How newspapers work
Posted on
May 24, 2016 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
These two stories today are based on the exact same quotes from the exact same interview in a magazine.
Thank goodness the press is here to interpret stuff for us, eh?
Obviously, there is a parallel universe…
Hacks rehash someone else’s work to invent column inches for respective rags what ever happened to real investigative journalism or indeed just going and interviewing the subject.
I’m sure it will make perfect sense to the Nawbags as they can once again use the power of cognitive dissonance.
Sick fed up with Ruthie worship. Hopefully it will go to her big head and she’ll fall flat on her own hubris.
Journalism in mainstream press is now well and truly dead – proof, if ever proof was needed.
Dastardly Rev Stu of the splittlist and dark net blog WoS, could be preparing for an armed insurrection, according to inside sources.
O/T but a terrible decision made in N Yorks over fracking.
It just isn’t right that a decision of such wide consequences for the UK should be made by seven doddery old men.
Noted that saltire wearing Scottish anti frackers were prominent amongst the protestors.
It’s almost like there is strife with Tory party, and Ruth is exploiting that, on the back of winning Holyrood.
I’d like to wish Ruth luck in her move South 🙂
I have no desire to become Queen Fergus the First of Freedonia, but I am not ruling it out.
Arise Baroness Ruth no doubt. “I genuinely don’t think I will ever do anything more important in politics than this critical period of keeping the UK together” is all that matters tory britnat Graun world.
Forget all about Ruth MacThatcher’s actual tory policies… save the neighbours control of their Scotland region, nothing is more important.
Its a long time since Tory mps from Scotland needed backbenches to sit on.
I think I’d recommend young people not to go into the newspaper business!
No long term job prospects. 🙂
The mainstream press has always been biased and unbalanced. It is just that they are being exposed now.
There is a disturbance in the force, but the papers never noticed.
And I thocht she was going to marry Keezie. Think I’ll Jine yon Embra gowf Club for peace.
Nicola for President
My understanding is that under EVEL no Scottish MP can ever be PM,so she must be moving to England,good,as she’s on tae plums in Scotland.
(No plums were damaged in this cliche).
Well theirs the other possible world leader candidates such as Boris Johnston, Donald Trump and now Ruth Davidson.
With all her great and fantastic achievements like err or their was ??? maybe somewhere a ? give me time and I will figure something.
Whatever, I am sure she qualifies for the top position, just check the papers.
Dave McEwan Hill says:
24 May, 2016 at 10:33 am
The mainstream press has always been biased and unbalanced. It is just that they are being exposed now.
And losing, or just keeping Scottish democracy in check, for now.
Och it’s the same old, made-up nonsense:
Politician says “Maybeeeze I am, maybeeeze I’m not”
The hacks go away and write it up as they see it.
Daily Fiction – and not very good fiction at that!
Valerie, pleaase enlighten me. When did Ruth win Holyrood? It certainly hasn’t happened in my lifetime
First thing that struck me in was that unless she was elected in an English constituency, I do not see how she could become PM. EVEL fixed that.
It is a pity that the media are reduced to merely passing on gossip. Hence the various interpretations of the same chatter. I am very occasionally nostalgic for a newspaper reading experience, but the feeling vanishes as soon as I begin, then recycle.
Slightly OT
But is this the man – about to become an economic immigrant in our country – who we need for honest comment?
link to archive.is
As a sample –
” There needs to be an anthem for all four nations, it’s all about equality and right now, the arrogance from the English is quite disturbing.
Another point worth mentioning…although it’s not often reached the fourth verse reads “rebellious Scot to crush” just thought that’s worth mentioning!”
“I don’t want to be Prime Minister.”
So we can take it that the precise opposite is the truth?
Fact is, though, that even with EVEL she has more chance of becoming PM than she ever will at becoming FM. Ain’t that the truth Ruth?
“Refuses to rule out” = “definitely going to do it”
And the opponents of Scotland’s civil rights say there’s no difference between Scotland and England. Well, they can start with ‘British’ newspapers.
The British media – thought control at its finest.
Our journalists must rank as the laziest, ill-formed, nose picking flicking, unscrupulous bunch of self-satisfied boobs and derriere watchers that strolled to a pub from their desk for a three-hour ‘business’ meeting.
Some lampooned here: link to wp.me
If anyone deserves an ‘honour’ for the increase in Tory seats in Scotland, it’s not Ruthie – it has to be d’Hondt!!
I wonder how many put-downs Nicola has compiled for Smirky, Murdo and Monotone, following the weekend fitba? Popcorn ordered!
On the basis of these two articles I am now convinced Ruth Davidson can also become an astronaut and fly to Mars or turn into a space jockey.
EVEL doesn’t mean there’s no chance of an MP elected in a Scottish constituency becoming PM. In fact if the divisions within the Conservative party were to worsen EVEL would effectively mean that a PM who couldn’t take a full part in “England only” politics could neither win nor lose.
“Ulsterisation” in tory speak is what would put the final nail in that coffin. A completely independent scottish unionist party that took the conservative whip would severely limit their level of ambition. They really don’t give a fuck about the division and tribalism most of us who live here want to avoid or at least contain. It’s only their self interest that concerns them.
Is Ruth actually beginning to believe her own press? A legend in her own lunchtime!
Two quotes which would surely confuse the Herald’s notoriously glaikit editors for days …
“I used to be very indecisive but now, I’m not so sure.”
“I can keep a secret. It’s the people I tell who can’t.”
Meanwhile, “The Gaurndain” would just make lots of typographical & grammatical errors while “The Daily Mail” would find an immigrant or benefit recipient angle.
Thank goodness these pro BritNat extremist newspapers are defending our British values.
O/T but twitter saying schools across central Scotland getting bomb threats and 3 evacuated.
After two days of soccerball rants and opinions this must be the comedy article to cheer everyone up.
Aye, Ruth for PM / Tory Leader.
I’m sure this list could be added to…
1. Didn’t go to the correct school to become supreme leader.
2. 3rd rate politician.
3. Not Engerlish and they’ll not let anyone that’s born Scottish be in charge of the empire of ashes or the Blue Tories any more.
4. No right wing enough.
5. Wears comfortable shoes and plays for the wrong team.
On the plus side she has the whole SNP Bad thing going for her so at least she has that going for her.
Given Ruth Davidson’s line in the sand about no new powers for Holyrood.
The newspapers have obviously decided to play safe and cover all the angles.
So when one newspaper she says she doesn’t want to be prime minster, and another reports her to have said she doesn’t rule it out.
Then which ever way she eventually jumps, the newspapers will be able to say they got their story right.
How could she be prime minister, she would be barred from voting under the EVEL legislation!
I suppose we shouldn’t mock the homogeneity of Yoon culture and cosmology. 🙂
link to unesdoc.unesco.org
Think she better find a genie in a lamp before she even gets to be FM let alone PM.
Newspapers, the champions ot truth.They just don’t make it explicit whose truth they are revealing on any given day.
O/T but a terrible decision made in N Yorks over fracking.
England votes tory, they get fracked. Cant be any more straight forward. Nimby toryboy’s closed down onshore wind renewable, they get fracked and so on.
Britnat, so-called journalists are scum. Davidson, just like these britnat rags, is clueless.
Scotland 2016 host gushingly and rhetorically last night, AFAIKR,”Could Ruth Davidson have had a better year?”
Yep! the SMSM are definitely switching from Red Tory to Blue Tory life support mode.
Aye i remember when they used to back this other lassie she was going to be FM and change the world for the yoons i wonder how that turned out.
Do you think they will let Ruthie take her buffalo to No10 when she becomes the first Scottish lesbian women PM of the conservative party and will pigs fly on that day and what about the mess on the carpets,we need answers now!
Up until the 2 years running up to the Indyref I always thought you don’t believe what you read in the papers.
Due to the Indyref and Rev Stu more than anyone else I now see how they do it, how often and that’s just about all the time.
The worst I’ve saw was just the other week there with that stinking rag the DR claiming along with numerous toxic Unionist MSP’s that they are responsible for Calmac securing the contract, 7 pages of absolute blatant misinformation bullshit and lies and incredibly backed up by Unionist MSPs who knew they were lying through their teeth.
Why is it that everything and anyone attached to Unionism are just low down lying contaminated toxic scum who don’t have two brain cells to rub together?
Great job Rev.
Unionists/Green join unionist parties in their own self interest, not because they care. Promoted above their capabilities. Tories do not care about Scotland.
Her working-class background and populist appeal means some in Westminster see her as a potential future leader, who could broaden the party’s appeal and help tackle perceptions it is on the side of the privileged.”
Ruth Macthatcher’s working class tory, wow! That’s really great I must start voting tory now.
To think I used to buy into rancid The Graun’s progressive liberal bullshit. Their bigot thugs like Steve Bell are one thing but their pretence of pro liberalism and democracy, clearly only applies if it doesn’t actually mean anything changes. And rule Britannia keeps ruling the waves of Scotland ofcourse.
I do declare the Yoons will sell us the rope, with which we hang them.
Sair Elbey
Aye right! A Tory PM born in Edinburgh – Scotland …doubt it.
I posted one of these stories yesterday but as mentioned it was full of contradictions.
The last Scottish born Conservative PM. I make it
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour. Born East Lothian 1848.
Tories Eden and Hume were pretend Scots.
PS:
Tom Harris: 🙂
Holyrood or EU judges in Luxembourg? You choose
link to archive.is
People do not realise how nearly Scotland came to Davidson FM backed up by Dugdale because of lies, and a manipulated political system and a corrupt Press. A total gov of rejects
OT
The decision to frack in North Yorkshire is devastating to the years long resistance by locals. Overwhelming objections submitted.
The Council is predominantly Tory, so it was always going to happen. They no doubt want to be a gov’t flagship for it.
I kinda wonder if the Tory gov’t see their Nuclear and fracking, as their energy security in preparation for Scotland leaving. They are trying to emulate USA in this, but they started it 10 years ago in deserted areas, before getting near populated areas, and then evidence emerging over time as to the poisonous nature of the industry.
I sincerely hope those south of the Border wake up, before they are all living in gas fields.
There is hardly anything more important to challenge.
On the subject of lazy/lying/bending the truth journalists.
The Sunday Post had an article in their politics page about S Hosie. Here are some of their random statements.
“The SP has been told by a string of senior Nationalists,
Rivals are understood to be preparing to topple him,
The episode has reportedly left NS and the SNP hierarchy livid,
It has been widely tipped,
A party source told the SP,
One senior party figure told the SP,
An SNP MSP said,
It was reported that female MPs,
A Westminster source said.”
Dunno about anybody else, but quite often I hear and read about the SNP being a closed shop and keeping all their secrets to themselves. Well if big Ruthie wants any information at all about the inside workings of her rivals, she just need to phone James Millar and Andrew Picken at the SP and ask because they seem to have hunners o contacts.
“Her working-class background and populist appeal,” fair enough rancid The Graun do get a lot of UKOK pleasure trolling their Scotland region but when you see how hard the Vote vote vote for NOT a tory Ruth MacThatcher 2016 campaign kept the tory brand away from this stuffed shirt in particular, this is just way too much, or just another sneaky creepy day at the teamGB media coalface:D
Ruth Davidson for UK Tory leader? I thought with the introduction of EVEL no Scot could ever be UK PM again? Didn’t the Herald report that previously?
And I hear that Moothie was off to Paris at the weekend and proposed to her girlfriend. Wedding bells in the air. Ding, dong. Tick, tock.
Next headline: ‘Ruth Davidson and wife set off from Scotland in their tank (dragging a buffalo behind them) to take over England’. Sounds good to me. I wonder if it’ll sound so good to the English?
…most comments by Ruthie can be interpreted several ways. She has perfected the art of the “definite maybe”
Re “Ken500 at 1237” . Yes Ken , the strategy was successful ie. the denial of an overall majority
for the SNP. Have no doubt that next time round the strategy will be for an overall unionist majority, with Nicola deposed and a unionist FM in place.
That is why it is ABSOLUTELY VITAL that a second referendum is held during this parliament.
Yes Ruth is proving to the establishment that she has the Ruthlessness that is ‘the’ quintessential prerequisite to attaining any kind of prominence within their domain. She is a very useful tool is their fight to ‘keep the Union’. Which is why she is being promoted in the press.
She’s prepared to lie through her teeth, divide to conquer, and will stoop to any gimmick that provides a self promoting platform that enables her to win the attention of said establishment. Her ‘star’ is rising. Of that there is no doubt.
Shoddy innit. Whit a system we live in…where those with cold hard ambition and an over inflated ego are promoted to positions of prominence to wreak their soulless agenda upon others they deem less than them. Creeps and spivs by any other name. But in the Tory world she’s just one of their own.
A shinning example of a hollowed out human being filled with shallow rhetoric; a shell of a woman emitting vacuous bluster.
I guess she has not understood the reason evel was suddenly appearing and that is to stop any Scottish politician become the prime minister etc – your out of luck ruthy lol
O/T
@ Almannysbunnet says at 8:31 am …. ”Back to Scotland and boring old politics. This from the country that is too wee, too poor and too stupid.
“Scotland achieved record-breaking levels of inward investment last year, a survey has found. On the UK regional league table Scotland surpassed south east England to come second behind London.” This from a country that is shackled to Westminster. Imagine what we could achieve if free. No SNP praise to be seen anywhere and what is our unionist opposition’s main priority, repeal the OBFT. Every minor story blown out of proportion, fans invade a football pitch, big deal, married MP shags a bonnie quine, headlines for days on end, big deal. We are being sidetracked at every opportunity. Remember divide and conquer is their mantra. Keep the eye on the prize!”
link to archive.is
Thanks for the link Almannysbunnet and isn’t it interesting (not) that we never actually hear of this type of news being broadcast on TV …. on the BBC / STV …. cherry-picking propaganda machines.
Hardly a day goes by that I don’t read (in The National) of some fantastic Scot making their mark Worldwide or of Scotland winning industry awards and so on. Another that I read of recently is that Glasgow has won the ‘Best UK Convention Bureau Award’ for the 10th consecutive year.
Too bad that we don’t have a thread on here devoted entirely to Scottish ‘greats’, awards and people, past and present to combat the too wee, poor and stupid myth.
link to incentivetravel.co.uk
………………………………….
Thanks too for the Hibs ‘teary’ Sunshine on Leith video. Great stuff. It brings back ‘teary’memories for me of another day. On the 19/09/2014 we all gathered together, utterly miserable of course. I was practically catatonic with grief (for Alex, Scotland) and my husband took me to one side and said we wont give up and don’t forget we’re alive, well and have each other (that helped, lol … well it did). He then went on to sing (has a great singing voice) …. belted out Sunshine on Leith …. my heart IS broken. Everyone joined in of course. One day soon our (recovering) broken hearts will be truly mended when we can wave the Saltire, en masse, and say bye-bye to Westminster forever.
Another version:
link to youtube.com
Valerie says:
24 May, 2016 at 12:37 pm
USA has invested massive in green energy and its all ongoing. It varies in states but Canada’s been fracking giant reserves since before not Scots oil was struck.
It’s quite a step from being loyal butler to lord or lady of the manor. I don’t think Ruth’s bosses in London would take orders from their loyal Jockette.
Re. Fracking and England’s water supply, which predominantly comes from underground aquifers. Ever wondered if Britain’s epidemic of type 2 diabetes, was related to the closure of the mining industry? The process of mining would ensure the water table was kept well below the level of England’s unlined co-disposal of waste in landfill? The dilution and dispersal of toxic residues from such landfill (especially heavy metals), has been linked with various acquired disorders.
Wasn’t North Yorkshire formerly a mining area? Or was that South Yorkshire? I wonder if the underground aquifers can detect administrative boundaries?
link to wddty.com
Seems to have a very high opinion of herself
its to reinforce the notion that she is first minister material.
no thanks.
How come Bella can be in two places at once. She was in Holyrood and also in the HoL. Skiving on the allowances. The EU working directive is 48hrs. A lot of Tory/Unionists are moonlighting, and breaking the Law.
@Heedtracker
Huge amounts of scientific info has come out of America’s fracking, which has guided those here, fighting it. Most significantly, and recent was New York state, who banned it, and produced reams of stuff.
USA may be investing in Green, but given their record on this and pollution, water, it doesn’t feel like it.
Food is controlled by about 5 big corporates, who invest in GMO, fight against food labelling, lobby and fund huge campaigns.
Clean air isn’t hitting their headlines.
Of course she will – shortly after Jim Murphy becomes FM.
link to spokesman.com
The Bakken shale operations in US contributes 2% to GLOBAL pollution, meaning we on this side of the pond, are farting against thunder.
Fracking is the most poisonous activity we will ever see, a legacy of radioactivity, ruined waterways, chemicals in the ground that travel.
The day shall dawn when Ruthie finally realises the sad fact…
“She is not one of us” as her heroine the AntiChrist would have put it.
@CameronB
I’ve read that study before, and I agree that chemical overload and interruption in endocrine systems/health is one to be careful of.
I’m not sure if they will pinpoint type 2, but type 1 explosion is most definitely down to choices of food and lifestyle.
Good to see some TV is now showing that people can come off meds with changes.
SNP doing a great job in HoC holding that horror Fallon to account in his Syria statement.
Fallon just chatting shit. Assad bad, Russia bad.
I’ve had a good long think about all this Ruthie nonsense and have decided to vote for Queen Fergus The First of Freedonia.
You know it makes sense.
Rev i know there is a lot oh hoohaa going on but did you see that mad woman on the daily politics brillo pads sidekick try to turn conservative election fraud into SNP bad helecopter ?
They had on that well respected tory Liam it wasnt me honest guv Fox,some Labour guy who i have never heard of or seen before and Pete through a studio link.
It has to go down as the most blatent quick change the subject SNP bad story yet.
Maybe worth shooting them down in flames mate 😉
I go away for four hours —
and find nobody took the Joey Barton bait at 10.55.
Just think of the contribution he will make to the debate about Ruth’s Rangers OBFA obsession.
I wonder if she went to Paris knowing what might happen at the cup final!
Oh,and James Kelly has finally spoken re the weekend’s stramash.
“Football Act inadequate to prosecute those charged on Saturday. I will be pressing ahead with my plans to repeal discreditied Act.”
Can a sleaze-beset SNP still claim a morally superior politics?
Libby Brooks
Libby Brooks
The scandal of Stewart Hosie’s affair and resignation is minor in Westminster terms, but points up the huge changes Nicola Sturgeon’s party is facing
Latest rancid Graun’s pissing on Scottish democracy. Its coming UKOK thick and fast now which makes sense tactically as their five year SNP bad smear campaign gathers momentum.
OT Hofer lost, his Green opponent had 50.3% after the postal votes. Phew!.
Talking of brass necked narcissists…
“Willie Rennie says that “flying to London to stick the boot into the remain campaign” wouldn’t persuade Scots to stay in the EU.”
WTF is Willie Rennie actually for ?
Surely you can’t get heartburn of the todger ? 😉
link to bbc.co.uk
@ mike cassidy says at 3:08 pm …. ”I go away for four hours — and find nobody took the Joey Barton bait at 10.55am ….. “rebellious Scot to crush” just thought that’s worth mentioning!”
That’s because we know and more so they know that the Scots are uncrushable Mike.
@ heedtracker says at 3:22 pm …. ”Can a sleaze-beset SNP still claim a morally superior politics? Libby Brooks.The scandal of Stewart Hosie’s affair and resignation is minor in Westminster terms, but points up the huge changes Nicola Sturgeon’s party is facing. Latest rancid Graun’s pissing on Scottish democracy. Its coming UKOK thick and fast now which makes sense tactically as their five year SNP bad smear campaign gathers momentum.”
Morally superior? It would make you laugh you could fill the equivalent of a full set of Encyclopaedia Britannica with the ‘dirt’ we’ve got on every Unionist party, including partaking of bestiality / zoophilia.
In fact I reckon I should send off my comprehensive list of Tory, Labour and Lib-dem paedophiles, alone, to Libby Brooks. Maybe that’ll take the wind out of her sails.
Footnote: The Britannica is the oldest English-language encyclopaedia still in production. It was first published between 1768 and 1771 in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, as three volumes.
Chic McGregor 3.27
I share your relief about postal votes coming to the rescue in Austria.
I wonder if we have heard the last of this though?
Postal vote rigging in austria ?.
In fact I reckon I should send off my comprehensive list of Tory, Labour and Lib-dem paedophiles, alone, to Libby Brooks. Maybe that’ll take the wind out of her sails.
It wont. They’ve decided the SNP have 5 years left in Scotland and 4 in Westminster. Clearly it makes sense for UKOK tory propagandists like the Graun whether we like it or not.
There’s nowhere left for Scotland to go now but become independent, as we can hardly stay static like this with so little of what the Vow fraud promised to deliver. They cant force the SNP to hike taxes within the union as intended and they can barely keep control of the SNP electorally. So their only tory way out is at least 4 more years of SNP sleaze.
Its worked well in the past. They kept Thatcher in. The miners and Scargill, even Kinnock were destroyed by our upper middle class tory media and SNP Scotland is just as big a threat to red and blue tory teamGB.
Not for nothing do I refer to our Free (no don’t laugh) Press as the Dead Tree Scrolls. They have driven real writers out the door. Only Unionist ass lickers need apply from now on in.
They are now illiterate automatons,propagandists for the Unionist cause.
No journalistic skills required; just an ability to cut and paste the latest Red Blue or Jaundiced Tory Press release from the Establishment Up Here.
Health, Councils, Education, Law and Order; you name it, they all have SNP BAD/Scotland the Basket Case Press Officers issuing the usual shite.
What is a Gardham or a Clegg to do?
Cut and paste.
The Unionist Leaders speeches? Just add ‘will say’, then stick on a ‘Sturgeon Under Fire’, or ‘SNP figures Don’t add up’, headline and job’s a good ‘un.
They have abandoned any notion of Free Speech.
We are a colony under martial law now.
BBC Scotland is an absolute London Mouthpiece now.
Ruth Davidson failed abjectly. She came a distant second, despite wooing the sectarian bigots, and welding the WATP Neaderthals support to the Oxford educated Belted Earls who acquired their land through murder and enslavement in times gone by.
In a political sense she is a failure, but not according to our MSM.
When will these people learn? We are not listening any more.
heedtracker
It would be very interesting to take 2 simultaneously developing stories in politics today and see how many column inches or even just count the articles as a crude, easy measure.
On one hand Stewart Hosie’s alleged affair and resignation which is a private matter with very little significance politically (aside from the SNP having a forced change of personnel).
On the other hand the EC and police investigation into electoral fraud, which if proven has enormous implications politically to the extent that it could cost the tories their majority or even topple their government.
As you point out the guardian have an snp bad story almost every day. They call it “freedom of the press”- freedom to try and take down a democratically elected government.
The papers have it in for the SNP so how do we fight them? I mean, none of us buy their tripe but it still blares out as loud as ever. London is too far to do PQ style protests.
Any ideas? link to archive.is
@ Mike
Joey who ?
Is he one of those English fitba players that are always up to their neck in trouble and now past their sell by date so sign for a Scottish club ?
I seen one thing that left me astonished i am sure it was on RT ,they were talking to a guy who said even though i am not Austrian i am voting for the nutters as there are too many immigrants coming in,hypocracy is truly the realm of idiots .
Tories using the tactics of IndyRef in their EU civil war. Fine for use against rebellious Scots, but they don’t like it when among themselves. Hilarious.
Ideally, the EU will rip the Tories apart. Which of course removes yet another obstacle for IndyRef2.
heedtracker@3:22
Aye,previously it was easy for them,as traditionally Scottish MP’s ‘fought’ (not sure that is the correct term) individually for personal glory.
However well trained UKOK MSM/BBC/UKOK MP’s are,they know,they are just pawns in a larger social/economic game,always to the detriment of Scotland.
Now,thanks to WoS/New Media/SNP MP’s they’re having to work much harder,their lies,spin and bullshit are easily exposed,just like the Red/Blue/Orange Tories at Holyrood.
All they have left is anger,in fact,that is now their default position,they have nothing else…..’how dare you,we are entitled’.
SNP fighting for Scotland and Sunshine on Leith 😉
Millions of English people, from both sides, are being bombarded by EU scare-mongering night after night. One section is accusing the other (formely ALL UNITED in targetting us) of using propaganda tactics.
Surely some of the No voters (or sitting on the fence types) in Scotland, if they follow this, will see how easily they were duped by the pro … pa … gan … da two years ago.
O/T – Government Forecasts …
Seems Gideon has got it wrong again. Seems to be a bit of a habit.
link to bbc.co.uk
Ruth Davidson has the air about her of the playground bully’s mouthy pal.
Without the support of Cameron and the press we would never even have heard of her.
Oh lay off the Yoons, it’s no fair. 😉
link to unesdoc.unesco.org (same doc as earlier)
Jim Thomson
Probably not his only bad habit.
All UK papers dawn death are anti Scottish. They were always little englanders bs saw the two party system as the only English show in town; the branches were just lobby fodder. Now the toons are among the dunces at Holyrood; the snap are not playing cricket ergo denigrate them.
As the two signatories to the 1707 treaty diverge, the English are en route to being independent from the union. Next step. The moment the Tories see the anti Tory forces at Westminster being in the ascendancy with scots tipping the balance ie the Snp, they will break the union. There must always be a (Tory England )
In their own inimitable way the media are doing our job for us. We have to have confidence in the growing ability of an increasing number of Scots to see the media for what they are and what they stand for.
I am delighted and not at all surprised that they are puffing up Davidson. Let’s have her in the limelight, I say. Let’s ensure that every person in Scotland knows who she is, how highly she is loved by the BBC etc and who her heroine is.
It will then emerge just what she actually is – a Thatcherite Tory. A return to Thatcherism is what she stands for and that will go down so well in Scotland. That is the hook on which she has to be rightfully hung and she should never be allowed to riggle off it.
But the puffing up has to come first.
@CameronB Brodie
I do hope you’re not suggesting he’d get into the really bad habit of underlining everything in white.
P.S. Re. cultural diversity. As we should all know by know, the semiotic theory of ‘space’ and ‘place’ suggests the greater the separation/independence of ‘place’ from the ‘center’, the greater the likelihood of new activities and practices developing in the ‘place’, which will of course have it’s own ‘center’.
In other words, independence stimulates cultural diversity, which is kind of helpful in the bigger picture.
Right kids. 😉
You spotted that, as well Jim.
Regarding Tom Harris and his Brexit campaign.
Laughed at Twitter this morning when someone shared a bad tempered moan by Harris, saying good friends were getting exercised by the EU debate. Accusing folk of being passive aggressive, just like 2014.
Slab really have no stamina or patience for anyone disagreeing them.
In regards to Fracking,
how much of the `No` campaign is being paid for and backed up by the Big Oil/petrol companies who obviously do not want fracking,
these big companies spend millions on Astroturfing companies,lobbying politicians,and corrupt media and hacks,
nothing is what it seems when big business has got money to lose,
we are still using the internal combustion engine invented 150 years ago,petrol/diesel for fuel, oil for lubrication and cooling,
outside a few variants the modern world functions on 150 year old technology,
Big Oil with the car manufacturers (we have seen what VW have been up to) are holding back technological evolution that could affect their share price.
Some zoomer has set up a petition to have Nicola Sturgeon removed as first minister because she congratulated Hibs on winning the Scottish Cup read some of the comments absolutely priceless my sides are splitting.
@carjamtic says: 24 May, 2016 at 10:39 am:
“My understanding is that under EVEL no Scottish MP can ever be PM,so she must be moving to England,good,as she’s on tae plums in Scotland.
(No plums were damaged in this cliche).
Is yon yer wey o saying Ruthie’s like Auld Lizzie in yon inglis sang whare the Inglis send auld Lizzie plumbs?
Ken like yon Inglis sang whit gans, “Send her Victorias”.
So the Ruthless Cult followers are moving to depose the Cult of Thatcherism and the Brit Nat Press and Media needs an actual living witch I suppose.
The Brit Nat Press and Media are just scum.
Davidson is the most disgusting and dishonest politician in Scotland in my view.
Robert Peffers @ 6:43
LOL 🙂
This may interest you Robert : Keepers. The Ancient Offices of Britain
What a list of titles,more ermine and dead stoats,that you could shake a ‘Gold Stick in Waiting Stick’ at.
(FYI this book can be downloaded as a PDF for free….sign in/registering required)
‘Bearer of the Dog Whipper’s Rod’ – not made this up…..wtf.
Davidson is lucky to have been elected from a constituency and if the Greens hadn’t stood she probably wouldn’t have been elected. If she has wider political ambitions shell have to leave Scotland behind and look for a safe seat down in England.
The Joey Barton thing was really to draw attention to the contrast between his views and those of the OBFA hating supporters of his new club.
I’m sure they will love his summer job!
link to archive.is
No doubt other people elsewhere have been speculating on whether such a combatative socialmedia type as Barton is truly aware of the royalist minefield he is entering.
Bulk order of popcorn is in for next season both at Holyrood and the Scottish Premiership.
It’s absolutely pathetic that these two so called newspapers are not able to do their own interviews. All they seem to be able to do is trawl the internet and plagiarise others work. If I were the journalist in House Magazine who did the interview I would be pretty pissed off if a couple of scumbag journalist stole my work.
Simon Curran
Even if she hadn’t received 600 more votes than Alison Dickie she would still have been in on the list.
600 more votes is not a lot considering the amount of TV & press coverage Ruth received
mike cassidy @ 8.17pm:
Some of the Sons of William will be perturbed at Joey’s well-documented anti-Royalist views. They will not be best pleased at him working for a Republic of Ireland-based TV station at the Euros.
However, the first time he sends Scott Brown into orbit, all will be forgiven.
I still remember Terry Hurlock’s Rangers debut, against Kilmarnock at Ibrox. As he prepared to launch him off the bench, Graeme Souness pointed-out Tommy Burns, then playing with Kilmarnock. It was all so-obvious, within half a minute, Hurlock had kicked Tam; the Copland Road end erupted, instant legend.
Same thing will happen with Barton, even though, Barton is a better player than Hurlock ever was.
At Airport yesterday, saw the headline, “Far Right Defeated by a Green”
Meanwhile, here in UK, Murdo Fraser is delighted by the fracking decision. Hopes it will come to Scotland soon:
link to twitter.com
Capella says:
24 May, 2016 at 8:56 pm
At Airport yesterday, saw the headline, “Far Right Defeated by a Green”
Meanwhile, here in UK, Murdo Fraser is delighted by the fracking decision. Hopes it will come to Scotland soon:
link to twitter.com
But not a tweet out of the leader of the Scottish Green party. Funny that?
link to twitter.com
What those two articles have in common is that there is absolutely nothing that could be deemed as criticism of Ruth Davidson- nothing. There is barely anything critical of the tories except for mentioning that they have only one MP in Scotland.
Can you imagine an article written about an SNP politician without some explicit criticism of said politician and the SNP? Reading Libby Brooks piece in the Guardian I stopped counting after I reached a dozen explicit or implicit criticisms of the SNP, Nicola Sturgeon or Stewart Hosie.
This has become so normal, so everyday but it is absolutely NOT normal for an entire media to attempt to destroy a party of government. And it is not normal for the media of a completely different country to attempt to destroy the government of its neighbour. We are in a fucked up situation.
Libby is just a propaganda device producing material at the behest of her editorial team and owners. Is her contribution to our country of more use or less use than a football hooligan. That this is a genuine question is bizarre.
There are journalists and propagandists. Giving Libby Brooks, propaganda conveyor belt the same title as the late Ian Bell for instance is ludicrous. They are not the same trade or rather they are diametric opposites.
The mental thing is it is so easy- there is zero talent in it. Anyone could take that Ruth Davidson piece and while still conveying the same fairly bland message and carrying the same uninteresting quotations add in little venomous little digs all the way through mixing truth with inuendo.
The pieces above could have squeezed in references to anything from Ruth’s police interview investigating postal vote sampling to tuition fees and ending free prescriptions, attacking child benefits to allegations of paedophilia amongst tory grandees.
That is how they do SNP pieces. It is not rocket science.
OT (reposted from this morning) I do have one slightly off topic suggestion and I wonder if there might be a few posters or lurkers who may be interested.
Stu has been carrying this site on his shoulders for so long- maybe we can offer a wee bit help. My suggestion for those of us who are regular posters and those who just post the odd comment now and then; and also those who just dip in from time to time is that perhaps the time has come to help.
There is a wee bit of focus lost by us all- understandable with the politics of the election and the fall out. This is a Scottish Independence website. June 2016 could be a key month in the campaign for Scottish Independence and yet the EU ref feels a flat up here (as it will be decided down there, by and large).
It is time for folk to take a wander out of their comfort zones and put something together. It may be a personal insight or your own case for indy or your thoughts on the EU. There is more than enough talent in here to take us past the tipping point.
For myself I confess I have all kinds of reasons why I have never submitted anything and they are all just shite. So I set this challenge for a kind of Scotland over Wings in June. Lets give the Rev some help and re-energise our movement- get the fire back. Focus on what matters and take the fight to our enemies.
Anyone takers?
Anyone takers? I immediately withdraw the above suggestion
So Wee Ruthie Krankie is moving down South?
I’m delighted to hear it.
Is there a Tory branch in Antarctica?
She can drive them up the South Pole.
Ruthieland, where every day is winter, and Christmas never comes.
Tam, it’s possible I don’t understand what exactly you are suggesting, but I feel I have been contributing high quality material here for quite a while now. I’m wondering if I ought to be offended that you didn’t notice.
My problem is I’m ahead of my time, of course, and the things I say seem to just piss people in the present off. I expect that in 20 years even the idiots on Wings will take what I say now for granted.
Anyway, it’s looking like the EU referendum is going to be quite predictable. What I think is interesting and likely though is that it’s almost bound to result in the Tory party tearing itself to shreds afterwards. Might even see some sort of leadership change or snap election in the autumn, if that’s still possible.
As for Rev Stuart, I think we should consider one of those group fund things and put a statue of him somewhere. I’m sure it sounds very sycophantic but for me the appeal is that it would represent a massive personified “fuck you” to the BBC and the establishment. Why are statues always dead people?
Just sowing seeds as usual, some grow… some don’t.
@ Tam do you have my email or twitter account? Meet me in off-topic if not, would like to discuss your idea with you.
No need to say who this is directed at.
link to twitter.com
Tabloid newspapers no more than comics these days and letters pages in Scotsman is a universal Daily Mail Middle England rant at the SNP by both Red and Blue Tories some of whom claim to be more left wing than the SNP but defend the UK Establishment to the hilt.
On SNP performance at Westminster, can anyone supply a link or provide details of what Mhairi Black wrote in the National last week?
arthur thomson @ 17:36 said
I very much agree. Same goes with the Unionists in general. The more unhinged their outbursts become, the more it will simply antagonise everyone (other than their yoonatic followers). We should do whatever we can to annoy/encourage them!
As the dust of the election has settled, I’m thinking more and more that Ruthie’s “elevation” is actually a blessing in disguise. Not only are Labour more evidently in decline than ever, but the spotlight is going to be full on the Buffalo Gal from now on, so for all her bluster she won’t be able to keep up her pretence that somehow she has nothing to do with that squabbling bunch, the Tories. Note how quiet she is keeping – uncharacteristically! – on the subject of the EUref. Her party colleagues in Holyrood are seriously divided on that subject, but they are likewise all keeping schtum and hoping no-one will notice.
All this current bigging her up in the media is mere hot air. Provided the SG remains astute, Ruthie will have nothing to offer except full-on empty negativity. The next few years are going to find her out, I’m sure of it.
Thanks for that gruesome clip, Ronnie. I was just going up to bed, too. Don’t think I’ll sleep too well tonight.
So, a West of Scotland guy wearing an England top sings Rule Britannia and does not want independence.
He should be a circus act called The Human Corkscrew.
Going for a brain-shower now. Night all!
Paula Rose
I will see you there
link to agreenroadjournal.com
A wee aside on the Queen and nuclear family
link to caltonjock.com
Fracking
North Yorkshire council fracking decision a ‘declaration of war’
Industry welcomes decision in Kirby Misperton but campaigners vow to fight council’s approval
Big rancid The Graun headlines. From Scottish Green party, nothing.
We know what Harvie and co are doing though, trying to work how to exploit this to a. damage the SNP and b. boost Green Scottish tory nimby vote.
Such a pickle, a Green Scottish pickle.
Finally James Kelly appears on tv defending his bill to repeal the OBFA after Saturday’s events.
Fav bit was when Kelly interrupts Keith Brown to inform him that a judge called the act, “mince”.
Keith responds instantly with the quote of the day….”listen James, a lot of people reckon that YOU talk mince”….???
An odd btl comeback there from Graun’s SNP bad correspondent No.2. Its only odd as they’ve changed or removed their “SNP and Sturgeon are so sleazy aren’t they.”
Scottish politics
Opinion
Can the SNP still claim to be doing politics differently?
Libby Brooks
LibbyBrooks Tenthred 6h ago
Staff
Sorry Tenthred, just found this original post.
I don’t describe the scandals as “sleaze”. Unfortunately, the headline does, which I have no say over. I made reference to one question about sleaze put to Sturgeon in an interview yesterday. I don’t think that the Hosie resignation amounts to sleaze at all.
I think that the link is that the psychodrama about the Hosie resignation, the fact that it involves friends who have worked together for decades, and so forth, reminds us of how the party used to be and how it is now and illuminates these other big psychological changes it is going through right now.
That collective clutch point was about observers making assumptions about Sturgeon’s behaviour based on one particular idea of how women act ie ruthless disciplinarian”
link to caltonjock.com
Fracking in N Yorkshire? As far as I know the people of N Yorkshire elected seven out of eight Tories for constituencies ,and also elected Tories to their councils. Surely they must have known the Tories supported fracking.Hell mend them.
@ Tam Jardine says at 9:17 pm …. ”OT (reposted from this morning) I do have one slightly off topic suggestion and I wonder if there might be a few posters or lurkers who may be interested.
Stu has been carrying this site on his shoulders for so long- maybe we can offer a wee bit help. My suggestion for those of us who are regular posters and those who just post the odd comment now and then; and also those who just dip in from time to time is that perhaps the time has come to help.
There is a wee bit of focus lost by us all- understandable with the politics of the election and the fall out. This is a Scottish Independence website. June 2016 could be a key month in the campaign for Scottish Independence and yet the EU ref feels a flat up here (as it will be decided down there, by and large).
It is time for folk to take a wander out of their comfort zones and put something together. It may be a personal insight or your own case for indy or your thoughts on the EU. There is more than enough talent in here to take us past the tipping point.
For myself I confess I have all kinds of reasons why I have never submitted anything and they are all just shite. So I set this challenge for a kind of Scotland over Wings in June. Lets give the Rev some help and re-energise our movement- get the fire back. Focus on what matters and take the fight to our enemies. Anyone takers?”
You’re right Tam we do need to move on and refocus. You’re right too when you say ”there is more than enough talent in here to take us past the tipping point.” And that statement of course more than anything includes yourself, such as I would love to see your ‘Depopulation of Scotland’ widely read on here. I found that to be one of the most profound and influential (in speaking to others now) posts I’ve ever come across.
There are a number of people who seem to know a great deal about particular subjects such as Scottish history, renewable energy, forms of energy and so on. Robert (Peffers) comes to mind. Maybe he / they could put something together on their given subject/s?
Some people may be put off with this approach (such as myself) thinking that they don’t have a great deal to offer but of course we know that they do.
What if we compile a list of issues that individuals may draw from to help get this off the ground? You’ve mentioned the EU, personal insight or your own case for indy.
I’ll add:
The reason / turning point / moment in time that one realised that they wanted to live in an Independent Scotland.
What concerns you most about being ruled by Westminster (fracking, Trident, destruction of Scotland’s economy etc)?
Land Reform / Who owns Scotland?
The inequality gap.
Who controls the BBC?
Scotland’s assets.
Thoughts on the House of Lords.
I don’t know if this is what you’re looking for Tam or if it will help (or not) at all? It also looks as though Paula Rose wants to discuss this with you. See where it goes from here.
England keep voting for the Tories but complain when they carry out manifesto,
although to be fair the English have no credible option,
the Labour party is dying ,Lib dems are a sad joke,everyone else is inconsequential,
Labour party needs to do the honourable thing and disband,let something else get a chance.
@Petra
I think it’s about giving the Rev a break without shutting down the site by encouraging Wings readers to submit something to the Rev for consideration as an article.
There are very good bloggers who post here, one is right above your post, boris. Another off the top of head was James Forest who has contributed before good stuff. Craig Murray drops in occasionally maybe he would do something for Wings.
Maybe YOU would and maybe Tam would?
I think that is Tams main point, there are people reading and posting here that have an article in them. Well just submit them through the contact button.
The Rev has been going at this solid for almost 5 years now and hammer and tongs for the last 3 years. I think without a proper break. Maybe a wee bank of decent articles approved by the Rev that he could upload would give him a week or twos respite.
Everyone needs to get away occasionally even if just to recharge the batteries and come back with renewed vigor, though not sure what that might look like 🙂
Petra
Thanks for responding and for your support. You and I are on exactly the same page. We hear “be the media” but that usually means crowd fund someone else to be the media. Nothing wrong with that mind but just like the Yes rally in Freedom Square where ordinary folk were passing the loudhailer round and saying their peace, we should be passing the loudhailer round here.
Stu has an amazing setup that he has spent years developing and I am sure he would welcome more guest contributions. Of course it is up to him what he accepts but he deserves a rest from time to time.
There are great discussions on here BTL in addition to the excellent articles and there are many posts I have read that I have thought would be great expanded into a full article.
June 23rd is not long away and no-one really knows how it will all pan out so I think it would be constructive to all up our game and try and push ourselves a little.
Your subject list is good. I am still fascinated by the population line and the yoons don’t really know where to go with it which is fun.
Anyway- lets move this forward and soon. Thanks again
@ Thepnr says at 11:55 pm …. ”Petra I think it’s about giving the Rev a break without shutting down the site by encouraging Wings readers to submit something to the Rev for consideration as an article……..”
The responsibility that Stu carries and workload he takes on board concerns me greatly (and no doubt many others) Thepnr and although I’ve heard him mention taking a break he never seems to do so.
Tam’s come up with an excellent and extremely considerate suggestion and he and you are right when you say that there are a number of people that visit this site who could make a sterling contribution (and that’s definitely not me, lol). In the process (maybe) giving Stu a break.
However I reckon that there are a couple of problems with this. Insurmountable? Firstly who would monitor the site to make sure that all hell didn’t break loose, especially if a number of ‘trolls’ jumped on the bandwagon, and who has the ability to monitor the corrupt media reports on a daily basis in the way that he does: Especially if a ‘type of bolt from the blue’ report had monumental implications for us? I’ve also got a feeling that this site is like Stuart’s baby and as many of us know we can’t bear to be parted from our baby for one minute and if parted would trust few others to truly care for it in the way that we do.
I don’t know what the answer is. I don’t have any idea what goes on behind the scenes either. Does Stu have people helping him? Is he training someone up to cover for him? Does he require more funding to do so? All I do know is that this site has probably been more influential in ‘converting’ no voters (or undecided) …. helping US to convert no voters than ANY other online site. Stuart’s ability to monitor the media and combat their lies is second to none. Not just in Scotland but across the UK. People like John Robertson, Ponsonby and Craig Murray are doing likewise however they either don’t have the level of following as on here and / or definitely don’t cover anything like the number of issues that Stu does (massive).
I’ve thought about Stuart issuing a notice to the effect that when he’s taking a break individuals should post youtube videos only … music or informative data … and make no further comment. Someone could then scrutinise the videos and delete if inappropriate or in breach of the no comment rule. Maybe this wouldn’t prove to be popular, lead to frustration and in turn lose many visitors to the site?
Then again maybe we’ve got it wrong and Stu is quite happy with things as they are and ‘bealin’ about this discussion. Ready to tell us to …..”Awa’ an bile yer heid” …. or words to that effect.
Ruth Davidson declares she is a line in the sand drawer but she she does not rule out wielding an erasing brush at some point in the future, perhaps quite soon.
Tam I see that you’ve posted a reply to me. Too late to get back to you as I’ll have to get off to bed. Up at 6am. Speak tomorrow.
Tam, Petra
If you have something to say, there is nothing to stop you writing your own blog and directing Wingers to it (as Grousebeater does) or submitting a post to the Rev with a view to publication. I enjoy the btl comments and banter but I visit this site for the Rev’s informed and refreshingly direct writing.
Tam, Petra, I couldn’t agree more.
There are some cracking ‘articles’ contained in posts, here, WGD, Bateman etc.
It looks like Remain will win by a photo finish Down There. Up Here we seem to be 66% Remain. The irony will be if Wales N Ireland and Scotland swing it for D Cameron.
I seem to have heard out of the corner of my ear that Farage is already working on BrexitII.
Oh the joy.
I firmly believe that the next staging post on the road to independence is next May’s LA elections.
I sincerely hope that the SNP have a dedicated strand planning the strategy to oust the Red Blue and Jaundiced Tory Councillors.
First step is to recruit a nationwide team of candidates of the quality of our 56 WM MP’s. Yes, 56, despite the David Cleggs of this world attempts to argue that there are now only 54.
To recruit and coordinate a quality nationwide team of candidates is a must.
I digress.
It may be fruitful and further the cause of independence if WoS and others forensically examined the performance of Unionist Councils over the past 5/10/15 years.
PPP, schools crumbling, Arms Length Contracts, cronyism, 32 Councils where Yorkshire with the same population has 3, COSLA(?), City Parking, City Building, graft and corruption, land deals, and so on.
Who could forget Matheson’s George Square £100,000 folly, and now that the MSM has brought it up, sex and expenses scandals?
Fight fire with fire.
I am aware that WoS doesn’t do sex and lurid; perhaps that should change, or rather, be refocused.
New Labour for example, and the Tammany Hall Councils in West Central Scotland are cited in the Scotland Mortality Report last week as embracing Thatcherism from 1979 onwards. ‘What’s good for business, is good for Glasgow’.Yet 5000 more of us Scots die early because of political decisions taken by Unionist Governments and their willing local acolytes.
Perhaps a SME (sorry Subject Matter Expert) in the various Civic Scotland fields could be brought together, and match the MSM word for word in the coming months.
I note that Scotland 2016 has added Patrick Harvie to the heads in their opening credits.
Although why Corbyn and Cameron feature in a Scottish Politics show beats me.
I’ll shut up now. My expertise unfortunately is in moaning a lot. Just ask my Erverlovin’.
Petra, I suspect I’m one of the trolls you mention, but I think you’re right when you suggest nobody else could do the job that Rev does.
The problem with Tam’s idea, if you want to be honest about it, is that it would almost certainly be something that was orchestrated by the regulars and that would most likely kill the site stone dead.
I think it’s about time someone introduced the idea that the regulars possibly represent a sort of clique and are hostile to new blood and new ideas. That’s fine in itself, common on forums, but the tendency amongst regulars here is to agree with each other — almost constantly — and within the confines of that they tend to play these games where the goal is to see who can act most aggrieved or something. It’s desperately boring.
Twice recently I have managed to have relatively detailed and in depth discussions with ScottieDog on subjects like economics. On both occasions I was attacked as the usual troll and he was warned not to engage with me (the troll). That happens daily.
Assuming I am a troll, how on earth would that be a solution or help this site when the discussions we were having were conducted respectfully and with seriousness? Actually, he’s the first smart person on the radical left of the spectrum I have ever met on here and I was keen to hear his views.
With so many in here purporting to be on the left of the spectrum, I would have thought some here might have took part in discussions like that rather than attempt to kill them.
Same thing happened today on the thread next door; people were discussing sectarianism and the idea of closing down faith schools and K1 arrived to launch what was a completely unnecessary and embarrassing attack (not on me, on those who taking part in the discussion).
It’s as if some people are too busy imagining trolls to bother developing their own substance — is this left wing intellectual thing just a game or some sort of fashion accessory? Does it mean a thing? It doesn’t seem to.
The upshot is that Rev Stuart is radical and by definition the regulars here are conservative in the context of the part they play. Radical is fun, interesting, challenging, and brings in traffic. Conservative is boring, stifling, repetitive, and repels visitors.
The independence movement itself is radical and it needs to stay radical; Wings is at the vanguard of that. When the Independence movement becomes entrenched and conservative, it will lose momentum and die just as this website will if the regulars take over.
We were asked for views, there’s mine. Now call me a troll and pretend you didn’t read them.
Just checking to see if this post appears! The ones I made last night seem to have disappeared into cyberspace.
Aye, but Scotland will be independent by the time Ruth would get her chance at Westminster. What then?
OT/ May be mentioned above but see the Lovely Lords are at it again. Just who exactly do they think they are?
Call from the Lords to abolish Barnet Formula and that any legislation for a second Scottish Referendum would have to come from Wetminster, not the Scottish Government. No big surprise there but WOW, just wow.
North Yorkshire, my heart goes out to you.
These two so called journalists have basically just plagiarised the work of the journalist at The House magazine who did the interview with Ruth Davidson.
If I were the journalist who did the original interview I would be pretty pissed off about these scumbags ripping off my work.
This seems to happen a lot! They just seem to trawl the internet to find out what is written in other newspapers, magazines, what people say on Twitter or on TV.
It’s pretty pathetic stuff!
Ghillie
Brilliant! The more they behave in this dictatorial manner the better it is for the YES campaign unless ofcourse the majority of people in Scotland don’t like the idea of democracy!
I’m surprised they allow us a vote I suppose they think 8% is not of much importance!
Tut! I’m fed-up another post has disappeared!
@ AhuraMazda says at 2:22 am …. ”Petra, I suspect I’m one of the trolls you mention ….
I think it’s about time someone introduced the idea that the regulars possibly represent a sort of clique and are hostile to new blood and new ideas. That’s fine in itself, common on forums, but the tendency amongst regulars here is to agree with each other — almost constantly ….”
AM I’m in a bit of a rush but will say this firstly I wasn’t referring to you at all, secondly I have read your views and reckon we are, in the main (can’t speak for everyone), open to ‘new blood and new ideas’ even if they don’t co-incide with our own and thirdly although we all want Independence for Scotland often disagree with each other. Oh and fourthly I’m even VERY keen indeed, as are others, for No voters to interact on here if they behave in a civilised fashion.
If you seriously want to take part in discussions on this site, as you did with ScottieDog, I suggest you take a look at some of the rhetoric you use such as in your penultimate post at 9:56 pm, reflect on it and tell me that this isn’t an insult to the intellect and sensibilities of many fine posters on here. In other words, your words often leave people thinking that your main reason for posting on here is to wind people up.
…. ”My problem is I’m ahead of my time, of course, and the things I say seem to just piss people in the present off. I expect that in 20 years even the idiots on Wings will take what I say now for granted.”
Jack Collatin @ 1.37am Good points!
The SLabour-run Edinburgh Council for one, were involved in ALOT that could do with further scutiny.
The fraud and extortion around the ‘common repairs scheme’ has, I think been largely forgotten and I not am not aware of the outcome and repercussions of the investigations into corruption. I believe some folk had to sell up to cover extortionate repair bills.
Not to mention THE TRAMS and PPP dangerous school buildings.
All councils are worth a close inspection. And chickens can then come home to roost. Karma.
But we need the evidence and to be acurate and fair.
@Ruby says: 25 May, 2016 at 6:45 am:
If I were the journalist who did the original interview I would be pretty pissed off about these scumbags ripping off my work.
This seems to happen a lot! They just seem to trawl the internet to find out what is written in other newspapers, magazines, what people say on Twitter or on TV.
It’s pretty pathetic stuff!
It is actually far more pathetic than you imagine, Ruby.
There is no need for these pathetic numpties to trawl the internet. All they needs do is click on any link to any UK News Agency homepage. For example :-
link to uk.reuters.com
or even more specifically for home news:-
link to uk.reuters.com
Who needs to buy newspapers or watch TV newscasts when anyone can do exactly the same thing as the dead tree press cut & paste numpties?
Copy those two links to your browser favourites bar and get, “The news where they are”, where you are before they bastardise it.
Just though some might be interested in the lyrics the opposite sets of fans were singing since even before the Scottish Cup Final kicked off :-
.
It kind of puts things in perspective doesn’t it?
Here is a bit of history for you from Wiki:-
and also from Wiki :-
Sae nee ye aa ken.
“Scottish conservative MSP Ruthie refuses to rule out becoming an MP or UK Tory leader.” Making Scotland happy.
Ruth Davidson; “I don’t want to be prime minister.” Making the English happy, well actually everybody happy.
Ruthie babes, unless Eton, Oxford and Cambridge all burn down and the two branches of the Tories declare nuclear war on each other, you have no chance of becoming the UK leader. Even then..
Introduce minimum pricing as soon as possible.
Increase funding for early years, the most important, and part time College courses which help the most vulnerable and get people into work and Uni. Teachers should get essential training in additional needs and keep class sizes down. It helps all pupils. If necessary cut Uni funding. Scotland is funding wealthy students from elsewhere. While Scottish Students can’t get into get in to University. Make sure Scottish students are being fully funded. Getting the full loan they need.
Scotland is still being deprived of the choice of policy by the majority because of Westminster.
It is absolutely important that People in Scotland vote to stay in the EU. It is EU rights which gave Scotland Devolution and the right to Referendum. The European Human Rights Act. Scotland’s. The sovereignty of the people. The right to self determination.
The EU costs Scotland nothing. A contribution of £1Billion which comes back. In CAP payments, Grants, shared Defence costs. If Scotland was Independence the EU would be a negative cost. Scotland could get back more. In CAP payments (Westminster took), Renewable Grants (Wedtminster blocked) The EU has good social Laws/workers rights come from the EU. Maternity leave, equal opportunity, guarantee leave, hours worked etc.
The worse scenario for Scotland is out of the EU Union and in the UK Union when rights guaranteed by the EU menbership can be eroded by Westminster. ie FFA/Independence support by a majority of People in Scotland.
Germany (80million pop) pays €25Billion, France (pop 65million) €20Billion, Italy €20Billion? Spain (40million) ?
The UK (62Million pop) €15Billion (less pro rata because it gets a rebate) – £12Billion (which comes back – including shared Defence costs ie Britain borrowed (shared) aircraft carriers etc. The EU poorer, smaller countries are helped. The wealthy, larger countries help other poorer countries in the EU.
The US/UK (France) illegal wars are costing Europe £Billions, devastating the European/world economy.
The British Press is controlled by Westminster. It is owned by tax evading, criminal Non Doms most of whom should be put in jail for ilegal activities and lies. Westminster and the Press are breaking UK Law, with impunity. So they can keep on tax evading. Without a free and balanced Press there is no Democracy.
Lord Alistair Darling of Roulanish kicks off another BBC teamGB day there, BBC r4 Nic Robinson listening intently to Lord Darling knife Salmond in his EU remain whine, “it was like this in the Scottish referendum, I asked Alex Salmond the hard questions, oil at over $100 a barrel and Salmond said stop doing Scotland down.” Salmond a Scottish elected MP for Banff and Buchan, Darling scarpered to the Lords 2015.
All of the problems in Scotland and the EU are caused by Westminster undemocratic, lying, cheating disasterous policies. Absolutely gross, disasterous mismanagement and undemocratic unreasonable behaviour. Killing and maiming millions of innocent people. Sanctioning and starving people to death. Most of them should be in jail. They make the Law and break the Law. They think they are above the Law.
Brown/Blair, Bush/Clinton should be in jail for the havoc they have caused in the world.
Actually Stuart, this is how people work… including your good self. We all interpret events in the way that best suits our world view or our perception of what is right or wrong or fair and unfair or best supports the views we hold or wish to promote. In a few outstanding media organisations editorial process staffed by quality journalists can mitigate this effect to some extent, but probably never entirely. I think most people understand that is what newspapers and to a lesser extent other news outlets do and are able to rationalise this in their own minds.
None of us are immune to this process, even if we know about it and understand clearly our own personal leanings. Surely you don’t think yourself somehow above this, or immune to its effect; as an impartial arbiter of truth and balanced comment?
This seems to be the general tone of your blog, but as a single individual, without the benefit of oversight or editorial supervision, that seems far fetched.
Nicola Sturgeon to face tougher question time at Holyrood, new Presiding Officer pledges.
link to archive.is
No he didn’t I think Sturgeon suggested the changes and as for harder questions, Ken isn’t writing them is he. Is he? 🙂
Another twist the paper puts on the news.
PS:
No wonder we Scots, home drinkers, have caused an upsurge in the amount of alcohol consumed… per person on average
41 bottles of vodkas or
116 bottles of wines or
476 Pints
I’m on about 1 bottle of wine per week (for 2), so who’s guilty?
I blame losing in the referendum 😉
‘Your call’ radio shortbread tell Kaye.
The first guy on is enough for me…off for a non-alcoholic coffee.
Ruth Davidson; “I don’t want to be prime minister.”
Pure propaganda to pretend the ‘united’ in the United Kingdom is still valid.
The chances of a Scot leading one of the UK Unionist parties at WM is zero never mind being able to win an election to become PM.
We are in the midst of a constitutional crisis. A crisis won’t go away until the issues behind it are resolved. Pretending this isn’t the case and that we live in the good old continuing UK with business as usual is either stupidity or propaganda. In this case I think the latter.
call me dave says:
25 May, 2016 at 9:13 am
Nicola Sturgeon to face tougher question time at Holyrood, new Presiding Officer pledges.
link to archive.is
Ruby replies
In the print edition of that story the headline is
‘MSPs given more time to question FM’
Which is closer to the truth than the online version.
More time doesn’t necessarily mean tougher questions it just means MSPs can waffle on for longer!
Martin Richmond says:
25 May, 2016 at 9:03 am
Actually Stuart, this is how people work… including your good self. We all interpret events in the way that best suits our world view or our perception of what is right or wrong or fair and unfair or best supports the views we hold or wish to promote.
More toryboy yoon rubbish. Call it compare and contrasting UK media and politics Martin Richmond.
Why does an unelected Lord for life tory like Darling get a free soap box this morn from another tory BBC gimp on BBC r4 for example?
Its hardly democracy is it toryboy?
Questions, questions, if we had an actual democracy, Lord Darling would be obliged to stand for election and not handed law making power for life, is not an issue in toryboy world but it really is.
A ferocious fear mongering liar, rewarded by a grateful toryboy world or just one of the many saviours of toryboy world in Scotland, doesn’t matter does it Martin, we Cant vote for the tory.
Darling forgets to add the disasterous Westminster tax policies has had on the Oil industry 60/80% tax when the price had fallen 75%. Darling is a complete and utter dangerous idiot. No wonder he bankrupted Britain. Darling can’t even count or read balance sheet. A complete fool of a man. Scotland lost £4Billion+ a year for the last 6 years in Oil revenues because of Osbourne’s disasterous policies. £24Billion+ to Tory rule. Darling is a cheat and a greedy liar. The illegal wars and banking fraud.
The Labour/Unionists. Ruining town and cities all over Scotland wasting £Millions/Billions of public money. Borrowing money (debt) for grotesque, carbuncle projects the public doesn’t want. An appalling mess. When people wanted predestrianisation and open spaces to breathe life in the City. It is an outrage.
Scotland raises (pro rata) more in taxes than the rest of the UK £54Billion+ – £42Billion (pro rata) in the rest of the UK. Westminster borrows the difference to be spent in the rest of the UK and Scotland has to make the loan repayments -£4Billion.
Scotland lost £4Billion a year in Oil revenues and had to pay £4Billion in debt repayments spent in the rest of the UK = £8Billion a year for 6 years = £48Billion (taken illegally from Scotland)
More Oil & Gas (without an alternative) had to be imported. £24Billion+
Darlings, Westminster/Unionist HoL are greedy pathetic, dangerous liars. They are sanctioning, vulnerable people and starving them to death.
Scotland raises £54Billion in taxes. The same (without Oil) The UK raises £515Billion take £54Billion from £515Billion = £461 divide by 11= £42Bilion (pro rata). The rest of the UK borrows £75Billion more (+£20Billion black hole) = £95Billion (spent in the rest of the UK) Scotland has to pay loan repayments on the Deficit. Hinkley Point & (£60Billion) HS2 (£140Billion? a total waste of £200Billion. There are cheaper and better alternatives with more money spent on essential services. NHS/Education, local services, potholes, bus services etc. The Tory slush fund diverting public money into private hands. The Tory/Unionists and their associates.
Scotland loses £10Billion+ a year to the UK for Westminster policies. Policies which are not supported by the majority in Scotland. Darling had been illegally taking funds from Scotland for years and hiding it under the Official Secrets Act.
The ignorant unelected HoL doesn’t know what it is talking about. Their decisions have caused mayhem, death and destruction all over the world. An affront to democracy. Most of them should be put in prison for crimes against humanity. Unelected and undemocratic. Dangerous idiots.
Martin Richmond
You are wrong to state that Stu doesn’t have any editorial supervision.
Posters offer editiorial supervision right down to correcting any spelling error.
BBC Scotland.
Don’t you just love them!
link to archive.is
‘Brown ‘astonished’ by Viking ancestry’
Where did this story come from? Is it a press release from the publishers of Gordon Brown’s new book or did the ‘journalist’ read his book and discover Gordon Brown’s astonishment and thought it was worth writing an article about?
‘The former Labour leader reveals his Scandinavian heritage in his new book, Britain Leading, Not Leaving, which argues the case for the UK remaining in the EU.’ Herald.
@ Mike
The English national anthem is a prayer to God because they were shitting themselves as the Jacobite army got ever closer. The King had his bags packed ready to flee over the Chanel. You have to see things in the context of when they came about.
Tougher questions – laugh a minute. The ‘opposition’ are a complete unelected, rejected joke. The only question asked should be when they are clearing off and giving folk peace. A complete bunch of unelectable numpties playing the System. The sooner most of them go and Scotland gets full FFA/Independence the better. All they do is cheat and lie and hold Scotland back.
Micky mouse voice in a ‘Micky mouse’ parliament according to them. Everyone will see and they will get telt. The vacant coupons banging the desks like performing seals. At least seals are presentable. Unionist Lemmings falling over a cliff and hobbling back.
@Ruby. That’s not quite the same thing. I’m sure most newspapers have online comments and letters sections too. Very few are read or acted upon.
It just really goes show that the Yoon media can say and make up whatever pish they want.
The sooner the union dies off the better.
@ Robert Peffers
I remember years ago nearly crashing my car with surprise when I heard the Billy Boys being played on the radio. It was a big band/jazzy type number with obviously different lyrics but the unmistakable chorus of hello… hello… I quickly got over the shock once I realised that the song wasn’t THE Billy Boys – I never knew the loyalist version was in fact a basterdised version of an existing song.
Anyway, I always meant to look into finding the proper tune but never did. I assume the song I heard many moons ago was Marching through Georgia so thanks for clearing something up that has been niggling away at me all this time.
One doubter who did vote YES. – ‘The UK would be better run by Nicola Sturgeon & Co. They have better policies’.
Another one on board.
Realised I was being too flippant with my 9.34.
You all should read this. You really should. Startling insight into BBC Scotland from an angle not covered on this site.
link to archive.is
@heedtracker
I think you missed my point.
Brown/Blair/Darling ruined the world economy. They should be in jail. Along with the rest of the crooks at Westminster, Fraudsters, liars, embezzlers, child molesters, killers. They make the Law, break the Law and do not enforce the Law. A bunch of complete criminals. Keep their crimes hidden under the Official Secrets Act.
Martin Richmond says:
25 May, 2016 at 9:40 am
@Ruby. That’s not quite the same thing. I’m sure most newspapers have online comments and letters sections too. Very few are read or acted upon.
Ruby replies
The difference between newspapers who dont read the comments or act upon them here on Wings Stu reads every post.
I wonder how Ken MacIntosh’s idea of MSPs engaging with voters on Social media will pan out. How will they distinguish between ‘voters’ and ‘trolls’?
‘Among other reforms, he has already given the go-ahead for MSPs to engage live with voters on social media while they are involved in debates in the Holyrood chamber.’ Herald
its pretty obvious to most people that we are badly served by the print and broadcast media in this country ,That forces a lot of people to seek out the truth on any particular item that is being promoted by the MSM it is a bad day when we can’t trust what is being offered by these agenda driven outlets , The latest success by the families of the victims of the Hillsborough disaster to clear their relatives names that were dragged through the gutter in order to cover the failings of those who failed in their duty on the day in question highlights this problem , and the disgraceful bandwagon jumping scum who blamed the Liverpool fans for the death of fellow supporters was beyond belief , I wonder how these ratbags can try and justify their actions and comments on what was a truly tragic day .
@ Ken500
I’m of the opinion that it’s the other way around. That it’s the British Press who own the government.
@mike cassidy
That article lets us have a keek under the stone.
Martin Richmond says:
25 May, 2016 at 9:49 am
@heedtracker
I think you missed my point.
Then you didnt make it properly. Dumb it down for me for my smoko break Martin.
Its maybe too mixed a message, like this from rancid The Graun, who also like to leave out UKOK stuff, like their packed to the gunnels House of Lord Darling’s o Roulanish.
Hammers of the Scots historians pile in EU style, but are too modest to mention how hard they hammered the Scots 2014.
link to archive.is
Stay?
“As historians of Britain and of Europe, we believe that Britain has had in the past, and will have in the future, an irreplaceable role to play in Europe,” the letter says.
“On 23 June, we face a choice: to cast ourselves adrift, condemning ourselves to irrelevance and Europe to division and weakness; or to reaffirm our commitment to the EU and stiffen the cohesion of our continent in a dangerous world.”
As well as Schama and Ferguson, both familiar because of their television documentaries and popular books”
Go?
“In a message to veterans, Thompson said: “The result of this referendum will determine irrevocably what kind of country we, our children and our grandchildren will live in.
“Either Great Britain will remain in the EU, dominated by people who we do not elect, who we cannot throw out and who dictate many of the laws which govern us, or we will take back control and return to what we were: an independent country in which our parliament is elected by us, and answerable to us as the lawmaker.”
I’d like Scots kids not to grow up to become UKOK neo fascists, like Ferguson, for example.
@Ruby
I’m not sure how you can know that. It seems far more likely that a newspaper with many staff and a financial motivation would scrutinise its comments section more than a single individual would be able to. Don’t you think?
As to your other point, I’m not sure there is a difference between “trolls” and voters. I suspect the former is also the latter in the majority of cases.
link to archive.is
New pro-Union mindset needed to counter-balance push to greater devolution, say peers
This is what Ghillie referred to earlier.
PS I did answer you post but sadly my post disappeared into cyberspace.
I’m off to find a link to the ‘House of Lords constitution committee meeting’
I always find it preferable to see/hear the original rather than read the MSM’s cherry pickings!
Peffers, I like what you did there, the juxtapositioning thing — very clever and very profound.
What a stark contrast in values and emphasis those lyrics represent, summing up the sort of divergences we face as a nation in terms of hope over fear and ultimately love, simple love, over God knows what…
Banning that song was a crime against humanity.
Petra, I don’t think you quite understood my lengthy post above. It wasn’t intended as an argument for my acceptance into the circle of love. I’ll put it diplomatically; I was making the point the role of regulars here is questionable and far from utilitarian at times. Why would my role be in question, I’m not the one talking about taking over the running of the site?
As for the statement of mine you posted, the only people that could possibly be offended by that are idiots of the future. I’ll worry about mending those fences in 20 years. I thought it was a given that the phrase “I’m ahead of my time” was self deprecating and that we all understood it meant something like “you might think I’m a moron now but in the future they won’t”.
I guess my vibe is a bit too niche at times. The next time I try to introduce humility and humour, I’ll make sure it’s accessible to more than just fans of science fiction and time travel.
Funny to think that some of the people who visit wings in 20 years might not even be born yet and I have offended them already. When they do visit I will probably be dead. Looking at it like that, I don’t see why I should hold back. I can only imagine how good the xbox games will be then, jammy little bastards.
There’s a good idea for a discussion thread: let’s talk to people in the future.
I watched Sky press review last night.
Not one paper carrying the Tory Election Fraud, the biggest thing to hit in a long time.
What more proof do people need they are fed shit?
Social media is where you have to be if you care about what is going on.
In Kent, the Tory party sent along opposition to the Police seeking an extension for investigation. In Devon, Police have obtained their extension to investigate 3 Tories.
Also, someone suggested Ofcom might have got involved because RT are not reporting it, which is very strange.
‘Same thing happened today on the thread next door; people were discussing sectarianism and the idea of closing down faith schools and K1 arrived to launch what was a completely unnecessary and embarrassing attack (not on me, on those who taking part in the discussion).’
Referring to this comment, I presume?:
‘Oh and I can get increasingly ‘profane’ dave. Anything to draw you away from the bile that you spout…ya fanny. I’m not the one who has tried 4 different persona’s on here and lied through ma teeth about where I am from, how I have voted, where I live…you have.
That makes you a creep of the highest order and you deserve nothing but disdain for the liar that you are. There’s not a genuine grain of truth in anything you state on this forum, because all of it rests on top of the lie of your credentials. Therefore you cannot be regarded as anything but a disingenuous and thoroughly indecent person.
You seek to point the finger at others to ‘shame’ them for their ‘language’ on the basis of ‘what others may think of that’ but you cannot see the utter shame of your own position; a liar and a phoney taking the ‘high ground’ in an attempt to shift the emphasis from their own hypocrisy?
Well here’s what I think of that: fuck of you hypocrite. Got it yet? There is nothing you say on here that will ever have any merit, you are an amateur agitator. Your constant contradictions and weird Tory views are an anathema to the very essence of our cause.
Now away and fuck off ya prick.’
I completely stand by this comment sensibleAngriAHuraNeoconnatdave.
You can play the ‘victim’ card all the live long day on here and spout your usual dreadful patronising guff, that does not prevent me from commenting on that guff.
I have actually had several long conversations with you Ahurawank, remember when you were Neoconnat? You showed yourself then as you do now to be a twisted condescending piece of work. You are the epitome of what this site is ‘not about’.
My comment above is not a lie. It informs those who come onto to Wings of a deceitful element masquerading as an Independence supporter, I repeat, you do not live here, you have lied about voting in any of Scotland’s elections ever. You have some of the most obnoxious views regarding others not of your outlook, you are rude, abrasive and a downright snob. All of this verifiable.
It was you who was ‘stoking’ sectarianism, you truly think people can’t read the comments and work out for themselves what others are debating? It is you who takes people’s comments and twists them into the ugly petty point manipulative pish that is your hallmark.
Now fuck off.
Westminster controls of the Press in Britain. They allow Non Dom tax evaders to own the British Press. No non Dom owner or Company should be allowed to own the British Press. Thatcher allowed Murdoch to buy the Times and denied it. Thatcher broke the Ministerial code to uphold a free and balanced Press. Westminster is supposed to support a free and balanced as part of a Democracy.
Murdoch et al have broken UK Law, hacking, illegally obtaining documents, bribed public official. Under UK Law Westminster has a right to take ownership from Murdoch ( criminal behaviour) by forcing the Sale of his Press interests to UK based owner/company. Tax evading Non Dom should not own British Press because of their financial bias/interest.
US based companies are breaking the Law if they bribe public officials anywhere in the world. Charges which are liable for imprisonment. Murdoch is US based. US citizen? because of his financial interest. The UK press that break the Law should be reprimanded. They are controlling the Press complaints system. Leveson recommended that the Press should stop governing their own complaints organisation. Westminster did not implement Leveson recommendation. Westminster failed. They do not enforce the Law. To ensure a free and balanced Press.
The Scottish Gov could have enforced Leveson. That would have been a start to a free and balanced Press in Scotland. A restraining order. The hullabaloo that would have ensured was maybe not worth the effort, when there were other more imortant urgent matters. Could still happen?
The French Gov have raided Google’s Offices looking for £Billions in back taxes.
To the one and Only TROLL
link to youtube.com
SG looking forward and considering its legacy for the next generation.
link to wavetrust.org
Fracking;
An incomplete evidence base to inform decision making-
‘Systematic investigations studying the effects of HVHF activity on groundwater resources, local-community air quality, radon exposure, noise exposure, wastewater
treatment, induced seismicity, traffic, psychosocial stress, and injuries would help reduce scientific uncertainties.
While some of the on-going or proposed major study initiatives may help close those existing data gaps, each of these alone would not
adequately address the array of complex concerns’
link to health.ny.gov
‘There is evidence that shale and tight gas development is associated with pollution that is known to increase public health risks. Additionally, there is much more that we don’t know. Scientific investigations are hampered by limitations on monitoring, reporting, and disclosure requirements of compounds and processes associated with oil and gas development’
-Seth B. Shonkoff, PhD, MPH, Executive Director, Physicians Scientists & Engineers for Healthy Energy
The Evidence Base is deliberately restricted;
‘DEP’s inadequate enforcement of existing drilling regulations promises irresponsible oil and gas development, particularly in light of the state’s presumed goal of expanding production…public access to other important DEP data is lacking, especially
when compared to data available in other states
• Detailed inspection reports are not posted online.
• Detailed information on wells (e.g., copies of permits and supporting data filed by operators) is not available online.
• There is no public spills/blowouts/well control database.
• There is no public database of citizen complaints.’
link to earthworksaction.org
Fracking- the precautionary principle;
‘Many people concerned by nonconventional oil and gas drilling would prefer the US adopt the so-called precautionary principle, which places the burden of proof on industries implementing new technologies and introducing new chemicals into our neighborhoods and environment.
If your actions do not poison the water, accelerate climate change, cause cancer to those living near drilling and refineries, etc.—prove it. Current policy inverts such logic, instead forcing the victim (or their surviving relatives) to get into a legal fight with some of the richest and most politically powerful companies…
Another approach would be the adoption of a legitimate national energy policy that is comprehensive in scope and science-based, as opposed to the current singular focus on short-term profits. Something more in line with what is occurring in Germany–where they have increased clean energy use from 6% in 2002, to 26% in 2012. A clean energy policy propelled by sophisticated technologies that require skilled workers could replace the third world fossil energy model en vogue these days. The spector of climate change makes the acclerated pursuit of carbon based fuel an irrational policy predicted to be far more expensive than the initial costs required to switch to clean energy technologies’
link to serc.carleton.edu
Scotland can become self sufficient in energy with renewables-forward planning and ethical politics required- but most importantly as an independent country in control of all it economic levers.
Is the political process and procurement of fracking licences-transparent, ethical and trustworthy, democratic?
Och just brilliant ronnie! 🙂
New Act of Union
link to parliamentlive.tv
link to publications.parliament.uk
link to parliament.uk
IMO the reason WoS is so successful is trust.
The Rev. backs up his analysis with facts,even in the face of horrendous abuse, (see WoS Twitter)physical threats and even,legal action.
What’s makes this site so different then ?…..No big secrect,he does the work,the graft,the spadework,allied to a forensic approach to data analysis and he makes it look easy…..it’s no….quite sickening really. 😉
Is he ever wrong,of course,not often mind you and he goes a hell of a long way to re-dressing the balance of the totally biased media/broadcasters,in whom we have zero trust.
In addition the BTL comments are,informative,funny,thought provoking and occasionally inspired.
Personally I visit at least once a day,often more,love to see UKOK yoons claims,exposed for what the usually are….. straight out lies or even just bluster.
“Referring to this comment, I presume?”
Actually, no, I really wasn’t referring to that comment. lolz.
But I’m busy right now, so, if you don’t mind, I’ll need to ignore you later…
Martin Richmond says:
25 May, 2016 at 10:14 am
@Ruby
I’m not sure how you can know that. It seems far more likely that a newspaper with many staff and a financial motivation would scrutinise its comments section more than a single individual would be able to. Don’t you think?
As to your other point, I’m not sure there is a difference between “trolls” and voters. I suspect the former is also the latter in the majority of cases.
Ruby reples
You are not making sense you said earlier that newspapers don’t read the comments!
I’m a single individual and I can read ALL the comments on Wings without any bother and I’m not even half as bright as Stu and I am only a very part-time poster/editor.
Re the difference between ‘trolls’ & ‘voters’
There are a huge number of trolls posting on Scottish newspapers/forums who are not voters. ie they do not have a vote in Scotland.
Do you have a vote in Scotland?
OMG!
link to thenational.scot
‘What lies beneath? Unexploded bombs in Clyde threat to nuclear subs says MP’
@Phronesis, 10.40am
An example of what can go wrong with fracking
link to readersupportednews.org
I wonder how the frackers in North Yorkshire are going to dispose of the waste water.
IMO the reason WoS is so successful is trust.
Making our own minds up too.
From WoS twitter link
link to holyrood.com
“After its successful pilot in the Highlands, the named person was rolled out to South and North Lanarkshire, Edinburgh and other local authorities, again with minimal fuss. Indeed, it was only after it was enshrined in law, as part 4 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, that public opinion began to turn against it.”
Public opinion turned agin, based on what?
“But he must feel as if he is whistling in the wind; far from subsiding, antipathy towards the policy is growing daily.”
That’s The director of care at the Highland authority but the Inside Politics hack’s claims of the daily growing antipathy is based on?
“Then, several organisations operating under the banner of the NO2NP campaign unsuccessfully challenged the policy at the Court of Session before taking their objections to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has yet to pass judgement.”
“For 18 months now, Alexander has been fighting a rearguard action, debunking some of the wilder claims about the policy while highlighting the benefits he believes it has wrought.”
Why does the hack leave out the massive wider claims opposition pouring out of our noble and honest tory BBC led britnat media and so on?
Mentions Salmonds initiative
link to rt.com
@Ruby
Hey… Maybe you’re right about comments, my point was that neither of us knows. My voting position is the same as Stuart’s and If you read the two headlines in the post that I commented on, (rather than the opaque but somewhat sneering comment made by Stuart underneath) you’ll notice that both are 100% factually correct and based on evidence contained in the articles which they respectively introduce.
@Heedtracker
I can’t express how disgusted I am at the continued campaign on NP. Having been involved in aspects of child protection, there is nothing more important.
Opposition to it is based on nothing but SNP bad, but this surely highlights just how low Tory and Slab are prepared to stoop.
I will be furious if the Greens do not support the gov’t on this.
‘Nevertheless, it is destined to be the first big test of the new Holyrood administration. Given all the emotive rhetoric, will the SNP be able to turn public opinion back in its favour? Or will the work done in the Highlands and elsewhere turn out to have been a waste of time and energy?’
Who is it that controls public opinion? Will the Daily Record be claiming victory when the Named Person legislation is repealled?
Interesting that the newspapers are covered with stories today about cheap alcohol in supermarkets accounting for increase in alcohol abuse in Scotland and yesterday there were stories about offensive behaviour at football matches yet opposition politicians oppose minimum pricing & and the OBFA.
I just wonder if there is an increase in child abuse due to the abolition of the Named Person act these idiot politicians and the scumbag press will take responsibilty for their actions?
I think what we need at Holyrood is not an increase in time for the opposition to ask question what we need is for the opposition to be asked tougher questions.
@ Heedtracker No2NP you will see on that site MY NAME I have told Dee Rusell to remove my avitar & name I have no connection with this group whatsoever. Named Person’s scheme is not perfect ( lack of public information )but its a step in the right direction for the protection of Children.
Those MSPs apposed to it should read the Transcript of the case ongoing at Livingstone Sherriff Court.
Children will always slip through the net of Social Work Dept’s due to high level of case load,s,anything that catches them from further abuse or neglect should be welcomed.
Valerie says:
25 May, 2016 at 11:25 am
@Heedtracker
I can’t express how disgusted I am at the continued campaign on NP.
That inside politics dude is a pretty stark example of how all tory propaganda works, or rather has to work.
Assume people are thick, uninformed and also thick, that’ll save the tory union wont it. BBC r4’s Today thing with Nic Robinson and Lord Darling of Roulanish this morning is good example of how its done right at the top, inside politics on NP, also a very good attempt, all underpinned by fantastic liars and fraudsters on a historic scale.
Martin Richmond says:
25 May, 2016 at 11:21 am
My voting position is the same as Stuart’s
Ruby replies
So you live in England and don’t have a vote in Scotland.
My question was how will Ken MacIntosh be able to distinguish voters from non voters? Could it be that his idea about allowing comments from ‘voters’ on social media is completely bonkers? He really needs to change the term ‘voters’ to people on the world wide web.
Seriously it’s bad enough that we have to have a government that the English electorate voted for but does he really think that people from all over the world should have a say in devolved Scottish matters?
I know exactly what Stu’s opinion is re Scottish Independence do you share the same opinion?
Are you posting here as a supporter of Scottish Independence?
@ K1 Am ah man of few words sometimes Mibbee’s other notable Wingers will get the point in song. The TROLL is full of himself & taking the piss out of Wingers with his platatudes & interups the flow of the threads,anyone that keeps changing their name from ( will podmore ) through to the present name, to get on this site does not bear any goodwill to the People who view this site or ultimatley our aims & objectives INDEPENDENCE.
ronnie anderson says:
25 May, 2016 at 11:33 am
@ Heedtracker No2NP you will see on that site MY NAME I have told Dee Rusell to remove my avitar & name I have no connection with this group whatsoever.
Did they?
Its all about how UKOK tory media select issues with which to batter the democracy out of their Scotland region. BBC r4 hourly news today goes big with sales of alcohol up in their Scotland region, because our Scots are such a bunch of piss artists you see. Press go massive with SNP sleaze, BBC can be a bit more UKOK attack propaganda agile.
Inside Politics dude calls NP opposition, chinks in the armour, but leaves out tory BBC etc, shock.
“But he must feel as if he is whistling in the wind; far from subsiding, antipathy towards the policy is growing daily. The campaign gathered pace in the run-up to the Holyrood elections as opponents identified it as a chink in the SNP’s armour and Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale – who had previously supported the policy – called on the party to “press the pause button”.
Its blanket front page news-stand blasts but not everyday. Scottish news stands were enormous SNP sleaze headlines Monday, but Tuesday, nothing. Its probably going to be SNP sleaze front page twice a week, although rancid The Graun were still SNP sleazing it yesterday.
For the balance, while every Scottish edition from the Times to rancid The Graun were front page newsstand SNP sleaze Monday, Scotsman went with “Scotland’s disgrace, Hibs fan’s pitch invasion.”
Lovely bunch of goons.
@Ruby
I assume some form of simple pre-registration could identify voters on a controlled social media platform. I’m a Civil Servant so am restricted in making public political statements e.g. On Scottish independence. My reason for posting here was to express my view about universal bias and the fact that Stuart’s blog seems every bit as biased as the outlets and writes he criticises… and why shouldn’t he be?
The post this morning (and the two headlines) were not a demonstration of media lies or of distorted reporting. They were just two different interpretations of a set of facts, exactly the sort of interpretations of facts that appear on this blog on a regular basis, coloured by the writers inherent and entirely natural prejudice and bias.
To suggest otherwise is much closer to a lie.
Cozy arrangement at PMQs PM in Japan, Corbyn where. Second reservist take to the dispach boxes.
link to archive.is
‘She adds: “We were not saying I’m going to be prime minister, what we were saying is I will hold the Scottish government to account after nine years in which they’ve kind of got away with murder. The Labour party’s not laid a glove on them.’
The confusion here might be that either Ruth Davidson or
Kevin Schofield of ‘The House Magazine’ doesn’t know the difference between Prime Minister & First Minister.
Martin Richmond says:
25 May, 2016 at 12:07 pm
@Ruby
I assume some form of simple pre-registration could identify voters on a controlled social media platform. I’m a Civil Servant so am restricted in making public political statements e.g. On Scottish independence.
Ruby replies
LOL!
I’ll just have to make a guess/rely on my gut instinct then re your support/non support of Scottish Independence.
‘I assume some form of simple pre-registration could identify voters on a controlled social media platform.’
LOL!
We’ll perhaps have to get in touch with Ken and ask him how he proposes to identify ‘voters’
How can a council go against the. Wishes of 90per cent of the people they are suppose to represent stay in office ? And how can people who no one voted for sit as msps and tell me what they think is best for me the world is going mad and so are we for allowing this to happen
I’m a Civil Servant so am restricted in making public political statements e.g. On Scottish independence. My reason for posting here was to express my view about universal bias and the fact that Stuart’s blog seems every bit as biased as the outlets and writes he criticises… and why shouldn’t he be?
That’s another awful lie aswell. What is it with UKOK liars eg.
link to civilserviceworld.com
Cabinet Secretary and civil service head Sir Jeremy Heywood (centre) presented the award to team members (from right to left) Paul Doyle, Will MacFarlane, Shannon Cochrane, and Mario Pisani.
Pisani said: “In the Treasury, everyone hates you. We don’t get thanks for anything. This is one occasion where we’ve worked with the rest of Whitehall.
” We just kept it by the skin of our teeth. I actually cried when the result came in. After 10 years in the civil service, my proudest moment is tonight and receiving this award.”
He added: “ We were doing everything from the analysis, to the advertising, to the communications. I just felt a massive sense of being part of the operation. This being recognised [at the Civil Service Awards], makes me feel just incredibly proud.”
From
“We all had something in common, we’re trying to save the Union here, and it came so close.”
to
“As civil servants you don’t get involved in politics. For the first time in my life, suddenly we’re part of a political campaign.”
Who ever you are Martin Richmond, you;re just another yoon con artist.
@Ruby
Indeed. I think you’ve just provided a very clear example of my point, so thank you. We are none of us immune to prejudice and bias; beware the writer who claims to be so. Don’t accept what you read and don’t restrict your reading to what you accept. Oversimplification of complex issues is often popular, but rarely informative.
“None of us are immune to this process, even if we know about it and understand clearly our own personal leanings. Surely you don’t think yourself somehow above this, or immune to its effect; as an impartial arbiter of truth and balanced comment?”
Anyone who thinks this site presents itself as impartial can’t have been reading it for more than two minutes.
Martin Richmond says:
25 May, 2016 at 12:33 pm
@Ruby
Indeed. I think you’ve just provided a very clear example of my point, so thank you.
Ruby replies
I’m getting fed-up with you now Martin TBH I don’t even know what your point is!
I gets up my nose when arrogant posters start giving me finger wagging lectures telling me what I should & shouldn’t be doing.
What I’ve decided to do all on my own without any input from you is to completely ignore you for now on.
Bye!
@ Martin Richmond
Wings declares its bias upfront, and no-one visiting this site could be in any doubt about its stance. With the exception of The National, which describes itself on its front page as “the newspaper that supports an independent Scotland”, the press do not, and the BBC actively claims to be unbiased.
That can lead readers to the conclusion that they are being presented with objective commentary. This conclusion is frequently false.
That, I believe, is the point being made.
As it happens, I agree with you that both those headlines (which will not have been written by the authors of the articles below them) can be extracted from the text in this particular instance.
But I hope that you will agree with me that, given that many readers do not get past the headline, the existence of two apparently contradictory headlines about the same story is confusing at the least.
Unless the MSM consulted each other, of course, this could not be eliminated, so the next best thing is to make people aware that reading past the headline is necessary.
(There was an egregious example on the Guardian website yesterday, where the headline stated that the body parts found from the Egypt Air crash indicated that there had been an explosion, according to an official. The text said the exact opposite – a different official had denied that this conclusion could be drawn. Anyone who read only the headline and/or did not follow the link to the article would have been misled.)
The NP is one aspect of the Children Young People Scotland Act 2014 and is explained here by the current Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland
link to cypcs.org.uk
GIRFEC encourages a child rights perspective from all agencies in contact with children and is a devolved policy. The NP is not a threatening element of the new legislation but a progressive step forwards in the safeguarding of children (which historically has been undermined by issues of information sharing-the who and what- when there are significant concerns e.g.Victoria Climbie/Caleb Ness/Baby P).
The legislation outlines many aspects of holistic care and support for children and families in Scotland. The consultation process is also detailed here.
link to gov.scot
and the SG response to the consultation on the NP
link to gov.scot
It was given Royal Assent in March 2014.Did the politicians who approved of the legislation then but are now publically opposed to the NP not read and understand the detail? Within the context of a universal child rights based agenda what would they suggest is a credible alternative to the NP for vulnerable children and families and the professionals and agencies tasked with supporting them?
@Phronesis
It’s all perfectly logical and the right approach.
The opposition simply don’t care that they are denigrating measures to protect vulnerable children. It should tell anyone with a brain, what they are about.
In a country where Tory rule is forcing more social and financial pressures on families, this approach is vital.
I am truly sickened at those that use this for politicking.
Hi Martin Richmond, pleased to meet you.
You said;
“The post this morning (and the two headlines) were not a demonstration of media lies or of distorted reporting. They were just two different interpretations of a set of facts, exactly the sort of interpretations of facts that appear on this blog on a regular basis, coloured by the writers inherent and entirely natural prejudice and bias.”
I’m not sure anybody said these articles represented media lies. The clear point that I think was being made was that it’s possible to have a multitude of interpretations of any given event.
The big difference between Wings, The Herald, and the Guardian (as well as others) is that Wings is open and up front with its support for Scottish Independence.
Can all the Newspapers claim to be up front like that? I doubt it. Most pretend to attack and comment from a position of neutrality which is deceptive and dishonest. Like you, then, they want to hide their purpose and allegiances.
The problem that you and all these other honest brokers have is that you invariably struggle to hide your agenda; and, if you succeed in hiding it, then there’s not much point in having it, is there?
It naturally (I would say obviously too) annoys you that Wings is here analysing and dissecting the inconsistencies and lies that are produced daily in support of the British State and its bid to thwart our desire for independence.
Let me just add that the lies and spin have, in my opinion, been very successful in thwarting us. But don’t celebrate just yet. If it wasn’t for the lies and the spin, the referendum result would probably have been close to 70% in favour of Scottish independence.
It isn’t over though, is it; not by a long shot.
link to twitter.com
He’s a big fan of the BBC!
AhuraMazda says: @ 10:48 am
“Referring to this comment, I presume?”
Actually, no, I really wasn’t referring to that comment. lolz.
But I’m busy right now, so, if you don’t mind, I’ll need to ignore you later…’
Ah you mean this comment:
K1 says:
24 May, 2016 at 12:23 pm
Why are any of your engaging with this clown?
Can’t you see what he’s doing?
It’s so laughable if is wasn’t so fucking tragic. Enjoy being ‘wound up’ folk?
Gaun yersel’s!
He’s got ye aw talking about yer past and yer ‘stuff’, y’know the ‘stuff’ ye’s wur aw too intelligent to be part of and want no part of? That’s the stuff folks, eh?
Come back into the present. Let’s go forward. The past is ‘so’ last year.
Which you have twisted into:
‘K1 arrived to launch what was a completely unnecessary and embarrassing attack (not on me, on those who taking part in the discussion).’
What a truly disturbed mind you have Azuharwank. You didn’t even have the to nerve to back up your accusation to the comment you were referring to?
It’s stunningly clear that I am not ‘attacking’ anyone in this comment. I’m advocating moving on from stirring the sectarian shit that you were indulging to the hilt on that thread. You do not come from Scotland, you have not been raised in our environment, you are a first class Tory twat pontificating on a subject matter that you have no first hand experience of.
I was talking to my fellow west coasters and not one person reading that would have thought for a moment that it was in the least offensive. But you ‘appoint’ yersel’ the heid bummer on ‘how’ other’s on here ‘should’ be perceiving ‘others’ comments all the time, that’s one of yer many trademarks Azurawank.
I state this again for the avoidance of any doubt. You were stoking sectarian pish on that thread and on other threads by raising the Catholic stuff over and over again. You are a first class stirring troll. Many will not understand what you are about with that rhetoric. We don’t need you to lecture us on our communities and experiences living in our part of Scotland. We don’t need this pish stoked and stroked by your ilk.
Now fuck off.
Ruby
‘The former Labour leader reveals his Scandinavian heritage in his new book, Britain Leading, Not Leaving, which argues the case for the UK remaining in the EU.’ Herald.
Is that for real Ruby? So Brown is arguing for the UK which is now led by Scotland following the No vote to lead the EU?
So in voting remain Scotland will end up leading the EU? Interesting- we won’t ever get a turn as president of the organisation and have Westminster negotiate on our behalf and there are a whole rake of areas we have zero influence over but now Scotland will be leading the EU?
We won a watch there Gordon in voting No, eh! Most powerful devolved parliament in the world- more powerful even than some sovereign states who decide everything for themselves and now this.
I worry that leading the UK which is going to lead the EU might be a wee step too far even for a nation as incredible as Scotland. Are we going to be hosting trilateral talks between the US, Russia and Scotland (representing the rest of the world) next?
Surely we should get the stabilisers off before we attempt Le Tour Gordon, no?
You couldnae make this up (unless you have Ruby, in which case Bravo!)
Re. Gordon Brown and “Britain Leading, Not Leaving”. That sounds kind of familiar.
link to oswaldmosley.net
Tam Jardine says:
25 May, 2016 at 2:40 pm
Ruby
‘The former Labour leader reveals his Scandinavian heritage in his new book, Britain Leading, Not Leaving, which argues the case for the UK remaining in the EU.’ Herald.
Is that for real Ruby?
Ruby replies
For real it’s in The Herald & The Mirror!
link to archive.is
He’s even wearing one of these Viking helmuts with the big horns!
Just out of interest do you think you can tell the size of a man’s feet by the size of his horns?
I wonder if there is any chance of Gordon Brown apologising for his ancestors behaviour re rape & pillage!
Tut! Tut! Tut! I’m fed up!
My post keep disappearing! I’ll try again!
Tam Jardine says:
25 May, 2016 at 2:40 pm
Ruby
‘The former Labour leader reveals his Scandinavian heritage in his new book, Britain Leading, Not Leaving, which argues the case for the UK remaining in the EU.’ Herald.
Is that for real Ruby?
Ruby replies
For real it was in the Herald & the Mirror.
link to archive.is
He’s even got a viking helmut with huge horns!
I had more to say in my earlier post but it got lost in cyberspace or perhaps it was moderated due to smutty joke the size of men’s horns!
K1, have some self respect.
What you did next door on that thread yesterday was the online equivalent of bursting into a room full of people who were happily having a chat and setting about them with a pneumatic drill. Good fun, but messy.
If you look at the thread in question, you will see that I didn’t bring up the issue of sectarianism; the subject had been getting discussed everywhere over the preceding week, with three articles devoted to the issue of sectarianism and football related trouble on Wings alone (including a cartoon thread entitled “Fenian blood never failed me yet”).
In your deluded mind I somehow instigated all those articles and discussions.
On a certain level, debating on forums is like boxing. The words we type are like punches, with strength and fitness replaced by cunning and knowledge.
My advice to any 7 stone midget who smokes 40 a day would be to avoid getting in the ring with someone like Muhammad Ali altogether. That’s a bad idea, my little friend.
In that sense, the nasty language you use isn’t helping; it’s like you’re punching thin air and making a fool of yourself.
Don’t assume a silent audience is a supportive audience; my guess is most of them were wincing.
‘Don’t assume a silent audience is a supportive audience; my guess is most of them were wincing.’
Is this insight at last?
Naw, too arrogant eh Mohammed?
Profanity really gets up yer nose doesn’t it dave. 😉
2 aubergine, peeled and chopped
6 tbsp olive oil
½ red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large bunch fresh basil
splash olive oil
1 loaf ciabatta
extra olive oil, to brush
@ronnie anderson10.36am
Ha,ha! Well posted ronnie. Couldn’t agree more.