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Wings Over Scotland


Ironic timing

Posted on March 26, 2014 by

The advert below is being distributed by Glasgow Subway to its passengers today.

differentview

But that’s okay, because it’s not “political”.

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haud on the noo

Seriously ? As in openly handed to punters ?

Seasick Dave

Hahahahahaha!

Brilliant.

Grant

Did you contact your MSP?

Macart

Pretty clear cut.

If your advert has to go then so does this.

We’ll see how long it stays up.

Seasick Dave

You have been Tangoed!

Kenny

Is it actually SPT distributing this pap? If so, there’s a shitstorm waiting to happen. If it’s just on their property, your first line is wrong and should be corrected. Allowing iy while banning the Wings ads is still hypocrisy though, and quite possibly a breach of the rules.

Proud Cybernat

Ordinary Man? Try ‘Bitter Unionist’.

Janine

Oh my! Well isn’t that just … serendipitous? Let’s see if any complaints about this are noted to the point that it gets pulled – if not it could be very, very bad publicity.

yerkitbreeks

Wow – the retribution that’s going to be due post Ref, whatever the outcome.

Doug Daniel

Keith Howell – an Ordinary Man with an Ordinary Job of being an Ordinary Director on various Ordinary Companies over the past few years.

You know, just like the rest of us Ordinary People.

betterapart

They remove our posters but can get away with handing out that? Crazy!

Indy Mandy

It’s mental. Complaints are already launched to the Metro for this and to SPT for yesterday’s ads being removed.

Mary Bruce

How is it being distributed? There’s no way they can justify pulling our ad if they are letting this go out, now it really has become a scandal. What a disgrace.

Proud Cybernat

Have just fired off another complaint to SPT asking them to explain this.

fairiefromtheearth

You couldent make it up. LOL SPT

Les Wilson

It does not seem right that this is allowed when our is prevented, there is no low the Unionists will not go to.
It is done to deceive and steal people’s votes.
Is there not a legal angle here?

titchyboy85

God forbid we get lesser.

Craig Stewart

OMFG, now I’m annoyed. Such blatant misleading of people, such clear bias by SPT. This is utter BS. What are going to do about it?

mogatrons

Well, here’s hoping your media enquirer follow up on this as well …

As if the case against SPT wasn’t strong enough already.

I’ll be contacting them to complain about this political statement too,

Give a unionist a spade, and be astounded at how far into a hole they’re prepared to dig in order to avoid political reality.

Thomas William Dunlop

Follow the link to nupateer.com, to reveal the identity. Anyway it is so blatantly political, it should not be distributed

Ian Brotherhood

Do we know anything about the funding of this ‘nupateer’ outfit?

Dal Riata

From his website:

“Who is an β€˜Ordinary Man’?

The adverts published on nupateer.com were signed off as an β€˜Ordinary Man’ to emphasise that the author is not important in any way. But there is no intention of hiding behind anonymity.

Keith Howell has lived in Scotland for 23 years, near Edinburgh in the north of the Scottish Borders. He has made his home in Scotland with his family, and he now has grandchildren here too. Over that time he has been active across the private, public and voluntary sectors, typically as a non-executive Director or Chairman of various organisations.

He also owns Ordinary Man Productions a small company that is developing β€˜thinking’ apps and websites. As well as publishing the Referendum β€˜Think again’ series of adverts, the company’s first app is hoped to be released in the first half of 2014.”

Disco Dave

It is in today’s Metro. Somebody has inferred that the “Ordinary Man” didn’t get much change out of 6 grand for his troubles?

the Penman

Full page spread in the Metro. Only surprise is they didn’t print it in green ink.

I’m going to annotate one with, you know, the truth, and leave it lying in our canteen at work.

fairiefromtheearth

note to bitter together we aint SNP supporters keep on bashing them it shows how desparate you are.

Anne Lawrie

Nupateer.com have a list of leaflets on their website. This seems to be no 2. You can read them all. Expect more..

Albert Herring

Might be an idea to read the caption, folks.

BigSteveChisholm

Dear Keith Howell (aka Ordinary Man of West Linton)

In answer to Q10. Yes, in the Referendum, I am happy to vote like a nationalist.

Thanks for asking.

With respect, your argument in defence of the Union wasn’t very convincing. Neither was your use of bold type.

Illy

Yeah, not suprised at all.

Maybe you should complain about the Metro on the subway?

Tit for tat and all that.

Or maybe you forgot your “this is not political” disclaimer at the bottom of your advert?

Dal Riata

More from the website:

“What is nupateer.com?

nupateer.com is a website being developed to host e-pamphlets on a range of issues of the day.

While the site is in development an initial issue hosted here is the Scottish Independence Referendum – carried in the shape of a sequence of adverts. All ten are hosted here so that anyone can view them and in a form that can be shared with others.

nupateer.com is owned by Ordinary Man Productions, a Scottish based company that develops β€˜thinking’ apps and websites.”

mogabee

Sounds more Better Together than “ordinary man”!

Red Squirrel

Wow, different view indeed. Wonder which direction Ordinary Man is looking…

heedtracker

Why’s it called ” a different view” anyway? Very odd. Its identical to vote NO for the UKOK “view” pumped out daily by all newspapers and all of it coordinated by the BBC in Scotland. Ever little helps I guess.

Jimbo

Hypocrisy rules – OK!

iconofwaste

He’s an “Ordinary Man”. He probably enjoys Beer and Bingo after a day of hard work.

“UKOK”… how about “BTBS” ?

Ian Brotherhood

West Linton, Peeblesshire?

Do a post-code property search – you won’t get a pad there for anything less than a quarter-mill.

‘Ordinary’ my arse…

Illy

Well, if he’s calling his own view “different” then he’s admitting that Yes is the mainstream view!

Simon MacKenzie

This is Ordinary Man here:

link to duedil.com

a very ordinary 76 company directorships.

tartanfever

I’m not in favour of this advert and it’s message.

However, our argument is not with this fella, it’s with SPT for their double standards.

Keep the pressure on SPT, not the advertiser.

If he can use the Metro, then so can we, how much for an ad ?

Helena Brown

Well I was funnily enough going to ask about putting a leaflet about Wings in the Metro. Now that is freely available on buses and trains and I dare say the SPT. How do they square the Metro and this bit of rubbish (I was about to use a rude word) with being non political?

bookie from hell

PMSL

Onwards

The message here is ridiculous.
So the unionist campaign isn’t a different type of nationalism?
And the accusation of being against the people of England,NI,Wales is pretty offensive.

You don’t have to be ruled by Westminster to have a British identity.

I wonder if the same person will be campaigning for a united Europe, accusing people of ‘nationalism’, and being against the ordinary people of France, Ireland, Spain etc

thoughtsofascot

Ordinary man? Yeah because clearly the every day ordinary men and women of Scotland are all directors of various companies.

Ordinary fat cat is more like it.

heedtracker

5.is good. “They suggest we take the bulk of the oil and leave the great bulk of the debts.” So for example, its fine that Scotland has to pay for England’s high-speed rail network while the Perth/Inverness A9 remains the ageing death trap of Europe? I suppose it is for your average bettertogether pamphleteer.

Its an awful lot of lying to stop Scotland becoming a self governing democracy next year. Why do these guys need to lie so much, is another UKOK mystery.

Craig P

Perfectly entitled to his opinion, though it is the usual complete misunderstanding of the independence position as British-style ‘blood and soil’ xenophobic nationalism.

Kid yourself if you like Keith, but I and many others have long since moved on. You can be English *and* support better governance for Scotland – many do πŸ™‚

Eddie Anderson

link to facebook.com

Just in case anyone want to leave their views publically

Grendel

Where’s my tinfoil hat!

The nationalists are pursuing independence through progressive policies!

Proud Cybernat

From this leaflet:

4. The SNP Government suggest we get smaller and lesser in order to get better. How sensible is that?

It is perfectly sensible, you unreconstructed twit. Never heard of the expression ‘less is more’? It is a known fact that smaller nations are much more flexible and can adapt far quicker to change than the cumbersome monolith of the larger state such as the UK.

I am sure one by one, each of your spurious points will be demolished by the readers of this Board.

Welcome to the real world.

tartanfever

SPT publish a very short response to the advert ban:

An SPT spokesperson said:

β€œSPT advertising contract guidelines state that Subway sites should not be used to campaign or lobby for political benefit. Our advertising agency applies that standard to all commercial bookings but unfortunately this particular ad slipped through their net. The ad was taken down as a result.”

Extract from contract states:
3.22 Approval of Advertisements
…..any advertisement of a political, religious, sectarian, racist or sexual nature or which is likely to bring SPT into disrepute will not be permitted or approved.

link to spt.co.uk

Dan Watt

Disgraceful.

I’d bet my bottom dollar this is left, despite complaints.

€unts.

Grant Cruickshank

Wow, that ad is such a manipulative pack of lies, deceits and falsehoods. I’ll be sending Mr Howell a point-by-point response forthwith.

Bill Fraser

List of active directorships of Keith Howell

link to duedil.com

He has held 78 Directorships.

Cath

Ah well, now you know where the first full page advert should be placed.

wullie

I though at first glance is said NUMPTY
numpty near you
Numpty if your believe this
Numpty of you vote no
Is there a numpty next to you reading this

Chris Paton

Scary how he uses bold type like that. IT WILL BE CAPITALS NEXT πŸ™‚

Thomas William Dunlop

When the opposition start talking about the “ordinary” man and the common people, you know they in deep trouble.

Fiona

@Tartanfever

Are they claiming that the wings advert would bring the SPT into disrepute, then? How would that work?

thoughtsofascot

I should also point out. He claims that nationalists define themselves by what they are against. The SNP have done no such thing. By his reasoning, they are not nationalists

However SLAB most certainly have. Labour define themselves by opposing the SNP at every turn. That makes them nationalists.

thoughtsofascot

And I really wish I had time to do a point by point deconstruction of this, like I did with the currency and EU issues. However I’m afraid that my workload is getting a bit too heavy for now.

Alfresco Dent

This has to be in breach of something, surely? I was under the impression that freedom of speech was a right inalienable to everyone, not just the select few who bow & scrape to their political masters in Whitehall.

There are obvious issues of inconsistency in this pamphlet / ad. Such as, how much has the UK government spent on it’s anti-Scotland message, paid for, obviously by the same tax-payer this moron claims is being defrauded by the “SNP government”? However, contentious issues like this are irrelevant, he’s entitled to his opinion and I would defend that right.

We are also entitled to our opinion on exactly the same grounds. Can we not all fund a class-action suit against this clear violation of a democratic right? Or are we genuinely second class subjects?

Will M

“The ad is in the Metro, a newspaper owned by the virulently and openly Union-supporting Daily Mail, which the Subway actively distributes every morning in return for money.”

Profit-making venture you say? How very dare they.

Dal Riata

@Ian Brotherhood

West Linton, Peebleshire? Then it *allegedly* could well be yer man Keith Martin Howell, who can be found here:

link to companydirectorcheck.com

That is some list of directorships…! How very, very “Ordinary”…

James Forrest

Before I post my “thought for the day”, I am, of course, sitting here laughing at this post. Because that is a transparent “aye up yours”.

Oddly, it fits in to my latest piece. These people want us to despair. They want us to see the vast array of power against us … and they want us to lose hope.

Once in my lifetime, they did this to us. They don’t get to do it again.

The Scottish independence campaign is the most important we’ll ever face, for a multitude of reasons. But for some of us, there is, I think, a more personal one. This is a huge act of political and social revenge against the lies and the liars who, in 2003, took us to war.

They did it in the same way as they’re running their campaign here. Dirty tricks and lies.

“This country has, in my lifetime, been cursed with two of the most immoral leaders in its history. One was Thatcher, the other was Blair.”

link to commentisntfree.com

msean

Bit much bold type,so much so it looks like a dodgy sales leaflet.More political than an advert asking folk just to look at both sides of the Indy debate.

Ghabhain

Well I just checked out the Whois record for nupateer.com who seem to be behind the advert and shady it is in the extreme! The domain was registered through an anonymising service, Domains By Proxy in Scottsdale Arizona. Their contact number is also an anonymous mobile number.

For those not in the know, you can normally find out who operates a domain by looking up its Whois record but in this case the true owners are being very secretive about who they are. They are also breaking the law by not having a cookie policy or privacy policy on their site.

Annibale

Talk about double standards….

Deirdre Murray

We all have to complain to SPT about this. Emailcomplaints@spt.co.uk Do it NOW!

Desimond

Nupateer?.. is it a Brit trying to make money out of the Scottish referendum per chance?

You shouldnt bother giving him any publicity Rev.

As I said yesterday, just make one call….

“Hello, is that the Metro?”

bookie from hell

Dianne Abbott calls Devolution Delusional

link to theguardian.com

Dorothy Devine

Looks like RT are determined to undermine independence.
I have seen some American lady talking about the impossibility of shared currency and how business will be jumping ship including RBS followed by David Torrance lauded as an expert on what would happen with the NO vote and how Westminster would devolve far more powers to Scotland in that event.
I remain pissed off and shocked at events.

Alfresco Dent

@ heedtracker

“Its an awful lot of lying to stop Scotland becoming a self governing democracy next year. Why do these guys need to lie so much, is another UKOK mystery”.

They lie because they are losing. They know it & we know it. They just can’t abide the ‘Ordinary Man’ knowing it. God forbid.

“The nationalists are pursuing independence through progressive policies!”.

“And they’re doing it deliberately!”.

“Astonishing!”.

heedtracker

“Why do the SNP gov want to change who you are” is a bit creepy too. What do they think Scotland as a new nation state with PR democracy in Edinburgh is going to turn us into anyway? not Scots from Scotland surely! Bet this pamphleteer tells every and anyone he’s a proud Scot but.

tartanfever

Fiona,

It seems from the SPT response that they are saying all political advertising brings them into disrepute.

It’s a really dreadful response. If you’re ‘establishment’ – ie Scotsman, Herald, Mail etc, no problem you can advertise.

The Mail which carries out personal vendetta’s against members of the public that don’t agree with their way of thinking.

The Scotsman, which takes our national Flag and turns it into a Swastika then places it on their front page, (thanks Kenny F.)

All of these publications would have no problem placing an advert.

Desimond

@bookie from Hell

Taxi for Abbott! ( see what I did there?)

Diane and Michael Portillo constantly dismiss the chance of a YES vote whenever the topic comes up on This Week. Every time they utter the casual “Oh Im sure the Scots voters are too clever for that” I think “Just you wait”

Jim T

companycheck.co.uk/director/900149996/MR-KEITH-MARTIN-HOWELL

Jim Mitchell

Some thoughts:

Just watched the ‘ordinary man’ video, this wasn’t done by any political mind, I suspect darker forces at work, however they may have done us a favour.

This is easy for me to suggest, but I know from this site that there are those with the ability to produce leaflets of decent quality very quickly. If there is money in the kitty, could we not have leaflets drawn up headed, the advert they don’t want you to see. If possible this should be distributed outside as many subway stations as possible.

The leaflet should also contain the background story of course. I am sure there would be plenty of willing volunteers to help distribute this!

Can anyone tell me, if by law, a person is entitled to ask if anyone has made a complaint regarding the advert and if so who?

Ghabhain

I meant to say that I don’t believe for a second that Keith Howell is the brains behind Nupateer, just the front-man. Otherwise why would he go to the expense of anonymising his site?

Claire McNab

I love the way that this dude reveals the appalling truth that the pro-independence campaigners seek a range of progressive policies.

This shocking reality should have been his main point, in big bold print at the top. Can there be any revelation more shocking than the fact that the Yes side wants to implement policies which would improve the lives of ordinary people?

It is surely a terrible indictment of the current debate that this central point was revealed by a humble, ordinary, common-or-garden company director.

James Forrest

Dorothy Devine:

It’s easy to feel like that. It’s what they want. Don’t give them what they want.

Hope, over fear.

Jeannie

@tartanfever

Well, if it’s their sites that can’t be used to campaign or lobby for political benefit, then it seems fairly clear that the Metros can’t be distributed with that ad in them on a subway site, no?

Morag

(aka Ordinary Man of West Linton)

Nooooooo…….!!!!!!!

Alfresco Dent

May I also suggest that everyone here who uses Facebook (and for our particular cause might I say that if you’re not on Facebook you should sign up immediately and pack it in on 19th September if you so wish) should follow Eddie’s post above and report the site for hate crime as I already have…

Eddie Anderson says:
26 March, 2014 at 10:51 am
link to facebook.com

ronnie anderson

A bit of perspective here Keith Howell runs a production

company A Ordinary Man, is he doing this out of his belief in

a UK, or is some other body commissioned this,if so Who is

the ? to be answered.

Vincent McDee

nupateer.com is a website being developed to host e-pamphlets on a range of issues of the day.

While the site is in development an initial issue hosted here is the Scottish Independence Referendum – carried in the shape of a sequence of adverts. All ten are hosted here so that anyone can view them and in a form that can be shared with others.

The Think Again adverts

β€’Think Again
β€’The White Paper
β€’A Different View
β€’The First Minister Has No Clothes
β€’The Economics of Independence
β€’10 Things They Forgot to Tell You
β€’Good People
β€’How to Speak…
β€’I’m Sorry to Spoil the Party
β€’Forever

nupateer.com is owned by Ordinary Man Productions, a Scottish based company that develops β€˜thinking’ apps and websites.

Keith Howell has lived in Scotland for 23 years, near Edinburgh in the north of the Scottish Borders . He has made his home in Scotland with his family, and he now has grandchildren here too. Over that time he has been active across the private, public and voluntary sectors, typically as a non-executive Director or Chairman of various organisations.

He also owns Ordinary Man Productions a small company that is developing β€˜thinking’ apps and websites. As well as publishing the Referendum β€˜Think again’ series of adverts, the company’s first app is hoped to be released in the first half of 2014.

You can contact Keith Howell on contact@nupateer.com

Morag

West Linton, Peeblesshire?

Do a post-code property search – you won’t get a pad there for anything less than a quarter-mill.

β€˜Ordinary’ my arse…

Yes you will. Though I agree his house probably isn’t in that category.

The village ain’t that big, and really you can’t turn round but somebody will know about it. Gimme a few days. Somebody will tell me who he is. That’s assuming the SNP councillor doesn’t already know.

Alfresco Dent

@ tartanfever

You’re of course quite right except for one thing…

Stu is a vey intelligent man and I suspect chose the wording used in our banner with a remarkable degree of thought. It was specially un-biased and apolitical. A good lawyer could run & run with this one I think. Hell, I could win in a court of law with this one.

Let’s take the fight to them!

Gillie

An Ordinary Man living in a Β£1 million+ house.

Wow, I can’t wait to be so ordinary!

Desimond

People…why are you worrying about some numpty looking to jump on a bandwagon and make a few bucks of the referendum?

Do yourself a favour, ignore such NO campaigners. Youre only helping him by acknowledging him. He cannae even spell nupatter for Gods sake πŸ™‚

The Rev’s point was about SPT ( and the complainers), dont get diverted with the man jumping up and down in the corner shouting “ME ME ME”

HandandShrimp

Ordinary Unionist says ordinary Unionist things whilst using a really irritating emboldening style of writing as if we are too stupid to read ordinary prose.

Yes, Keith I am happy to vote Yes. The implication of your text is that the Scottish Government are dishonest. You talk of balance and make no suggestion that the UK Government might also be dishonest. Not balanced, not big and not clever. Not a very good advert either though. πŸ™‚

Keith

Hi Stuart,
Do you have any contact details so that we can complain to the SPT on mass for this clear show of bias?

Wayne

Since when did exercising rights within a free press become political?

I assume the problem here from the point of view of SPT is the use of the word independence, hence therefore it must be political. This of course takes a generous view of their mindset and excludes the just as likely probability that once Labour controlled SPT realised those nasty cybernats has slipped an ad past their advertising company they went berserk and ordered the immediate removal of the odious material.

What I’d be interested in to know is for SPT to clarify what they would allow? Let’s suppose that the ad remained exactly the same except the third line about independence was removed, would that be OK?

Or, let’s suppose we employed cleverer tactics. Suppose the ad was left entirely blank, or with some x-filesesque statement like “The Truth is Out There…”.

In a way it would be a great victory to have a Wings ad back on the subway.

I’d love you to challenge this in the courts. It seems to me this raises a very important question regarding the limits of freedom of expression. There must be some sympathetic lawyer out there who would be prepared to act for you pro bono. There is certainly something to argue here, something really important. There comes a point where you have to stop laughing at the system, and instead begin fighting back. Think of the publicity. Imagine if you won!! Not impossible by any means.

Start a fund!!

Illy

Something I just noticed: He’s invoking the conspiracy fallacy (I don’t know what it’s formally called).

The Conspiracy Fallacy is the one that goes: There’s no evidence to be found that they did it, so they must have hidden the evidence *really well* for there not to be any evidence.

PRJ

I don’t know if it’s been mentioned. But the withdrawal of wings advert may be more related to today’s full spread BT advert than for any other reason. After all the wings advert contradicts the BT advert. And for those getting in first it increase brownie points. You may now find that SPT may back track and issue an apology.

Those in the know would have put pressure on SPT board to withdraw the wings advert and then deal with the consequences afterwards.

Illy

@Wayne: He probably just forgot the boilerplate disclaimer.

Stick a bit of text in 3-point at the bottom of the wings advert saying “This is not political, blah blah blah” and they’d probably accept it.

Words are magic like that, they can stop something from being political just by stating it.

Morag

An Ordinary Man living in a Β£1 million+ house.

Wow, I can’t wait to be so ordinary!

Having done some extensive research into properties in West Linton prior to moving there in 2007, I can’t say for sure there are NO properties in that price range, but I didn’t come across any.

I don’t suppose it matters where he lives, but it does give me some satisfaction to know that I have most certainly shoved a leaflet through his door on multiple occasions. I’m just curious to know in what sort of esteem he is regarded (and I’ll find that out quite easily), and where he lives so I can metaphorically stick two fingers up at the place.

Bigbricks

My complaint to SPT has been sent. No acknowledgement yet of the complaint sent last night re pulling WoS ads.
Does anyone living in Glasgow feel as if the city is slowly transmuting into Pyongyang?

Gary

Well, he’s made nupateer.com private. However… nupateer.co.uk? Not so!

whois nupateer.co.uk

Domain name:
nupateer.co.uk

Registrant:
Ordinary Man Productions

Registrant type:
Unknown

Registrant’s address:
[REDACTED]
United Kingdom

Registrar:
GoDaddy.com, LLP. [Tag = GODADDY]
URL: http://www.godaddy.com

Relevant dates:
Registered on: 31-Aug-2013
Expiry date: 31-Aug-2018
Last updated: 31-Aug-2013

Registration status:
Registered until expiry date.

Name servers:
ns77.domaincontrol.com
ns78.domaincontrol.com

WHOIS lookup made at 11:44:37 26-Mar-2014

proudscot

RevStu, I assume SPT will have reimbursed you for the unfulfilled portion of their contractual obligation to display your Wings advert for an agreed time in return for your payment?

HandandShrimp

I take it the Wings adverts have been removed today, anybody had a look to see?

What about the buses are we allowed to put a few on the side of First Bus double deckers that go through Glasgow?

ronnie anderson

@ Morag the Border Retriever on the hunt tae sniff him oot

gone yersel hen ( noo a could’na say bitch could ah )Morag

a luvs you realy doo.

a Supporter

That hand out is scandalous. Will someone at YES campaign HQ please get a complaint in ASAP and have it stopped. The author is clearly a BT numptie and it will be a concealed BT publication.

Gillie

I feel inadequate now – I have discovered I am less than ordinary.

I blame my parents.

Morag

—–
West Linton
—–

Well that was quick. That’s about half a mile from where I live. It’s just outside the village proper, down a farm lane. And yes I have leafleted him, obviously. And will most certainly do so again!

Alfresco Dent

Desimond says:
26 March, 2014 at 11:31 am
People…why are you worrying about some numpty looking to jump on a bandwagon and make a few bucks of the referendum?

Do yourself a favour, ignore such NO campaigners. Youre only helping him by acknowledging him. He cannae even spell nupatter for Gods sake

The Rev’s point was about SPT ( and the complainers), dont get diverted with the man jumping up and down in the corner shouting β€œME ME ME”

Seconded!

Please people, focus on the real issue here. This sad individual has every right to say what he believes to be true, however ridiculous that assertion may be.

We also have that right and are being denied it. That is the issue!

heedtracker

So another day here in Tubeless Aberdeen and the “Different view” from the Press and Journal vote NO UKOK headlines are, CBI says vote NO, rUK student fees unjustifiable so vote NO, businesses AND shoppers bills will “push up” so vote No and lots of great manly pics of David Cameron and Alistair Darling, like super heroes saving us, so vote NO. Maybe the “different view” pamphleteer lives in a place where he can’t buy the Press and Journal or any other UKOK newspaper.

I should add that the above headlines are just a few from a whole raft of vote NO P&J’s daily UKOK propaganda thing.

Clancheif

How much did this “ordinary man” have to pay to take out a full page advert like that
And why is this deemed non political, when this is more overtly political than the banners for wings ~
How do we get an even playing field in ANY areas of the referendum
Surely if this ends in a No vote it MUST be open to legal challenge in the courts

Vestas

@ BigBricks

Glasgow City Council is a lot more corrupt than the wee North Korean lunatic. Has been for decades.

heraldnomore

Trying to work out how many ways there are to put a ‘X’ in a box; but I think I might still have to “vote like a nationalist”. And I’ll make my mark in the Yes box I think, being an Ordinary Man.

Any Ivan was brilliant at BfS Glasgow last night. If only multi-directorship Keith Howell was there. He might have learnt something; I know the 120 or so present did, and I see there was the expected swing to Yes as a result.

Alfresco Dent

And Stu, please, gonna get that Sealand Gazette Butchers Apron down from the top of the page. Seriously sick of seeing it there. Put it at the bottom if you have to put it anywhere but it’s the first bloody thing I see when I visit and it’s doin’ ma nut in!

Desimond

Seems they cant even give the UNION away these days….

link to travelzoo.com

Gillie

The current online value for [address], West Linton EH—– is estimated to be between Β£950,000 and Β£1.2 million.

I feel my semi-detached premises is inadequate now. Why was I born less than ordinary? I feel cheated.

Morag

OK, maybe three quarters of a mile, now I’ve checked the paper map. I could be mistaken, but I thought that address was a repair garage, and I think there’s a bicycle workshop there too. It’s not opulent.

Illy

“How do we get an even playing field in ANY areas of the referendum”

We don’t.

I thought everyone knew we wouldn’t get a fair fight already?

Proud Cybernat

I like this one…..

link to scottcreighton.co.uk

CameronB

yerkitbreeks
I wouldn’t want to fall out of a relationship with you.

Just saying.

Bruce Morton

What a bunch of disingenuous, desperate pap.

Morag

estimated to be between Β£950,000 and Β£1.2 million.

I know the people who live in —–. I also know what they paid for the house in 2007 and it wasn’t that.

However, this person does not live in ——. He lives in White Moss, an altogether more modest property. I associate White Moss with this garage, but the name is different.

link to whitemossgarage.co.uk

Greannach

I wish I was that ordinary! I’d love to be an ordinary man with loads of money preaching to the less well-off from the lofty heights of affluence. “I have money. I demand to be listened to.”

John Bannatyne

Does the following quote sound relevant? It was said by Daniel dafoe in 1706

Thus, on both Sides, the case stood between the nations, a Pen and Ink War made a daily Noise in either Kingdom, and this served to Exasperate the People in such a manner, one against another, that never have two Nations Run upon one another in such a manner, and come off without Blows.” – Daniel Dafoe 1706

Desimond

@Proud Cybernat

Nice, although reminds me of an idea a mate and I had to encourage people to appreciate Glasgow City Centres wonderful buildings. We considered getting a stencil and spray painting the words “LOOK UP” on all the main pavements. Short, simple, effective.

We need more folk looking up, physically and metaphorically!

Robert Peffers

This numptie is quite obviously a product of the English Education system. He has no grasp on his own native language, does not know his history nor his geography. The signs are all there on his website. He obviously has no idea that the title, “United Kingdom”, refers to a bipartite union of two kingdoms and two parliaments and that when any bipartite union loses a member it disunites. His reference to being both Scottish and British shows he is of the belief that the United Kingdom is all Britain. Yet we Scots will be every bit as British as the English, Welsh, Irish, (both lots), Manx and Channel Islanders after the bipartite United Kingdom has disunited. Then we have this numptie’s reference to the, “Government White Paper”. He obviously has no clear idea of what a, “Government White Paper”, actually is. His total ignorance exhibits the usual, “Bitter Together”, poverty of proper education. For his, and any YES supporter who needs to justify the Scottish Government White Paper to the totally ignorant, here is the official definition cut & pasted from the Westminster Parliament’s own website : –
“Government White Papers are documents produced by the Government setting out details of future policy on a particular subject. A White Paper will often be the basis for a Bill to be put before Parliament. The White Paper allows the Government an opportunity to gather feedback before it formally presents the policies as a Bill”.
As you can see the SG White Paper exactly fits that definition. So just what else did, “Bitter Together”, expect it to be other than, “setting out details of future policy on a particular subject”? Perhaps we should keep asking them that question?

Fiona

Mr Howell’s address is available here

link to companiesintheuk.co.uk

Andrew Morton

Softly, softly, catchee monkey.

The next step is to establish whether the ad was pulled because of the wording or because it advertised Wings. If just the wording, then a more acceptable format can be devised. If it’s because it’s Wings, then the question must by why and who objects. Do SPT allow adverts for other organisations who push a particular point of view? Play this right and we can keep them squirming for ages.

Abaron Nomore

This Metro ad is of no consequence. It will be glanced at and chucked away, like the paper it’s in. Unionists will like it but it has no hope of convincing any undecided or Yes voter. An idiotic waste of money, unlike Stu’s Subway ad. Sorry we are giving this rubbish unwarranted publicity.

CameronB

IMO, nupateer’s tell is UK = a country. Nuff said?

Gillie

It could be Mr Ordinary has downsized from his ordinary mansion and bought an ordinary farm-house, making an ordinary profit in the process.

Myself being less than ordinary can only down size to a shed.

I do wish I could live in an ordinary world – I suppose I am just being jealous.

Dcanmore

STV now has the story …

link to news.stv.tv

mai parks

I don’t know why I’m surprised. Perhaps it’s my nature of fair play and justice for all , that feels this is totally wrong. I just hope that the YES campaign supporters keep working hard towards our goal.
I’m now off to have a cuppa and a quiet growl (as hubby on nights!)

Andrew Morton

Mr Howell should just be ignored. Let’s face it, he’s just trying to do what the Rev is doing but on the other side. He’s not very good at it so let him be. If we start attacking him the next thing is that the MSM will start running articles about how a poor wee, ordinary man is being abused by nasty Cybernats.

kalmar

link to news.stv.tv

“The timing is especially ironic given that the subway is happy to actively distribute the Metro to its readers, which is owned by the virulently and openly Unionist Daily Mail, and which this morning contains a full-page political advert backing a No vote worded in highly intemperate language suggesting that nationalists are dishonest and xenophobic.”

Sub please check!

Great PR this, well done.

gerry parker

@Proud Cybernat,
Now that is a cracker!

Kev

It makes you wonder if our complainant was Mr Howell himself – he wouldn’t want his message (which wouldve cost a tidy sum) to be countered by an opposing one in the same week…At the end of the day though, most folk sitting on trains and buses spend most of their time on their phones and those reading the metro are just flicking through and not really engaging with the content.

The major downside to this attempt is that, although the clear intention is for it to be read like an article, it isn’t – it looks and feels to the eye as a full page advert and it will be ignored as such. A complete waste of (a lot) of money.

Ian Brotherhood

@Dcanmore –

That’s a chunky piece by STV – good on them. Here’s hoping it makes the telly later.

faolie

The point here Wingers is surely not Normal Man’s advert in the Metro, but the fact that it looks as though it’s being distributed by SPT in blatant disregard and contravention of their own rules.

Not really sure that that’s the case though. They’re distributing the paper sure, but they won’t care about ads in the Metro – they’re for the Metro to allow or ban. They do however, have full control over ads on their train walls, hence the ban on our ad.

As for Mr Ordinary, his ad’s a joke. Full of the usual dreary negative pish. No need to publish his personal details here but. I thought we’d all agreed that before. What purpose does it serve, except to brand us all evil cybernats?

Linda's Back

Is this legal?

Has “Ordinary Man” registered with Electoral Commission?

Is he not restricted on the amount he can spend?

If so Wings should be doing something similar with a new moniker.

Edward

Bill Fraser
Have also looked up this less that ordinary man
and its very telling
link to companycheck.co.uk

I smelt something when I saw his slick video, just knew that he wasn’t exactly what he was claiming to be.

I found it interesting that he was a director of
The Skills development Scotland Ltd
Careers Trust Scotland Limited
and
Scottish UFI Limited
all of which he has just resigned his directorship this month!

joe kane

The ordinary man, sensible view of things is usually an appeal to the status quo and to get people to stop questioning the nature of reality and stop thinking for themselves.

In contrast to the “commonsense man in the street” view of things, the pursuit of science is the complete opposite. It has to discard what we believe and take for granted, and what we believe to be true in order to make intellectual progress.

Any time you hear someone making appeals to the views of the “man in the street” or claiming to be nothing out the ordinary it’s usually to get others to stop thinking and acting independently for themselves.

Findlay Farquaharson

jeezo stu, what a clever move, put in an advert in a labour stronghold knowing macdougal would immediately make an official complaint to his fellow glasgow labour collegues. this complaint would of course be succesful resulting in overwhelming publicity that will reach a hundred times more people than the ad on the subway would have. bloody good move, mr salmond would approve im sure.

dennis mclaughlin

Surely this action by SPT should be of some interest to the Scottish Information Commisioner?.
In the interests of fairness for starters…

Findlay Farquaharson

jeezo stu, what a clever move, put in an advert in a labour stronghold knowing macdougal would immediately make an official complaint to his fellow glasgow labour collegues. this complaint would of course be succesful resulting in overwhelming publicity that will reach a hundred times more people than the ad on the subway would have. bloody good move, mr salmond would approve im sure.

ochyes

Voting for the UK is voting Nationalist too

Isabel Melville

A company check of Kieth Martin Howell lists his business premises as being in George Square, Glasgow. link to companycheck.co.uk

James Kay

That STV story (Dcanmore, 12.17) gives more exposure to the advert than the Subway would have done!

Well done Stu.

CameronB

Kev
I have no legal background, which hopefully isn’t embarrassingly apparent.

WOS bought print and obtained legal agreement with SPT to display said print on SPT property. WOS will be billed by the print supplier(?), though the print is now redundant because SPT has reneged on the contract.

That’s how I see it anyway.

CameronB

Kev
I have no legal background, which hopefully isn’t embarrassingly apparent.

WOS bought print and obtained legal agreement with SPT to display said print on SPT property. WOS will be billed by the print supplier(?), though the print is now redundant because SPT has reneged on the contract.

That’s how I see it anyway.

Where next I have no idea though.

Morag

Mr Howell should just be ignored. Let’s face it, he’s just trying to do what the Rev is doing but on the other side. He’s not very good at it so let him be. If we start attacking him the next thing is that the MSM will start running articles about how a poor wee, ordinary man is being abused by nasty Cybernats.

You’re quite right, I’m just a bit tickled to realise he lives only a short walk from my house and in fact if there wasn’t a wee hill in the way I could see his house from my living room window.

He doesn’t seem to be the chap who owns Whitemoss garage, so I’m curious to know where he fits in. There’s not a lot down that road to be honest.

Gillie
Dcanmore

You can see the bigger picture forming here: Pro-independence ads being banned on publicly-run transport; YES website blocked on public computers in schools and libraries; YES stalls being banned from public events or spaces; Publishing and distribution costs of White Paper on Scottish Independence heavily scrutinised; Pro-independence comments heavily moderated on newspaper websites and banned from Better Together Facebook… is there more?

Vote YES for democracy, freedom of speech and the right to choose!

Desimond

Have a smile…Scots in Exile

link to news.stv.tv

Mr Docherty questioned what would happen to peers in the House of Lords. Scottish National Party MPs in attendance could be heard saying: “You can have them.”

Gillie

This is better;

link to youtube.com

CameronB

Reneged is too strong a word, but I do not think SPT have been impartial in determining the weight and merits of the compliant.

James Kay

That STV story ( Dcanmore, 12.17) has the potential to give more, much more, exposure to the ad than would ever have been achieved on the Subway.

Well done, Stu.

James Kay

Sorry for the double post.

On first submission, I received a Guru Meditation notice, and I assumed (wrongly) that it had been lost.

CameronB

Gillie
You’ve got it. Go forth and infect. πŸ˜‰

Drunken Hobo

It’s really beginning to worry me that people think like that. Those are all such unbelievably bad arguments that nobody could possibly believe them, unless they had abandoned all semblance of rational & critical thought.

It’s going to be like arguing with a creationist or conspiracy theorist. No matter how watertight your argument is, no matter how much evidence you’ve got to show them that their argument is flawed, they won’t listen to you. They don’t operate on the same rational level as other humans.

How widespread are these views?

CalumCarr

Using Zoopla and the address given for a Mr Keith Howell found in one of the company checking websites, his house was sold for Β£852k in 2006 and is estimated to now be worth Β£950k.

An ordinary man indeed.

Alasdair

Leaflet published by ordinary man productions Ltd with contact given as http://www.nupteer.com .

Ordinary man productions ltd is a design and production company with Keith Howell registered as the sole director

Then it becomes interesting as Keith Howell is a Board Member of Skills Development Scotland
and his registered outside interests are stated by SDS as Good Practice Ltd and Ordinnaryman Productions Ltd .

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is a quasi Government organisation , headed by Robin Crawford , in which the Scottish Government has a major interest and input . It would appear that board member Keith Howell may well now have , at the very least , a conflict of interests through the nupateer website and Ordinaryman productions which he owns and are fronting a campaign specifically targeted against the SNP Government and Independence .

SDS should now be providing answers for the actions of Keith Howell .

John Bannatyne

I too have seen the ad in the metro and if Mr ordinary is indeed oridary why did he not put his name to the piece? Rather than hiding behind the moniker?

HandandShrimp

I am, I confess, bored by the ordinary man now. His advert wasn’t that good. I read it and can’t remember any salient points other than I do indeed want to vote Yes. It is too long and too vague. I doubt many will read it. I skip most adverts in the Metro.

I’m glad that our advert being banned is a story though. That is real free advertising πŸ™‚

Where are we going to place our poster next?

cearc

Well done, Stu, You got us a bargain there.

I bet STV advertising costs much more.

Desimond

I repeat…we hire someone to dress up as a Squirrel ( the cuter the better..the Squirrel that is, the persons looks are not for judging) and send them to appear at various Labour events.

Imagine the tears running down many a childs face as the cute Squirrel is man-handled by by someone like Big Bad Blair or threatened by someone like Ian “You want a doing” Davidson. Viral here we come.

hetty

I haven’t seen many people reading the Metro at all on the buses lately, thankfully. I wonder if the stories in it are just not interesting to people, after all they are just jackanory type, celeb worship tosh mostly. People soon get bored with that, is this ‘ad’ being distributed in England? That would be more worrying perhaps as it would stoke up more hatred toward Scotland at the moment. We knew it would get nasty, just need to counter the bias, much as we can.

O/T
I was at a meeting for a charity yesterday and the Referendum was brought up as a point of discussion as the question being raised about where money for it would come from if it is a YES vote, the words ‘risk’ and ‘uncertainty’ were used, wow, that got me speaking up! I won’t go into it but the upshot was that some people, asked how they could get the white paper and were wanting to know more. Some people are still fumbling around in the dark, even though they have the internet! Also it was mentioned that with a no vote it will be ‘business as usual’. That is worrying, as charities like that will most certainly go with a no vote when they cut the block grant! Onward and upward as they say! Oh and someone said we would just have to sit on our hands and wait, at which point I said I most certainly would not be just sitting around waiting! Jeez, do people really feel that disengaged and disempowered? Work to do…

Helena Brown

Mr Howell has a habit of resigning from companies, seems he has little or no staying power.
Would appear to me he has a sniff of the Tory Party about him and can probably be dismissed as can the CBI and their little addition this morning.

Morag

On an earlier thread, Edward said:

Ok I’m going to be mr smelly pants on this and say that placing advertising on SPT transport, though ballsy, is crazy by sheer fact that SPT is politically controlled, and must have been certain to been on a hiding.

A bit akin to placing communist advert in an American republican broadsheet in the 50?s. You can do it, but once they cotton on to what its for they will remove it.

Uh, Edward, that’s not a bug, it’s a feature.

Which has just delivered as intended, in spades, as James noted.

That STV story ( Dcanmore, 12.17) has the potential to give more, much more, exposure to the ad than would ever have been achieved on the Subway.

Bingo, kerching. Bitching online was arguably not going to do much good, but STV picking it up has made it totally worthwhile.

This is the genius of Wings, to think out a win-win move like this. If the ads had stayed, they were very good ads and would have been worth the price. On the other hand, there was a chance this might happen.

Now, there will be more ads, in places where “political” isn’t going to get you shut down, and this stushie has already begun to create a brand recognition.

Moreida Lord

I don’t know why we are so surprised. It is however very infurianting that the rules of the game do not apply equally.

CameronB

Desimond
Now I know you are evil. πŸ™‚

Morag

Using Zoopla and the address given for a Mr Keith Howell found in one of the company checking websites, his house was sold for Β£852k in 2006 and is estimated to now be worth Β£950k.

That’s interesting. The house isn’t much (unlike Lynehurst, which is an Art Nouveau arts-and-crafts beauty), but there could be land with it. There’s a farm of the same name, and although a pony-riding business that used to be there has moved, there are still horses in the fields.

Another thing to bear in mind is that some of these property-price web sites use some sort of boiler-plate formula to calculate current prices that assumes everywhere is inflating like it is in the south-east of England.

FortBill

Once again the main point is being missed and how many times must we say it before it sinks in
This is a referendum not an election, how many times are the SNP mentioned in this rubbish and as usual nothing but negatives nothing positive to say about the future of the union.

The people of Scotland know how well the SNP have managed our country for the last 7 years, they understand that that they have delivered more of their manifesto promises than any other post war government, and they can’t be so easily discredited as some seem to think. A leaflet distributed in the underground is hardly likely to make a difference.

Desimond

@CameronB

In the spirit of the NO campaign, I will simply record that ‘It wasnt a No’…. πŸ™‚

Gillie

I read online Lynehurst sold for Β£800k around 2006-8.

abystander

What would happen then if you had your ad done as a leaflet and distributed by volunteers?

In same leaflet you might refer to this “ordinary” chap’s effort and list his directorships.

Desimond

I’VE GOT IT!!!

Hows about a Bat-Signal style light for WINGS….

Get the WINGS symbol flying over major Scottishlandmarks, i.e Edinburgh Castle, Glasgow City Chambers, Wullie Youngs hoose etc

Im sure the creative and techie bods on here could knock that sort of thing up in no-time.

Morag

I don’t suppose it’s a secret. Β£855,000

Gillie

I think the STV story itself must be worth Β£thousands in free publicity, and WoS I suspect in the end will have recouped most of it’s original outlay for the SPT ad.

Also there is a cost to SPT in dealing with lost revenue, handling complaints from the public and also from negative publicity.

All in all a first successful business venture for WoS in the ad world.

Paul Martin

This is all in the public domain. Mr Howell was quite happy to have been appointed by an SNP minister … a “nationalist” … to the board of Skills Development Scotland on 29/07/2010

link to scotland.gov.uk

And the most recently minuted board meeting from a few weeks back indicates that he’s still in post link to skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk

Gin

Jackpot: story just appeared on BBC site. Full Advert top of page !

Vronsky

I don’t get it. Your link to ‘Glasgow Subway’ just goes to another of your own posts. Please clarify: was this an ad displayed in subway coaches, or just some lone nutter handing out leaflets? One matters, the other doesn’t.

Jamie Arriere

Try putting an ad into the Metro then, even though we know they’ll refuse. It will help prolong this story, confirm the bias we know is there to everyone else, and all the while build the demand for the WoS Blue Book when it’s released.

In fact, ads in maybe all the Scottish papers – if they’re banned, it might draw responses from other advertisers who are pro-indy or at least neutral.

But this is all more effective publicity than any ad could muster!

Morag

I don’t suppose it’s a secret. Β£855,000

I meant Lynehurst, in 2006. It’s beautiful house, classic Arts and Crafts. Whitemoss must have a lot of land with it, let’s put it that way.

saporian

OMG the story is now on the BBC website link to bbc.co.uk

Paul Martin

I stand corrected, he resigned from SDS a few weeks ago on 6th March. Obviously he had other projects in mind LOL !

K1

Β©Desimond
In that stv piece…Mr Stevenson, the Tory in favour of banning Scottish mp’s from voting…

“But this is wholly unacceptable. Why should the people of Northern Ireland, Wales and England have laws passed upon them in this House by MPs who will, for all intents and purposes, be about to be part of a foreign country with divergent interests and priorities?”

Ah…now they begin to understand how we feel! Having been repeatedly at the mercy of governments that we didn’t vote whose divergent interests and priorities have all but in name been foreign to the people of Scotland for generations. Cognitive dissonance doesn’t even cover the total disconnect in the minds of these waffling muppets.

martincoull

It’s on the BBC Scotland website now!

Gillie

STV and now the BBC.

That is now worth Β£tens-of-thousands in free advertising.

Make it go global.

martincoull

I wonder if the Beeb site will open comments… πŸ™‚

Cath

We’ve got back to having a guy’s address, now with directions on how to get there, published on this thread. Not sure that’s a sensible thing to do and could be read as threatening if someone chose to read it that way. Which let’s face it, we all know someone will.

Morag

Jackpot: story just appeared on BBC site. Full Advert top of page!

Now THAT is what I call a result. Both of them. If there’s a wee piece on the TV news this evening, then double jackpot with rollover.

Respect, Stu.

gerry parker

@ Morag.
I hope you could manage to plant a large saltire on the hill they blocks your view of the man’s house.
Maybe the ninga turtles could oblige.

Morag

We’ve got back to having a guy’s address, now with directions on how to get there, published on this thread. Not sure that’s a sensible thing to do and could be read as threatening if someone chose to read it that way. Which let’s face it, we all know someone will.

Turns out the information is publicly available. And I hereby threaten – no, promise – to post copies of all the Yes Scotland newspapers through his letter-box, from now until 19th September. And Stu’s blue book as well. So there. Take that.

K1

Brilliant stuff rev…Just brilliant!

Desimond

“You don’t fight Russia *and* America. You get Russia and America to fight each other… and destroy each other” – Allan Bates ‘The Sum of all Fears’ movie

Okay Rev, now you have the Online TV Media highlighting issues elsewhere regarding bias in the Press, now you need to reverse it and get the Press highlighting online or TV bias. I have full confidence in you as ever.

ronnie anderson

bbc/Stv websites carry the story, but that is where it will

remain,I doubt very much if it is aired on the evening news

programme’s

Morag

I hope you could manage to plant a large saltire on the hill they blocks your view of the man’s house.
Maybe the ninga turtles could oblige.

That’s not practical, but I was thinking about a flagpole in my front garden. If I did that, anyone passing from that general area to the village shops or the main road couldn’t miss it.

He can probably see the big blue Yes I have in my front window at the moment. Thinking harder about the flagpole now….

Gillie

Morag I like your style, you are more than ordinary.

Taranaich

@Desimond: Mr Docherty questioned what would happen to peers in the House of Lords. Scottish National Party MPs in attendance could be heard saying: β€œYou can have them.”

The new Disinherited?

*For non-history buffs: the Disinherited was a name given to owners of land & property in Scotland who lost them when the Scots won the war of independence. This included not only English lords granted Scottish lands, but those Scottish nobles who allied with Edward in the Wars of Independence, and found themselves exiled in England after the Treaty of Northampton.

I bristle when people use misrepresentations of our history against us, but you have to admit sometimes there are apt parallels.

liz

OMG – this is great news if both the BBC and STV have put that up.

Morag

BBC/STV websites carry the story, but that is where it will remain; I doubt very much if it is aired on the evening news programmes.

Probably not, but we can dream until then, and even as it is, that’s pretty good going.

Ian

SPT is a public body.

I see a FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST going in to get the emails and documents relating to both the acceptance of the advert and its removal.

Dcanmore

Holy-moley how much is BBC/STV exposure worth in money terms?

The BBC have more or less carried Wings as an advertisement! Londg time since I said this but well done πŸ™‚

BT will be furious and Labour astonished.

gerry parker

“Surely this action by SPT should be of some interest to the Scottish Information Commisioner?”

Surely it should also be of some interest to the people who pay their wages, and the people who appoint them.
Time for a clear out post independence, and “I was only following orders” won’t be an acceptable excuse.

CameronB

One thing I noticed about the BBC article is that it does not mention any complaint received by SPT. What’s that all about?

HandandShrimp

I am tempted to write to SPT to thank them for censoring our poster. We could not have bought this sort of publicity. Message and web site cast abroad. This is good πŸ™‚

Desimond

@Taraniach

English History will teach us nuffink πŸ˜‰

I dislike whenever I hear the implication “Should Scotland go Independent”. I’ve always preferred the thought “Should Scotland return to being Independent”

Alec K

Jesus fucking wept

HandandShrimp

Dcanmore

It will be astonishment on stilts πŸ˜‰

MochaChoca

The BT lot must be spitting feathers seeing your ad splashed so prominently over the BBC and STV sites…. brilliant!

Paula

What a condescending little prick. The stuff in that nupateer.com link is atrocious. Sorry “Ordinary Man” (actually Keith Howell), I don’t love the UK, I don’t hate the people of England, N.I or Wales, and I don’t care about being the citizen of a smaller country. Also I am a woman.

“The point of this advert is not to vote in a particular way”- yes it is you fibber, you are telling us to vote against independence and the SNP.

gerry parker

@ Morag, That’s the stuff, I’m in a cul de sac but I’ve noticed a large saltire in a garden just next to Whifflet traffic lights. Highly visible. No more room for stickers on the car or they’ll attract the attention of the boys in blue who’ll no doubt caution me that they’re obstructing my view and try to extract money from me for their corporation funds.

Great to see so many new commentators on the site.

Desimond

@Paula
Bravo, I love a genuine laugh out loud after lunch. Brilliant but such colourful language, i mean calling the man a fibber…how long you worked as a Docker?

Duncan Lundie

“Ordinary Man” Productions has Β£800 cash, and Β£13,500 in debt. One wonders how Mr Howell managed to pay for his non-political advert.

Dcanmore

I doubt many people will pay attention to the Metro advert from puppeteer.com. The newspaper is designed to be read in 20 minutes (or glanced at) as people travel to work in the morning, unless the advert has an eye-catching picture or design I think most commuters would the none the wiser.

CameronB

Desimond
How about “should the Scots relinquish their sovereignty, for ever and ever? With stilts on.

Morag

I’m in a cul-de-sac too, but quite near the main road. My front garden will take a flagpole fine. Unfortunately I think the prevailing wind will blow the flag directly towards the main road, not across so it can be seen, but you can’t have everything.

bald eagle

the thing about the wings ad on the underground is being reported on clyde one news

Morag

Oh wow, Bald Eagle!

heraldnomore

Wow, these words don’t some often, but well done BBC, and STV.

Who mentioned Streisand effect?

How’s the stats looking this afternoon Stu? Welcome everyone, do stay, join in.

CameronB

One thing I noticed about the BBC article is that it does not mention any complaint received by SPT. What’s that all about?

Was there a complaint and were the posters pulled because of it?

Morag

I doubt many people will pay attention to the Metro advert from puppeteer.com. The newspaper is designed to be read in 20 minutes (or glanced at) as people travel to work in the morning, unless the advert has an eye-catching picture or design I think most commuters would the none the wiser.

I think you’re right. If I wanted to burn Β£5000 to influence the referendum, I’d want to be sure I got a hell of a bang for my buck, and this ain’t that.

Morag

On the other hand, look at the bang Wings has got, for essentially NO outlay, as Stu has been offered alternative advertising space to compensate for the pulled ad.

Desimond

@CameronB

I was meaning from the perspective of a Unionist, say someone like Dianne Abbot commenting on This Week. They always say “Should Scotland go Independent” it like we would be making some crazy new radical mad choice when in fact its just a case of us reverting to what was very much the norm etc

Gillie

The SPT were wrong in labeling the ad as political when clearly it is constitutional.

What was political was banning the ad, and in doing the SPT have brought themselves into disrepute.

Even a less than ordinary person like me understands that.

CameronB

Desimond
Any idea why BBC didn’t report on the complaint SPT received?

MISINFORMATION perhaps?

Desimond

Tuesday 25/03/14
Wings Ad reported. SPT pull Ad. BT rejoice.

Wednesday 26/03/14
Wings Ad reported – EVERYWHERE!
BT unavailable for comment

Paul Kelly

There is nothing like a good old ban to draw attention! You lucky, lucky, B*?”:+rd!

Wullie B
Donald

Dear New Bod brought here by the BBC or STV.

Forget about us chattering amongst ourselves in the comments section. Have a look at the Reference section, pick an area you have an interest in and see if it takes you more than 2 minutes to think ‘WOW’.

Ray

As the offending recent tweets involving Wings and blah blah seem to have been deleted, I hope after today the site concentrates on winning independence for the country and not wasting time engaging with irksome activists.

Unless they try to defame, of course.

Desimond

@CameronB

Im willing to overlook their failure to note the “many complaints” as stated by STV in the interest of the main point being put out there front and centre on the main BBC Scotland Politics page.

Lets be optimistic they will correct any such omissions come the 18:30 Scottish News on the big screen. If we get it covered as a censorship issue by mainstream, what a result.

TJenny

Stu’s just tweeted that the Ad company is sending him a full refund! So now we’ve got much wider reaching FREE advertising. πŸ™‚

Our Rev’s a genius.

Iain

I’ve looked at the list of his directorships.

link to duedil.com

Anyone who has been involved in this number of companies and has this number of resignations as a director is a shyster. Real directors don’t have time for all that chopping and changing – they’re too busy making and keeping one or two main businesses successful. The last list I saw similar to Howell’s ducking and diving was that of Charles Green.

Training Day

Appalling. This looks like it has been done DELIBERATELY to dupe the doughty worthies on SPT into handing the separatists a propaganda coup. And with monies being refunded it’s been done – deliberately, mind you – at a cost of nowt.

Oh, for the days when Oor Wullie would take aim at PC Murdoch’s helmet with an apple – no Machiavellian separatist intrigue, just good old-fashioned Unionist fun..

Arbroath 1320

Well done Stu you’ve won today’s jackpot.

We knew you were on the way to the jackpot when the story appeared over on the STV website but now it has has appeared on the BBC site BINGO! πŸ™‚

I must admit I do love this from the BBC site.

A spokesman for SPT said the posters had “slipped through their net” and were deemed in breach of guidelines.

Slipped through their net! are they having a laugh? This must be the biggest attempt they, SPT, have ever made to try and cover their political earses. With the BBC quoting a ‘spokesman’ then it is now clear beyond any doubt that SPT knew all about the content of the Wings ad BEFORE it went up. All this garbage about removing it because of complaints is nothing more than a smoke screen to cover their own inadequate earses.

At the end of the day what’s done is done but Wings is the only one to come out of this situation smelling like roses. Well played Stu. πŸ˜›

CameronB

Desimond
Yeah its great were on the Beeb and STV, but doesn’t it change the context of events. Makes it look as if there wasn’t external pressure involved.

Happy to let this go if wrong.

CameronB

Stu’s just tweeted that the Ad company is sending him a full refund! So now we’ve got much wider reaching FREE advertising. πŸ™‚

Well played Rev. Now about my internet bill…

Brian Powell

These passages appears to contravene Article 19 of the UN Convention on Hate Speech.

“The SNP Government is against the United Kingdom and the people of the United Kingdom, that is the people of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and people in Scotland too if they are happy to be both Scottish and British.”

Also, “The answer is that they are Nationalists and as nationalists they define themselves by what they are against.”

Using the word Nationalists is important because that is used not only in relation to the SNP but is commonly used in the campaign and identifies with all people supporting Independence, that is ordinary individuals.

One part of article 19 states:
“No one should be penalised for the dissemination of hate speech unless it has been shown that they did so with the intention of inciting discrimination, hostility or violence.”

The intention of the leaflet is to incite hostility; it directs to nationalists. We might not accept the label of nationalist but see ourselves a supporters of Independence, however that is how we are identified by those in the Together campaign.

Brian Powell

Further to the UN Hate Spech Convetion, it does say:

“The principles articulated in the present recommendation apply to racist hate speech, whether emanating from individuals or groups, in whatever forms it manifests itself, orally or in print, or disseminated through electronic media, including the Internet and social networking sites, as well as non-verbal forms of expression such as the display of racist symbols, images and behaviour at public gatherings, including sporting events.”

Arbroath 1320

Now that we, I’m using the ROYAL ‘we’ here you understand :), have obtained excellent massive coverage of the Wings site the big question is where do we go next?

Perhaps we should stick with the train theme and see about getting the ads onto the rolling stock of Scotrail, after all their rolling stock is far greater then that of SPT and it covers all of Scotland. More over the numbers of passengers who would see the ads would be massive, in the humblest of my humble opinions you understand. πŸ˜›

Alternatively perhaps we could have a wee word in the shell like of Stagecoach, after all they run the biggest bus business in Scotland as far as I can tell. Wouldn’t it be great to walk down the street of any town, city, village in Scotland and see the Wings advert as a Stagecoach bus rattles on by. πŸ™‚

Now I’m going to be extremely silly here, ever more silly than normal. As we know British Airways and Ryanair both support Scottish independence, mainly through the planned cutting and eventual removal of APD, perhaps we might be able to persuade either or both airlines to temporarily carry Wings adverts inside some of their aircraft that fly into and out of Glasgow/Edinburgh/Prestwick/Aberdeen. πŸ˜›

gerry parker

What, just a full refund, what about compensating for the injured pride? The humiliation?
The whiplash injuries caused?

πŸ™‚

fergie35

Great publicity from the BBC No campaign and the Rev gets his view aired also, shows what Labour in Scotland really have become.

Appleby

I’m utterly disgusted by how this has turned out. It’s nice you got a refund but make no mistake you got the shaft too in the end and this is adding insult to injury.

This work is another bit of blatant astroturfing too. “Ordinary man”…uh huh.

CameronB

Brian Powell
How long do you think it would take to label me as a ‘Nationalist’? One of my grannies was English, I live in Scotland though that is principly due to circumstance and poverty. I feel…. human, prone to mood shifts and annoyances, a bit of a Billy Nae Mates (circumstantial…honest), but other than that, I wouldn’t like to say what I am. Who are these people, how do they know me and what right do they think they have to dictate what I am?

I don’t know about you but I think it the height of ignorance to draw lazy assumptions about someone who you know nothing about. Especially when that leads to an undermine of that person’s right to self determination.

galamcennalath

I seem to remember similar things happened to rude pop singles. As soon as they were banned, all the extra attention brought success! Stu, you should try to get banned somewhere at least once a week!

Oneironaut

@James Forrest
Thanks for posting that link earlier.
Very inspiring read there πŸ™‚

As for the SPT thing, clearly this is just one more shot fired against us in what is nothing more than blatant information warfare.

Silencing the opposition is a common tactic in dictatorships and “police states” around the world, and seeing it here should remove any doubt about whether or not we’re really living in a democracy. (Hint: We’re not!)

Westminster mean to win this and they’ll use every trick in the dirty tricks book. How long before police are ordered to harass anyone with a Yes badge or remove stalls from the streets? They already forced through a law that allows them to stop any “non-political campaigning” during the run-up to an election, and I suspect they may use that (or some other similar “add-on” to that law) to further stifle any trace of Yes campaigning on the streets as we get closer to the vote.

I don’t know anything about European law, but isn’t there anything in the Court of Human Rights about situations like this?
About time we started figuring out ways to defend ourselves here.

fergie35

Got my complaint in!

Dear Sir or Madam,

I cannot see anything wrong with the advert for Wings over Scotland, it was quite refreshing to see the news from a different angle and I found the site very informative and interesting.
I do hope that since you have banned an ad for a site that supports Yes Scotland, that you will ban the No campaign from handing out the leaflets such as the one I have recieved from a man handing them out at your stations, and which have been left all over SPT sites causing litter, I have attached a photo of this to my email.

Many thanks for listening to my view,

regards,

John D

I have sent to complaints to them at the email supplied on their complaints page. One about the removal of the Wings advert and the second about the offensive blatant political advert as pictured here. Obviously because we are dealing with Glasgow Labour Labour I am not holding my breath

Arbroath 1320

While we are all still in the feel good factor, sort of, at the expense of SPT and Better Together here’s another wee uplifting article from the Herald. πŸ˜›

link to tinyurl.com

Aidan