Not getting better together
The Scottish Tories came under fire yesterday for a crass attempt by Scotland’s least-elected MSP (2,062-vote Annie Wells) to hijack World Suicide Prevention Day with a blog complaining that more people were being prescribed anti-depressants, which for many are an effective and life-saving solution.
Scottish Labour duly joined in by attacking mental health provision in Scotland despite it having significantly more NHS consultant psychiatrists per head than anywhere else in the UK. (One for every 10,000 people in Scotland, compared to 1 for every 12,500 in England and one for every 17,000 in Wales and Northern Ireland.)
But is there any explanation for why more people are suffering mental health issues?
So once again, Unionist politicians are bitterly castigating the Scottish Government for problems caused by UK government policy. It’s enough to drive you mad.
This is a statement of the blindingly obvious but needs repeated ad in finitum.
All the MSM, newspapers and TV, especially BBC, are part of the State Broadcasting and Propaganda System, Controlled directly or indirectly.
So complete is this coup d’etat that they can take lies and present it as truth.
Theresa May is trying to take that control to the next level
Not just the Tories, Eric Joyce called out Alex cole hamilton for mis-using the suicide stats.
Yes, indeed.
When it suits them, the Lib Dems like to go on about doing something about all this. But it’s always reactive, i.e. after people become ill, rather than doing something useful about the various employment, housing, cost of living issues that cause much of it in the first place.
Given their failures to stem these problems to prevent as many people becoming sick with anxiety and similar, the LEAST the unionist politicians could do is to shut up about any help ill people are given!
It beggars belief. This has as much logic as the yoons telling us their mismanagement of the Scottish economy is a reason no-one else should run it.
It would indeed cause mental health issues if you think about it too long.
I was prescribed anti-depressants for (neuropathic) pain relief.
They didn’t work, and the side effects were horrendous, so I only had the one prescription, but it will have contributed to the statistics.
I have no idea how prevalent this non-mental-health prescribing is, but I have friends with the same experience, and it is addressed in this thread:
https://twitter.com/ToniGiugliano/status/906470856985075712
Well done, Stu. At least the blue and red parts of the Unionist Alliance against Scotland are practising their Better Together slogan.
As for Annie Wells, with 2062 votes, she must have the biggest brass neck in Scotland. She cleverly got herself a makeover after her so-called election, presumably so that she would at least look like somebody who would have got more votes.
They know exactly what they are doing, blame the Scottish Government for situations borne out of Westminster/Tory policies.
Labour and the LibDems will get on board with the lies because it suits their agenda of Union at any cost.
Unfortunately for anyone suffering from a mental illness, this means that these particular parties do not give a damn about you otherwise they would be castigating Tory policies and supporting the Scottish Government in it’s endevour to address these problems.
Mental illness could strike at anyone, it is indiscriminate and God help us all if any of these parties are ever given the power to lead the Scottish Government while we are still part of the UK because if you think things are bad now you may be in for a very big shock!
On a side note, listening to call Kaye was a hoot, all day slagfest of the Queensferry crossing!
Then asking, “Is it time for gay couples on Stictly”?
Any that disagreed were met with, “Don’t you think you are a bit of a homophobe and possibly sexist.
It’s a wonder anyone bothered at the risk of being labelled by that clownshoe!
A particularly and typically, thoughtless and heartless exercise by the Tories.
The union exposed isn’t a pretty sight to be sure, now is it? The British Nationalist support likewise. Intransigence, intolerance, isolationist and self obsessed. Exceptionalism writ large. There is no better togetherness and there never was. There was only ever do as you’re told, conform, accept what you’re given and obey your betters.
The political union is bereft of compassion, empathy, understanding and … unity. It’s bereft of simple fellow feeling and perhaps more importantly…hope. They don’t even pretend anymore. Their support, a support they actively courted by the by, aren’t exactly the picture postcard types for warm fuzzy togetherness, now are they? Well over a decade’s worth of media campaigning and political strategy by establishment parties hasn’t exactly inspired a feeling of of oneness. In fact it’s gone out of its way to promote societal division, undermine trust in institutions, our government, our parliament. In each other. THIS is today’s United Kingdom.
Indeed this is the Scotland which Westminster politics and the media created. Well done them. Take a bow.
Political events such as Indyref, EU ref and the subsequent brexit. Corrupted by self interest, greed and power politics. The catastrophe of the crash, austerity ideology and punitive legislation. The rise of the celebrity politician: Farage, Davidson, Bojo, Gove, Davis and so many others. This is the politics of celebrity and soundbite. Politics by media. Manufactured hatred. Manufactured to suit corporate and political interest. You and I? Pretty certain collateral damage in society doesn’t rate highly on these folk’s agendas. Fact I doubt any one of them loses a seconds sleep over the harm they do.
Whatever happens in the future, the UK, ‘the union’, has been exposed for others to see. It’s not held together by personal investment, care, or loyalty to some worthwhile ideal. It’s held together by intimidation, fear, corporate interests (though not for much longer), political triangulation and strategy. It’s held together by a media that frankly couldn’t give shit so long as it picks up a wage cheque and continues to wield influence.
Personally, I don’t think your average Westminster policy gonk and their pet meeja have thought through their strategy entirely. If you constantly divide and divide again. If you constantly tell people who to hate, or mistrust. If you tell them what they are and aren’t capable of for long enough?
Just what do you think happens to such a population? The cohesion in such a society? What is there left believe in, or trust? Who is there left that you can trust?
Maybe something they should have thought of. Whatever they think they’ve won in the past? I think they’ve lost a lot more than they know.
P.S. You want to know about the state of democracy in the UK today? Pay attention to the vote in commons and reaction over the next 48 hours.
It’s like beating someone with a stick and then screaming at them for bleeding on the carpet!
To be expected from the tories, they have people in right wing think tanks to think up this kind of BS.
But labour?
Last week at First Minster’s questions, Alex Rowley highlighted entirely legitimate questions on access to mental health counselling in schools, the First Minister gave considered answers and was consolatory.
The government needs to establish why there appears to be such a rise, and if it is the case it is because of policies being forced upon Scotland, then submit a bill for the mitigation to resolve the problem.
Just a general theme, Holyrood appears to be getting the blame for the effects of policies implemented from London, no doubt something the uk government will seek to continue to exploit via bbc and press.
Scotland’s least elected MPS is surely Anas Sanwar who, if I recall correctly, didn’t stand in any seat and therefore got zero votes.
Macart post at 10:58.
Great post, Macart.
As well as repress us britnats want to depress us.
I can honestly say that a definite improvement for anyone’s mental state in the UK, and particularly Scotland is to dump, sell, destroy or otherwise get rid of your TV and never replace it.
That shit is mind cancer.
Worth revisiting Sir Harry Burns’ autumn lecture to the Scottish Faculty of Actuaries. He was the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland at the time, 2011.
He presents research results on all the speculative theories of why Scottish people have a shorter life span and poorer health than they should have, compared to other similar countries.
His conclusion is that the answer is hopelessness. Glasgow demonstrates that poor prospects for employment, housing and a decent income sap the will to carry on.
This is scandalous in what should be a wealthy nation. We must stop our resources from being mismanaged by Westminster. We must manage our own resources for the sake of the well being of future generations.
1 hr 10 mins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyBE1UQeR8I
Yes folks, that’s the Unionist parties for you, full of the milk of human kindness. NOT.
Macart @ 10.58 great post, you’ve nailed it completely. Doffs bunnet.
The objective is simple – to say something negative about Scotland / Scots / Scottish Parliament / Scottish Government / the SNP / pro Indy individuals.
They believe the incessant negatively will accumulate to form entrenched opinions with their target audience.
They have no interest in whether what they say is truthful nor what collateral damage it causes.
They know that the rebuttals will have less coverage than their initial attack.
The problem for them is that their target audience is shrinking as more and more folks see through it all! And once people become aware, the negative propaganda will probably have the inverse effect by causing offence.
But, but, Macart, surely to goodness, the solution is so simple that you just can’t see it. I am shocked and amazed, let me tell you. Don’t you see that we could have united under one football league and celebrated the cohesion that would, undoubtedly, have occurred? The fact that lesser mortals did not have the vision to accept the advice of an assistant to God is something with which we must live until the sun sets on the empire.
of course, it may not be sunny tomorrow.
The Inglish have always been used to being a successful parasitical nation, they see they conquer they take, that’s no longer possible for them in the modern age and they seem incapable of reinventing themselves as anything other than that, hence Brexit to create insularity blaming the foreigners and at the same time cementing their ownership of Scotland by diminishing it
So once again the tools of the Empire come out of their box to deal with Scotland, and the biggest tools are the media for the use of spreading the disinformation, so it’s not rocket science
Stop the tools
@Skip_NC
Yeah, clocked Blair’s guff.
My goodness BBC said that Scotland was best served by psychiatrists than the rest of the UK but I noted that London was the best will Annie Wells be congratulating NHS Scotland on this.
The problem is not issuing drugs at all. It’s doing so without adequate monitoring to see that they actually work. Or therapy in order to remove the temporary need for them.
The kind of over simplistic assumption that there’s been an increase in inappropriate prescription is pure opportunism. It also serves to stigmatise and might very well encourage those who gain genuine benefit from taking them to not do so.
Unionist mantra repeated by a prominent QC, what he says can be summed up as everything done in Scotland is inferior. I wonder if he is including himself in this assessment and Scottish QC’s are inferior to English QC’s. I think we should be told since if I end up in court I don’t want represented by a second rater, no matter what his singing repertoire is.
You wonder how many people can actually see what’s going on in Scotland? The bottom line being that the Unionist politicians don’t give a sh*t about Scotland / the Scots. It’s all about picking up on every statistic, snippet of information and / or demanding thousands of Freedom of Information requests annually in an attempt to dig around to see if there’s something they can use to discredit the SNP. Meanwhile people are suffering, but do they care? Clearly not when their Unionist Party agenda comes before the well-being of the People of Scotland and that Unionist party, of whatever hue, is based at Westminster in England. Westminster in England lording over one of the most inequitable countries in the civilised world. Surely they’re aware of that?
http://highpaycentre.org/blog/New-film-the-shocking-rise-of-inequality-in-britain
It stands to reason that when more and more people are living in poverty due to austerity cuts, insecure employment contracts / conditions, and so on, that incidences of mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, will rise and there’s masses of research findings out there to support the fact.
http://www.sochealth.co.uk/national-health-service/public-health-and-wellbeing/poverty-and-inequality/
http://www.poverty.ac.uk/tags/mental-health
Then you’ve got employers exacerbating the problem due to ripping off their employees by paying low wages. One such example was reported in the Sunday Herald yesterday in relation to Anas Sarwar’s family business, United Wholesale (Scotland) Ltd, in which Anas Sarwar has a multi-million pound stake.
‘Anas Sarwar under fire after family firm pays staff less than “real” living wage.’ The Sarwar family paying £7.50 an hour when the real living wage has been calculated as being £8:45 an hour. Paying £7:50 an hour whilst Corbyn and Dugdale, previously, have been shouting their mouths off about the hellish poverty levels in Scotland and that employers should be paying a minimum of £10 an hour. On top of that Anas Sarwar had the brass neck to write a piece for the Labour website in July outlining his strong belief in fair pay.
”We can appeal for a programme of Government built around fair pay and worker’s rights, scrapping of the public sector pay cap which has seen worker’s incomes eroded and a real living wage in the private sector.”
The article also highlights that big mooth Baillie, who backs Sarwar, has been criticising the SNP due to the low numbers of Scottish firms signing up to the accreditaion scheme. Maybe she should have a wee talk with her multi-millionaire pal Sarwar; the LABOUR politician who’s chasing after the leadership post. That’s the Labour party that didn’t have to contend with Tory austerity cuts when they were in power. Had so much money in fact that they were handing it back to Westminster. Another clear sign of putting their Party before the People.
Reminds me of the time Ruth Davidson turned up at FMQs armed with statistics she’d gleaned from the Guardian, started using them to lambast the Scottish NHS and shout down the Scottish Government, only to have it pointed out to her that the figures she was quoting related to English NHS trusts and had nothing to do with Scotland.
https://wingsoverscotland.com/following-the-trail/
jfngw, I’m with you – I would never want to be represented by a singing bigot .
O/T
Thanks for the links Nana (last article), in particular the Richard Murphy / Tax Research.
I see that Richard Murphy is appearing before the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Committee of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood on September 19th. He outlines that the committee is reviewing the quality of Scottish economic data with a focus on the following issues:
1.Accuracy (how reliable is the data)
2.Utility (how useful is it)
3.Interpretation (how to make sense of it)
4.Scrutiny (what are we measuring and does it encourage effective scrutiny)
He concludes that GERS data:
1. Has limited accuracy or reliability at best and with regard to the Scottish deficit is potentially misleading and inaccurate.
2. Has limited usefulness as a result.
3. Is not worth analysing in great detail because by design the information it presents does not make sense.
4.Does not encourage effective scrutiny. Needs to be redesigned if it is to be fit for purpose.
WOW! If he’s correct, and I’m sure he is, how will the Fraser of Allander Institute explain that one away?
Check out his FULL submission.
http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2017/09/10/my-proposals-for-improving-scottish-economic-data-suggest-there-could-be-life-after-gers/
I am on the highest allowable dosage of anti-depressents available and live with very dark thoughts every day.
My doctor(s) & the psychologist have ALL said that one of the main reasons (if not THE main reason) for my condition is financial. Sounds daft?
I work 5 days a week at a school as a Pupil Support Assistant. 48.5% of my wage goes back to the council in council tax & rent (1 bed flat Band B coz I ‘have a nice view). Throw in gas, electric, mobile, broadband & dog food (I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Bracken) and around 74% of wage has gone. You get the picture.
I rely on charity (& Salvation Army have been great in this respect – I try not to go to foodbank if I can manage). I have no appetite so I can survive on a loaf of bread for a week.
We get paid, not from when we start work, because we are all in well before that to organise things; we get paid from when the first class school bell goes. Not, from the first bell; from the bell for the first period (not registration). Hours are therefore 28.33 which means that I cannot claim working tax credits (WTC) because you need to do a minimum 30 hrs (presumably this helps the council’s figs on workers on WTC – if you can’t claim them you’re not on the stats). I can’t get free dental care because I’m working & don’t get WTC. The Salvation Army are going to at least help with some payments as I had agonising toothache for about 6 months – they paid to get tooth & two entangled roots out a couple of weeks ago – pain free now.
We have to pay circa £200 a month to make up for the holidays we are not entitled to (otherwise there would be no payment during summer hols).
So, hungry, angry, lonely, tired. Docs agree that struggling at the bottom end of Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs contributes hugely to my thoughts of self-harm/suicide.
Thing is, I know that self-harm tends to be about a lack of control, that it is a symptom. I have read reports by the Royal College of Psychiatrists (College Report CR158 June 2010) I even did a Powerpoint about it for staff at school
Self harm has been described as a coping mechanism or distraction that brings relief usually accompanied by complex feelings which include self-disgust and shame² (Chapman et al 2006)
It’s usually a way of coping with or expressing overwhelming emotional distress.³ (NHS Choices website)
And the thing is I still feel like this.
The point is this; successive Labour & Tory policy has resulted in situations like this ALL OVER the UK. I am no exception; I am not alone in this (a lady on Twitter attempted suicide recently due to this kind of hopelessness along with Brit Nat bullying).
I have lost count of the jobs I have applied for; I’m too old/too experienced/ not experienced enough etc. So, no ‘control’ there really.
I’m afraid things will never change whilst Scotland (our society) is tied to Westminster and it seems we will never be allowed independence because they will do everything in their power to stop it from ever happening.
Conservatives AND Labour (politicians & voters to a lesser degree) absolutely DISGUST me. They toy with people’s lives and then, as you’ve shown, try to deflect. The MSM disgust me, possibly even more, because they don’t ever stand up for the people and hold power to account; they are complicit in it all.
Sorry for the rant Stu – feel free not to publish this as I don’t want sympathy or to bore people. I don’t want charity; I’ve had enough of charity. And I’ve ranted here before. I WILL NOT be offended if you delete this. I will get access to my Guinness pension in a couple of years (aged 55) so am trying to hang on for that. I guess I just needed to get this off my chest as nobody in any position of ‘power’ (Citizen’s Advice, NHS, Doctors, Council, Politicians etc can do anything). The system is rigged. I guess I just needed a selfish rant (feel better already!).
Thanks Stu helping to keep people sane.
Suicide rates are going down in Scotland overall.
The SNP Gov could not tax cheap alcohol in 2012. To lower depression, suicide rates and early death in Scotland. Lowering crime and costlier public spending. They had to instigate minimum pricing to deal with the problem. This was passed in 2012. Labour voted against it. It has taken five years of opposition to try and get implemented. Quite a struggle, Not helped by the Tory Whisky Association. Whisky companies make vast profits and illegally pay no tax. The legal system, which stands to benefits the most, illegally dragging it heels. Still 2 to 5 months from the final decision/outcome.
Once again a responsible decision by the Scottish Gov to help the health, well being and happiness of the people is still being usurped by the unionist Parties and Westminster’s illegally illegal intransigence.
The higher drepression, suicide rates and early death – higher death rates is entirely because of unionist Parties and cronies and the Westminster intransigence. Illegally starving and killing people in Scotland and the wider world. A cable of crooks illegally manipulating the political. To starve and kill more (vulnerable) people. In order to line their own pockets of their insatiable greed. Despicable.
Now being enacted EVEL. English Laws for English folk. The Vow illegally forgotten. Westminster democracy being farcically manipulated by a cabal of dictatorial unionist criminals. Breaking the Law. Bribery and corruption rife and the abandonment of established principle of the rule of Law.
These unionist need to read this.
http://archive.is/idowu
The Westminster welfare cuts work out more expensive. More money has used taken be spent on other supplementary services. A false economy. Other services have to try pick up the pieces. Causing poverty unhappiness and early death. More public money is spent on wasteful grotesque projects of little value because of Westminster unionist total mismanagement and total irrational intransigence. Useless and totaly inadequate.
Just a thought, a prediction even ….
April Fools Day 2019 is going to be an absolute cracker!
I note with interest that James Dornan SNP? has written to Annie Wells regarding her article on prescribed anti-depressants and is waiting for a reply,I hope he has more success than me regarding replies from a Tory MSP,4 times I have emailed the Tank and she has never had the decency to reply to one of them.
Good luck Mr Doran.
‘Sick people’: UK has worst life expectancy rate in Europe
Published: 11 Sep 2017 | 10:32
Reuters
The UK is poised to become the EU’s “sick men and people” as its life expectancy has stalled, a leading world health expert has claimed.
Try and get an addition two hours to be eligible for tax credits. It can be possible in most circumstances. Even if it is doing anything, caring for a relative, dog walking, delivering something, travelling time or anything, Anything conceivable. It just needs a declaration. Go and get proper welfare information from an expert. Voluntary societies. Doctor surgeries etc will have the details. Freely available, Something might be being left out which should be include. Travelling expenses clothes allowance anything etc.
Try other forms of meditation, Depression is now recognised as a physical condition not just brain and mood controlled but can be helped by inflammanitary drugs because of a run down physical condition. Depression drugs could be the wrong diagnosis, Go back to the Dr for a re evaluation.
The brain and the body are link not separate entities as has long been advocated by the medical profession. Now, changing evaluation. Try and get proper sleep, meditation really important for health outcome and well being, Many people cannot sleep for worry, because of the Westminster Gov. Best wishes always, Try a voluntary group for discussion of like minded folk. Anything. Voluntary services have lots of information. So many people are struggling. It is just despicable.
I see there is a two page spread into today’s so called Scottish Sun, a war of words between Alex Salmond and the Sun’s political editor Andy Nicoll, over the Sun’s report card on 10 years of the SNP in power .
@Geoff Huijer (12.24) –
Brilliant post there mister, touches on what a lot of us have experienced (or, sadly, will do).
All of the economic arguments on one side, there’s no way anyone can possibly know what a positive effect independence would have on our mental health. I can’t imagine many yoons falling into clinical depression if we did go indy – they’d just get on with it, same as we’ve been doing despite decades, generations of being told we’re good-for-nothing.
More power to ye mister – I’d happily listen to you rant anytime! (Remember, Off-Topic’s always good for that as and when you feel the need!)
😉
The volume of noise about Scottish Government ‘failings’ seems to become louder in proportion to the level of unlikelihood of the detractor ever achieving a future position where (s)he might attain power to then demonstrate that they and their party can do better.
In Holyrood we have a government who talks about doing things
In London they talk about stopping Holyrood doing things
The Tories say they are the party of devolution but fight tooth and nail to avoid actually devolving anything
They tell us Holyrood is the most powerful devolved parliament in the galaxy then tell Holyrood they can’t do things because they don’t have the power
The media talk about the opposition in the house of commons by only ever mentioning Labour and the Liberal democrats
the inference being Scottish SNP representatives don’t count as opposition or even a political party, (we just don’t count)
SNP female representatives receive more online abuse from head cases than all the other parties put together which goes largely unreported because if they did report it normal human beings would be appalled at the treatment of Scottish representatives and begin to sympathise and understand Scotlands position (that would never do)
We can march, we can shout, we can huff and puff at our rallies but unless we switch off their media distortions and lies we can’t stop them doing it
I believe the relatively high suicide rate in Scotland is strongly linked to our lack of self esteem which derives from our political and economic impotence. In short, people feel powerless and so hopeless with no future. Add to that the utter contempt with which we are treated by those who have power over us and you have the perfect conditions for an epidemic of suicides.
Reading the National today on page 2 it quotes from the Sun ‘newspaper’: Tory sources told the Sun on Sunday that allies of EU Commission president Jean-Claude Junker have formed a black ops unit to attack Davis. One insider said: “It’s clear their strategy is to weaken the UK’s position by making us look incompetent, weak or out of our depth”.
LOL, you couldn’t make it up, etc….
On a lighter note, but returning to the theme of mental health, I’ve come up with an entertaining game to keep me sane on long car journeys – every time I see a GB numberplate or car sticker I amuse myself by finding alternative meanings for the letters G B. For example:
Going Bankrupt
Giant Blowhards
Ghastly Backstabbers
Greedy Bastards
Guilty Backpeddlers
Grim Backwater
Grey and Boring
Generally Bombastic
Going Backwards
Gone Bananas
Etc….
The prominent QC brainwashed from birth. Should be debarrred for membership? Or support for a bigoted, racist secret, misogynistic, unequal society. An offensive organisation. Not opened to all. Blackball and discrimination. Breaking the Oath to uphold justice and equality under the Law. Breaking stated the principles of the Law Society and the legal profession. Bringing the legal profession into disrepute. Certainly should not be rewarded with £Million of public money as have been the case for Legal Aid fees. Breaking the Law. He should be blackballed from the Law society and high office. Out of the Ark. Not fit for public office.
Just seen the figures on the BBC National news , this statement seems a bit at odds with the comments from unionist parties here and the latest dramatic as usual piece by the BBC in Scotland .
We seem to be trapped in some kind of perverse parallel universe , with what is being pushed by our media and the BBC in Scotland, and what other agencies are reporting as being true ,
Who to believe m m m now thats a dilemma isn’t it .
Another donation to the food bank on the way. Been donating to other causes. There but for the grace of God? The majority have unfortunately experienced these struggles. Despicable illegal political behaviour.
Yep! And, once again the MSM posted missing when responsible, fair journalism is required.
@ Geoff Huijer – spot on. You are absolutely right to link your sense of hopelessness to the circumstances you find yourself in. See the Harry Burns video I linked to above where he spells this out.
I hope the steps the Scottish Government are taking can alleviate this sense of lack of control. We are, of course, tied to Westminster. But becoming independent and working towards that goal goes a long way to address this. That’s what is keeping my hope alive.
@ Geoff Huijer 12.24 Two years until you get your hands on that pension — two years during which Scotland will surely shake itself free from this crushing, inhumane, regime.
(Two years in which to complete your second book?)
I’m ashamed to be part of a system which damages people’s health so callously.
We simply have to change that system.
@Cal 1.08pm
Now that IS funny, a black ops unit to make Davis look incompetent.
The EU have no need to expend energy in that direction, Davis is a one man clown show, all on his own. EU have been courteous, transparent and open, their main concern being Citizens Rights, the Irish Border and divorce bill. All 3 of those things are about people’s welfare.
The Red Tories appear in disarray (surprise) about the vote tonight.
Goodbye, Democracy, such as you were to Scotland.
BBC Scotland in the Press Office of the Labour/Unionist Party. Lies are it’s lazy, useless, ill research regurgitating repoire. Spews out Labour/Unionists press reports and propaganda. Losing listeners/viewers faster than a sieve loses water. Typing it’s self out of a job. Totally irrational. Useless with statistics. A professional joke. They are incapable of googling a few facts. Five or ten minutes of time the justify their vast inflated salaries. Prima Donna extraordinary. Not rational or sustainable. A change of direction or oblivion.
@ Geoff Huijer says at 12:24 pm …………
Geoff thanks so VERY much for sharing your story with us. You say that you don’t want sympathy and are concerned that you’ll bore readers. Well all I can say is that your post, your circumstances, is of the type that we REALLY need to hear about. The bl**dy horrendous reality of living in a country controlled by Unionists.
Geoff have hope that we’ll gain our Independence very soon and that over time we’ll eradicate the injustice, unfairness and poverty that permeates this country of ours. With a Parliament on our doorstep, not hundreds of miles away, we’ll all ensure that our politicians work to serve us and not themselves, as is the case at the moment with some in Holyrood and Westminster of course.
You said that you didn’t want sympathy however I DO sympathise with you, GREATLY, and the millions of others who face the same situation. It’s that very sympathy that will drive me, and many others in Scotland, to get us all out of this hell-hole: One that’s worsening on a daily basis.
Please keep us up to date by posting on here when you feel that you can, especially if you’re feeling low (although I understand it’s not the easiest of times to do so) and I don’t know if you’ve done this already but what about making an appointment to see your local SNP MP and pointing out the impact of the 28.33 hours.
Meanwhile I’m sending you a great big hug Geoff (and a hug for Bracken, your life-line, too) XX
All my love and best wishes to you for the future (and I’m sure it will get better). Take care of yourself X
@Geoff Huijer
Well said.
First of all I want to make it clear that I am and always have been an Indy supporter, joining the SNP 40 years ago.
I’ve had a history of recurring depression due to childhood trauma and abuse. I’m experiencing one of the worst episodes at the moment. This is how things have been since I went to my GP in June:
Prescribed antidepressants and given a list of online resources, told to come back in a month.
Took the initiative and tried to access services myself despite difficulties in doing so due to depression/anxiety.
Applied for trauma counselling – assessment appointment in three and a half months – October. Told IF I am accepted for therapy I wouldn’t see anyone until May next year. Contacted another trauma service – waiting list a year.
Increased suicidal feelings (having attempted suicide several times over the years). Went to GP for emergency appointment. Said she would double antidepressants and and gave me a list of counsellors and was happy to send me home despite history of suicide attempts. Insisted she contact psychiatric hospital and attended outpatients. Said they didn’t want to put me in a ward as it was full of people with psychosis and I wouldn’t feel safe. Was referred to a crisis centre the next day, which did help.
Applied for community psychiatric service but because I had self-referred to trauma service was told I’d have to wait for the assessment in October and would be offered no CPN service.
Meantime I applied for a peer support worker with an NGO. After five weeks since submitting the application and enquiring what was happening (without a response) for the past three weeks, I still have no info despite emails and phone calls.
I have depression, PTSD, insomnia and have been losing weight because I can’t be bothered making proper food. My personal hygiene has suffered and my house hasn’t been cleaned in three months.
In the meantime I referred myself to two mental-health drop-in centres.
In all this time I’ve had absolutely no help to access services. I’m lucky that I’ve the resources/bloody-mindedness to access services myself despite being suicidal and not even wanting to get out of bed in the morning.
Getting to know people at the drop-ins there has been a recurring theme of patients who have had long-term CPN services having their CPN withdrawn. Others who have been granted the luxury of a CPN have been told they have to wait months to begin CBT.
In addition to everything else I am waiting for a Work Capability Assessment from the DWP and have been told by a welfare rights worker to expect to be told I am fit for work and to look at the review process even before I’ve been assessed. Although I may be on long-term ESA, I will not receive the higher rate of approx £100 per week as that has now been cut for new claimants. So I find myself trying to live on £73 per week less £5 for water rates which aren’t included in Council Tax benefit.
Whilst I loathe the Yoons and the mainstream media who will use anything to say SNPBad, let’s not pretend everything in the garden is rosy regarding mental health. My last experience of services was in Dumfries and Galloway and it was much better than Lothian. Maybe it’s postcode lottery, but mental health services are definitely MUCH worse than generic health services.
Politicians can flannel all they want, give off-pat answers about investment etc but IT IS NOT HAPPENING ON THE GROUND!
I’m quite surprised that the national BBC news has carried this story today. Pointing out that Wales and England have far fewer psychiatrists per head than Scotland, in some areas of England there’s only five psychiatrists, for every 100,000 people.
However, no mention whatsoever as to the causes of why there’s been such a sharp rise in the number of people requiring help.
I’d like to add that, the national BBC news also reported that renewable energy is now considerably cheaper to produce. They addressed the matter as a UK break through price wise, however, I’m pretty sure it was a unintentional nod towards Scotlan’s pioneering achievements in that field.
Sobering stuff there, Geoff. Thanks for sharing. Puts a helluva lot into perspepctive. Thanks again. Keep well.
Scottish suicide rates used to be lower than the other countries in the UK.
It shot up after the great MSM purge of the 70s.
Coincidence? I think not.
The suicide stats may be ‘improving’, but it’s still horrendous.
I used to have to think about this subject a fair bit as part of work, and at that time (approx 6-10 yrs ago) the figure for Scotland was approx 2.5 ‘young’ men (18-35-ish) every day. (If memory serves, stats aren’t released until a full year has elapsed after the year in question.)
Think of it as a pyramid – official stats relate to those cases where there is solid evidence that death was self-inflicted and intentional. That’s the pinnacle. But the next layer down, much broader, is deaths where it’s dubious. No letter left behind. (Perhaps no-one for such a note to be left to.) This category might also include cases where a ‘cry for help’ went wrong. Next layer down, the numbers are unknowable but much much larger – failed suicide attempts; the guy who is talked down off the edge of the bridge; the guy who stops his friend jumping in front of a train. Only a fraction of these cases ever makes the papers but we’ve all heard about them ‘through the grapevine’ – imagine the size of the ‘grapevine’ across a whole nation. And then, at the next level, we’re down the rabbit-hole, into a world where thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands of able-bodied men are killing themselves – and *know* they are – by abusing legal/illegal drugs. Slow, painful, and utterly heartbreaking for their loved ones. And this is all before we get to the layer consisting of guys who have seriously thought about it.
As mentioned by others already, the role of self-esteem cannot be overstated in this debate. It’s crucial – doesn’t take a Freud or Jung to work out that a people colonised, humiliated and emasculated will exhibit the damage somehow. In Scotland, it seems, the most popular way for men to show it is to end their lives prematurely.
@Geoff Huijer
Hang in there, I won’t be the only one reading that post, and thinking, you’re pretty awesome. You have a real strength of character.
It gives me hope that Jeanne Freeman wants a social security system that gives people dignity. We HAVE to get independence, to take forward a society that values and cares for everyone. The current system is designed to humiliate in a vicious way.
Please, please people hang in there. Change is coming and it could be soon. Even sooner than expected. The enfolding fast moving crisis will bring change for the better? In a really fast approaching time. Please be patient for a wee while longer. When it comes it will be successful. There is no way of events staying as they are. Never. Keep the faith. Just a wee while longer. It is within touching distance. Do not waver or be discouraged. It can be done. Once and forever. Who ever imagined being where we are even a few years ago. It is an on going miracle of people power. Do get disheartened, Keep the struggle for a wee while longer to get to the end success and outcome. An SNP caring Gov FFA/Independence in the EU.
Re my comment @ 1.35pm, regarding the national BBC news at lunchtime and its content.
BBC Scotland’s regional news very conveniently make no mention of any of the topic addressed by the its national counterpart, and the Rev for that matter.
Instead we in Scotland are given a story about a old bomb floating in the North sea, and Tony Blair (who’s in Edinburgh) who as prime minister of Britain, thought about merging Scottish and English football leagues.
The difference in reporting is astonishing.
Geoff Huijer, great post. Please hang on in there, I appreciate that it’s not easy for you, and thousands more, but I think our opportunity to ditch Westminster is coming ever closer.
Anytime you feel in need of a rant, or a wee bit of support, come on over to O/T, they’re a good bunch there.
Geoff Huijer, I think a lot of people will recognise where you’re at. I certainly do.
Antidepressant medications are not all the same. Neither are people. If your medication doesn’t help you should probably be trying, with your doctor to find one which will.
The most effective antidepressants don’t come out of a packet. One is money. Though that doesn’t stop wealthy people getting depressed (my heart bleeds), chronic lack of it is certainly a contributory factor because of the social isolation, and constant sense of insecurity it breeds.
Another is a positive view of the future, but that is not easy to conjure-up when you most need it.
Being told that working is the best route out of poverty when you know that it can trap you in poverty doesn’t help. Being told by the media that it’s your fault doesn’t help. The DWP doesn’t help. Employers who cynically keep hours below the WTC threshold doesn’t help. Constant fear of arbitrary ‘sanctions’ doesn’t help.
Being told you should stand on your own two feet by people who have never had to doesn’t help.
Having a government in WM which is and always has been dedicated to helping those best able to help themselves doesn’t help.
Wings helps a bit because it keeps alive the prospect that things might, just possibly, be going to get better before we’re all dead and it doesn’t matter any more.
Hear that Stu? You’ve just been rebranded as an antidepressant.
Seriously. Keep it up. And thanks for being there and doing what you’re doing.
Macart @ 10.58
Great post Macart mibbi we should have the {first do no harm} statement that the Dr’s have in our Holyrood oath instead of promising to protect the Windsor’s.
I mean I am sure hey will be fine.
But Politicians need to be reminded of the harm that they can do.
Disagree Cal.
If the SMSM chose to report the available facts with the same amount of spin as they do just now but in the opposite direction, Scots would be walking around with their chests puffed out and a smug smile on their faces.
IMO
I reckon that the MSM has a lot to answer for too, in relation to the rise in mental health issues. They should monitor a group before, during and after listening to / reading the news in Scotland and compare with a control group in England. I reckon you’d see the centres of the brain relating to anxiety and depression, with the Scottish group, lighting up like a laser beam.
…………………………………………
‘Briefing note: How the Great Repeal Bill threatens our democracy.’
(With briefing note to download.)
http://www.anothereurope.org/briefing-note-how-the-great-repeal-bill-threatens-our-democracy/
……………………………………………….
@ Robert Louis says at 6:52am (last article)……. Meanwhile, in a complete and very detailed REPEAT of history, the Westminster Government will tonight seek powers such that its ministers can act and change laws as they see fit, without Parliament’s approval. It is not en EU exit bill, it is not a Henry VIII powers bill, it an enabling act. A well know politician, Mr A Hitler, in 1933, introduced EXACTLY the same kind of legislation to the Reichstag in Germany. ………………….
These are dangerous times. “Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it”. The people of England need to wake up, and fast. Tonight MP’s will vote in Westminster whether to pass the UK enabling act of 2017, or not.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enabling_Act_of_1933
You’ve hit the nail on the head Robert Louis. That’s exactly what’s going on. The Tories GREAT ENABLING ACT of 2017. Scary!
Listen to what Peter Stefanovic has to say.
https://twitter.com/PeterStefanovi2/status/906519230887198720
The bbc in scotland decided to run Nicola Sturgeon’s plea to all other parties at holyrood to join and come together to protect our parliament from the impending onslaught from fascist tory government at westminster , this was relegated to third place behind a unexploded mine discovered three weeks ago and something about the SFA .
Just shows that BBC in scotland have as usual got their priorities right , protect the union at all costs .
Trust them i wouldnt piss on them .
Apart from anything the pubic sector workers are going to get pay rises. The public sector cap is being lifted. Hang in there workers. Tax rises will come but only for the wealthiest who have done extremely well out of Tory tax cuts. Hang in there.change is coming. It could be very soon. Sooner than people think. Be prepared fir campaigning and do not be waylaid by any propaganda or false statistics or polls.
Football over rates premature death and poverty. Criminal. Disgusting.
The causes of Depression has been misdiagnosed. It is a physical condition which can be helped by inflammation drugs. Not anti-depressant drug. The wrong prescription. Many people are in the wrong prescription.They are just finding out about. Go on the internet for information. New revelations.
@Liz g
Spookily right up there on my wish list for a Scottish constitution. 😉
Just to remind any new visitors, Scotland should have the worst performing NHS Service in the UK as it has more remote and rural areas to support.
It also has a history of poor diet and a harmful relationship with alcohol.
We haven’t been privatising our NHS, unlike in Red and Blue Tory England, who seem to have diverted around 10-12% of their NHS funds into companies such as Virgin Health.
Low and behold the best performing NHS is in Scotland.
Our most valuable asset is our health.
In Scotland the SNP Government value it, in Tory England its a wasted expense that needs to be privatised for profit.
I think our Unionist supporters, including QC’s, should travel down to England and see where Scotland is being dragged down to.
Just wait until the Tories have unlimited powers on UK laws and Human rights.
Wait until Brexit really kicks the average family where it hurts.
The number of homeless families, families requiring help from Food Banks, and the number of Mental Health issues will go through the roof.
I’m sure that UK Media will be working on how to say its SNP’s fault.
O/T
Grouse Beater says at 9:37am (last article) …. ‘’In case you missed it: http://wp.me/p4fd9j-jWt
(Published soon: ‘The Hassan Hustle’, a take down of a renegade academic.)’’
Another brilliant and insightful article GB. Thanks for that.
…………………………………………….
@ Robert Graham says at 2:52 pm …. ”a link on the previous thread posted by Petra – re Mervyn Kings interview on newsnight, and his references to project fear regarding the viability of an independent scotland, despite both the people in the programme being unionist in outlook, even they couldnt hide that their was no impediment to independence only people’s belief in themselves that it could happen. So more or less confirming the success of a project aimed to scare people into voting NO by lies and downright deceit. Well worth a view if Petra could possibly post the link again.”
There you go Robert (trying again!). Your wish is my command, LOL.
‘Mervyn King on Brexit, Scotland and the global economy FULL VERSION – BBC Newsnight.’
Governor of the Bank of England from 2003 to 2013.
20:24 mins in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMcuV5omfC0
………………………………..
One for a laugh.
‘The Queen caught being rude on camera.’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwG5nHwQvFA
Macart 10.58. Well said,nobody can argue with the truth of that post.
O/T
Scroll through the list to see what actually going on in Scotland.
https://thoughtcontrolscotland.com/
…………………………………
‘Scottish teachers report lower job demands, better relationships and lower perceived stress levels than those in England and only 4% are considering leaving their jobs.’
https://thoughtcontrolscotland.com/2017/09/11/scottish-teachers-report-lower-job-demands-better-relationships-and-lower-perceived-stress-levels-than-those-in-england-and-only-4-are-considering-leaving-their-jobs/
The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn has accused ministers of an “unprecedented attempt to rig Parliament”.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-41198126
Meanwhile, The DUP is to back the Conservatives in next Tuesday’s vote on changing the make-up of committees that scrutinise government legislation.
The government wants to ensure there is a Tory majority on the committees – even though the party does not have a majority on its own in parliament.
The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn has accused ministers of an “unprecedented attempt to rig Parliament”.
But a senior DUP source described their support for it as “uncontroversial,” because, in the source’s words, “the alternative would be spontaneous trench warfare on the most mundane of issues, and to whose benefit? Jeremy Corbyn’s benefit. And we’re not in the business of doing that.”
Lovely people, the Tories and the DUP. There should be a government health warning attached to these parties. Oh wait …
@ Capella, re: Sir Harry Burns’ conclusion about hopelessness.
————————
That reminds me of a bit from Graham Greene’s ‘Journey Without Maps’ when he mentions Dakar (Senegal being a French colony at the time of publication).
“Mr Gorer in his ‘African Dances’ tells how in Dakar the young negroes simply die, not of tuberculosis, plague, yellow fever, but of inanition, of hopelessness.”
It’s why media always says “Government” or “The Government” so that people in Scotland don’t know where devolution stopn, and reserved powers start – or which Government to blame.
Lying by lack of detail.
It’s dreadful that such hopelessness and poverty, as described by Harry Burns and (most eloquently) by Geoff Huijer, should exist in a Scotland which is brimming with assets and resources.
Make no mistake: his is what The Union has done to us, and will continue to do until a lot more Scots ditch the blinkers and look beyond their own wee lives. Look at Scandinavian countries, with sky-high levels of happiness and egalitarian social and educational provision.
Dependence on drugs and/or alcohol is very common in societies which have been colonised and marginalised, their languages and cultures disparaged and belittled. The native peoples of North America and Australia are testament to that.
The low self-esteem this engenders is sometimes not even consciously felt or understood but saps the morale and may even make people ashamed of themselves and their identity.
Ironically, many people in this category in Scotland will be the ones who will cling desperately to the coat-tails of British and Empire nostalgia, happy to wave the flag of the culture and establishment which has had such a damaging effect on their country.
Unfortunately, flegs and bowler hats ain’t an answer Scotland’s ills.
In fact it’s soemthing YES should do for a leaflet – devolved versus reserved, but always making the point for each reserved power that Scotland gets 10% added or subtracted from the overall budget, for spending in England and Wales for each power that’s devolved, e.g. the NHS and education.
So if England and Wales allocate less to education, Scotland gets less money.
An A5 for maximum impact.
As a counsellor I can add a little background to this.
There is a glut of well trained, qualified counsellors who are ready to take up employment within schools, forming the first tier of help for young people. They are well equipped to deal with the vast majority of mental health issues, before involving CAMHS. Counsellors generally represent the right response in the right place, with better value than highly paid psychologists at CAMHS.
Wales and Northern Ireland have provision for a counsellor in every secondary school, which probably accounts for their relative lack of psychiatric resources.
BACP (British Assoc of Counsellors & Psychotherapists) is currently campaigning for the same statutory provision for Scottish and English secondary schools.
thanks for your perseverance Petra , this clip deserves a wider audience i believe , this is when the constant irritating background noise from the in house anti everything the snp does poster becomes annoying as it tends to get in the way of good posts , they get lost in the fog and flurry of the constant daily posts .
again many thanks , i should have followed the excellent post by robert peffers and his guide to posting links , this probably was lost on a few people because of the in house irritants posts .
WoS is an antidepressant:D
In fact, thinking abot it, the Scottish Government would be well within its rights to produce a small series, maybe 3 or 4, “Public Information Leaflets” (PILLs for short) and distribute them by mail to every household in Scotland. The unionist parties would find this a very bitter PILL to swallow. You can just see FMQs:
Davidson: “How can the SNP justify spending £50,000 on propaganda?”
Sturgeon: “It’s information Ruth, do you disagaree with anything in it? Would you prefer the Scottish People to be kept in the dark like mushrooms?”
Davidson: “Well yes, frankly”.
Sturgeon: “Thanks Ruth for that rare moment of truthfulness”.
Sir Harry Burns who supports independence for Scotland and remaining in the EU.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Burns_(doctor)
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/scottish-independence/scottish-independence-could-be-very-positive-for-health-says-sir-harry-burns-9619426.html
http://www.thenational.scot/politics/14892232.Harry_Burns__The_alternative_to_Europe_is_all_power_left_to_Westminster/
When you don’t watch tv or read the papers.. WoS is essential reading.
@ Robert Graham says at 3:31 pm …. ”thanks for your perseverance Petra , this clip deserves a wider audience i believe … ”
No probs Robert. What scunners me most of all is that Scottish politicians and the MSM know, full well, that Scotland remaining as part of this Union is dragging us all down to the point that it’s seriously affecting our health and mortality rates. I mean to say how low can they go? The statistics relating to the UK as being one of the most inequitable countries in the civilised world attests to that. Followed up by research findings that highlight a direct correlation between poverty and mental health issues, suicide rates etc.
And then you have those who know full well that Scotland could be a highly successful, independent country but do everything in their power to prevent it, such as lying through their teeth on a regular basis. The lying of course affecting the outcome of the Independence and EU referendums.
I’ll be intrigued to see how Richard Murphy (GERS) gets on at Holyrood on the 19th and what the Fraser of Allander Institute has to say about his submission. That’ll be interesting and if he’s right, and I’m sure he is, people like Professor Roy will know that Richard Murphy isn’t the only independent expert that could / may come along and tear their figures to shreds. Mr Murphy has in fact opened up GERS to real scrutiny now. Opened a can of worms in fact.
Public Information Leaflets, as suggested by yesindyref2, is a great idea.
Not everyone knows where to look on the internet for reliable information, if you Google Scottish independence it comes up mostly with what we know to be very biased, negative information. This site isn’t even mentioned until pages 9 and 11 when I looked. We need to fight against that.
We need as much information out there as possible. These leaflets could be delivered to every household, handed out in the street, put on seats on the buses (trams), trains. Left in Dr and dental surgeries, etc.
Everyday people need to be made aware of what the Scottish government is doing for them and what they are up against from the English government.
And how it could be so much better if we were Independent.
@ Tatu3 says at 4:20 pm …. Public Information Leaflets, as suggested by yesindyref2, is a great idea…. We need as much information out there as possible. These leaflets could be delivered to every household, handed out in the street, put on seats on the buses (trams), trains. Left in Dr and dental surgeries, etc….”
Anyone fancy listing a few, in your opinion, influencial points that could make a positive difference. I’ve found that the videos ‘McCrone’ and ‘Stolen Seas’ have made a massive impact and then when I’m told that ‘McCrone’ makes no difference now because we don’t have any oil left I introduce Jim Rodger’s ‘Brexit: when Scotland leaves and takes the oil.’
Looking at the next WoS article, maybe leaflets pointing out what the Scottish government would like to be able to do, but can’t, as they don’t have the power?
Maybe even some cases where more power was promised in 2014, but we never got it, so unable to do such and such?
heedtracker says: at 3:33 pm, “WoS is an antidepressant”
I would recommend a daily dose.
yesindyref2 at 3.38pm
Beat me too it. The SNP/Independence supporters/ WoS (Robert Peffers) etc should produce a check list of what EXACTLY the Scottish Government is responsible for. Like most people on this very informative website we know that our Scottish Government is very limited in what they can do as the purse strings and the necessary legislation is held by the English government in Westminster.
Because of the relentless disinformation campaign run by the newspapers and the English government funded tame broadcaster, the BBC, most people in Scotland probably don’t realise that Hollyrood is very limited in what they can do.
In anticipation of the next referendum a checklist highlighting in percentage terms what Hollyrood has full control over and what westminster retains. Something along the lines of :-
…………………. Scottish Government…….Westminster
Work & Pensions …………..30% ……………….70%
My figures are notional as I, like most people in Scotland am not sure what the breakdown for W&P actually is. A further column could be added highlighting what EXACTLY is affected ie Disability allowance, Unemployment benefit etc. We must try and counter the misinformation of the MSM by producing fact sheets which clearly show who is responsible for what.
Being an Independence supporter and member of the SNP I hope that once the details of Brexit are clear (BEFORE THE BREAK ON 19th ??????? 2018) the SNP go to the country on a straight vote of a majority of MSP’s will mean a vote for Independence. We already have a majority of MPs at westminster so a similar vote on the Brexit detail for MSP’s would be sufficient.
In the event that the Scottish Government do not get a majority for their proposal they should resign from both westminster and Hollyrood and leave the Unionist cabal to sort out the resulting Brexit mess. We will then see what sort of job the Unionist branches of the UK parties make of the forthcoming omnishables. That is assuming that we still have a Hollyrood parliament to run
We must stop pussyfooting about.We must be bold, decisive and mean what we say otherwise we will steamrollered out of existance.
@Cactus says: 11 September, 2017 at 3:58 pm:
“When you don’t watch tv or read the papers.. WoS is essential reading.”
Well, Cactus, there is an alternative that I’ve used since before there was an internet. I had, though, access to RN communications radios and other equipment as part of my MOD work. I could tune the radio to the then old fashioned ticker tape wire service of the News agencies and feed the signals into a crypto machine to decode it.
Now the news agencies have on-line webpages that anyone can read.
There are many news agencies but Reuters is probably the best known :-
http://uk.reuters.com/news/uk
will get you their UK site but if you remove the , “/uk”, from the end of the link cited you can access their home page giving access to World news if you replace, “/uk”, with, “/world”.
Mind you even Reuters can sometimes exhibit a bit of anti-Scottish bias. I suspect this is more due to them being slightly brainwashed by the UK Westminster Establishment rather than deliberate bias.
You should try it – you might like it – and then bookmark it.
Yeah I think control of percentage of powers is a biggy. For example I read that Holyrood had control over 7% of powers up until 2016 and now has 17.5% on average over economic levers and welfare. In other words Westminster still has 82.5% control (and conniving to have 100% again). How many people are aware of that?
It’s the one thing I’d like to see Nicola do at every opportunity, such as at FMQ’s or in the middle of an interview whereby they would find it difficult to edit. When she gets hit with “you have all these new powers now.” Aye right!
Effijy @2:21
It will be the SNP’s fault because their good governance and positive outlook had inspired an overwhelming majority of voting Scot’s to decide that we are better independent.
Our Resources, natural, human and monetary will show up the empty cupboards in the treasury and those left in the KoE will suffer the inhumanity you describe.
Being generous souls, I’m sure we’ll have an overseas aid programme and compassionate immigration system for those most in need from abroad, KoE or elsewhere.
Stick in Geoff, make sure all of your elected representatives (council, Westminster, Brussels and Holyrood) are aware of the situation, although I personally doubt you’ll get the empathy from members of the Unionist grand coalition.
I’m with you there Petra. And show or tell about the resources/finances that would be all for Scotland instead of the wee bit they (Westminster) deign to give us. I reckon there are still a lot of people in Scotland that believe we are subsidy junkies!
@ Jay Notanutjob – just want to acknowledge I’ve seen your post. It must have been in moderation and didn’t appear immediately (if you are a new poster) and I’ve been away for some hours.
I understand how difficult it is if you have nobody to help you cope with the labyrinth of ESA and Disaility Allownace. I’ve had relatives in the same boat. But keep on keeping on. Join a support group. Register for counselling and soon a counsellor will be free to see you.
And if it’s support for working for change in Scotland so that nobody has to suffer alone that you’re looking for – then you’ve come to the right place. WoS is here for everyone who wants a kinder, more supportive community.
Petra,
‘Mr Murphy has in fact opened up GERS to real scrutiny now. Opened a can of worms in fact.’
The beautiful irony of it is that Murphy knew nothing much about Scottish politics and merely happened to correct an assertion by K**** H***** with no idea about him. It was the vitrioilic response to that which got him going.
Well done KH and the yoon band!
Geoff Huijer
Please don’t mistake empathy for sympathy my friend.
We have bucket loads of the stuff and are here in the wee sma hoors as well.
Just jump in when you feel you can and have a good rant espically over on off topic.
Where, while we worry and fret, we all know this is only going one way and will be the first to tell you….hold on pal….hold on to us if you have to because, that Scotland the one you’re hoping for,is coming and, right soon.X
heedtracker says: at 3:33 pm, “WoS is an antidepressant”
I would recommend a daily dose.
slightly worrying how many wingers are on anti depressants
i hope i am not seeing a trend 🙂
Evening Robert Peffers at 5:17pm
Aye, ah’ve checked out the Reuters afore, used to watch their reports on the tv too.
Still, I prefers the WoS for all of my Scottish political needs and beyond… I like the presentation, I like the navigation, I love that there are no adverts. That plus the toons.
Wings reading is essential, commenting is desirable though optional.
@ Shrodingers Cat – well I’m not on any medication, though maybe I should be. There’s no evidence here of a trend other than the normal range of issues which every post-industrial society experiences I.e. alienation.
How to overcome alienation? Join a group working for a better society. That’s one very useful way.
We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars.(Oscar Wilde)