The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


Newspeak For Independence

Posted on December 12, 2022 by

Let’s be quite clear what this means.

It means that the new Westminster leader of the SNP thinks it’s “absurd” to even try to achieve independence while the UK is in a crisis.

(And let’s leave aside the fact that Holyrood has, by design, almost no powers over the economy or the cost of living anyway.)

It means he wants to wait for the UK government to end that crisis before taking any meaningful action. And given that the SNP thinks (quite correctly) that the Tories are not fit to run the UK economy, that means waiting until someone else is in power, which is unlikely to be for at least two more years.

It therefore means that everyone suffering from the cost of living crisis must wait at least that long before the SNP tries to do anything about it.

At least two more years of shivering in homes they can’t afford to heat. At least two more years of parents going hungry so their children can have something to eat, while SNP MPs scoff down seared corn-fed chicken breast with slow-cooked pancetta, rosemary dauphine potato and sauteed wild mushrooms in the subsidised Commons dining room, paid for out of their £85,000 salaries.

At least two more years of getting slowly poorer and poorer as wages fall further and further behind inflation, because few people have strong trade unions. At least two more years of enduring the collapse of public services, accelerated by the Scottish Government’s own plans to cut tens of thousands of public-sector jobs.

Two years, in other words, that a lot of people simply don’t have to play around in. The SNP has already squandered more than eight years on achieving absolutely nothing since the indyref, and is content to tell you that it plans to waste at least the next two as well rather than risk its MPs’ cushy lives.

(Flynn barely even tried to hide the self-interest.)

It’s also content to tell you that it wants to hang around until the UK is in a much better condition to tell people they need to get out of it – until it has a healthy economy, no crises and a less unpopular government – and to try to achieve that in an election which is much less likely for half-a-dozen incredibly obvious reasons to produce a majority of votes for independence.

Because when you’re sitting in Westminster on a vast salary, racking up generous pension contributions with absolutely no meaningful responsibilities other than to haul yourself to your feet once or twice a week, insist that Scotland won’t put up with this and then sit back down again, what’s the big rush?

Meet the new boss, folks. Very, very much the same as the old boss.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

275 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Johnny

“Scotland has been ignored…”

Including its needs and what’s best for it and its people being ignored by Blackford and pals, when it comes right down to it.

Alan Austin

Looking at the Dining Menu and prices it was obvious who was living high on the hog on taxpayers money – Black Pudding and his assistant – both doing nothing for healthy eating to help a Scotland NHS that is struggling.I can hear the WM benches sigh with the new slimline lightweight SNP front bench!!!

Ruby

MPs can claim £25 a day for food if they stay overnight

£25 is the cost of a meal in ‘Members Dining Room’ and that would allow for a couple of portions of extra sauce.

Douglas

We won’t go for Independence until the UK is functioning well?

I’ve got that on my listed for just after Hell freezes over

Starting to look like the most plausible (albeit very unpleasant) scenario for Independence is total collapse of the UK

Lekraw

I don’t even have words to describe these twats anymore.
Never mind the mentally challenged, gormless imbeciles who just take everything they say as gospel truth and will hear no argument.

We are truly screwed folks.
It’s never going to happen.
These idiots have consigned us to neoliberal hell for the rest of time.

Iain More

Lets be quite clear on this = He is a ("Tractor" - Ed). I am sick fuckin fed up bailing out the corrupt, incompetent, waster, racist, fuckin English/British Tory voting scum.

Ruby

Ooops meant to say £25 is the cost of the most expensive meal.

£5 starter
£14 main
£3 dessert

Douglas

They won’t make a move until the UK is functioning well?

That’ll be about the time Hell freezes over

Seriously looking like the most plausible way Independence is going to happen is total collapse of the UK. Messy but no longer completely implausible

Anonymoose

In other news, For Women Scotland’s Judicial Review ruling is due to be handed down tomorrow, so fingers crossed on a positive result for FWS in that.

link to twitter.com

Ian Brotherhood

We’ll it’ll certainly suit some.

Sit on your arse, eat your cereal, don’t let Sturgeon get to you, support the blue & yellow country, never question the efficacy of untested ‘vaccines’, don’t get any ideas about civil disobedience and always place undying trust in a political system which has produced some of the most shameful characters ever seen in public life.

Aye, that’s how we’ll get independence.

Who was it mentioned ‘magical thinking’?

PhilM

The SNP is an opposition party and one of its core duties as an independence party is to seek independence for Scots/Scotland. No other political party in Westminster can do this. It is obvious but it needs re-stating because what the SNP do outside Westminster has an effect on what happens inside Westminster. Only the SNP can go to the Scottish people and agitate for major change in a way that will make Westminster politicians listen. By signalling that as party leader, he will risk nothing for the next couple of years, the SNP are giving away for nothing whatsoever any outside leverage that might affect what goes on inside Westminster. So any notion that a UK govt might try and alleviate Scotland’s particular cost of living issues in any way in a bid to appease Scottish voters who might be thinking of switching sides over the constitutional issue, well Stephen Flynn has just signalled there will be no foreseeable leverage to apply in any possible scenario. The SNP have freely given up their main lever of opposition and so there will be no incentive for the UK govt to act. Scots will not be offered any help despite living in a climate where the awful combination of being cold and wet affects everybody. All politicians exist in an environment where political strategy and tactics are endlessly discussed. If Marcus Rashford can get the UK govt to change policy, then why are the SNP giving up so easily and advertising that fact publicly? If people don’t know the answer to that by now, then they haven’t being paying attention.

robbo

It wis fat boy but no slim boy fat and the wan next tae him that hud aw the grub.

Ebok

Or, listen to the Kenny MacAskill route @ 31min 40 sec, part 1

Part 1
link to youtube.com

Part 2
link to youtube.com

Dora

Can’t wait to hear the ‘fiery’ speeches from Blackford and Wishart at the next rigged SNP ‘conference.’

‘We can no longer be dragged out of the chance of a comfortable retirement in the padded palace of the House of Lords by outdated political dogma and fear of abuse on social media. Scots need representation in the upper house urgently, and Mr Wishart and I should be free to provide it.’

robbo

“As one of the posts mentions, the bars and restaurants within the Houses of Parliament are effectively subsidised, as they run at a loss. Staff (which includes MPs) and visitors can also use these outlets, and the cost of these catering services (which the House of Commons classes as the cost minus the sales income) was £2.6 million in 2018/19. We’ve written more about this topic here.

From that £25 a day link above.

Well if they run at a loss why are we funding the lard arse twats?
Close it down and get them to go to Gregg’s or Subway like everybody else then eh!

When it’s suits them they ignore the free market tory rules of shutting loss making enterprise’s .

Samuel

Sturgeon’s plan A revealed.

stuart mctavish

On bright side if Flynn sticks to the repetitive script and asks Sunak for a better answer to his proudest moment question, and Sunak sleepwalks into some vengeful schadenfreude about not only getting labour to agree to all these horrible things, but to have had the SNP on board too (despite, or indeed especially in addition to, the unrealised threats to obey the Scottish electorate), we can assume its all going tickety boo and Flynn’s reservations about creating an existential crisis for the UK, bang in the middle of an existential crisis of its own making, will be obliged to evaporate.

Cenchos

Even the difference between ‘Scotland will not be dragged out of the EU against its will’ and ‘We will not be dragged out against our will’ is very telling.

Shug

They have had the last pound and last vote from me
I have voted SNP as long as I can remember, I have been constituency chairman a few times, I have organised dinners, manned stalls walked in demonstrations but enough.

I am at the end of the road these people are clueless utterly clueless, and it is no accident!

The party has been infiltrated and has been set to crash and Nicola is the culprit. It was deliberate from the AS conspiracy to gender to ferries.

The polls are not to be trusted, the margins are low and the numbers are in a computer. I wonder who controls that?

robbo

Term

Scotland being dragged out of the EU is transphobic

robbo

Cenchos says:
12 December, 2022 at 1:12 pm
Even the difference between ‘Scotland will not be dragged out of the EU against its will’ and ‘We will not be dragged out against our will’ is very telling.

Ohhhh that’ll be transphobic- naw?

Liz

No insects and vegan GMO soya crap for them.

They disgust me.

Astonished

I think the nuSNP MPs still think they are going to get re-elected by sticking with Sturgeon.

The self-serving bar stewards deserve all that is coming.

Kevin Cargill

You forgot the free comfy slippers in the hotels that some like to wear all the time!

Calum

Yeah, that “frontline” comment jumped out at me too.

Wasn’t that long ago that it was simply accepted that SNP MPs *wanted to make themselves redundant…

Stoker

Lekraw says on 12 December 2022 at 12:18 pm: “I don’t even have words to describe these twats anymore.”

Oh but we do have the words and the ability to do something meaningful about it. Boycott all Westminster elections. Put these self-serving bastards like Flynn out on their arses.

Anyone not prepared to do that is complicit in all this deception and they have absolutely no right to complain about the self-servers they have empowered.

Everyone with the ability should get this articles link put on to Flynn’s social media accounts. Make sure he gets the message that we are on to him already.

ClanDonald

If the SNP haven’t called a Scottish election by 2024 and then don’t use the next General Election as a de-facto referendum I will actively campaign against them with every waking minute. I will spend every penny I can afford on doing so.

If these nest-featherers think they’re getting another 5 years of living the high life in London, building up their hefty pensions while doing eff all to achieve independence then they’ve got another think coming.

We already know where all the yessers live within our local area from the last 10 years of campaigning and I will knock on every single door urging them to boot these lazy SNP troughers out.

I’d rather see the SNP in the political wilderness for 5 years followed by a re-newed party ready for 2029 elections than another two or three terms of these usesless, waste-of-space self-serving Sturgeonites. Grr.

ross

He shoudn’t have ruled it out with that language. Salmond wouldn’t have dreamnt of throwing away tactical options like that. Even if people may consider Westminster a viable route, you keep your cards close.

Poor.

Ottomanboi

The extent of government subs to mps’ nosh may be determined by prices at this trad London eatery.
link to rules.co.uk
Also, do not forget the special price booze @ the bars.
No wonder etc….
Do be aware of those wandering «members» though.

Wilson McBride

We have been talking about boycotts and of exposing Sturgeon and these lazy SNP bastards since Jan 2020.(The date of her Brexit speech).

But only a few days ago we see an opinion poll telling us that support for Scottish independence is at 56%, and more worryingly, the SNP are on course to win over 50% of the electorate at the next UK General Election.

So this is where it gets really confusing, because either we are a tiny minority who are being totally ignored, or the general public know something we don’t.

Because it seems that no matter what we do or say is affecting the standing of Nicola Sturgeon.

Where are we going wrong?

Hatuey

Flynn is simply preparing the way for the messiah to come. Where the people of Jerusalem placed palm leaves on the road to welcome their chosen one, Flynn and the gang covering their new leader’s path with broken promises.

Hosanna! Hosanna! Sing Hosanna!

The SNP chose well when they made yellow their colour.

Scotland has never been so humiliated.

lothianlad

SNP sold out!! Congrats to Wings for outing these backstabbers!

interesting point though…. In 1940s France The SNP would be known as the ‘Collaborators’!

Maybe we should refer to the SNP Scottish Government as the ‘Vichy Scots’

Wilson McBride

This lot have grown accustomed to living the high life.

They are just not willing to go back to working for a living, on a quarter of what they are earning now.

Staying up a cold damp tenement, or living in a comfortable detached bungalow, paid for by their MPs salary and pension, that is the choices they are facing.

So, life isn’t as easy as you think it is being an MP.

Scottish Independence would bring their world tumbling down around them.

That is a fight they are not getting involved in, the stakes are too high.

lothianlad

The media are protecting sturgeon. That’s why she is betraying! She has much to hide!

Geri

Wait until 60% polling
Wait until section 30 is rejected
Wait until Labour are in government
Wait until we have a majority in WM (we’ll show em!)
Wait until Brexshit
Wait until we see what Brexshit is
Wait until we’re dragged out
Wait for the secret plan
Wait until AS is jailed
Wait until we laugh at BoJo
Wait until after Holyrood election
Wait until after Covid
Wait until Supreme court judgement
Wait until the cost of living crisis
Wait until Comfy Pete spots Unicorns in Perthshire
Wait until Starmer FFS!

The government of waiting for the next crisis to come along to keep thier arses welded to the comfort they’re accustomed to.

SNP out! <— Who'd have thought I'd ever say that! Useless shower of cowards. No wonder they fear an election. A group of non entities who'd struggle to find a job in McDonald's! I hope they bank thier wages, it's their last at that pay grade. Feckers!

I hope the YES movement never, ever gives one political party sole power of us. This should never be allowed to happen again. Take the Yes support away from these feckers & they'd be exactly what they are – a total failure at even running a diddy wee parish council.

Robert Louis

When, on 85k per year, the ‘cost of living crisis’ simply doesn’t affect you, it is no doubt very easy to delay.

The stated philosophy of waiting until things improve is daft for at least two reason. Firstly, if things suddenly got much better, it would negate some arguments for Scottish independence. Secondly, the first point is NOT going to happen anytime soon.

I recall they said to wait until the brexit vote, then wait until we see what form brexit takes, then wait until brexit actually gets implemented, then wait until folk can fully experience the harm and poverty from brexit, then wait for covid to be over, then wait for economic recovery from covid, then wait until we see the English pretendy ‘supreme’ court verdict, then wait until the SNP startegy meeting sometime in the next year, and NOW, to top it all, wait until the economy magically improves.

The SNP, Sturgeon and Flynn and the stinking lot of them are taking the absolute unadulterated fecking pish.

A right parcel of rogues, living it up in London, expenses 85k salary, free flights, free second home, and to top it all taxpayer subsidised FINE DINING when some kids cannae eat. The whole lot of them need booted out of power and political office.

The SNP MP’s grace (adapted from the Selkirk grace by Robert Burns).

‘some hae meat and cannae eat,
and some would eat that want it,
but WE hae meat and WE can eat ,
So let the taxpayer-funded Westminster gravy train be thanket’

Doug

I was willing to give Flynn the benefit of the doubt… was. He’s as much a Westminster lover as Wishart.

Republicofscotland

Flynn’s no better than the rest of those SNP MPs, there’s no way the SNP MPs are going to give up their well-paid cushy jobs to save Scotland form this prison of a union, self-interest comes first, in their twisted minds the needs of the few, outweighs the needs of the many.

This is why we must focus our concentration on Holyrood and persuading our FM to resign, to trigger a snap Holyrood election that will be used as de facto indy vote.

We need the YES groups the SNP membership and the entire indy movement to compel Sturgeon to stand down for the good of the country, if she won’t do it, we need to protest outside Bute House, Holyrood, and anywhere else she turns up on engagements and let her know, that we know, she’s stopping us leaving this prison of a union.

All these YES groups talk a good game when it comes to independence, here’s their chance to put their money where their mouths are and do the right thing, there’s a route out of this prison of a union, we could be out of it next year.

Let’s see if the YES groups and the likes of Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp pursue this tangible route, or will they like Flynn shun it, if they choose the latter then they are not interested in Scottish independence.

link to wingsoverscotland.com

Joe

lothianlad says:12 December, 2022 at 2:27 pm
SNP sold out!! Congrats to Wings for outing these backstabbers!
——————————————-

You needed to be told ? I think i just spotted the real issue with the Yes movement.

Frank Gillougley

Hold, Hold, HOLD!
My God! What a wankers’ wanker!

Dave Llewellyn

“I dont think its right to presumd what the ougcomes of that will be . That will be for our members to decide.”

Except the Members in the SNP dont get to decide at Conference. DELEGATES do. Delegates have always top heavy for the leadership in the SNP but after Robertsons coup d’etat on the constitution a few years back and the choreographed digital ones during COVID the ordinary members have ceased to exist in any form other than to rubberstamp the leaders latest greatest wheeze..BUT DEMOCRACY ITS DEFINITELY NOT.

Gregory Beekman

The only way we’ll get independence is if a Chancellor says England is so bust that the only way out is to sell Scotland to itself for £50 billion, and then have that foisted upon us against our will.

The. Only. Way.

John Main

That was quick.

I can recall the saying “In like Flynn!”

Looks like Scotland has coined a spin-off, “Out like Flynn!”

[ as in out of favour, not out of WM ]

RoS more or less nails it at 3:22. It’s the HR plebiscitary election route, or tumbleweed for the next 2 years.

[ and no, I don’t believe in the cunning plans ]

Scot Finlayson

Reminds me of the film `Fame Is The Spur` from the 1940 book,

firebrand British Labour politician starts of attacking the establishment and ends up as a Lord,

the main metaphor was a sword which he swung around protecting workers from brutal bosses,

which he tries to recreate in his laterlife but the sword has rusted in the scabbard.

Gregory Beekman

Playing Devil’s Advocate, are the MPs right?

Support for independence is very wobbly – can’t stay above 50% for long before the raging doubt brings the populace back down to its worthless knees.

If you were an MP, would you bet your future on convincing such a fickle crowd that your Grand Plan would work?

To be honest, I don’t think I would. Until Scotland gets off its knees, really – what would be the point???

Jockanese Wind Talker

So to paraphrase both Nicola ‘the iron lady’ Sturgeon and Bloviating Blackford, “Scotland’s MPs will not be dragged out of the the taxpayer subsidised bars and restaurants of the Palace of Westminster against their will”!

“In like Flynn”, indeed.

The SNP is never going to change as long as there is apathetic acceptance from the majority of the electorate unfortunately.

Monica Worley

Not only is he trashing the (best) idea of forcing a Holyrood election, he’s hugely waffling on even using the next WM election as a plebiscite. “We’ll think about it” basically. Does he not know Nicola already said we’d do that? (PS – no, I don’t believe her either)
link to reuters.com

Big Jock

Blackford the charlatan, has been replaced by Flynn the cowardly lion.

Big Jock

Ironically the best time to achieve independence, is when people have nothing else to lose. In other words when they feel it can’t be any worse than the mess England has created.

The worst time to go, is when people get comfortable, and think they are doing ok tied to England.

It’s almost like the SNP are waiting for the best time to lose.

velofello

I have followed Wings from pretty well it’s beginning, and now I subscribe monthly – thank heavens Wings is back. So the following isn’t a silly attempt at diversion, it is a recommendation to inform –

Go to the Yours for Scotland blog, and log-on to the Great Pain Robbery article. It is 45 minutes long but worth it. And then hopefully, sign up to Liberation.scot.

Next, there has been no mention in any of the comments of the Alba party and the sterling work they are doing holding meetings – circa 40 in Scottish towns, making the case for independence.

And.. Stephen Flynn….We would be in the front line!.. Isn’t that where they are meant to be? Like many posting here, years of voting and canvassing for the SNP, no longer.

And oh dear, FM Sturgeon, on the brink of getting your GRR bill through. J K Rowling has annoinced the opening of a Womens’ refuge centre in Edinburgh.

Jon Drummond

Interesting looking at Joanna Cherry’s face in that last video clip.
She knows that the SNP are now no more than a scabrous bunch of fvcking grifters.
Why she stays is for anyone to guess.
Indy is so far OFF the table whilst these NuSNP shysters play with our lives and protect their own.
To say I’m pissed off doesn’t even remotely come fvcking close.

Douglas Leighton

The latest WOS article is a repeat of so many. In effect Scotland is highly unlikely to achieve independence through conventional political campaigning or non-violent protest.I doubt that even violent protest would achieve anything except even deeper alienation.
There are some realities that need to be recognised.
1. Our politicians are not of sufficient calibre to deliver even a route to Independence,
partly because they are mainly risk averse and are in a conventional narrow sense ‘successful.i.e elected which provides validation and a reasonably secure position on a stable ‘political’ plateau.
2. The transition to independence will be extremely difficult. Everyone knows there are high stakes involved. NATO is a difficult issue. It is widely perceived by the majority of the UK as the key element of our security. Obviously this is arguable at many levels but it is a simple reality that the great majority of the UK population(and Scotland) will not relinquish the connection to Nato and the idea of an independent nuclear deterrant.
There would be huge resistance in the UK to the necessary changes in Scotland to undo the military bases and infrastructure that supports that position,such as Rosyth, Leuchars and Lossiemouth.The issue is intractable in the short or even medium term.Personally I regard the
present political stance as a fallacy but no matter how rational or well argued the contrary position, we are locked into NATO and nuclear deterrence.
3 Slightly less intractable but nevertheless extremely difficult is the issue of Brexit. We can fulminate all we like about the iniquity of the Brexit referendum it will not be readily open to change due to the strength of feeling in a very powerful element of the population of the UK. Even withfull independence it is rather likely that the re-establishment of a constructive relationship with Europe would require a huge input of diplomatic and political work to make any progress.It is not impossible but is a long process, perhaps even decades of negotiation and adjustment.
The civil service organisation in Scotland is very weak and to undertake the range and depth of national functions relating to fiscal and currency arrangements would require radical development and structuring, again the work of decades of training and negotiation.
I suppose what I am arguing is the the hope or aspiration of a truly independent nation is unattainable. I am suggesting that independent minded people should accept that position and we should set our sights on realistic incremental objectives.I think this would take the form of expanding the devolution settlement in a series of negotiated transfers of powers. A progressive maximisation of devolution. Despite doubts over the SNP leadership the only way forward is to persuade the population of Scotland and the UK that independence would be progressive , constructive and likely to lead to a better form of democracy than the degraded archaic remnants of feudalism,class and privilege we now endure.The problem of democracy applies as much to the South east of England as it does to Scotland. Yanis Varoufakis draws attention to the relationship of Economics, changing technology and democracy. Our democratic agency has been eroded to the point where is has become meaningless in the context of the kinds of the environmental turmoil that are unfolding at the moment.
One final point is that the association of nationalism and independence is utterly disreputable and if the leadership the SNP is serious it would move urgently to change the name of the movement.

robertkknight

Scotland… “The building’s on fire! Quickly! Out the fire exits everybody!”

SNP… “Let’s not be too hasty folks! If we sit tight the fire brigade are sure to save us, soon… ish… Is it lunchtime yet?”

velofello

I have a question for Stephen Flynn to table at Westminster – PM Sunak, what is the present judicial situation with Julian Assange?

What has this to do with independence? It demonstrates by attending Westminster, by default accepting the plight of Assange – and arguably any of us, the SNP are seemingly unconcerned about individual freedom.

So,SNP Ladies and Gentlemen, why are you attending Westminster?

Oh, and there is another judicial case that the SNP did seem “unconcerned” about – the Salmond pursuit.

stuart mctavish

Joe @ 3:24

Worse yet, according to the Herald, Alba wants to increase taxes to pay for the covid violation (rather than, say, clawing it back from senior medical professionals and those in receipt of furlough)

Setting aside that the take home pay they want to tax might not even cover full board at the subsidised commons restaurant it suggests that, in their rush to undermine the SNP old guard, they may have taken their eyes off the ball as far as the anticipated twitter dump #5 is concerned.

Hatuey

Wilson: “… support for Scottish independence is at 56%, and more worryingly, the SNP are on course to win over 50% … it seems that no matter what we do or say is affecting the standing of Nicola Sturgeon. Where are we going wrong?”

You’re going wrong if you think a few hecklers in the background are a match for the MSM which has been protecting Sturgeon since 2017 (when she decided life would be more pleasant if she destroyed rather than represented the independence movement).

Nobody can see where support for independence would be if the SNP had a leader that honestly and vigorously fought for independence. It would undoubtedly be higher, though, or we would be independent by now.

History’s cruel; it doesn’t let you see what could have been.

Johnny

Gregory Beekman @ 4:10pm:

You might be right.

But there’s also a known phenomenon in politics of “Follow the Leader”, i.e. many, if not most, of the people take their signals and cues from the leader(s) and imagine that whatever course they seem to be advocating is best.

Every now and then, a certain % of the Scottish population that is not wholly committed one way or another to Yes/No gets irked about something and thinks “you know, I’d like to vote Yes at the moment. Is it time to go?”. A number of them will also want to be “on the winning side” and perceive that it is likely that sands are shifting due to some external issue or other.

And then the SNP politicians do all they can to signal that no, it is not time to go. They do this knowingly, and those people take their cues from that and swing back the other way.

Thus, momentum never builds because it is ensured that it will not.

Gregory Beekman

Devil’s Advocate says support for independence would not be higher now if Sturgeon had been better. Where’s your proof for that?

Salmond and the Yes movement did everything to convince people and it did go above 50% at one point. Then the Scots wobbled and fell back down on their knees.

Nothing’s changed. Sturgeon could just keep her mouth shut and watch the turmoil at Westminster wash through the public and generate polls showing 75% indy support.

But they don’t show that.

They’re just as wobbly as they’ve always been. Once they go above 50%, you can guarantee they’ll drop back down below it again. God knows who the wobblers are, but they’re there.

If I was an MP, I wouldn’t risk a nice wee earner on trying to convince The Wobblers to stay above 50% – just not gonna happen.

Chic Murrays's Chiropodist

As noted above, JK Rowling has launched a new support service named Beira’s Place for female victims of sexual abuse. Organizers say that men or transgender males will be directed to “other appropriate services.”

A VERY important point that will stymie the hate-filled wokists is that Beira’s Place will not function as a charity, as all of its operations will be personally funded by Rowling, and it will not rely on donations.
So their usual cowardly trick of appealing to the Charities Commission is nullified.

Liberte, egalite, fraternite, getitrightupye

Gregory Beekman

@Rev Stu

Who are The Wobblers, the people that go from No to Yes to No to Yes to No repeatedly, causing the graph of support for Scottish independence to wobble from below to above to below to above to below the 50% line repeatedly?

Are they the one group of people, perhaps the middle-aged (from the idea that young vote independence but the old vote for the Union, so maybe the middle-aged flip-flop between the two states)?

Or are they different groups? Maybe the oil workers get disillusioned and decide to stick with the Union but, at the same time, the financial services industry think independence in the EU would make more economic sense so surge to YES. Then the moods change and they both flip, causing the indy graph to wobble again.

So is it one group of people that constantly wobble, or are there Wobblers in every demographic?

To anyone on here: are you a Wobbler? If so, can you explain why you’re a Wobbler?

Chas

Many on here have alluded to the main reason why the SNP MP’s and MSP’s do NOT want Independence. Let me simplify and apologies for using the word that the BPHB do not like to see, read or hear-MONEY.

Our brave SNP politicians realise that if Independence was ever achieved it would not be too long before at least 50% lose their jobs-possibly even overnight Gone are the well above average salaries and more importantly the generous expenses where you can employ your wife/husband/son/daughter/boyfriend/girlfriend/Aunty Mary/Uncle Jimmy or whoever suits your purposes. Far better to promise ‘Independence is just round the corner’ which keeps the gravy train on the tracks. By some miracle if Independence was won, Imagine the fun watching the MP’s and MSP’s jostling for position-wee Katie against Blackford, amongst others, would be interesting!! You could be sure a lot of skeleton’s would emerge from their cupboards. Of course, it would not surprise me if the SNP decided that 2 MSP’s would re required in each seat.

If we are realistic and honest, Independence is dead for the foreseeable future, or at least until such times as the SNP are ousted. But……….we all know that!

Let’s all write about how unfair everything is and drone on about Sovereignty, Colonialism, Ancient Treaties, Petitions, appealing to the UN and any other new or novel and fanciful means of achieving Independence. It has all worked fantastically well to date-has it not? Our Politicians are simply not interested. Money ALWAYS takes priority.

I will never vote for the SNP whatever the circumstances.

Scotsrenewables

POPWATCH
~~~~~~~~~

I made a comment on JK’s latest post to the effect that at least he and stu were on the same page when it came to the new SNP leader and his comments.

Sadly this was the response.

“Stu” and I are not on the same page – he is actively willing the independence campaign to fail, and will almost certainly attempt to sabotage a plebiscite election if it occurs by telling his readers to either abstain or vote for unionist parties – just as he disgracefully did on the day of the 2021 Holyrood election”

Not much chance of all pulling together for indy with stuff like this being posted.

Gregory Beekman

State indy Scot would have a second chamber populated by the MPs in the first instance, then elected for future terms. That’d stop the MPs worrying about their jobs.

Chas

Gregory Beekman

I am a Wobbler and will wobble on the NO side until I see some projected financials for an Independent Scotland made available for scrutiny ‘It will all be fine’ is a disaster waiting to happen given the economic/financial acumen the SG has shown to date.

I suspect I am not alone.

As to having a ‘second chamber’ in an Independent Scotland, all that is doing is kicking the can further down the road.

Chic Murrays's Chiropodist

An excellent idea Greg.

Braithwaitian in its simplicity and effectiveness

There’s mair to you than just accretion disks and red hair, pal 🙂

Chas

Gregory Beekman

I forgot to add that I have never been approached to answer a question on any opinion poll. Nor do I know anyone who has?

I wonder if the same people are asked time after time.

Gregory Beekman

I think you’re a No until a winning economic plan is forthcoming, not a Wobbler.

But despite the lack of such a plan, there must be those that Wobble between Yes and No, giving the indy graph the ‘mean reversal’ (ie wobbling up and down the average of 50%) look it has.

Chic Murrays's Chiropodist

Chas –
As to having a ‘second chamber’ in an Independent Scotland, all that is doing is kicking the can further down the road.

Aye but nothing days we wont abolish it after 2-3 years. A second chamber would be useful. How much of Sturgeon’s Handouts for the Inadequates would get approved in a second chamber?

Gregory Beekman

@Chas

I’ve never been asked either. Maybe pollster mostly use the same people? Just bizarre that a Yes lead one month turns into a No lead the next.

Imagine if that was in England but between Tory and Labour – one is ahead one month, then the other the next, then it just keeps reversing. I’d imagine there’d be a tonne of research into what was going on. But in Scotland? Nah, no one’s interested.

Big Jock

Chas. This is not about money. If that’s your basis for making a decision on Scotlands very existence. Then it’s a very hollow relationship you have with your nation.

Desimond

We have moved from the classic get out of “Never interrupt your enemy whilst they make a mistake” to simply “Never”

Now is not the Time
Ad Infinitum

Mac

If I see one more clip of that fat windbag bloviating sack of shite saying we will not be dragged out of the EU against our will…

Alternatively it is the ‘rick’n roll / black’n shat’ clip of the independence movement.

Lenny Hartley

Vellofellow, hope yer well pal, now that Wings is back maybe we should reconvene the Wings nights out in the new year, they were a great way to put a face to comments.
You up for that Ian Brotherhood?

Scot Finlayson

Yer no buyin a pair of socks FFS,

if you`re still wobbling at this stage of UK collapse you aint ever gonna wobble towards Scottish independence.

Chas

Big Jock

Money might not be important to you but it is to millions of Scots, especially in these difficult times.

If the electorate ever get the chance to vote in a referendum and say NO, as they did previously, I really don’t think that Scotland’s existence will be extinguished!

However, the BPHB will be proud of your post.

I am as equally patriotic as you but I think with my head, not my heart. The issue is far too serious to do otherwise.

Big Jock

Chas – Did the Irish vote for independence based on their heating bills? Did the Indians do it to get a bigger hoose? Did the USA kick out the Brits to get a pay bonus? You haven’t the first clue about being patriotic.

The reason Scotland got into the mess of the Union was because of the greed of a few dishonest carpet baggers. I can’t think of one nation on earth that voted no to their own existence based on personal wealth.

A country is about culture, history, democracy and liberty. Money comes and goes. It means nothing, if you are owned by another nation.

Such a crass way to look at life.

Republicofscotland

As Scots freeze in this cold weather many unable to afford to put the heating on, our illustrious FM is running a Christmas card competition, it’s good to see that she has her priorities in order.

link to twitter.com

Of course Sturgeon won’t need to worry about putting the heating on, nor will the cost-of-living in the union crises deny her any hot meals.

Our FM could do the whole of Scotland a real big favour and resign which would lead to a snap Holyrood election and a de facto indy vote, and all the benefits that go with being a independent nation would be ours for the taking. However, our FM isn’t interested in freeing Scotland from this prison of a union, what she is interested in is pushing her GRR, and stalling for two-years for the next GE to arrive to use our discontent to elect as many SNP MPs as possible, but that won’t lead anywhere for Scots, we’ll remain locked in our union prison as her MPs live the high life.

This is where the SNP membership, the indy movement, the grassroots movement, the YES Groups and the fund raising Gordon Macintyre-Kemp who raised around 100k for the Yes groups recently comes in.

This lot claim they are for Scottish independence, well we have an excellent door out of this union, and we could be out of this prison of a union by next year if the route is taken. The million dollar question must be, are these groups going to try and persuade the FM to resign in order to achieve Scottish independence, or are they going to completely ignore it, or give out piss poor excuses as to why they cannot help free their own country from this rancid onesided union this way.

link to wingsoverscotland.com

Alf Baird

“the idea of collapsing Holyrood in a cost of living crisis which I think would be utterly absurd.”

Clearly Flynn and his merry SNP band have limited if any understanding that a colonised nation is a perishing nation. They would be wise to undertake a reasoned analysis of colonialism if they ever hope to craft a strategy to secure independence, i.e. decolonisation. Though their careers may be safe even if Scotland perishes – and would they even notice, far less care? Most Scots seem unaware our territory has been stolen and our constitution and sovereignty is still being eradicated and re-written for us, but we should really expect our political representatives to know this.

link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com

Wilson McBride

Big Jock 7.28pm

The “money” before “independence” question should be put to every SNP MP and MSP.

And if they were honest, I’m sure every single one of them would tell you that the money is just too good to give up for some plebs dream of an independent Scotland.

Westminster denying us our referendum suits the SNP and Sturgeon down to a tee.

That is their get out.

As backed up by the Flynn statement that we couldn’t possibly fight an Indy campaign in the middle of a cost of living crisis, caused by those big bad Tories

And round and round we go.

You never know, Sturgeon could wake up dead tomorrow morning, and then all bets are off.

As has been mentioned in just about every comment today:-

STURGEON HAS TO GO!!!

Breeks

Republicofscotland says:
12 December, 2022 at 7:33 pm
As Scots freeze in this cold weather many unable to afford to put the heating on, our illustrious FM is running a Christmas card competition, it’s good to see that she has her priorities in order.

Don’t worry Republic, it’s not a day off. A little bird tells me it’s one of those kids who’s currently writing the next SNP Independence Paper…

Smitty

I cannot think of one MP worth there salary apart from Joanna Cherry. They get £20k more a year in a parliament where very few of them are on committees, most legislation is devolved abd they are in opposition. Once in a while one of them give a short speach whete they call the Torys cunts then they are off to the bar to enjoy the subsidised booze and finger staffers, preferably in an unconscious state.

Mhairi Black has done 2 speeches in her life but fuck all else apart from munching on ‘Kitkats’. She has never had a proper hob in her life so she does not understand what a work ethic is. She does fuck all for her constituents and her office is a disorganised disgrace. Now she is deputy leader.

Sack the fucking lot of them!

Willie

A colonised nation may be just that. Humble and in their box. But this freeze and the soaring price of energy to heat hoes is going to have consequences, huge consequences.

Already people trying to balance their budgets and take back control are cancelling their direct debits. Moreover, those whon cannot pay are not going to pay.

It is quite difficult to understand how the corporate power companies are going to deal with. At the height of the Poll Tax there were 17 million not paying,

History looks set to repeat. And in this cold weather people’s first consideration is heating their home, and not corporate super profits.

Effijy

Now now you know MP’s have matched the inflation rate throughout.
Who would be willing to give up such a job with money for second homes,
subsidised meals, expenses and brilliant pensions.

No way anyone would give all that up for the sake of freeing your own nation from Westminsters shackles.
OK thousands will die due to the collapsing NHS, Freezing Homes, Starvation, homelessness due to homes being repossessed due to excessive interest rates but what a great living for just promising Indy Ref 2 next and next year and next year with a sprinkling of we will not be removed from the EU against our will.

Goodbye SNP. A set of traffic cones representing Scotland in Westminster could have achieved no less.

We need to look for the true independence part while SNP politicians look for their local job centre.

Alf Baird

Big Jock @ 7:28 pm

“A country is about culture, history, democracy and liberty. Money comes and goes. It means nothing, if you are owned by another nation.”

Agree 100%. Frantz Fanon tells us that independence “is a fight for a national culture”. Any independence movement depends on the ‘national consciousness’ of a people which is built on their own “moribund culture and rusted tongue”. Independence is priceless as all independent countries know.

Political science also tells us that people vote on the basis of their (cultural) values, and not necessarily what is in their personal interest. Those who would enslave their own nation and its people (e.g. No voters) are holding to the coloniser’s values “which seek only to crush the colonized” – and through this “adopts his own condemnation” (Albert Memmi).

Big Jock

Nicely put,as always Alf.

Money is a trap, a confidence trick used by all colonisers. It distracts the natives from the elephant in the room.

While they are handing out buttons, they are dismantling our nation brick by brick.

Breeks

Alf Baird says:
12 December, 2022 at 7:59 pm
“the idea of collapsing Holyrood in a cost of living crisis which I think would be utterly absurd.”

Aye, but abandoning the Claim of Right and humiliating Scotland’s Sovereign Constitution and “Parliament” by laying them that at the feet of the Colonial power’s “Supreme Court” isn’t absurd at all.

When the SNP are not reacting to the danger Scotland is now in, we cannot trust the SNP’s grasp of Constitutional matters. We simply cannot afford to let the SNP run Scotland’s Rights into the ground.

If they won’t fight for Scotland now, when things are so bad for so many, but the UK can still plunder £80 billion from Scotland ‘s North Sea, but the prospects for Independence are so good, then when on Earth should we expect the SNP to actually do something that might possibly rock the boat? Or maybe just even wobble it a bit.

Looking back over the last eight years, take your SNP Sharpie and redact every Independence related story where there is mention of polling percentages, and summarise what the SNP has actually done to further Scottish Independence since Sturgeon became High Priestess.

That Sturgeon hasn’t been booted out on her arse a long time ago… Now that is absurd.

velofello

To Wobblers: Yes money matters. And to does freedom and dignity.

Freedom – to gain the benefit of your resources – be these resources be renewable energy, oil and gas, food, the ingenuity of your nation –
Go and search out the pricing arrangements of energy arranged by the UK government. The ex-regio definition of the North Sea oil and gas fields. delve through the Gers figures.

Dignity – once you have checked these resources issues then I predict that indignation will be your response.

We are being governed, and robbed by a group of arrogant, greedy, and incompetent UK politicians at Westminster. Why are the SNP MPs prepared to tolerate the scorn and abuse they receive? Maybe they find it tolerably worth it?

@ Lenny Hartley – Wings meetings would be good to attend.

Desimond

Its a minute teeny weeny chance..but what if this is Flynns start to challenging more than just Blackford. Get to Spring Gathering and then turn up pressure on Nicola and merry band.. get the numbers from members to tilt the throne of power.

0.000001% chance but maybe just maybe..

Geoff Anderson

Collapsing Holyrood would have zero negative impact on the lives of the People of Scotland.
Gaining Independence by collapsing Holyrood immediately would be the start of a major positive change for Scotland.

John Main

@ Big Jock says:12 December, 2022 at 7:28 pm

A country is about culture, history, democracy and liberty. Money comes and goes. It means nothing, if you are owned by another nation

I mostly agree …

But you try saying something like the above to those who are hell-bent on iScotland being deeply immersed in the EU. I have tried, and received little but insults for my efforts. Yet the reasons for why EU membership just has to happen always come down to money and personal advantage.

But, as it happens, Chas has it right in the pragmatic, real world. Most Scots are uninterested in politics, voting purely on tribal grounds. In order to get the vote of the wobblers, you need to grab them where it matters, in the wallet.

FFS, it’s a national stereotype! How the fuck did that ever get forgotten?

One other thing, Big Jock. There are people, even nations, who think as you do. One of them is involved in an existentialist conflict right now. Some of the most prolific pro-Indy posters on here are cheering on their destruction.

Go figure, if you can.

Hatuey

I might just go to that Wings night out myself, pretend to be one of the more respectable commenters. How would you know?

“Hi, yah, the name’s Andy, you can call me Andrew.”

“Is he working for the British government or really just trying to sell us thermally printed mugs?”

“His bow tie is really a bow tie.”

Hatuey

John, my love of the EU has nothing to do with money. It’s about driving down wages and creating a more competitive workforce culture — not for economic reasons, I’m just cruel.

akenaton

Unfortunately, it’s a lot more complicated than you folks think.
It’s not about Nationalism v Unionism, or even corruption v democracy, “It’s far mair important than that”
Sturgeon has tapped into the mindset of Scotland’s women, especially women who have reached a certain age and discovered that “Father Nature” does not believe in or practice equality.
Most of the offices of State and the public services are now controlled by these people a very good example of whom is Mss Sturgeon. Men have vacated the premises and are now to be found in a corner of their living rooms, devoid of cheque book or bank card, obscured by fag smoke and smelling strongly of fear……It is not freedom which drives Sturgeon’s evil crusade, but the politics of bitterness and revenge.
We need to address the social issues in Scotland urgently before the seed of Fascism come into bloom.
I meet a lot of middle aged women in my working life, and they all without exception believe Alex S to be a rapist. They will accept no counter argument of referral to the verdict.

Big Jock

John. I want close ties with Europe for cultural, historic and pragmatic reasons. Its not just the 27 trading partners. The isolation of being geographically part of Europe, while being isolated culturally from Europe by England. Is extremely damaging to Scotlands status internationally.

Viscount Ennui

In opinion polls, folk vote with their hearts.
Yes we would support increased taxation to to pay for the NHS or climate change measures.
When it comes to the crunch. They vote with their pockets.
Independence is not going to be won on romanticism. Unl;ess a credible economic plan is put forward (My God, they have had since 2014 to do so!) that 56% will soon collapse.
That is the harsh reality and there is no current SNP leader who can articulate a strategy that will lead to independence + prosperity.
Because none have lived and worked in the real world.
For Scotland to be an economic powerhouse (which is what it can be), the public sector mneeds to be unleashed from cronyism and corruption, and the private sector be gievn the permission to thrive.
Nae chance under Sturgeon and Swinney.

Mark Smith

He is at least being honest. This de facto referendum plan will get you nowhere. If it is a Holyrood election then the obvious point is that the whole issue is beyond its legal competence. If it’s a westminster election, then the obvious point is that Scottish MPs are a minority of the overall complement. An unlikely success in either de facto referendum would achieve nothing except give the SNP another grievance with which to string you all along for another 5 years.

Establish it is the settled will of the Scottish people to be independent then you will have a shot – that will take years of actual argument, and would require in reality consistent 60-65% polling in favour over a substantial period of time.

Without that you have nothing and you are all being taken for fools.

Mark Smith

Establish it is the settled will of the Scottish people to be independent then you will have a shot – that will take years of actual argument, and would require in reality consistent 60-65% polling in favour over a substantial period of time. Banging out about how evil the Tories are, or how Scotland is an oppressed colony, will not cut it.

John Main

@ Big Jock says:12 December, 2022 at 9:13 pm

Nothing much to argue about there.

It’s possible to have all of the things you want, without having foreigners depressing your wages, elevating your housing costs, and abusing your public services, while the more elite ones abroad are controlling your fiscal and foreign policies.

My original point at 8:46 pm was that plenty of regulars on here will tell you they want all the things that you do, and that money takes second place to all of that, but that we absolutely have to be in the EU. And, as I wrote, the reasons given are always ones of material benefit.

Cognitive dissonance?

Cringing colonised mind set?

Another front for the Indy carpetbaggers?

You tell me.

Hatuey

Mark, we established it was the settled will on Saturday night when that ball went over the bar. Now fuck off, there’s a good man.

Robert Hughes

Hatuey @ 9.04

Well , in that case , I might just attend and assume the mercurial persona of the character named Hatuey . You , in your assumed identity , would be unable to unmask me , for obvious reasons .

I could then proceed to act like a total dick ( I can usually manage that without acting ) spilling drinks , making suspiciously frequent visits to the toilets , insulting the assembled company in various baroque ways , before staggering out without paying my kitty share .

But I won’t , coz I like you 🙂

John Main

@ Mark Smith says:12 December, 2022 at 9:25 pm

that will take years of actual argument

Or:

years of actual competence, professionalism, maturity and focus on the basics.

If NS and the SNP did force the HR plebiscitary election, and did spend the following 6 months using a constitutional convention to demonstrate actual competence, professionalism, maturity and focus, prior to calling a referendum on their proposals for how iScotland would work, it could fly.

I don’t care that they would have to dredge up that competence, professionalism, maturity and focus from nowhere – maybes they could buy it in from outside Scotland.

Viscount Ennui

akenaton says:
12 December, 2022 at 9:09 pm

We need to address the social issues in Scotland urgently before the seed of Fascism come into bloom.

Too late. It has arrived and is well rooted.
The governing elite of public sector leaders (chosen for loyalty rather than competence) and wokeist politicians.
Judiciary? = malicious prosecutions of innocent men.
Education Scotland? = a failed regulator
Care Inspectorate? = a failed regulator
etc etc.

Hatuey

lol Robert. You’d get beat up if you pretended to be me. My reputation hasn’t recovered since I proposed amputating the legs of antivaxxers.

Alex

While rightly targeting that MPs get heavily subsided food and drink, don’t forget that Holyrood also does this. They are both wrong considering the mighty pay checks on offer to MPs/MSPs.

We need to target the right things to get the change wanted. They will cut and paste the same retort used by all politicians who share this lovely benefit.

The SNP have not governed in anyway close to acceptable. We need to hold them to account. Saying services are poor up here but better than England as if it’s that’s a plus. The only way to get rid of Saint Nicola is to force the cult to open their eyes, see she can’t lead, and is blindly loyal to incompetence. But she is aware of all the issues that have gotten worse under her leadership yet doesn’t do anything to fix it. Accountability followed by more reviews and reports to kick the can down the road, all so she doesn’t have to make a decision in case it is a bad one. Think of the PR! Bringing forward the gender vote to avoid Katie Forbes having to resign is a prime example. Throw it back at them. Make your MSP address this.

Once Nicola, Murrel and Swinney are removed maybe, just maybe we can get indie moving forward to actually being possible.

Big Jock

There will not be an economic plan until Scotland is actually independent.

Whatever is said or written before an independence vote. Will be largely overwritten by the first actual Scottish government.

We can have a broad outline of the kind of desired shape of Scotland. But no government will be bound to carry it out.

We get independence first. On the basis of culture, identity and democracy. We then elect the government on their manifesto. The same as any other nation.

If we get to distracted by economics before independence,then we will never win. Because at the moment macro economics are not devolved to Scotland. England will always put fear in the heads of waiverers with economic threats.

But our country will win its freedom, when we stop playing their game.

Tony O'neill

The So called Scottish national party poli tical machine is full of nothing more than cowards and ("Tractor" - Ed)s. Fortunately the vast majority of its members and voters are not. Their fury when it finally sinks in, that they have been duped by these cowards and ("Tractor" - Ed)s, will be of enormous value in the fight for our nations liberty.

Big Jock

Oh and by the way. Of course I have a romantic notion of my nation. There is nothing wrong with that. Aren’t we all romantics when it comes to the land of our birth. That’s what makes us who we are.

David Hannah

Mhairi Black’s got nae haggis on her dish. She’s been eating too much black pudding in Westminster. Steven Flynn’s hench woman. She’s been overly promoted from the chip shop floor. There’s nae fish suppers on the menu, nae defacto or plebiscitary referendums for the plebs. Only a pound of Scottish flesh.

I get angry and I’m not able to articulate myself well. Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss. We won’t be fooled again. They’ll be fighting in the streets. Bring if on.

Gregory Beekman

Oh, the Grand ol’ Duke of Scotland
He had ten thousand Wobblers
He marched them up above 50%
And he marched them doon again…

A bloke called Gerald

What an embarrassment the SNP MPs are. Sitting there in the House of Commons going on about independence, trying to kid everyone on, when in reality, they’re loving it down there and you couldn’t get them out the place. The other Labour,Tory and Lib Dem MPs must know fine what they’re up to. How humiliating.

Al-Stuart

.
Please can someone help me?

The SNP have replaced the Fat Banker with a Thin VVanker.

Why?

What is the point of chrome-dome Flynn?

At least we kent the Fat Banker was a corpulent erse with a needle stuck in his 78rpm record-player at “we will not be dragged out of the EU.”

But now we have Fat Banker given is P45 with the door hitting his erse on the road out and Dim-Sum-Flynn being lauded by the media and SNP for some reason?

Is it something Nicola wanted?

Or does Nicola Indy-Repellant dislike this thin feckless Flynn?

Ian Murray

No Country that has gained its independence has asked to be taken back.
There is no “obstacle” that cannot be dealt with. (See previous sentence}
Are the SNP still deducting a percentage of their salaries into SNP coffers? or is that money ring fenced too?

Roger

Sturgeon is a Lundy!

stuart mctavish

re actively willing indy campaign to fail, voting for unionist parties & being mental etc

Its worth noting that with SMSM appearing to push the line that only by detesting Scots who are tories can the soul of SNP be cleansed, that a cunning plan back in the day when Corbyn was still leader would have been for all yessers to vote conservative and indy would have been guaranteed next time labour took office (its less sure now they appear to be more right wing authoritarian than Boris-Reese Mogg could, or would, ever be).

The risk being that labour would then ensure they never again took office, its also worth reflecting on whether cast iron approach to indy might be to adopt conservative principles, or at least dispense with blaming others for our predicament (even if its true), to extent that whoever is in government we can still get on with the more important stuff ..

Of which, interesting precedent in the (Masoud) lockerbie saga that, karma permitting, could lead to indy Scots kidnapping and prosecuting arms manufactures (and/or traders, including the one released last week) .. merely the potential of which should be enough to help with lightening the heart (without physical exercise) of any still worried about the soul of independence or the health of its greatest advocates.

Ruby

Our situation is comparable to Marie Antoinette leading the French revolution.

Sara Sawyer definitely makes sense.

scozzie

I was going to write my opinion of this side-show, but really it’s all pointless. The SNP are never going to deliver independence, they simply don’t want it.
Feckless bum warmers.
The real question is when will the independence SNP supporters wake up to this fact. It’s only when they do, that independence can progress. But if they keep voting SNP then nothing changes, same old groundhog day of the mandate ponzi scheme.

Viscount Ennui

Big Jock says:
12 December, 2022 at 10:18 pm

“There will not be an economic plan until Scotland is actually independent.”

This, I fear, is why many marginal voters will lean towards ‘No’.
Likewise with the currency issue.
Mr Kwarteng’s injudicious budget will serve as a rich source for unionist fear-mongering and the mantra will be something along the lines, “If the markets don’t like it, Scotland will sink very quickly.”
If, whilst running a budget deficit, a new Scottish government has to issue bonds, the cost of borrowing will be extortionate without an internationally credible fiscal plan.
We are laying ourselves open to attack unless we produce something that has a chance of succeeding.

Ruby

I don’t think it matters who we vote for it would probably be more effective if we had a huge protest where people refused to vote.

If we do that you say Unionist will be in power.

Hoping this doesn’t come as too much of a shock but
UNIONISTS ARE IN POWER.

Patsy Millar

And when (or if) the cost of living crisis is dealt with at Westminster (aye right) people would then be more inclined to stick with the status quo and once again vote No. This is so patently obvious that it begs the question ‘Are SNP MPs, SMPs complete morons?’ I rather doubt that – more like ‘a parcel of rogues in a nation’.

Breeks

I know it’s just a letter, but look at the state of this… It’s a letter the Herald chose to print,

link to archive.vn

You hope it’s just the Unionist green ink brigade, and that shit stains like this don’t actually exist in reality.

Her advice is for talented Scots to get outa Dodge; because Scotland is so terribly grim. Scotland plundered and chained to the Parasitic Union is never mentioned as the reason it’s so grim, and coincidentally, the reason why getting outa Dodge is 27 times harder than it used to be.

Personally, an understated benefit of Scottish Independence will presumably be seeing these obsequious collaborator types fucking off out of the Scotland they clearly revile so much. I’m sure we can help them pack set up a crowd fund for their bus fare.

Ruby

link to archive.vn

I haven’t read all of the details of this article.

The last line states

YouGov interviewed 1,090 people aged 16 and older between December 6 and 9.

Would these figures not only be of relevance in a Holyrood DeFacto referendum?

Ottomanboi

It does matter who you vote for, the person you vote for.
The LGBT+ lobby, among many interest «lobbies», is now in the main hall. You vote by default for a favourite party without checking the credentials and attitudes of the named you will end up in the mess that threatens democratic politics everywhere, not just in Scotland.
Politics for the electorate should never be just about party. Under the flash packaging may well be something unpalatable.
Discrimination is the mark of sophistication.
None of the above is a choice too.
Proof of the pudding?

John Squires

Rev, you should write about their pension contributions in more detail. For many final salary pensions, the last step in the annual input calculation is usually to factor in September’s rate of inflation (I’m assuming this is the case for them too). In 2022, this figure was huge, it was over 10%. There is a good chance many long term members of the pension scheme will have receive contributions in excess of their annual allowance as a result.

Also, are their pensions ”non contributory”? It wouldn’t surprise me if they paid £0.00 into them.

Unconvinced

Sorry but I’m unconvinced by the case for independence. Those that think most of us aren’t influenced by the hard economics of the case are living in cloud cuckoo land. Idiotic shouts of “freedom” I’m afraid just don’t cut it. We aren’t oppressed and we aren’t “colonised”. Braveheart was a great film but as a prospectus for going forward its a bit sh*t honestly. Even the threadbare economic case that the Yes side has occasionally put forward has generally been laughable and quite transparent in the cherry picking that has gone on. Most of the population aren’t tub thumping flag waving braveheart wanabees. We are ordinary folk getting on with our lives and trying to pay bills. Until someone comes up with an even half convincing case that independence is not going to be ruinously expensive for a decade or more then you can kiss your settled will goodbye. So far any attempts to put an economic case for Independence have been frankly a joke.

Josef Ó Luain

When the fuel bills aren’t being paid, only then will the banks and energy interests move to get rid of a government that has mismanaged and fucked up the maximization of their profits so badly.

Willie

I think you hit the nail on the head about the payment of energy bills.

Folks will simply not be able to pay their energy bills. That goes without saying. There is therefore a tidal wave of non-payment building in the wings ready to soon beach.

Resentment to the obscene profits being made by the energy companies will also very much influence public sentiment. This too will have payment consequences. Indeed, the cancellation of direct debits by folks seeking to take back control, only pay what they can afford, is an early example of the tidal wave of non-payment.

The genie is certainly coming out of the bottle. The Tory government, had it not been in the pocket of the big corporates could have reigned in the energy price rises. But they didn’t and it is difficult to imagine how their corporate energy chums are going to deal with millions and millions of non-payers.

The answer is they can’t and if they take a hit in their obscene profits there will be few tears shed.

Non-payment of outrageous energy bills is going to become a huge issue. Change is coming.

gregor

re. US State/WHO/CDC’s industrial-scale subversion and social media censorship rampage/unmitigated criminality:

America First Legal (06/12/2022): Twitter:

“Following the #TwitterFiles, AFL has obtained new documents uncovering a secret Twitter portal U.S. Govt officials used to censor dissenting COVID-19 views and violate the First Amendment.   Follow along for disturbing findings from the 500+ page release.”:

threadreaderapp.com/thread/1600246196102389760.html

gregor

Express (14/12/2022): Tory MP alleges ‘cover up’ of Covid vaccine inflaming heart arteries in bombshell claim:

“…He said: “It has been brought to my attention by a whistleblower from a very reliable source that one of these institutions is covering up clear data that reveals that the mRNA vaccine increased inflammation of the heart arteries. They are covering this up in fear that they may lose funding from the pharmaceutical industry.

The leader of that cardiology research department has a prominent leadership role with the British Heart Foundation and I am very disappointed to say that he has sent out non-disclosure agreements to his research team to ensure that this important data never sees the light of day…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Orthopaedic surgeon Mr Ahmad K Malik supports conservative MP Andrew Bridgen and calls for complete suspension of the covid mRNA vaccines given serious adverse events and allegations of a cover up of harms (15/12/2022): Video:

“…We need to investigate what is going on…”:

link to tinyurl.com

gregor

re. Scotland banana republic (WTF):

BBC (15/12/2022): Scottish Budget statement suspended over leak to BBC:

BBC (15/12/2022): Scottish Budget statement to go ahead despite leak to BBC:

“…’Leak did not come from Scottish government’ – FM…
She says Sturgeon and Swinney assured her the leak did not come from within the Scottish government…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Wikipedia: Cancel culture:

“Cancel culture or call-out culture is a phrase contemporary to the late 2010s and early 2020s used to refer to a form of ostracism in which someone is thrust out of social or professional circles – whether it be online, on social media, or in person. Those subject to this ostracism are said to have been “cancelled”.

The expression “cancel culture” has mostly negative connotations and is used in debates on free speech and censorship…”:

wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancel_culture

gregor

BBC (15/12/2022): University of Edinburgh film screening cancelled due to protest:

“The screening of a controversial film about transgender rights has been cancelled by the University of Edinburgh following student protests.

Gender-critical documentary Adult Human Female was due to be shown at a lecture hall in George Square on Wednesday. But the event was called off due to safety concerns after protesters formed a blockade. Police were called but no arrests were made…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Times(15/12/2022): Nicola Sturgeon avoids questions about husband Peter Murrell’s £100,000 loan to SNP:

“Nicola Sturgeon has dodged questions about her husband’s finances after it emerged he lent the Scottish National Party more than £100,000 but failed to declare it for a year.

The first minister tried to avoid journalists by using the Scottish parliament lift as reporters asked why Peter Murrell, her husband and the chief executive of the SNP, had loaned the party money.

“Look, he made a personal contribution as a supporter of the party and that is the position,” she said…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

SkyNews (15/12/2022): Three more children die as pharmacists told they can supply alternative penicillin:

“Three more children are confirmed to have died from Strep A in the UK new figures show, as pharmacists have been told they can supply alternative penicillin.

Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that at least 19 children have now died…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Dr. John Campbell (13/12/2022): Vaccine dangers, UK Parliament debate:

Mr. Andrew Bridgen MP expresses his views: Video:

link to tinyurl.com

gregor

Spectator (10/12/2022): The truth about Matt Hancock:

“…The crusade to vaccinate the entire population against a disease with a low mortality rate among all but the very elderly is one of the most extraordinary cases of mission creep in political history…

…Hancock told The Spectator that once priority groups had been jabbed then ‘Cry freedom’. Instead, the government proceeded to attempt to vaccinate every-one, including children, and there was no freedom for another seven months. Sadly, we now know some young people died as a result of adverse reactions to a jab they never needed.

Meanwhile experts have linked this month’s deadly outbreak of Strep A in young children to the weakening of their immune systems because they were prevented from socialising. Who knows what other long-term health consequences of the policy may emerge?…

…His account shows …suppression of genuine medical misinformation …morphed into an aggressive government-driven campaign to smear and silence those who criticised the response. Aided by the Cabinet Office, the Department of Health harnessed the full power of the state to crush individuals and groups whose views were seen as a threat…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

NewYorkTimes (15/12/2022): The Coronavirus May Spread From Corpses, Scientists Report:

“Like a zombie in a horror film, the coronavirus can persist in the bodies of infected patients well after death, even spreading to others, according to two startling studies.

The risk of contagion is mainly to …pathologists, medical examiners and health care workers, and in settings like hospitals and nursing homes…

…transmission from corpses is not likely to be a major factor in the pandemic…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Spiked (14/12/2022): The New York Times’ shameless Covid contortions:

“Even as China relaxes its lockdown, the US liberal media are still whipping up fear…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Fear:

“An unpleasant emotion or thought that you have when you are frightened or worried by something dangerous, painful, or bad that is happening or might happen.”

“There are fears that the disease will spread to other countries.”

“Is the scheme meeting your expectations – hopes and fears?”

link to dictionary.cambridge.org

gregor

TechnoFog (14/12/2022): Epstein Island: Newly Unsealed Evidence of Abuse:

“We have newly unsealed documents – including the depositions of Ghislaine Maxwell and one of her victims – revealing new details on the extent of the abuse and victimization that took place by Jeffrey Epstein…

She testified that all those girls “appeared to be teenagers.” They “looked young.” One girl in particular “looked well under 18.” This girl told Ransome that “they abused her on the island.” Another girl ran out of Epstein’s room crying and saying she was “forced to have sex with Jeffrey Epstein.”…

Ransome would meet Ghislaine Maxwell on a later trip to Epstein Island. She was told that Maxwell was “a very dangerous character and has connections,” and “to do everything she told me to do.”…”

There is still more to come. Currently, multiple “John Does” are fighting the unsealing of their names. We expect those names to be unsealed…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

DailyMail (14/12/2022): ‘The footage will haunt me for the rest of my life.’ Jeffrey Epstein survivor claims she watched tapes the pedophile made of his wealthy friends having sex with a female victim for ‘blackmail’ – and says she still has copies stashed:

“…Ransome goes on to claim that footage she saw will ‘haunt me for the rest of my life’ and that the faces of the two men were clearly visible. She does not identify those men…

Ransome even claims to have copies which she has stored at several secure locations around Europe and says she fears retaliation by Epstein even though he is dead.

The bombshell claim gives new insight into the long-held theory that Epstein blackmailed his wealthy male friends with secretly recorded videos of them having sex with underage girls he provided…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

BBC (15/12/2022): Strep A antibiotics supply alert issued:

“A supply alert notice for the antibiotics used to treat the strep A bacterial infection has been issued by the Scottish government.

The notice warns pharmacists there has been a surge in demand for the antibiotics and they “may be temporarily in limited supply at certain wholesalers and pharmacies”.

There has been a surge in strep A cases across Scotland in recent weeks…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

World Council for Health (15/12/2022): Alleged Data Cover-up by Leading UK Research Institution:

“The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has issued a statement refuting this claim. Given the gravity of these allegations, World Council for Health requests that the BHF practice due diligence and carry out an internal investigation to assess whether the allegations are true, and to take immediate action if evidence is found.

If there is any possibility that these allegations are true, then the institution in question will be seen to have breached ethical standards, acted fraudulently, and knowingly put millions of people’s lives at risk.

In demanding non-disclosure agreements, the institution has also coerced staff into enabling its crimes by remaining silent…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

CNBC (2020): The FDA says Pfizer’s Covid vaccine is safe and effective. But trial participants warn of intense symptoms…

“The Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine is both safe and effective, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration…

If Pfizer’s shot is granted an emergency use authorization…

Many people are now wondering whether this will be just like getting the flu vaccine. The short answer is: No, not really…

The FDA said that while side effects of the Pfizer vaccine are common, there are “no specific safety concerns…”

Moderna stopped testing the highest dose of its vaccine during the trial because of the number of reports of severe adverse reactions. 

As for any long-term effects, Batalvi isn’t giving it much thought. “I’m not too concerned,” he said…”:

link to archive.ph

Independent (2020): Back to normal in 2021? Why the Covid vaccine could create a better society than before:

“One of Britain’s leading scientists prompted yelps of joy and sighs of relief earlier this week when he said the Covid vaccine developed by Pfizer would mean life returning to normal by the spring…”:

link to archive.ph

BBC (15/12/2022): US brings back free at-home Covid tests as part of winter plan:

“…The decision comes as Covid infections rise ahead of the winter holidays…

Covid cases, hospital visits and deaths have all begun to rise in recent weeks…

Some cities are calling on Americans to wear masks again… while White House officials have urged Americans to get the latest Covid and flu jabs…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Rise:

“To move upwards.”

“To stand, especially after sitting.”

“(of a group of people) to begin to oppose or fight a bad government or ruler.”

link to dictionary.cambridge.org

gregor

Yahoo (15/12/2022): At least 19 children die in the UK from invasive illness as officials admit penicillin shortage:

“…comes just hours after the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) issued “serious shortage protocols” for three penicillin treatments amid a shortage caused by a rise in cases of Strep A…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Stone The Crows (1973): Penicillin Blues:

“…I’ve got bad blood baby, looks like I need a shot…

You’ve got your needle in me baby, and it looks and it feels alright

Don’t want you to lose none of that penicillin – I want you to let me have it all…”:

link to tinyurl.com

gregor

Yahoo (2018): Some, including an exorcist, are convinced Celine Dion’s new children’s clothing line is ‘demonic’:

“Celine Dion and her new genderless children’s clothing line, Celinununu, are coming under fire by many, including an exorcist.

…recently launched her gender-neutral line through an enticing commercial that depicts Dion running from authorities in a hospital after she magically changed the clothes of the babies in the nursery to a more unisex look from their regular pink and blue outfits. The new garments include black stars and the words “new order.”

…Monsignor John Esseff, a priest with 65 years experience and an exorcist for over 40 years, says that “this gender thing” is “demonic… I don’t even know how many genders there’s supposed to be now, but there are only two that God made.” He also believes that such a clothing line is part of a “demonic dimension,”…

“The devil is going after children by confusing gender,” he said. “… To say that there is no difference in gender is satanic.”…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Celine Dion’s demonic child advert:

re. genderless children’s clothing line, Celinununu: Video:

link to tinyurl.com

gregor

David Morgan (13/12/2022): Twitter: Protesters gather outside Balenciaga store in London: Video:

“We aren’t gonna be governed by pedophiles. We aren’t gonna be governed by people who protect pedophiles, and we’ve had enough!…”:

link to tinyurl.com

gregor

Telegraph (15/12/2022): Alex Salmond: Nicola Sturgeon is ‘flying the white flag’ on Scottish independence:

“Alex Salmond has accused Nicola Sturgeon of “flying the white flag” on Scottish independence, after her government decided to spend £20 million she had earmarked for a referendum next year on other policies…

The former first minister said on Thursday: “The people of Scotland were promised a referendum next year, no ifs no buts, and there is a clear democratic mandate for one. …Today, the Scottish Government have flown a white flag on that constitutional imperative when they should have been flying a Lion Rampant.”

He argued that the Sturgeon administration’s decision to “concede there will now not be an independence referendum is even more bizarre, considering that only yesterday the SNP led a debate at Westminster calling for one.”…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Bizarre:

“Very strange and unusual.”

“A bizarre situation.”

“Bizarre behaviour.”

“That party was too bizarre for me!”

link to dictionary.cambridge.org

gregor

FoxNews (14/12/2022): COVID origins ‘may have been tied’ to China’s bioweapons program: GOP report

“…”Contrary to the implication of the [Intelligence Community’s] declassified report, based on our investigation involving a variety of public and non-public information, we conclude that there are indications that SARS-CoV-2 may have been tied to China’s biological weapons research program and spilled over to the human population during a lab-related incident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology,” a summary of the report states. “The IC failed to adequately address this information in its classified Updated Assessment. When we attempted to raise the issues with the IC, it failed to respond.”…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

CNN (30/06/2022): Polls find majority of Americans say country is heading in wrong direction:

“The vast majority of Americans across party lines are unhappy with the state of the US, a new set of polling finds.

In an AP-NORC survey released Wednesday, 85% of US adults say that things in the country are headed in the wrong direction, with just 14% believing things are going in the right direction. That’s a more pessimistic reading than in May…

Currently, both 92% of Republicans and 78% of Democrats are dissatisfied with the direction of the country – the highest number among Democrats since President Joe Biden took office last year…”:

link to archive.ph

NationalScot (16/12/2022): How will Joe Biden’s America impact on Scotland and Europe?

“…What a difference an effective US president makes. Joe Biden…

Scotland, Europe, and the world benefits from this step change and green industrial policy…

We must take the net-zero pathway that has become open…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

J.K. Rowling (15/12/2022): Twitter:

“The single biggest assault on the rights of Scottish women and girls in my lifetime and opposed by two thirds of voters. This is Nicola Sturgeon’s poll tax.”:

twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1603319797722259458

gregor

Susan Dalgety (14/12/2022): Twitter:

“So they’ve won. Robyn Woof, a self identified trans woman and Trans Liberation Officer has stopped women from watching Adult Human Female. Scotland 2022. Thanks Nicola Sturgeon.”:

Robyn Woof: Video:

link to tinyurl.com

gregor

DailyMail (15/12/2022): Outrage as woke scientists say Americans unvaccinated against Covid should pay higher car insurance premiums – after study indicated they crash more:

“Scientists have sparked outrage after calling for Americans who are not vaccinated against Covid to pay higher car insurance premiums. 

They issued the call after a study found that people who had not received a shot  were 70 percent more likely to be involved in a traffic accident…

The Canadian researchers suggested that people who do not get vaccinated are reckless. But the findings garnered disbelief and ridicule on social media, with physicians painting results as ‘stupid’ and ‘a joke’…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Elon Musk (16/12/2022): Twitter:

“If anyone posted real-time locations & addresses of NYT reporters, FBI would be investigating, there’d be hearings on Capitol Hill & Biden would give speeches about end of democracy!”:

twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1603602018727104513?cxt=HHwWgsCg9cXikcEsAAAA

gregor

BBC (2021): EU Commissioner:

“EU countries should discuss forced vaccinations…”:

link to archive.ph

BBC (16/12/2022): Twitter threatened with EU ‘sanctions’ over journalists’ ban:

“The EU has threatened Twitter owner Elon Musk with “sanctions” after several journalists covering the firm had their accounts abruptly suspended.

Reporters for The New York Times, CNN and Washington Post were among those locked out of their accounts.

EU commissioner Vera Jourova warned that the EU’s Digital Services Act requires respect of media freedom…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Elon Musk (16/12/2022): Twitter:

“They posted my exact real-time location, basically assassination coordinates, in (obvious) direct violation of Twitter terms of service.”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

BBC (16/12/2022): Twitter condemned by UN and EU over reporters’ ban:

“The United Nations has joined the European Union in condemning Twitter’s decision to suspend some journalists…

Melissa Fleming, the UN’s under secretary general for global communications, said she was “deeply disturbed” by reports…

“Media freedom is not a toy,” she said. “A free press is the cornerstone of democratic societies and a key tool in the fight against harmful disinformation.”…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Times (16/12/2022): Former SNP minister Ash Regan: I had to vote with my conscience and resign over gender reform bill:

“…Her assessment of public sentiment appears to be backed up by a poll conducted last week for YouGov, where around two thirds of people were found to oppose the key pillars of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill.

This includes severe scepticism about allowing people to self-identify in their new gender without a doctor’s assessment and lowering the age at which people can switch from 18 to 16.

The views were consistent across all genders, party political supporters and ages with the exception of those between 16 and 24, who tended to back the proposals.

The proposals are expected to become law this week when they go through their final vote, although a significant number of SNP MSPs are expected to reject the bill…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Yahoo (16/12/2022): John Swinney warned budget poses ‘socially harmful cuts’ to councils’ funding:

“Scottish council leaders have expressed their “extreme disappointment” with the funding settlement offered by SNP ministers – insisting the deal is a “massive real-terms cut” for authorities.

The Scottish Government has been warned that the current draft settlement “will lead to socially harmful cuts to vital local services and the loss of jobs within local authorities”…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Robert F. Kennedy Jr (17/12/2022): Twitter:

“The most courageous newscast in 60 years. The CIA’s murder of my uncle was a successful coup d’état from which are democracy has never recovered.”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Unusual Whales (16/12/2022):

“SBF has been charged with violating campaign finance laws. He has given $42 million to Democrats & “dark money” to Republicans. But there hasn’t been a full list of the politicians he paid. Until now.

Click here to see who SBF gave money to.”:

unusualwhales.com/politics/article/senate_ftx

gregor

Clown World (17/12/2022): Twitter:

“The blind leading the blind?”:

re. Joe Biden attempts to function: Video:

link to tinyurl.com

gregor

Blind:

“Unable to see.”

“To not be conscious of something or to refuse to notice something that is obvious to others.”

“We shouldn’t let our prejudices blind us to the facts of the situation.”

link to dictionary.cambridge.org

gregor

Independent (17/12/2022): SNP to hold ‘Democracy Scotland’ conference on how to secure independence:

“The SNP said it will hold a Democracy Scotland conference in early spring to decide “the way forward to secure independence”.

The party said the conference will be an opportunity to set out a “clear pathway” for the country to express a view on its constitutional future…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Aha! (2020): Strategic Roadmaps: Vision vs. Strategy:

“Roadmaps are beautiful. Not just because they are aesthetically pleasing, but because of what they represent. Roadmaps clearly show what you want to achieve and how you will get there…

Vision is the initial thought about what kind of place it will be and why it will matter.

Strategy is the blueprint for the foundation and framing.

The roadmap builds upon the blueprint with a detailed plan for erecting a fully-functioning structure…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Scottish Government (2013): Publication – Strategy/plan: The Case for Independence:

“This chapter gives an overview of:

• why Scotland needs independence

• what Scotland will look like on independence…”:

link to gov.scot

gregor

SNP Manifesto (2017): ‘Stronger For Scotland’:

Nicola Sturgeon:

“…My pledge is to make Scotland stronger at Westminster…”:

“Leading opposition to the bombing of Syria:

It was the SNP that provided the clear and unified opposition to the UK government’s ill-judged decision to bomb Syria. SNP MPs will continue to press the UK government to take meaningful action to bring about a political resolution to end the six-year conflict…

High quality health care:

Investment in Scotland’s NHS is at a record level and the number of staff working in our NHS has increased… Health and social care …are the best performing in the UK.

OUR KEY PLEDGES:

An end to austerity:

SNP MPs will demand an end to austerity. We have a responsible plan to repair the public finances while also freeing up additional resources to bring an end to austerity…

Protecting the NHS:

Our plan to end austerity would enable the UK government to increase investment in the NHS far beyond current plans…

Improving education:

We will continue to invest in and reform school education…”:

link to d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net

gregor

CaseInterview (2018): Winning vs. Resolving Conflicts:

“When you’re in a conflict with someone else, you want to define your goal clearly.

Are you trying to “win” the conflict, or to “resolve” it?

Although the words seem similar enough to be interchangeable, they couldn’t be more different.

When you “win” a conflict, you get the outcome that you want without regard to what the other person gets and how they feel about the process…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Nicola Sturgeon (2022): Twit:

“Glory to U(redacted)e”: re-Tweet:

Stewart MacDonald (2022): Twit:

“This morning R(redacted)a has bombed central Kyiv, right beside Shevchenko University in the heart of town and during the morning rush hour. We must give U(redacted)e everything it needs to win…”:

link to archive.ph

Nicola Sturgeon “Glory to Scotland”

Google Result:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Alyn Smith MP (2022): Twit:

“…Scotland stands with U(redacted)e.

Glory to U(redacted)e”:

link to archive.ph

Google Search (17/12/2022):

Alyn Smith “Glory to Scotland”

Google Result:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Scot Government Culture (2022): Twit:

“Culture Secretary @AngusRobertson met with the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra and their conductor…

Glory to U(redacted)e…”:

link to archive.ph

Google Search (17/12/2022):

Scottish Government “Glory to Scotland”

Google Result:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Snowgoose (2020): Who will you choose:

“Faith may move a mountain – it may move us along

Who will you choose (I’ll tell thee)…”:

link to tinyurl.com

gregor

Times (17/12/2022): SNP trans reforms risk attracting sex offenders to Scotland, says Jack McConnell:

“Gender recognition reforms expected to be passed in Scotland this week could prove a magnet for predatory sex offenders from other parts of the UK, a former Scottish government leader has warned…”:

…a Panelbase poll for The Sunday Times found that a majority of voters oppose key aspects of the SNP-Green government bill allowing people as young as 16 to quickly change their legal gender.

The poll suggests that, when undecideds are excluded, 68 per cent of voters believe the changes pose a safety risk…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Courier (17/12/2022): 5 questions over Nicola Sturgeon’s husband’s £107,000 loan to the SNP:

“SNP finances are under scrutiny after it emerged Peter Murrell, who is married to Nicola Sturgeon, gave the party a huge loan to help with cash flow problems…

1. Why did Peter Murrell make this loan?…

2. Why did the SNP need money from him?…

3. Why was this loan not initially declared?…

4. How is Nicola Sturgeon responding?…

5. Is the SNP being transparent?…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Transparent:

“Clear and easy to understand or recognize.”

“Open and honest, without secrets.”

“The real reason for her leaving was so transparent, no one believed it.”

link to dictionary.cambridge.org

gregor

Times (17/12/2022): Nicola Sturgeon v JK Rowling: the lightning rods in Scotland’s bitter gender war:

Nicola Sturgeon:

“I’ve spent much of my life campaigning for women’s rights.

We don’t have to look very far to see the real threats to women’s rights right now. They come from men…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

NationalScot (16/12/2022): Greta Thunberg backs students as ‘Adult Human Female’ showing blocked:

“Climate activist Greta Thunberg has sent a message of support to Edinburgh students who blocked a screening of a film branded “transphobic” by an academic union…

Reality Matters, the production team behind the film, told The National: “Our response would be to ask Greta two questions. Has she seen the film because if she had she would know that at no point does it ‘spread hatred’?

Why does she consider scientific facts to be important in the fight against climate change but easy to ignore when it comes to defining sex?”…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Telegraph (2022): Greta Thunberg: It’s time to transform the West’s oppressive and racist capitalist system:

“From a climate change campaigner to presenting a new far-Left political agenda against “racist” capitalism – meet the new Greta Thunberg…

The 19-year-old Swedish activist has announced that as well as tackling her usual area of climate action and awareness-spreading, she has now thrown her weight behind defeating the West’s “oppressive” capitalist system.

Calling for a “system-wide transformation” at her book launch in London, she claimed that the world’s current “normal” – dictated by the people in power – has caused the climate breakdown.

She said: “We are never going back to normal again… We need to change everything…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

World Economic Forum: Agenda Contributor:

Greta Thunberg: Climate and Environmental (& LGBT) Activist:

link to archive.ph

World Economic Forum: Organizations:

Bertelsmann: Bertelsmann is a media, services and education company that operates in about 50 countries around the world. It includes the broadcaster RTL Group, the trade book publisher Penguin Random House…:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Penguin: Books (2022): Greta Thunberg: The Climate Book:

“…A stunning and essential new work, Greta Thunberg takes her mission to the next level…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Penguin Books (2015): Chelsea Clinton: It’s Your World:

Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going!

“…Chelsea Clinton tackles some of the biggest challenges facing our world today, especially for kids. Using data, charts and stories she unpacks challenges related to Poverty, Climate Change, Gender Equality, Health, Endangered Species and more…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Penguin Books (2022): Devi Sridhar: Preventable:

How a Pandemic Changed the World & How to Stop the Next One:

link to archive.ph

gregor

World Economic Forum: Partners:

Amazon: Amazon is guided…:

link to archive.ph

Amazon (2017): Chelsea Clinton and Devi Shridhar: Governing Global Health: Who Runs the World and Why?

“…As Chelsea Clinton and Devi Sridhar show in Governing Global Health, these partnerships are not only important for combating infectious diseases; they also provide models for developing solutions to a host of other…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

World Economic Forum: People:

Nicola Sturgeon: …r of Scotland:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Wikipedia: World Economic Forum:

“…an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation…

The Forum suggests that a globalised world is best managed by a self-selected coalition…

It sees periods of global instability …as windows of opportunity to intensify…”:

wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Economic_Forum

WashingtonPost (2021): With Irn-Bru and climate-funding pledges, Scotland’s leader made a role for herself at COP26:

“Nicola Sturgeon posed for pictures with Greta Thunberg, joined a panel with Nancy Pelosi on climate and gender, gifted a tartan tie to U.S. envoy John F. Kerry and fetched Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez an Irn-Bru…

…Scottish National Party took out full-page ads in local newspapers…

“Scotland helped lead the world into the industrial age. Now we’re proud to help lead the world into the net zero age,” it read. “While not yet an independent nation, we’re more than ready and able to play our part on the global stage…”.

…Analysts said Sturgeon was trying to lead on climate change but was also seizing opportunities…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Jim Jones (2019): State of the Union:

“I’m what you call a democratic with an automatic
A rebel and a bezel when I just ordered the Patek…

This is America, baby, where we fall for the lies (impeach the president)…

We sold in broad day and police still didn’t bag us
I be ready to kill one of you MAGA’s (fuckers)…

I took a private jet and you know where I flew the crew (LA)…

Got the world after me but I can’t look back…”:

link to tinyurl.com

gregor

It’s Small World:

“Said to show your surprise that people or events in different places are connected.”

link to dictionary.cambridge.org

gregor

Albannach (2009): Eye of the Storm:

The Uprising (2007 Remix):

“…We fight for what we love
We fight for our country…”:

link to tinyurl.com

gregor

BMJ Journal of Medical Ethics: COVID-19 vaccine boosters for young adults: a risk benefit assessment and ethical analysis of mandate policies at universities:

First published December 5, 2022:

Conclusion:

“…we estimate that in the fall of 2022 at least 31207–42836 young adults aged 18–29 years must be boosted with an mRNA vaccine to prevent one Omicron-related COVID-19 hospitalisation over 6?months. Given the fact that this estimate does not take into account the protection conferred by prior infection or a risk adjustment for comorbidity status, this should be considered a conservative and optimistic assessment of benefit…

Our estimate shows that university COVID-19 vaccine mandates are likely to cause net expected harms to young healthy adults – for each hospitalisation averted we estimate approximately 18.5 SAEs and 1430–4626 disruptions of daily activities — that is not outweighed by a proportionate public health benefit. Serious COVID-19 vaccine-associated harms are not adequately compensated for by current US vaccine injury systems. As such, these severe infringements of individual liberty and human rights are ethically unjustifiable…”:

link to jme.bmj.com

gregor

Prince of Wales (2020): #TheGreatReset:

“…HRH’s Sustainable Markets Initiative and the World Economic Forum, The Prince of Wales launched a new global initiative, The Great Reset…”:

link to princeofwales.gov.uk

gregor

Oxfam (2021): Reaction to AstraZeneca’s plan to take profits from the COVID-19 vaccine:

“AstraZeneca is breaking its repeated and celebrated public promises of a non-profit vaccine for all countries for the duration of this pandemic and to never to make a profit in any low- and middle-income country from this publicly funded vaccine. It is turning its back on these commitments…

Broken promises from pharmaceutical corporations and rich country governments have been an enduring theme of this pandemic…

…the UK government can no longer defend the pharmaceutical monopolies…”:

link to archive.ph

World Economic Forum: Agenda Contributor:

Pascal Soriot: Chief Executive Officer, AstraZeneca:

link to archive.ph

GettyImages: Investitures 2022:

“Sir Pascal Soriot after being made a Knight Bachelor by King Charles III during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on December 14, 2022 in Windsor, England…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Albannach (17/12/2022): Twitter:

“I’m sure that some people will call me a tinfoil hat wearer. But it wouldn’t surprise me if this period of Transmania, which has spiralled since 2016, was partly a CIA psyop, utilised to undermine left wing political movements. They’ve attempted far stranger (& darker) things.”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

NPR (2012): Mission Diversify: CIA Begins LGBT Recruiting:

“Earlier this week, CIA officials held a networking event for the Miami gay community…

…Michael Barber, a self-identified “straight ally” and the spy agency’s LGBT Community Outreach and Liaison program manager. Over the past year, Barber and others at the agency have worked to get the word out that the CIA has changed…

…President Clinton signed an executive order …Now, Barber says, the CIA even has a program for gay couples.

“We actually have LGBT employees serving overseas with their partners,” Barber said…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

OgilvyAsia (2016): John Brennan On LGBT Inclusion In The CIA:

“Thursday’s Pride and Prejudice event, hosted by The Economist, featured executives, professional athletes, and policy makers, perhaps no more accomplished and high-profile than John Brennan, the Director of the CIA…

Brennan believes that the CIA has reversed course. “I’d like to think we’re leading the charge in many respects,” he said, noting that it’s important for the CIA to promote diversity because of the agency’s global responsibilities…

According to Brennan, the CIA’s worldwide footprint requires it to be incredibly diverse…

Some may be wondering why Brennan was asked to speak at a conference that was centered mostly around the business case for LGBT inclusion and diversity. But according to Brennan, the CIA’s case is one that many businesses can learn from…

The agency achieves this by “making sure that as you bring someone in, they have the opportunities to grow and develop,” Brennan said. He cited the importance of having a holistic approach, giving everyone a fair shot. But the agency does have organizations that are dedicated to the advancement of LGBT employees…

Why is it that Brennan feels so strongly about the agency’s diversity initiatives? “I’m trying to make up for some lost time,” he said…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

World Economic Forum: Projects: Partnership for Global LGBTI Equality (PGLE):

Accelerating LGBTI Equality through the Power of Business Leadership:

“The Partnership for Global LGBTI Equality (PGLE) is a coalition of organizations committed to leveraging their individual and collective advocacy to accelerate LGBTI equality and inclusion in the workplace and in the broader communities in which they operate…”:

link to weforum.org

gregor

World Economic Forum: People:

William Burns: Director, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA):

link to archive.ph

gregor

Vaccine: Surveillance of COVID-19 vaccine safety among elderly persons aged 65 years and older:

Published 1 December 2022:

“Methods:

We evaluated 14 outcomes of interest following COVID-19 vaccination using the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data covering 30,712,101 elderly persons…

Findings:

Four outcomes met the threshold for a statistical signal following BNT162b2 vaccination including pulmonary embolism, acute myocardial infarction, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and immune thrombocytopenia. After further evaluation, only the RR for PE still met the statistical threshold for a signal…

Interpretation:

This early warning system is the first to identify temporal associations for PE, AMI, DIC, and ITP following BNT162b2 vaccination in the elderly. Because an early warning system does not prove that the vaccines cause these outcomes, more robust epidemiologic studies with adjustment for confounding, including age and nursing home residency, are underway to further evaluate these signals….”:

link to sciencedirect.com

gregor

I24News (15/12/2022): Israel: the Ministry of Health unable to find the agreement signed with Pfizer:

(English translation):

“In 2020, Israel received priority vaccines from the Pfizer laboratory in exchange for epidemiological data on its population.

The Israeli Ministry of Health claimed in court that it was unable to locate the agreement signed with the pharmaceutical company Pfizer regarding the sharing of epidemiological information on coronavirus vaccines, and even stated that he did not know if the agreement had been signed.

…Health Ministry has admitted that, although extensive research has been conducted, the vaccine agreement signed with Pfizer has not been located. “We have not found a signed agreement,” said lawyer Ahava Berman of the prosecutor’s office, on behalf of the Ministry of Health. “We searched all places, including the CEO’s office and the legal department.”

The agreement was made public in January 2021, but many of its clauses were then hidden. In the published agreement, space had been left for the signature of then Health Ministry Director General Hezi Levy and another person from Pfizer, whose name has been blacked out – but their signatures were not not appear there. In the Department of Health’s response to the court, it is claimed that the Department therefore does not know whether the agreement has been signed… or not.

In Israel, more than 6 million people have received doses of the Pfizer vaccine.”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Adam Schiff (2021): Twit:

“Donald Trump spread lies on social media that led to a violent insurrection. He has shown no remorse. He’s still spreading those lies to this day, just without the benefit of a platform to promote them. We all know Trump will never change. His ban should be permanent.”:

link to archive.ph

Adam Schiff (16/12/2022): Twit:

“Elon Musk calls himself a free speech absolutist, to justify turning a blind eye to hatred and bigotry on Twitter. But when journalists report unfavorable news, they are banned without warning. The devotion to free speech is apparently not that absolute. But the hypocrisy is.”

Elon Musk (18/12/2022): Twitter: re. Clown Adam Schiff:

“Thankfully, you lose your chairmanship very soon. Your brain is too small.”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Hypocrisy:

“A situation in which someone pretends to believe something that they do not really believe, or that is the opposite of what they do or say at another time.”

“Critics are accusing him of hypocrisy and deceit.”

“Organized hypocrisy, in contrast, is the situation where a norm is durable, but where behaviour frequently violates it.”

link to dictionary.cambridge.org

gregor

FBI, DHS, U.S. state agencies, and government-affiliated think tanks colluded with Twitter to censor content on the platform:

Matt Taibbi (16/12/2022): Twitter:

“1. THREAD: The Twitter Files, Part Six: TWITTER, THE FBI SUBSIDIARY…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

EuroStat: Excess mortality – statistics: Data extracted on 13 December 2022:

“Following a peak of 26.5 % in November 2021, excess mortality in the EU increased slightly in October 2022 compared with the previous month and stood at 10.0 %.

In October 2022, excess mortality continued to vary across the EU. Bulgaria and Romania recorded little or no excess deaths, while the most affected country, Germany, recorded an excess mortality rate of 23.0 %.

Between March 2020 and October 2022, the EU recorded four distinct waves of excess mortality, with peaks in April 2020 (25.2 %), November 2020 (40.0 %, the highest), April 2021 (20.9 %) and November 2021 (26.5 %).”:

link to ec.europa.eu

gregor

Cameron Archibald (2021): Twit:

“People don’t seem to realise that Nicola Sturgeon isn’t just popular in Scotland – she’s recognised/respected by leaders and voters across the globe. Removing Nicola as leader, whilst we’re miles ahead in the polls, will remove so much credibility the indy movements holds.”

“…hardcore nationalists don’t actually put independence as their priority. Instead they’re fuelled by their own hype and care little for the cause.”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

BellaCaledonia (2019): Cameron Archibald:

I’m with Nicola: stick to Plan A (but with more action):

“…Independence through a general election will not be legally recognised by either the UK or international community…

The international community would not recognise these negotiations either, unless there is a clear majority expression in favour of independence. That requires a referendum. A clear expression for independence cannot be found in a general election…

Plan B completely gives away our strategy for unionists:

Even discussing Plan B, before it’s even reached the SNP conference, works against the independence movement…

But what happens if we win a majority in a general election?

That is less likely to happen. See reason 1…”:

link to archive.ph

ITV (23/11/2022): SNP will treat next UK general election as ‘de facto referendum’, Nicola Sturgeon says:

“Nicola Sturgeon has said the SNP will treat the next UK general election as a “de facto referendum” after the UK’s highest court ruled the Scottish Parliament cannot hold a second independence referendum without Westminster’s consent…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Cameron Archibald (15/12/2022): Twit:

“JK Rowling’s unhinged hatred of Nicola Sturgeon is all the more funnier when you consider the First Minister doesn’t bat an eye about it, and that she is the most popular politician in the entirety of Scotland by a long shot.”:

link to archive.ph

National Scot (2022): Authors :Cameron Archibald:

“Latest articles from Cameron Archibald…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

NewYorkTimes (17/12/2022): U.S. Scrutinizes Political Donations by Sam Bankman-Fried and Allies:

“Federal prosecutors in Manhattan are seeking information from Democrats and Republicans about donations from the disgraced cryptocurrency entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried and two former executives at the companies he co-founded…

The prosecutors have reached out to representatives of other Democratic campaigns that received money linked to the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, which Mr. Bankman-Fried co-founded, according to two other people familiar with the matter. Prosecutors are also investigating donations to Republican campaigns and committees by another FTX executive who was a top financier on the right, according to a person familiar with the situation.

So far, Mr. Bankman-Fried is the only executive to face charges.

Since emerging as a leading political megadonor in the months before the 2020 election, he has donated nearly $45 million, primarily to Democratic campaigns and committees that are now scrambling to distance themselves..”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Mercedes (2021): FTX, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, partners up with Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team:

“The Mercedes F1 Team is delighted to announce a new long-term partnership with FTX, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange.
This relationship will span multiple race seasons with the FTX logo being featured prominently on both the cars and the drivers…

FTX will also have access to Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team members, including drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas to further expand the reach of the FTX brand to Formula One’s global fan base through marketing initiatives.

In addition to being a team partner, FTX and Mercedes F1 will also look to embark on other strategic initiatives…”:

link to mercedesamgf1.com

gregor

FTX Official (2021): Twit:

“Celebrating an incredible performance from the @MercedesAMGF1 team this weekend, we’re giving away a signed @LewisHamilton cap! …See rules”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Q-Tex (1993): Celebration (23rd Precinct: Vocal Mix):

“…A new recreation

So come and join the celebration…”:

link to tinyurl.com

gregor

Rule:

“An accepted principle or instruction that states the way things are or should be done, and tells you what you are allowed or are not allowed to do.”

“Before you start your own business you should be familiar with the government’s rules and regulations.”

“To control or be the person in charge of something such as a country.”

“She rules her household with an iron hand/fist.”

link to dictionary.cambridge.org

gregor

DailyMail (2015): Look who holds the whip hand chez Sturgeon: Remarkable dominatrix painting said to hang in SNP leader’s home… where husband cooks and cleans:

“It is a remarkable, eye-popping portrait of Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon.

Entitled ‘Naughty Nicola’, the painting depicts her as a dominatrix in a short red dress, black suspenders on display and whip in hand.
But instead of being offended, Ms Sturgeon is ‘tickled’ by the image, so much so it is believed to grace the wall of her suburban Glasgow home after she was given it as a birthday gift by her husband, Peter Murrell.

He is the man credited with transforming the nationalist leader from surly apparatchik to national stateswoman…

SNP colleagues reveal that within the party, Murrell is affectionately nicknamed Penfold, after Danger Mouse’s loyal hamster sidekick in the 1980s cartoon series…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

BBC (18/12/2022): Scottish school subjects could be axed due to cuts, union warns:

“Some school subjects will have to scrapped as a result of the Scottish government’s budget, a teaching union chief has said.
The general secretary of School Leaders Scotland claimed the number of pupils per class would also rise, with teacher vacancies to remain unfilled.

It comes as Cosla warned of job losses and service cuts in local authorities.

The government says it will work with local authorities to “protect what matters in Scottish society”…

Mr Swinney defended his budget announcement but acknowledged he had set out a “bleak picture” in parliament…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Bleak:

“If a place is bleak, it is empty, and not welcoming or attractive.”

“If a situation is bleak, there is little or no hope for the future.”

“Their long-term prospects appear bleak.”

link to dictionary.cambridge.org

gregor

Appear:

“To start to be seen or to be present.”

“Things aren’t always what they appear to be.”

“Everything was not as it appeared – secret deals had been done.”

“To perform publicly in a play, film, or show.”

“She will be appearing in the latest adaptation of “Bleak House”.”

link to dictionary.cambridge.org

gregor

BBC (14/12/2022): Covid: Jack Last died as result of AstraZeneca vaccine – coroner:

“A man died of a blood clot that was a “direct result” of having the AstraZeneca Covid jab, a coroner said.

Jack Last, 27, from Stowmarket, was vaccinated on 30 March 2021 and a week later was admitted to hospital after experiencing headaches and sickness.

A scan on 10 April revealed a cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) and he died 10 days later.

Senior coroner Nigel Parsley recorded a narrative conclusion at Suffolk Coroner’s Court. He said: “Jack Last died of a blood clot to the brain, caused as a direct result of his body’s reaction to the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccination…”

Speaking after the two-day inquest, the solicitor working on behalf of the family said they would be pursuing a clinical negligence case against the hospitals involved in Mr Last’s care.

The hearing in Ipswich was told engineer Mr Last was otherwise a “fit and well” man…”:

link to archive.ph

DailyRecord (16/12/2022): Tributes paid to ‘loveable’ Edinburgh man found dead after not turning up for work

“…Richard said: “I’m unbelievably saddened that Jimmy has passed away suddenly…”

Richard says Jimmy was super-fit and his sudden death was a real shock.

He continued: “He’s never been late, he’s never been off sick and he’s multi-skilled so unbelievably great at his job…”:

link to archive.ph

DiedSuddenly (16/12/2022): Twitter:

“Edinburgh chef Paul Kitching has #diedsuddenly as tributes have poured in for the ‘industry one in a million and genius’. Paul’s partner, Katie O’Brian confirmed his tragic death by saying it came as a “total shock.””:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Déjà vu:

“The strange feeling that in some way you have already experienced what is happening now.”

“The movie has a strong sense of déjà vu about it.”

link to dictionary.cambridge.org

gregor

EuroWeekly (16/12/2022): Cause of death revealed after Tom Daley’s 31-year-old diving coach died suddenly:

“…over a year later, an inquest at North London Coroners Court in Barnet heard his death was most likely caused by sudden adult death syndrome (SADS)….”:

link to archive.ph

BristolLive (16/12/2022): Sam Polledri’s mum calls for more Bristol defibs after rugby star’s sudden death:

“A mother who lost her “beautiful” 24-year-old son earlier this year has made a desperate call for support installing more publicly accessible defibrillators in Bristol in a bid to save lives…

The rugby player died after suffering a cardiac arrest in Millennium Square…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

BirminghamLive (18/12/2022): Midlands leisure complex closed as man suddenly dies:

“A Midlands leisure complex remains closed this morning after a man’s sudden death…

A statement from Nottinghamshire Police confirmed a 31-year-old man had died. An investigation has been launched by the force. But officers have said the death is not being treated as suspicious…”:

link to archive.ph

DerbyshireLive (18/12/2022): ‘Sweet and bright’ Derby girl, 15, dies suddenly after collapsing at school:

“…Laila Dawood, 15, who suffered from allergies and asthma and lived in Normanton, sadly died after collapsing at Derby Moor Academy, Littleover, on Friday, December 9…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Holyrood (18/12/2022): Nicola Sturgeon wants to be judged on her record – it’s about time we did:

“Nicola Sturgeon likes nothing more than to lay claim to global firsts. And in April 2019, it was no different when she, rather grandiosely, declared a climate emergency – making her government the first in the world to do so…

…the Climate Change Committee (CCC) gave its withering assessment of the first minister’s promises to go further, faster, and better. And to paraphrase Greta Thunberg, it’s all been a bit ‘blah, blah, blah’…

In an unusually damning report, the CCC concluded that Sturgeon’s government’s progress in meeting its own ambitious targets on carbon emissions are “in danger of becoming meaningless” as a consequence of its own “magical thinking”. And this is in all areas where the powers to act are fully devolved…

Scottish Government lacked a clear delivery plan and gave no explanation as to how it can meet the targets that it set. Most damagingly for Sturgeon, he said the blame could only be placed at her own door…

…newly installed Green minister, Lorna Slater… has clearly well and truly drunk the SNP Kool-Aid… by suggesting that banning domestic flights within the UK where there are alternative rail routes of less than 2.5 hours could be an option…

Scotland’s first minister makes a habit of being asked to be judged on her record. But with successive polls showing no dent in support for her party or for independence, perhaps the most impressive sorcery of all is Sturgeon’s ability to bewitch an electorate into not believing in what is clear for all to see…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Guardian (2022): Nicola Sturgeon issues apology for ‘historical injustice’ of witch hunts:

“Nicola Sturgeon has issued a posthumous apology to the thousands of people persecuted as witches in Scotland, underlining that the deep misogyny that motivated this “colossal” injustice… under the Witchcraft Act of 1563…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Ultravox (2018): The Voice (Remastered):

“…Forceful and twisting again
Wasting the perfect remains…

The look and the sound of the voice…

The shape and the power of the voice…”:

link to tinyurl.com

gregor

Cameron Archibald (2022): Twit:

“When the opening speech to the rally is a guy from the Scottish Resistance shouting “FREEDOM! BRUCE! BANNOCKBURN!” I want to leave. Bruce has nothing to do with current democratic deficit. 1314 won’t win us independence in 2023.”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

DailyRecord (2022): Nicola Sturgeon pays tribute to the Queen as King Charles visits Scottish Parliament:

“Nicola Sturgeon has paid tribute to the Queen and said Her Majesty was a “sure and steadfast friend”…

Sturgeon reminisced about her encounters with Elizabeth II and said Scotland “stands ready” to support King Charles III…”:

link to tinyurl.com

gregor

WashingtonPost (18/12/2022): Biden team planning a dramatically expanded digital strategy for 2024:

“President Biden’s political advisers are preparing a strategy for his likely 2024 reelection campaign that would dramatically expand efforts to organize content-sharing between supporters and their friends on digital platforms, including TikTok and WhatsApp, where political advertising is not allowed, according to people involved in the effort.

The new plans, which build upon lessons from the 2020 campaign, are just one part of an expansive research effort funded by the Democratic National Committee…

Top advisers have been testing ways to reactivate volunteers and donors…

…focus of party strategists has been on groups of voters who are increasingly spending time consuming information in private digital environments…

As a result, the Biden team has been reviewing an ongoing series of experiments quietly run by the national party…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Report on the Biden Laptop (2022):

Exposing corruption and blackmail…

http://biden.digital

gregor

LinkedIn (2022): Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp:

“…has led / contributed to several Thought Leadership programs…”

“There really is a choice between two futures now, the neo-con disaster capitalism of Westminster or the Wellbeing approach to building back better…”

(Shared by Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp):

link to archive.ph

gregor

World Economic Forum (2020): The Davos Agenda:

To build back better, we need to…:

link to archive.ph

gregor

World Economic Forum: Great Reset:

“…World Economic Forum is starting The Great Reset initiative…

Determining the future state of global relations…

The direction of national economies…

The priorities of societies…

The nature of business models

The management of a global commons…

A new social contract…”:

link to weforum.org

gregor

Choice:

“There wasn’t much choice on the menu.”

“The right to choose, or the possibility of choosing.”

“Given a choice, what would you do?”

link to dictionary.cambridge.org

gregor

Talking Heads (2018): Burning Down the House (Official Video):

“…Hold tight…

And you have not seen nothin’ yet
Everything’s stuck together
And I don’t know what you expect…

Fightin’ fire with fire, ah…”:

link to tinyurl.com

gregor

Spectator (17/12/2022): Scotland must rebel against this oppressive gender ideology:

“It’s been a pretty bad week for the women of Scotland. As Nicola Sturgeon doubles down on the pending legislation that would permit men to self-identify as women ­– legislation that around two thirds of voters are opposed to …

Unsurprisingly, the film, in which I am interviewed, has caused massive controversy because it platforms feminists telling the truth… Yes, in this Orwellian nightmare we currently occupy, to speak the truth is bigotry and hatred.

During my last visit to Edinburgh University …the petulant babies that hate women organising together tried to get the event cancelled. When that failed, both the Pride Society and various scrag end men’s rights activists went bonkers. A stink bomb was let off in the venue, and various threats were made against the speakers.  

On leaving the university I was attacked by a trans activist, a man who identified as a transwoman, and were it not for the four burly security guards standing by, it could have been much worse for me.  
What a terrible state Scotland is in when it comes to women’s rights. Much of this is down to Nicola Sturgeon…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Henrietta Freeman (18/12/2022): Twitter: re. blocked by Sturgeon:

“How it finished. Not the only woman blocked by Sturgeon for asking questions. Maybe it’s a guilty conscience. #NoToSelfID”

“…all the women she’s blocked their questions have been polite, even though what’s happening angers us.”:

Heather McLean: Twitter: re. Blocked by Sturgeon:

“She’s losing the plot! “Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad””:

link to archive.ph

gregor

EconomicTimesIndia (17/12/2022): Prince Andrew sells Swiss ski chalet to British family for £19 million:

“The Duke of York, Prince Andrew, 62, has been facing a legal law suit for allegedly making love to an underage girl…

Sources indicate that the mounting legal costs, including the settlement amount, are the primary reason for selling the Swiss ski chalet…

Prince Andrew is often called the disgraced royal. However, it is not only his sexual abuse of the underage girl; the Duke of York is known to be friends with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and the alleged human trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.

He is also known to be involved in several business disputes, among which is a case where he seems to owe a couple around £1.6 million.

A French socialite Isabelle de Rouvre, to whom Prince Andrew owed around £6 million, opened up to the media with nasty comments about him…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Reuters (16/12/2022): Leon Black seeks sanctions against law firm pressing rape claims:

“Billionaire investor Leon Black on Friday asked a New York state judge to sanction a law firm that is representing two women who accuse him of rape…

Last month, Virginia resident Cheri Pierson filed a separate lawsuit against Black, claiming he raped her two decades ago in the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s Manhattan mansion…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

VanityFair (2003): The Talented Mr. Epstein:

“…only billionaires as clients, and flies celebrities including Bill Clinton and Kevin Spacey on his Boeing 727. But pierce his air of mystery and the picture changes…

…there is one particularly startling oddity: a stuffed black poodle, standing atop the grand piano. “No decorator would ever tell you to do that,” Epstein brags to visitors. “But I want people to think what it means to stuff a dog.” People can’t help but feel it’s Epstein’s way of saying that he always has the last word…

Epstein is charming, but he doesn’t let the charm slip into his eyes. They are steely and calculating, giving some hint at the steady whir of machinery running behind them. “Let’s play chess,” he said to me…

There are many women in his life, mostly young…

Epstein keeps all his deals and clients secret, bar one client: billionaire Leslie Wexner…

Epstein’s clients include the Queen of England. Both Nowak and Dershowitz were thrilled to find themselves shaking the hand of a man named “Andrew” in Epstein’s house. “Andrew” turned out to be Prince Andrew, who subsequently arranged to sit in the back of Dershowitz’s law class…

Jeffrey sees patterns in politics and financial markets…

One young woman recalls being summoned by Ghislaine Maxwell to a concert at Epstein’s town house, where the women seemed to outnumber the men by far. “These were not women you’d see at Upper East Side dinners,” the woman recalls. “Many seemed foreign and dressed a little bizarrely.” This same guest also attended a cocktail party thrown by Maxwell that Prince Andrew attended, which was filled, she says, with young Russian models. “Some of the guests were horrified,” the woman says.

Many people comment there is something innocent, almost childlike about Jeffrey Epstein. They see this as refreshing..”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Clown Adam Schiff (18/12/2022) threatens social media companies with blackmail:

“We’ve got a big problem right now with social media companies and their failure to moderate content and the explosion of hate on Twitter, the banning of journalists on Twitter. If you’ll be responsible moderators of content, we will give you immunity.”:

link to tinyurl.com

gregor

LATimes (2018): ‘Tragic loss’: 3 people killed aboard helicopter in Newport Beach crash are identified:

“…Watzman and Reichelt worked for the Standard chain of boutique hotels, which has locations in West Hollywood and downtown Los Angeles, a company representative said Wednesday.

Watzman was the general manager of the Standard hotel in West Hollywood. She had worked for the company for nearly 11 years.

Reichelt was the regional finance director for parent company Standard International since 2011…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

World Economic Forum (2017): Agenda: Populism is poison…

“…Global anxiety is feeding the growth of nationalist movements, emboldened by the drum beat of populism…

Nationalistic populism surges during times of economic volatility. This latest wave is a by-product of the appalling excesses of financial capitalism…

The political backlash is now being felt…”:

link to archive.ph

World Economic Forum (2022): Focus: The Future of the Global Liberal Order:

“After a 70-year run, the global liberal order is under threat. The future of liberal democracy, open markets and common security pacts hang in the balance. There are red flags everywhere – from outbreaks of populism to the spread of protectionism and trade wars.

The question everyone is asking (speak for yourselves) is – can these trends be reversed? And if they can, will the global liberal order be updated and made fit-for purpose in the 21st Century? If the global liberal order collapses, will it be replaced by something fundamentally different?…”:

link to archive.ph

Times (18/12/2022): Kezia Dugdale: Classic populism inflamed the gender debate:

“…Sadly, facts have been absent from much of this debate, which instead has fed on division and been driven by and riven with fear. This is classic populism, where for one to be strong another must be weak…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Evie (17/12/2022): Culture: Julia Fox Posts Her Disturbing Christmas Ornament Of An Erect Teddy Bear In Bondage Gear, And Is Now Facing Backlash Amidst Balenciaga Scandal:

*This article is intended for readers 18 and older.*

“Actress Julia Fox posted a short video on her Instagram Story to show off her new Christmas tree ornament – an erect, red teddy bear in bondage gear with a ball gag in its mouth. “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” played in the background as the camera zoomed into the ornament. She also captioned the clip, “Too soon? Lol,” referring to the recent Balenciaga scandal that seemed to glamorize pedophilia and child abuse. 

Fox was already receiving criticism from users after she shared her thoughts on TikTok in late November, stating that men are the problem when it comes to pedophilia and not Hollywood..

Fox’s Christmas ornament has since received major backlash from viewers. “It’s always gonna be too soon bye,” writes one woman on TikTok. 

“The rise and fall of Julia Fox,” adds another user.

“Julia Fox is a f*cking weirdo posting this after the Balenciaga situation,” says @Yeeezyrih…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Donald Trump Jr. (18/12/2022): Twitter:

“Just a friendly reminder that 80 FBI agents had time to police free speech and memes at Twitter but no one had any time to look at who was in Jeffrey Epstein’s black book sexually exploiting children!”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Maggie Chapman MSP (19/12/2022): Twit:

“This week we will be voting on the #GRR bill. I would have liked to have seen recognition of non-binary people, provisions for under 16s, removal of reflection periods, and more. We have work to do in these areas…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

The British Journal Of Criminology: ‘She Was Just Like A Lassie’: Analysing The Views of Cis-Women In Custody About Their Experiences of Living With Transgender Women In The Scottish Prison Estate:

Published: 14 September 2021:

Abstract:

“The subject of transgender rights has recently come under increasing scrutiny in many parts of the world. Despite this, there has been no research that analyses this issue from the perspective of cis-women living alongside transwomen in prison settings. This paper addresses this omission by analysing the views of fifteen cis-women in prison in Scotland…”

Conclusion:

“…Ultimately, the participants in this study feel simultaneously intrigued by, warm towards, supportive of, vulnerable around, threatened by and intimidated by living with transgender people in custody.”:

link to academic.oup.com

gregor

Scottish Greens (19/12/2022): Twit:

“By passing the Bill this week we can bring Scotland in line with international good practice, and be at the forefront of equality legislation in the UK” – @MaggieChapman”:

link to archive.ph

Stonewall Scotland (19/02/2022): Twit:

“We proudly stand with 60+ LGBTQ+ orgs in Scotland in support of the Gender Recognition Reform Bill…”:

Equality Network @LGBTQ+: Twit:

“There has been an overwhelming flood in of support ahead of tomorrow and Wednesday. 60+ LGBTI+ orgs have signed a letter uniting in support of the Gender Recognition Reform Bill…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Equality Network: United – An open letter to MSP’s in support of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill (16/12/2022):

Signed:

Arran Pride
Auld Reekie Roller Derby
Ayrshire LGBTQ
Caledonian Thebans RFC
Colinton Squashers and Padelers
Connexons LGBT Fife
Dumfries & Galloway LGBT Plus
Dundee Frontrunners
Dundee Pride
Dundee Roller Derby
Edinburgh University Staff Pride Network
End Conversion Therapy Scotland
Equality Network
Football v Homophobia Scotland
Four Pillars
Glasgow Frontrunners
Glasgow University LGBTQ+
Glasgow’s Pride Mardi Gla
Grampian Pride
Hebridean Pride 
Hidayah LGBT+
Highland Pride
HIV Scotland
HotScots FC
Lavender Menace CIC
LEAP Sports Scotland
LGBT Health and Wellbeing
LGBT Youth Scotland
LGBT+ Labour Scotland
LGBT+ Lib Dems
LGBTQ+ Staff Network at the University of Glasgow
Oban Pride
OurStory Scotland
Out for Independence
Outspoken Arts
Perth Parrots Floorball Club
Pink Saltire
Porty Pride
Pride Edinburgh
Pride Glasgow
Pride in Moray
Pride Outside
Proud Doonhamers
Public Health Scotland LGBT+ Staff Network
Queer Yoga Edinburgh
Rainbow Greens
Rainbow Heartlands
Saints LGBT+
Saltire Thistle FC
Save Pride Bridge
Scottish Bi+ Network
Scottish Borders LGBT Equality
Scottish Trans
Shetland LGBT
Sisters Scotland
Somewhere
SQIFF
Stonewall Scotland
STUC LGBT+ Workers’ Committee
SWAN
SX Scotland
Terrence Higgins Trust Scotland
The Hive LGBT Centre
Time For Inclusive Education
Trans Pride Scotland
UNISON Scotland LGBT+ Committee
Waverley Care
West Lothian Pride:

link to archive.ph

gregor

International Youth Coalition (2021): How the World Economic Forum supports the LGBT lobby:

“The importance of Klaus Schwab and the WEF should not be underestimated…

More than just economics:

Let’s leave aside the political and economic questions: One might wonder, why the LGBT issue plays such an important role in the “spirit of Davos”. Supposedly the “Great Reset” is to be about more than just economic reforms. It seems to be that also the LGBT issue belongs to Schwab’s vision of a new start…

Supporting LGBT demands:

…The WEF, founded in 1971, has been connected with the international LGBT lobby for years. On the WEF website, there are numerous articles in the LGBTI Inclusion category. They are often written by representatives of LGBT groups such as ILGA World, Human Rights Campaign, or OutRight Action International. Employees of the LGBT network Open For Business are also among the authors. Numerous corporations such as Deutsche Bank, KPMG, Facebook, Google, or IKEA belong to them. Likewise, a senior employee of the auditing company Deloitte, who is responsible for the development of “global inclusion strategies” and “LGBT+ diversity,” as well as an “LGBT editor” of the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

The thematic range of the articles is wide: The authors explain why LGBT characters are underrepresented on US television. Apparently, the Covid-19 crisis in particular has increased alleged discrimination against LGBT people. Davos participants give young people advice for their coming out. They even recommend LGBT youth books. A businesswoman tells how attending the WEF would have helped her better support her eleven-year-old “transgender child”. Articles praise government funding for puberty blockers for minors. They call for paid parental leave for “rainbow families” and investment in LGBT youth services, too…

LGBT consulting…

New powerful networks…

Woke capital…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Belle and Sebastian (2011): I Didn’t See It Coming:

“…We’ve been going transcontinental
Got no car, we just take a rental

But we don’t have the money
(Money makes the wheels and the world go round)

Forget about it, honey…”:

link to tinyurl.com

gregor

President Trump: Twitter (06/01/2021):

“I am asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order – respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!”

“Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!”:

link to archive.ph

BBC (19/12/2022): Capitol riot committee seeks four criminal charges for Trump:

“A US congressional inquiry into last year’s Capitol riot says ex-President Donald Trump should face criminal charges, including insurrection.

The Democratic-led committee voted unanimously…

Mr Trump, who denies any wrongdoing, released a statement slamming the panel as a “kangaroo court”…

After spending around 18 months investigating the riot, the House of Representatives select committee recommended at their final meeting on Monday that Mr Trump face four charges:

• Inciting, assisting, aiding or comforting an insurrection
• Obstruction of an official proceeding
• Conspiracy to defraud the United States
• Conspiracy to make a false statement…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

CNN (2022): ‘I’m gonna punch him out’: Pelosi fumes over Trump’s Jan. 6 speech:

“…new exclusive footage from January 6, Nancy Pelosi told aides that she wanted to punch President Donald Trump if he came to the Capitol. The footage was captured by Alexandra Pelosi, a documentary filmmaker and daughter of the Democratic speaker of the House.”:

Nancy Pelosi: Video:

“…I hope he comes – I’m going to punch him out.

This is my moment – I’ve been waiting for this…”:

link to tinyurl.com

gregor

Kanekoa (19/12/2022): Twitter thread:

“1/ The FBI buried the #BidenLaptop since 2019. What’s on it? Joe Biden was the architect of the 1994 Crime Bill that sent millions of people to prison for doing what his son is doing here…

2/ After a 13-month investigation, the @MarcoPolo report fully documents 459 violations of state and federal laws found on the Biden Laptop. It includes 140 business-related crimes, 191 sex-related offenses, and 128 drug-related crimes…

3/ The Biden family made more than $30 million from officials linked to Chinese intelligence. Hunter, Jimmy, and Sara Biden partnered with the “spy chief of China” (Hunter’s words) and CEFC Energy to spread China’s Belt & Road initiative. Joe knew everything…

4/ Xi Jinping personally approved the Biden family’s meetings with CEFC Chairman Ye Jianming…

5/ Hunter sent a text to Hallie Biden saying that he was involved in “brokering a deal with V(redacted)n,” and China had arrested “CIA operatives” in retaliation for the DOJ arresting his “client the chief of intelligence of China.”…

6/ If you are a Biden, you can collect $30 million from the Chinese government, work with the “spy chief of China,” broker a $9 billion oil & gas deal for V(redacted)n, and the FBI will work with big tech companies to conceal your family’s crimes…

7/ The Bidens made millions from Chinese oil, gas, and coal before Joe canceled American pipelines, banned drilling for oil & gas, and declared war on U.S. energy production…

8/ The real story is that the Biden family was getting rich from business with our enemies, they were selling access to the US government, and Joe Biden was getting paid. Hunter text messaged his daughter, saying, “unlike Pop, I won’t make you give me half your salary.”…

9/ @MarcoPolo released a 630-page report with 2,020 citations that fully document 459 crimes committed by the Biden family & their business associates. You can read it for free here…

10/ The FBI framed @realDonaldTrump as a R(redacted)n agent, spied on him, and raided his home. The DOJ and the corporate media will continue to persecute Trump’s family while they cover up the #BidenLaptop containing substantial evidence of the Biden family’s treasonous crimes…”:

link to threadreaderapp.com

gregor

Sun (2020): BEAST BUST-UP: Paedo Jeffrey Epstein ‘kicked Harvey Weinstein out of his home after he assaulted one of his sex slaves’:

“Jeffrey Epstein fell out with convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein when the movie producer reportedly tried to assault one of his massage girls…

Jean-Luc Brunel – a model scout and Epstein’s former pal – first related the falling-out between the two wealthy predators…”:

link to archive.ph

BBC (20/12/2022): Harvey Weinstein found guilty in second sex crimes trial:

“The former Hollywood film mogul Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of sex crimes in his second sexual assault trial in Los Angeles.

The 70-year-old is already serving 23 years in jail after he was convicted of rape and sexual assault in New York. He is facing decades more in prison after Monday’s conviction.

During the two-month trial, the court heard how Weinstein used his influence to lure women into private meetings before assaulting them…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Sun (2022): SUICIDE SHOCK Prince Andrew faces new storm after jail cell suicide of Jeffrey Epstein’s paedo pal Jean-Luc Brunel:

“Prince Andrew faced a new storm…

…One Brunel victim, former model Courtney Powell Soerensen, said:

“It is past time for Prince Andrew to step up and provide justice for those denied the opportunity by Brunel and Epstein’s deaths. 

If he truly means what he said in his settlement statement, he should speak openly with all authorities about what he knows.”…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Telegraph (19/12/2022): King Charles to likely pay for Prince Andrew’s private security…:

“The Duke of York’s private security bill is likely to be funded by the King, despite the monarch’s refusal to pay for Prince Harry’s protection.

Prince Andrew is to be stripped of his taxpayer-funded Metropolitan Police protection as he no longer performs public duties.

His armed personal protection officers will be replaced by private security guards at an estimated cost of up to £3 million a year.
The King is expected to foot the bill…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Bill:

“A request for payment of money owed, or the piece of paper on which it is written.”

“A paper sign giving information about something, especially an event or performance.”

“There were lots of big names on the bill.”

link to dictionary.cambridge.org

gregor

The Silencers (1993): I Can Feel It:

“There’s a murmur in the air
And I can’t hear it
There’s a magic atmosphere
Oh yes, you know it’s true
There’s a love that’s everywhere…”:

link to tinyurl.com

gregor

Emma Pollock (2010): Red Orange Green:

“…Listen my heart it goes beat, beat, beat
Listen this door it goes creak, creak, creak, creak
Listen this clock it goes tick, tock, tick…”:

link to tinyurl.com

gregor

Tick:

“A mark that shows that something is correct or has been done.”

“If you buy something on tick, you pay for it later.”

“A very small creature like a spider that lives on and sucks the blood of other animals.”

“When a clock or watch ticks, it makes a sound every second.”

“The ticking of the clock kept her awake.”

link to dictionary.cambridge.org

gregor

SHY & D.R.S (2021): ‘The Truth’:

“…You’re looking at the future – don’t reset your time…

Manufacturing can’t mirror me…

I’ll never sell my soul…

We’ll do it independently – like SNP…”:

link to tinyurl.com

gregor

…Correction (re. I can feel it):

And ‘I can’ hear it…

gregor

Les McKeown (2016): The Lost Songs: Boomerang:

“…Been everywhere – New York, London, Paris and Rome…

Just like a boom-boom-boom – Boomerang…”:

link to tinyurl.com

gregor

Boomerang:

“A curved stick that, when thrown in a particular way, comes back to the person who threw it.”

“If a plan boomerangs, it brings a harmful result instead of the intended good one.”

link to dictionary.cambridge.org

gregor

DailyMail (24/11/2022): ‘She put the BOOMER in Boomerang’: Lady Gaga lovingly trolled by fans for making fake Boomerang on Instagram:

“…one Twitter user posted a ‘thread of lady gaga doing fake boomerangs,’ the pop act’s admirers flooded into the replies to warmly make fun of her.

One quipped: ‘she put the BOOMER in Boomerang,’…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

PressReader (2022): Naive deluded Nicola Sturgeon’s in-tune with Lady Gaga:

“…cradling the woke generation as somehow being the next offspring…

I could bang on about Sturgeon’s handling of poverty, our dire life expectancy, desperate education system, the decline in child and health care, never mind the horrendous drug deaths…

…you remind me of that recent quote by Lady Gaga: ‘It was my delusion and nativity that brought me here’…”:

link to pressreader.com

gregor

VanityFair (2021): Furs and Murder: Lady Gaga’s House of Gucci Character Is Even Wilder in Real Life:

“In House of Gucci, Lady Gaga channels a character so outsized that it does not seem possible she is based on a real-life woman, even if all of the film’s promotional materials, plus Gaga herself, say so. What mortal skis in full jewelry, makeup, and fur—making Bond–villain–esque threats while stirring espresso in St. Moritz and Godfather–like orders (“It’s time to take out the trash”) while sitting by a fire in gold lamé?

What kind of woman befriends her clairvoyant… and then enlists said clairvoyant to project manage a hit on her husband?..”:

link to archive.ph

WWD (2022): Lady Gaga Wears Gucci at 2022 Critics’ Choice Awards:

“…Lady Gaga’s Gucci dress is fitting for the occasion and follows her practice of wearing looks from the design house and other Italian labels during the press tour for “House of Gucci.” Other than Gucci, Lady Gaga dazzled in looks by Versace and Armani during the press tour…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Telegraph (19/12/2022): Gucci faces backlash over advert with Harry Styles on a toddler’s mattress:

“Gucci has been accused of inappropriate content in an advertising campaign that features Harry Styles posing with a toddler’s mattress.

The British pop singer also wears a £500 T-shirt bearing the image of a pink teddy bear, with Gucci explaining that “play is at the very heart” of its new collection.

However, the advertisement has been released two weeks after Balenciaga was forced to apologise over a campaign featuring children holding bondage-clad teddy bears. Gucci and Balenciaga share a parent company, Kering.

Alexandra Gucci Zarini, the great-granddaughter of the fashion house’s founder, Guccio Gucci, was among those to criticise the advertisement.

Ms Gucci Zarini, a children’s rights advocate, wrote on social media: “Why would you create a ‘performance piece’ with a toddler’s mattress and an adult man?”…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

NewsBreak (19/12/2022): Nevada witness describes boomerang-shaped object moving over Lake Tahoe:

“A Nevada witness at Stateline reported watching a large, silent, boomerang-shaped object moving over Lake Tahoe that appeared to be 500 feet wide at about 5:30 a.m. on December 18, 2022…

“It emitted no sound or light but reflected moonlight so I could see the size and shape,” the reporting witness stated….

There were 14 boomerang cases reported nationally in November 2022…”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

BBC (20/12/2022): MSPs to vote on changes to gender reforms:

“…Supporters say the reforms will make the process less intrusive, bureaucratic and medicalised.

Critics say they could put vulnerable young people at risk and undermine protections for women and girls…”:

link to archive.ph

Yvonne Hills (20/12/2022): Twitter:

“It’s like Science fiction they don’t live in the real world, think these people who don’t know what gender they are are just a little bit away with the fairies.”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

Julie Fowlis (2018): ‘A’ phiuthrag ’sa phiuthar’ (O sister, beloved sister):

“The song ‘A’ phiuthrag ’sa phiuthar’ (O sister, beloved sister) tells the powerful traditional story of two sisters – one of whom is stolen away by the ‘sìthichean’ or fairy-people…”:

link to tinyurl.com

gregor

Elon Musk (20/12/2022): Twitter:

“Government paid Twitter millions of dollars to censor info from the public.”

“As (outgoing) Chair of House Intelligence, did you approve hidden state censorship in direct violation of the Constitution of the United States @RepAdamSchiff ?”:

link to archive.ph

gregor

DamonMaghsoudi (20/12/2022): Twitter:

re. Joe Biden says Iran nuclear deal is “dead” but the U.S. won’t formally announce it:

Video:

link to tinyurl.com


  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a (mainly) Scottish political media digest and monitor, which also offers its own commentary. (More)

    Stats: 6,672 Posts, 1,203,062 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • gregor on The Unbargain Bin: “The Who: Life House: Bargain: “I’d gladly lose me to find you I’d gladly give up all I have To…Nov 24, 08:16
    • James Gardner on The Unbargain Bin: “Susan Aitken hus wan tae…..Nov 24, 00:11
    • Astonished on The Unbargain Bin: “Mac – Superb. Laughing my socks off.Nov 23, 22:31
    • Astonished on The Unbargain Bin: “I am really hoping that one becomes a reality.Nov 23, 22:28
    • sarah on The Unbargain Bin: “O/T Has anyone seen the latest Inde-Car you tube? Someone is getting excited because apparently Inde-Car says we’ll be independent…Nov 23, 22:14
    • SteepBrae on The Unbargain Bin: “A Tangled Web AnonymousNov 23, 21:29
    • Young Lochinvar on The Unbargain Bin: “Yes They are certainly having their own wee Bud Light/ Democrats/ Jaguar/ NuSNP/ S Greens (aka the Khymer Vert) moment…Nov 23, 21:16
    • Mac on The Unbargain Bin: “Tinker, Tailor, Tr@it0r, Cunt. By Angus Le Robertson.Nov 23, 20:56
    • Young Lochinvar on The Unbargain Bin: “There have been some clever belters today but this one is my favourite.Nov 23, 20:18
    • Dumbarton Rock on The Unbargain Bin: “Well if you put your brain in gear, maybe you’d be able to work it out. You could start with…Nov 23, 20:13
    • sarah on The Unbargain Bin: “Ouch! And true.Nov 23, 19:51
    • Mark Beggan on The Unbargain Bin: “The case of the pregnant man. How to be a legend in your own toilet. And other stories Forwarded by…Nov 23, 19:50
    • SteepBrae on The Unbargain Bin: “I Vow To Thee, My Country by Murray FooteNov 23, 19:32
    • Mia on The Unbargain Bin: “from the “I do not recall” series: “50 ways of deflecting a question” and from the “Professional dentistry” series: “how…Nov 23, 19:24
    • Mia on The Unbargain Bin: ““Mission betrayal” Series Part 1: “The Stone of Destiny giveaway” by Humza YousafNov 23, 19:11
    • Oneliner on The Unbargain Bin: “The Fundlimundals of Politics: Jim Murphy Leak House: Liz Lloyd The Puppeteer’s Manual: Angus Robertson Scotland’s GDP – The Audited…Nov 23, 19:10
    • twathater on The Unbargain Bin: “Why was I deported and ridiculed, by Maggie Chapman/he/her/them/thoseNov 23, 18:05
    • twathater on The Unbargain Bin: “The disappearing magic money trick performed and written by Nicoliar AmoralNov 23, 18:00
    • twathater on The Unbargain Bin: “Chris another belter of a toon , but you have serious competition on the book titles ,trust WOS readers and…Nov 23, 17:55
    • TURABDIN on The Unbargain Bin: “HOW I STOPPED WORRYING AND LEARNED TO EMBRACE MY INNER UNIONIST. Baroness STURGEON of Dreghorn. Oy veh!Nov 23, 17:54
    • Mia on The Unbargain Bin: ““The Ermine Scavenger” By Iain BlackfordNov 23, 17:27
    • Republicofscotland on The Unbargain Bin: “So the greedy troughing treacherous b*stard Stephen Flynn – has now ruled out sticking his snout into two troughs one…Nov 23, 17:25
    • Tenruh on The Unbargain Bin: “Liz Lloyd Mission AccomplishedNov 23, 17:23
    • Mia on The Unbargain Bin: “New titles from “The Mole Apprentice Series” : “The mystery of the hacked emails” and “The negative impact of verbal…Nov 23, 17:18
    • Frank Gillougley on The Unbargain Bin: “Dear 100%, the point is that satire is as close to the truth as you’ll get these days by showing…Nov 23, 17:14
    • znovak on The Unbargain Bin: ““What is a woman? A Schroedinger cervix mystery.” by StarmerNov 23, 17:11
    • Republicofscotland on The Unbargain Bin: “You missed out the book titled Chris Cairns – Dodging Work on Saturday’s at Wings.Nov 23, 17:08
    • George Ferguson on The Unbargain Bin: “Why Einsteins Theory of Relativity and Science is inappropriate by Nicola SturgeonNov 23, 17:07
    • TURABDIN on The Unbargain Bin: “SLOW PENETRATION. by M. I. Phibes In certain quarters that might be a best seller. Nov 23, 16:58
    • Mark Beggan on The Unbargain Bin: “The Campervan Diaries Che GuivaraNov 23, 16:53
  • A tall tale



↑ Top
212
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x