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Jackboots on Sauchiehall Street

Posted on February 27, 2014 by

We already know that Scottish Labour consider any government of Scotland that isn’t themselves to be a “dictatorship”. So in context this comment from South Scotland list MSP Graeme Pearson in the Holyrood chamber yesterday is actually quite restrained:

“The Police Service is insufficiently accountable and it needs to be subject to proper governance, because if it is not properly governed, there is a danger that it will become merely an army of occupation that is maintained at public expense.”

It’s no accident that Labour so regularly call the democratically-elected SNP “fascists” and compare Alex Salmond to a whole cornucopia of murderous genocidal dictators. But we suppose that regarding the Nats as an invading foreign army, deploying Police Scotland as occupying troops, makes a bit more sense of both Labour’s dogged defence of the UK, and their oft-expressed distaste for foreigners.

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148 to “Jackboots on Sauchiehall Street”

  1. bjsalba
    Ignored
    says:

    It could also be undiagnosed schizophrenia or paranoia.

  2. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    Armies of occupation are a Labour thing shirley?

    You would think he would be excited at the prospect.

  3. Gillie
    Ignored
    says:

    Labour are genetically programmed to lie their heads off.

  4. David Whannel
    Ignored
    says:

    Think Banksy will move up here to dodge tax and deface us after Yes?

  5. Buster Bloggs
    Ignored
    says:

    Funny that, we have an SNP Gov the Scots voted for being called a dictatorship but we have a UK Gov we did not as a country vote for but that is democracy.
    These people have seriously lost the plot if they think we are falling for this garbage.

    It’s time to vote yes for true democracy for our country and consign the undemocratic Union to history.

  6. gerry parker
    Ignored
    says:

    So what is Graeme Pearson doing to get a Scottish constitution established?

  7. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    So we win the referendum and Labour in Scotland stand for the first proper PR Holyrood Scottish election early 2016. But Lamont and co operates under the very scripted command and control of what could be Milliband’s Labour rUK government. Who in independent Scotland would vote for any party that’s run by the government/opposition of England? The future for Lamont’s Labour in Scotland party clearly lies in England in more ways than one.

  8. bookie from hell
    Ignored
    says:

    obviously shes just a pretend MSP

  9. Steve B
    Ignored
    says:

    Well I suppose Labour have previous on this – didn’t they provide the army of occupation for Iraq and Afghanistan?

  10. Schiehallion! Schiehallion!
    Ignored
    says:

    Next thing they’ll be saying the BBC is becoming merely a propaganda service.

    Ho, ho. Hollow as their heids, and principles.

  11. annie
    Ignored
    says:

    It’s hard to believe that Graeme Pearson was once a presumably respected police officer, how far he has fallen since becoming a Labour MSP.

  12. seanair
    Ignored
    says:

    Pearson is so consistently bitter about the new police force that he must have been overlooked for promotion before he became an MSP. This is dangerous talk however which will be seized on by the usual suspects and he should know better.
    Bitter Together right enough .

  13. Peter Macbeastie
    Ignored
    says:

    Majority government Scotland = dictatorship.
    Majority government United Kingdom = democracy.

    Labour handbook.

    Oh, I jest. But it’s not so far removed from the truth if you listen to all the comments emanating from Labour MSP’s.

  14. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    I see the US agency Standard and Poor have said that although there will be adjustments following independence there is no reason why Scotland should not be a successful country that would earn a good credit rating. The Guardian have this as a complete story (no comments though) whereas the oh so balanced BBC have merely tacked this obn as a last paragraph to the Standard Life we are all doomed story. Once again the BBC skews and imbalances the argument. The Scotsman is a Unionist paper and makes no bones about it but the BBC’s pretence at fairness makes it the corrupt and twisted player in this debate.

  15. stonefree
    Ignored
    says:

    Interesting, who is calling who “fascists” given Ed Balls was a member of the Conservative Association along with William Hague and the BBC’s Nick Robinson, so very nicely right wing, and of course his penchant for a German uniform of the 30s. Still the unionist parties seem to adhere to “Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play.” ? Joseph Goebbels

  16. chicmac
    Ignored
    says:

    Yon twitter’s a scary place.

  17. Arbroath 1320
    Ignored
    says:

    Damn it, I step out for some respiratory physio and when I come back all hell seems to have broken out. O.K. not quite all hell but three articles in double quick(ish) sort of time. 🙂

    Not only do I miss all the fireworks of the three articles appearing but Steve B goes and nicks my post for this thread to boot. I’m not a happy bunny, not that I AM a bunny you understand just saying that if I were a bunny I wouldn’t be a very happy one. 🙂

  18. chicmac
    Ignored
    says:

    I think the Rev’s followed a white bunny through a hole into strange mystical world called twitter.

    Get out Rev. Drink the potion.

  19. callum
    Ignored
    says:

    It’s an interesting remark about social rights – I’m pretty sure he was the first senior police officer to install wall to wall CCTV in Scotland (Motherwell if I remember properly) and that became the standard template for the whole country.

  20. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    @Arb

    But if you were a bunny, you’d be a badass, no nonsense kind. 🙂

  21. callum
    Ignored
    says:

    Annie>

    My Pearson was head of the Scottish Drugs Enforcement Agency – so was almost as senior as you can get. He also had the opportunity to create a Scottish FBI (but didn’t). Whilst that sounds scary etc; it would have pulled specialist serious & organised crime professionals from Thames House in London etc up to Scotland.

    I never worked out why he dropped the ball on that one, well, that is until his political affiliations became clear.

  22. James Kay
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T, sorry, but does anyone know why Betfair has stopped betting on the referendum?

    http://www.oddschecker.com/politics/british-politics/scottish-independence/referendum-outcome/bet-history/yes-to-independence/today

    and ask for “All History”. Betfair seem to have suspended this market two days ago.

  23. chicmac
    Ignored
    says:

    The Blue Watch?

  24. Nuada
    Ignored
    says:

    Don’t know what Labour are worrying about. We’ve been independent for 90 years here in Ireland and the English STILL refuse to regard us a proper foreigners, not like those Italians and Germans and (spit when you say this one) French. It’s really annoying.

  25. the Penman
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T and back on the old finance, but I see Peston is attempting to cast doubt on whether an indy Scotland will have a savings guarantee scheme, like the current Financial Services Compensation Scheme, and therefore whether our savings will be backed up by the government after independence, up to £85,000 (€100,000).

    Of course, what he neglects to mention is that it’s an EU requirement (hence the nice round Euros figure and the odd GBP£ amount), so it’ll be in place since we’ll be on the EU.

    Lying, deceitful distortion of truth masquerading as journalism. Where’s the donate button here again…?

  26. John H.
    Ignored
    says:

    Labour have completely lost the plot. At FMQ’s today, at one point I thought Lamont was going to tell the Presiding Officer to f**k off.

  27. Arbroath 1320
    Ignored
    says:

    If you don’t want to go to the Guardian Handandshrimp I found this link over on twitter to an article about the same topic.

    http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/sp-independent-scotland-could-get-decent-credit-rating-1438195

    According to the article, if I understand it correctly, we are looking at Scotland starting off with an investment grade credit rating. This is because Scotland has an economy which is not only wealthy but open as well.

    It appears that Standard and Poors believes that a currency union would help Scotland’s credit rating as well. Mind you S & P do not see any reason we could not launch our own separate currency and, in their words, “go it alone.”

    The second last paragraph says this about the credit ratings:

    The UK has a AAA credit rating from S&P for its sovereign debt, the top grade. An investment-grade credit rating is anything above BBB-.

  28. Nuada
    Ignored
    says:

    Sorry, that last contribution should have gone under the “foreigner watch” post.

  29. Robbie
    Ignored
    says:

    Pearson is just another bitter hate filled unelected London Labour puppet.

    The thought of Scotland ,s people ruling themselves fills him with dread, his only ambition is a place at the mother of all troughs at the den of sleaze and corruption in wastemidden.

    The man is a sick joke

  30. bunter
    Ignored
    says:

    Strange that SLab are quite at ease with having a state propaganda machine aka the BBC!

    Just a thought, how about using some of our new found wealth to fund full page newspaper adverts along the lines of ” We demand that the BBC address the issues in the UWS report on bias” signed disgruntled licence payers!

    But then, we wouldn’t want to sustain the lingering rags death throes any longer than necessary LOL.

  31. Clootie
    Ignored
    says:

    Graeme Pearson is a fool and cannot think for himself.

    He insults the men and woman he once worked with.

    He is rolled out by Labour as an expert and is now starting to believe it (Ex from has been and Spert from a drip under pressure)

    His main gripe is that his cosy retirement top up of being an MSP is under threat if the Labour big boys come back to playgroup post independence.

    I wish he would see Holyrood as the government of his own nation and notmeal ticket.

  32. Arbroath 1320
    Ignored
    says:

    Macart says:

    @Arb

    But if you were a bunny, you’d be a badass, no nonsense kind. 🙂

    Yep that just about sums my bunny mood up these days, and I don’t hop either I leap about all over the place. No straight lines for me more zig zag drunk on Saturday night kind of lines. 🙂

  33. Steve B
    Ignored
    says:

    @Arbroath 1320

    I’m sorry I borrowed your post – I am amazed that no-one got in there ahead of me with it though 🙂

  34. Arbroath 1320
    Ignored
    says:

    Funny I was sort of thinking that as I read through the posts. 😉

    Don’t worry about borrowing my post others have done it before you in the past, and others will do it again. My E.S.P. thingy just isn’t up to scratch these days. 🙂

  35. chicmac
    Ignored
    says:

    Nuada
    “Don’t know what Labour are worrying about. We’ve been independent for 90 years here in Ireland and the English STILL refuse to regard us a proper foreigners, not like those Italians and Germans and (spit when you say this one) French. It’s really annoying.”

    Seemingly, we won’t have that problem.

    “Sorry, that last contribution should have gone under the “foreigner watch” post.”

    Don’t think members of the Tuatha de Danaan qualify for that, being mythical an all. Apparently we all are in here.

  36. wee 162
    Ignored
    says:

    But the police are unaccountable, and they are not overseen properly by those elected by us to do so. It’s an area where there is huge scope for improvement. Local policing and local policies have went haywire since the creation of Police Scotland who can and have overridden democracy to do so. Stop and search numbers appear to be on about a par with airline security and the police raids of Edinburgh saunas had no democratic mandate behind them.

    Which isn’t the reason why this is being said of course. That’s a purely political point to sow some seeds with when the fact is that Labour in government would also happily give the police extra powers because that’s always a winner with middle Scotland the same as it is with middle England in UK elections. It does slightly ignore the fact that the police are completely not trusted in many many parts of society though (ethnic minority communities, working class areas, political groups not breaking any laws but still subject to harassment etc etc). That’s a major issue in my opinion which needs resolved.

  37. Desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    @John H

    Or doing a “Jim Murphy” as its known

    So many uses..


    “I told Standard Life, I don’t care, Jim Murphy if that is your attitude!”

    “Euan McColms a reputable Journalist? ‘Jim Murphy!’ I exclaimed in surprise”

  38. Proud Cybernat
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T

    ‘YES in the Glen’ rally in August (link below). Why Dunfermline and not Glasgow or Edinburgh?

    http://www.yesdunfermline.com/

    Don’t seem to be doing too well with the fund-raising so far. IS this the official YES rally? I’m sure I heard not so long ago it was to be held at Glasgow Green–anyone any further info on this?

    Ta.

  39. Calgacus MacAndrews
    Ignored
    says:

    @bunter says:
    Strange that SLab are quite at ease with having a state propaganda machine aka the BBC!

    The current BBC performance makes you think:

    “THANK GOD POLICING GOT DEVOLVED”

    If it hadn’t ………
    (fill in your own nightmare)

  40. G H Graham
    Ignored
    says:

    Slow down with the posts Rev, I can’t keep up.

  41. ronnie anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    Graeme Pearson,as a former Deputy Chief Constable of Strathclyde
    wont have many friend,s in the police force with that statement.

  42. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    Penman

    I would agree that Peston is unsubtle in his bias. I have yet to see him write a balanced piece about the financial aspects of Scottish independence.

    The savings guarantee is an EU requirement and it would need to be met if Scotland joined. The liability is of course limited to your actual savings. An awful lot of people in the UK have debts not savings. The number that have more than £85,000 in the bank is actually relatively small.However you are unlikely to get an informed discourse about the numbers involved, demographic spread etc., from Peston who by and large simply seems to recycle gossip rather than pick up a calculator.

  43. Desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    @HandandShrimp @Penman

    In fairness to a publication I’ve complained about on here, Private Eye are never slow in questioning and highlighting Robert Pestons cosy relationships with the powers that be in Parliament.

    Its “Quid Pro Quo” and you can decide which ones Clarice and which is Hannibal

  44. Andy-B
    Ignored
    says:

    SLAB aren’t slow when it comes to name calling, indeed Johann Lamont had to be put in her place today, by the Holyrood speaker, for being bang out of order.The unionists have already compared Alex Salmond to Hitler, it won’t be long till, the police force are likened to Hitlers brown shirts.

    O/T Rev. sorry but pretty funny, I wonder what this lad thinks of Nick Clegg.

    http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/462100/Is-this-what-all-students-think-of-Nick-Clegg-Pupil-appears-to-give-rather-rude-salute

  45. Ian Kirkwood
    Ignored
    says:

    Breaking News! Bob Skinner is aYES man. Just read Quintin Jardine’s Pray for the dying and yes Big Bob is going for YES. A few choice exchanges with leadership of MI5 and the Home Secretary who finally, she thinks, puts the big man in his place, “go back to Scotland, Mr. Skinner….your little provincial pond. This is London; the power will always lie here”

  46. annie
    Ignored
    says:

    The Rev’s just tweeted the fund has passed £90k that includes the additional monies sent separately.

  47. Bugger (the Panda)
    Ignored
    says:

    Stonefree

    I am having that;

    “Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play.” ? Joseph Goebbels”

    Excellent!

  48. Andy-B
    Ignored
    says:

    An independent Scotland,would be a wealthy and financially viable country, like New Zealand,according to credit rating agency Standard & Poors. Standard & Poors say Scotland is well capable of gaining, international recognition from the investment community.

    Standard & Poors dismissed unionists fears that Scotland’s economy would rely to much on oil and gas revenue.

    It looks like the investors are just waiting on the sidelines for the go ahead, only we need to vote yes, to put the plan in action.

    http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/feb/27/independent-scottish-economy-viable-slow-first-standard-poors

  49. My Mutterings
    Ignored
    says:

    To-morrow MPs will be debating the possibility of renaming the August Bank Holiday as “Margaret Thatcher Day”.

    I hope this goes through. That would be another vote winner.

  50. Juteman
    Ignored
    says:

    Peston is a placeman. His ‘job’ as a journalist is just to disguise his real job as middle-man between the State, and the State propaganda machine. He gets his orders from Downing St.

  51. chicmac
    Ignored
    says:

    Strange, the BBC’s interpretation of S&P’s assessment came over as negative.

  52. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    Andy

    As I mentioned above the BBC do not have that as a story. If they were truly honest and above board that would get equal billing with the Standard Life story but it doesn’t. If S&P had written a damning report there would two headline stories on the BBC.

    Whatever the outcome those at the BtBC (Better Together Boardcasting Corporation) will have a lot to answer for.

  53. Andy-B
    Ignored
    says:

    Westminster culture secretary warns Scotland it will lose the BBC if it becomes independent.Is that a bad thing? Maria Miller culture secretary, has asked the Oxford Media Convention whether or not the BBC should shut down the Scottish transmitter, if Scots vote yes to independence.

    So it could be bye bye to the BBC, somehow I can’t seem to get upset about this, I wonder why?.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2568768/Scottish-viewers-lose-access-BBC-programmes-decide-leave-UK.html

  54. Calgacus MacAndrews
    Ignored
    says:

    @Ian Kirkwood says:
    Breaking News! Bob Skinner is a YES man. Just read Quintin Jardine’s Pray for the dying

    I heard Quintin Jardine spreak at last September’s “Bloody Scotland” crime-writing festival.

    http://www.bloodyscotland.com/

    There wasn’t much doubt which way he was inclined.

    Bloody Scotland 2014 (again in Stirling), starts on 19th September …. I’d imagine one of the big indy celebration parties will certainly be starting there.

  55. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    Chic

    That is because they tacked it on to the very end of the SL story and tried to hammer the bits connected to banks moving so it fitted with their negative SL story. If they had reported the full piece as a separate story the readers might have got a view of the bigger picture. Propagandists can’t be doing with people having enough information to form an opinion of their own.

  56. JPFife
    Ignored
    says:

    I made myself up.

  57. JPFife
    Ignored
    says:

    Oops, wrong thread.

  58. Scotswoman
    Ignored
    says:

    Sorry, way O/T (but amusing) Daily Mail has an exclusive story suggesting the UK’s first wild beaver has been sighted in Devon. They must be joking, we’ve got hunners o’ them in Scotland! Here’s the link :

    http://archive.is/HIy2N

    …and here’s a link to our established experts :

    http://scottishwildbeavers.org/

    ….where you can read about their briefing paper to the Scottish Government in 2011. You can take our freedom but you’ll never take our beavers (or pandas etc….)

  59. morgan mc
    Ignored
    says:

    When the shoe was on the other foot: When Alex Salmond and others were part of the ’79Group and spoke of “resistance” and “occupation”. At a time when the Conservatives had 31.4% of the vote in Scotland and 22MP’S versus the SNP’s 2.

    How fickle democracy eh?

  60. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    My Mutterings

    The thing is most Scots don’t get an August bank holiday. Thatcher Day would be irrelevant…not that this is a bad thing.

  61. Les Wilson
    Ignored
    says:

    Peter Macbeastie says:
    27 February, 2014 at 3:28 pm
    Majority government Scotland = dictatorship.
    Majority government United Kingdom = democracy.

    Peter It is the exact opposite, as we see and hear daily!
    NO democracy allowed for Scotland, hypocritical gits!

  62. Proud Cybernat
    Ignored
    says:

    @ My Mutterings

    “To-morrow MPs will be debating the possibility of renaming the August Bank Holiday as ‘Margaret Thatcher Day’.”

    Will Scots MPs be able to veto this proposal, you know, like they can do in the EU when a proposal isn’t in a particular country’s national interest? No, thought not. Scots just, as usual, have to put up with whatever stupid idea the rUK desires.

  63. gordoz
    Ignored
    says:

    Dont know about you but this looks good for YES and seems to hole the Union in the waterline ?

    http://www.snp.org/media-centre/news/2014/feb/scotland-set-highest-credit-assessment

  64. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    morgan

    Yes, democracy is fickle which is why it is foolish for the No side to assume that this is in the bag.

  65. Clootie
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T

    August holiday to be re-named Maggie Thatcher day (I kid you nought)

    https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/margaret-thatcher-day

  66. Tattie-bogle
    Ignored
    says:

    dont you just get fed up with them

  67. Arbroath 1320
    Ignored
    says:

    My Mutterings says:

    To-morrow MPs will be debating the possibility of renaming the August Bank Holiday as “Margaret Thatcher Day”.

    I hope this goes through. That would be another vote winner.

    Oh I really, REALLY hope this goes through, and why shouldn’t it? After all Cameron LOVED her and Milliband wants to be just like her so I’m thinking this is a gimme tomorrow. 😉

    Andy-B says:

    Westminster culture secretary warns Scotland it will lose the BBC if it becomes independent.Is that a bad thing? Maria Miller culture secretary, has asked the Oxford Media Convention whether or not the BBC should shut down the Scottish transmitter, if Scots vote yes to independence.

    So it could be bye bye to the BBC, somehow I can’t seem to get upset about this, I wonder why?.

    I do wish all those Westminster types would stop trying to raise our hopes up just to dash them days later. Why on earth can she not just come out and say that Scottish independence will ensure that no one in Scotland will be able to watch the BBC. erm… I’ve just had a wee thought. I know why she doesn’t say this cause it is a LIE. They can’t stop people in Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and France watching the BBC so how on earth are they going to stop us?

    I’m thinking that she is not too bright this Maria whatshername. I guess she has never heard of FreeSat or Sky T.V. cause if she had then she’d know that anyone with either of these services can receive BBC T.V. channels WITHOUT the need of the coveted Scottish BBC transmitter…DOH! 🙂

  68. Andy-B
    Ignored
    says:

    Ben Riley-Smith of the Telegraph, Cybernats (that’s us) have abused online, David Bowie, Sir Chris Hoy and Susan Calman, and many others, its so bad that a national newspaper (not named) has taken upon itself to stamp out this cybernattery.

    Of course we all know those goody two shoes, unionists don’t say nasty things online.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scottish-independence/10664236/Alex-Salmond-urges-Cybernats-to-come-in-from-the-cold.html

  69. Dcanmore
    Ignored
    says:

    Once again selective memory loss from Labour. It was under Blair and Brown that this country got CCTV cameras on every street and a ramping up of terror laws. And I’m sure GCQH got massive investment. We are the most watched people on Earth… thanks Labour!

    Oh I forgot the national ID card debacle which cost us £1billion, goodness knows what else lurking behind the Official Secrets Act.

  70. jimsie
    Ignored
    says:

    http://uk.isidewith.com/political-quiz#more

    OT Try this political quiz on the above link. I came out as Green and SNP jointly.

  71. Papadox
    Ignored
    says:

    The good old EBC is sure pushing the boat out today with Standard Life mis information.

    The NO/HMG/EBC Appear to be loosing their grip and panic is setting in.

  72. Arbroath 1320
    Ignored
    says:

    I wonder if we should run a poll Andy to see which (unnamed) national newspaper has taken it upon itself to stamp out all those nasty cybernats, or are we cabernats, or bedroomnats, or streetnats, or… 😉

    Think I’ll start it off by suggesting it is the same well to do and highly edumacated newspaper that claimed Alex Salmond was by his duck pond the same night he was actually seem on Newsnight kicking Kirsty Wark’s earse and Scotland Tonight answering the usual questions about currency! 🙂

  73. Andy-B
    Ignored
    says:

    Alex Salmond asking Wales, Northern Ireland and England to not hinder a currency union due to it being in all our interests. Lord Wallace of Tankerness, pouring scorn on the idea by saying, “This compares to a group of golfers,who are proposing to leaving their golf club,and threatening to take the 7th and 18th holes with them.”

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10664559/Alex-Salmond-No-formal-say-for-the-English-on-a-currency-union.html

  74. MajorBloodnok
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T Brian Taylor says something interesting (with reference to the Standard Life fearmongering and propaganda from the BBC):

    “Given that it is in the interests of the UK government to promote uncertainty and doubt, in order to deflect the people of Scotland from independence, it seems unlikely that UK Ministers will move to remove those anxieties any time soon.”

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-26366006

    But as Derek Bateman rightly asks – if Standard LIfe are publicly wringing their hands about these things what have they done to seek assurances from the UK and Scottish Governments?

  75. garyjc
    Ignored
    says:

    THanks to those who sent me info re registration dates, etc – still trying to work out how I can get home from Canada to do this thing and put my X in the box. Also, thanks to jimsie @5.05 for the quiz. I’m obviously schizophrenic as I seem to have tied SNP, Green Plaid and Labour – god knows how the Labour bit came up – obviously a difference between the manifesto and the rhetoric these days

  76. Tattie-bogle
    Ignored
    says:

    Standard Life don’t make me laugh not been one in Scotland since before 1707 and all they pray for or should i say prey for is your early demise from this mortal coil

  77. Andy-B
    Ignored
    says:

    The IBT just backing up what we already know, Scotland, credit wise will be welcomed into the investors community with open arms.

    http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/sp-independent-scotland-could-get-decent-credit-rating-1438195

  78. Patrician
    Ignored
    says:

    @Scotswoman

    Has anyone told Frank MacAvennie yet. 😀 I know, I just couldn’t resist it. I’ll get my coat.

  79. Colin young
    Ignored
    says:

    How much do the BBC earn from the tv licence in Scotland.
    I see they want us to pay for a licence to view iplayer.

    So glad i dumped the tv, why pay to get propaganda ?

    I don’t understand why people are paying for a licence then come on here and complain of bias.
    Dump the tv after a few weeks you will not get so upset at having to pay for and listen to peacetime propaganda, bias, sinister advertising aimed at the kids.

  80. Caroline Corfield
    Ignored
    says:

    Perhaps he wants to have an elected Police Commissioner like we have in England, so that they can interfere with budgets and policies and cause so much friction that the senior police officer resigns, and they can make political capital out of it all?

    I was always under the impression the police uphold the law, the procurator fiscal decides if a crime has been committed i.e. those laws have been broken and that the laws are written by democratically elected representatives, does he know something different?

  81. Calgacus MacAndrews
    Ignored
    says:

    I can only remember one instance of a one-party State existing in Scotland in modern times.

    It existed for decades in large swathes of the Central Belt of Scotland, and it’s name was The Labour Party.

    Other associated names, terms, and fellow-travellers were Strathclyde Regional Council, Monkeys in Red Rosettes, Brown Envelopes, and the Trade Unions.

    This repugnant monolith was struck fatal blows by the introduction of PR voting for the Scottish Parliament from 1999, and by eventual PR for local government elections.

    The last lingering vestiges of this cancer will soon shrink and disappear after September’s YES vote.

    Sorry Johann.

  82. Wilma
    Ignored
    says:

    Not too O/T
    Tomorrow MPs will be debating the possibility of re-naming the August bank holiday as “Margaret Thatcher Day”.
    Has anyone else heard this? What a disgrace, how arrogant can they get. Another two finger sign to Scotland, I think.

    Just signed the petition on 38 Degrees.

  83. call me dave
    Ignored
    says:

    Labour selection meetings start for the elections.
    A few old faces will float to the surface no doubt.

    http://archive.is/TFSST

  84. fairiefromtheearth
    Ignored
    says:

    Well their ya ive got 2 votes for anybody who wants to start a republican party and will work on everybody i know when the party starts.

  85. MajorBloodnok
    Ignored
    says:

    Forget Sauchiehall Street! Let’s do the Kelvin Walk! (or nearest equivalent).

  86. joe kane
    Ignored
    says:

    Pearson was involved in the inept Labour/Daily Record campaign of stigmatising chemist retailers as “methadone barons” and “methadone millionaires” in 2012. They quickly shut up when the Chemist shop owners got organised and stood up to the Labour Party and its public abuse.

    References –
    Methadone is waste of money and failure as a treatment, says expert
    http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/graeme-pearson-blasts-methadone-plan-1269951

    Labour MSP takes fight against methadone barons to Holyrood
    http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/labour-msp-takes-fight-against-1423932

  87. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    To-morrow MPs will be debating the possibility of renaming the August Bank Holiday as “Margaret Thatcher Day”.

    I hope this goes through. That would be another vote winner.

    This might be the time to point out that the English August Bank Holiday (which we don’t do here) was originally “St. Bartholomew’s Fair”. That was the annual late summer London shindig, and in 1305 the main attraction was the hanging drawing and quartering of William Wallace. They actually did deliberately time the whole thing to coincide with the fair.

    It was slightly spooky to be attending the Wallace commemoration at the plaque on St. Bart’s hospital, and see a big banner across the way on Smithfield meat market (that was the other reason it happened there, at the “shambles”) across the way, advertising “St. Bartholomew’s Fair 200x” (can’t remember which year that was).

  88. muttley79
    Ignored
    says:

    SLAB have become a party of hysterical, angry people. They convey more the impression of gangsters; guarding their power bases, and livelihoods with zeal and aggression, than of being politicians. All their elected representatives bring to the political arena is hate, and a self serving British nationalism. SLAB need a clear out. It can only come with independence. If there is a No vote, then they will get even worse because they will be so determined to goad Salmond, and the SNP, for a long time. They need to get rid of all the careerists, all the people who have brought them to this sorry state of affairs. However, with people of the calibre of Dennis Canavan around then they still have a chance to rebuild and win back respect. However, it is going to take time.

  89. Andy-B
    Ignored
    says:

    Here the Telegraph, takes the piss out of Scotland by predicting what kind of TV would be available in a post independent Scotland, minus the BBC, the Telegraph pokes fun at us suggesting we’d all be watching the Lucky White Heather Club

    http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/colinfreeman/100261540/what-would-an-independent-scottish-bbc-look-like/

  90. Calgacus MacAndrews
    Ignored
    says:

    @Morag says:
    It was slightly spooky to be attending the Wallace commemoration at the plaque on St. Bart’s hospital, and see a big banner across the way on Smithfield meat market (that was the other reason it happened there, at the “shambles”) across the way, advertising “St. Bartholomew’s Fair 200x” (can’t remember which year that was)

    It was 2005. I was there too.
    Big David Ross, who organised it, is sadly missed.

  91. Morag
    Ignored
    says:

    I don’t think I was there on the actual 700th anniversary, that’s why I didn’t put that date. Both events are annual, of course.

  92. Arbroath 1320
    Ignored
    says:

    I wonder if my T.V. can survive the next hour?

    Just heard the BBC Lies at Six headlines and there you go what do you know Standard Life is leaving Scotland if we vote YES! erm, excuse me you lying b******s oh no they did NOT say that check out what they ACTUALLY said here ya MUPPETS!

    http://www.standardlife.com/utility/customer_statement.html

    In particular pay particular attention Mr BBC Liar to this:

    For example, we have started work to establish additional registered companies to operate outside Scotland, into which we could transfer parts of our operations if it was necessary to do so

    (my bolding)

  93. Steve B
    Ignored
    says:

    @Proud Cybernat & Clootie

    My apologies if anyone has already said this, but luckily bank holidays are devolved, so what Westminster want to call the English Bank Holidays is no concern of ours, although it doesn’t stop us pointing out the ludicrousness of having a Milk Snatcher bank holiday.

    (Note: This reference may not mean much to those of you who weren’t school in the early 1970s 🙂 ).

    http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/bank-holidays/FAQs

  94. Flower of Scotland
    Ignored
    says:

    O/t
    I like this
    ” Why have a standard life , when you can have a better life ? ”
    YES 2014

  95. Flower of Scotland
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Andy-B
    I wish I hadn’t read that article from the Telegragh and the comments !
    It made me feel sick ! We really have to get Independence , don’t we ? God knows what the,ll do to us if we vote No.
    Hail Alba ! Vote yes !

  96. steviecosmic
    Ignored
    says:

    @Flower of Scotland

    That was me that was.

    Quite liked making my first wee banner.

  97. Juteman
    Ignored
    says:

    All out attack and misinformation from Reporting Scotland tonight on Standard Life.
    I haven’t watched it for weeks, and I won’t watch it again.
    Lying, ("Quizmaster" - Ed) bastards. We will not forget.

  98. EphemeralDeception
    Ignored
    says:

    @Andy-B. Penned by their chief Foreign correspondent too. Seems we are already foreign.

    In other news…
    Xcite Energy shares are up after they announced that the Bentley Field (East of Shetland) in the Scottish Sectoe has in fact 4x as much i as previous though on their books.

    original estimates were 203 Million Barrels of proven oil reserves. Today their official accounts stated that the field has 909 million barrels of oil in place.

  99. tartanfever
    Ignored
    says:

    Arb,

    to add to your list of BBC lies we have Robert Peston telling us that more Scottish companies might leave, including Lloyds Bank which is headquartered in Scotland.

    Except that Lloyds is headquartered at 25 Gresham Street, London.

  100. steviecosmic
    Ignored
    says:

    Damn, no edit feature.

    Heavily inspired by SiTV Tam…I meant to say.

  101. MajorBloodnok
    Ignored
    says:

    So much for the positive case for the union (remember that one?).

  102. joe kane
    Ignored
    says:

    Wasn’t it U-KOK stars Brown and Darling, of the last Labour Government, who invoked UK anti-terrorist legislation against Iceland? Describing foreign states in such terms is usually a prelude to an actual, real occupation by the Labour Party internationalists.

    Speaking of actual occupations of which the Labour Party is a world leader, Walter Wolfgang was detained under terrorism laws for heckling a hero of the people’s party at their 2005 conference. That’s what he gets for objecting to armies of occupation –
    Labour conference 2005 – Stewards manhandling an elderly man who heckles Jack Straw over Iraq

  103. Arbroath 1320
    Ignored
    says:

    Aye I heard Peston spread that lie tartan.

    Good old BBC, why tell the TRUTH when a darned good lie is easier to do and cheaper to accomplish!

  104. muttley79
    Ignored
    says:

    @Juteman

    What were Pravada saying? Were they openly lying to the people of Scotland again?

    @Major

    There is no positive case for the Union is there? 😀 😀 All unionists in Scotland will talk about is how much they loathe their own nation, and how much they hate the SNP, and Salmond in particular. There really is no substance at all to their seemingly endless cringing and negativity.

  105. jimsie
    Ignored
    says:

    @Arbroath 1320

    I suffer from a terrible affliction called robertpestonague. This means I get a terrible pain in the arse when he appears.

  106. cynicalHighlander
    Ignored
    says:

    Irish TV channels.

    http://entertainment.ie/tv/

  107. Lee Rogers
    Ignored
    says:

    Margaret Thatcher Day (know in these parts as Burn The Witch Day) won’t affect us in Scotland, as it will be on the last weekend of August; Scotland’s August holiday is on the first weekend.

  108. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    Hmmmm.

    Considering the generous expansions of fact displayed by the UKs collective media today, what are the odds of SL correcting any of those bold statements made?

    Will they come out and publicly slap down the likes of the BBC or the Guardian? I’m willing to bet not a chance. I understand they form with this tactic pre devo vote back in the late 90s. It would certainly be a heads up vis a vis their true intent here if they don’t.

    Doing their buds a solid and if chinned about it? Well I thought we had made our intent quite plain with our release, we’re not responsible for what others make of said statement. A version of ‘You may say that, but I couldn’t possibly comment’.

  109. creature
    Ignored
    says:

    I started a petition on 38 degrees to make the BBC allow comments on their Scottish stories. I was checking out the Maggie’s holiday story and thought I’d give it a bash…only needs 100,000 of us, and the Director-General will get a big fat envelope in the post.

    https://you.38degrees.org.uk/p/bbcbias

  110. Training Day
    Ignored
    says:

    Anyone – on either side of the independence debate – who either does not understand , or does not want to understand , the role and nature of the BBC in proceedings is either a fool or a liar.

  111. creature
    Ignored
    says:

    “Anyone – on either side of the independence debate – who either does not understand , or does not want to understand , the role and nature of the BBC in proceedings is either a fool or a liar.”

    Very cryptic Training Day, but what exactly do you mean?

  112. Stuart Black
    Ignored
    says:

    @creature: Signed.

  113. Arbroath 1320
    Ignored
    says:

    jimsie says:

    @Arbroath 1320

    I suffer from a terrible affliction called robertpestonague. This means I get a terrible pain in the arse when he appears.

    Can’t you get a cream or some other medication for that jimsie? 🙂

  114. muttley79
    Ignored
    says:

    I think Training Day’s point was it is increasingly clear that the BBC is acting as the No campaign’s broadcasting wing.

  115. haud on the noo
    Ignored
    says:

    Just read that Torygraph shiite, 30 minutes after BBC …

    I cannot put up with that stuff anymore.

    Vote YES or else folks.

  116. Calgacus MacAndrews
    Ignored
    says:

    @creature: Signed too.

  117. john king
    Ignored
    says:

    “To-morrow MPs will be debating the possibility of renaming the August Bank Holiday as “Margaret Thatcher Day”.”

    Oh god please let Labour MP’s have something more important to do like washing their hair or threatening shipyard workers, or lecturing students in Pakistan on how to fleece their customers er I mean in entrepreneurial skills.

  118. Vincent McDee
    Ignored
    says:

    I just went to http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-26366006

    To read with my own eyes:

    “The company says it will continue to seek “clarity on these matters”. It adds however that “uncertainty is likely to remain”.

    I suspect their analysis may be accurate in that regard. The issue of EU membership has generated competing claims without, to date, precise resolution.

    Given that it is in the interests of the UK government to promote uncertainty and doubt, in order to deflect the people of Scotland from independence, it seems unlikely that UK Ministers will move to remove those anxieties any time soon”

    When miracle of miracles I was invited to give my opinion on their News website, with the choice of limiting it to Scottish news or general.

    TREMENDOUS CHANCE TO GIVE THE BBC A PIECE OF YOUR MIND

    They are going to ignore it anyway, but it feels good to take it our of your chest.

    PS: Funnily enough, the give you the option to mention what do you like, but not what you don’t. There’s always the option of “Not much” and then explain why.

  119. MajorBloodnok
    Ignored
    says:

    Be interesting to see how many Labour MPs vote for the bank holiday name-change. Ed Miliband’s quite keen on Thatch I understand – well imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

  120. gordoz
    Ignored
    says:

    @john king

    I like it John; watch out for the calculated response from Labour big hitters.

    Fxck off, Fxck off, Fxck off and son on (you know how it goes)

  121. john king
    Ignored
    says:

    “Sorry, way O/T (but amusing) Daily Mail has an exclusive story suggesting the UK’s first wild beaver has been sighted in Devon. They must be joking, we’ve got hunners o’ them in Scotland! Here’s the link :”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhyCL-ELRxg

    I’ll get my pelt 🙁
    Do-h
    dammit

  122. gordoz
    Ignored
    says:

    @MajorBloodnok says

    I keep getting junk mail about ‘BT Vision’ is that not it ?

  123. Arbroath 1320
    Ignored
    says:

    Aha, you’ve fallen for the old Daily Mail trick of discussing the UJ.K. when of course they obviously meant England john. 😉

  124. heraldnomore
    Ignored
    says:

    Ding Dong Day, Sounds good, and a sure-fire vote-winner. It’ll be fun watching the Labourites vote it in, Ed salivating, prostrating himself at some statue somewhere.

  125. john king
    Ignored
    says:

    “anyone with either of these services can receive BBC T.V. channels WITHOUT the need of the coveted Scottish BBC transmitter…DOH!”

    So now you know folks,
    you can watch the one show until you die,
    did you hear what I said?
    until you die, hello? hello?

  126. gordoz
    Ignored
    says:

    Triple-A credit rating; aw naw, thats like the Oil n ‘at. Must be another bad thing.

    And not being able to take our ‘fair share’ of thon Westminster debt, think that means we need to get rid of £130 billion debt.

    Christ a feel so bad about it, specially when that dead nice Dave guy ‘n’ his mate (the chancer guy) and that other guy that really looks like a muppet – (Beaker?) came up to tell us how shite we are without them tellin’ us whit tae dae.

    Aw naw – now wur really screwed just like the BBC say. They know thur stuff they guys.

  127. gerry parker
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Lee Rodgers.

    Burn The Witch Day – now that would be a good one to celebrate, we could move it from 5th November, when someone who was trying to blow up Parliament, was burnt.

  128. Training Day
    Ignored
    says:

    @creature

    Muttley has it right. The BBC, to all intents and purposes, IS the No campaign.

  129. David Agnew
    Ignored
    says:

    Seems clear to me that the labour party in Scotland, with its blind support by the MSM is institutionally insane. So a timely reminder is needed.

    To paraphrase a section from the article below: New Labour, particularly the Scottish wing of New Labour, quite clearly is a victim of its own pathology. transformed from the bastion of Social justice and morality into Tory bean counters unable to speak simple truths. And just as disturbed people have a disconcerting habit of finding each other, there is a gravitational pull that can draw dysfunctional organisations together. Simply observe how the MSM simply allows increasingly insane mutterings from Labour to be passed as cogent analysis.

    So, yes…the Labour party is insane.

    http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/12/05/1070351777542.html

  130. Arbroath 1320
    Ignored
    says:

    O.K. peeps, for those of you with a nervous disposition I suggest you look away now. 😉

    The panel for tonight’s entertainment pleasure, courtesy of BBC Question Time is:

    Anna Soubry
    Rushanara Ali
    Elfyn Llwyd
    Jay Rayner
    Melanie Philips.

    Now I wonder how long it will take before everyone’s favourite Daily Mail “journalist”, a certain Melanie Philips, starts on her anti Scottish, anti independence, Scots are too wee too poor too stupid, we subsidise Scotland rant? 🙂

  131. scottish_skier
    Ignored
    says:

    Apropos of nothing, but 16-17 year olds are 72% Scottish only. Along with 15 year olds, the most Scottish / least British of any age group in Scotland.

    New cross-tabbed data from the census.

    Britishness is dying.

    iGeneration.

  132. gordoz
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Training Days

    Agree more pressure must be applied to the BBC.

    Get stickers made ?

    BBC dont represent me !

    BBC = Biassed / Belligerent / Collusive !

  133. Vronsky
    Ignored
    says:

    Actually Thatcher Day has some appeal. We’re going to need a replacement for Guy Fawkes, aren’t we?

  134. Gonnaejustsayaye
    Ignored
    says:

    I do have grave concerns regarding the national Police force . I would say the correct term should be the state police force as that is what we have now . The Chief Constable has a very powerful political position . It would be a very brave Justice Secretary who would challenge the views of the appointed Chief Constable over law and order issues

    The tactics used enforcing the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act and the the number of stop and search being undertaken are worrying and suggest a Police service that is getting out of control.

    Following a Yes vote I would like to see the Police service split up and I would welcome the return of regional Police forces

  135. Alan Mackintosh
    Ignored
    says:

    Aye once we get rid of Disreporting Scotland we can have some more interesting bits of news, like this bit from over the water

  136. Elizabeth
    Ignored
    says:

    BBC’s James Cook tweeted “Should point out we have made repeated requests for a Standard Life interview today to no avail”

    Obviously they don’t want questioned on this. No surprise there.

  137. chicmac
    Ignored
    says:

    In the interests of gender balance.

    We have ‘The Wicker Man Festival’, so why not a ‘Wicked Woman Festival’ counterpart?

    Haud me back! (©Tarranaich) I feel another song conversion coming on…

    ————————– Maggie Day —————————-

    Wake up Maggie we think we got something to say to you
    Do you remember when you came and stole our milk from school?
    We know it kept you amused but we feel we were being abused
    Oh Maggie we couldn’t have cried any more
    You lured us into buying our homes, not to save but to take out a lone
    You broke our hearts and that’s what really hurt

    Ah that’s better, one verse will do.

  138. Tamson
    Ignored
    says:

    Slightly O/T – CoSLA. Well, on-topic, in the sense that we’re talking about Labour’s self-anointed divine right to rule Scottish affairs.

    There’s a bit of a storm brewing in the old dinosaur quango CoSLA. Apparently Labour thought they could take control of it after the 2012 council elections, and use it as a battering ram against Holyrood. You might remember some distinctly dodgy decisions after May 2012 – several Labour/Tory coalitions, Labour in North Lanarkshire taking both the CoSLA seats instead of, as convention had it, one each for the two biggest parties on the council.

    However, it seems the organisation is unwilling to change its rules, and as a result several councils – mostly Labour-led – are threatening to leave.

    There’s an interesting wee story here, I’m sure, for anyone with experience of local government politics. It shows how Labour’s corruption is endemic to the entire organisation in Scotland, and damages Scottish public life at all levels.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-26367633

  139. chicmac
    Ignored
    says:

    Alan Mackintosh

    Aye cannae wqait till ‘Och Aye The News’ takes over.

  140. Arbroath 1320
    Ignored
    says:

    O.K. folks, all eyes have been quite rightly on Standard Life today, however there is another financial story that has “broken” today and that concerns the T.S.B.

    In fact I think, if I’m not mistaken, I recall a certain Johann Lamont mentioning the T.S.B. at F.M.Q.’s today. I believe she “claimed” in an independent Scotland that the T.S.B., along with Standard Life, would be leaving Scotland if we voted YES.

    Well guess what folks!

    Not only is Standard Life NOT leaving an independent Scotland but would you believe that the T.S.B. is not leaving an independent Scotland either?

    http://yes2014.net/2014/02/27/another-myth-debunked-tsb-sticking-with-scotland/

    Oh dearie me, not one but TWO Better Together stories debunked in less than 30 seconds! 🙂

  141. Midgehunter
    Ignored
    says:

    There already is a kind of mad Thatcher day, Ok, Ok I know we still call it Halloween but…

  142. chicmac
    Ignored
    says:

    Erm, should have been ‘loan’ instead of ‘lone’

  143. Rt Rodent Rat
    Ignored
    says:

    Labour Logic?

    Aberdeen Labour Clown councillors, wents independent from Labour dominated Cosla because they claimed they didn’t get enough funding. Now they get £7million less. That’s £147million they have lost or wasted for the City with projects the electorate did not want and cancelled the one’s they did. Along with refusing a gift of £80million to pedestrianise the City centre. The SNP has most councillors. The Unionists gang up to take power, along with a Green (elected to oppose the essential AWPR). The SNP Gov is helping fund the essential AWPR and the Olympic Pool. The Aberdeen Labour Clown councillors keep on complaining they do not get enough funding.

    Unelected Cameron flies to Aberdeen, unannounced on an Air Force jet and an Army
    Helicopter. Costing £hundreds of thousands of taxpayers monies. Who does he think he is a President? Why couldn’t he take a schedule flight and taxi, instead. Avoiding tax and the voters?

    The Police Force was re-organised to save money. It will be just the same or more efficient. Rennie keeps on complaining but the ConDems cut the Block Grant £1.3Billion a year in 2010 Budget. The local councillors want to control it at local level, so they can interfere.

    Merkel isn’t amused.

    Standard Life has been saying it was leaving for years. Still there. Bye Bye Sky. Irish TV looks interesting. Especially the report above, from the Dolly, about the bum and the trolly. Similar to the Labour Party.

    * Catchy witch song.

    Congratulation on the Fund raising. By coincidence was raising a toast to Independence at 9pm in Mother India. The best Indian Restaurant in Britain.



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