Not keeping up with the news
Posted on
December 04, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
A real letter sent out by the shadow Secretary of State for Scotland this week.
Someone do us a favour and explain to her in language she’ll understand that as the Scottish Parliament isn’t trusted by her Westminster pals to control its own resources, the price of oil doesn’t actually impact on “the SNP’s economic plan” in any way whatsoever, would you? We’re not very good with crayons.
As Granny Seasick was wont to say, “Go an claw yer erse, Maggie”.
Did you catch her on GMS at 07:15? Asked about Osborne, and her answer was to bitch about the SNP, exactly as she did in the letter. Even the interviewer had to drag her back to the present.
It’s those straws that British Labour Northern branch are grasping that are in tatters.
WTF Aren’t Labour committed to the Tories spending plans so what’s the difference Magrit. SNP bad…
Looking at that “letter”, to me it looks like, what I call a ‘Reader’s Digest’ letter. You know the type ‘Dear…. you are lucky winner in ….. street’ The letter is a template, with added bits to make it look personal or ‘local’
There is no flow between the first two paragraphs and the ‘local insert’
No doubt it originates in London and each Labour ‘region’ inserts what they see as the main local opposition.
I tried putting it into google translate English to Labour, but whatever I wrote it just spat out”SNP bad”
Sorry
My God, that is some epic fail.
There is no language on the planet that would explain anything to this moron.
Sadly however a large proportion of ill informed Scots imagine that we are reliant on oil revenues despite the fact we don’t actually get them.
The only way to combat this sort of nonsense is to make it very painful for liars like Margaret Curran by producing a leaflet that is distributed in her constituency that points out that she is telling lies and, more importantly, treating her electors like half wits
We have to be site (constituency) specific.
Also Scotland would presumably not have not taken control of OUR Oil until 24th March 2016, Scotland’s Independence day when oil prices may be zero or $110/barrel. Proud Scot buts have crystal balls though. How on earth is poor little Norway getting on, shackled with the burden of North sea oil patch but no Labour in Scotland pooling and sharing their resources back to England.
link to nbim.no
How embarrassing.
As at Westminster Scottish Questions Labour MPs attack the Scottish Government / SNP more than the UK government that they are meant to hold to account in House of Commons.
And oh the Tories are attacking the BBC for their bias over their budget cuts yet won’t devolve responsibility for broadcasting.
The Tory government aren’t the only ones not getting to grips with the cost of living crisis – neither is a sizeable proportion of folks living in this country! So you’d think they would show a bit of sympathy for their fellow sufferers – oh no wait it’s the blue Tories we’re talking about here, aided and abetted by their yellow peril partners.
wow! it’s true we WERE beaten by fools.
Yeah but IF SNP controlled oil revenue then their economic plans would be in tatters.. Yeah if ma maw had baws she’d be ma da… Scottish government don’t control Scottish oil revenue in fact it is seemingly so much of a burden i’m surprised it wasn’t considered as a recommendation for full devo in the myth commission, If Scotland did have control of it’s own oil from the 70’s we would have an oil fund for such times as this, and England would have a bigger deficit fewer roads, and no channel tunnel… ,
People,
Labour policy as you will recall tends to be made up on the need of the moment rather on deep commitment or fact. This is such an example. I doubt if there is sufficient intellect within the Labour Party, unless they organise a nationwide get together to isolate and identify which one of them is using the portable brain cell to back away from this drivel,
And, people actually voted for the woman? Does make you wonder about some of your fellow citizens, doesn’t it?
Curren represents the collective intellectual level of Scottish Labour. No wonder so many put their trust in Brown. His waffle sounded comprehensible.
[…] Not keeping up with the news […]
It would be great if comedy and satire could be used against these ejits. I always remember Tina Fey who took the p$$ out of Sara Palin even quoting her verbatim to make the point, this would be better than snarling at these unionist morons, get people to laugh at them, it becomes infectious and can go viral.
Jist a thought
One of the most ludicrous events of the Referendum campaign was Magrit hosting a referendum debate in Corby?? One of the funniest comments in The Herald was the response Yoo Hoo Magrit, Up here…the Referendum is happening up here! If this woman had a single brain cell it would die of loneliness….
@gillie says:
4 December, 2014 at 10:41 pm How embarrassing.
Indeed, but the BBC and MSM will cover it with a straight face
if they keep repeating the lies – ordinary folk who are not as tuned in as wingers will believe it
Any ideas how National and SH are getting on circulationwise?
“You can’t trust OBR forecasts”, David Dimbleby, QT.
Aye Magrit – thing about thon oil is that the Scottish folk would huv hae’d the chance to protect the good folk of the ither lands of the UK from the volatility of all that oil by pooling it and sharing it among wursels.
It’s messy stuff an aw – a deil tae get oot o’ claithes.
Aye – for the guid oh the hale o the rest of these sceptic isles we brave yessers would have thrown the body o’ Scotland on that grenade and borne it’s awfy brunt.
How ironic, eh, Wee JoLa once likened nationalism to a virus.
Little did she know she’d be stabbed in the back by Septic Meg.
Does Maggie Curran not understand that we had a referendum and she needs to accept the result and move on? Right now she’s being left behind. Ach… Hell mend her.
Hold the front page, the unctuous Jim Murphy is going to speak on devolution to-morrow.
I’m beginning to think that Unionists genuinely don’t know that Scotland voted NO on September 18th, as they’re all coming out with this oil price thing.
I think it’s tunnel vision, with the lights out and nobody home.
Shes a twit, i can here her dictating that nonsense in her wee pathetic monotone voice. Liar and trickster , bring back public floggings for cheats like her.
@Sinky, I’m sure we will be underwhelmed by Egss Murphy’s pronouncement.
Although, I thought my eyes were well knackered, when I saw tomorrow’s Daily Heil front page – Tories blaming the BBC for bias.
As one of the Wingers on here is wont to say – GIRFUY Tory scum.
Anyone catch GMS this morning ?
About 7.10 AM
Stewart Hosie interviewed first ,recorded . He was asked about GO statement from WED and did a good job in reply to Haley Millers questions .
Then about 7.15 live MC totally 10 seconds , then as above SNP bla bla bla . She made a fool of herself for we all know she was talking CRAP . FFS Haley made a lame effort to ammend .
The annoying thing is for many not up to speed in politics, may have believed it as it was very much loaded with miss-information eh ok total B@LLSH$t !
@ John King , love your posts but after the day you had yesterday , I advise you give this one a miss .
I received that letter via email this morning. It was only weeks ago Maggie Curran was happy to take dirty Tory money and front a campaign against her own countrymen, now she is asking me to help her to get rid of Tories. She will have no problem to form a coalition with the Blue Tories if necessary next May.
That’s strange, I got the same by email:
“Dear Jim Murphy,
Yesterday, George Osborne delivered his autumn statement, and it showed once again that this Tory Government isn’t getting to grips with the cost of living crisis.
It’s now clear that the …”
[…] Not keeping up with the news […]
At least Mags Curran isn’t the daftest Scottish Labour MP, Anas Sarwar wins that one by a mile.
Sigh, to think our taxes are funding that brainless red tory’s rather pleasant lifestyle, whilst the many people she and her party have let down, have little more than foodbanks to look forward to.
Currency was contrived into being a major issue by SLAB and the Scottish mediacrity during the referendum campaign.
However ‘Curran say’ has ever been beset with problems of logical coherence. Before and during the referendum campaign, and, sadly, for the foreseeable future.
To think some folk are so disillusioned they’re juggling with the choice of living in Spain amongst a boredom of shallow English ex-pats moaning about the loss of power to their house, or staying in Scotland and be subjected to the antagonistic drivel spouted by airheads such as Margaret Curran moaning about her lack of power.
Magrit Curran somehow manages to surpass herself with her continual nonsense and gibberish. She is uttely obsessed with the SNP, it is like she is a robot. I really hope the SNP put up a excellent candidate against Curran, she is an epic fail of a politician.
O/T. I see Jeremy Thorpe has died. There were seemingly rumours around the time of his trial, that something was being covered up. It will be interesting to see if anything emerges.
Most interesting news I was told of today came from a civil servant who advised the total number of hits on Wings in the last few months of the referendum exceeded 90,000. Many of them originating in Westminster. Well done Rev Stu and all the wingers. Carry on putting the fear of ….. up them. Believe me they are glued to Wings.
good stuff over at SNP link to facebook.com
On oil the reason for its present price is very interesting.The price is continually manipulated by Saudi Arabia and pals who actually determine it by controlling production levels.
At oil’s present price fracking, which is a very expensive process, becomes economically non viable. That I think is the name of the game
So scots are supposed to feel reassured that wee Ed Miliband and Balls are on the case as the colossal cuts hove into view?
Don’t think so and I doubt the polls are going to back that up any time soon either.
So what happened to “Better Together” you lying bunch of Red Tories?
Hence Maigrit’s vapid and desperate whining. Can’t see Miliband’s placeman/Eggman changing the scottish public’s view of these out of touch westminster idiots either. If they have something better to offer scotland than the same old nat bashing pish, and feeble excuses for their own incompetence and pitiful ‘leader’, then they are doing a superb job of hiding it.
@Dave McEwan Hill says:5 December, 2014 at 12:27 am
Manipulated I agree – but I suspect that it has something to do with NATO nutters upset that Russia feels it might not be a good idea to be surrounded by an international alliance whose component countries have invaded it 34 times.
Sad B’s thought they might be out of a job, so picked a fight with a country whose membership of NATO they refused, as they did not have the wit to realize where real global threats were coming from
Anyone needing advice as to Margaret Curran’s honesty, need only remember this brilliant deconstruction by former Labour party member Alan Smart.
The Shadow Scottish Secretary is a complete liar.
link to bellacaledonia.org.uk
One problem for dear old Magrit “stairheid rammy” Curran, well one of many to be fair, is that during the referendum Alex Salmond constantly said that the oil was a BONUS to Scotland and its finances. In other words the oil price was NOT central to the finance calculations that the SNP had carried out. Therefore she can go on a useless rant all she wants no one of any consequence is actually listening to her. Best she go and have a conversation with a brick. At least the brick MIGHT listen to what she spouts! 😛
I wonder how she is reacting to the latest political party membership numbers. 😉
S.N.P. membership is now reported to have reached 100,000 with 124,000 membership forms having been shared via Facebook. Meanwhile over in Labour La La La land they have had 3,000 membership forms spread over the WHOLE of the U.K. What of the Lib Dems I hear you shout. Well if you liusten very, very quietly you may just hear one of their 309 membership forms being filled in. 😀
Dave McEwan Hill you are correct in your assessment of the Saudi’s depressing the market but it is an action taken by OPEC so that ISis are denied an inflated price for the oil they are shipping to Turkey and through Iran for shipping by tankers probably operated by a company, well known to Wings readers. Yup the tankers that remain at sea, (full of oil) until such time as the price of oil rises to a level providing them with a huge profit. The change is expected around Easter of next year.
My little platform produced over $1million of oil yesterday. The operating cost (OPEX)accounts for half of that. Given the current exchange rate we probably only made £300,000.
If this low oil price keeps up we will be lucky to make £100,000,000 a year. At 80% tax rate poor George will only get tens of millions of pounds…..fron ONE platform.
When oil price goes to $110/bbl he does rather better.
The OPEX cost/bbl varies and the decommissioning costs can be dramatic for large concrete installations. However like fish stock in the North Sea who do you think is best placed to work with the oil companies to manage the long term future of these assets. It’s not a trick question.
Rev. First of all thank you for this and the many posts you have found and delivered.
Have we any way of saving these and delivering them to people in contrast to what’s been said here. I’d like to know what’s the best way of getting information to people that hurts Labour and if you have any way forward *anyone?
Thanks!
I’ve been glued to Wings for the last 24hrs and I’m so depressed by all of the gloom and doom that appears to be about to befall us all. Where do we go from here? Our backs are up against the wall and the only thing I can think is…we have to get our act together and look for WHAT we can do to stop being swallowed by the English machine that is trying to make us disappear! I read a post from ClanDonald which actually made me cry, he captured the mood so well and it highlighted to me at least, that, we are going to have to get tough. It all appears to be going the way of Ireland did nearly 100yrs ago with a few exceptions. A new TA unit was paraded on the news last night…was this a veiled message, are they putting the army in place to quash civil disobedience! I think that this ugly grasping union would do anything, “the rebellious Scots to crush.” They must be afraid and we must use that to further our advantage.
Where in the Treaty of Union does it say that England has the right to dictate to Scotland what it can and can’t do. Can they in all honesty treat us like this, surely we can get the UN or EU to recognise that we are living under a dictatorship and help us fight for our freedom, I for one have had enough.
@ Dave McEwan Hill, 10:24pm
The uphill battle… As we learned during the referendum campaign, so many voters are poorly informed and, worse, many do not care to be informed. I have literally cried at the thought of people who have been duped and have no confidence in their country, oblivious to resources, talent, ingenuity, etc. Turning that attitude around is imperative to save Scotland for future generations.
As for Magrit, well, I suppose she did say “Best wishes” which is strange considering the content, but, I am sure it is heartfelt…
@ Macca73
There’s a pdf button under every post. You could turn a post into a pdf and save it and email it or print it off if you want to give it to someone.
Dave McEwan Hill and Boris:
You are partially correct on the oil price suppresion to reduce revenue to IS but the main factor, as I think Ronnie also pointed out recently, is that the US in particular are encouraging OPEC to overproduce and drive down the price as a form of sanction against Russia.
Thankfully, like Norway, we have an oil fund to smooth out the volatility of oil prices …
I am more than angry, I’m at a stage of all-encompassing sadness at the place in history Scotland finds itself today, in fact the neolib right wing militarist Bullingdon boy hold on Britain as a whole is so depressing, more feeding the greedy while starving the needy. We are in a new category the “Modern Medieval” period in history it seems. In the near future (great grandkids time, whoa! ) walled protected cities “Powerhouse cities” will be the havens for the wealthy only, the misfortune to be any sort of burden on society will be banished and bred out, only the ones allowed skills, will be controlled in an antlike army, and only to build and maintain the infrastructure of the elite.far fetched it may seem,history will tell.
An independent Scotland is essential it is our only chance to deflect the worst of the world’s nastiness; on 7/5/15 we NEED to vote SNP.
Whom the fuck voted No? You are ("Tractor" - Ed)s! Deceived, you may claim, (the Vow), aye right,
this is our last chance to escape and have at least a fair say, our beautiful, bountiful landscape, our courage, our tolerant Scottish nature we must think of our own land for a change, all people, all creeds, colours and waist sizes, incomes, skills, and abilities and none, us, we need to try at least. No more voting for parties that are destroying our souls and stealing our wealth.
Peace
Betty Boop,
“As we learned during the referendum campaign, so many voters are poorly informed and, worse, many do not care to be informed. I have literally cried at the thought of people who have been duped and have no confidence in their country, oblivious to resources, talent, ingenuity, etc.”
Yes, the ‘silent majority’.
I fear that what happened in September will be repeated in May next year – we will be outsmarted by the unionists.
We over-estimate the ‘silent majority’.
And we under-estimate the likes of Curran, Murphy and Sarwar at our own peril. They are the ones who won, remember? Without even rigging according to many here.
The Scottish Parliament is expected to gain control over carer’s allowance, industrial injuries benefit and severe disablement allowance under the powers negotiated in the Smith Commission on Scottish devolution. This will allow MSPs to raise or cut these benefits in line with the specific needs of the Scottish people, and “top up” payments from the new universal credit (UC) which will remain the purview of the UK Government. However, some benefits will be treated as income when deciding how much UC should be awarded.
If the Scottish Parliament increases its devolved benefits then claimants will get a pound-for-pound reduction in their UC, the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Spice) has warned.
link to caltonjock.com
Good old Magrit Currin – always pulling yir leg and sharing hir wisdom.
Magrit’s no the sharpest knife in the drawer, bless? 😀
WGD in great form. 😀
link to weegingerdug.wordpress.com
Well worth a read and good for what ails.
Do you know
the lower the oil price goes the happier I’ll be,
we get the (dubious) advantage of prices at the pumps, mirroring (ahem) the price of oil on the international markets, and the less oil companies make from North sea oil there’s less incentive to pump it out to feed the hungry maw of Westminster,
and of course the all the more left for the country who actually own it when the idiots see just how NOT OK the UK actually is,
And the less money Osbourne is able to steal from Scotland the quicker the meltdown in Westminster will come!
roll on the day when Westminster staffers are instructed that if they want their offices heated they’ll have to bring their own bucket of coal!
So Curran
get it right roond ye
Wullie says
“, get people to laugh at them, it becomes infectious and can go viral.
Jist a thought”
Wullie
I laughed all the way through the lead up to the referendud because I genuinely never at any point thought the Scottish public would be SO STUPID as to be fooled a second time ,
guess what,
THEY WERE!
The laughter rings a little hollow when we see just what those people have done/are doing to our precious country!
The odd titter Wullie,
but slaps thighs guffaws /belly laughs are history!
There we have it,Scotland’s shame in a microcosm.Duped by a party known as “Scottish” Labour which doesn’t exist and a slack jawed roaster known affectionately as “The Cluncking Fist”.
Staggering, truly depressing.Light’s out.
Tackity Beets says
“@ John King , love your posts but after the day you had yesterday , I advise you give this one a miss .”
So agree with the majority or shoosh is that what you mean?
Im well aware I was in the minority yesterday but if we ignore the anger that these people are creating in Scotland we are in danger of an explosion.
Then we have the possibility of someone making the slow climb up a clock tower because the don’t like Mondays!
Venting is good, it keeps the pressure down. 🙂
The only sensible bit was the, blah blah blah. 😉
AND: Curran was obviously playing the ‘If we’d voted YES’ game. Others do the same. But she forgets that if that would have been the case, transfer of power (pun) would be in 2016. So her crystal ball, predicting oil prices, is wrong as well as her logic.
Labour Sycophants and pathological SNP haters,
Labour first, fekk Scotland
“roll on the day when Westminster staffers are instructed that if they want their offices heated they’ll have to bring their own bucket of coal!
Ahem…
link to smartertrends.co.uk
🙂
The future’s bright – especially in an energy rich Scotland.
MSP Iain Gray managed to find a silver lining during yesterday’s First Minister’s Questions. On news from MSP Kenny Gibson that 60% of neoliberal Westminster’s government spending cuts have yet to take effect and austerity is a very real threat to the Scottish economy, the ex-leader of the red tories was more than delighted in the thought that Scotland’s economy wasn’t reliant on the volatile price of oil.
MSP Iain Gray starts his irrelevant red tory claptrap at 23.00 mins –
First Minister’s Questions (HD) – Scottish Parliament: 4th December 2014
link to youtube.com
Autumn Statement: Alex Salmond argues Westminster got it wrong
Energy Voice by Alex Salmond
Energy Voice
04 dec 2014
link to energyvoice.com
@ John King
“I love your posts ” etc was meant to encourage you to continue ,despite our mutual anger .
I was sympathetic to your view . It was never intended as a slight on your good self .
Sorry MC makes me so mad , I could have worded it better .
I’m always rushing due to time constraints etc
Great front page in The National on colossal cuts so make sure your supermarket / newsagent displays this prominently.
Are all pro YES councillors checking that all public libraries stocking The National?
The National is looking better everyday and excellent article by Kate Higgins on equality which I trust all SNP candidate selection bodies and members take on board when choosing their Westminster MP.
Perhaps SNP policy should be to increase VAT on broomsticks and end tax exemption for the keeping of flying monkeys. Curran would have a genuine reason to moan her sour puss off under such circumstances.
Fred Blogger , we weren’t beaten by fools , they just exist – we were beaten by the combined forces of the BBBC , STV ,every sodding newspaper in Scotland and the utter ordure they opine.
I might add that I have never voted for the media in any election and as things stand they are the folk I loathe and detest and wonder just how they can look at themselves in the mirror , the honourable exceptions will recognise themselves.
And then we come to the charge of the luvvies lead by an unfunny comic , supported by a boring piece of nepotism on legs and all the incidental signers of the we love you Scotland letter.
Sickening isn’t it?
I am in Katy Clark’s constituency. She is good at a local level, pushing successfully in my case for speed restrictions locally. She has massive support and goodwill. When I suggest to locals that she is propping up a destructive, inward looking organisation called SLAB I am met with blank looks. Surely she is a force for go good, they say. I explain about the intimidation of pensioners, lies about oil and pensions but am deemed a simpleton. Better together is the final retort. Devo Max has been fulfilled and we are better off because the oil is officially running out.
My questions here are has anyone got a short breakdown of the downside of the ref result, and the list of pluses of voting For Yes Alliance next May. I need verbal ammunition.
link to twitter.com
@Cherry Loudon
“What can we do…”
There’s plenty we can and will be doing Cherry, starting with organising a budding pro independence alliance to carry on the work of the YES campaign.
Secondly by providing real support and help in the community where we can and letting people know what we stand for. With 60% more austerity measures to be enacted and no more fat to trim, services and people’s jobs go next. The pain will spread up the wage bracket tree this time and start pinching those who thought they were well off, as well as those already in desperate need. People are going to need help out there whether it be food banks on up to care in the community every little helps that we can donate.
Lastly there are two crucial votes coming up, back to back. The GE and an EU referendum, the outcomes of both will determine how quickly we can fix this mess and deliver powers to Scotland which we desperately need to not just halt, but reverse the effects of prolonged austerity measures.
Communicating, reaching out, supporting, talking face to face is priority numero uno though. Constantly keeping people focussed on events, their constitutional bearing and reminding them that they CAN change all of what’s coming at the ballot. Basically reminding and reassuring people that they are NOT powerless and that they CAN alter this course at any time. We need to keep people’s chins up as best possible, if we allow folks to drift back into the haze of apathy and depression that existed before the referendum then the opposition will be able to call it job done.
Re Katy Clark…
Ayrshire and Arran MP Katy Clark sets out radical stall in Labour deputy leadership bid
DESPITE gloomy poll predictions that Scottish Labour could face massive losses to the SNP in 2015, MP for North Ayrshire and Arran and party deputy leadership candidate Katy Clark says she is ‘confident’ she will hold on to her seat.
link to archive.today
Author_Al – Some simple retorts regards oil
1.If Oil WAS running out why is the price going down?
Law of supply and demand – more oil=price drop – less oil= price increase This is an easy example for the people to grasp as petrol appears to be dropping in price
2. And in case you get a smart arse – Current oil price is dropping as the US and OPEC (aided by the Saudi’s) are flooding the market in an economics war against Russia, which is why the Russian Rouble has dramatically dropped in value. But this action by the US and OPEC(who are already bleating about reducing production) will end or reduce the economic war. Oil insiders expect oil price increase next year
For a bright future you need bright leaders
who tell the truth.
The populations of both Scotland and rUk
are sprayed daily with a toxic slurry of lies
the effect of which is to confuse and confound society
and thereby to prevent people from making sound decisions.
For example, had George Osborne, who is not very bright,
told the truth yesterday about paedophilia at Westminster,
the country would be clamouring for his resignation
and that of the Government as well.
Were he to tell Scotland the whole truth about Scottish Oil
then Scotland would be clamouring for Independence.
Instead, Osborne just spread a load of lies, like a farmer spraying a field.
For the future to be bright there needs to be
an electorate making bright choices.
In Scotland, the future might be orange,
but it isn’t bright.
2 million No voters will ensure a dim, and dire, future.
Unless Fate lends a hand of course – which it might just.
@ John king nice to see your back in top form,keep the heid keep on going its a lang lang road we,re on.
Author_Al
Oil revenues only makes up 15% of Scotland’s total revenues and who knows what the price will be in 2016 which was the earliest Scotland would have been independent. One year forward price is $10 higher than to-day’s price.
Without oil Scotland’s GDP per head is 99% of the GPD per head of the UK as a whole.
As the Financial Times said earlier this year, Even excluding the North Sea’s hydrocarbon bounty, per capita GDP is higher than that of Italy.
Margaret’s grasp of economics and geo-political manoeuvring isn’t strong at the best of times but this is poor even by her standards.
It is telling that despite truly horrendous cuts in the offing from No 11 Downing Street and poor polling figures from Miliband, Margaret can’t get past the Labour fear of the SNP.
Independence is not immediately on the cards Margaret, Osborne’s cuts are.
I was looking again at one of the articles Stu posted on 27th October, where both the Observer and the Guardian identified Mags Curran as Johann Lamont. After reading the above letter, you can see why: they’re of similar thickness, and both sound like rattlesnakes whenever they mention the most popular political party in Scotland.
@ Edward there is only so much storage space for Oil reserves, the USA/OPEC sanctions are working on Putin, Rouble down 40% but we,ve been here before Saudi,s wont keep depleting their Oil in the long term.
Nana Smith says:
“Ayrshire and Arran MP Katy Clark sets out radical stall in Labour deputy leadership bid”
…. has she run her ‘radical stall’ ideas past London HQ? Of course not, they make policy not Clark.
She is clearly trying to influence fellow party members, and the more gullible sections of the electorate. But here’s the question, does she actually believe she can influence Labour policy in any way?
I do hope Mrs Curran remembered to put stamps on this time.
link to heraldscotland.com
Re. my post at 10.42 and in the interests of being balanced and even handed (unlike most of our media) remember the red Tories have promised to outdo the blue/yellow tories with the severity of cuts – and Mags C expects Scotland not to let Scotlav down and vote for them? (Not a typo by the way.)
With Curran as the Shadow Scottish Secretary having zero command of her brief, indicated by her lack of understanding of the status of oil revenue, as it applies to the Scottish economy.
Carmichael holding the post of Secretary of State for Scotland. Believing that the post he holds should not exist in the first place, and anyway, seems to believe that he’s there to represent Portsmouth over the Scots.
Can anybody be blamed for considering, what chance have the people of Scotland got, being, apparently, represented by numbskulls such as these?.
Heaven help us. These two, nor the rest of their Unionist cabal, certainly won’t.
She has a mouth like a small, yapping dogs anus, and everything that comes out it is what you would expect.
I dont know if you can see this page of the National about policing the Internet – maybe being a winger will become illegal? That being said it is possible to do what we do without offending any law link to edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk
Cost of Living crisis….they still pushing that ever so catchy phrase
I note “tatters” also getting a few mentions from labour folk this week. Its like the “Family Guy Manatees” in South Park that show Family Guy jokes is just random words chosen by sea creatures for treats.
OT can anyone explain in terms of glasses of wine the new drink drive consumption limit?
I am perfectly happy never to drink and drive behind the wheel but my travelling sister is coming up to Glasgow for a Pint a Pie and a Panto today and I’m wondering if she can have the pint or glass of wine.
Anybody??
I also hear that Margaret fails to acknowledge that the Earth revolves around the Sun. (true story..lol)
It’s just another SNP ploy to suggest otherwise, and anyone following the party will fall off the edge of the world (in her eyes it’s still flat – very much like the statements that find their way from her brain to her mouth – flat)
Damn those pesky nats..
Labour, used to be toe rags now they are just tory rags
It’s only really been a few weeks but Scotland’s not even an irritating side show for our imperial masters, sorry fellow country men, but rancid old Red Tory Guardian today ries to gee up New New Labour and completely ignore red Tories like Curran, who’s only real concern being money, expenses, power and pomp and teamGB glory and eradicating the Scottish National Party ofcourse.
“No single issue embodies that problem more powerfully than Labour’s failure to admit its past mistakes while also taking ownership of its past achievements. If it had done so, Labour would be in a stronger position. Yet the enduring mistrust of the Tories and the material self-interest of those worst hit by austerity means Labour can and may still win anyway. Whether it would be either a strong or a good Labour government are other questions altogether.”
So why did they never once hold an open public meeting during their Vote NO or else Scots campaign? Is what I want to know from the likes of red Tory Guardian etc. Labour in Scotland are just a bunch of Troughers at the Trough, shielded day after day by the BBC in Scotland but for how long? Ooh it’s exciting! Bleh. Think what Scottish Independence could be doing right now. What a tragedy for Scotland the proud Scot buts have brought upon us.
Scottish cringe?
I’ll tell you what Scottish cringe is:
Scottish cringe is what many of us feel when we see some over-promoted, useless Red Tory politician, so obviously out of his/her depth, blabbing absolute nonsense (usually against the SNP) to a muzzled BBC Labour reporter, in order to cover his/her own short comings.
I don’t blame ordinary people for being duped by these fraudsters, but I do expect more scrutiny from our public broadcaster. It’s a national embarrassment. An absolute disgrace.
Considering her job title and description that goes with it, at what point in her career so far does she represent or act the best interests of the Scottish people?
Yes for Caithness have a map of the new £15b road improvement project.
link to facebook.com
Dorothy – I used to think that the old 80mg rule meant 1.5 pints could safely be consumed. The new 50mg rule means 1 pint. However I am fairly well built man, it may differ for others.
Dorothy, technically no, a big glass of wine or a pint would put her over the limit. Depends how quickly after a drink she’s driving back, if she metabolises alcohol quickly then it could be out of her system in a few hours, but there’s no way of knowing really. Best to be safe.
See if this works Cadogan, to go right to the article you are referring to.
link to origin.misc.pagesuite.com
The article is spread across 2 pages, the clipping tool only allows to clip on one page, and won’t move onto the second page, so the remainder of that article has to be a seperate clipping. Bit annoying imv.
Here’s the remainder of the article;
link to origin.misc.pagesuite.com
Your Weekly Newsletter from Scottish news team…
A busy morning in the office today as we prepare our next special report which will be released this evening. This is the 3rd in a series of 5 specials we will be releasing in the run up to Christmas.
We are well aware that at this time of year purse strings are tight and we’re incredibly grateful for the donations that keep coming in. Every penny helps and we’re delighted to be given this opportunity to build the news programme that we think Scotland needs.
If you missed our first two reports you can catch up using the links below, and please share them.
Copied from another Winger on a previous thread.
“My country has sucked the good years from my bones and rewarded me with a brittle poverty in retirement.
I paid for Bishops and Lords I didn’t elect and illegal wars that I didn’t support. I fired expensive missiles at foreign families in a rich man’s oil war. I paid for duck moats for dick wads to control me, and bonuses for Bankers to break the fabric of our financial system. I bailed banks that were resold at a loss to me.
I watched our political system lord over decades of financial and cultural incompetence. A system not fit for the purposes and needs of a modern world, hampered by ancient tradition, debilitated by class stricture and structure. A system choked by nationalistic pomp and circumstance, and run by an ossified establishment. It’s a heavy burden for an ordinary man.
As I struggled to secure a roof and education for my sons, and lived honestly and frugally through each economic crisis, I watched the rich become richer and the poor eke an existence in a corrupt democracy of cash for questions, cronyism, expense scandals, and skimming politicians.
They sold my railways, energy companies, water and hospitals and I paid tax to private companies to keep them running.
All the money I generated over the decades, my personal GDP, was wasted in government ineptitude and inefficiency.
My sons left for London. I don’t blame them, I blame the system. A lifetime of yoke and boot. A lifetime of housing, heating, eating and education, necessities costed like luxuries. Democratic rights sold as privilege.
And through these decades I have had the misfortune to suffer the false promises and prophecies of Scottish Labour. The party that adds insult to injury. “
Reposted in honour of Curran.
You,re right Wullie says, roll on the day when we have our own television station and we can ridicule these people. The gaffs this woman has committed would have kept Morecombe and Wise going for a whole series.
farrochie says
“I do hope Mrs Curran remembered to put stamps on this time.
link to heraldscotland.com”
If she had done that to me I would have sent it back taped to a 3×2 slab postage paid by recipient! 🙂
Dave McEwan Hill says:
5 December, 2014 at 12:27 am
“On oil the reason for its present price is very interesting.The price is continually manipulated by Saudi Arabia and pals who actually determine it by controlling production levels.
At oil’s present price fracking, which is a very expensive process, becomes economically non viable. That I think is the name of the game.”
Dave, I suspect the name of the game is actually to undermine the Russian economy for their American pals.
@Ericmac
Kudos
Summed up our lot in this disunited kingdom perfectly.
Reposted in honour of Curran and the queen purrs.
Manandboy, a great repost, I think we all can echo this.
May I also say that StevieMcB says: @ 209am, You have said exactly as we think, that we are entering a Modern Medieval period. The wealth and those who feel they are the power over us, intend us to return to the days when we had the bare minimum to survive. I used to say on the pages of the Independent that serfdom before the Black Death is the period they were looking to return us to. So thanks all the NO voters, I do not know which I detest more, those who are the Brit Nats, well I think they are the worst, but those without a brain in their heads. I pity them.
Correction,
Ericmac great re-post, don’t know why I thought it was the other.
Can anyone explain why there are so many ‘third rate’ politicans in ‘Scottish Labour’?
Put it this way. Government is crucial to the economic and strategic direction of any country.
One might legitimately expect the key players to be on a par with first class employees in blue-chip organisations.
Could you imagine IBM, Apple, Unilever, Google and other such giants employing someone like StairHeid”?
She would barely make a junior TeamLeader in a operations department.
And before you say it has to do with remuneration. It isn’t. There are currently plenty of people available with twice the intellect, integrity and knowledge.
Why do we allow unconscious incompetents a say in our country’s future, at any level. Why do people vote for stupidity? Am I missing something?
[…] A real letter sent out by the shadow Secretary of State for Scotland this week. […]
@ Ericmac
Great post and quotation above. RE second rate pols. They are who the parties select. They obviously want biddable numpties in the branch office. That’s why the SNP are so much smarter and effective – no London HQ to interfere.
However, they are now going to install their own man in Glasgow – Jim Murphy – since the numpties were showing signs of stress.
Fracking has different prices across America, it isn’t just one overall break-even price for it, same as the North Sea, I’ve heard of their being projects where the break even price is $40…..the price has retreated further below $70 due to Iraq having an extra supply of oil to add to the glut.
@Ericmac
“Why do people vote for stupidity?”
My leaving the Trade Union letter arrived in the same post as my vote for Labour leader (Northern branch).
A difficult but delicious opportunity to vote for maximum stupidity and incompetence.
West behind falling ruble – oil price – Russian spy chief.
link to rt.com
@Capella
How dare the Americans want to produce their own oil….lols
Scot goes pop has another great poll posted.Puts SNP on Atleast 50%.How does that look through Electoral Calculus? It seems more and more people are coming round to the idea that it’s best to vote for the only party that sticks up for Scotland.
@macart
Thanks but credit is not mine. 🙂
Meantime… What exactly did these people have to be angry about, compared to what Scootland is enduring today?
link to en.m.wikipedia.org
It’s a surprise to me that everything is so calm and controlled. But I wonder how long before the people who automatically voted Labour in the past, and nothing left to to lose, rise up in some sort of revolt.
The helplessness and despair of food banks and benefit sanctions will eventually come home to roost with further austerity.
I meet people across all levels of society who are struggling… Pity help everyone when the interest rates finally move and the additional cuts bite.
Someone suggested above… “Are you YES yet?” (Sorry couldn’t find it back)
This says more in four words than Curran’s ridiculous letter.
“ARE YOU YES YET?” Brilliant. Let it be viral.
Apologies to SSP and Greens.
How about instead:
The Scottish economy’s struggling because it’s being raided to pay for English roads and railways.
Yes, I think that does it.
@ Ericmac
Tony Blair has the answer, pay them more and improve the gene pool of talent. Talk about rewarding failure.
I have another idea, cull them in May.
Mealer says:
5 December, 2014 at 11:59 am
Apologies to SSP and Greens.
SNP in 2015, then any combination of SNP, Green and SSP in 2016.
Most independenistas get it (or they should!).
@Ericmac
Heh, We’re calm because we need to be and because we can be. We don’t need or want raw violent anger, we’ve got a ballot that can deliver the goods as and when we want it enough and we will and besides a cold determined anger is far better. 🙂
Takes a while to break centuries of conditioning and blind acceptance. We almost pulled it off in two years, a few more will finish the job. We’ll do it in style and with thought. We’ll do it because they’ve run out of arguments and excuses and we’ll do it because they put their own necks on the block for us.
WM are trying to railroad through legislation and agendas they’ve had on pause for the period of the referendum (they so badly need that piggy bank still in place). They made pledges and issued statements they can’t now back out of, or had no intention of keeping. WM hoped for blind acceptance post vote and found a public sitting up and watching intently. They’re under a microscope in Scotland with nowhere to hide and viable routes for the population to achieve independence still well within reach. The most crucial of which is the return of a pro indy Westminster contingent with teeth.
We just need to ‘keep the heid’, keep positive and we’ll get there sooner than many think.
@ Chalks
“How dare the Americans want to produce their own oil….lols”
Eh??
I posted a link some weeks ago to a news item (sorry can’t remember now where – possibly PressTV which is Iranian) that the Saudis agreed to keep the price of oil to approx $80 pb for the next two years following a pep talk from John Kerry. Purpose? To undermine the economies of the countries which USA doesn’t like. Russia, Iran and Venezuela.
We are presumably collateral damage.
It seems the prophetic doom laden claims from the Treasury during the referendum campaign that oil would drop to $80 pb (from $116) were not, in fact, inspired guesses but simply insider knowledge of geopolitical agreements to which our own government is not a party but the UK govt is.
When is the next secret meeting of Wingers? The one where only genuine vetted Wingers can attend. 🙂
What? You don’t know if you are a genuine Winger? I’d list the 18 criteria but GCHQ / MI5 are already listening and collecting all your data.
Some of you think I am joking, some of you think I am serious.
The start of the new Cold War coinciding with the start of dangerous times in Scotland. It’s more of a nightmare than a vision, but the future in Scotland is less than rosy as Westminster seeks to hold on.
Are you YES yet?
Luigi says:
at 10:39 am
“Scottish cringe?”
Well said.
My late mother used to say of Curran, “Representing Scotland? What must the rest of the UK think of us when they hear her?” … Cringe is right. How she says things is unpleasant, with that unnecessary aggressive style. What she says, usually rambling nonsense, is what offends most.
@Macart
I agree. But I am not talking about your level of intellect here… I am questioning the tolerance of people who don’t think the same way, or those who have nothing left to lose.
I see the levels of anger, sadness, frustration and despair. This is a rich recipe for unrest.
Merely an observation of course.
@Ericmac
I’m just common 5/8 Eric. Been poor all my days, never had a house, or a new car, always bought cheap or second hand everything from my socks on up. No big brain or much education in evidence either. 😀
Its our job to talk to people, let them know they have a way out and to keep their feet going forward, keep them calm and hopeful. Because they do have the power to change this, they aren’t without hope so long as someone is there to help them through. The greatest tools we have in our box are care and communication (the one working in concert with the other). We help where we can and we don’t stop communicating.
As I have said before, she might not be very clever but she is cunning. She knows exactly what she is doing. And seems to feel no shame. Let’s work to rid ourselves of Ms Curran and her ilk.
Well said Macart. Likewise. Aye, compassion and understanding the underlying prerequisites of caring, if you can’t empathise with others you don’t know ‘how’ to care. This may be our opponents flawed achilles heel. We will take care of each other whatever they throw at us. Never underestime the real power of kindness.
@Capella
So you are saying there is nothing in it for America, to be import free and that their priority is damaging the russian economy?
Opec will cut their production in the new year, as I’ve posted before, russia are struggling even more due to China and the eurozone struggling.
OPEC expect the price to go up to $110….I’d imagine they’ll be cutting production slightly.
I’d hasten to add, that the price of oil is nowhere near $80 a barrel.
I can quite believe the US forcing the saudi’s into it, as they have a few bases in saudi arabia, but I can also believe that the saudi’s know full well that fracking isn’t a long term option and have decided to see how far america will go on it
I’m not sure that taking your news from Iranian TV will be the most impartial piece of evidence you can provide in proving a global oil price agreement…
@Macart.
Perhaps you attended the University of Hard Knocks. You always seem to make some sort of sense.
Except for the second hand socks. I draw the line at that. 🙂
There will not be a Labour government in May as Margarets’ pals in the media will do to Miliband as they did to Kinnock, complete character assassination.
We did also have the chance to make it Osborne’s last autumn statement, but Margaret and her red tory cohorts fought tooth and nail to keep him where he is.
from the SNP webpage:
Labour refuse to match £125m SNP commitment to NHS
Thu, 04/12/2014 – 11:50
The SNP is today calling on Labour to clarify its position on funding for the health service – after the party’s shadow health team refused to commit to spending £125m of health consequentials on the NHS.
Yesterday, Deputy First Minister John Swinney confirmed that all health consequentials that come to Scotland will be passed directly on to the NHS – in a further demonstration of the Scottish Government’s commitment to the NHS.
However, Labour refused to commit to do the same – just as it has refused to match the SNP’s commitment to frontline health spending in previous years. When pressed by Shona Robison in the chamber yesterday, Labour’s Public Health Spokesperson Richard Simpson refused to commit to spending the £125m of health consequentials on the health service – saying simply “we will see.” Labour’s Health Spokesperson Neil Findlay also refused to back the SNP’s commitment to real-term increases in NHS funding in both this and the next parliamentary term.
so much for pooling and sharing eh.
@Author_Al -if you are starting from scratch to explain why getting the Lab party voted out is not only a good move but essential to our welfare, then you have a lot of work on your hands.
It sounds as though the folk in your constituency who are still going to vote for the Red Tories are blinkered and have been following the Daily record, BBC etc.
The WBB, which is downloadable on various formats, is a good place to start but ask them do they want to be governed by the WM elite, ALL of whom are middle class,millionaire Oxbridge graduates whose policies are literally starving folk to death.
Even though Katy is a ‘nice'(but dim??) person, voting for her will keep that whole system going.
Show that without Holyrood they would be paying for prescriptions, hospital parking, bed tax, pensions are not safe etc etc.
Good luck but I fear some folk are beyond help.
On the bright side. If this is the one dig she can take at the SG, when she has a chance in this leaflet, then the SG is doing a pretty useful job.
She knows it and a huge number of Scots know it.
Whether some folk swallow the nonsense or not, it proves that they are really scraping the barrel (i know) in their relentless SNP rant.
They’ve lost already.
Magrit, sent me a fancy letter during the indy campaign about dog-dirt etc’ and could she drop round and discuss things. I hadn’t realised that dog-dirt was a reserved matter to Westminster but that’s dumb-blond babes fur ye I suppose!
Needless to say I never responded to her kind offer.
As to MI5 keeping an eye on the Wingers, that’s the least of your worries Willie Rennie is on the case. 🙂
I was talking with my mate yesterday, both of us in our mid fiftys and how we had been awakened from our slumber re the political situation in Scotland.We had both long-since accepted the status quo and never thought independence was possibly viable.As the referendum progressed and information became available we began to realise we had been completely had by succesive goverments.
I dont even live in Scotland anymore having left six years ago but i cant stop thinking about how things could and should have been.We are both left with a deep resentment towards West minister and even more so to the likes of curran,Brown,Lamont,Murphy ect supposed fellow Scots who should have had our countrys interests at heart.
We believe independence will happen its an absolute imperative.
@Capella
Militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) are making an estimated $3 million a day by selling crude oil captured from Iraq and Syria,they are selling the oil at $20 a barrel to Turkey (maybe why Turkey have been a little hesitant in any confrontation with ISIS)which will help in keeping the price of oil low .
@Ericmac
“Perhaps you attended the University of Hard Knocks.”
Got the bruises to prove it. 😀
@jackie g At FMQ yesterday, Nicola taunted JaBa with that and finally managed to get a committment to match the SNP pledge to pass on the NHS £125M.
She also slapped down Ruthie babe, and Iain the Grey man. Well worth a watch
Margaret Patricia Curran,age 56, is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Westminster MP for Glasgow East since 2010.
One of her best friends is Johann Lamont MSP,the former leader of the Labour Branch Office in Scotland.
@ chalks
I look at numerous sites, accepting they are all as biased in their way as the BBC but probably less so than Fox, CBC etc. PressTV, Telesur (S American), RT (Russian), Al Jazeera (Bahrain?),and sites such as Zerohedge.
Here’s a Reuters article on the meeting.
link to reuters.com
I wouldn’t expect to find anything balanced, impartial or accurate on the BBC or MSM after the referendum experience.
Zerohedge on oil as a weapon.
link to zerohedge.com
and finally! Anadolu Agency
http://www.aa.com.tr/en/economy/402343–saudi-arabia-to-pressure-russia-iran-with-price-of-oil
Very True Capella, dunno if its a good thing or a bad thing!
‘I wouldn’t expect to find anything balanced, impartial or accurate on the BBC or MSM after the referendum experience’
Here’s another Capella…
link to cityam.com
Preaching to the converted folks, the danger Is people WILL actually believe those Horse Apple,Labour along with Lib Demand already phoning around the same contacts and using this scare tactic the same as Indyref campaign,We know the tactics, maybe we should be preaching to the non converted
@ Nana
Spot on as usual Nana. Your spies are everywhere!
@Capella
HAHAHA….Wish they would do the ironing I between missions!
I’m sure I heard earlier on this week on a news report that America is trying to encourage Europe not to purchase gas or oil from Russia, but to purchase the dirty, un-environmentally friendly shale oil from them.
To me it seems that keeping oil prices artifically low is benefitting the US more than any of the countries that produce oil and gas in the more conventional manner.
There’s a programme on RT TV next week about the oil sands in Canada which I think will be well worth watching.
@ Ericmac,
Brilliant post. The originator is to be congratulated. Well done for posting it.
Ann
There is also the strong suggestion that the Saudis are keeping prices down to make the fracking industry unprofitable.
Fracking is an expensive industry built on large debt but it can rival oil in the short term as a source.