Nicola Sturgeon: a clarification
Posted on
April 30, 2018 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
We apologise if any readers were inadvertently given a misleading impression by any of these headlines, stories or claims.
The correct version of the report is below.
For all instances of “Nicola Sturgeon”, please insert “the Conservative Party”.
Yours sincerely, the Scottish media.
The truth will out!
The question is how long labour and the libdems will hold out from pressure from London? Carwyn and Welsh labour already capitulated.
It’s a rock and a hard place for the unionists. If they are seen to be in thrall to Westminster they will pay heavily at the next election. If they try and hold out London will starve them of cash and use whatever other means they have to change their minds.
Still, good to see the ‘Scottish’ tories left high and dry for the moment.
Love it.
You’re more than fit for them.
Nicola Sturgeon will never stand alone.
Well who’d have thought that Scot Lab and Libs would finally get their act together and support Scottish interests they were elected to support.
Good. Not before time.
So succinct.
I caught that beeb Web item earlier, the same conclusion reached.
Totally flies at odds with the MSM narrative.
Please can I live in the real world.
Ps like Chris McEleny’s ideas in the National regarding Ref2.
Refreshing.
The LibDems and Lab in Scotland have got a long long way to go before I would trust them!
Tomkins is the only one trying to stuff a sock into his mouth.
a master class – thank you.
Don’t be fooled by Labour and LibDems seemingly making a stand for devolution. They aren’t suddenly sticking up for Scottish sovereignty.
Don’t forget: the whole reason for devolution is to try and stop independence, to prevent Scotland’s people from exercising their sovereignty.
Labour and the Tories legislated for devolution in such a way to facilitate precisely what the UK Govt is now attempting to do.
As the old adage goes: power devolved is (Westminster) power retained.
The solution is straightforward: dissolve the Union.
Scotland should revert to being an independent political state.
Tories out of touch? Damn right they are.
Imagine my surprise when the BBC didn’t cover this on their main TV news bulletin.
Tough call now for Nicola and its clear referendum and/or UDI.
Nicola you are NEVER alone the predominance of Scotland is behind you
I knew you’d be onto this Rev.
There we have it, another one for the doorsteps.
The media and the Tories, always the same agenda.
Have BBC not reported this as Nicola Sturgeon’s Scottish Parliament still isolated yet, give them time to get the wording correct.
Sinky
The BBC Scotland website headlines are running with something about a missing report regarding some police officer in Police Scotland. The Beeb love a good Police Scotland Bad story.
And their second story is about a missing dog. (Am No Kiddin)
The Home Rule supporting Herald since 18XX barely covers the story with a boring irrelevant headline nobody will bother with
“Trust between Holyrood and Westminster at ‘lowest ebb in a decade'”
and one single paragraph half way through:
“Wales has now struck a deal with Downing Street over the legislation, but Scottish Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens have all backed the SNP Government’s continued opposition. Its alternative legislation is now set to be challenged in the Supreme Court. ”
Lest they forget or think they’re getting away with it:
http://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/13180138.The_Herald_s_view__we_back_staying_within_UK__but_only_if_there_s_more_far_reaching_further_devolution/
Liars.
You EU collaborators will fight brexit to the end. Any excuse does.The SNP, Scottish Labour and Scottish Tories do not want powers returned to them, they want the EU to retain the powers and govern Scotland. So much for Scottish Independence.
@yesindyref2
The anti-independence stance of the media appears to get more brazen with each passing day. It’s as if they no longer care to appear as seen to be being fair and balanced.
It’s the opposite and the same goes for the BBC, both radio and telly. I don’t think this brazenness looks good and it will work against them when more people start to pay attention such as after a referendum is called and it starts to matter.
Pride comes before a fall still holds true as some editors and political journalists will find out when the time comes.
@Thepnr
I’m going to post that link occasionally in the Herald with something suitable like “What happened?”. Shame them into submission!
Peter Barton @ 10.33
When I saw the headline in ‘The National’ I hoped it would be Chris McEleny who said it as I intend to put him as my No. 1 in the vote. Totally agree.
Colin Alexander = boring boring boring same old guff paid to troll British Nationalist.
Get yourself a decent job and some self respect. Pathetic way to earn a crust.
Posted this last thread, but seems more relevent here.
……..
Ok, so…the ‘Welsh’ labour plan to shaft Scots devolution failed miserably, and made labour look complicit in attacking devolution with the tories.
Up pops the desperate Scottish Labour branch office, told to look like they are against the Amendments, but not really. They are looking supportive so they can all jump up and down shouting “take the NEXT deal”…and, when THAT is just more contrived pish, labour will shout.. “we supported you and now you are just being awkward”.
Nothing if not predictable.
…….
Mad Unionist = sensibledave = Britnat troll.
Boring boring boring same old guff.
@Mad Unionist says: 1 May, 2018 at 12:03 am:
“You EU collaborators will fight brexit to the end.”
Yup! Sure we will.
“Any excuse does.The SNP, Scottish Labour and Scottish Tories do not want powers returned to them, they want the EU to retain the powers and govern Scotland. So much for Scottish Independence.”
Nope! You and your unionist congenital idiot friends just cannot stop yourselves lying — to yourselves.
Everyone else knows the truth and the truth is that Westminster is the de facto parliament of the country of England and its sole intent has always been to dominate and treat the rest of this benighted, so called, united kingdom, as dominions of England. Yet there has never been a legally elected Parliament of England since the last day of April 1707.
While Westminster undemocratically dominates the rest of the so called union the EU is a parliament that works by democracy and furthermore by consensus.
Obviously you are far to thick to realise that every EU Member State has a legal veto. Thus nothing passes the EU parliament unless agreed by every one of the member states – and that includes the Westminster parliament.
The Westminster Parliament that tells idiots like you they opposes this,that and the other thing that Europe has, “Forced”, upon the United Kingdom.
So that is an obvious lie – if the UK had used its veto whatever it is they complain about could never have passed the EU parliament.
How very different from the Westminster domination where it is a case of the party in power orders everyone to do whatever Westminster cares to inflict upon them.
Westminster’s days in power are numbered and what is more they know it.
Oh the delicious irony of it all.
Amendments are fine when they shaft the Scotsgov, but when it gives WM a sore bottom…amendments are suddenly not such fun…
………
Baker said he and his fellow ministers were “disappointed” with the House of Lords vote claiming, if the amendment is accepted by the House of Commons, it would “hand unprecedented constitutional powers to Parliament to direct the Government in these negotiations and to direct the Government to do anything, even keeping the UK in the EU”.
………..
Oops!
Forgot the link…duh !
http://archive.is/ZnIkD#selection-203.55-403.83
Tory Yoons and their Demented Ulster Puritan lapdogs don’t like it when their proposals are called out for what they are, but the BritNat meedja can always be relied on to come out swinging on their behalf as soon as they sense any resistance within the colonies.
Just a pity that the invertebrates in Welsh Labour played right into their hands. I wonder what it was that persuaded Jones to roll over?
Can I issue a WARNING and a wee REMINDER to liebour and limp dumb MSP’s , you are elected by the people of Scotland to represent and protect THEIR interests , you are paid handsomely by salary and expenses and are charged to ensure that you will do so to the best of your ability .
You are not employed and paid by the wastemonster parties to sabotage and undermine the devolution agreement , what is happening just now is a deliberate attempt to weaken and destroy Scotland’s ability to protect itself from a reprehensible corrupt cabal of incompetent greedy self serving carpetbaggers , whose only interest is to r*pe and plunder Scotland’s resources for their own profit ,
Any attempt by yourselves to sabotage or capitulate on your responsibilities to protect our devolution will highlight to the electorate that you are nothing but tractors and ("Quizmaster" - Ed)s to the nation of Scotland and you will suffer .
If wastemonster gets it’s way there is no requirement for a Scottish Parliament which obviously means there is no requirement for MSP’S, so consequently you are voting for unemployment , and the tories are closing job centres so good luck with finding another cushy number
geeo @ 02:33,
Indeed. The ridiculousness of the old pensioners striving to restore the right of their elected fellow parliamentarians in the HoC to decide something ever-so-slightly important.
Then some Tory pops up and sez that “unprecedented constitutional powers [will be given] to Parliament”
=choke=
This about the Palace of Westminster, which according to English Constitutional theory is already paramount. No ifs, no buts. Top dog.
Brexit is in effect a coup by an extremist faction of the Tory Pary. That’s what they really mean by “taking back control”. (And to hell with WM just as much as Holyrood.)
As many of us have known for ages already, but the rest of the country (including even some in the yes movement, alas) need to wake up. Fast.
Well said twathater, they’ll rue the day they were born if they go against the best interests of the people of Scotland. We voted remain 62% in this country, they dare to to fuck us over, they will never be forgiven. Ever.
They couldn’t do otherwise. 🙂
This was (their) devolution and they couldn’t allow the First Minister and the SNP to be seen to be the only ones defending what they claim to have created (with no help from adults).
Their entire historical narrative would have been turned to ash overnight. Not to mention that their current narrative of the SNP only being driven by independence would crumble in a heartbeat.
The interests and instruction of the people of Scotland come first. Duty of care and service. If the instruction of the people is to work within devolution until otherwise instructed? That is what the SNP will do. If their duty is to defend the devolution settlement and our parliament? That is what the SNP will do. If the opportunity arises and the people instruct an SNP government to dissolve the parliamentary union?
That is what they will do. 🙂
Splendid headline from The National
“Ruth Davidson isolated as leaders back First Minister on Brexit”
http://www.thenational.scot/news/16195117.Davidson_isolated_as_other_leaders_back_First_Minister_over_UK_power_grab/
and an STV Tonight debate tonight for the 3 depute candidates. I’ll bet BBC Scotland are disappointed STV beat them to it, but not a lot, here’s a penny for their thoughts (and it’s overpaying them).
Heartening news =)
If Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP are ‘playing politics’ then they are awfy awfy good at it 🙂
Minimum pricing introduced. Well done Scottish Gov. Standing up for Scotland.
Gov funding for proper rehab should only be for ‘total abstinence’ programmes. Otherwise people die of drink and drug misuse. Young people are getting the message to drink and smoke less. Lead a healthier lifestyle. They also support Independence. Good education and better health care. Supported by Scottish Gov.
£Millions more in funding to train more nurses and care professionals.
Scotland needs a central bank and to get rid of Trident. .
New Home Secretary same as the old one. Voted through all the nasty changes instigated by May.
Sainsbury chairman sings about being in the money. Merger.
Nicola’s getting more column inches in the Herald.
Increase (UK) OAP pensions in Scotland. Independence is in the bag.
Council elections in the rest of the UK Thursday. Tories predicted to lose 200 seats. London voted to Remain. Corbyn should step aside to increase Labour votes in the rest of the UK. No one will vote for him.
In Scotland SNP need to get rid of Labour take the fight to the Tories. The SNP will win. Big march on Saturday.
Rearely listen to radio Scotland but it was all about min pricing this morning. Spending lots of time talking about the sun headline. Our media folks.
Radio Scotland GMS just had interview with Tory Kinsten Hair and asked her opinion on Snp and Continuity Bill without pointing out that Nicola Sturgeon was backed by others and Tories were isolated.
Radio shortbread on about the alcohol, seems its the middle class with their cheap wine and vodka, that will be worst hit….no mention of the kids in the bushes with cheap half gallons of cider.
Seriously. WTAF is it about Tories and this ridiculous stance???
https://archive.is/gFN75
For all the world it just looks to be the most idiotic idea ev…. Oh wait. We are talking about Tories. Arrogance, ignorance, absence of empathy and a complete lack of self awareness.
No. Got it now. (sigh)
Are the Greens not also supporting the isolated Nicola? Patrick Harvie appears in the photo.
If Scottish Labour as a party do not fold to London pressure then the individuals will fold to promises of reward…that ermine cloak has proved too much to resist in the past for our “socialists”
The LibDems are unionists to a man and only the fear of a total vote collapse has brought them this far.
…I watch with interest and hope for genuine change from these two parties but history suggests that they will fail us once again.
SNP getting on with the day job
https://thoughtcontrolscotland.com/2018/04/21/another-little-difference-that-tells-us-something-snp-to-improve-disability-terms-for-terminally-ill/
https://beta.gov.scot/policies/more-homes/affordable-housing-supply/
How long will Labour and the Liberals hold out in support of devolution?
This long – “Arise, Sir Richard”. “Arise, Sir Willie”.
I assume the Green Party are also standing with Nicola,
so MSM/BBC/STV headlines should read,
`Theresa May`s Scottish Tory mouthpiece,Ruth Davidson, utterly isolated in brexit talks`.
So, the Edinburgh schools and DG One leisure centre fiascos lead to a report damning the Scottish construction industry.
Scottish building regulations are devolved.
What I take from this is that there has been repeated failures by ALL Scottish Govts and the Scottish Parliament to make sure there is sufficient regulation of the building industry.
Unfortunately, Scottish Govts under Labour and SNP like to interfere in private individuals’ rights with their Big Brother is watching you attitudes but, when it comes to regulating big industry with the back-hander brown envelopes floating around, there is a hands-off, they can regulate themselves attitude.
The exact same attitude as the Tories.
Oh, by the end of the day the bbc, though it’s various spouts, will have claimed that minimum pricing is worse for every ‘bracket’ they can think of.
Honest wine drinkers?
Middle class families?
The old guy who likes cider?
The shopkeeper?
This is the roll-out of a public health measure, where’s the media’s duty of care?
Instead of being proactive and reporting the ‘indirect benefit’ to society, our Tory run media gives everybody an SNP BAD STICK OF THEIR OWN.
Just in case anyone wants to watch the committee hearing, the link is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlSEpjhiRB0
Sorry, meant to say with link to committee hearing, you need to get about 11 minutes in before you get into the proceedings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlSEpjhiRB0
Are you suggesting that SNP are responsible for corruption and poor practice in the construction industry?
Take your prejudice elsewhere, Colin.
For certain the current stance by Lab, Lib, in
Hollywood is just another sneaky ploy.
They will give us/SNP a sense of false security
Before stabbing us in the back yet again.
The plan is a very minor wording change will see
These Westminster party members claim a victory
And Condem the SNP for not accepting the amendment.
Story reads only SNP in the UK against these new proposals.
Blinded by Independance they are damaging England, sorry UK.
These weasels are all for McCrone report cover up, Dunblane cover
Up, stealing our maritime border, the Bedroom tax, Food Banks, dangerous
Schools built at exorbitant interest rates, etc
Trusting an English Party is a statement of stupidity and a refusal to
Recognised their history of malpractice here in Scotland.
Barnier’s visit to NI covered in detail in a number of articles, including a piece by Barnier himself and an editorial commending him.
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/search/?search=Barnier
May must agree a backstop which allows NI to stay in the single market. She can’t do that without accepting a border in the Irish Sea, which her buddies the DUP won’t have. Mission impossible?
Imagine – getting to vote for your boss.
NOW imagine – voting for a boss with these qualities, (as Macart says above)..
‘Arrogance, ignorance, absence of empathy and a complete lack of self awareness’.
It wouldn’t happen, so why do people still vote for these abusers to run the UK.
Effigy: I agree with you regarding a minor change of wording. All of a sudden that would allow the Scottish branch offices to do an arse about face. In fact ever since I heard the ridiculous ” No means Yes” from Westminster I’ve thought they’d come out with their usual form of words to shaft us, It’s what they always do! (Normally….)
Minimum Unit Pricing marks ‘landmark day’ in Scotland;
https://www.insider.co.uk/news/tennents-minimum-alcohol-unit-pricing-12455618?utm_source=business_insider_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=EM_DailyRecord_Nletter_Business_News_smallteaser_Text_Story3&utm_campaign=daily_newsletter
A letter warning of the death of Labour in Scotland: https://wp.me/p4fd9j-c2m
I await the negative minimum pricing failure exposure on the BBC in a couple of years. After all we have the best performing NHS in the UK, and crime figures in Scotland are still falling, but these services are portrayed as failures continuously by the BBC.
You get the impression their role is to highlight how poor Scotland self government is and just think of how bad it would be if you were independent.
LBA 9.27am. Because that boss has cowed his workforce with threats of intimidation and unemployment. So any sh**ty job is better than no job in their deluded minds.
It worked on the fags:
We must be shit up here in Scotland because all morning SKY TV has been asking people who live in England to text in and confirm that, and you know what, they’re happy to do it
Nothing Scotland has ever done or will do in the future is any good they say while forgetting conveniently a wee policy that came out of Scotland recently saved thousands of English lives (thanks very much) would have been nice for stopping them smoking and now we’re about to save our own peoples lives by giving firewater alcohol the same treatment, and you know what England will not be long copying the idea, but then again I suppose they’ll blame us for that too instead of just saying thanks Scotland for the Fags the Booze the Penicillin da dah da dah da dah
Yeah, Scotland is shit
LGBT Scots ‘still face workplace bullying’;
http://archive.is/bZJbq
More red faces at Labour propaganda site as “exclusive poll” finds electorate split down the middle on whether independence should be a priority;
http://scotgoespop.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/more-red-faces-at-labour-propaganda.html
4 hrs ago
Barnier says Brexit talks could fail over Irish border;
http://archive.is/63nJd
Devolved government in the British state is in part due to the influence of an EU within which there is a high degree of autonomous government among some member states eg Germany and Spain.
The British state outside the EU is likely to be in a ‘consolidating’ mood. The struggle goes on!
jfngw
Listening to Call Kayes moan in. So far no one has mentioned the kids getting their hands on cheap cider with their pocket money.
I don’t believe that they have had no calls on this.
Looking forward to the results of this experiment, can’t imagine it will be bad.
BREAKING… Politician accused of playing politics…
Scotland was one of the first countries the have tertitary education. Invented TV, radio, telecommunications. Led on to the internet. Scottish invention shaped the modern world. Schmidt claimed it was Victorian Britain. He should have googled it. The Chinese call Scotland ‘the country of Invention’. ‘Britain a small island without influence or Empire’.
The lies told about Scotland in the rest of the UK – MSM are a disgrace. £Billions have been taken from Scotland. Scotland depopulated by Westminster centrist policies. Thank goodness for the SNP Gov standing up for Scotland and another IndyRef. SKy is a disgrace. Lie after lie after lie.
Still nothing on BBC Scotland website about the all the Scottish parties except the Tories rejecting Westminster plans. It may appear later a bit late for a hot news medium but I guess not top of the bill.
It is a very important issue and still the BBC say there is no bias. Aye right!
This is England. In 2018!
http://archive.is/Z8qz9
The Prime Minister and the Home Secretary have been caught lying about the racist policies they’re now pretending to be ashamed of. This isn’t a great moment for British democracy argues Mike Small;
http://archive.is/aK3qU
Brexit: Liam Fox accuses peers of ‘thwarting will of people’;
http://archive.is/Nt0Ec
TV debate for candidates in SNP depute leader contest;
http://archive.is/RCTdS
Tories aren’t cynical at all:
The appointment of the new and improved version of the home secretary because he’s a brown person on the assumption that if you’re brown you’ll help all other brown people is insulting in the extreme, you might as well say people who are 6ft tall will help other people who are 6ft tall just because they understand the pitfalls of being 6ft tall
Duh! and we’re all daft
louis.b.argyll says:
1 May, 2018 at 9:11 am
“Are you suggesting that SNP are responsible for corruption and poor practice in the construction industry?”
Much of the building industry is pro-Tory, according to the stuff I’ve read over the years.
However, I am saying successive Scottish Govts and Scottish Parliaments have allowed a situation where the building industry is not properly regulated, either by poor legislation or poor governance of how those regulations are monitored.
The SNP have been in power 11 years, but all the Scottish Govts and all the MSPs of all parties have a responsibility for how they have spent their time at Holyrood since 1999.
And regarding Grenfell, and smug, it couldnae happen here attitudes in Scotland: it turned out Betty’s Hospital in Govan had that type of cladding in parts and other buildings, such as the clydeside “yuppy” flats.
So that’s mainly been the SNP.
No, the SNP didn’t build them. The building industry contractors built them. However, just like the NHS, it’s the Scot Govt’s and Parliament’s job to make sure they are run properly.
The SNP have a hands on attitude about parents: Named Person scheme and smacking ban. Footba’ fans with their OBF Act.
But when it comes to reforming the Scots Law legal system such as access to justice for lower income persons, big business and landownership it’s softly softly, and go slow, just like Labour and the Tories.
Likewise the SNHS. Shona Robison has been hands off. Even the Tories in England did more to regulate the health service there before the SNP with the duty of candour.
A great example of bias from The Herald today. Previously with a prominent headline “SNP stands alone as Theresa May puts final offer on Brexit on the table”.
Today a tiny paragraph at the end of a piece by Alistair Grant “Scottish Labour, the LibDems and the Greens have all backed the SNP Governments position”. Grudgingly inserted in an article headed “Trust between Holyrood and Westminster at its lowest ebb for a decade”. Given the importance of the issue and with the Scottish Tories now being isolated; where is the front page banner headline? Pretty much says it all under the new editor.
Posted this in the previous topic in error.
Our wonderful media seem to be reluctant to mention yesterday’s further attack on Syrian bases allegedly committed by Israel.
They also seem to have forgotten about the alleged chemical attacks which resulted in the initial US led attacks on alleged chemical warfare facilities.
I have never understood why Non-“hard right” parties oppose independence so after all in a Scotland free of the UUK they would be likely to see their progressive ideals flourish as Scots have a greater affiliate to those policies
David Mills;
They don’t have ideals. It’s all a charade.
There is only one polity in the UK and it’s corrupt and exists only for it’s own narrow aims and for the benefit of those who run it.
In reality, there isn’t actually a LibDem party, or a Labour party, or indeed a Conservative Party.
Call it the Narrow Vested Interest party, or the Establishment party – it doesn’t really matter.
But it exists, it’s a singular entity, it’s corrupt, Ultra British Nationalist in outlook and it utterly hates democracy, progressive thought and the idea of Scotland.
It’s interesting it’s the Leaders of the other Parties there but not Ruth Davidson. Tories desperately trying to protect Davidson. The media aren’t asking why she isn’t there either.
Maybe the SLAB, and SLibDumb MSP’s have suddenly realised, that the DOLE QUEUE awaits them if they follow head office directives. The top STories will just slip into cushy jobs for the boys. Courtesy of Head Office friends in high places.
Maybe just maybe the TURKEYS REALISE CHRISTMAS may be coming early this year.
Mmmmm!
The Tories have cut NHS and education funding. The SNP Scottish Gov has to mitigate the cuts and the welfare cuts. The Westminster Treasury would not give the details to mitigate directly. £Billions have been taken from Scotland.
People have died in the Oil sector because the Westminster regime has not enforced UK Gov health and safety Laws. Then refuse to hold an Inquiry. Despite the Westminster Transport Committee recommending it. The Helicopter firm owners sold up for £Millions with no penalty. The details were comfirmed by a Sherrif led Inquiry in Scotland. Problems were not being written down as required by Law. Instead information was exchanged by telephone. The faulty helicopter would not have been flying, if the full information had been recorded. The three weeks on shifts are too long away from home. More workers can have mental health problems being in a confined space too long. Instead of shorter trips.
The Scottish Gov have just put in £Millions to train more nurses and healthcare personal. More Drs are needed as many retire.
The unionists councils cut money allocated to education and social care. Waste funds on grotesque projects no one wants. They use the statute of limitation of 30 children in a class as the norm. To keep class sizes much too high and cut the funding allocated to education. They do not provide the proper social care from the allocated budget. People end up in jail with a higher cost instead of being given proper support and rehabilition services. The Police are putting too many people in cells on ‘charges’ that can never come to court. The ‘charges’ are dropped. A waste of time and money.
@ David Powell – indeed. They have had to call them “key members” of their parties to get round the fact that Ruth Davidson isn’t there as leader.
Since the meeting was held in Edinburgh it does raise the question, “Why was Ruth Davidson not there?”.
Leonard seems to have grasped the concept of the ‘rapist’s theory of consent’. Against that background I cannot see how Scottish Labour can possibly support the current agreement.
Replying to others on the thread above, I subscribe to both the Herald and the National online. I will not be renewing my subscription to the Herald when it expires; absolutely disgraceful non coverage of all the other parties agreeing to continue to support the Scottish Government over the Continuity Bill. I actually searched for the article about it – I couldn’t believe that a paper of the Herald supposed stature could just (almost) ignore this. It did. It’s finished as far as I’m concerned. Literally not worth the paper it’s written on.
Smallaxe says:
Also … ” 60% said they preferred Labour and 40% said the Tories.”
Therein lies several stories.
I am now firmly one of the 40%. At this moment in time, and over the next few years, I want Tories in WM. The madder and badder they are, the more like we are to have ScotRef and a YES win. Conversely a Lab gov in WM could scupper Indy.
Indy isn’t the solution to all our problems, but I firmly believe it is the key to resolving more than anything else could!
In the past I would have said I preferred Lab at WM. Was I right, though? What evidence it there that Scotland fared better under Callaghan than under Major?
Secondly, too many Scots have residual faith in Labour. They shouldn’t. It’s misplaced. They, more than any, keep Scots shackled in this Union. Labour did the donkey work for BetterTogether, then at the Smith Commission opposed virtually ever new power for Holyrood.
Who played the biggest part in us not achieving Indy in the 70s,80s,90s? Labour.
PFI, illegal wars, corrupt councils.
Would IndyRef1 have turned out differently if the polls had been predicting a Tory government the following year? They were predicting Labour. I suspect so.
Scots are just plain wrong to trust Labour to improve things IMO.
Movy 11.14am
Why is anyone who supports Scottish Independence a fully paid up member of the Herald???
You have lost me with that one.
Movy, welcome to the Matrix and well done for taking the red pill.
Capella says:
She does tend to avoid any situation where she could be perceived negatively. She goes out of her way to never take responsibility for London HQ’s policies and failings.
She never stands before cameras representing the Tories. She stands for NO Indy and for Ruth Davidson.
And the sad truth is, it has worked to some extent, sucking up the BritNat vote. Also assisted by an msm which goes along with the charade.
@Colin Alexander says: 1 May, 2018 at 9:03 am:
“So, the Edinburgh schools and DG One leisure centre fiascos lead to a report damning the Scottish construction industry.
Scottish building regulations are devolved.”
Idiotic wrong diagnosis of the evidence and thus the usual CA SNP BAAAAAD conclusions.
Taxi for Alexander:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGsdzIjvRLY
Replying to Robin@11.14 and Breastplate@11.39 I took out a year’s subscription which still has a little way to run. I will NOT be renewing.
Re: Ruth Davidson non-presence.
The reason is simpkle – she’s the leader of nothing. The real mystery is what Rennie and the Labour guy were doing there.
@louis.b.argyll says: 1 May, 2018 at 9:11 am:
“Are you suggesting that SNP are responsible for corruption and poor practice in the construction industry?”
Off course he isn’t, Louis.b, he is deliberately making false claims and could find himself in court on more than one charge.
The facts have been well established, (if not well publicised my the Westminster media poodles.
The faults was never due to the Scottish building regulations, (more robust than those of the Kingdom of England’s regulations), it was due to those guilty Local Authorities which agreed, in their PPI/PPP contracts, that the private companies they engaged should oversee that building regulations were followed.
Thus the regulations were NOT followed by the private companies and that conclusion was arrived at in the Holyrood investigations.
CA knows that full well but chooses to attempt to defame the SNP. Now whether the defamation is slander or libel is immaterial and the SNP could well take civil action against Colin.
Apologies – Reposting this as I put it on the previous thread in haste this morning:
Meg merrilees says:
1 May, 2018 at 9:17 am
O/T
those with access to BBC I player – please listen to BBC R4 at 8.35 onwards this morning.
The truth is heard on R4 for a brief 3 minutes and they don’t like it.
Discussion about immigration and the ‘Hostile Environment’ policy. Basically the British people are ok if you come here legally, work hard and pay your taxes but if you try and cheat the system then that is just not ‘cricket’.
Then-
a lady from the British Virgin territories, Lorna, very exasperated about Windrush is discussing with Dame Margaret Hodge. As she gets more frustrated she states that
‘ …. and this Westminster legislating for Scotland is COLONIALISM’… woohoo!
A flustered John Humphreys quickly moves to Dame Mgt Hodge whose soothing voice says this is nonsense, e.g Westminster has legislated for the Overseas Territories ( nice put down there- don’t be ridiculous, you’re from one of our territories, behave yourself) in a beneficial way, you’re part of Britain etc..
Lorna won’t let this pass unchallenged and tries to contradict Margaret Hodge;
Dame Hodge , in her most dismissive way says, ‘ Don’t interrupt me’ ….. WRONG – this is where the it goes belly up and the BBC is roundly put in it’s place!!!
Lorna is having none of it- she tells Dame Hodge not to interrupt her;
she tells John Humphreys not to interrupt her;
(producer in BBC studio obviously now having a complete meltdown in the control room yelling down Humphreys ear- get her off, get her off!); Mayday! Mayday!
Humphreys trying to shut her up;
Dame Hodge trying to interrupt – but our valiant lady is still accusing the establishment of attacking people who have done nothing wrong,
raising her voice she won’t let us hear Dame Hodge, She won’t let Humphreys control things
she is unstoppable while she is seemingly hustled out of the studio…..
meanwhile Humphreys tries to regain composure by saying… ‘well thankyou A and B and you can continue your argument outside the studio…’
Item finishes about 8.40/8.41
Well done Lorna, some very angry people out there and the truth has been outed.
A regular listener would tell that Humphreys is affected for the remainder of the programme but , Good Old Auntie, decorum is restored on Mayday morning at 8.59 with
…. Morris Dancing on the Radio !!!!
FFS!!!
Any sign of Ruthie’s “Baby Bump” yet?
O/T
BBC showcase ukip again on daily politics
Colin, your off again.
Blaming bad SNP for not changing people and things that resist progress and refuse change, boards and companies stuffed with conservatives.
I refer you to a reply to you last night,
when you cried for Shona to resign..
If the SNP were responsible for the ethos and patronage and misguided principals driving decision making, as we see in councils, boardrooms, police boards, health boards, Downing Street, The UN, etc, then you may have a case.
Yep indeed Wasp,
I dunno if it always happens but just before ‘the politics show’, the graphics freeze for a second or two on a close-up purple ‘X’ – literally a UKIP vote.
Free UKIP ‘blip-verts’. Weirdos.
Re: Brexit.
The thought of the UK being out of the EU without any deal is not far off becoming a reality.
With the Exit Bill being £39 Billion and rising and also continued payments for the Transition Period to be paid, there is now a strong possibility that the UK could exit the EU on 29th March 2019 without having to pay out these Billions.
Throw in the Irish Border Conundrum and an Exit from the EU could be upon us before we know it.
So, does Nicola Sturgeon go for IndyRef2 BEFORE 29th March 2019 or AFTER 29th March 2019?
We also need to remember that a two year Transition Period was to run the day after we voted for Independence from the UK.
And then we need to apply for membership of either the EU or EFTA.
So there is a lot to be squeezed into such a tight timeline.
But if anyone can pull it off, it is Nicola Sturgeon and her Government.
And this..pathetic Tory/Labour UK..
‘A woman trying to protect her 10-year-old daughter from an abusive and controlling ex-husband who she accused of raping her was forced to fight her case without a lawyer.
District judge Simon Read expressed his disbelief that, despite being on state benefits and not able to afford a lawyer, the mother did not qualify for legal aid.
BBC Scotland has an SNP bad story about Police Scotland numbers at a 9 year low. It appears at the moment there are 122 fewer police officers than there were in 2009 and 95 below the 1000 promised (since rescinded) by the SNP in 2007.
However there are currently 905 more police officers than when the SNP came to power in 2007. This healthy increase is bad news indeed (sic).
The BBC really is losing it.
Robin, the UK still has to pay for the EU exit, nothing to do with whether the deal falls through or not, this has already been widely reported and confirmed over the past few months from many sources, here’s the Independent doing just that in Dec last year:
http://archive.is/yUTfg
They don’t get to ‘walk away’ ‘without having to pay out these Billions’. That’s a fact.
“Tom Peterkin, the Conservative Party left in splendid isolation over Brexit ‘power grab'”
(notice how Peterkin doesn’t even think to say ‘alleged power grab’.)
He knows it, all unionist politicians know it’s a power grab.
Gather at 11am, march 30mins later, Kelvingrove.
V / V / MMXVIII
There can be only one…
SO be one of many.
O/T
I recommend reading this
http://chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/brexiters-would-have-been-much-happier.html
Tories Photoshop MP into Community Meeting for Election Propaganda. Badly;
https://skwawkbox.org/2018/05/01/tories-photoshop-mp-into-community-meeting-for-election-propaganda-badly/
Mad Unionist = sensibledave= Rock = colin Alexander= boring boring boring bunch of pathetic paid to Troll Britnats.
Away and get a decent job.
@Colin Alexander says: 1 May, 2018 at 10:26 am:
“Much of the building industry is pro-Tory, according to the stuff I’ve read over the years.
However, I am saying successive Scottish Govts and Scottish Parliaments have allowed a situation where the building industry is not properly regulated, either by poor legislation or poor governance of how those regulations are monitored.”
Stop attempting to justify the unjustifiable Colin, you are blethering pish again.
In the first place the fault doesn’t rest in the Scottish Building regulations.
In the second place these PPI/PPP deals were done and well dusted long before the SNP came to power. In spite of the SNP Government attempts, (as made evident by the Edinburgh trams fiasco), all attempts to get the contracts rescinded in the Law Courts failed. Not because the legal system was compliant, but because they could not find any loopholes to make abandoning the terms of the existant contracts, AS AGREED BY THE, (MAINLY), LABOUR lOCAL COUNCILS possible.
“The SNP have been in power 11 years, but all the Scottish Govts and all the MSPs of all parties have a responsibility for how they have spent their time at Holyrood since 1999.”
See above, Colin, these PPI/PPP deals were done and dusted, and the contracts so watertight, that the courts couldn’t find loopholes to rescind them and the SNP government spent considerable time, effort and taxpayers money attempting to end them.
Now piss off and stop annoying the forum with your pish.
“And regarding Grenfell, and smug, it couldnae happen here attitudes in Scotland: it turned out Betty’s Hospital in Govan had that type of cladding in parts and other buildings, such as the clydeside “yuppy” flats.”
And yet again your unreasonable hate for the SNP clouds your judgement. First of all those Scottish building regulations you are attempting to castigate take care of the problem that made the Grenfell fire so tragic – but they do so in a different manner. I suppose I’m just wasting my time on you, for such as you are seeking unreasonable reasons to castigate rather than reasons to mitigate. However, here are the facts.
English regulations specify that sprinklers must be fitted in all levels. In Scotland this is not called for as to retro-fit sprinklers. However, the Scottish regulations stipulate that there must by high pressure fire hydrants on every level.
The reason that Grenfell was so tragic was because the firefighters had no high pressure water above the original level where the fire started and because the cladding allowed it to jump above the level where the fire started.
That couldn’t happen if there had been high pressure hydrants above the original seat of the fire. None the less it is desirable that not only high pressure hydrants are available but sprinklers too. I’m no expert, Colin, but then neither are you. However, while I seek to find the truth, you seek to find SNP BAAAAD! stories in everything.
Whether you are just a unionist in disguise or not is neither here nor there for your whole mindset is to denigrate the SNP and whether you like it or not, only the SNP will ever win back Scottish independence for no other organ is capable of doing so and most certainly not the perpetual failures of the Scottish far left who long ago moved with labour to the right.
So that’s mainly been the SNP.
The partnership with the Welsh Government always left an opening for the tories to exploit.
1. Wales voted for brexit.
2. Wales is run by a unionist party
3. The Welsh people have been totally let down by their politicans and have little fight for anything.
Always good to have good relations with Wales, but not a political pact that will be used to damage Scotland’s cause!
The withdarw bill for Scotland was akin to being asked to stick your head in a noose. There are no benefits in that any benefits on offer can be taken away with a whim by those in charge. That is likely to be Johnson, Fox, Gove or Mogg sometime in the near future, can you imagine?
Sturgeon and Russell are on the right track, a no deal is better than signing up to what is on offer. They have support from liberals and labour for the time being. liberals and labour know that to support the tories, puts them right back where they were post 2014, But they can’t be relied upon indefintately, like Carwyn, at some point they want to go to the lords. Thank goodness for the greens!
It boils down to can you trust the tories or the tory press? We all know the answer to that!
K1
The Exit Bill might or might not get paid, that is up to a future English Government.
My main point of the post 12.47pm was that we could be out of the EU before the majority of Scots realise what is happening.
How do we approach IndyRef2 and the other problems that will arise from losing our EU Citizenship.
Because from listening to the mood music coming out of the EU, they are increasingly becoming more pissed off by the attitude of the UK/English Brexit negotiators.
@Capella says: 1 May, 2018 at 11:03 am;
“Since the meeting was held in Edinburgh it does raise the question, “Why was Ruth Davidson not there?””
Ruthie was far too busy checking that there was nothing missing from her SNP provided Baby Box and then had another appointment to see the Practice Nurse at her local SNHS Health Centre.
The problem the UK/English have in dealing with the EU is that they are not in control of the talks. They are constantly conceding to EU demands.
This is pissing off the hard line little englander Brexiteers who would like nothing better than to tell the EU where to go.
And all a powerless Scotland can do is sit and watch like some kind of demented idiot.
Given that we voted 62% to remain in the EU, I’ve a strong sense that the majority of Scots who tuned in enough to give us this overwhelming majority are engaged sufficiently to be aware of the current shenanigans going down wrt the UKexit shambles Robin.
Our government has prepared us well for these very events, the continuity bill is a direct and necessary response, we have the indyref2 mandate in the bag from 2 years ago…the SNP gov are on top of this…we will await their timing for pulling the trigger.
All we can do is what we all continue to do…on here and out there in the world, keep each other informed, keep the talking points and the facts front and centre, in other words it’s up to each of us to keep our friends, families and neighbours awake to the realities unfolding.
No one is going to do it for us. To that end, get the message out there, wrt the big march on Saturday, I’ve got some flyers that I didn’t know existed and will be spreading these around over the next few days…
That’s how we let our fellow Scots ‘see’ and ‘know’ that we ‘realise’ what is going on even if many are still caught in the everyday struggles of surviving and have very little time to digest the intricacies of what is involved.
Scotland is under severe threat as a nation. We must all play our part to ensure that we carry those who cannot as yet see the writing on the wall.
@Northern Rock says: 1 May, 2018 at 12:13 pm:
“Any sign of Ruthie’s “Baby Bump” yet?”
I think I read somewhere that it is mostly hidden under the fourth fold down.
SNP councils are supplying free school dinners throughout the school holidays so they must consider they have enough money to fund this…..however…Labour Tory LibDem coalition councils are skint they say
You don’t need to be good at sums to work this out….coz it’s got sod all to do with sums
So the message is clear to voters in coalition council areas… vote SNP and the tax you pay gets spent on the stuff you need
I demand a gold star for sums
Off Topic,sort of….
Ruth Davidson’s best friend Prime Minister May refuses to budge on Overseas Doctors! 🙁
“Theresa May faces a new immigration crisis after it emerged that she overruled Cabinet ministers pleading for more doctors from overseas to fill empty NHS posts.
At least three government departments lobbied for a relaxation of visa rules to let in desperately needed doctors as well as specialist staff sought by businesses…..”
Ruth Davidson and the Tories in Scotland must carry full responsibility for the shortages of Doctors and other specialist overseas staff in our Scottish National Health Service!
Ruth and the other Tories——OUT! ASAP.
The London Evening Standard:
https://tinyurl.com/y7bd6vvx
Stop Press…Breaking News:
“100,000 tourists from Catalonia to march with Scotland on Saturday!”
We’re going to need a bigger road.
4 days remaining to go.
Thank you ScotGOV.
I / V / MMXVIII.
Colin Alexander says: 1 May, 2018 at 9:03 am
“So, the Edinburgh schools and DG One leisure centre fiascos lead to a report damning the Scottish construction industry.”
The Edinburgh Schools scandal, Dumfries DG1 and Police Scotland “legacy problems” all happened under the last Labour Scottish Executive.. but the BBC / MSM will never explain that to our citizens.
Robert Peffers 1,24pm
“You are awful”
I hope we are all knitting for Queen Ruthie of Scotchland.
Does this child automatically become Heir to Ruthie’s throne?
BBC Scotland/Jackie Burd will beam the birth live into our homes. Sick bags at the ready as the camera pans in to see the baby’s head exit Ruthie’s body.
And will that wean be pleased.
Could you imagine being stuck inside Ruth Davidson for NINE MONTHS?
On Police “crisis”, this is well worth a read
https://thoughtcontrolscotland.com/2018/04/30/bbc-scotland-news-and-print-journalism-on-scottish-policing-forces-in-crisis/
Sinky says:
1 May, 2018 at 1:36 pm
Colin Alexander says: 1 May, 2018 at 9:03 am
“So, the Edinburgh schools and DG One leisure centre fiascos lead to a report damning the Scottish construction industry.”
============================
The Edinburgh Schools scandal, Dumfries DG1 and Police Scotland “legacy problems” all happened under the last Labour Scottish Executive.. but the BBC / MSM will never explain that to our citizens.
=============================
Colin Alexander doesn’t bother one jot about all that Sinky. CA is only on here to attack the SNP and weaken the Independence movement in any way he/she can.
This should be BIG, but with the media covering everyone’s arses, it may not blow up ….
“Labour Data Was Shared With Leave EU And Cambridge Analytica”
https://libertystratcom.org/2018/04/30/brexit-breach-labour-data-was-shared-with-leave-eu-and-cambridge-analytica/
According to this writer there is a 75% chance Brexit will not happen.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/news/brexit-failure-looks-more-likely-every-day-barry-ritholtz/ar-AAwAlYU?MSCC=1525179530&ocid=spartandhp
K1
Keeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!
I am on your side,, I am putting forward an outcome that could be upon us in less than a years time.
I still believe the majority of Scots are sleepwalking into an EU Exit that could happen as soon as 29th March next year.
We are at the mercy of an English Tory Government who doesn’t know what they want never mind anybody else knowing what they want.
These are uncertain times we are entering. And if there is a quick EU exit then we could be looking at a snap Independence Referendum being called.
Things may become a bit clearer by next month. The EU are wanting the UK Government to put forward their FINAL plans for Brexit, including the Irish Border.
The EU have said that if they can’t come to an agreement on that then they would pull the plug on the Transition Deal.
Loved this from Scot Goes Pop:
Your cut-out-and-keep guide to what is and is not news (source: the mainstream media) –
The fact that the UK government want to use Brexit as an excuse for removing powers from the Scottish Parliament: Not News
The fact that the Scottish Tories failed to make good on their promise to use their “influence” to ensure that the EU Withdrawal Bill was amended at the Commons stage to prevent the power-grab: Not News
The fact that the Scottish Parliament voted overwhelmingly, and on a cross-party basis, to pass an emergency Continuity Bill to protect devolution from the power-grab: Not News
The fact that the Tories, having been soundly defeated on the floor of the Scottish Parliament, are going to the Supreme Court in London in an attempt to have the Continuity Bill struck down: Not News
The fact that the Welsh Government caved in and accepted the power-grab, thus allegedly leaving Nicola Sturgeon “isolated” and “under pressure”: HOLD THE FRONT PAGE
The fact that Labour and the Liberal Democrats belatedly backed Nicola Sturgeon’s decision to continue resisting the power-grab, thus demonstrating she is neither “isolated” nor “under pressure”: Not News
Lying lying lying British nationalist media scum. Let the lot of them rot in hell.
Just reading about how Rabid brexiteers are furious at those pesky unelected geriatric peers “trying t stop brexit”…
Not a hint of irony nor self awareness about HOW THOSE UNELECTED PEERS GOT THERE !!
They were PUT THERE BY Varies WM governments of all hues over a very long time !! The same WM govs filled the HoL with partizan peers so they had a majority in that place, then w&en the next lot came jn at WM they immediately set about producing more peers “on their side” and so on…
To complain about them being ‘unelected’ is frankly, hilarious !!
Movy 11.14
“I will not be renewing my subscription to the Herald when it expires”
Took yer time figuring that one out, eh? Duh.
@Movy 11:14am
“I will not be renewing my subscription to the Herald when it expires”
You’re doing the right thing, Movy. That’s what matters, not how long you’ve taken to come to this decision.
@Movy: well done. I hope you’re not taking some btl comments to heart – perhaps those folk never made a mistake themselves!
SO whom are all going to The Green party on Saturday in Glasgow?
In amongst fine others…
Aberdeenists, Arbourers, Anthropologists, Butchers, Bakers, Bikers, Caledonianists, Coopers, Curators, Dundeeists, Drawers, Dancers, Electricians, Etymologyists, Engineers, Family & Friends, Farmers, Fisherpeople, Golfers, Graduates, Glasgow, Helensburghists, Hospitality, Helpers, me and you.
Aye.
O/T
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is to close 162 further branches across England and Wales, with the loss of around 792 jobs.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/news/rbs-to-shut-162-branches-with-loss-of-800-jobs/ar-AAwAD11?li=BBoPWjQ&ocid=U452DHP
Cactus says:
1 May, 2018 at 3:06 pm
SO whom are all going to The Green party on Saturday in Glasgow?
Add hairdressers(allegedly?) tae yer list Cactus.
Working on Saturday but hope to finish early to join up later
I may be well off target here and will stand corrected if wrong.
I heard the Labour gadgie on GM Shortbread this morning talking about DG1, no surprise SLab never got the finger pointed at them, just the usual Scottish Government etc.
Although this facility no longer exists, does the tax payer still have to “honour” the full term of the PFI contract? ie if it was say “a 30 year PFI term” even as the facility has ceased operations, is the tax payer still liable for the full term?
I have many horror stories regarding PFI and the total rip off to the tax payer.(signed off by the then Scottish Labour Government).
Afternoon dakk ~
Excellent, that’s you marked up for Saturday hehe.
Anybuddy else from H thru Aye to Z?
ps Jesus is coming 🙂
@Rocky II
Funnily enough I have just come off the phone to RBS. I want to shut an account but apparently will need to go into a branch, any branch to do it. Which is fine as at the moment there is one in my town, even though I bank in London. However, I asked what will happen if and when this branch closes, how will I be able to go ‘into any branch’ when the nearest one may be Plymouth or indeed Bath(:-)). That was a ‘good question’, but one he didn’t know the answer to.
Neither did he know which branches were closing but he did say he would send me an email about it.
Accounts will be transferring to Paisley soon anyway as I need to be able to access family PoA accounts with on line banking.
Cactus@1.34
Gutted the wife and I will miss the Glasgow march this weekend, but will be getting up to some mischief in Spain.(delivering a Yes saltire etc)
Cactus at 3.06: add Lochbroomers to your list!
I had no idea Ruth Davidson had tried for a safe Tory seat in England in 2010.
http://archive.is/v6l64
I wonder if Davidson is lying down in a darkened room and thinking
“I could have been Home Secretary instead of having to boast on twitter about becoming the longest serving Scottish tory leader after McLetchie.”
OT Has anyone seen the coin minted for the wedding of the year ?
They are supposedly looking in each others eyes adoringly but harry seems to have lost concentration and is squinting off to the side.
It ain’t a very flattering depiction of either of them.
Was there a Kate and William version ? I don’t remember seeing one.
Meg merrilees @ 12:11,
Thanks Meg, that one really cheered me up!
The increasing cracks in the state broadcaster’s (non-)coverage are getting harder to tape over these days.
I salute that redoubtable woman. Yes, we’re all “mere colonials” now.
Having not visited the DM site in years I made the mistake of visiting today lead there by a comment on the new drinks prices.
Someone calling himself by the misnomer IQ225 from Cambridge suggests someone should ‘do a Lee Harvey Oswald ‘on Ms Sturgeon.
Surely police action should be taken against this IQ225 or is it just when someone calls an unfunny comedienne unfunny that the BBBC and co. start yelling ?
o/t – just received my annual newsletter from the “Pars Trust” in which they list their address as “Dunfermline, Fife, KY12 7RB, United Kingdom”. I have just resigned from the trust and told them why! I hope others who read this will do likewise!
I was in Dunfermline Tesco around an hour ago, and got into a conversation with a well dressed, well spoken retired chap. We had started talking at the malt whisky section and after debating the merits of various brands, he said he didn’t understand why he was going to have to pay extra for his evening dram. I put him right on the situation, and he went away with a bottle of Talisker and a better opinion of the Scottish Government.
…Hairdressers, International visitors, Inventors, Isle of Arranists, Jewellers, Joiners, Jedburghists, Kiteists, Kissers, Kirkintillochists, Lochbroomers…
Gary45% @ 15:31:
Yes, unless there’s something in the contract which allows otherwise. (That’s what contracts are for, after all.) And even if so, there will be a buyout cost, you can be sure of it.
And in some of the early cases, the local authority doesn’t even own the building at contract end. Duh.
I’m sure there are plenty of PFI skeletons rattling about in cupboards still waiting for their door to be opened so they can fall out onto the carpet.
For me the worst of it all is the degree to which (inevitably Labour-run) Scottish local authorities were strong-armed by the party hierarchy (thanks, El Gordo) to employ PFI regardless, and the (alleged) bending of the cost-benefit analyses to make it happen, regardless of merit.
Robert Peffers
Aye, that’s right: companies signing off their own work as quality checked when the work wasn’t quality at all. That’s the problem.
The Scottish Parliament’s ability to make law is not constrained by a private contract between a Council and builders?
Are you telling me no Scot Govts or the Scottish Parliament could bring in laws that required mandatory external quality checks?
Aye, I blame all the Scottish Parliament and as the SNP have been a large part of those and the SNP have been the Scottish Govt on several occasions, then they share the blame.
Is it only the SNP that’s responsible when good things happen?
I’m also saying Labour and the Tories and Greens and independents can also be criticised for the failings in devolved legislation.
It’s a ‘scenario’ Robin, one that may or may not happen?
I’m merely pointing out, that for the most part everyone does know the score. You’re literally coming on shouting ‘fire! fire!’ as if that is somehow helpful on a site whose main btl commenters and lurkers, who are extremely aware of the situation are somehow ‘not’ aware’ of the situation?
The part you obviously failed to see in my post, was a mere suggestion that it is us ourselves who have to keep others less aware informed on the current threat we are under?
So I have no idea what your opening salvo is wrt what I had actually written in response to your original post? Nothing to do with sides, Robin, we are commenters on this site and as such are fee to respond to others comments. There was nothing in my response to yours that indicated I had an issue with the situation you are outlining, but there was a ‘inference’ that ‘panicky’ rhetoric is hardly helpful, is it?
Best we maintain focus on what we can do to encourage those not already awake to the threat Scotland faces, to ensure we get those voters on board for indyref2.
Colin Alexander @ 16:53:
You are David Coburn and I claim my £5…
Well written article on the BBC website by Toodleohthenoo which reports the facts of the “Sturgeon isolation” for what it really is and that’s Tory isolation.
Some interesting info too on the HoL debate on the Withdrawal bill tomorrow about two amendments proposed by Scottish Law Lords (.
http://archive.li/DaRq9
I definitely feel some reluctance from Westminster about this ending up in the Supreme Court. Lord Hope of Craighead was the first Deputy President of the Supreme Court until he retired in 2013. Lord Mackay of Clashfern is a former Lord Advocate of Scotland and then Lord Chancellor of the UK for 10 years.
Very interesting that these two are putting forward amendments in the HoL that apparently support the position of the Scottish Government with regard to devolution and the power grab.
Aye, Colon’s a right Whinger richt enough 😉
Cactus,
Put my name down for Saturday, I’ll be representing the Govan Stanklifters (Kintra Street Branch)
😉
Robert J. Sutherland
Of course, in my opinion, Dumfries and Galloway and Edinburgh Councils bear huge responsibility for handing over millions of pounds of taxpayers cash and just taking it for granted that the job would be done properly.
In D&G in the 2003 Council election Labour had the most seats at 14, followed by independents on 12 and the Tories on 11. The SNP had 5 councillors.
I presume that’s the administration that signed the DG One contract?
The current D&G Council is a Labour / SNP coalition.
I think Thpnr, they are actually protecting the ‘UK’ in this regard?
They don’t support Scotland’s independence but they both see that should this power grab and subsequent destruction of devolution itself go ahead then the UK is finished and Scotland will definitely opt for independence.
I can see that as their only motive in being so outspoken on this matter, Hope has been from the start of those debates in the HoL, keenly aware of the implications wrt the devolved legislatures and knows full well the ramifications of this latest piece of ‘negotiating’ from WM.
Damn right they want to avoid UKSC, because it would throw into the public domain far more prominently and they know WM is on a shoogly peg wi Henry the eighth pish wrt Scotland.
Subjects they may be in England, Sovereign we are in Scotland.
K1
Why are you so confrontational???
You are making me out to be some kind of sreamin skull panic merchant.
I am saying that we could be out of the EU by as early as 29th March 2019.
And I stand by my opinion that the majority of Scots haven’t got a clue that that is coming down the line.
So please don’t make me out to be some kind snowflake who doesn’t leave the house on Fireworks night.
You may be informed, the majority of Scots won’t have a clue about what you are talking about if you asked them what is going to happen on the 29th March next year.
They are just not interested at the moment. I don’t know of anybody who reads Wings except the usual punters.
The point I am making is that Nicola may have to call a snap Indy Ref if the Brexit talks break down.
With all the issues that would bring with it.
Mr., Peffers if the E.U. Is so good and democratic why have we not seen their books or accounts in over 20years ???
The dictum that “we get the press that we deserve” would suggest that we must be seriously at fault somewhere down the line?
It must be conceded though that they do appear to act with considerable and predictable SNPbad consistency.
…Lanarkshireists, Ladies, Men, Makers, Maryhillists, Neurologists, Nurses, Neighbours, Oboeists, Obanists, Opticians, Plasterers, Players, Perthists, Questioners, Quilters, Quahogists, Riggers, Runners, Renfrewists, Shoppers, Smiley people, Stanklifters of Govan…
@cactus
Your doing well today rounding up the troops.
‘The Raylan Givens’ of YES in Scotland wae that hat! 🙂 🙂
TORY CANDIDATE SUSPENDED OVER ‘LABOUR GIVES YOU HEPATITIS’ LEAFLETS;
https://skwawkbox.org/2018/05/01/tory-candidate-suspended-over-labour-gives-you-hepatitis-leaflets/
LIVE STREAM: MAY DAY DEMONSTRATIONS AS PARIS MARKS 50 YEARS SINCE ’68 REVOLT;
https://skwawkbox.org/2018/05/01/live-stream-may-day-demonstrations-as-paris-marks-50-years-since-68-revolt/
MORE PRESSURE ON MAY TO RESIGN – SHE PERSONALLY VETOED NHS DOCTOR VISAS;
https://skwawkbox.org/2018/05/01/more-pressure-on-may-to-resign-she-personally-vetoed-nhs-doctor-visas/
‘Why are you so confrontational???’
Eh?
Robin, no need to be so defensive, I’m just responding to your points wrt to UKexit.
I don’t agree that a ‘majority’s of Scots’ are not aware that the date is March next year.
Given Rev’s stats in terms of site views, there’s literally hundreds of thousands of people reading this site, so no matter how many people we ‘know’ don’t read it, it’s hardly a measure to rely on in determining how ill or in formed people are wrt to UKexit date and the ramifications if Clause 11 isn’t dealt with, especially prior to that date?
As I mentioned earlier in response to your previous post 62% of people voted to remain in the EU, this is a majority Robin, following on from that vote our parliament ensured indyref2 was mandated and on the cards…the ‘not right now’ from May and WM followed then the ‘snap’ GE17. Which created a much needed distraction for WM wrt Scotland’s position, which they now cannot ignore.
The Scottish continuity bill was passed last month and as you know the UKSC may now challenge that. So there is much more to happen before that exit date.
The simple and non confrontational point I was making is that we as voters and indy supporters must keep doing what we are doing to inform those who we know are less informed. That was all I was stating. There is little else to to do but wait and see how this pans out and if indeed Nicola, having exhausted all avenues to ensure our voice is heard and our polity not dragged out against our will, then and only then will she call indyref2.
It certainly won’t be a ‘snap’ indyref, as it’s been cooking for that last 2 years, again we’ll all just have to wait and see and keep on campaigning for independence right up to and beyond the starting gun. Then the real campaign begins and we have a much greater chance this time than the last.
Hope that clarifies where I’m coming from Robin.
Same old same old. The media and/or unionist politicians/trolls report that SNP Bad and state a pile of nonsense as evidence. The truth comes out in a small corner of the internet, newspaper websites possibly correct articles a fortnight later once everyone has read the original and no one reads the correction.
In no way is this ‘journalism’ or news reporting, it is simply black propaganda. Knowingly using lies to turn public opinion is the action of an oppressive government.
The truth has little to do with anything these days.
eg none have the balls to mention Pablo Miller, they’d rather see a war with Russia. Our news media are spineless toadies…
Trying to negotiate in ‘good faith’ with Westminster about anything is madness. The SNP should just use it’s majority to repeal the Act of Union immediately. End of story.
…The Raylan Givens, Teachers, Tannochsideists, Uddingstonists, Uncles, Unicorns, Valeters, Van drivers, Valueators, Whisky tasters, Welcomers, Wingers XYZ.
Love Scotland.
Glasgow.
Blair Paterson says:
1 May, 2018 at 5:37 pm
Mr., Peffers if the E.U. Is so good and democratic why have we not seen their books or accounts in over 20years ???
To be fair, The Union (Scotland/England of 1707) gave up issuing accounts in 1921.
Robin, you can stand by any opinion you like, however, it is ONLY your opinion, not a fact, certainly not even remotely evidenced in ANY WAY.
In my opinion, your opinion is slavers.
HOWEVER, the FACT that there are over 300,000 SEPERATE PEOPLE reading this blog a month alone, and the news media mentioning March 29th as brexit day on an almost DAILY BASIS, i can point to that as evidence Scots ARE well informed, certainly enough evidence to STATE with authority that you are indeed talking mince.
You are entitled to your opinion, but i am entitled to say it is mince, especially if i provide evidence that reasonably contradicts your opinion.
You are trying to pass off opinion as fact. Its not.
K1
You have drifted so far off my original post that I don’t even recognise the argument you are having with me.
I hope you are not “Playing to the audience” K1 ???, A kind of “look at me guys”
My original post:
Robin says:
1 May, 2018 at 12:47 pm
Re: Brexit.
The thought of the UK being out of the EU without any deal is not far off becoming a reality.
With the Exit Bill being £39 Billion and rising and also continued payments for the Transition Period to be paid, there is now a strong possibility that the UK could exit the EU on 29th March 2019 without having to pay out these Billions.
Throw in the Irish Border Conundrum and an Exit from the EU could be upon us before we know it.
So, does Nicola Sturgeon go for IndyRef2 BEFORE 29th March 2019 or AFTER 29th March 2019?
We also need to remember that a two year Transition Period was to run the day after we voted for Independence from the UK.
And then we need to apply for membership of either the EU or EFTA.
So there is a lot to be squeezed into such a tight timeline.
But if anyone can pull it off, it is Nicola Sturgeon and her Government.
END
XYZ … xenologists, xenophiles, xylographers, xylophonists, yachtsmen, yessers, yodellers, yuppies, zipmakers, zookeepers, zoologists
Cactus: Brewers?
Aye, everybuddies invited and coming to Glasgow from A ~ Z.
Many thanks for Wings, cheers boss.
Oh it’s seven o’clock…
Time for a party!
Shurely some mistake, Rev? Not a mention on BBC Scotlandshire tonight – at least not on the streamed version in England – just a stooshie about the Polis hiding some inconvenient news. Does Jeremy now?
@Cactus
You’ll be seeing some of these fowk on Saturday, every toon in Scotland has thir ain version of these fowk.
All of them Scottish fowk.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKHENjnk-T0
The Tories did not vote to stop illegal money laundering in Scotland. What a shameful bunch.
Good reports about minimum pricing. Well done Scottish Gov.
@Blair Paterson says: 1 May, 2018 at 5:37 pm:
“Mr., Peffers if the E.U. Is so good and democratic why have we not seen their books or accounts in over 20years ???”
No idea, Mr Paterson.
You’ll have to ask the relevant member state’s about such things. Apparently the EU only imparts such protected information to the official relevant Member State of the European Union, (I found that EU Policy out when I made certain enquiry on a different matter that concerned the parliament of the Kingdom of Scotland.
Now let me see … Give me a moment … Oh! Right! Now I remember –
That’ll be, “Her Majesty’s Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland.
Now, If I were you, which I am not, I’d first try, “Her Majesty’s Treasury, (and I quote from Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia) :-
<blockquote)HM Treasury – Jurisdiction United Kingdom
Headquarters
1 Horse Guards Road
Westminster, London
Annual budget
£3.8 billion (current) & £300 million (capital) for Chancellor's Departments in 2011–12[3]
Minister responsible
Philip Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer
Department executive
Tom Scholar, Permanent Secretary to the Treasury
Child Department – UK Debt Management Office
Website
http://www.gov.uk/hm-treasury United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Treasury (HM Treasury), sometimes referred to as the Exchequer, or more informally the Treasury, is the British government department responsible for developing and executing the government's public finance policy and economic policy. The Treasury maintains the Online System for Central Accounting and Reporting (OSCAR), the replacement for the Combined Online Information System (COINS), which itemises departmental spending under thousands of category headings, and from which the Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) annual financial statements are produced.
The possessive adjective in the department's name varies depending upon the gender of the reigning monarch.
Failing that Ministry you could try Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs. I’m not at all sure which of her Majesty’s Ministries has responsibility for such things:- (again I quote From Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia) :-
Now you do see the point of my comment, Mr Paterson, (or do you)?
It is not at all easy to find out which of Her Majesty’s Ministries holds such information and even my first thought on attempting to find out that particular bit of info was that I had not a single clue of where to begin.
However, if you have any information on which of Her Majesty’s Cabinet to ask then I’m sure many Wingers would be grateful for that information.
Rock (24th March – “The dragon fighters”):
“I can say with 100% confidence that no Scottish, UK or international court will ever rule that the pretendy “sovereignty” of Scots is supreme over Westminster.
At best it would be a fudge which will leave the Scots as impotent as they have been for the last 311 years.
But it is all theoretical as pretendy “sovereign” Scots will never put their money where their mouths are by petitioning the highest court of Scotland because their “sovereign” and “independent justice system” myths would be bust once and for all if they did.
I can say with 100% confidence that Saint Theresa is not going to give permission to Nicola to hold another referendum before Brexit has been completed.
Now that the UK is all but at war with Russia and the Scottish First Minister has stood shoulder to shoulder with Saint Theresa, I can say with 100% confidence that the establishment lawyer Nicola will not dare defy Saint Theresa and hold an illegal referendum.
Why would she and the rest of the SNP leadership want to go into exile in Belgium when they are doing fine here and at Westminster?
Before there is a flood of posters claiming that Scotland can hold an independence referendum whenever it wants to, the fact is that it has never yet done so without Westminster’s approval.
You can only prove me wrong if and when it does.”
Robin says:
1 May, 2018 at 11:38 am
“Why is anyone who supports Scottish Independence a fully paid up member of the Herald???”
Because it is the dear sister of the “independence supporting” The National?
Buy the fake “independence supporting” The National to keep its elder sisters The Herald and The Sunday Herald alive.
Robert Peffers says:
1 May, 2018 at 1:24 pm
“@Northern Rock says: 1 May, 2018 at 12:13 pm:
“Any sign of Ruthie’s “Baby Bump” yet?”
I think I read somewhere that it is mostly hidden under the fourth fold down.”
There are many other points on which to attack the second nastiest person in Scotland without resorting to comments like that, in my humble opinion.
@Colin Alexander says: 1 May, 2018 at 4:53 pm:
“Aye, that’s right: companies signing off their own work as quality checked when the work wasn’t quality at all. That’s the problem.”
Aye! That’s what I said, right enough.
“The Scottish Parliament’s ability to make law is not constrained by a private contract between a Council and builders?”
Sorry, Colin, but is that bit a statement or a question? It does have a question Mark at the end but reads like a statement.
“Are you telling me no Scot Govts or the Scottish Parliament could bring in laws that required mandatory external quality checks?”
No. I’m stating what actually happened – and when it happened.
“Aye, I blame all the Scottish Parliament and as the SNP have been a large part of those and the SNP have been the Scottish Govt on several occasions, then they share the blame.”
Utter claptrap. Did I not make clear that these PPI/PPP deals and contracts all – that’s every one of them were done under a Labour led parliament and the deals done by almost exclusively Labour Led Local Authorities before the SNP ever gained power at Holyrood.
That is these deals were all done under either Regional, District or City councils when Labour weighed the votes instead of counting them.
“Is it only the SNP that’s responsible when good things happen?”
I wouldn’t know that as it has absolutely nothing to do with the current replies to your anti-SNP claptrap. You made stupid and inaccurate claims in attempting to denigrate the SNP as a Scottish Government but the claims you made precede the SNP being in power. Not a single PPI/PPP deal was ever done by any SNP led local authority under an SNP Scottish Government. Unless, that is, you can show otherwise.
“I’m also saying Labour and the Tories and Greens and independents can also be criticised for the failings in devolved legislation.”
Yes I am aware what you are saying, Colin, I’m just proving it is a total fabrication by you and is really defamation of the SNP as a party, as local authorities and as a government.
If there were such PPI/PPP deals done by Tory or LibDem local councils these too must have been done under a Labour led Scottish Government and one of the first moves done by the first SNP led Scottish Parliament was to take the Edinburgh Tram Fiasco to the Scottish Law Courts in an Effort to have the contracts negated.
That is why these PPI/PPP scandals are still on=going and the present Scottish Council Tax payers still going on paying for them. In short all outstanding PPI/PPP deals still being paid for were done and dusted under Labour Party governance.
Now stop attempting to justify your errors and go do some proper research. You could start by reading up on the Edinburgh Tram fiasco and who negotiated it with whom. Then check out who voted against the SNP Government at Holyrood when the SNP were attempting to negate the PPI/PPP deals.
Craig on piece work tonight, 3 drivelous posts and not 8.45 pm yet.
Hundreds of posts on Wings, yet only 5 different post contents…!
Talk
Pish
Post
Repeat.
Robert Peffers says:
1 May, 2018 at 1:13 am
“While Westminster undemocratically dominates the rest of the so called union the EU is a parliament that works by democracy and furthermore by consensus.”
Robert Peffers says:
25 March, 2018 at 1:22 pm (The winds of change)
“If Germany has thrown in its lot with Spain they are, between them, signing the death warrant of the European Union and killing it off.”
“RIP the European Union, for except for now lying down, you are now declaring yourself dead.”
Re Geo at 8.44.
Could not agree more. I am an avid lurker and very occasional poster. Mostly what I have to say is off topic and only when I feel particularly motivated. So far I have been met by annoyance for being off topic, accusations of being a troll, or a wall of silence. Makes me wonder why I bother.
I read some of Craig’s posts – aka Rock before he changed his name – and he was well up for it. I wonder if Rock is still in mourning for Indy Ref 1, and just needs a hug?
Today is the blackest date in Scotland`s long history of black days,
the Treaty or Articles of Union took effect on May 1 1707,
where a bunch of Scottish `noblemen` sold their own nation for English cash.
Whilst reading about the Treaty/Articles there was mention of Nova Scotia being a Scottish colony,
outside Darien I didn`t know we had any colonies.
@ Robin who said “we could be out of the EU by as early as 29th March 2019”.
Totally agree Robin.
We will be.
29th March 2019 is the expiry date of the 2 year period that was triggered after PM May sent in her Article 50 letter, saying the UK wanted to leave the EU.
I see no interest in either the UK or the EU in extending this 2-year period. The EU does not appear interested in re-negotiating whatever is agreed, should Westminster parliament vote to say they don’t like the deal.
The UK asked for a transition/Implementation period. The EU will concede an extra 21 months (up until Dec 2020)
ONLY IF
a) the UK agrees to pay its liabilities (Done)
b) guarantees EU citizens rights (Not done yet, particularly after the news of the Windrush horrors) and
c) agrees on the irish border issue (not done yet).
The EU wants things settled by June 2018 so they can “operationalise” them by Oct 2018 and move to ratification
Double D Davies is talking about agreeing by Oct or Xmas 2018.
In any case if all these points are not settled within the timeframe, the UK is out with NO Deal on 29th March 2019
It’s up to Scotland now to decide what it wants (UK vs EU) and when to move towards getting what it wants, if it wants to stay in the EU.
If i were the Scottish govt I would be extremely wary about hoping/ trying to extrapolate whatever favourable deal Northern ireland happens to get (if it materialises) to Scotland.
It’s not gonna happen, given the very different circumstances (the Irish Republic is an EU country backing the 50% of EU irish citizens in NI)
PS see what “operationalise” means here https://eurofree3.wordpress.com/2018/02/26/operationalise/
Scot Finlayson says:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Nova_Scotia#Scottish_colony
…. for a short time, alas.
Colin Alexander = Ross Thomson = Total Bampot
And I claim my £5.
@ben madigan
The Tories appear to have just one goal for now in these Brexit talks and that is to keep putting it off by refusing to make any decisions.
“Britain and the European Union may be unable to resolve the future of the Border before they agree a deal on their future relationship in October, Brexit secretary David Davis has said.”
http://archive.li/EeX6U
David Davis doesn’t appear to listen to what the EU say, Barnier just yesterday made it clear that without an agreed position on the NI Border issue then future talks could collapse.
If the UK position on the NI border is not clear by the next EU summit in June and if it is still not clear by the end of October then what might happen then?
Not got a scooby myself but it looks an all too likely scenario that could likely happen. That doesn’t make the Scottish Governments position on the timing on a 2nd referendum all that clear either if by October we still don’t know anything about a future deal between the UK/EU.
‘But if anyone can pull it off, it is Nicola Sturgeon and her Government.’
Then there really is no need to be concerned is there Robin?
A couple of points I may not have made clear –
The UK will be out of the EU in March 2019, with or without a deal
if there is a deal i.e. a Withdrawal Agreement, the UK will have the transition/Implementation period it asked for. For those 21 months, the UK will be out of the EU (No UK MEPs etc ) but things will continue as they are to some extent (pay no say status, a vassal state as jacob Rees mogg calls it)
if there is no deal -in march 2019 the UK crashes out and all EU treaties will cease to apply – no flights, no driving licences, no more haulage,no reciprocal recognition of educational qualifications, no radiotherapy isotopes for cancer patients, no pharmaceuticals etc
What is all this with the Tory PMP posing for photographs.
Wide Legged and Brainlees – Andy Fairweather-Low
The Scottish Gov established a fund where councils can go to borrow money? -at a much lower rate. There are also accredited firms that have been registered. That is why Carillion etc were not so prevalent in Scotland. The work had already been given to other companies. Or on contracts like AWPR the work shared and the contracts made so that if there were delays the companies paid penalties. It did not affect the overall cost. Councils are using the fund. There is another company call FES? (Ex Carillion employees) who have been found wanting and been given their jotters by councils for not delivering on contracts.
The unionists councils were making agreements to give them vast sums for maintenance work which was not honoured. They are now using the Scottish Gov fund arrangement and guidelines. Sometimes these large companies give the work to local tradesman or try to under cut or add on 10% subcontracting. When it was easier to get the local firms to do it, in the first place.
Some universities have approved lists which do not include local tradesmen or companies. It can be quite difficult to get on the list. The price is higher. They use larger firms from other main cities. Local firms can do it cheaper. No travelling costs etc.
@Thepnr who said “That doesn’t make the Scottish Governments position on the timing on a 2nd referendum all that clear either if by October we still don’t know anything about a future deal between the UK/EU”.
by october Scotland may have an idea of whether the UK is about to crash out or whether a Withdrawal Agreement is being ratified. If the negotiations go well with the internationally legally binding Withdrawal Agreement (an International Treaty) there maybe a separate dossier sketching out some “heads of agreement” on a future UK-EU relationship.
I don’t know when the “heads of Agreement” will be fleshed out into a real international Agreement nor how long it could take.
I do M.Barnier will not be involved. He has said his job is finished once he has shepherded the UK out through the EU exit door.
The wide leg stance,I learned from a body language expert,is done to cool the brain and thus improve its ability to function efficiently.
The same wee boy who detected the lack of clothes in the emperor,asked where they kept their brains.
The UK will crash out in March 2019 without a deal only if one has not been agreed and unless the remaining EU 27 members unanimously agree to extend the date to another unspecified one somewhere down the line.
There is nothing at all certain about Brexit or where it might be heading in my view. I doubt too that anyone at least members of the public will be much the wiser come October going by the state of the current shenanigans.
I’ve posted OT. Much obliged if you have a look and a think about it.
Kindest regards
Daisy
@ thenpr who said “There is nothing at all certain about Brexit or where it might be heading”
True – but we do know some things will happen and others may happen.
Will the remaining EU 27 members unanimously agree to extend the date to another unspecified one somewhere down the line?
I don’t honestly know – I suppose any agreement on prolongation would depend on whether the EU views that as in their own best interests.
They’ve been insulted long enough by the UK, have their own projects to progress, their own problems to attend to – so I would say they would have no appetite in prolonging “negotiations” for an unspecified time.
Particularly as the EU understands “negotiations”as applying the laws and regulations the UK had a hand in setting up, not market-place haggling as the Uk seems to interpret the term.
PS the EU has published and is publishing “Notices to Stakeholders” about how to prepare for a UK crash-out. Ireland has started commissioning ships and extending ports to by-pass the UK for transport of goods and tourists
@Rock
Re: the National Newspaper propping up the Herald. It’s an easy thing to say, and assert, but you have to delve a little deeper, work a little harder…offer more substance to your argument.
If you were to look at a copy of The National you’d notice two very obvious things.
1: there are very few unique writers writing the articles. On a given day you might find 4 articles written by, say, Andrew Learmonth. What national facing daily newspapers that are cash cows do that? None. There are about sis full time staff writers on the National, working their socks off to produce copy each day. That’s not evidence of a big budget operation. Nor is the four or so pages devoted to readers letters. That’s relatively low budget content.
2: There is a distinct lack of advertising in The National. In recent months the National’s editor has done a podcast and a Q&A and explained that a lot of potential advertisers are put off by the papers overt stance re:Indy
3: The circulation – it’s not a heck of a lot, and the profit margins for newspapers is pretty thin, even when factoring in the online revenues, which i have just explained…companies are not beating down the door to advertise in said paper.
So…come up with a ball park figure that you think the National is pumping into the Herald. And maybe come up with a figure that you think is the shortfall the herald needs, to be propped up. Use that floating grey abundance of yours. I know you can do it.
It’s fine to sing the same song, over and over and over. It’s not unique or uncommon. Christ, Peffers, whom i love is a repeat poster, and i don’t agree with everything he says, but he does his homework, he researches and provides solid information, to the point where his opinion is (by no means inconsequential but) secondary cos the info does more than enough talking, and the man has value, positive value.
You, in my opinion, based on all the posts i have read, do not. You are -EV, you have a negative expected value in terms of your contribution to the common cause. But, i am sure you are a good person. But maybe provide more solid evidence to back up your repetition, and go up the gears, up your game. If you’re right, about the National keeping the Herald going, if you can produce sufficient evidence, I will salute you, cos i will have learned something.
But you have to change the tune, you really must. We need everyone to up their game. So, you’re not alone in that respect. A 1% improvement from you is a marginal gain. But i think you can go to 10% – in increments if you must. Please take this in the manner intended, as i have nothing but love for you.
Hopefully, no further bulletins will be issued.
Scotland owns 8% of everything the UK owns
our share’ll be quite a sum when they have to pay up eh?
FMs twitter has a video of a program calling itself *Representing Border* which says Scotland is the first *COUNTY* to introduce minimum pricing
Daisy Walker @ 11.15
Brilliant post on O/T please post on main thread. Then we can all discuss.
quoting what starlaw says:
1 May, 2018 at 8:16 am
Radio shortbread on about the alcohol, seems its the middle class with their cheap wine and vodka, that will be worst hit….no mention of the kids in the bushes with cheap half gallons of cider.
–
Naw, you’ve got it wrong pal. No middle class person with any self-worth buys £4–>£5 bottles of wine. Rotgut at that price. Proper middle class persons are probably more into gin than vodka. And if the price of Gordons Gin goes up, that simply narrows the gap to Bombay Sapphire and makes the more expensive choice an easier one.
Elsewhere I read a report that industrial white “cider” might disappear completely. Would the rot had stopped a generation ago with alcopops.
Cool people;
‘The Inner Level now shows the impact inequality has on individuals: how it affects us psychologically, makes social relations more stressful, undermines self-confidence and distorts natural differences in personal abilities. It demonstrates that societies based on fundamental equalities, sharing and reciprocity produce much higher levels of wellbeing than those based on excessive individualism, competitiveness and social aggression’
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/188607/the-inner-level/
Also cool people;
‘We share the vision of a circular economy. An idea for a truly sustainable future that works without waste, in symbiosis with our environment and resources … Right now we have a linear system – we take resources out of the ground, and transform them into (often hazardous) waste. We consume and destroy our own planet faster than it can possibly recover. We’ve known about these problems for decades and despite increasing public awareness we are still nowhere near comprehensive solutions’
https://oscedays.org/open-source-circular-economy-mission-statement/
Decidedly uncool- and they all seem to be in it together ;
‘These rich Russians live between London, Monaco and Moscow: some have never left Russia and control their country via offshore entities. Numerous intermediaries and Western firms have also recouped large crumbs on the way and continue to do so today in sport and the media (sometimes this is referred to as philanthropy). The extent of the misappropriation of funds has no equal in history’
http://piketty.blog.lemonde.fr/2018/04/10/capital-in-russia/
‘Some of the money came from organized crime groups but a significant amount seems to have come from the Russian Treasury.
In other words, hard-working Russians paid billions in taxes while putting up with snail-paced trains, potholes and a health care system dying a slow death… Tax money was disappearing into the maze of shell company accounts or being blown away on luxuries at a time when the state statistic showed that in 2015 nearly 20 million Russians were living below the poverty line. This was a 20% increase in poverty compared to 2014…“A trillion dollars is flowing from poor countries to rich countries each year. That’s money that could be alleviating poverty and building infrastructure. Instead, it sits as overpriced, high end real estate in London and New York,”
https://www.occrp.org/en/laundromat/the-russian-laundromat-the-world-responds/
… Mr. Trump’s casino helped launder money and no one was charged with a crime.
One-fifth of the condos owned by Mr. Trump in the United States were sold to shell companies like those Mr. Manafort used, BuzzFeed News found. Since Mr. Trump won the Republican nomination, 70 percent of domestic real estate sales by his companies were to shell companies’
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/22/opinion/mueller-investigation-swamp.html
The EU has cool aspirations;
‘Social protection has been a cornerstone of the European Union since its inception. According to Article 151 of the TFEU, the EU and its Member States share as objectives “the promotion of employment, improved living and working conditions, … proper social protection, dialogue between management and labour, the development of human resources with a view to lasting high employment and the combating of exclusion”.
https://www.socialeurope.eu/widening-the-social-protection-safety-net
Scotland is a very cool, small, smart country that’s outward looking with an inclusive and progressive government-interesting, egalitarian, democratic -not belligerent or isolated.
SNP minimum pricing will be completely wrong until England does it then it’ll be completely right but Englands version will be righter and more betterer than any rotten SNP version
so there
Did we really expect them to say any different
They’re still moaning about our bridge for God sake, and tourists are coming to Scotland in their droves in big new shiny boats
You can hear them squealing *what fresh hell is this* Scotland keeps getting better despite what we try to do to stop them
When I was teaching in Glasgow sometimes Alcohol Awareness or some such came into schools to give a talk on alcohol to S3. Sometimes it was more feasible for their reps to address S3 in particular when they were in either English or Maths as all S3/4 go there at the same time as both are compulsory.
Once a woman from one of these organisations came into my class to speak to my S3, who were the second top in their year.
I was totally horrified when she told the class that several of the cheap bottles of ‘cider’ had the minimum amount of apple ‘juice’ to call it cider and the rest was made up of chemicals.
The SG is completely right to clamp down on that type of alcohol.
I read just now that there are plenty influential health groups and others in NI calling for the same minimum pricing to be introduced there.
The problem just now is they admit that there is no assembly that could pass such a law for now. One thing at a time then.
That’s a great post Daisy on off topic. Worthy of being on the main site as a “Soapbox” post.
There are a lot of people that I know who vote SNP and the frustration is building to bursting point at the seeming inaction.
A case in point may be this weekend’s march in Glasgow. If the SNP are backing it or encouraging people to attend it, then it has passed me by. If one or two members are publicising it, that’s great. But where is the party machine, where are the leaders asking people to turn out in their thousands? Are party top brass going to be in attendance? If not, why not?
So so frustrating.
I try not to comment negatively about the only party that can deliver independence, but it is a dam that is about to burst and it isn’t only me feeling that way. I say this as kxan SNP voter for 32 years.
Sunshine @ 12.43
I was just sayin the same thing to Daisy on off topic,it would indeed make a great Soap Box article.
A discussion we could certainly get our teeth into.
And I’m hoping Saturday will be when the dam bursts and the demand for Indy Ref is becomes unstoppable,just like Alex Salmond said it would!
Sunshine @ 12.43
I think you could bet you bottom dollar that Sandra White, SNP MSP will be there. As well as few others who will stay in the background.
It will be interesting if any of the candidates for SNP Depute attend.
I expect Chris McEleney to be there and perhaps to speak.
Here’s a couple of questions for previous no voters…
1) Do you know of any Scottish people who speak genuinely PASSIONATELY about being in the current uk, from a Scottish point of view?
2) What past/present/future event(s) was/were/will it be that made you decide to go from no to Yes already?
Yes is for winners.
Westminster is squirming else we wouldn’t be reading the likes of this from STV.
The Scottish Government says a deal can still be reached to end the deadlock with the UK over key Brexit legislation.
If ministers at Whitehall agree to amendments put forward to the EU Withdrawal Bill in the House of Lords, the Scottish Government could then give its consent to the legislation, Holyrood’s Brexit minister has said…
“Either remove clause 11 completely – so that there is equity between the Scottish Parliament and Westminster – or the UK Government could accept the amendments tabled in the House of Lords by Lord Hope and Lord Mackay so that the present system is continued.”…
The Lords amendments, if passed, would mean any regulations altering the powers of the Scottish Parliament could only be made with Holyrood’s agreement.
https://stv.tv/news/politics/1413925-russell-deal-can-still-be-struck-with-uk-over-eu-powers/
O/T Hope to meet many new faces on Saturday at the Green, don’t be shy 🙂
Dr Jim@11.44pm.
Quite the amount indeed.
Its a simple sum.
Uk assets are worth more than the debt. (Even if not by much)
So any asset/debt interest share (we cannot take an ACTUAL uk debt share) is a net gain, even if we did take on a pro rate share of that eye watering £1.85trn debt, we would take more in assets share value.
You really aught to read this, it gets more interesting everyday the lengths the Tories are going to in order to avoid a date in the Supreme Court with the Scottish Government.
Scottish and UK ministers set for Brexit powers summit
http://archive.li/spsIy
According to this article on the BBC they have no more than 2 weeks to get things sorted LOL.
All sides agree that some powers which are currently kept in line with EU-wide sets of regulations should go into UK-wide frameworks after Brexit. However they differ on how these frameworks should be run, with UK ministers wanting the final say if talks become deadlocked.
Scottish ministers say they will not put forward the Withdrawal Bill for a consent vote at Holyrood until this is settled. The final point at which this can happen is before the bill has its final reading in the House of Lords, currently expected to be on May 16.
Westminster it seems may be making a blunder or two here. It will be interesting if nothing else to see how this all pans out.
@geeo 1.28am
My understanding of debt is that the if UK incurred debt then the UK is responsible for that debt and as Scotlands finances are controlled by the UK Scotland has no debt on leaving that state
Now if I’m even close to being correct on that understanding Scotland will begin as a new state debt free and owed lots of lovely moolah with which to furnish us with our immediate needs such as the purchase of naval patrol vessels for our waters which are very large and contain lots and lots of our great Scottish economy Oil Gas and Fishies, Oh and planes to patrol our skies which also are very big as well so that a certain country won’t be able to over fly us without asking our permission
It’ll be nice to be asked instead of being telt, won’t it
@Dr Jim says: 1 May, 2018 at 11:44 pm:
“Scotland owns 8% of everything the UK owns
our share’ll be quite a sum when they have to pay up eh?”
Where, Dr Jim, is it written down that Scotland owns only 8% of the United Kingdom’s assets? Furthermore, if that 8% is based upon only population or on land mass then neither of these can in any way be used to assess the proportionate share of Scotland’s worth or even Scotland’s worth in the period covered by the Union.
Just because one partner in a marriage is 6’3″ and the other is 5’4″ doesn’t mean the big one has contributed more to the marriage. Neither does the fact that on the Wedding day the little one had inherited £2 billion and the other was stony broke.
In fact on the United Kingdom wedding day the Kingdom of England had two out of wedlock children to support and had massive national debts. While the Kingdom of Scotland had NO national debt. The claim that Scotland came to the union broke is total myth.
The English engineered Darien Expedition that supposedly bankrupted Scotland is total rubbish – Scotland wasn’t bankrupt but the parliamentarians, and in 1707 those parliamentarians were the wealthy landowners and the people enfranchised to vote were also landowners and Darien was funded by subscription – thus the majority of the people of Scotland were not bankrupted.
Not only that but the population ratios from 1707 until today not only varied but are entirely due to Westminster Government policies. Please do not fall into the trap that is the Westminster brainwashing that began long before the actual union.
@Dr Jim says: 2 May, 2018 at 2:13 am:
“My understanding of debt is that the if UK incurred debt then the UK is responsible for that debt and as Scotlands finances are controlled by the UK Scotland has no debt on leaving that state.
Come on, Dr Jim, that’s Westminster thinking. There are but two signatory kingdoms that comprise the United Kingdom and thus the Kingdom of Scotland is no more, “Leaving”, the United Kingdom than is the Kingdom of England leaving the United Kingdom.
Legally when a two equal partner agreement ends the legal standing is, “The Status Quo Ante”.
The previous state of affairs was an independent Kingdom of England and an independent Kingdom of Scotland and there are no other kingdoms in the United Kingdom as both Wales, (1284), and Ireland, (1542), were already integral parts of the Kingdom of England in 1706/7.
You really need to stop accepting blindly whatever Westminster, (and Rock & co.), tells you to think.
Sunshine at 1243am,
Excellent post. I totally agree with your thoughts. Just why is the SNP not getting more involved? I expect to see ALL SNP Mp’s and MSP’s on Saturday. That is how it should be.
Enough of this nonsense where SNP elected politicians sit on the sidelines, almost too feart to stand up for what they believe in. They need to get to the march. It is peaceful and wholly democratic No excuses. We’ve all got jobs, we’re all busy people, but that doesn’t stop us, and it should NOT stop them.
@Robert Louis
I think its because they don’t want it portrayed as an SNP only thing – as it surely would be.
Better to have it organised by the general public.
Considering the £Billions Westminster has taken from Scotland. Westminster owes Scotland. Well documented. Thatcher offshore tge Oil revenues and spent it on London S/E and kept it secret under the Official Secrets Act. Built Canary Wharf. Loads of money bankers. Donating to the Tory Party. Tilbury Docks. Diverting all trafic through London. Transport system causing chaos and congstion. Closing all the Docks around Britain. Losing jobs. The Gov jobs and HQ concentrated around London. Scotland pays for but does not benefit the Scottish economy. A naval base at Faslane would benefit Scotland not a nuclear base 30 minutes from Scotland’s major City. Just a waste stopping commercial activity.
Thatcher wrote in official documents now released, ‘this must be kept secret’. She came to the Scottish Assembly on the mound and stated ‘we the English people are generous to you Scots’. The sermon on the mound. She shut down every manufacturing facility in Scotland and started a civil war with the miners, The violence of the ’80’s’ is well documentated. There were over 3 million unemployed (lower pop) and interest rates at 15%. Deregulation of the world banking system led to the crash.
Forsyth and Lang were Party to it. Still at it in the HoL. The Barnett Formula devised just to do that. Deprive Scotland. Causing poverty and early death, The Scottish Office meant people did not know what was going on. They had a good idea. The lie was contrived and supported that Scotland was subsidised and the SNP was discredited. ‘Loads of money bankers’ gave an illusion to what was really happening. No Devolution. Devolution and the SNP Gov have changed Scotland for the better. Independence would be even better. Either grow away or IbdyRef. It will happen. FFA.
Scotland loses £Billlions to illegal wars, financial fraud and tax evasion. That would be better spent in the economy. Trident, Hinkley Point and HS2 are all a complete waste of money. Totally over priced with more feasible, better alternatives.
The Tory mess is just appalling. No growth and the UK economy tanking. Brexit is a disaster, The Tories will end up paying more money for less rights. Let’s hope more people in the rest of the UK come to their senses. It should not have to be like that. Scotland should get the Gov and policies for which it votes. Scotland voted to Remain. Thank goodness for the SNP Scottish Gov standing up for Scotland, Well done for getting minimum pricing implemented. A good decision after 5 years. It also shows that the EU is not rigid in the rules but negotiates and adapts them to suit each country. The draw back was the Whisky Association, whose members do not pay tax in Scotland. Despite using all Scottish resources. Some evade tax in the UK.
Del 12.09
Please re-read my post. I did not make that prediction Radio Shortbread did …Of course its utter nonsense.
Still Positive Sandra White/ Chris McEleny/ Ivan McKee / are all speakers on Sat .
The SNP Gov govern for the whole of Scotland under a set of UK Gov rules and code of conduct because people voted NO, They do not have to attend marches etc. They can do what they want. They are elected. Unlike all the armchair critics. 1/2 million who did not vote and let the Tories in. They should be the one’s who should hold their heads in shame, Not the SNP reps standing up for Scotland, They are working hard whether they attend marches or not and often have prior commitments, Surgeries required by Law, meeting etc.
Many people can’t attend because of commitments and logistics. Even expense or capability. That does not mean they are not there in spirit. The anti SNP fifth column. Cut off theur nose to spite their face. More should join, campaign and donate. Instead of sitting on the sidelines criticising. It’s a pastime for some.
Smallaxe If U don’t want to incur the use of Hammers ( out with paragraph breaks ) I wouldn’t post any more links to Bella Caledonia & Mike Small . There is good reason why Bella doesn’t appear on the drop down menu .
O/T
@ Daisy Walker on O/T 1/5/18 11.13pm
Soooperb! Never before has anybody written like they were reading my mind! That brought a tear to ma eye and a rage to ma heart. Daisy, please think of ‘getting this out there’. It is pure passion, do a speech on Glasgow Green if you’re going?
Please Rev think about Daisy’s comment/rant/novel? on a Soap Box so that folk who do twitter can link to it. Or facebook?
The time is NOW. Why are we becoming boiled frogs? So anxious to prove it’s ‘them’ that talk of indy all the time, the SNP do not talk of it at all.
The ‘R@pist Theory of Consent’ should have been the Eureka moment, the ‘That’s it we’ve had it with you lot’ moment. To hell with Brexit, we have enough proof of how you will continue to deal with us and what you really think of us to carry on with this Union.
Whhoooft too early for rants like this, am off for ma porridge.
Another one hits the dust. Ashley Highfield Edinburgh based Herald executive resigns for ‘family’? reasons. JP £200Million of debts still to be reconstructed next year.
Another one gone, another one down. Another one hits the dust.
Readership decline. Digital revenues have increased. Do not access the Herald website. All annoying pop up ads in any case.
Was Ruth Davidson not available, I wonder? Three leaders of their respective parties (well, branch offices in two cases) and a Tomkins.
Mind you, I nearly fell off my chair on a number of occasions, listening to Tomkins, as he appears to support devolution and the Scottish Parliament. Perhaps he can have a word in Annie Wells’s ear.
Plus, can’t the media ever get anything right? (Don’t answer that.) Could they not bring themselves to mention Patrick Harvie?
Cod help anybody who has to apply for a Blue Badge , i’ve just completed a 15 page questionnaire & photocopied a dozen letters of in support of the application . I don’t know how a council worker can interpret the medical jargon when my own GP has never heard of my condition , i await the followup phone call from the F^(&@%! .
What I am not hearing is when Indy occurs, a biggy, Trident, what precisely are we going to do about that? Scotland wants rid, so what process will we employ to actually have carry this out?
The other important issues are the radioactive sites across Scotland, no doubt rUK is responsible, so just what will be done about clearing them up to international standard.
The decommissioning of old wells and pipelines in the North sea, these need properly removed and permanently sealed, again an rUK issue, but how will it be done and what guarantees will we have that it would all be done properly?
Genuine concerns.
I’m with Robert P,
Let’s get a shit-hot divorce lawyer and start out by claiming half of all assets and liabilities.
Our pound, our Trident, our Crown dependencies, our debt, to sell or restructure or cancel, in our own long term interests, based on our democraticallt elected government.
Les
It will be fixed.worry about no independence cos your fears are here and now.
I hope those that can make it, turn out for the pro-independence march in Glasgow on Saturday 5 May leaving Kelvingrove Park in Glasgow at 11.30am; it will march through the city centre with a rally at George Square.
https://www.commonspace.scot/articles/12613/march-independence-send-message-powers-be
The forecast is mainly cloudy with a wee breeze, so no’ bad marching weather. The breeze should get the Saltires fluttering nicely.
Isn’t it strange the pro-independence SNP ( so I’m told), don’t mention it on their website and yet people like me, who are accused of being “a Britnat troll” are happy to promote it, in the hope there is a huge turnout to promote Scotland’s independence.
@Robert Peffers
Alex Salmond told me and the nation on national TV in 2014 that was his understanding of the finances and when you decide to insult people by comparing them with unpleasant people like @Rock you lose any credibility in any reply you make thereafter, but you should perhaps read more carefully what people write before blurting out some all knowing information which neither you or I is privy to then attach insults to make your point
Key words (my understanding) at no time did I declare it as fact or I would have said so and if I were to correct someone on a mistake of fact I certainly would do it in a much less offensive way because that’s the mannerly way to behave
To the manny at CA why don’t you flutter along to the Wings Stall on Sat im sure we can afford a complimentary bottle of watter or a Irn Bru efter your short march, we’ll be at the east end of the park just of the road .
( ps don’t get conffudled with RogueCoders stall ) altho he’ll be next to us )
“Colin Alexander” at 8.36
“isn’t it strange the pro-independence SNP ( so I’m told), don’t mention it on their website and yet people like me, who are accused of being “a Britnat troll” are happy to promote it, in the hope there is a huge turnout to promote Scotland’s independence.”
Actually its all over Facebook and various other sites.It is not organised by the SNP but many in the SNP are involved in its organisation and publicity
“it will march through the city centre with a rally at George Square.”
And why are you distributing wrong information. The rally is at Glasgow Green. The march does not go to or through George Square. This was determined well over a month ago and widely publicised on YES sites which you obviously don’t visit. .It goes along Glasgow’s busiest thoroughfare – Union Street, Renfield Street and Jamaica Street and along the Clydeside to the Green.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Glasgow+Green/@55.8526606,-4.2427347,405m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x488846a37a817f3b:0x4822cab96021be31!8m2!3d55.8487031!4d-4.2350712
Hamish100
Les Wilson says;
says: Oh I am focused on Indy all right, do not doubt that, and I will be there on Saturday, as I have been on most marches, but I am highlighting big issues, they will be sorted over time, I am just asking what processes will be involved. As they are very necessary to our health and general welfare.
How can an Independence Ref be declared for September, in all the Brexit mess. It would probably affect the Scottish economy. It is not appropriated to have a winter campaign for obvious reasons, Westher. That leaves next year If Scottish Gov dues not get assurances necessary. Scotland can grow away or have an IbdyRef. This time it most win. All the signs are there the longer it takes the more folk will vote YES. The young ones are in favour.
Why all the impatience? The panic and hysteria. It must be now or never etc. If people vote for it it will happen anyway. Some people are right. If there is another outright SNP victory – Holyrood etc. It is an endorsement. If not there is not a majority at present. That is Democracy. Scotland always works within the Law. Much can change in any case. Rapidly. The Tories can fall at any time . There could be a different regime. More complicit and compliant to negotiation and the handing over of powers.
The SNP never talk about Ibdependence? That is all the members talk about. The raison d’etre for it’s existence. The first rule of membership.
Scotland needs a central Bank which is being set up. Kevin Brown (next Deputy) was in NY recently doing the necessary to set one up. Getting investors? Or whatever. Scotland would need funds immediately to get off the ground. If Westminster did not negotiate but procrastinate as they did about shared currency during the IndyRef. The EU could help in this. It has helped fund other self determination and governance. Germany reunitification. Poland. Former USSR bloc countries.
Alex Salmond expected them to play ball and be fair in both parties interest. That was not to be as it turned out, The lies, deceit and betrayal etc just continued. The Vow not delivered. Alex Salmond resignation. A targeted funded effort by Unionists to get him out. Pycho bastards. Alex Salmond did more for the NE and Scotland than anyone. AWPR, turbines. Bay project too near to the beach. Popular Golf developments still to be realised. Still putting Scotland on the map. Alex Salmond well respected world Statesman. Broadcasting worldwide. Not like the Tory unionist imbeciles causing trouble everywhere they go. Nicola is well respected and nominated as well. Not just in the UK but worldwide because she cares. The SNP reps doing an excellent job. All of them. They all deserve a mention.
The Scottish Gov should give the OAP £10 a month extra with more to come that would sort it out. Although they give them extra in kind already. There should not be any extension to the Trams until OAP from other cities are allowed to use their (bus) travel passes on the Trams, The whole of Scotland paid for it and Edinburgh transport system is publicly funded by other taxpayers. More buses have to run. The Trams run undersubscribed, Subsidised cheap fares. It should be £1 for ten miles, £2 for twenty miles, £3 – thirty, £4 – forty. Cheaper full return? To the airport. The bus used to be £12. Glasgow has the best airport bus service in the world. £4 every ten minutes. 15
mins into the centre even in busy traffic.
Minimum pricing. Direct flight to China in June. Great for trade and tourism. Oil price going up. Although it puts prices of commodities up. Cost of living up. It is not the price but the tax. Tory 40% tax since Jan 2016, More before when the price had fallen Tory high taxes ruined the Oil sector. Costing Scotland £Billions and thousands of jobs. Vote Tory to be unemployed. Vote Tory to die younger. Sanctioning and killing people. Illegal wars causing the worse migration crisis since 11WW.
Suzanne @ 8.06
I think,that Ruthies no wanting to be linked with this.
She doesn’t mind shouting about keeping the Union,but she cannot defend it’s actions towards Scotland.
But wasn’t Tompkins position interesting??
He talked a lot for only to say…
More or less,everything is fine the way it is,no actual legislation needed,just more “reasonable” discussion ..
Because the Devolved settlement has had enough law,it’s a spirit of cooperation,that’s the way forward.
Now for someone who Understands Parliamentary Sovereignty,he knows fine well that no further legislation,only serves to protect Westminster Sovereignty while it’s that Sovereignty itself that’s in dispute.
A strangely childish view from a supposedly educated man?
And a spin almost worthy of Tony Blair.
I was only listening to it,but I intend to watch again,with my Neil Findlay glasses on,to take a look at the “body language” of Willie Rennie and Richard thingy ,while he is saying this stuff!
Oh and many thanks to the Winger who posted the link.
Decommissioning is being done. Centres at Dundee etc. The Scottish Gov has awarded £Millions to investment projects. Decommissions is tax free. Old wells and pipelines could have been for CCS for the whole of Europe. Investment for Scotland.
Looks like the Tory PR machine (Herald and Scotsman) are turning their attentions to the Health Secretary again. They thought they could get the Justice Secretary a couple of days ago, but that turned out to have no legs.
Just waiting to see if the BBC decide to pick it up, Ruth expects….
Dave McEwan Hill says:
2 May, 2018 at 8:53 am
“Colin Alexander” at 8.36
“it will march through the city centre with a rally at George Square.”
——————————
And why are you distributing wrong information. The rally is at Glasgow Green. The march does not go to or through George Square. This was determined well over a month ago and widely publicised on YES sites which you obviously don’t visit. .It goes along Glasgow’s busiest thoroughfare – Union Street, Renfield Street and Jamaica Street and along the Clydeside to the Green.
=============================================
Hahahahaha Well done Dave. Colin Alexander well and truly exposed. I wonder how many use the name Colin Alexander. 77.
The self confessed Britnat troll reverts to wartime misinformation.Psyche Ops huh? Tell the plebs the wrong destination for the march. pULLEEASe.
@ Kevin Brown? Keith Brown obviously. New Deputy.
CA. Colin Robertson on the Herald website?
Good scoop by The National To-day
http://www.thenational.scot/news/16197730.Watchdog_says_Scotland_s_food_industry_and_public_health_at_risk_due_to_UK_power_grab/?ref=mr&lp=9
@ les Wilson,
Very pertinent questions, regarding decommissioning.
I wouldn’t trust Westminster an inch on carrying out these tasks, they are financially liable for sure, but we need to make sure that we control the process and the time limits. Dumped munitions, Trident removal, decommissioning on wells should have tight timescales and should be costed accordingly, Westminster foots the bill.
@ Liz G
To many people accept this Westminster sovereignty nonsense, for England, Wales and NI its true, but Scotland no. Even the SP qualified their determination on Westminsters sovereignty over Holyrood, by saying that Scots sent Sovereignty to Westminster with their MP’s, so it’s conditional and temporary, and only so long as we say so.
Daisy – Sooperb critique of Pete Wishart’s indy timing stance.
Here’s Daisy’s ‘Wind Oot Ma Sails’ for anyone who missed it. Compulsive reading:
https://www.pdf-archive.com/2018/05/02/wind-oot-ma-sails/wind-oot-ma-sails.pdf
Cool people;
‘The Inner Level now shows the impact inequality has on individuals: how it affects us psychologically, makes social relations more stressful, undermines self-confidence and distorts natural differences in personal abilities. It demonstrates that societies based on fundamental equalities, sharing and reciprocity produce much higher levels of wellbeing than those based on excessive individualism, competitiveness and social aggression’
http://www.penguin.co.uk/books/188607/the-inner-level/
Also cool people;
‘We share the vision of a circular economy. An idea for a truly sustainable future that works without waste, in symbiosis with our environment and resources … Right now we have a linear system – we take resources out of the ground, and transform them into (often hazardous) waste. We consume and destroy our own planet faster than it can possibly recover. We’ve known about these problems for decades and despite increasing public awareness we are still nowhere near comprehensive solutions’
oscedays.org/open-source-circular-economy-mission-statement/
Decidedly uncool- and they all seem to be in it together;
‘These rich Russians live between London, Monaco and Moscow: some have never left Russia and control their country via offshore entities. Numerous intermediaries and Western firms have also recouped large crumbs on the way and continue to do so today in sport and the media (sometimes this is referred to as philanthropy). The extent of the misappropriation of funds has no equal in history’
piketty.blog.lemonde.fr/2018/04/10/capital-in-russia/
‘Some of the money came from organized crime groups but a significant amount seems to have come from the Russian Treasury.
In other words, hard-working Russians paid billions in taxes while putting up with snail-paced trains, potholes and a health care system dying a slow death… Tax money was disappearing into the maze of shell company accounts or being blown away on luxuries at a time when the state statistic showed that in 2015 nearly 20 million Russians were living below the poverty line. This was a 20% increase in poverty compared to 2014…“A trillion dollars is flowing from poor countries to rich countries each year. That’s money that could be alleviating poverty and building infrastructure. Instead, it sits as overpriced, high end real estate in London and New York,”
http://www.occrp.org/en/laundromat/the-russian-laundromat-the-world-responds/
Has never been cool;
‘… Mr. Trump’s casino helped launder money and no one was charged with a crime.
One-fifth of the condos owned by Mr. Trump in the United States were sold to shell companies like those Mr. Manafort used, BuzzFeed News found. Since Mr. Trump won the Republican nomination, 70 percent of domestic real estate sales by his companies were to shell companies’
http://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/22/opinion/mueller-investigation-swamp.html
Scotland is cool. A small, smart, outward looking internationalist country with a progressive government building the Scotland model for a new democracy. A very big day on Saturday for the Indy movement in Scotland- let’s get out there with a very positive message- now is the time.
@Dr Jim says: 2 May, 2018 at 8:38 am:
“Alex Salmond told me and the nation on national TV in 2014 that was his understanding of the finances and when you decide to insult people by comparing them with unpleasant people like @Rock you lose any credibility.”
Well Dr Jim, I certainly had no intention of insulting you and certainly didn’t compare you to Rock. I only said that the assumption that Scotland’s share of UK assets was 8% based upon current population ratios was obviously wrong.
Furthermore I explained why it was wrong and why the thinking was rather like that of Rock who continually quotes Westminster claims while telling us all we are the most stupid people in the World for not accepting the Westminster b=views on everything.
The difference being Rock does so deliberately. However, if you feel insulted, so be it.
The unionist? Dundee Health Board mucks up and Shona Robison has to resign. Get a gripe.
More £Millions invested in training nurses and healthcare professionals.
More bad created publicity by Labour. Slagging off the SNHS. People can phone their GP before 9 a.m. for an emergency appointment for pain relief. They do not have to phone ambulances and go to A&E. They should have a stategy in place. McMillians nurses and home care where appropriate. Sarwar is always trying to slag off the SNHS service. A trained dentist. If he is so concerned why is he not following his profession. He got funded public training.
Dr Whiteford SNP uses her experience to help the health service and get more allocated funding. Still uses her skills to help others. Standing up for Scotland. Minimum pricing introduced to improve health. Labour did not support it.
Golfnut says:
Thanks for that, appreciated.
However, the radioactive sites are a problem for us all. If you look at Dalgety Bay, which is not the biggest of the problems. They drag their feet and nothing seems to get done,soundbites, is it cleared up yet?
I have not heard it has been, maybe I missed it. But that alone has been going on for years, seems they do not want the costs their mess will incur.
ronnie anderson says:
2 May, 2018 at 7:59 am
Message received and understood, Ronnie. See you on Saturday.
🙂
Defra based in the rest of the UK, is responsible for the new policy of UJ on Scottish (UK) products. WTO is promoting products must have sourced related information. Identified by country of source. Scottish branded carry a premium of excellent. Protecting Scottish production as a premium brand. Whisky, salmon, food stuff etc. Tartan, satire branding. All the companies who promoted NO suffered at the accounts and credit. Lost profits etc. Brexit. Everyone is suffering loss. Except for the Hedge funds making money out of it. Taking insurance and betting against it. Standard of living falling and costs rising. £ falling against the Euro.
Trump has made a loss on company profits since becoming President. The company wealth has fallen. He is being nominated for the Nobel Prize in some quarters because of Korea. The US/West has been sanctioning N. Korea for years. Trump tries to keep on good terms with Russia. For world peace. Pity about the Middle East. No solution there yet but tries to stay out of it? Withdrawal from Syria. Iran should not need nuclear. There are opportunities for solar etc. No need to expand nuclear anywhere. Some Middle East countries will have to embrace modernity and giving people the vote. Or their economies will suffer. High youth unemployment. 40% in Iran causing unrest. Saudi Arabia is facing change. Going bankrupt. Oil rights sold off. Saudi Arabia (33 million pop) spends the same as Russia (150Million pop) on the Military. $80Billion.
US (320Million pop) spends $500Billion, more than China (1.2Billion) $150Billion on the Military.
UK spends average £40Billion (65Million pop) on 80,000 Military. Reserve not being taken up as expected. Trident cost £100Billion should be rejected. It will go with Brexit.
Golfnut @ 10.06
Aye far too many, but having said that if England,Wales and N.Ireland want to keep that system.
Who are we too argue.
We can’t keep it cause we have never had it!
And Adam Tompkins knows this….. his qualifications are in that discipline.
But he is tap dancing around the different Constutuional positions, by speaking as if the current laws address them jist fine.
All the While not actually, “actually “ saying this far and no further for any legislation.
Knowing fine well that this does nothing for Scotland, but matains protection of the Westminster “claim “ to be the ultimate power,on this Island.
He didn’t even address that the Smith Commissions adjustment to Sewell (which he helped draught) has proven to be inadequate.
He spoke as though there was no issue with it…… IMO, using his position as someone who has Constitutional knowledge, to misdirect by omission….
I hope his peers have noted his “performance “.
And that’s what it was, it created no enlightenment on even where we are at now with the Constitutional differences, never mind any clarity on a potential way forward..
An honest position would have compeled him to say that these two views of Sovereignty cannot ever be compatible on an equal footing, and anymore legislation to strengthen Holyroods will weeken Westminster’s and that’s what he finds unacceptable.
He couldn’t seem to find the intellectual integrity to really explain and defend his position, but spoke around the issue… badly.
James Caithness and others:
Thanks to all who point out that the Pro-independence march will include a RALLY THAT WILL BE AT GLASGOW GREEN *NOT* AT GEORGE SQUARE.
I too had thought I had read it was Glasgow Green, but had read this today on Commonspace:
“Organised by All Under One Banner (AUOB), the march promises to be the campaign group’s biggest event yet. Leaving from Kelvingrove Park at 11.30am, marchers will travel through Glasgow City Centre before celebrating with a rally at George Square”.
So, I repeat, THE RALLY WILL BE AT GLASGOW GREEN.
About the rally on Saturday.
Message from friend this morning to say start time is now 11.00am. Can anyone confirm?
Talking of healthcare
I used to joke that if the SNP came up with a cure for cancer, it would be turned into an SNP-bad story about them damaging the undertaking business.
No point in making that sort of joke anymore.
http://archive.is/Jijz0
Apologies if already posted.
The knuckle dragging Orange Order has released a line of sweets, with names such as King Billy Kola Cubes and King Billy Chocolate Fudge, and surprise surprise, King Billy Wine Gums.
http://archive.is/MqtqS
James Kelly wants assurance that the SNP will not use the UK Gov removal of devolved powers be a trigger for a referendum. I think he is trying to infer Labour will only support devolved powers retention if the SNP promise to not call a referendum, no matter what the outcome.
Ledgerwood @ 11.21
I’m still getting notifications from AUOB ( two this morning)that….
We gather for – 11am – and the March will start at – 11.30 -SHARP!
Although some messages are sayin gather early,but I think that’s just because of the numbers
@lizg, 8.03am
The ‘R@pist Theory of Consent’ should have been the Eureka moment, the ‘That’s it we’ve had it with you lot’ moment. To hell with Brexit, we have enough proof of how you will continue to deal with us and what you really think of us to carry on with this Union.
Agree. Clause 11 really is the change in circumstances which obliterates the 2014 Ref result. It is definitely time to go.
Andy-B @ 11.30
Oh good grief… Does it no remind ye of the Child Snatcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Lollipops?I
Help yer weans
Gain the Belly fur the Drum the easy way,how low can they go?
cirsium @ 11.47
Em ….That was Liz Rannochs comments at 8.03.
But don’t worry… Scotland has only One Liz too many..
But nevertheless I agree,that’s a material change in circumstances right enough.
Probably why Labour’s James Kelly is trying to link support for protecting Holyrood with no referendum assurances.
Conveniently forgetting the rest of the Mandate conditions!
@ cirsium – it’s not a material change in circumstance until the bill is passed. It is possible that the Westminster mandarins stuck that clause on to draw independista fire, then magnanimously drop it if SG kicks up a fuss – or launches a referendum on that basis.
They do that sort of thing.
Capella @ 12.26
Good point,that would fit nicely with Labour and the Lib Dems eventually withdrawing support.
Although for me having to think constantly of what Westminster is up to next to use and abuse this Country,in the interests of London and the south east is reason enough to bring our government home.
It shouldn’t have to be like this!
So, the YES movement is gearing up for the announcement of Indyref2 in a few months time. There is major constitutional crises for Scotland re. Brexit and devolution. The UK Govt is in crisis.
But, for the professional SNP politicians who make this their career, a potentially huge pro-independence march through Scotland’s largest city is no even mentioned by the SNP party headquarters or the SNPs MSPS?
If I were leader of a pro-indy party I would expect a sick note or very important excuse if my politicians want excused. For the rest of my professional politicians it would be compulsory.
Again and again we are told the SNP LEAD the indy movement. That’s pish. They lead the devolution fight.
If that were true that the SNP are the leaders of independence we’d see the march contain all the SNP MPs, MSPs and councillors – unless they had a very good reason to be excused.
So, even more reason for people like us, who regard independence as the priority, to be there, if we can, to remind the SNP and Scottish Govt that the political answer to Scotland’s problems is not subservient Westminster devolution.
Scotland needs independence.
Make the message loud and clear to Theresa May AND Nicola Sturgeon.
The mis information about the march/rally destination on Saturday seems to come from Glasgow Live
https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/march-scottish-independence-take-place-14102672
Glasgow Green is not so handy for train and bus station but I’ll just have to do a bit more walking! Might even share a taxi!
Need a great turnout so will do my best to get there for the start at Kelvin Grove. Presume the Underground is the best way to get from Buchanan Street.
liz g We had to give a number of people interested in attending the March on Sat to GLASGOW GREEN & that was 3 weeks ago at 7 to 10.000 also we were asked to put a notice up online to the effect anybodies arriving late to make their way directly to Glasgow Green , we will comply with those requests (hum dee hum ) & answer to the GCC afterwards at the de briefing.
Gary J Kelly is the named person on the application & has been threatened with Court action & a £500 fine for non compliance , we will of coarse try to avoid that but One Person being held accountable in excess of people attending is ridiculous as was acknowledged by Mr Fulton .
There may be alterations en route due to road works but people are asked to go with the flow Remember Folk’s the Police are not our enemy but have assured us there will only be sufficient numbers for Health & Safety there will be no high profile police attendance . Audrey the Police Commander on the day will evaluate as things evolve .
Mind Folks don’t drop litter , we have to leave the Green CLEAN .
Liz g says:
2 May, 2018 at 11:41 am
Thank you. My friend may have misread the message.
Ronnie Anderson @ 1.06
Thanks for that Ronnie!
Am I right that the times are still..
Gather for 11am —- setting off at 11.30 sharp ?
And yes The police have always been fine with us at any of our events,infact they seem to enjoy the shift.
Probably because its always good natured,especially considering the shit they have to deal with on other occasions?
Keep the Green Clean right enough … We don’t want to loose the chance to use it for THE PARTY…. Ye know the one I mean.
liz g Times are as stated 11am for 11.30 but asking People to arrive early so’s stewards can get organised & if any people have hi viz vests wear them we can’t have enough Stewards .
I was in HomeBargains today pick7ng up a few things, chap in front bought two cans of cheap beer, cost £3.49.
The man behind me piped up loudly that it was all the fault of the FM, turns out the man who bought the two cans of cheap beer split a four pack and it was that, that cost £3.49.
The FM moaner didn’t know where to look after that and remained silent.
http://www.facebook.com/events/184174062126098/ AUOB March
@ Les Wilson at 8.29 and thereafter
This decribes the technique for dismantling nuclear weapons:
http://www.banthebomb.org/index.php/publications/reports/1390-disarming-trident59.
There is of course also a political aspect to the process, but once it starts, it need not take long.
Radiaoactive waste/contamination is another matter.
Crazy Cat @ 6.21
Nothing stopping an immediate ban on the War Heads entering Scotland though.
That should help them focus on getting the missiles and subs out of our country fast!
It’s not as if they are going to be takin by complete surprise that we want them gone as soon as soon as we have the power back.
They should be planning it now, failing to plan is planning to fail
MJT says:
1 May, 2018 at 11:32 pm
“So…come up with a ball park figure that you think the National is pumping into the Herald.”
Rock (18th September 2017 – “Black affronted”):
“In my view, The National has had near zero positive effect on support for independence since it was launched.
8,000 diehard independence supporters buy it.
It is no more than a feel good factor for them.
It would not hurt the independence cause one bit if it didn’t exist.
Three years after the independence referendum, support for Yes has hardly moved in a positive direction.
Was The National of any help when SNP support fell from 50% to 37%, a loss of half a million voters and 23 MPs, at the last election held in Scotland?
Every penny helps to share the overhead costs of publishing The Herald.
Without this extra cash, Newsquest would be forced to re-think about continuing The Herald with its declining sales.
In my view, The National is like what Labour in Scotland was for decades before its true colours became apparent to many of its supporters.”
Robert Peffers says:
2 May, 2018 at 10:22 am
“Rock who continually quotes Westminster claims”.
Point me to one post of mine where I have quoted “Westminster claims”.
You are a liar and coward who can never challenge my points openly but resorts to snide remarks.
Robert Peffers says (to Dr Jim):
2 May, 2018 at 10:22 am
“However, if you feel insulted, so be it.”
How do you feel about Robert Peffers’ “compliment” to you Dr Jim?
He has been doing it to anyone who has a different point of view than his ever since he started posting here.
Rock @ 22:15,
Sneaky end-of-thread stirrer.
Care to introduce yersel to any Wingers on Saturday?
(…no, probably not…)
Robert J. Sutherland says:
2 May, 2018 at 11:26 pm
“Care to introduce yersel to any Wingers on Saturday?
(…no, probably not…)”
I will be right next to Nicola.
If she cares to turn up.
There were a number of ELECTED SNP members taking part in the march yesterday.
Did anyone speak to them at any point? (Assuming anyone was on the march and had descended from their ivory tower of righteous indignation to mix with “the others”?)