Odd nation out
Posted on
April 08, 2013 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
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Wings Over ScotlandA tall tale
Wee Books
Video
Probably a robbery
Transphobia
Says everything about news manipulation.
Not like the BBC to have their finger on the pulse of opinion in these parts
What about http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/europe/?
BBC Scotlandshire must be awaiting instructions from Better Together as to how to play the coverage in North Britain.
Must be a difficult one, but Im sure an ”Alex Salmond accused” headline can be produced by those creative types on the back of this joyous announcement.
Come on BBC Scotland and Scottish Labour, time to catch-up! This is a perfect opportunity to show the real spirit of Better Togetherness!
I’m not sure which is worse, the image of the 2 horrible torturer murderers or her, sorry just had to say it. We were quite young when she grabbed the milk off the little kids, ‘thatcher the milk snatcher’, that was just the beginning. Yep she certainly created and promoted the idea that the way to live well was through greed and selfishness, it’s disgusting that hasn’t really changed in 2013.
She was and is deeply unpopular in Scotland. Just the whisper of her name in anything other than revulsion would lead to tory candidates being selected. The scot’s tories have learned the hard way to keep their admiration of that woman to themselves. My mum to this day could not stand her, and when I told her of Thatchers death, all she could say was “good riddance”
So Good Riddance to the woman who blighted the lives of millions and taught me how to hate.
Now second story and headline reads “Salmond pays tribute to Thatcher” which is not quite true, more like Salmod being tactful about Thatcher.
Up on BBC Scotland now. However only small item below murder verdict.
Under “Salmond pays tribute to Thatcher” line.
Torture case murderers? I thought that at least one of the them was Ian Davidson. Possibly both.
It’s now “Salmond pays tribute to Thatcher”
Oh well, fun while it lasted
They’ve finally put a story up now on the Scottish section.
“Thatcher dies in chip pan fire”
Oops. Sorry.
“Salmond pays tribute to Thatcher”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-22065769
There will be lots of stories in tomorrows Scottish media about how it was the SNP that paved her way to victory in 1979, its a cast iron certainty!
““Salmond pays tribute to Thatcher”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-22065769“
I was about to say “He did no such thing, the lying bastards”, then noticed that on the actual story page it says “Margaret Thatcher: Scottish politicians’ reaction”.
I`m presuming there are people in ‘high places’ taking note of all the media manipulation and bias? This is so obviously wrong.
I watched the afternoon Reporting Scotland`s announcement of Thatcher`s death; lots of umming and ahhing, and she wasn`t exactly popular with some in Scotland etc…
They know this is another nail in another coffin.
BBC in Scotchland are still waiting for their orders from London, they might have to spike the SNP/Salmond accused’ story they had lined up.
I actually thought the lunchtime Reporting Scotland was pretty good, reflecting her unpopularity here, especially after the previous fawning on the English news. I’d be surprised if they huvnae been telt and are pushing the party line by 6.30
I think Mr Salmond struck the right balance, judging by his reaction as reported on the live text coverege on BBC website:
‘ Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond describes Baroness Thatcher as a “truly formidable prime minister whose policies defined a political generation”.
“No doubt there will now be a renewed debate about the impact of that legacy. Today, however, the proper reaction should be respect and condolences to her family,” he adds.’
BBC is telling us how flower tributes have been left outside her home in London – though showed the three or four bouquets very quickly and then turned to film the other film crews. No huge crowds sticken with grief.
I wonder if they can get a reaction from Johann Lamont LOL!
if they can find her that is!
Look what I found for that special day.
As an added bonus it can be reused following the Referendum.
Every little cloud has a silver lining.
http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=204752635
greatest peacetime British prime minister of the last century, my foot! Clem Attlee has a better claim; they are still trying to dismantle his legacy.
““Salmond pays tribute to Thatcher”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-22065769“
I was about to say “He did no such thing, the lying bastards”, then noticed that on the actual story page it says “Margaret Thatcher: Scottish politicians’ reaction”.
You were right first time Rev. “Salmond pays tribute to Thatcher” is the headline on BBC Scotland’s website. They are lying, it is a totally misleading headline!
On the index page it is, but click the actual story and the headline’s different.
There’s an Alan Cochrane special on Radio Scotland just now, all about Thatcher’s Sermon on the Mound. It’s not entirely convincing.
I hope there’s a lavish state funeral – brings the difference between Scotland and Westminster into sharp relief and reminds everyone of the consequences of being shackled to this Union.
@BillC
It’s not uncommon for the HomePage to be different, dictated by layout, word count. The actual headline would be too long, perhaps the HomePage could have been different however, though can see why as BBC Scotland they would highlight the reaction of the FM.
http://www.isthatcherdeadyet.co.uk
For UK loyalty card holders only suppose explains why the BBC excluded Scotland.
Thatcher’s Sermon on the Mound: and having given the Church of Scotland Assembly a piece of her mind Thatcher made to leave and a voice intoned, “and now let us pray” and duly went into a very very long prayer and alas kept the lady waiting. Best served cold they say.
The divisions within England are just as stark. In conversation with an English colleague; should they go ahead with a lavish send off, then it underlines as never before how completely out of touch Westminster and the London elite are with “their” beloved country. I think the greatest crime of Thatcher was her dissolving the social glue that bound communities and large parts of society together. Many people, especially those of a certain age, are aware of that fact. The Good Old Blighty, much beloved of the nostalgic backwards looking Daily Mail readship no longer exists. Mrs Thatcher destoyed Britain.
What will be interesting is how the Bitter Together mafia play out her legacy. They are the inheritors. They should be proud.
Just watched Brian Taylor on BBC News 24 for the Scottissh reaction. According to Brian Taylor, Scots hated Margaret Thatcher because she was English. He then approvingly repeated Malcolm Rifkind’s claim that we hated her because she was English and a woman. So according to BBC Scotland, Scots are racist misogynists.
Re robscot
No Brian Taylor, Scots didn’t hate Thatcher. They were and are just better people and the stark contrast between a caring society, hung out to dry by an uncaring Mrs Thatcher and her creatures, both past and present, just generates anger and a desire for better government. That’s what the Independence movement is, Brian Taylor; a desire for better government as a foil to 30 odd years of Thatcherism.
Menzies Campbell earlier trying to say the Scots didn’t like Thatcher because, and I quote, “she was a bossy English woman”. Absolute drivel.
No, Campbell, the Scots (and many others) hated the women for all that she stood for and all that she did to damage this country. Unbelievable the rubbish people are talking about this women.
No sign of the state broadcaster opening up comments on Thatchers death. Seems the story is being ”managed” and we are to be fed opinions by the great and good lest the plebs spoil the love fest.
A bit of contrast from some old miners and steelworkers would give a different perspective.
alasdair
So acording to BBC Scotland’s Brian Taylor Scots hated Thatcher because she was English. He then approvingly refers to Malcolm Rifkind saying we hated Thatcher because she was a bossy, English woman. And Menzies Campbell says we hated Thatcher because she was a bossy, English woman. No agenda then.
Aye okay, I’m sure Argentinians hated her because she was an English woman too.
It sounds like the state broadcaster is fully on board with the anti-independence propaganda that is increasingly becoming a feature of Scottish politics, as we get closer to the referendum. That is a terrible argument that Brian Taylor has come out with. Ming Campbell is an absolute disgrace as well. The guy is part of the most extreme right-wing government ever seen in the UK. They are even fucking worse than Thatcher. He has sold out any principles he ever had (if he did have any in the first place). Why the fuck is the Yes campaign not saying something about all this shit?
Listened to Michael Forsyth rewriting history on BBC Scotland (certainly the right venue for it). He told us Margaret Thatcher ” saved the UK in the early 70s”. Could of sworn she didn’t become PM until 7 months from the end of the 70s. Questioned why she wasn’t more popular in Scotland Forsyth informed us that the Tories had never had a majority in Scotland. Could have sworn they polled 55% of the vote and 36 seats in 1955. Mind you with Michaels help they went from a respectable 22 in 1979 to 0 by 1997 when the Tories lost power.
“SIR Alex Ferguson has donated £501 to the pro-UK Better Together campaign”
http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/referendum-news/sir-alex-beats-campaign-donation-cap-by-extra-1-x.19688035
“Better Together’s top donator is oil trader Ian Taylor, who handed over £500,000 of the £1,118,451 total – ten times that donated by Labour-supporting Man Utd boss Alex Ferguson.”
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/better-together-campaign-steals-march-1817731
Eh?
£501 x 10 = £5,010
Part of the Thatcher legacy has been to produce such outstanding successors. William Hague, IDS, Michael Howard and Cameron. Little wonder we are going backwards.
@Ken Mac
Thatcher’s man in Scotland. GTF Forsyth. Horrible bastard.
You could add Gove, Boris etc. Tories GTF.
My, maternal grandad, dad and 3 of my maternal uncles worked in Seafield Colliery and Frances Colliery in Fife and I was born in 1981 just as Thatcher was gearing up for the mining communities. I remember going to the Miner’s Gala for the first time in 1984 – it was always held in Holyrood in May. Obviously in 1984 there was an edge to the day. I can remember the dancers and majorettes and the bagpipes and the police horses. I can’t remember this, however, but apparently, as I am assured by all my aunties every Hogmanay, that I bawled out “scab” when I saw a placard with her (cannae bring myself to say her name) face on it. I will, therefore, raise a glass to all those families and communities she and her policies sought to destroy. Times were hard for many families in pit villages and towns; some are still struggling to recover economically.
@ Ken Mac
Political Reporter David Torrance on BBC Radio Scotland earlier this afternoon was that busy doing a damage limitation excercise in favour of the good effects of Thatcherism in Scotland and fell over himself to point out that there were ‘shades of grey’ thinking prevelant in Scotland these days when looking back on her time as PM! He mentioned the Tories had 22 seats but forgot to fill in the last part you so accurately filled in Ken, the big fat zero mark (seats) come 1997 as Scotland totally and utterly rejected this party and their poison more and more in the run up to 97 til they had wipeout. Seems Mr Torrance wants to airbrush the bad bits out of history. What a sham they are. No real opposing views will get on their airwaves in the coming days.
After listening to the boak fest from the Unionist Scottish lapdogs its as clear as the nose on their faces that the Unionists would have no qualms in subjecting Scotland to another 30 years of Thatcherism courtesy of Cameron in the blue Tory corner and Milliband in the red Tory corner rather than the Scots getting a proper Scottish Government of their own choosing. It goes to show that Thatcherism is alive and well in Westminster in their race to out Tory each other. Scotland is watching this charade. Im hoping we exit stage left come September 18th for the sake of all us or the gemme’s up the pole.
“Eh?
£501 x 10 = £5,010”
Spookily I just posted an article on this. In the print version it’s “100 times”, which is still out by a factor of 10. I note also that the Kevin McKidd pic has been replaced with one of Sir Alex putting his fists up.
EdinScot,
‘or the gemmes’ up the pole.’
Is that the salt’n’sauce version of ‘gemmes a bogey’?
Now that is what I would call regional. (smilywink)
Not much goodwill to the late PM on the bus I was on this afternoon in Dundee. An elderly couple laughing about how they would like to dance on her grave. Just hope she is not buried at sea.
The very one Braco haha or if you like ‘ye’ll iv hid yer tea’!!
Either way, its decision time for Scotland and i think in the next few days the reminder to Scots of Tory misrule of yesteryear right up to the present with Cameron and co out Thatchering Thatcher with their attack on the welfare state. Or a chance of a clean break. Hope over fear. Surely its a no brainer Scotland…
On the BBC Scotland website they had this priceless line about Thatcher, ‘Despite always affirming a strong bond with Scotland….’.
A bond so strong she wanted to sell everything in it and was so upset when she found she couldn’t sell Scottish Water.
I used to be amazed they could put out such obvious lies, but after seeing the videos of ‘reporters’, Brian Taylor, Nick Robinson, Nial What’s his name and Stephanie Flanders teaching other reporters how to brief against pro-Independence statements, I am beginning to understand how they have this amazing ability to appear to be talking out their mouths while really talking out their arses.
Actually Steph wasn’t too bad until the last few words in her video.
@Albalha – I know what you are saying. The point I was making to the Rev. was that the BBC are saying that AS was paying tribute to Thatcher when he was doing no such thing. His comments were respectful but hardly a “tribute”.
@BillC
I get that, but in this case it’s easy shorthand I think. Being frank I am not in the camp that everything uttered/written by the BBC in Scotland deemed to be ‘anti SNP’ or ‘anti YES’ is all that it seems.
Some of it is down to inexperienced people, lack of management, lack of staff and people just not up to the job …and controversially, I know, some of it is way overblown.
For context, I speak as a former insider, though left the BBC in Scotland in 1999 for the bright lights of London.
However there are clearly serious editorial issues coming from the top in relation to the referendum debate.
As a society we can now take the opportunity to say that there is no such thing as Margaret Thatcher.
Unfortunately, we still have Thatcherism. A lot of people are celebrating today, and I guess they have a right, but this is just the death of an individual, not the end of the vile political philosophy she espoused.
The referendum gives us the only chance to destroy everything that Thatcher believed in and the Unionist parties tell us is the political consensus. We need to work hard for the next 17 months and ensure that, on the day, it’s a loud Yes. Then we can set to rebuilding our community with a passion that will make up for the wasted years since 79.
Look around you, surely we can pursued people to vote for something better than this.
Re Sir Alex Thatcherson…sorry..Ferguson…He got his knighthood; that’s worth every penny, and it’s also worth selling out your country for, as history oft shows!
Albalha,
you are more in the know than I am over this and I understand residual loyalty to a once (more and more doubtfully) worthy institution, but could you give me some examples of pro independence lies that were down to inexperienced people, lack of management, lack of staff and people just not up to the job.
Please Albalha, do not take this as a personal attack as I always look for your moniker (amongst others) for reasoned argument when rushed in reading the comments on WOS.
Looked a good few hundred having an acid house party in George Square on STV News East. Footage lasted only a few seconds of people smiling and dancing.
On thing you can say about the BBC is they know their audience 🙂
Web cam view here
http://www.exetercaledoniansociety.co.uk/Webcam_Glasgow.htm
A few people at work (English Midlands) speaking about Thatcher/politics today, a number said they thought Ukip were the way forward and would now be voting for them in future!
I couldn’t help thinking that this was great news for the Yes campaign.
@Braco
No problem with the query. I’m not talking about out and out lies but taking the debate the comment is about I don’t think the person writing the link page headline was thinking ‘ how can I stuff it to the SNP’ ………. I simply don’t think all production staff are motivated at every turn by being anti YES and live programming, Radio is my medium, is fairly full on ……so for example I understand some people think that in the discussion between A Robertson and I Davidson on Saturday’s GMS it was biased that I Davidson spoke first and last. I listened and really I don’t agree that somehow that rendered ID the victor or it was set up in such a way to make him the victor, I wonder what A Robertson made of it. I just think picking on each and every utterance is counter productive, counting words, minutes etc, etc.
I understand the issues. The BBC debate is framed from a Unionsit perspective, no argument there. For me, and I’ve said it quite openly, there’s a problem with J Boothman being in charge of News, more worryingly that he was in charge of the Parliamentary Unit at Holyrood when his wife was an active MSP. I have never met him or worked for him but I know such a person holding an equivalent post in London would simply not be tolerated.
The most worrying thing for me is the savage cuts that have taken place in the Radio News teams, there’s very little chance of decent coverage. So I think presenters are ill prepared, having to be nimble when they simply don’t have the skill and lack of dedicated Editors and senior staff means people will turn to wire copy, general news BBC output etc to fill air time.
I could go on, does that begin to make sense or not?
@Patrick Roden
UKIP and the Tories combined have up to 55% of the vote.
An electoral deal is highly likely; a Y/N referendum on Europe will be enough for Farage.
If UKIP don’t do this, they seriously risk letting Labour in by the back door by eroding the Tory vote. Such is the nature of FPTP.
This would guarantee a huge majority for Scottish independence.
there’s a problem with J Boothman being in charge of News, more worryingly that he was in charge of the Parliamentary Unit at Holyrood when his wife was an active MSP. I have never met him or worked for him but I know such a person holding an equivalent post in London would simply not be tolerated.
Well, yes. They have a real parliament in London, so it matters down there. It’s hardly the same in North Britain, now is it? 😉
Seems to be the thinking!
It’s also true, unfortunately. Broadcasting is reserved to Westminster, so Westminster governments must be treated with kid gloves. Holyrood has no powers over broadcasters – and a different party in power – so the gloves are off.
The vast dissonance between what is being spouted on the broadcast media (and will be tomorrow in the print media) about ‘the greatness of Thatcher’, etc., and the comments and outpourings of the ‘common people’ in the flesh and online is stark. It truly is like living in some kind of great-lie society where ‘the people’ know the truth, but the media of that society provides the un-truth as reality!
Another wee anecdote: I was talking to someone today who told me that he had heard his father, a gentle and god-fearing man, rage and swear only once – and it was Thatcher, after yet another of her crimes against Scottish communities, that caused him to do so!
Poured myself and some friends a whisky to celebrate! Ding dong, the witch is dead!
I see no reason to feel the slightest bit sad or sympathy for the death of this evil old witch who did so much harm to so many. It’s been long overdue.
I was talking to someone today who told me that he had heard his father, a gentle and god-fearing man, rage and swear only once
I swear like a trooper, but never quite as much or quite as venomously as when talking about that ******* ******* of a ****, ****, *******, *********, ********, criminal ****, ***** pitiful *******, evil ******* callous *****.
@Jiggsboro
However in my experience there’s a craven attitude from the Scottish end, imo they know the score, more could be done.
Albalha,
Yes it makes sense but I really don’t think the complaint against the BBC is the detailed interview by interview bias that you speak of.
I think for many, including myself, the loss of faith in the institution is best summed up by the question you yourself framed as the reasons for their poor reporting.
When have the BBC ever reported through incompetence, under funding, inexperience, lack of editorial oversight etc. etc. an obvious lie in favour of Scots Independence?
In my own experience and thankfully through sites like this and others, we can easily list countless episodes of blatant lies reported in favour of the Union.
They may be just simple random mistakes made for all the reasons that you list, but why the discrepancy when it comes to the issue of British or Scottish?
No coincidence I fear.
‘More tea Dictator?’
Writing under a different pseudonym from my usual as I too am a former insider from the BBC, although I left more recently than Albalha. I agree with most of what he/she says on this. Like many pro-indy folk I am appalled and disappointed by the poor standards of journalism coming from there now – and in all honesty it is only since I left there and therefore had a lot more time to explore the emergent political blogosphere and discover the wealth of intelligent writing online about issues, that I became aware of the true extent of just how shallow and superficial so much of the reporting and analysis that comes from BBC Scotland actually is.
I definitely believe that there is an endemic Labour bias in there, but I don’t necessarily believe that there is a blanket “stuff the SNP” deliberation goes on prior to every single report or treatment. Much of the problem stems from what Albalha has already identified: a whole swathe of cuts and systemic dismantling of the old basic standards in training and thoroughness. In the old days you were encouraged to be going out and about, making contacts, digging up stories and doing much more “ground work” and “field work”. You really would have to go and FIND the stories, and accuracy and impartiality were considered to be essential tenets of the job.
Nowadays, you have 24-hour news, thousands of inexperienced youngsters pouring out of these media courses wanting to be telly journos. Some of these courses are very good, far more are pretty crap, but more and more now it’s about how to multi-skill and work the technology and far less about the “quality of content”. In the old days all you had to worry about was the content because it was somebody else’s (in fact three or four other people’s!) jobs to take care of the technology. Now each producer or reporter is doing the jobs of four or five people, in a much faster environment, and many of the older, much more experienced journos are long gone through either forced or voluntary redundancy, so there are fewer “old heads” to train the newbies properly.
It’s now all about getting young people in on short term contracts and just basically churning out a 24-hour diet of news as quickly and cheaply as possible. It’s stressful and a totally inadequate way of going about things. You’re tied to the desk and relying on the “usual suspects” and press releases as there just isn’t time to be doing anything else.
And you are under the cosh from an utterly bloated and incompetent management, whose numbers far outweigh the actual programme-makers – the bureaucracy is truly suffocating, depressing, and time-consuming, and a big waste of licence-payers money, and it’s frankly, the biggest motivator for people who choose to volunteer for redundancy. Oh goodness, don’t get me started!!!
When have the BBC ever reported through incompetence, under funding, inexperience, lack of editorial oversight etc. etc. an obvious lie in favour of Scots Independence?
When has anyone ever told one? Or needed to?
Jiggsboro,
Spot on. Follow the money and you will end up at the Power. Westminster is at the end of that rainbow and the broadcasters act accordingly. Especially those on the periferie with their eyes on their prize.
As a qualifier, though, I think my perceptions differ a little from Albalha’s in that I have witnessed and heard far too many unacceptable anti-SNP and anti-independence misreports from BBC Scotland. I do definitely think there is an agenda going on at some level, I just don’t think that every single piece is pored upon for just that very purpose – there just isn’t time. And not every producer or editor is a Labour hack. The problem is an amalgamation of both the “churnalist” environment I have described above, and to a lesser but unacceptable extent – a tendency for the “big hitters” in there who do remain, to be of that traditional West Central Scotland Labour persuasion. Even then, not every Labour hack in there allows their personal leanings to colour their judgement – some really do take their responsibilities on impartiality quite seriously and try their best. I certainly wouldn’t want to tar everyone with the same brush….but I am also extremely concerned that the general public is not getting the quality of reportage and analysis that they deserve.
@Braco Ok, fair enough you’re clear, abandoning an institution fine, baby and bath water come to mind.
Dictator tea?
Jiggs,
surely they could come up with just one? There wouldn’t need to be a reason if Albalha is right as it would just all happen as a result of simple statistics.
This could be great news though, as we statistically speaking really are just about due a year and a halfs reporting mistakes in favour of Scottish ‘separation’! (veryweaksmily)
Try not to laugh too hard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gq3A5W0zE8
I failed.
Albalha,
I am still here to be convinced by your argument though.
The ‘More tea Dictator?’ was not meant for anyone in particular but just a memory of a great Cartoon from the time of the Pinochet visit to Britain.
Whilst I accept from the ex-BBC staff that inexperience and staff cuts can be detrimental to the output of the BBC, I would hardly call Brian Taylor, Douglas Fraser, Kaye Adams, Glen Campbell and co ‘inexperienced’ – nor would I doubt that their output would have been affected by any cuts.
They know exactly what they are doing and do so with abandon – to think that there may be some excuse along the lines of ‘ somehow they are not aware’ of SNP bashing and misrepresentation is absolutely ludicrous.
Nor does it explain the closing of both the Business and Political blogs from the BBC website (we are still the only region within the UK to have suffered this ‘cut in service’ )
@Albalha – Again, I hear what you say and I acknowledge that you probably know a lot more about the machinations of ‘Auntie’ than I do. However as a punter who still pays his licence fee (FOOL!), I listen and watch daily as OUR state broadcaster undermines our democratically government and our struggle for self determination. You and Oatcake may have your own reasons for defending the BBC, but I am afraid that I am sick and tired of being subjected to Pravda like reporting. If we lose the referendum, I for one will lay much of the blame at the door of the BBC for its subliminal drip feed of misinformation, distortion of facts, collusion with unionist politicians and downright lies. Scotland deserves better than the unionist propaganda it is getting at the moment.
@robbie
A good one from isthatcherdeadyet.co.uk
“This Lady’s not returning!”
Tartan Fever and Bill C
With respect I hope that if you re-read my posts I am in no way defending BBC Scotland – I am just as appalled and concerned as you are, believe me, at the poor political reportage coming out of there. And yes, I believe much of it IS subliminal and distorted Unionist propaganda! And the big names you mention – of course I don’t suggest they are inexperienced or unaware. I am acutely aware of the issue regarding the closure of comments on the BBC Scotlland blogs – I was commenting vociferously on them myself a year or two back when they were still allowed!
I was just wishing to try to add a bit of context to the realities of the environment in there, and to defend the many good people in there who ARE doing their professional best. I should state too that I left long before the 2011 watershed, so have no idea what’s really going on in there now. The ante certainly does seem to have been ramped up, that’s for sure.
Please let me assure you that if we lose the Referendum I too will hold BBC Scotland responsible, along with the other organs of the Scottish press. And no-one will be angrier, sorrier or more depressed than I.
But not every person in there is a sinister black arts practitioner!
Thank goodness for sites like this one, NNS, Lallands, BBC Scotlandshire, etc, which are also now breaking through and getting read and shared by more and more people.
Mmm I’m voting YES, can’t really be bothered with @oatcake …… etc
Fair enough. I’ve said my piece now anyway.
And I’m voting Yes too.
Oatcake: insider insight like yours is particularly appreciated by me, at any rate.
@Albalha
@Oatcake
Not sure what’s going on here guys, but what I do know is Unity is Strength (I’m an ex-member of the EIS). What we as YES voters cannot afford do is to create divisions within our own ranks. Scotland is at the most important crossroads in 300+ years, our cause is facing the might of the British Establishment and our state broadcaster ‘appears’ to be conspiring against our struggle for self determination. We need the support and expertise of people like yourselves i.e. people who have worked within the BBC. Let us discuss and argue by all means, but please do not allow petty disagreements to deflect us from our goal. The right of self determination for the Scottish people is far too important for internecine squabbling.
P.S. Newsnet Scotland and I include you in this Rev. agree with me that the BBC were at it, with regard to AS’s “tribute” to Thatcher.
I can’t be the only one to suspect that the crew of BBC Scotlandshire are made up of former and perhaps present employees of that institution. If that is the case, we owe them a huge debt – there’s no one else (not even you, Rev) who does such a fine job of exposing the sheer lunacy of unionist propaganda.
I do find it ironic that she’s being praised as the great saviour of Britain, when (fingers crossed) her greatest legacy will very likely be the end of it. If there’s one person most responsible for the Scottish Parliament and the referendum, who else could it be but Her. How’s that for cosmic irony? Imagine what will happen to the polls in the wake of her funeral.
Shit – I just noticed that Billy Bragg is playing my town tonight. That will be one hell of a gig.
Thanks Rev Stu.
And to Bill C, I totally agree with you that the cause is too important for any petty squabbling. Sorry if i appeared to be indulging in any – just felt slightly under the cosh there for having been perceived as being in any way an apologist for BBC Scotland as an institution. I’m gutted at what appears to be going on at my old place of work.
Think I may be just a little tired, stretched and over-sensitive, like many of us I suspect, what with the strange events of the last couple of days….Swastikagate, Mrs T, etc.
But we must definitely stick together and make this final push.
PS: To Kininvie
Can’t lay claim to any credit for BBC Scotlandshire and have no idea who is behind it.
But I sure as heck wish I’d thought of it! Very clever indeed.
Oatcake – Thanks for your reply and Amen to that.
Anyone who criticises the effect Margaret Thatcher’s policies had on Scotland – and yet votes no in 2014 – is a total hypocrite. And that’s putting it nicely. I’m utterly appalled at the number of Labour folk who, even today of all days, finds a way of turning the news into an attack on the SNP and independence. Every Labour mouthpiece on the TV tonight has done the old “the SNP gave us her!” as if Labour clinging onto power for an extra 6 months or so would have stopped her winning a 1979 election. Any Labour apologist who finds themself having to tone down their rhetoric against Thatcher for fear of living a boost to the independence campaign needs to take a good, long look in the mirror and ask themself what they’re defending when they spout their Better Together platitudes.
Will any of them take this opportunity to reflect on why they came into politics in the first place and recognise where they’ve started going? I’m not holding my breath…
@Oatcake
“But we must definitely stick together and make this final push”
Absolutely, and I agree with the rest of your last post. Yes, these last few days have been quite strange, almost surreal, and particularly tiresome. A long way to go, though.
@Doug Daniel
Well said.
I know, Yesitis. It’s wearisome that we’re all having to wade through treacle up a hill backwards in this way just to get self-determination. Occasionally you get glimmers of hope, like the Rev getting his Indiegogo target, and the Scotland’s Destiny petition now almost at 4,000 names. But then Doug’s post above about the Labour mouthpieces on TV tonight trying to make predictable anti-SNP capital out of today’s events – I haven’t watched any telly tonight but to hear that – it’s just soul-destroying. Thank goodness for the Labour Voters for Indy group – they are a beacon of light and so far seem really to not only have risen above the usual anti-SNP bile, but are actively making friends with SNP supporters and sharing SNP supporters’ posts, photos etc. It’s truly heartening. I take my hat off to Allan Grogan, I really do.
What an emotional and time-consuming roller coaster all of this is, though eh? Onwards and upwards, though, in spite of the setbacks.
Quote: “The referendum gives us the only chance to destroy everything that Thatcher believed in and the Unionist parties tell us is the political consensus. We need to work hard for the next 17 months”. There has to be the nasty issue of a purge of Public life in Scotland after a YES vote, and the systemic removal of all the social toxins and infections left on Scottish society by English Imperialism. Scotland has been colonised for the last 300 years. When colonies become in dependent, they simply start a process of decolonization.
Just re read what was said yesterday, a few thoughts.
I’m farly open about who I am, often signed off here and elsewhere with my name, easily identifiable, not a common name. I have my views of the BBC others have theirs, I can only speak for myself. @billc, that was my irritation, and I acted accordingly, not very grown up!
I have often picked up on BBC bias, am not saying I don’t see the bias, clearly stated in the original post above, so not sure what the comments on that are about. I’ve no idea what @oatcake’s experience is, as I say mine is radio, so can’t comment on their experience, that’s for them.
If we don’t secure a YES vote, will it all be the fault of the broadcasters? Has anyone heard Blair Jenkins on the subject? I haven’t. Scottish politicians have known for years which posts J Boothman held, was anything said, I very much doubt it, all closer than many care to admit.
I really don’t care if I’m perceived as BBC apologist, folk can think what they like, they will anyway.
Alison Balharry
“There has to be the nasty issue of a purge of Public life in Scotland after a YES vote, and the systemic removal of all the social toxins and infections left on Scottish society by English Imperialism”
Considering you made this post at 3.30am I really hope you were drunk when you did so – NO we are not going to ‘purge’ anything or anyone after independence, we want Scotland to be an inclusive country in which all races, religions, creeds, sexual persuasions, and political views are accepted.
Now pay attention because this may be a first. It may even be a last, but here goes and I mean it.
I AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY WITH NORSEWARRIOR’S LAST POST.
Albaha
By way of mere explanation, and not from any wish to perpetuate what seems to have been nothing more than a brief flurry of misunderstandings (a fault of the medium, I suppose), your comment last night “can’t be bothered with @oatcake” did feel like a peculiarly personal tone/tack to take. But it was late, and had been a long and somewhat surreal day! My posts about the BBC were not in any way aimed at you, and I hope you do not feel that they were. More just to hopefully lend a bit of general context from my own experience, since the topic was being discussed by others.
However, in the light of day all seems like a total stushie in a tea cup, and completely trivial and irrelevant when there are so much more important things to do. We are all of us on the same side and one of the reasons I love this site is that it is a safe and intelligent arena where our thoughts, opinions and knowledge can be shared in a mutually supportive way. Now getting it out there into the mainstream is the main goal ahead of us.
I enjoy reading your posts and totally applaud your lack of anonymity. For various reasons I prefer not to do that, especially when posting about the news/politics output of my former workplace, where I still hold many friends and former colleagues dear. But thanks for your words this morning, I appreciate us all trying to cool down whatever tiny puff of heat was generated last night by our passions and frustrations!
Onwards and upwards.
Onwards and upwards indeed.
🙂
🙂
Thatcher did kill British socialism stone dead, probably forever. Which is her main mark on society. In her wake political socialism has been transformed from Callaghan and Foot, to Tommy Sheridan. Even Alex Salmond was politically transformed to being an ex-socialist.