lineage personally though, as I am from the south so am very likely pure Anglo-Saxon, which I am perfectly happy with, though frankly I could not really give a toss what my genetic make-up is in terms of ancestry, though I find it interesting nevertheless. I don’t really hold with the idea that culture has much to do with DNA.
Now we are oot of Dundee my Internet Service Provider has thrown a tantrum. I log onto WOS under an ISP e mail. I will never do that again. Ah well I disappeared a few years ago and shortly will be cut off. Could be my last chance to wish you well Stu. Rest assured we are not moving to Bath. A nice town but not on our list. Although we might not be too far from you. My wife is delighted she is not stepping over druggies to get to the supermarket.
U.K. or Westminster Debt Clock
link to nationaldebtclock.co.uk
Remember 300 years of Scotland not being permitted debt
Hi Tannadice Boy.
Cornwall is nice. The people are a bit like us – they resent control from London.
A lot of brilliant stuff on here today, and unusually I have read most of it, I must have to much time on my hands lol.
I will not go into certain personalities and their silly nonesense as we all know who they are, but one thing I just have to point out again is this.
Do not reply to them, you only give them a platform, ignore them, the poor souls will get bored and go away eventually.
Anyway, I’m off to youtube to partake in my fav comedy shows, is there help anywhere for all us youtube addicts lol
@Brian Doonthetoon 10:33pm
Of our 6 locations 2 of them are in Cornwall. Pricey but manageable. My wife is so happy even although we are in a temporary situation just now. Keep the flag flying Brian you are a good un.
Joe @ 9.20 & 9.57
{ Firstly let me fess up and apologise espically to Ruby … the other day the way I wrote my post I claimed several times there were 70 million people in London alone … I know there’s not, and everyone else probably does too, and I’m too affronted to go back and look to see if anyone bothered to correct me on it.
I was rushing to make my point about immigration and even though I read it back I didn’t spot my idiotic claim ( tis a wonder there’s no been Hammers wielded ) numbers have never been my strong suit but I’m no usually that far oot , can I just leave it at we need people ? 🙂 }
Anyhoo joe
We need people…or we need a very radical and fast rejiging of Scotland !
What exactly do you suggest we do about it?
Assuming we agree that Westminister manage things to suit London ( and why wouldn’t they ? )
And
Westminister are to be gotten out of Scotland’s Business because we are fed up funding London.
I’ll quite happily discuss “fortress Scotland ” and seriously too.
I’d go from Fortress Scotland right over to an open door policy and everything in between … we’ve led the way and changed the world before…
It is a conversation that Scotland needs to have and we need to do it with cool heads.
It’s also a conversation that western democracies seem quick to shut down any sense on.
I won’t entertain a Breeding programme suggestion , no matter how prettily worded.
Those notions are gone, they are not coming back and everyone ( not you personally joe ) better make their peace with that.
So Joe .
New people … how and when ?
Or
Design Fortress Scotland to sustain a 21st centurary lifestlye and keep the young people out numbered, out voted , and out of the Emirgation que ???
You have the Conch !!!
Hi Tannadice Boy.
Me and wife #1 did the St Austell area back in the 80s. A long drive but a great holiday. Never fancied the surfing an’ thah on the north coast.
Ever noticed that the sand is a lot finer on Scottish beaches (Broughty, Monifieth, Carnoustie, Tentsmuir For example) than English beaches, where the sand tends to irritate the tootsies? Carlyon Bay had decent sand. And a naturist beach…
Don
I worked twenty years in the offshore industry and can assure you that Scotland and Norway have produced very similar quantities of crude oil over the last forty years or so and the production costs are just the same. The oil companies have an interest in keeping costs low.
The difference being that not a single penny of the Trillion dollars worth of revenues was allocated to Scotland and the majority was used to reduce the top level of income tax from 60% to 40%. Great for the rich.
Norway has invested every penny for the good of their nation. Tragically there will come a time when we are left only with the old rusting abandoned oil rigs but we can look across the North Sea to the richest country in the world.
Hi Liz g says at 10:46 pm.
You mentioned,
“Fortress Scotland right over to an open door policy and everything in between … we’ve led the way and changed the world before…”
which reminded me of this…
link to fredsakademiet.dk
@Brian Doonthetoon 10:54pm
I had the privilege of working in the Western Isles thee greatest beaches in the UK. We had a holiday on Barra and I have to say the beach on Vatersay was outstanding. A weeks holiday that seems a long time ago now. But was the best family holiday we have ever had. The colour of the water on Vatersay was turquoise. Amazing!
All this talk about maintaining the purity of Scottishness is for the birds.
We need open borders to trade and to survive.
This has been our wont.
We have travelled.
Indeed Scots were at the vanguard of the empire.
This narrative about Scotland being colonised by England is rubbish.
An independent Scotland needs to be open for business and welcoming to all.
Brian Doonthetoon @ 11.07
Wow scary stuff,and I’d guess we don’t yet know the half of it.
I long read I’ll certinly save for later and I’ll be looking at it with the Rev in my ear too.
I’ll be trying to pick out our value to Westminister and NATO going forwards.
Because if the war games that they play every year aren’t drawing income to the UK treasury ( aye right) I’ll certinaly be arguing they sure as shit better to Holyrood..
Or they can simulate the hell out of the Highlands and see how far they get …
Hi Stephen at 11:10 pm.
You opined,
“This narrative about Scotland being colonised by England is rubbish.
An independent Scotland needs to be open for business and welcoming to all.”
Can you square those contradictory statements?
It’s not contradictory.
I believe both statements to be true.
Research the history of the empire and you will find that Scots were at the heart of it.
We benefited from it.
Just consider the street names in Glasgow.
All this about relishing the purity of our stock is ridiculous considering how widely we have travelled and the interbreeding which has taken place.
Are we going to deny the vote to people who live in Scotland but are from somewhere else?
We need all the help we can get.
WGD must be the worst of all the Indy blogs.
Full of all sorts of freaks and Sturgeon fanatics.
No wonder Sturgeon’s a fan.
It’s a website that I have never visited.
Wee brass neck scrounging bastard.
Stephen @ 11.10
Well yes Stephen it’s a daft notion to be sure… but , in, breaking down the conversation to ..Corporations and their power over us and buying local to help the environment … there may be lessons to be learned from the world when it was less integrated and interdependent .
Of course the racial purity nonsense is no anything any serious person entertains ( science has gone far to far for that anyway ) but to study and look at tribal and clan systems for what they have to teach us now could be useful.
We know to our cost all about how our natural tribal instincts are used against us and are encouraged to see them as regressive.
( One look at Westminister and we get all the confirmation bias we need of extreme *Tribe gone wrong civilise immediately * type performances.)
But, not everything about the Tribes and the Clan system was bad for humanity and certainly not for the planet..
Mibbi we should look closer at them to see if there’s anything we could use to advance humanity ?
And certainly look to see what Scotland can use..
Liz
Yes
I’m all in favour of buying local to support the environment and I agree with you about the egregious effects of multinationals.
I’m not sure, however, that there is any merit in searching for an ethnic tribal base for an independent Scotland.
Stephen @ 11.57
Me either Stephen..
That’s not what I said at all.
I’m saying there’s a conversation to be had.
Encompassing the full range of possibilities .
And to deny that our ( and everyone else’s ) tribal instincts are not being played on is naive.
To deny we have such instincts serves only those who who’ll use them.
So.
I say include them without shame in the conversation and see where we are willing to go next.
‘We need open borders to trade’
lol
Ok Liz
Sorry if I misunderstood.
It’s good to talk as Bob Hoskins once said!
Stephen says:
19 May, 2021 at 11:10 pm
All this talk about maintaining the purity of Scottishness is for the birds.
We need open borders to trade and to survive.
This has been our wont.
We have travelled.
Indeed Scots were at the vanguard of the empire.
This narrative about Scotland being colonised by England is rubbish.
An independent Scotland needs to be open for business and welcoming to all.
Jeezo. This is a full on Neil Oliver level of deluded bullshit. “Open borders to trade and to survive” is it? Brace yourself Stephen. You might want to be sitting down while somebody tells you about Brexit.
Breeks
Yes
Your arguing skills are poor though.
Stephen @ 1.17
That’s disappointing Stephen…
A personal attack ?
Is not the level I thought I was engaging at.
Bye Stephen
Cornwall Spain or Turkey
Turkey every time for me, and then Abuyog
you will engage with twits and they always end up being abusive, ignore them every time
Spot the yoony debate 1977
link to youtube.com
Rob Brown’s Jaggy Blog is proving to be a good and timely addition to the indy blogging community. If there are Wingers who haven’t visited yet you should pop over there.
Well the New SNP Cabinet sure makes for a gallery of amateurs and failures. Seems like any kind of knowledge of the ministerial brief is not required on the job description.
I see Bagpus Blackford is still whittering on about Brexit… man, he really doesn’t do self awareness – let it go mate the SNP blew its chance to do anything about Brexit, you’re embarrassing yourself now.
Fake Trade Deals Westminster Style.
Very rich shill Liam Fox has signed up a trade deal with Papua New Guinea.
I know they must be about 10,000 miles away and are known for protected
exotic bird species.
Does any know of buying a product from that country, any product?
If we do buy something, how much does it cost to export that distance
and what harm to greenhouse gasses for all that fuel?
Now would that little pretty poor and remote country with minimal resources be able to
govern itself, whoops it seems to be doing that already with England begging for a deal.
If you were a small country looking to trade, would you give one country a sweater deal than you
would a group of 27 countries who are a little closer to you and who honour their trade deals?
Now we rejoice that Australian farmers can export their foods here without tariff?
Well that should make larger profits for the supermarkets who won’t cut prices and
of course it should herald the end for many local farmers.
Well farmers, you do tend to vote Tory, don’t you.
Perhaps the plan is to have everything shipped in from 12,000 miles away creating demand for new
ships to be built in the U.K., or England as it’s also known.
Just need to find a ship yard owned by a Tory donator and they can take as much as they like
from the tax payer.
FYI At the moment, something as simple as a metal clad socket with a NATO approved manufacturer already costs hundreds of pounds.
It’s a nice way of claiming it’s something special or complicated so must cost tax payers money
big time.
Effigy , shrunken heads???
The madness continues. Cll George Gordon objects to a small sea sports development at Silverknowes,Edinburgh. Again,against the very favourable local support. He says it is on amenity land. Dog shite versus healthy sport for young people.
He is an SNP councillor.
Why are they doing this? What motivates such an idiotic objection. Motive???
I am horrified at the unseemly choice of Somerville as Education Minister as she has literally no professional education qualifications. I thought I had better check it out, however and discovered that her Wikipedia page has already been updated to include her new post. (And I was right about her lack of professional education qualifications).
I shudder to think of the ill-informed decisions that will be taken under her direction.
Amazing how fast the SNP can get off the ground when it is a question of promoting themselves, in comparison to their lack of speed and direction concerning independence!
@Liz G
Hungary are currently well into a process of national revival and incentives to families have got their birth rates up and marriage rates up.
You can stimulate population growth without putting a gun to womens heads and saying ‘breed’. If women want to do other things then that is fine.
A country can have a sensible immigration policy that respects the needs of the people who live there with taking on a ‘fortress’ mentality.
There is nothing normal about throwing open borders. The ‘boats from Africa’ (or anywhere else) immigration policy is not something any sane country would suggest.
Besides, as I have already said – the 1 ndustry that requires an expanding base of people is the Banking industry. The first reason is for the generation of more debt and the second is the artificially high housing prices.
I can point to a number of places on mainland Europe filled with multi-lingual christian-based highly educated young people who are on the verge of grinding poverty who can’t even enter our country for a holiday much less come here and make a life.
The immigration we are seeing is not for our (or the migrants) benefit.
Correction – without taking on a ‘fortress’ mentality.
David Caledonia @ 3.28am :- aye and quite a few of them frequent this site.
I do not think a Minister requires qualifications in the subjects their ministry deals with as this would be nearly impossible in some area of expertise. Very few medical people at consultant level for example would be attracted to politics,the notable exception in the SNP was hit by the Cherry vindictive NEC ruling.
What a Minister DOES require is the intelligence and wisdom to hear the advice of Civil Servants and government advisors and advance the policies which would do the most good.
Shirley-Anne Somerville has demonstrated in her previous post that she has none of these qualities. She is however,very woke like her boss.
I remember in the eighties the equivalent to woke was the fear of witchcraft and the homophobia and conversion therapy views of the bible belt Republicans in the USA. Many people in senior positions in the public services here got free trips to the US to get “brainwashed”. It was very effective,so much so,that my pis staking of their new found views fell on deaf ears.Like the woke!
Just reporting a curious thing if anyone is interested –
I was awake early and heard the some of the first new broadcasts of the day on BBC R4 (poss 5.30/6.00 can’t remember which)
They reported that the inquiry into the infamous Martin Bashir interview with Princess Diana has reached the conclusion that Bashir obtained the interview by deceit as it was supposed to be an interview with her about her charitable activities.
Haven’t heard a peep on any radio broadcast since then about the inquiry and the only mention on their webpage says that the report is due on May 14th.
Interestingly, it was reported about a week ago that Bashir had retired from the BBC on health grounds – conveniently it now seems.
So what now BBC – do you indulge in underhand tactics and devious means to get your message across? Surely not!
How will the establishment react to this deceit?
Sue them?
Famous 15 @9.46
A discussion about the new cabinet on Radio Scotchland about an hour ago commented on the fact that she/her has moved Swinney to safety as there will be a lot of trouble coming down the line towards whoever the Education Secretary is – they actually suggested that Somerville was perhaps a sacrificial lamb!
Effigy
As a major exporter of commodities, Papua New Guinea mainly exports gold, copper, palm oil and coffee. Main exports partners are Australia, Japan, Germany, China and Singapore. Papua New Guinea mainly imports fuel, rice, vehicle, machinery and equipment.
There are three possibilities I can think of – Fox has mining / palm oil plantation interests; there is some connection with the Australian trade deal or it’s part of the grand plan to get involved with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) – I see that the wikipedia page describing the agreement has already been updated to show the UK’s application.
So the Home office has said that it will get the two men who alluded them on Kenmure street in Glasgow at a later date. The Home Office also admitted to to trying to coerce the Sikh community into helping with removing the men, and no doubt other folk who live in Scotland, but the Sikh community wisely decided to have no dealings with that particular devil.
Meanwhile I see Sturgeon the Betrayer has all but shuffled the chairs on the Titanic with her cabinet positions, the most outrageous of all is appointing the ultra dense Shirley Anne-Sommerville as Education secretary.
No doubt Larry Flanagan, General Secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland will never be off the phone to this dolt, as she further f*cks up children’s education in Scotland.
Joe @ 9.00
While I agree that the current immigration set up is not in our intrests I’d also point out that in recent history two relitivly empty countries that did open their borders America and Australia did rather well from it.
They, as would we,had to eventually get more selective but they strengthened their worker/tax base.
As for stimulating population growth …. why would we need to choose that ?
There are plenty of people already around Scotland just needs to attract them here.
As you said yourself there are some right on our doorstep.
Also
I am presuming you mean ” culturally ” Christian here for the purposes of ease of blending into community’s , but I would point out that’s no always as straightforward as it seems as we saw on Saturday Christians have their nutters too and many cleave to a way of life we are trying to get away from.
A strong secular Constition would, I think , be a pre requisite for us to do what we can to eliminate serfdom in all it’s forms.
Spain delays self-id.
link to rtve.es
link to translate.google.com
@Lizg
Yes you are right. But im pointing out that there are practical ways to get a country revived without the ‘we need open borders’ nonsense that countries are already putting into practice. Why shouldn’t Scotland put the well being of Scots first?
I agree with the secular constitution but European Christians are pretty much in alignment with this anyway. I don’t know of any European christians who are not generally content to work under a secular government. When it comes to womens rights and secularism its not European Christians, or people from European countries that are Christian, who are the main problems.
Either way what we are seeing now is utterly unnecessary and is sinister from the way its done, to the groups behind it and in the way we were never asked while criticism is always painted as the expression of some sort of racist, evil (and soon potentially criminal) ideology.
Again – if the trans debacle hasn’t got anyone wondering what insanity might be in store for us with any of these other ‘woke’ pet projects then they probably need to stay off the whisky for a bit.
Immigration could be increased by having free movement from the EU. ie being a member of the EU.
This could also attract people & businesses from the RUK.
I’m not convinced that it is a good thing to have a country divided up into different communities ie Muslim communities/Sikh communities etc.
I understand why people would want to do that but I think it should be discouraged.
Immigrants from the EU & RUK more likely to integrate due to similar culture.
A bit o/t
I know the clowns over the rainbow in WGD land still read the comments here so here’s a question given that most of you lot have one foot in the grave do you expect to see a Independent Scotland in your lifetime under this SNP leadership ? it’s a honest question .
I wonder what the people on the doging side referred to as the WGD I wonder what exactly they are going to talk about for the next 5 years ? It’s just round the corner , it’s within touching distance ,we are on our way , a section 30 gold standard approval will be agreed by Bawjaws they talk about gaining independence as if it’s early 2014 ,
Christ that’s really stretching their belief in Princess Nicolas ability we have gone into reverse since the vote in 2014 no preparations have been made to present a believable case for a Independent country to the people who need to be convinced ,
She has poisoned the well of hope and belief she has singlehandedly fragmented and divided the YES movement , she’s either stupid or she is indeed following orders I would like to believe she’s not a very good politician or tactician because the thought of her being controlled by the English establishment is very troubling and has wider implications but this could explain some of the wreaking and divisive decisions she has made since becoming First Minister .
To be able to discuss immigration you need free speech and we haven’t had that since Labour’s PC brigade started calling people racists if they dared to mention immigration.
Same applies now to self-id/GRA any criticism and you are branded transphobic & worse.
Ruby says: at 10:38 am
“I’m not convinced that it is a good thing to have a country divided up into different communities ie Muslim communities/Sikh communities etc.
I understand why people would want to do that but I think it should be discouraged.”
Aye, but the way things are being steered by the current wazzocks of the political class and the agendas they are pushing, societies are going to be divided anyway, but not only by religion, or ethnicity, it’s more likely to create yet another split between the sane and the stark raving bonkers factions.
It’s all just more pish being rained down on us to continue the divide and rule modus…
Interesting title ‘Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution’, in a territory treated as a colony whose constitution is ignored and disrespected.
According to the UN, independence is decolonisation: link to un.org
‘Cabinet Secretary for Decolonisation’ may therefore be more apt, especially in a country whose independence is being blocked, and to negotiate independence via the UN C-24 under the UN Charter instead of with Downing St.
Republicofscotland says:
20 May, 2021 at 10:06 am
So the Home office has said that it will get the two men who alluded them on Kenmure street in Glasgow at a later date. The Home Office also admitted to to trying to coerce the Sikh community into helping with removing the men, and no doubt other folk who live in Scotland, but the Sikh community wisely decided to have no dealings with that particular devil.
Reply
“The Home Office also admitted to to trying to coerce the Sikh community into helping with removing the men”
In what way? Did they say
“If you knowingly employ an illegal immigrant, or have ‘reasonable cause to believe’ the person does not have the right to work in the UK and you still employ them, you could face unlimited fines and a prison sentence of up to five years.”
‘Penalties for illegal renting
You could be sent to prison for 5 years or get an unlimited fine for renting property in England to someone who you knew or had ‘reasonable cause to believe’ did not have the right to rent in the UK.”
Perhaps none of this applies to Scotland and it’s OK to employ & rent to an illegal immigrant.
Perhaps it’s OK to employ people & pay them well under the minimum wage cash in hand in Scotland.
@Robert Graham
Its should be blatantly obvious to anyone who is not mentally ill that the SNP are not doing what they are supposed to.
So with that put aside – Scots need to stop being led by the nose by exciting and promising leaders. Scots need to be setting the agenda and grading politicians on their abilities to stick to it.
The cause of nationalism goes to more fundamental depths than the game we call politics. Scots need to be economically aware of Scotlands health and promote it by supporting pro Scottish businesses and people. Their needs to be deliberate pushing of our celebrations and culture nationally and internationally.
We need to have legal experts that push back against the BS we are seeing in the legal arena.
It has to feel good and to be rewarding to be Scottish. Not to always feel like the abused partner in a relationship you can’t seem to get out of while waiting on a corrupt band of imbeciles.
Pride needs to come back. Not the ‘Im proud to be Scottish but not if it offends anyone’ but far more ‘im proud to be Scottish, I don’t need any specific reason and you can GTF if you don’t like it’.
What’s most important, and to get back to leadership – we need public figures who are not in the political game and can’t be destroyed by the political game.
Mr Campbell showed that this is effective. People look to him for views and how to conceptualize what’s going on as well as for information – and he was difficult to get rid of because he never entered the farce of politics.
Politics is just 1 facet of all this. An important one but while we have years to wait to change the political landscape there are many positive things to be doing that advances the Scots as a people.
Lastly – Scots need to stop falling into political traps like referendums
Dan says
“it’s more likely to create yet another split between the sane and the stark raving bonkers factions.”
Reply
‘Nurse Ratched’ will be along soon to sort out those who claim to be sane.
“And they’re coming to take me away ha-haaa
They’re coming to take me away ho-ho hee-hee ha-haaa”
Hi Ruby.
link to youtube.com
Ruby @11.16am.
I’ve no idea how the Home Office plans to snatch the men, here’s the article and a snippet from it.
“However, the UK Government is likely to face a robust legal challenge. Robina Qureshi, director of charity Positive Action in Housing, said: “We are exploring what legal actions there are to take action against the Home Office.
“It’s wrong to call them illegal — the Home Office is casting aspersions on men from the Indian community. They have been living and working peacefully in the community for years and it’s just a matter of not having the right paperwork. They are not criminals, they are not costing anybody anything. Detaining them will only rack up a bill for the taxpayer.””
link to thenational.scot
“Perhaps it’s OK to employ people & pay them well under the minimum wage cash in hand in Scotland.”
Perhaps that’s an assumption of yours. ( I know a prolific commentor, from another blog who’s very fond of using the word perhaps)
My view is that the Home Office (a misnomer if ever there was one) has been removing folk that IT finds are illegally living in Scotland, and as you’re fond of saying Ruby, Perhaps Scots are fed up with this kind of treatment, I know I am. England has been keeping Scotland’s population small and manageable for a long time, (ever wonder why England has ten times more folk than Scotland does), no we need control of immigration to grow our tax base, and I for one believe it we’d had control of we’d have voted to leave this union long before now.
@Alf Baird
Given his background, ‘Cabinet Secretary for Devolution’ may therefore be more apt. Another creature of the British Establishment.
From observing mass immigration being imposed on all western countries to present date, allowed and encouraged through the front door and the back door by our governments in their millions across Europe, allowed and trafficked by cartels trading in people
I would suggest that these poor immigrants are going to be used as future slave labour at the cost to locals and the immigrants,
Sweater shops for all,
If our countries cannot provide transport systems that are on time and regular, if our health care systems are diminishing through sell offs, and privatisation and the NHS already could not coping during the pandemic
If we can’t pay decent wages or find work for people already unemployed in western countries, or provide decent housing for our own homeless who lie on the streets ignored by our politicians,
How on earth will importing mass immigration of people help the situation or the immigrants.
We used to have, poor house in times not so far in our past, nowadays we have food banks for ordinary people with families.
The immigrants will become used and abused, they will be in the poorest houses like Grenfell tower or living on the street, they will be used to keep cost of wages down for the elites to an all time low, which they themselves will Fall foul of. Many are not being recorded through the official paperwork, this not only makes them vulnerable, it means they may fall foul of pimps and prostitution, fed by drugs, and of corse if no one is aware you’re here, an immigrant can just as easily be disposed of. No one would be looking for your death in the papers,
Here in Britain the structures for society are crumbling at a faster rate than thought possible in my life time.
These immigration policies without support for the migrants, or the people already here will impose poverty on the masses,
This may be advantageous for elitism and slave labour. But not for the immigrants or locals.
Both these two sets of people will be held hostage to conditions like in the earlier centuries, being held by masters and to poor to escape.
This is not about being kind to our fellow man, woman or child, this is about being kind to the rich,
The use and terminology of the phrase “Human Resources” in government, Councils and big businesses is not there by accident this century.
Alf @11.04.
Yes Alf, that crossed my mind as well, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, it has a hollow ring to it when you know that Scotland is treated like a colony, but outwardly to the masses it give off the impression that something important is going on behind the scenes with regards to a constitution or movement to get Scotland out of this union, when we know that’s not the case.
Its almost akin to Boris Johnson’s empty title Minister for the Union.
Talking to two Tory Voting nurses this morning, and they went on to tell me how much they hated Nicola Sturgeon because she’s determined to break up the UK.
I told told them that while Sturgeon was running the show, there would be no chance of the UK being broken up, and that Sturgeon was probably as bigger Tory than Ruth Davidson.
They were taken back by my negativity I had regarding Sturgeon and had never heard of any splits within the Yes Movement.
Also got the usual Salmond reply.
Point being, the ignorance among usually quite intelligent people is astounding and depressing at the same time.
It’s very interesting talking to complete strangers to see exactly where we are regarding widespread opinions.
And it seems to be along the lines of:-
Sturgeon is “Robert the Bruce” in a skirt, and Alex Salmond is the worst threat to women since “Jack the Ripper”.
Republicofscotland says:
20 May, 2021 at 12:26 pm
Alf @11.04.
Yes Alf, that crossed my mind as well, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, it has a hollow ring to it when you know that Scotland is treated like a colony…
Not just a hollow ring to it, but if Westminster’s unconstitutional encroachment over Scotland’s sovereign rights continues to be ignored, and the Scottish “Government” meekly acquiesces to going along with it, just as they did over Brexit, then I think it goes beyond being something hollow, because it is actually setting unconstitutional precedents which Westminster will seize upon like a cable tie; tightening incrementally, without ever releasing.
It’s possible, I think, that the Scottish Government’s unconstitutional “concessions” to Westminster might be ultra vires under Scotland’s sovereign Constitution and can be undone, but unless or until Westminster recognises Scotland’s sovereign ascendency, (which it won’t until compelled to), the Scottish Government’s cowardice is allowing Westminster to entrench it’s colonial beachhead and thus make it’s encroachment all the harder to remove.
You almost want Scotland to have a Constitutional Minister, a bit like the office of Lord Advocate, who should properly be sitting outside of Government and independent, holding the Government in check, and compelling them to act Constitutionally, rather than a token mouthpiece Cabinet bauble talking pish on behalf of the Government of the day.
Sadly, we know that probity and principle makes no more sense to this SNP “Government” than the sovereign Constitution.
Dave Somerville says:
20 May, 2021 at 12:38 pm
Talking to two Tory Voting nurses this morning….
….. the ignorance among usually quite intelligent people….
Tory voting nurses pass for intelligent people?
Breeks
Sturgeon is in favour of Devolution for four simple reasons:-
1/ The huge salary the Murrells pick up.
2/ The luxury Mansion lifestyle.
3/ The Power it gives them.
4/ The fear of losing it all when we finally do become an independent nation.
Breeks,
The problem we have, is the Scottish government ( snp) does not seriously recognise the sovereignty of the Scottish people either, or they would have acted when we gave them all those mandates.
The pressure on the snp this year will have to reach a crescendo,
Snp don’t try for independence”. Or “snp squandered sovereign mandates” might be a good flag to fly on a rally or march
They have never joined the people in support for independence, but we can call them out on it publicly, and we must.
I notice Sturgeon hasn’t taken the opportunity of the Grand Reshuffle of her Cabinet to boot out Lord Wolffe her political [?] Lord Advocate.
This week would have been the perfect time to boot him and his Office out of the SNP Cabinet.
James Che
Sturgeon doesn’t do “Indy”, that’s for the scum end of society.
She’s more of a “Rainbow Rally” wummin.
Show her one of them and she’ll be front and centre before you can say “shut that door”.
@Republicofscotland – 20 May, 2021 at 12:20 pm
“we need control of immigration to grow our tax base”
I don’t agree with you, as I think we need control of our education and employment policies so that we can grow our industries, create new classes of gainful employment, hire our unemployed and unemployable, increase the wages paid to the people already living here, and hence grow our tax base that way.
A bit like the Germans have always done without even having to think about it.
But let’s just say you have it right.
To have control of immigration, an Independent Scotland can’t be in the EU. So careful what you wish for.
Jack Murphy
Regarding James Wollfe – the two irreplaceable members of the Cabinet are Wolffe and John Swinney – they know where all the bodies are buried, and, with that knowledge, they could bury Sturgeon.