Only Bad In Scotland
Following the Scottish media’s week-long frenzy of stories about the “scandal” of baby boxes – in which it was revealed to the astonishment of the nation that cardboard is flammable and incapable of stopping an armoured assault from a tank division or a zombie plague – we were a little startled to note that the Guardian (which has now run THREE stories about how terrible it is to give babies nice free stuff) didn’t always have such a downer on the project.
Apparently (and as recently as this February) baby boxes are “great innovations” and “hugely popular” – so long as the SNP aren’t involved, of course, at which point they turn into grotesque deathtraps.
And it got us wondering: what else is only terrible when it happens in Scotland?
There’s the terrible volatile curse of oil revenue, of course. (Even though it seems to be widely regarded as a good thing for other nations.)
And the awful nightmare of being popular with tourists who want to come and visit the country and spend money in it.
Obviously our world-leading bridges are all rubbish, whether they’re old or new, because no matter how many records they break they’re still in Scotland.
Our railway stations are similarly dreadful.
We can’t even deliver a pizza.
Whether we have more working-class people at universities or fewer, it’s always the wrong number and the wrong proportions, because we’re Scotland.
When we increase the number of teachers in our schools, that’s bad too.
If the First Minister makes herself accessible and approachable to kids, well, that sort of thing might be welcomed in other nations, but dammit, not OURS.
If we try to protect children from abuse and murder, which in some countries would be considered quite a good idea, well, that’s basically just turning into Nazi Germany.
It’s bad if we try to attract investment from China (although obviously it’s good for other countries to do it), and it’s also bad if we fail to attract investment from China. Honestly, we can’t do ANYTHING right.
When we’re talking about the Scottish media, we often jokingly suggest that if the FM personally discovered the cure for all cancer, the headline in the next day’s Scottish newspapers would be “RECKLESS STURGEON CREATES PENSIONS TIMEBOMB”. Soon, though, that won’t even be satire any more.
Too wee , too poor , too stupid – and that’s just the Scottish media !
I like to see the silver lining in the media cloud of doom. The more they do this and the more ridiculous it gets (cardboard burns- seriously?) the more people will see through it. Every person that wakens up to the idiocracy that the mainstream media has become walks away and walks away for good. I think they’re now doing the job of persuading people away from the Union (apart from the hardcore non-thinkers, of course)for us, happy to leave them to it.
Rest assured Rev…you’re really ‘yanked the tail of the yoon press’… well done and keep it up.
O/T
Ed Miliband says Leveson 2 should go ahead because Cameron, Clegg and himself all promised it.
Ah right Eddie. There was that other promise the three of you made on the record. Or rather in the Record.
their in lies the problem … Scotland has no media of it’s own it’s all controlled from London hence the constant barrage to belittle Scotland and Scots in a sinister ploy to stop Scottish Independence and show the world who is the real basket case between Scotland and England
Grimly analytical .. is our press.
Theres a ‘yoon bot’ somewhere distorting and distributing FACTS to ‘journalists’ across the UK.
I wonder if Jamie-Lee Green would learn what big words mean if he lived in a real country. Like Liechtenstein.
I wonder if Neil Findlay would develop a sense of awareness uf he lived in a sovereign country. Like San Marino.
I wonder if Willie Rennie… [No. No point continuing.]
I note from yesterdays news, 9/5/2018, that Brent Crude was trading at $76 plus change. To wee, to weak, to go it alone?
Well it is a well known fact that the North Coast 500 is way too long and a bit too tarmaciky.
🙂
Be of good cheer.
1st step is to isolate Europe through Brexit. (Because it’s shite and they’ll take NI with them)
2nd step hive-off Scotland. (Because Scotland’s shite aswell)
We’re being softened up prior to being dumped.
It’s shite being Scottish, eh?
Well, it certainly is as long as we’re ruled by another country anyways.
But, but We ‘nats’ are being hysterical nutters as the media is not being too critical of SNP or Scots or Scotland…
Damaging discourse between the media and the ‘special ones’ is why ‘we’ won’t win indy…or so some might say.
Not me, I’m fully eyes wide open and brain in gear!!
However to brighten things up there is great stuff in today’s National from Lesley Riddoch and Gordon McIntyre-Kemp.
I’m very surprised that Ruth Davidson isnt the FM by now, with all this state propaganda. All the WM gov is doing is TRYING to hold on to the 55% , which seems to be failing. They will continue to ramp up the Snp bad rhetoric right up to the Indy ref. We may even get a wee VOW thrown in.
I cannot help but think they’re by now only talking to themselves and those who want to believe this absolute tosh. Mum’s tend to be within the age group now more likely to want independence, they are on the internet, they are media wise.
Strange how often that the Edinburgh byepass features on the travel news, more often than what we have continued to call the vanity project. Was the Edinburgh Byepass not built by Labour, it has always not been big enough to cope with the traffic using it, just saying.
At one time a print journalist could aspire to be influential and honest and a force for good. To have their voice respected as being largely free of establishment cant. A good journalist could be a bit of a star.
Now, with the hollowing out of the media in the neoliberal era there is no outlet for good journalists. The honest and good writers work in the blogosphere.
Those miserable scribes left in the press barons’ disenchanting dead tree forest have nothing to do to earn their keep except do full on propaganda for the establishment. Whilst some of them sadly pretend to be the stars that their predecessors in the trade sometimes were.
These so called newspapers are worse than the Beano as far as fairy stories go.
We in the Yes movement have a duty to educate and enlighten those who believe this rubbish.
MSM keep it up the more ridiculous the better then more and more will come to the same conclusions we all have MSM mouthpiece of Yoon nats and BBC nats.
Just to be crystal clear though. Both the UKs unionist political class and their propaganda wing (that would be the Uks collective mainstream media) CANNOT BE TRUSTED. FFS! They even contradict their own guff simply to make their assault du jour on a target they personally find unacceptable. The Scottish government are the elephant in the room for the UKs population. The only thing preventing that population from realising just how badly they’ve been served by their Westminster government is the media.
We do have advantages in Scotland not enjoyed by the other UK partners. Advantages achieved through choices we made with our own budget. We do have a pretty capable and caring government. One that actually gives a shit about their population and their duty.
The unionist politcal class and their media do not work for you or me. They’re not even working on our behalf. They work in their own interests only.
The SNP could do a PPB that subverted all this SNP Baad meme.
Use the street slang trick of inverted meanings for words.
We abolished tuition fees….That’s Bad Dude!
We delivered the Queensferry Crossing on budget…Sick!
We provided baby boxes…….Really Bad!
The Islands Bill…….Wicked!
Even the older generation would get it and have a chuckle. At least, those that didn’t would be voting Tory anyway.
I noticed that the media did not report the demonstration against the AUOB march on Saturday. They missed a trick there didnt they ? or did even they think that the antics of the three useless fat nuckledraggers would rebound on them or perhaps they rcognised them as fellow jounalists !
Listening for a very short time to radio Scotland last night. After a piece about the sad suicide case they said the health minister had made a statement and they would play it. A period of silence ensued followed by an apology for a technical fault. Happens too often to SNP ministers
“Use the Powers!!” the BritNats screamed.
“Okay.”
“Scotland most taxed part of UK!!” the BritNats screamed.
Cleggie saying Richard Leonard is a success. Laugh or cry. Comedy half hour. DUP.
Councils have been given money for child care not taken up. £2Million Aberdeenshire council which was spent on education but they wanted to cut.
Drug taking going down. MUP. Pizza comments apply to London, New York and Berlin. London and Manchester have the higher numbers of violent crime deaths in U.K. Iran, Afghanistan, UK, America and Russia highest number of drug users.
Tomkins usual rambling incoherence.
Just waiting for the daily mile being declared a scandal. The number of trips and falls have increased dramatically, putting further pressure our teaching and medical resources.
Grief it so easy to make stuff and it looks almost as authentic as the stuff made up by the lie seekers.
The relentless anti-Scottish government stories in the MSM seemed to have little or no effect on voters when, in spite of it all, the SNP won a massive majority in the GE before last. So, there’s hard evidence to suggest, at least, that the mythical power of the media was and remains largely illusional.
Which begs the question: what underlay the lose of those SNP seats in the last GE and the Tory mini-resurgence? The lying MSM all by themselves? I don’t think so.
How many of us unquestioningly believed that Tory support in Scotland had largely melted-away over the years? I certainly entertained the notion; I’m now forced to admit that I was wrong in my assumption that we had rid ourselves of our lumpen, sociopathic cohort.
The reason the UK Tory, British nationalist London based government refuse to devolve broadcasting to Scotland is so that they continue to control the narrative. They just need enough people to believe in their faux news and overall sense of authority and, win win.
The reason they also demonise the Scottish government outside of Scotland, is to continue the ‘too wee, too poor, too stupid’, including your democratically elected government, Scotland.
To have a self regulating media is not democratic, it’s a regime, and why the vote went in favour of the big knobs controlling the media yesterday.
Remember that many do not know what is and is not devolved. Friends in Northumberland could not believe that Scotland does not control immigration and so the stories in the Graun were conning them into thinking that it’s the Scottish government that deports people out of Scotland. It matters that people are kept ignorant of basic political and economic reality.
It’s the thing that the media and Britnat gov absolutely abhor about Scotland, that many are very educated and aware of exactly how politics and economics is operated and how it affects everything.
Keep up the good work Stuart. 🙂
Excellent summary of the highlights of Project SNPBaaaad.
There’s only one thing in Scotland which is absolute shite …. the media we are subjected to.
what can any decent person say about the despicable British nationalist and their media, which hasn’t already been said.
We will continue to see them descend into the sewer
where they are quite happy to be
archbishop of dork at 1247,
That’s a good idea. Parody all the naysayers, just literally listing the achievements then doing the media lines of oh it’s by the SNP so it must be bad, no matter what. Ridiculing these nonsense attacks, would be a great idea.
The media and so-called journalists in Scotland are so deeply set in their ways of working. For decades, they could quite literally print any old rubbish they wanted, to skew political viewpoints, but now they get called out on their blatant lies, and they do not like it one bit.
I see some so-called journalists bleating online about this is what profession journalism is, etc.. holding Governments to account etc.. except they don’t. The attacks are just aimed at the SNP. And running down Scotland. Day in, day out. No other country in the world does this.
Those self same so-called journalists then assert that all their ‘professional’ colleagues agree with their somewhat distorted worldview, whilst missing the point that their ‘professional’ colleagues are NOT the ones why might choose to pay for their writing.
The whole world has moved on, yet the so-called ‘journalists’ of Scotland still want it to be like in ‘the good old days’, when they could laugh constantly at the SNP, re-hash a LabourTory press release without even checking if it was a pile of deceitful mince, submit it as an ‘article’, then b*gger off to the pub with all the other ‘journalists’ for the rest of the day.
Those days are long gone. The lies are getting called out. The obsession with running Scotland down is being called out. The Scottish public demand better, and those so-called Scottish ‘journalists’ who are stuck in the past need to sniff the coffee, get off their ego-driven high horses, and wake up to the modern world.
A message to the MSM in Scotland:
Your drugs no longer work.
I’ve had the Wings jab. It innoculates me against the MSM super-bug.
The revolution is coming.
You may stall it – a while. But you cannot stop it. Best get used to that. It’s coming for a’ that.
But it’s all in our imagination, according to David Leask. It used to be that Scottish news was just fitba and murder. Since the SNP took over Holyrood it’s now a daily assault on everything they propose or deliver.
I don’t think there is another part of the UK or Europe where the media spends 80% of it’s time attacking it’s institutions. But I say this. It is not the SNP’s job to fight the media alone.
I want the NHS senior staff, the police senior staff and the Midwives and businessmen to get angry at the media. After all it is those institutions that are being attacked. The government are the figureheads not the administrators. Why is there so little fight back. I think it would scare the hell out of the media if these people fought back. It would then look like they were attacking the workers rather than the government.
I know that my organisation would be taking these bastards all the way to court.
Artyhetty says:
That is very much the name of their game.
The confusion over what is devolved and reserved has always been intentionally fostered.
The most insidious aspect of Project SNPBad is to try to blame the SG/SNP for WM failings on reserved issues.
IMO a good leaflet would be a list of devolved areas along with positive achievements made. This should be contrasted by a list of reserved areas highlighting how these are dealt with at WM in ways most Scots would disagree with.
I think the reason the Guardian has had three pops at the story was down to you dear readers, this website (and others) who, when presented with the original “Babybox bad” story, reacted with incredulity. Overall the reaction took the form of sound reasoning, personal experience and, being Scotland, a gentle “piss take” calling into question the integrity of the story .
The volume got turned up however when the Sun decided to burn the box with yet another “expert” brought to the fore in support of the proposition – it’s a dangerous box.
Well what had been gentle up until then became an avalanche of witty, pointed, thoughtful, personal, and in some cases absolutely hilarious comments and pictures (the one with a box turned into a tank, with a cat in command was outstanding).
Out comes article three from the Guardian, in my mind in response to the absolute lashing they received from the public. The laughter and sarcasm must have cut them to the quick. Ouch, ouch, ouch and ouch again.
So well done everyone, and in light of the rest of the article above, keep it up.
Latest SCANDAL, SNP refuse to support a second EU referendum screams various outlets. They seem to forget they didn’t support the first one, nor did the Labour and Libdem representing Scottish constituencies as far as I recall. Yet still we were forced to have one, 1 out of 59 vote for a referendum (1.7% of Scottish MP’s).
No matter how many times the majority in Scotland votes to stay in the EU, Scotland’s membership of any international body will be decided by those from elsewhere.
Time for Scots to stop believing they are inferior to other nations, just look at the quality of the current Westminster sect. We could not do any worse than the present government, and I don’t see any prospect on the horizon of any improvement.
The Scottish nail that stands proud must be beaten down with the Unionist hammer.
Congratulations yet again Rev.
You provide conclusive proof that UK Media outlets like the Guardian should be hiding their heads under rocks with the rest of the snakes controlled by Westminster.
Dirty, Scheming, Lying, B**tards every one.
Full their pockets with 30 pieces of silver and produce this
garbage to keep the Scottish poor poor and increase new born
deaths.
All in the name of their glorious Empire that has completely fallen on its red white and blue arse.
It actually makes you weep, or it would if my rage was not suppressing the tears, or, as you (Stu) might put it yourself “Just goes to show you how little we know about the sick, despicable, sewer-dredging shitfestival that is the Scottish media, and how badly even we’ve been overestimating their humanity all these years.”
Baby boxes for Finland, the USA, England (oh yes), GOOD. Great idea. Finland showing the world how it’s done, a great innovation to save baby lives, a great help to young mothers, let’s hope these get rolled out across all of England…etc..
Baby boxes for Scotland, BAD, very,very bad, a fire hazard, not worth the money, too costly, babies still might die, a ‘scandal’ caused by the SNP, the box is too small/large (you choose), baby boxes being ‘forced’ on mothers..and so on.
Maybe one day so-called journalists in Scotland will wake up to just how f*****g stupid their stories really are. Their is NOTHING wrong with the baby boxes in Scotland. NOTHING. They are an excellent idea. Mothers choose to have them if they wish.
THIS is just one of many reasons why so-called ‘journalists’ in Scotland are regarded as paid liars. They truly are a blight on all of Scotland.
Hello Helena regards your bypass comment at 12.21.
A story for you. I was at college in the mid eighties and was a student alongside one of the engineers on the Edinburgh City Bypass project. He told me then, that in his opinion, the road would be running up to capacity quite quickly as it had been built using early 1960’s traffic projections (from the Scottish Office).
When it first opened it made a great difference to my locale in terms of through traffic, but that advantage has been largely eroded now.
Amongst this mendacious MSM Krakatoa of Keech I noticed the claimed drop in teacher numbers, employment and deployment of whom is down to local authorities like North Lanarkshire, whose leader was suspended because dedicated money given by the SG to the council was simply not spent on employing staff.
A great compilation, Rev. Mockery and ridicule are powerful weapons any of us can deploy at the bus stop, down the pub, in the queue, at the club.
We have the tools and we WILL finish the job.
It’s always interesting watching the journalists account on twitter telling each other how impartial, accurate and what great reporters they are, I suspect most of them hate each other in reality with this level of overcompensation. It’s like some kind of 1960’s love-in.
Of course they all agree that non-journalist have no right to criticise them. They hold a particular place in hell for Wing and any of its supporters. As I’ve said before most of them are really just egotistical arseholes with an overgrown imagination of their worth to society.
Don’t waste your money buying newspapers, you would probably feel better just burning it (in a baby box if possible).
Imagine your impressions of a country were based on what you read in its press and viewed on its television. Who would ever want to come to Scotland having read and watched this rubbish?
These people are the enemy within. It appears Scotland and her people are dispensible for the benefit of England . Not the UK, but England which forms the other half of the UK.
Makes me very very angry.
Thanks again. Someone tried to tell me the other day about the great Amazon alcohol loophole. Thanks to your article “In vino non veritas” I was able to say “hogwash” and explain how. Shot them down in flames, I did:-)
Nailed the basses right there Rev.If you cast your mind back to the fuckwittery of a certain ex “Scottish” Labour party now Lordy something declaring “but they’re doing it deliberately”live on TV you just knew the game was up the pole for them.
We’re winning this now and they know it too.
If Alexander Graham Bell lived in Scotland today and invented the telephone, the mail, record or express headline would be:
“Scots kids set to become obese as crackpot invents long distance talking machine!”
As for the guardian, its Scottish section is reduced to Scotland / SNP = Bad stories and trivia, sad really as was the only rag bar The National not rabildly anti SNP.
it makes you wonder, what pile of horse shit they have ready, when the AWPR opens.
re;
galamcennalath@1.26
Absolutely well said. It’s still an issue that needs tackling as much as possible. What is devolved, what is reserved, it’s also important that people in England know this as well. They don’t understand devolution at all, which means, do they understand how their own UK London government actually operates? Not to be patronising, but most people haven’t got a scoobie.
Teach politics at school, and economics. It could be taught in simplish terms at a young age. People need to know where their taxes go, and everyone pays tax, via VAT and/or via PAYE. Government is surely the most important subject, top down, who does what, and, just exactly how did they get there?
In school they taught us about the tudors, with no context in terms of government, or anything much it was like one long soap opera, at least in Comp school in NE England1
Imagine training as a plumber, then being shifted onto a health consultants job, it’s what happens in politics. Jacks and Jills of all trades, experts in non quite often. That bit is a mystery imo, one day you are foreign secetary, the next, health minister etc.
OK, that’s my opinion and view and ignorance.
See you’s later!
Worth watching, apologies if nana/someone linked it this morning :
link to indyref2.scot
The media in Scotland are not Scottish they are a foreign power. They are a bunch of lying hypocritical tractor barstewards.
Do not buy these newspapers.
“It’s SHITE being Scottish! We’re the lowest of the low. The scum of the fucking Earth! The most wretched, miserable, servile, pathetic trash that was ever shat into civilization.
Some hate the English. I don’t. They’re just wankers. We, on the other hand, are COLONIZED by wankers. Can’t even find a decent culture to be colonized BY. We’re ruled by effete assholes. It’s a SHITE state of affairs to be in, Tommy, and ALL the fresh air in the world won’t make any fucking difference!”
dramfineday 1:27
Could not agree more. I think there was a whole media plan including the BBC to rubbish the boxes – however as usual Scots just poked fun at them and the whole thing became hilarious and backfired. A bit like the “better together patronising woman” adverts.
Yes I doubt they will give up, but laughter at their expense certainly riles them!
I think I spotted in a tweet why some journos hate Wings, it’s not just the pro-indy blog, it’s the money that really pisses them off.
I’ll give them a clue, I read Wings articles. And even although I can read the Herald whenever I want for free I don’t bother because there is little truly worth reading. In fact the headline is usually enough to make me think ugh! Just seeing the author is usually enough to know exactly what is to follow.
Magnificent panoply of the malignant cancerous nature ,and function of the British nationalist mainstream media in Scotland.
Spread this truth far and wide.
I also hope the Scottish Gov will begin to call out the Britnat liars too.
If they don’t do it whilst they have the power,then we will never get the truth out to the masses.
Again I can only stress that we hit these b#stards where it hurts in the pocket. Don’t buy their lying unionist rags, nor pay their tv licence, they’ll soon get the message alright.
smallaxe = amended
Here is the bbc news today
Your police are shite
Your nurses are shite
Your teachers are shite
Your baby boxes are shite
Your country is shite
And your shite too
Now for the weather oh that’s shite today – and now for the latest from the royal wedding and what Harry said to Meggan
In the Propaganda Offensive by Westminster against Scotland’s Independence movement, the Yes Campaign is out-muscled by ninety nine to one – if not more.
Like machine guns versus pea-shooters.
And yet, there is some value in the defiant use of peas against the overwhelming odds of the wholly owned British Mainstream Media spewing out its stream of daily lies in a never-ending attack on Scottish morale and self-belief.
Social media is now undoubtedly an important platform for news, current affairs and public opinion. But it’s not enough in the fight for Independence, is it. More is needed. The Under One Banner march on Saturday in Glasgow is proof of that.
Which is why the further marches in Dumfries, Bannockburn and Inverness are to be welcomed enthusiastically – and supported from all over Scotland, just as the Glasgow March was.
It is also to be hoped that these marches will evolve and expand as cultural events as well as political ones.
We have the opportunity to capture the imagination of the general public who line the roadside and watch on the telly, by injecting an even more Carnival atmosphere into the event by replacing the lengthy silences with much greater use of music and singing, not to mention more flamboyant attire, banners and placards, to stimulate both enjoyment and understanding of the Independence Movement.
If nothing else, the Marches Under One Banner have the very real potential to dispel any pessimism or frustration, by creating a newly energised force-field of hope and commitment to the cause of Independence, which, after all, is the best future for Scotland’s young people, as well as for many perhaps, one of life’s last big dreams.
Glasgow was the start. Let’s try to get to Dumfries, and beyond.
Saturday, June 2nd. 1pm for 1.30pm.
Has anyone seen the UK government trying to change the UKs.environmental commitment.Seems that the country has too much renewable electricity and we are asking the EU to allow us to halt further development. I am sure the Press will blame the SNP for being too green. Banning fracking bad
BREAKING from Pravda Quay
with Union Jackie Kim Ono:
Seems it isn’t only Scotland with a wee problem.
Apparently there was a 50 strong brawl at Goodwood – fuelled by booze and according to below the line, Cocaine usage.
Brits BAD!
Meant to say , the coverage of the brawl is contained in the sport section of the Guardian.
galamcennalath @ 1.26 pm
A leaflet listing and contrasting devolved matters/scotgov achievements with reserved matters/Westminster’s treatment of Scotland is a great idea. It would be “historical” and so not need updating, would undermine mainstream media tactics, be succint, and small enough for the recipient to keep – and most importantly it would “Talk up Scotland”. Rev Stu and Prof Robertson have the info!
The so-called “Scottish” media are in actuality an occupation force.
Yet another example of the brutality of the Westminster government. The Treason Act of Scotland did not cover the alleged crimes of Scots involved in the disturbance. So Westminster removed the Scottish law of Treason and replaced it with the English law enabling the trials of the 22 alleged leaders to be tried on the charge of treason and sedition. They were subsequently tried, found guilty and were sentenced to be executed by hanging
link to caltonjock.com
At the march last Saturday there were various groups handing out leaflets to those on the march. I didn’t, however, see anyone handing out info leaflets to the vast crowds on the pavements watching the march. If there were then I missed them doing this. If not then surely it’s something we need to do. The people watching from the pavements were a captive audience the entire length of the march. We need to use these opportunities and get piles of leaflets handed out during the march.
Also an idea – what about a competition where the prize is £1,000. We hand competition leaflets out at our marches. The competition presents youtube links to Indy videos and asks a question of five different videos (all promoting Indy). A tie-breaker question: “Independence would be good for Scotland because ———–” (No more than 15 words). Completed entries would be sent to (an address) or completed online. A winner is announced and published online. Could all be CrowdFunded. Just one way to get No or Don’t Know people viewing indy material.
Anyway – that’s just something off the top of my head. I’m sure it could be refined. We need to find ways of getting No / Don’t Know folks engaged and educated. This might be a way of doing that.
It’s because the newspapers reporting on Scotland are staffed by worthless malice driven c,unts. Simple as that.
You would never get anything like the Panama Papers or any other fantastic scoop from the regimes so called news outlets.
The question is why are they still doing it?
Folk are now fully aware of what’s going on with the possible exception of people over 80.
Do they know we know? Someone should tell them.
In theory of course the “free” press should welcome a site such as Wings looking over their shoulders, keeping them on their toes.
If they paid attention and improved their act, who knows, trust and circulation might even INCREASE?
Mmm, so basically speaking since they don;t welcome criticism, the only conclusion to draw is they’re all looking for early retirement and shutting shop. How, well, how recondite!
(I have absolutely no idea what that word means)
Comment to Herald article: ‘MSPs back rejection of Brexit Bill without “political solution” ‘:
Scotland should revert to being an independent country.
The Union: Jack it in.
It has been demonstrated by the Brexit powers grab that the UK Govt is unable to accept a situation where the Union works by mutual respect and mutual consent.
For UK Govts, its Westminster’s way only. UK Govts did not keep the promise that what is devolved remains devolved.
The only democratic solution left is to dissolve this lopsided, unfair Union:
Independence for Scotland.
Murdo Fraser tweets to say he’ll be going along at the weekend to the Medieval Combat World Championships currently taking place at Scone Palace. And with his customary bland humour says he’s hoping to pick up some tips for the world of politics.
Actually Murdo could be one of the coaches. He’s got years of experience at entering the lists.
Here’s a basic list of Scotland’s devolved powers and the Unionist view of the Scottish Governments running of them:
Health
Your SNHS is absolute crap. Despite it being the best performing by all measures in the whole UK and the best staffed and paid.
Education
Scottish schools are going done the plughole. Teachers don’t want to work for you. You’re crap. Despite there being more teachers under the SNP and better results for the children attending them.
Local Government
We’re underfunded, give us more money to waste. You’re crap and it’s not the Tories fault despite their councils being worse even to the extent of going bankrupt.
Law
Police Scotland is shite! Yet crime down 43% while rising in the rUK. More police while the rest cut theirs. Still Crap!
Social Work and Housing
You put Cocaine on your Pizzas before you deliver them to all those that are sleeping in doorways. You’re crap despite having fewer homeless and new initiatives that are closing hostels and actually giving homeless a real AND the support they need.
Economic Development and Transport
Your Railways are shite and when the snow falls your even more shite. And you’ve nae oil left, what about the GERS eh. You’re crap. Despite having the best performing rail service of them all in the UK and dualling the A9 at last.
The Environment
Why won’t you allow fracking? Think of the jobs that would bring. Forget about renewables like wind and tidal power. They’re crap as well. Despite reducing the Earth’s carbon footprint and opening the road to cheap power for all.
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
Who cares about farmers and fishermen anyway? What do they contribute to GDP. They’re crap as well. What have you actually done them despite the powers being at the EU and not Holyrood and you want them back. What would you do with them anyway, pay subsidies to farmers? Think Again hahaha.
Sport and the Arts
You’re football teams are shite and who would actually watch anything on the BBC if produced in Scotland? You’re too stupid to make programs anyway. Despite inventing the telly.
Is it just me or are the MSM having a go at devolved powers?
Remember when we were told indy Scotland = bankruptcy ?
Tories should take note about how THEY operate.
TORY led Northamptonshire county council declare as bankrupt.
link to archive.is
Some great posts re the media in Scotland. I’m particularly disappointed in Dani Garavelli and Libby Brooks. I expect better from women and had presumed, wrongly as it happens, that they would have empathy with young, and sometimes, not so young mothers. Absolutely heartbreaking that they and other so-called journalists would try to frighten these mothers off the baby boxes.
There are so many other relevant questions decent journos should be asking others rather than trashing the Scottish Government on a daily basis. Why does Ruth Davidson support the “rape clause”? Why does the Scottish Government have to mitigate the bedroom tax? Why is there no scrutiny of UK Government austerity when they can afford missiles to devastate parts of Syria – a country, among many, which has never offered us any offence. How can they afford to renew Trident when hundreds of thousands of kids are in poverty and hundreds of thousands have to use food banks? Why are they destroying the futures of our youngsters with their wrong-headed Brexit? How much more of a mess of Brexit can they make? Why is the Scottish Government to be attacked so vehemently whey they never attack the worst UK Government in my lifetime? Why do mothers need baby boxes at all in this rich and most wonderfullest Uk – the greatest country on Earth and with the most fabulous “British values”? Well, where are you journalists on these questions, which every person who contributes to this blog, not forgetting the Rev himself, knows the answers. By all means hold Governments ( and I mean governments) to account. Grow some balls men journos. Women journos remember it’s to your gender we all owe our lives and expectant mothers should NEVER be subject to scare-mongering especially from other women!
@ Thepnr 5:26 pm :
” Social Work and Housing
You put Cocaine on your Pizzas before you deliver them to all those that are sleeping in doorways.”
I have to take exception to this.
Surely its deep-fried cocaine? 😉
BBC article: “Oil and gas industry ‘needs 10,000 new roles’ over next 20 years”
link to archive.li
I was interested to see this quote whilst reading it:
Deirdre Michie, chief executive of industry body Oil and Gas UK, said: “I think that one of the great insights in the report is that if we work to one of the scenarios proposed, we will be in 2035 a 70-year-old industry that is still producing around one million barrels a day.
“That is extraordinary by anyone’s standards.
Surely not.
Oil is a curse, Scotland is rubbish, SNP Bad!
Great stuff again from the Rev. The anti-Scottish britnat media is crapping itself at the success of pro-indy sites like WOS. The incestuous britnat media is truly a disgustingly grotesque conglomeration of lies and deceit.
Jeezo! STV still telling us we are a bunch of cocaine addicts ,took about 10 minutes to tell us .
May I be the first to say I think that’s a load of utter ordure.
David Leask on WoS Twitter claiming jouros get “dog’s abuse” for “corrections”. “They are a sign we try to be right”.
UTTER BOLLOCKS!
The system of ‘news’ paper corrections is a sham. They lie on the front page in a huge font, then months later they do a 2cm correction on page 10 in a tiny font.
For corrections to mean anything, they have to be the same size and position as the original transgression.
That would force them to get it right!
I just saw a link to something called Scotland Thinks on Stu’s Twitter. What a brilliant idea putting all the really rabid reactionary Unionists on site so it is much easier to ignore them 🙂
And I’ll throw in a recent football one.
Union Scot Ally McCoist says Rangers appointment of Steven Gerrard will put Scottish football on the map.
The extra dimension to the cringe here is that this means Scottish football wasn’t on the map when McCoist himself was their manager.
link to bbc.co.uk
@Dorothy Devine
I read that report yesterday but you could only read online and had to pay for a pdf if you wanted a copy. I declined.
You’re right though the report itself I don’t belive to be “ordure” but all the smelly stuff is from the media reporting it. If they bothered to tell you the facts and from memory something like 1300 people took part voluntarily on an online survey and we all know how accurate they might be. Usually rubbish at predicting anything.
But again from memory it was around 115 people out of the 1300 that actually admitted to using the Cocaine survey was drawn from. That’s extremely low from a scientific point of view and hence the Authors own warnings about NOT using the survey to draw conclusions as to the prevelance on drug taking in ANY country.
I can almost guarantee you though that the “Scottish” media was the only country that have ignored this and used it instead to make Scotland out as a bunch of Cokeheads!!!
The 1300 and 115 figures are responses from Scotland just in case that wasn’t clear to anyone else 🙂
@mike cassidy
I loved that link, come home Ireland and you can have slightly less seats than Scotland but we promise we will not run roughshod over your wishes like we do in Scotland.
It effectively accuses Ireland of being almost a criminal organisation skimming of money from other nations.
They have chose Kaiser over King (there is no Kiaser or currently King), soon to have no friends in the EU due to its deserting the UK.
It’s an offer I expect Ireland will find hard to refuse, what next a horses head in the Taoiseach bed possibly.
Slightly O/T
re the Fracking case and Ineos v the Scottish government
seems the QC representing the Scottish Government has used the argument that the SG has not ‘banned ‘ fracking therefore Ineos cannot take them to court to have a ban overturned.
It is only the ‘preferred position’ of the SG and has to be discussed and finally decided on in october so they should wait till then. Fracking is currently subject to planning permission and is ‘effectively banned’
link to bbc.co.uk
Ineos accusing the SG of an ‘astonishing U -turn’ …. anybody know what’s actually going on?
‘It has been demonstrated by the Brexit powers grab that the UK Govt is unable to accept a situation where the Union works by mutual respect and mutual consent.’
The writing was on the wall long before Brexit.
Maybe Brexit is the final, the umpteenth if not hundredth nail in the coffin of their union.
Maybe Brexit was their joker, a ten year fudge they thought, except they were forced to play it early.
Maybe Brexit will fall.
There should be two half hour phone-in TV programmes at lunch time. One called “Ask The Government” and the other called “Ask The Opposition”.
These should have a spokesperson for either side to answer the questions phoned in by members of the public.
There should also be a host in charge of a cut button for dealing with abusive callers and for clarifying the question if they feel it is necessary.
The spokesperson should be a Government official or a shadow equivalent.
It could be run very cheaply using Holyrood TV.
Why a phone in? Because people are much more interested in hearing the opinions of other members of the public rather than those of MSM pundits, also they like hearing questions on issues of the day from other members of the public like themselves rather than from MSM career journos.
I guarantee you many more people would tune in to a programme with that format than do to the MSM produced stage managed pap.
Especially at times when the MSM frenzy is at fever pitch over some issue or other and at General Election times or Referendum times. It would be a very popular format.
Why at lunch time? Because then the spokesperson of the day from either side would be giving up their lunch break and the MSM could not accuse it of wasting elected representative’s time which they would otherwise surely do.
Why two programmes? So the service cannot be accused of party bias.
Why Holyrood TV? Because this would be a public service on behalf of the electorate and one which raised parliamentary transparency to new unprecedented levels, indeed new levels which would be a beacon of transparency for the rest of the democratic World to follow.
Incidentally, that rather obvious fact alone makes it again virtually impossible for the MSM to object to it, although we all know they would attempt to.
The rebuttal/clarification of issues raised by the MSM could then be made in real time, before the iron has cooled so to speak, when people were most interested and before their attention has been redirected.
Yes, agendised callers will phone in as well as genuine enquirers but as I see it, that is all to the good regarding the truth because then any erroneous presumptions and facts stated by the questioner, erroneous beliefs which unfortunately may already have some currency with others, can be quickly corrected by the spokesperson.
The watching public will make their minds up whether the spokesperson has managed to do that or not.
The lunchtime programmes would be live but would be made available for future streaming.
The host would have a slot for stating mistakes of fact subsequently coming to light and for relating answers to questions to which the spokesperson at a previous time did not know the answer. Nobody knows everything.
The service would, of course, as a trailblazing new standard in government transparency, qualify for a promotional budget to make sure everyone is aware of the existence of this new service.
shug says,
link to wingsoverscotland.com
Thanks, shug.
🙂
BBC Shortbread news, devoting a fair chunk of their propaganda half hour to the wonderful 50 years of Faslane as a nuclear base.
Scots have had a giant bullseye on their foreheads for 50 years, as we’d be first to be hit by incoming nukes. After indy we must get these nukes across the border asap.
If That little lot on Faslane wasn’t straight UK Government propaganda I don’t know what would be.
@Chick McGregor
Sounds like a very sensible idea and one I’d like to see so that the public become more involved.
The main downside is who is going to listen? Mainly YES only supporters I would guess but as you can see just from coming to read Wings BTL there would be plenty of questions for the Government of today as well as the opposition.
Absolutely no reason I can think of that should prevent this.
Vestas says:
10 May, 2018 at 5:52 pm
@ Thepnr 5:26 pm :
” Social Work and Housing
You put Cocaine on your Pizzas before you deliver them to all those that are sleeping in doorways.”
I have to take exception to this.
Surely its deep-fried cocaine? ?
See “what are facts”
Vestas that’s untrue BTW…the Cocaine is sprinkled on After its deep fried….jeez nae wonder there is confusion LoL
Meg merrilees,
I hope this helps, Meg.
INEOS wins right to challenge the Scottish Government over fracking ban – and to sue for damages;
link to drillordrop.com
Andy-B.
Donald Trump making Eastern countries give up their nuclear weapons.
Next he persuades Westminster to do the same to save the money.
Donald Trump’s golf courses attract more golfers.
Donald visits Scotland and gets a wonderful welcome.
SIMPLES !
@smithie
I always wondered why the stuffed crust pizza was invented, this is an obvious drug distribution ploy. Also confuses the drug dogs who can’t drag themselves away from the pepperoni and eat the evidence.
mike cassidy at 6.30
When I bumped into Ally McCoist (a long time ago)he was voting SNP
Meanwhile cuts in the NHS in England and Wales steps up a gear.
“Some ‘over the counter’ remedies will no longer be available on the NHS from the end of this month as part of plans to cut costs.”
Imagine the Yoon-unist outcry if this happened in Scotland.
link to liverpoolecho.co.uk
Thank you for bringing the sunshine indoors again!
@ Meg Merrylees.
‘re fracking court case.
I think Ineos jumped the gun, or were maybe pushed. Trying to keep the SG preoccupied, something for the media to use while Westminster makes off with the loot, Brexit powers.
Any how, Westminster or Ineos, or both. Either seriously not paying attention to just where the proposed Fracking ban was in Parliamentary procedure and that it requires to be sanctioned in Parliament or, were they desperate to distract the Scottish people,fracking being no more popular than Brexit. Was this anticipated by the SG, I don’t know, it would be nice to believe it was.
If this is thrown out of court, and it should because there is no case to answer, just how much kudos does the SG get, just how much more aware will the public be, and just how evident it is to the voting public that being tied to Westminster in this union is bad for Scotland.
link to plotaroute.com
“MARCH FOR INDEPENDENCE- DUMFRIES
SATURDAY- 2ND JUNE
HIGH STREET(South) TO DOCK PARK
GATHERING AT 12.00 PM, LEAVING AT 12.30PM SHARP
PROCESSION ROUTE: High Street, Burns Statue,Castle Street, Buccleuch street, Whitesands, Dockhead, Dock Park.
I believe there are toilets in the bowling in Dock Park. However, there are loads of pubs and cafes nearby along Whitesands and Friars Vennel. There are also public toilets at the top end of Whitesands (20p) or good (free) toilets in the Loreburn Shopping centre which is also fairly close by.
Hopefully, AUOB could manage a couple of portaloos too?
Be aware: even thought the event is child friendly,if bringing young children or pets, the fast flowing River Nith runs through the park and much of it is NOT fenced off with only a 10ft grass verge between the main path and the river, so don’t let your children or pets run off.
There is a nice playground area in the park that is fenced off but, it gets very busy even on normal summer days.
Finally, Dumfries is rich in Scottish history, not only because of the association with Robert Burns: Friar’s Vennel is so called because, it was the site of a Franciscan Monastery.
This is where Robert the Bruce met John the “Red” Comyn in the church, that resulted in the murder of John Comyn( Comyn was the brother-in-law and supporter of the deposed King John Balliol “Toom Tabbard”).
At this time, Comyn and Bruce were the Guardians of Scotland but, also bitter rivals. Hence, the meeting on hallowed ground was supposed to guarantee the safety of both.
Also, if you cross the road at the end of Dock Park, there is another park, called Castledyke Park. (It has a dingy toilet up the hill).
Castledyke Park was the site of Dumfries Castle. There is a plaque explaining the history at the entrance to the park.
The castle was captured and slighted (demolished) by Bruce’s forces to prevent re-occupation by an English garrison. Nothing remains of the castle but, there is the motte (steep hill) and the site is marked by a plaque and a flagpole with a Saltire.
They print their hateful dross, and whine like crabbit toddlers when anyone has the temerity to question the content, correct the assertions. Then they have been subjected to “abuse”.
Leasky is on for a daily rant at all and sundry, with quite mad and rambling diatribes.
Grown men like Loki and McEnerary, tweeting their sneers about Rev in his pants, and how we damage the movement by funding him. How dare they?
I simply cannot imagine why it’s like this. Their hatred of the vast majority of the independence movement is bottomless. They have no respect for anyone, but we should be grovelling to them.
Somebody google earthed?
Watch American Coup. What they did in Iran in the 1950s is what they’ve been doing to Scotland since 2013.
Thepnr that BDTTs ah Cokeheid he buy’s they big 2 ltr bottles lol
Thepnr
10 May, 2018 at 5:26 pm
Thanks Thepnr! great post.
Its a handy daily guide, all I have to do now is glance at that, and I dont even have to bother switching the radio on in the morning. So much time saved and electricity too!
More BBC Mi5/6 shenanigans .
link to facebook.com
Another London centric edition of BBC Question Time with no rep from third largest party in the House of Commons.
That will now be one SNP parliamentarian out of the last 105 panelists (excluding the last episode from Scotland when even the BBC allowed one SNP rep against four Unionists).
At lunch time overhead middle class pensioners in Edinburgh blaming the SNP for wanting to give 25 year olds £10,000.
Was going to correct them but better half stopped me. It illustrates what Indy supporters are up against when he didn’t get fair media coverage.
Leask is still trying to justify that story about Scotland being as racist as England.
When someone said but the stats show different, he than launched into a rant that ‘there are false assertions and inaccuracy from a blogger – ie WoS- unfamiliar with the issue’, the person making the comment states that they got their stats from UK & SG sources, to which he replies that ‘all values are unreliable’??
The fact he’s still on about it, suggests there has been some serious backlash as in, for example,cancellations
Remember Cambridge Analytica? gone all quiet?
If you want an example of media bias and agendas to point out to people, consider this.
We all knew a year ago about CA’s activities.
Eventually after a year the media couldnt keep it quiet any more.
Then a CA person under questioning mentioned they had spoken to the SNP.
MASSIVE HEADLINES. Questions in Holyrood, all over the papers and BBC.
SNP publish email trail showing they gave CA the bums rush, and challenge Tories and Labour to do likewise.
Since then –
tumbleweed
Carole Cadwalladr’s twitter feed is the only place I know you can keep up to date with it.
link to twitter.com
@Meg merrylees – a statement from the SG, said that the moratorium is permanent which is as good as a ban.
It means that all local councils can call in any application for fracking and even if the LA agree, the SG can call it in.
So SG 1 Ineos 0, I hope
re fracking it sounds like Ineos need new lawyers.
Bottom line – they cant frack, or sue us. Result.
Opposition will squeal that ministers misled parliament, but I seem to recall the phrase used was ‘effective ban’ which it is.
Question Time is the typical BBC Scotland budget allocation production. Ostensibly made by BBC Scotland but actually rarely a trace of any Scottish involvement, not even as guests. It is made purely for English consumption, with the odd bone throw to Wales, NI & Scotland. I suspect there is a desk in PQ with a BBC QT label, rarely occupied.
These types of programmes are classed as BBC Scotland spend but provide little work in Scotland. Learned from the treasury no doubt, maybe it’s called BERS.
I recall at the time that the opposition parties complained that there should have been a legal ban rather than an effective ban. I don’t think anyone was misled. Brian Taylor wrote a piece last Oct entitled The Scottish government’s ‘effective ban’ on fracking
Some journalists and politicians (and lawyers it would seem) have very short memories.
Dear all thanks for your helpful explanations re Fracking, Ineos, the moratorium etc.
What worries me is that they are fronting this article on the BBC with footage of Nicola at Holyrood stating concisely that ‘Fracking is banned in Scotland’ . Now her QC is saying that this is just the language of press releases???
link to bbc.co.uk
So to most people, Nicola has definitely done a swift and pretty massive U-Turn and you can bet that (t)Ruthless won’t miss this chance next week at FMQ’s.
My understanding is that there was a permanent moratorium but wasn’t there a fairly recent debate and subsequent vote defeating the moratorium – hence giving Ineos the chance to challenge it in court which they could not have done if the moratorium had been maintained, the whole reason for the moratorium.
Maybe I’ve remembered it wrongly!
I suppose tomorrow’s headline will be SNP U Turn etc etc. surely Ineos hasn’t been that negligent? is this another set-up?
Losing count here and by the way what’s happening with novichok now? Dropped off the radar now that the council elections are over…
Fracking will be permitted assuming, as planned responsibility for the enviroment is removed from the Scottish government to Michael Gove at Westminster at Brexit.
As the Herald sales tank a senior reporter suggest the way to turn it around is to target 45% of the population by inferring they are deluded fools under the influence of the Kremlin.
The good news for them is they have a dedicated team of BTL commentators who are lapping it up. So good luck with the ten subscriptions (although some seem not to live in Scotland and I’m not sure they even subscribe).
Craig Murray’s take on Question Time’s right wing bias here.
link to craigmurray.org.uk
But he could have also mentioned the discrimination against the SNP who play a constructive and progressive role at Westminster.
Just Lurkin’,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, for now.
Keep up the good work Rev.
@ Meg Merrilees.
Yes there was a motion put forward against the moratorium, but, and its big but, it was non legislative. In other words, the SG wasn’t bound to repeal the moratorium.
Meg merrilees @ 10 pm
That was my understanding as well. SG wanted to keep it as a moratorium based on the planning powers that they had which would allow them to stop any fracking. But as I remember it the Greens and Labour pushed for an outright ban which of course would be open to legal challenge.
They got their way and the rest is history.
Tell ye what, Saturdays march has fare got the wind up the yoons.
In my eyes England is a Foreign country. I don’t recognise it as any kind of partner of Scotland.
Question Time tonight will have no bearing on what is happening in Scotland what so ever.
I don’y recognise the British Armed Forces. They don’t represent me.
Treeza was on the phone to the Israeli Prime Minister giving him support after Iran fired a couple of missiles into Israel.
Treeza and her English Army can go to war with whoever they like but don’t expect any support from me.
Get us out of this crazy mental Union we are in with these English Crackpots.
@jfngw: “As the Herald sales tank a senior reporter suggest the way to turn it around is to target 45% of the population”
I’m starting to say “half the population”. Well, it is near enough, same type of language the MSM uses. And if unionists protest it’s “shrug, so currently around 47% then to be exact, that’s half near enough”.
How the hell can the SNP expect our deep-fried cocaine pizza businesses to thrive with initiatives like this being encouraged?
link to archive.is
I mean three years on it is spreading round the world.
link to archive.is
No doubt the Sun is already preparing an article about how easy it is to set alight kids while they indulge in this practice.
An good analogy of us watching Question Time from England would be a similar programme being aired in Belgium and on the Panel were five French Politicians discussing topics that matter only to France.
The Belgians wouldn’t put up with it, why the hell does Scotland?
@mike cassidy
Interesting articles and my children were still in primary I’d be all for it. Another Scottish first, well done St. Ninians primary in Stirling!
mike cassidy,
My nine-year-old grandson participates in the daily mile and he and the majority of his classmates thoroughly enjoy the exercise, there’s also the added bonus of getting out of ‘lessons’ for a while, it’s a win-win situation for them and their parents.
🙂
This Week -Andrew Neil and his pals from the Spectator. if it ain’t that lot it is the Torygraph or the Economist. Portillo says Trump has done well over Iran. Yip choo choo Portillo has lost the plot. Pro Israel right wing government pro Saudia Arabia. Yip this is the left wing BBC. The world of the Brit Nats. Aggression backed up by the US of A power.
Thepnr
“The main downside is who is going to listen? Mainly YES only supporters I would guess”
I’m a bit more optimistic on that front Alex.
I think many of those near neutral on the indy question but who have been somewhat alarmed by a vigorous establishment propaganda machine on some issue or non-issue or other, would tune in to see what the government has to say about it in response to questions from concerned members of the public.
Our biggest weapon is, after all, the truth but it is one which has been effectively neutralised by a morally and democratically bereft SMSM.
There would too, be an audience of those of an MSM engendered unionist position who would tune in to see and enjoy the government spokesperson squirm. Some of those, the more intelligent ones, when faced with that magic weapon, the truth, may convert and because of their personal history might even number amongst the most enthusiastic of pro-indy supporters ultimately.
The reason I cannot see it happening is the dread fear of the MSM which politicians are conditioned into having, including those of the SNP. ‘What if I say the wrong thing and the MSM pounce?’.
In fact you could argue that that generally, politicians hold a very similar view to how much of the truth the public can handle as do the vile MSM cohort themselves.
The SNP need to break that mould and trust to the truth and the judgement of the people.
What the SNP needs to do is realise that truth and right is on our side and that any mistakes on a point of obscure detail, provided they were done honestly, would be forgiven by the public if a later correction is made.
They should also realise the devastating effect such a move would have on the credibility of the SMSM.
I have no doubt that if they find the courage do so and have faith in the truth and the public’s ability to acknowledge that, there is only one side which will ultimately suffer the most, the Britnats.
Die Wahrheit wird euch frei machen!
The difference between poor and impoverished.
link to weegingerdug.wordpress.com
Worth reading.
Interesting views from incar Gordon Ross
link to youtube.com
“Build all navy ships in the U.K. “ says Corbyn ahead of Govan visit ( BBC online headline).
Either a general election or a war is imminent or both??
@dakk says: 10 May, 2018 at 3:34 pm:
… If they don’t do it whilst they have the power,then we will never get the truth out to the masses.”
Bit of wishful thinking there, dakk.
In almost 70 years of being an indy/SNP supporter I cannot remember a time when the SNP did manage to get the truth out to the masses unless by hard slogging foot soldiers on doorsteps with leaflets.
Mind you way back when the National Union of Journalists were the regulators and God help an owner or an editor who attempted to tell a journalist that they had to report the news wrongly. There was, though, never much good to say about nationalists of the Scottish kind.
My first real awareness of the vileness of the Establishment was more subliminal than real awareness. My very young mother was conscripted in error to do war work in the English north. So it was just that I was separated from my mother and father as dad had also been called up to the army.
The guy that got mum returned to Scotland, but not out of doing war work was Arthur Donaldson of the SNP who was branded a NAZI and still is today by the Yoons. Donaldson was never charged with anything so draw your own conclusions.
By the time I became really aware of political events I was around 11 and had joined the schools debating society and was living in Edinburgh but going to school in Leith. I was a great reader and on Saturdays I would trail around the many book shops, second hand dealers and pawn shops in the Old Town looking for books. On good days I would go into Greyfrier’s Churchyard and sit there in the peace and quiet to read.
There was an old gentleman who often sat there reading and we became friends as he and I were interested in Scottish History. The old guy was a semi-retired QC, or rather in those days, a KC. It was from him I got a vast load of information about how the Union came about, and believe me, in those days few Scots knew what a confidence trick was being used not only to suppress the historic truth but the criminal actions that brought the union into being.
On Sundays I would often end up at Speaker’s Corner at the foot of the Mound and there were some great nationalist there and around Edinburgh. People like Wendy Wood, Canon Kenyon Wright and Willie McRae to name but a few. The point, though, was there was very little reported on the wireless or in the dead tree press unless it was Labour or Tory doings and dealings.
In point of fact we Nationalists were treated as either, at best a lunatic fringe but more likely as dangerous, militant and evil activists. After a while you began to recognise the security services people and the local plain clothes police officers who hung about those great nationalists. Very impressive and inspiring people to listen and learn from.
To be fair there was indeed a tiny lunatic fringe who did blow up pillar boxes and such like but the SNP did eventually expel them from the party. The SNP were a genuine political movement rather than a militant faction. We were never reported in a fair manner by the Media for the media has always been the Westminster propaganda wing.
@Robert Pfeffers
Re the blowing up of pillar boxes – just how much of this was at the behest of agents if the crown. There are claims that at the time there a certain amount of coercion by unknown “agents of a certain state” who offered to provide explosives to do the job.
And let’s face it, if they would provide the UDA / UVF with the movement details of the Eirish leader 30 years ago in the hope that they would attack him, this would not be beyond them.
I for one would love to read your memoirs!
Al Dossary
Don’t know about the blowing up of pillar boxes but explosives were easily obtained in central Scotland being widely used in both shale and clay mining. Magazines were built away from other buildings with no security whatsoever. I saw my father using gelignite to remove a mole from his garden, a bit extreme but all we heard was aloud ‘ bump ‘ and nothing much else, it shifted the mole however. Security was greatly tighten up in the early seventies thanks to the IRA.
Links
link to news.gov.scot
link to indyref2.scot
Convener @RHBruceCrawford explains why the Committee recommends a ‘political solution’ to Clause 11, otherwise Parliament should not consent to the #EU Withdrawal Bill. Find out more: link to ow.ly
link to twitter.com
Brexit Endgame: Uncertainty Mounts in Face of Deep Tory Divides
link to scer.scot
Brexit and Scotland’s future
link to youtube.com
link to peterabell.blog
link to change.org
link to informscotland.com
For anyone who missed this yesterday, a wee reminder of how Scotland was cheated
link to macalbasite.wordpress.com
Funny, I didn’t hear Mr Whitfield speak up for the #NursingBursary (which SNP have kept in Scotland) in debate last night. Vote was formally under EVEL so my vote was annulled . Bizarrely, in this pathetic article, he doesn’t seem to know that his vote didn’t count either! #EVEL
link to twitter.com
University recognises contribution to nursing provision in the Highland and Islands
link to archive.is
Link to the devolution guidance notes within this thread
link to twitter.com
link to irishtimes.com
link to politicshome.com
link to uktradeforum.net
Brexit could cost UK research sector billions, says Oxford boss
link to archive.is
link to rt.com
In the end, none of the arguments mattered, because the Tories had already struck an outlandish and disgraceful deal with the DUP
link to byline.com
link to middleeasteye.net
link to middleeasteye.net
quick shut him down!
link to twitter.com
link to aljazeera.com
link to politico.eu
Banned in the UK!
This documentary was shown on German and French TV but not in England.
link to youtube.com
Good morning, Nana, thank you, for your links. Sun is shining the weather is sweet.
Kettle’s on!
🙂
Good morning Smallaxe, it’s sunny here too.
link to news.gov.scot
Reversing his previous answer, David Mundell has refused to say that Westminster would respect the will of the @scotparl. Here’s what he said then and now.
link to twitter.com
link to indyref2.scot
Brexit Endgame: Uncertainty Mounts in Face of Deep Tory Divides
link to scer.scot
Good morning Nana! Thank you – as always – for the brilliant links.
You are very welcome exile 🙂
@Nana
Mornin’ Nana. In the midst of all the serious stuff? Here’s one to raise a smile.
link to weegingerdug.wordpress.com
Now. Cup in hand and onto the morning read. 🙂
A Tweet from WoS Twitter caught my eye
SheRa Marley-Threepwood
@SheRa_Marley
8 May
I don’t really remember being “proud” to be British, but I definitely remember not feeling profound embarrassment about it
I’ve always been Scottish first. I worn an old style SNP badge to school in the late 60s. I suppose at some point in the past I would have felt a bit ‘British’.
Not now. The UK IS a complete embarrassment and if anything it’s anger and disappointment I feel for being part of it.
Nana , thank you I think – I started with the documentary on nuclear waste dumping so you will understand from whence I’m coming.
I remember the media making out that Greenpeace was the equivalent to a bunch of environmental nutters .
I am now wondering when steel barrels start rotting and spewing out their evil.
Hi nana – your Pileus link isn’t working. I think you might have been linking to the BBC item on a certain sesuroty service whih Jo Cobun had to pull?
Anyway, can be read from the twitter account if you scroll down a little,
link to twitter.com
O/T but if you want to throw things at the radio tonight, try Dumblebum’s Any Questions? from Dunoon on Pravdasound4, with Drew Liquerman (crazyTrump trumpet), “Tricky Dickie/Who?” Leonard, and Liam Fox (where do you start/finish?).
Only chink of light is Kirsty Blackman (deputy SNP HoC leader) who will no doubt be talked over, interrupted, ignored as necessary.
Styrofoam brick, anyone?
@Macart
Ginger dug always manages to raise a smile. I try to leave his articles for last read of a night for that very reason.
@Dorothy, goodness only knows what else they have kept from us.
@Capella, thanks. Yes it was the video of Coburn getting a tad anxious, lol
Typos! sensuroty = security (it’s our secret code sshhh)
Capella, understood over and out 🙂
Dorothy,
I hope this doesn’t add to your worries but it’s better to know about these things than be kept in the dark.
Government says it could put nuclear waste site under national parks;
link to unearthed.greenpeace.org
Thanks Nana, Peter Bell excellent on Beeb Chancers!
The SNP Scottish Gov has just invested £Millions in training up more nurses and healthcare personnel. The Westminster Gov has been cutting funding for NHS/Education since 2010. The Scottish block grant has been cut 10% a year. Now £3Billion less. The Oil sector has been ruined with Tory high taxes when the price had fallen. Costing £Billions and thousands of jobs.
Scotland loses 10Billion a year to Westminster mismanagement and misappropriation. £1Billion Trident, £Billions on interest on loans not borrowed or spent in Scotland, EU grants lost because of Westminster indecision. Investment lost because Scotland can’t borrow. Illegal wars, financial fraud and tax evasion cost Scotland £Billions,
£10Billion becomes even more with less to invest. Years of Oil revenues taken secretly and illegally spent on London S/E. Kept secret under the Official Secrets Act. Iraq, Dunblane and Lockerbie kept secret for 100 years. The British Gov making pay outs and apologies for facilitating illegal rendition and torture. Denied at the time. Blair and Straw should be in prison.
A political system changed so that unionists can gang up and keep the SNP out of power with less pro rata votes, Thousands of SNP first choice votes put in the bin. Counted as worthless.
The Tory unionists are try to force Scotland out of the EU. The Tories manipulated the vote in the UK. They broke all electoral rules on spending and told lies. In spite of this 1/2million people in Scotland did not come out to vote in the GE and let the Tories in.
Mundell and his cronies are just despicable, Tompins is incoherent. No rational argument at all. Does he even know what he is speaking about. No one else does.
Morning Fred, he doesn’t hold back 🙂
Here’s more from him
link to scottovoce.wordpress.com
@liz
I think u r right. Panic attacks the herald. A hurried defence of indyref2 and a very pro yes article by Haverthwaite. Leask very indignant on twitter
TAXI FOR ANGELA
LOL
Nana
Never saw that frightening documentary. Just shows how well the UKscum cover things up.
Me neither Chick, I’m sharing it furiously this morning.
Thing is, what else are they hiding.
Al dossary, here on Arran in the very early seventies, the councils gelinite for a major road building project was just stored in a wooden 8×6 shed with no lock on the door, it was never properly accounted for either. I remember a huge panic in a cousins house when my cousin for a laugh threw half a stick on the fire, he knew it would just burn the rest of us did not! I was working having just left skool with the Council and three of us were given what we thought was the punishment of breaking up very large pieces of rocken rock with sledge hammers, after a couple of days of this back breaking work , we borrowed a couple of sticks of Jelly and let it do the work , first time was a bit dodgy as we vapourised the rock with too much explosive, but we eventually got it right. It was great we could skive all day , and the foreman who used to visit about 8:30 in the morning thought we were doing a great job!. Unfortunately after a week or so somebody complained to the council about the big bangs coming from the Coup road area every morning about ten. The foreman came back and there was this smell or cordite hanging in the air, he could not prove it was up but a padlock went on the store.,.,
As an aside several boxes of gelly were found in an derelict shed beside the main Brodick Lamlash road. Seems that when the roadworks were finished they were forgotten about !
Smallaxe, it did add to my worries as it brought back a half forgotten piece I read some years ago which suggested Barra as a great place for a nuclear dump.
I always suspected Chernobyl as a great event for hiding Hunterston / Sellafield /dumped waste and ‘wee accidents’ particularly as Arran had fields on one side of the road with sheep which could be sold and eaten and on the other non moveable beasts contaminated by supposed fallout.
Lenny Hartley will remember that better than I.
@ Dorothy Devine 11:06 am :
“I always suspected Chernobyl as a great event for hiding Hunterston / Sellafield /dumped waste and ‘wee accidents’ particularly as Arran had fields on one side of the road with sheep which could be sold and eaten and on the other non moveable beasts contaminated by supposed fallout.”
No, it was the same on Lewis – some stock could be sold, some couldn’t. I wasn’t that interested in sheep but my dad had a few dozen & from memory it had to do with what they’d been eating. Pretty much all the sheep who’d been on the moor couldn’t be sold, the ones on reseedings could – or something similar/other way around. It had to do with how much of one specific isotope was absorbed. Frankly it made no odds anyway, before Chernobyl you weren’t so much selling sheep as giving them away – prices were low for years.
Great stuff again from the Rev. The britnat media is bricking it again. They know their britnat influence is waning. They’re behaving like spoilt little brit-brats. [A good sign]
I don’t think Humza Yousaf should have issued that tweet about salt useage in the winter which is now (hopefully) past – this is Scotland, you never know.
Colonel Yadaftie, Mad Murdo WATP and Obersturmbahnfuhrer Carlaw, not forgetting the msm will be up in arms at such an increase in use.
All that salt, they will be saying the Baaaadddd SNP is encouraging an unhealthy diet or something.
@Nana
Brilliant links again this morning and much appreciated.
I thought the one in the Irish Times about the DUP was very interesting, the first paragraph in particular.
“Last week, as the British government’s plan for a customs partnership with Europe following Brexit fell apart and both houses of parliament voted to stay in the European Union customs union, the DUP reportedly informed Downing Street it would also back customs union membership if that was the price of preventing a so-called sea border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.”
Without the DUP onboard then a defeat on the Customs Union in the commons is the obvious result depending of course on the mood of Jeremy Corbyn.
If Corbyn persuades enough of his party to abstain or vote to exit the CU then May loses as a hard border mena sthe loss of DUP support in future votes and that could bring down the government.
If Corbyn supports staying in the CU and wins the vote then May must go and that could bring down the government.
Corbyn also has a dilemma, he needs to reveal on which side of the fence he sits and refusing to support staying in the Customs Union when given an obvious opportunity to defeat the government will not sit well with many. His coat could be on a shoogly peg too.
Great stuff, looking forward to this 🙂
Vestas , if it was airborne contamination how did it distinguish ‘twixt field and moor.
Caesium was the particular contaminant I believe.
I wouldn’t put it past the government of the day and the nuclear industry not to be thinking ‘Whoopee! a great day to bury bad news’
@ Dorothy Devine – if I remember correctly, it was the HARD RAIN which falls mainly on the hills, and not in the plain. Venison was also off the menu after Chernobyl.
@ Dorothy Devine 11:39 am :
“Vestas , if it was airborne contamination how did it distinguish ‘twixt field and moor.
Caesium was the particular contaminant I believe.”
Yes it was a Caesium isotope, well remembered.
Basically heather/moorland plants absorbed more caesium (IIRC) so if the sheep ate that then you couldn’t sell them for 6(?) months or so. Pretty certain it was the plants on the moor that absorbed more of the isotope but could have been the other way around.
Nothing to do with hills Capella – Lewis is mainly flat as a pancake 🙂
Capella yep and wind direction.
Smallaxe 9.32am.why don’t these cnuts take their nuclear waste and instead of Scotland or the lake district, dump it in the queen Elizabeth country park in the south downs. No, thought Not. P*ss taking b’strds right enough who don’t give a monkeys about the health of the people up here.
Sorry OT.
The search function here is crap, maybe just me.
Where’s the post about Nicola Sturgeons rat infested constituency?
link to archive.is
So…Leave.EU are fined £70,000 and their head is referred to the Police,but hey, at least they were not involved with buying services from Cambridge Analytica !
….
” the Electoral Commission probe found no evidence Leave.EU received donations or paid-for services from Cambridge Analytica for its referendum campaigning and the group’s relationship with the firm did not develop BEYOND INITIAL SCOPING WORK” (my caps).
………….
Guardian writer now being slaughtered for writing several articles about links to CA and Leave.EU
THE HERALD should be getting slaughtered as well for their disgraceful smearing of the SNP.
Goose/gander and all that.
The Pileas video link I put up at 9.14pm is still working . Sos Nana came across that link last nite so put it up .
Scottish viewers will be treated to a different version of the Eurovision contest tomorrow night on BBC. Every country (not only Australia and UK) will be performing in Union Jack outfits, singing songs first popularised by Vera Lynn, George Formby and Gracie Fields.
The show will be presented by David Mundell and Margaret Curran, with the interval act “Something For Nothing” being performed by Joanne Lamont and Ruth Davidson under the stage-name “Twisted Sister”.
Scottish viewers will not be required to vote.
Dorothy, re Chernobyl, think Capella and Vesta’s are right, the hill mosses or whatever they scoff absoerbed more caesium , incidently a few of us were partaking of a beverage or two the night the of the radioactive rain, there was a huge area outside the book and card centre Brodick flooded to a couple of feet so off course we were swimming it it ! Off course had we know that rhe Radioactive alarms on all the North Sea rigs and platforms were going mental we would not have been outside. So they know it was about Scotland but did they warn people to stay indoors?
Mad cow came from Alabama. No beef exports for over 10 years from the UK. £Billions to bail out farmers. Foot and mouth etc. No good enough food standards in the UK.
Leave EU fined £70,000. Campaign reported to have spent £20Million before campaign limits came in force. Arron Banks reportedly giving loans and charging interest. Was it an illegally money making scheme. Farague has been illegally funding a Political Party with EU money. Fraud. No accounts put forward for years. Protected by high Tories.
@Chick McGregor says: 11 May, 2018 at 12:51 am:
… I have no doubt that if they find the courage do so and have faith in the truth and the public’s ability to acknowledge that, there is only one side which will ultimately suffer the most, the Britnats.”
It was a nice analysis, Chick, but a shame that you drew a wrong conclusion.
The correct one, mind you this is only my own opinion, is that the SG/SNP are correct in not taking up cudgels to attack the Establishment – much as the already well convinced Indy supporters might want them to.
First have a thought as to how an SG/SNP series of attacks upon the SMSM & UK/British/English MSM, plus the Establishment would seem to the , ‘not quite convinced’, and the unionist Scots.
The first reaction of the Britnat/English, (cough!), patriots would be a totally blanket condemnation of the whole YES movement and the SG/SNP by the all powerful Establishment propaganda wing and hosts of Britnat ‘Celebs lined up on all medias to decry the vile Cybernats who are attacking those nice British people and, guess what? The waverers would swallow it whole and queue up for more of the same, “Please Sir, can we have some more?
All SG/SNP Chimpanzee shit throwing attacks upon the Britnats would be every bit as counter productive as are the present SMSM and Broadcasters present Chimp shit throwing attacks are having upon the wavering Scottish electorate.
That wavering electorate are at present slowly coming over to the YES to independence side of the debate almost certainly due to the incessant and persistent Chimpanzee Shit throwing attacks from the unionist loving media.
The Scottish electorate are not daft, ignorance does not equate to foolishness, it simply means they didn’t know the truth. This over-egged media campaign against the obviously competent SG/SNP and the quite obviously better performing SNHS, Scottish Education good performance and the best, and getting better, Police Scotland crime statistics is becoming ever more apparent to the, not so politically aware section, of the Scottish electorate. All due to the idiotic Scottish MSM and the Westminster funded broadcasters.
The current trend is towards independence and that should not be altered for you should never sort that which is not broken.
Heard former Labour MP Ian Davidson on Radio Shortbread on failure of UK to honour 2014 referendum promises lack of ships being built on the Clyde.
Davidson is not a towering intellect and decent BBC interviewer would have challenged his claims that if Indy there would be no frigates or warships built on the Clyde when the UK is now allowing “foreign” yards to tender.
So its only in the unlikely event of Labour winning England after Indy that UK would refuse to allow Scots yards to tender.
What
Dorothy Devine
There are still restrictions in place on the movement and sale of animals due to the fallout from Chernobyl more than 30 years ago. Wales seems to have several hundred farms affected. But restrictions lifted in NI in 2000 and Scotland 2010
Good article on this in the Guardian from 2009
link to archive.is
And this a about Scottish sheep farms in 2010 finally being declared contamination free
link to independent.co.uk
O/T just finished moving the National around in the supermarket and then watched them being covered with several Guardians. On challenging the cover up the guy informed me that the Essenpee were a bunch of gangsters and Salmond used to send heavies round to sort out anybody who argued against their policies. We’re all doomed.
Re Chernobyl incident – if you lived in/around the Firth of Clyde then I seriously doubt it had much of an effect in terms of overall lifetime radiation exposure. That probably happened/still does from the previous two decades of god knows what dumped by Brit/USA operations/training.
I worked the Ardrossan-Arran ferry route for a summer in the 1980s. Lost count of how many times we saw subs – was the sub captains training/examination place of course.
Lots of stuff at the bottom of the Firth of Clyde…
@Sinky –
Yeah, I heard Davidson too.
Doesn’t think much of Mhairi Black, does he?
Affy angry-soundin fella altogether, he’s got the cork in too tight.
We can’t easily pull the rug from under the Unionists whilst they stand on it.
All their ‘established’ laws are on their ‘establishment’s’ side.
But imagine them like a football wall, just for a moment, they all jump together to block a free-kick..
..but the canny midfielder hits it low like a penalty, under the wall, job done..
..the in-rushing strikers take the ball from the net while the goalie is still frozen to the spot.
Timing under pressure, disguised intent, predictable behaviours, confidence.
Nana, forgot to say thanks! for the links. Still working through them.
You’ve gotta love YouTube. Thousands of hours of various truth just lying around.
A few links for a quiet afternoon
link to informscotland.com
link to indyref2.scot
Good news
link to twitter.com
link to chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.co.uk
Interesting development. Downing St has had to agree terms suitable to both DUP and SF, on investigations into deaths by soldiers in NI.
Only yesterday Brillo was screaming about pursuing elderly vets for crimes.
This has rumbled for decades, with ex soldiers given amnesty thus far.
Very interesting.
Grenfell now won right for 2 more panel members. I just think Grenfell sums up this murderous, inhumane gov’t, above all else. One year on, and these poor, traumatised relatives, survivors, fighting for fairness. Unbelievable.
Further to the nuclear dump video this morning, here’s some more
Clip from 2009 -Trident poisons Scotland
link to youtube.com
link to dpf.org.uk
Scotland is a UK gov nuke dump
link to twitter.com
@ Ronnie, the Piles is a curse, the whisky disnae help!
Robert Peffers says: 11 May, 2018 at 1:20 pm
“The Scottish electorate are not daft, ignorance does not equate to foolishness, it simply means they didn’t know the truth. This over-egged media campaign against the obviously competent SG/SNP and the quite obviously better performing SNHS, Scottish Education good performance and the best, and getting better, Police Scotland crime statistics is becoming ever more apparent to the, not so politically aware section, of the Scottish electorate. All due to the idiotic Scottish MSM and the Westminster funded broadcasters.”
Some of this I agree with, some I don’t.
The public are not fools, but they get bbc in their living rooms and elsewhere, the papers at home, work and in a Drs waiting room. The drip – drip – drip does and will have an impact on the opinion of an individual and the whole of society in any country. I do not believe Scots are better educated than the English as to how they are being played by the bbc and press. Whereas in Northern Ireland, people are highly aware and know they are either being supported or undermined.
I agree that throwing mud at the bbc and the press will be counter productive if that’s the strategy. I’d prefer a more focused response on countering each attack on a timely basis.
When in government labour rolled out in front of the cameras Frank Dobson, John Reid and Alastair Campbell to counter attacks. Dobson pleasant and grand fatherly, Reid snappy and direct, whilst Campbell did a complete destruction. All completely loyal and speaking for the leadership. These people were rolled out in preference to the minister whose responsibility was under attack.
Today we have the tories, they have no one to provide a similar role and it shows. Currently the tories rely on their control of the establishment, bbc and vast majority of the press to counter attacks on the uk government.
The SNP must adopt a similar approach to that of the last labour government (minus dodgy spin). Keith Brown is the most obvious person to take up this role, supported by others, it’s not a one person job. I have thought this before his intention to stand for deputy leader, based on his grasp of topic, can think on his feet and his direct no nonsense approach.
I use the example of Police Scotland, if Alastair Campbell was at the disposal of the SNP, this story would be what it is, a complete non-story. Yes there are teething / legacy management problems, but how many countries would like the problem of homicides being halved in 10 years and crime being at a 43 year low? We need some to spell this out!
So yes, retaliate, but in a focused manner that seeks to highlight the chimps from the bbc and press have brown hands! Under focused examination the behaviours of the bbc and press will then be evident for all!
@Louis b
Tell me about it, lol. Easyto lose track of time in the youtube world.
link to rt.com
link to timhayward.wordpress.com
BAE also did well out of Syria. Largest shareholder is Capital Group, Philip May’s company.
link to twitter.com
link to evolvepolitics.com
Off Topic. BREXIT,The BBC in Scotland and the Press in Scotland.
“Scottish Government makes 200 European links in effort to counter damage from Tory hard Brexit. BBC Scotland says: ‘eh, what, when?’ ”
Talking-Up Scotland:
link to tinyurl.com
Vestas, yup that was the Perishers course at one time HQ’d at Brodick, Arran but in the eighties until they were phased out it was diesel/electric subs they were using, the only Nukes in the Clyde at that time were the Polaris missile carriers of both the USN and its cadet branch the RN.
I can assure that according to many of my colleagues who were offshore that night there was near panic on the rigs with the Alarms going off. There was more than a little bit, Arran hill sheep were not allowed to be sold for several years after and ten years later in 1996 there was this report in the local paper “Sannox farmer James McKinnon was having trouble with one sheep lambing last week. When the lamb was eventually born, dead unfortunately, he found that it had three front legs and that the extra legs had two hooves. Until this year he’d never had such abnormalities and he said: ‘That’s the second lamb this year with abnormal limbs.’
Mr McKinnon’s farm was one of those affected by the ban on sheep movements following the Chernobyl accident 10 years ago. Could there be any connection, we asked him: ‘Well, I find it strange that there’s two,’ he said.”
The Mckinnon family are well known to me , sadly James Mckinnon contracted Leukemia and after a brave fight for many years succumbed to the Illness.
My message to someone arguing the case for AFTER brexit is completed.
……
Did we wait in 2014 until polls showed 50% ?
Did we fuck, we moved on 29% and CAMPAIGNING TOWARDS a known date is what moved it up.
If we are starting at 45-49% this time, as the polls tell us, campaigning towards a known date will surge us past 50% fairly easily in my opinion.
This is based on 2 main premises.
1. Scots are more aware of the lies told to them in 2014, they can see that in 2014 they were duped.
People do not like politicians lying to them and tend to punish them for it.
This can explain the 2015 GE result, a MASSIVE backlash against BT deception and backsliding.
Now think WHICH DEMOGRAPHIC helped enable that stunning result ?
Large chunks of those previous labour/libdem and even some Tory voters MUST have voted SNP in 2015, so the obvious question is WHY ?
Surely, after a triumphant unionist referendum victory, Scottish unionist voters should have swept the SNP aside, crushing the idea of independence for years if not decades to come.
Yet that did not happen, after voting No, lots of those No voters voted SNP. And kept voting SNP, culminating in helping to hand the SNP a new indyref mandate in 2016 at the Holyrood election.
THOSE voters are more likely to vote Yes than No this time, no matter what lies, in fact more likely because of the coming lies, they are told by the No campaign.
2. Brexit and Devolution.
62% of Scots voted to REMAIN IN the EU.
74% of Scots voted FOR devolution.
Both those figures transcend the SNP support.
In 2014, people in both those demographics felt that voting No, was no threat to either of those 2 things.
Indeed, they were told the ONLY WAY to GUARANTEE continuing EU membership was to vote NO.
They were also promised more devolution and told how Holyrood would be the most powerful devolved parliament on earth etc…
On that basis, people within the 2 democraphics above, felt safe to vote No in 2014.
That is absolutely NOT an option this time.
NO means ABSOLUTELY and DEFINITELY OUT the EU. (March 29th 2019 to be exact).
NO means an all out attack on devolution itself, the current WM behaviour is absolute evidence of that, they have STATED they want the right to over rule Holyrood ANY TIME THEY WANT on ANY DEVOLVED ISSUES for 7 YEARS.
This is what Clause 11 is about, effectively ending Devolution by weakening it so much it is unworkable in practice.
Both these aims are undeniable, they are set out in black and white at WM.
The previous No voters amongst those 62% and 74% of Scots i mentioned earlier have a choice,
A. Vote for independence and maintain the values they voted for in huge numbers.
B. Vote No and be out the EU 100% and lose devolution in any meaningful form.
That is why will win.
There is no reason for a long campaign and absolutely no need to wait beyond march next year to hold the indyref.
Really big obstacles can be put in our way after next march which may be insurmountable, some of which i have previously explained.
It is UNIONISTS who fear the referendum, not us.
It is unionists who are DESPERATE to not have it before next march.
Whu do you think that is ffs ?
Thanks everyone.
I am always astonished at the breadth and depth of knowledge and superb memories to be found here at Wings .
Dorothy Devine @ 3.49
I agree. Most independence supporters I know are the same.
When our Yes shop opened I went into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee and there were about 8/9 men chatting about their plans for the Clyde and shipbuilding. Many of them had been shipyard workers or had fathers who had been employed by the yards and they all had picked up knowledge over the years.
They were happy to educate others and people like me who had no first-hand experience.
re radio activity
cos granite is slightly radio active, born and bred aberdonians have a slightly greater genetic resistance to contamination, than the average joe.
in the event of a nuclear disaster, they would live 5 secs longer than everyone else
just long to say, eh min!, a’ telt ye……….
not a lot of folk ken that 🙂
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. The Scottish media clearly don’t live by this little pearl of wisdom because they have not yet realised that constant, relentless, hysterical SNP bad “reporting” is not having the desired effect. Scots have been bombarded by this crap for years but we keep voting the SNP in. Scots can see past the BS the media spews.
One popular refrain I see, especially on the comment sections of the Herald, is that “criticising the SNP does not mean you are criticising Scotland” or “hating the SNP does not mean you hate Scotland.” While this may be true to an extent, the absolutely relentless way in which the media screams about how terrible everything in Scotland is, to ordinary Scots, it looks more like they’re talking their country down rather than legitimately holding the government to account.
I hope the media becomes better in an independent Scotland. Or will it remain the same? “Everything in Scotland is shite, let’s go back to being ruled by England/Westminster.” I’ve often said this kind of self-hating, cringing attitude is unique to Scotland. I’ve not seen it anywhere else on a widespread scale, not even in former British colonies which may have become worse after independence.
I do love Scotland but sometimes its people really do mystify me.
O/T
Interesting article about Spanish TV journalists – female – and their protest campaign against government interference amongst other things.
Link to article in Guardian
link to archive.is
“hating the SNP does not mean you hate Scotland.”
I’ve heard that quip also. If they don’t hate Scotland why then, we have to ask, are they happy for Scotland to have governments its people never vote for, implementing heinous policies that causes misery right across our society and breaking promises made to Scotland?
They might no’ hate Scotland, but I don’t see the love either.
Re Chernobyl I remember it very well for the simple fact my sister was in Kiev at the time only 80 miles or so from where the nuclear power station blew up.
At the time she was a student at Liverpool University studying Russian and French and was on a foreign exchange stint in Kiev at their University for 6 months.
This was cut short but not immediately after Chernobyl erepted it was FIVE days before anyone know what had happened and only then because one of her fellow students heard it on the BBC World Service.
Peopel in a panic so in steps the UK government and organised a flight back to London for the 30 or so students, back then there weren’t many British tourists in Kiev.
At the Kiev airport were British officials and the students were told to hand over all their belongings but would be getting them back and that included the clothes they were wearing. Of course they complied.
They were then given British Airways tracksuits to wear for the flight back. Three months later all her belongings were returned except for the training shoes she normally wore in Kiev. Were they contaminated? Who knows, we don’t.
It’s high time that sanctions were imposed on lunatic Trump’s US and that they were kicked out of NATO.
Schrodingers cat..
Hating the Tories is not the same as hating those who vote for them, or hating the damage done by those who misinform those who vote for them.. but it’s close..
Been a good day for paradoxes today..
Isn’t hate a crime now anyway?
Has ones else name disappeared on this site only. since the update ?
I have, by some act of mercy, avoided most of the output Tom Gallagher has produced by bashing his angry head against his keyboard but I have just seen a copy of his latest tweet on Facebook and I think he is aiming for Katie Hopkins levels of tastelessness…a mission successfully accomplished.
Given that Stu is a Frightened Rabbit fan I can’t see this ending well. I rather like them myself although I only have Pedestrian Verse in my collection.
@HandandShrimp
Intriguing, does he hate the Rev that much? Got a link?
So the BBC are in Dunoon tonight on radio 4 with some guy called Leonard on. Had to smile with the launch (excuse pun) of “British” Labour -wanting RN ships to be built on the Clyde led with the support of the GMB union . Their rep on GMS this morning didnt want to go back over the vow or the wonderful pictures of Labour, tories and the GMB saying Vote NO. Later a tory MP side stepped the 13 ships promise to the Clyde. All in the past. The bit you had to laugh was when the UNION guy said the GMB doesn’t play politics!! All the GMB guys I know are the classic hard labour/ No types. Hate the SNP more but smooch with their tory britnats. All to protect the workers jobs. Warped minds
@ Dorothy Devine
Radiocaesium persists on moorland because of the way it is recycled by heather (Calluna vulgaris, not the Erica species). Consequently, Chernobyl-derived radiocaesium was detectable in heather honey (but not other honeys) from Scottish hives at least as late as 1995. The shorter-lived isotope, 134Cs, was close to detection limits in many places by then, but 137Cs, which has a half-life of 30 years, will have remained detectable well after that date.
(The amount of honey a person would have to eat to be affected by this is such that they would be likely to have many other problems to worry about first.)
link to twitter.com
There you go Thepnr
Just watched reporting Scotland discussing shipbuilding and Corbyns visit. Not a word on the broken promise from the 2014 referendum that the Clyde would build 13 ships.
In fact there is a long long list of broken promises made at the 2014 referendum. Never mentioned by our media. This should be sufficient grounds for a new Indy ref.
Our media is a bloody disgrace. Propaganda Quay the worst broadcasting in the world. Turns my stomach every time I turn it on. Turning off now can’t watch till the end of the programme.
@yesindyref2
“Mmm, so basically speaking since they don;t welcome criticism, the only conclusion to draw is they’re all looking for early retirement and shutting shop. How, well, how recondite!
(I have absolutely no idea what that word means)”
I laughed out loud when I read this ~ & I’m still chuckling away ~ humour on several levels
Apologies for the delayed comment ~ I’m about a day behind reading btl
@HandandShrimp
There are some very sad people in the world. Some both sad and twisted then there’s Tom Gallagher who is just sick.
That tweet was disgusting and there can be no excuse.
@Cubby
You should think seriously about turning it off permanently and no longer paying the licence as I did in 2014, check out the alternatives and believe me they are cheaper and better.
I miss nothing about the BBC nor even TV in general and can still watch the rest if I choose to through catchup for free.
The licence is a waste of money and paying them to lie in your living room is best avoided.
@Calum McKay (2.41) –
‘So yes, retaliate, but in a focused manner that seeks to highlight the chimps from the bbc and press have brown hands! Under focused examination the behaviours of the bbc and press will then be evident for all!’
Allow me to disagree Calum, as you did with Robert Peffers, in (hopefully) a constructive way.
The BBC cannot be beaten at their own game. The templates used by most msm were devloped by them. Our own perception of the whole political culture we grew up with was formed largely by them. In any ‘square-go’, we win hands down because we have the arguments and the facts to back them up. But the playing field is not level. As George Carlin said, ‘the table is tilted folks, the game is rigged.’
We could, as you suggest, find the perfect spokesperson and have him/her on permanent stand-by, ready to refute every lie as and when it appears. But it wouldn’t matter because that person will never be permitted the space and time to discuss anything in a reasonable manner. The veteran presenters hector, interrupt, insult and sneer to order, doing it so skilfully that it sometimes feels that they’ve been given a number from 1-10 by the show’s ‘director: ‘Swinney can get riled if you really push him, so give it a nine for the first two minutes.’ The young aspiring broadcasters soon learn that if they’re to advance in their careers then they’d better learn to do likewise.
Then there are technical problems which overwhelmingly afflict anyone voicing a pro-indy stance. In extremis, if the pro-indy voice is doing well, the plug can be pulled completely.
Let me leave one wee example. Most of us have seen this but it’ll be new for some. We all know the FrenchGate story and that Alistair Carmichael was the main player, but David Mundell has never explained his role in it all.
Check out the behaviour of the other people in the folowing clip. So far as I’m aware, not *one* of them has ever challenged Mundell on his stuttering evasiveness here. It’s as plain as day that he’s lost the script and is freaking out about a question which he was *supposed* to just bat away. Everyone in this clip is complicit in the selling of a huge and serious fucking lie and there’s no-one to stop them.
‘I don’t think David Mundell’s going to be able to avoid further questions on that’ (Carrell)
Well, surprise surprise, he didn’t get any further questions – not from that lot anyway. That’s what we’re up against.
‘A Gift For Semiotics’
as published here, 27.5.15
link to youtube.com
O/T … BREAKING NEWS:
Channel 4 News reporting that Aaron Banks and Nigel Farage attending DUP dinner in NI tonight.Speculation one or both may be about to join DUP.
Neil Mackay has announced a piece in response to the criticism of his front page monstrosity last week in the Sunday Herald. Both Haggerty and Leask are jumping up and down in excitement so you can imagine it will be a full-blown attack on any criticism of those doughty souls who write for the Herald in all its permutations.
I was emailed by a Herald lackey asking why I stopped my subscription to the SH after their disastrous hubristic headline before the 2016 Holyrood election. I explained as best I could regarding my disappointment and bafflement at the road they had taken.
However, my main problem was Neil Mackay who I feel is loyal first and foremost to his journalist colleagues, no matter who they write for, and not to his readers. I think this week has borne this out. Bingo cards at the ready, I suggest ‘Cybernats’, ‘Trumpist’, Abuse’ and ‘SNP must act’. Maybe others have more cliches that spring to mind.
It won’t be his fault though, you can be sure of that.
– on “chimps throwing shit” … the obvious thing is to throw it back, but then it gets messy and you end up looking the same as them – the best solution – so I have heard – is to turn the FIREHOSE on them – they don’t like that, they really don’t – oh how they screech! (Cleans them, knocks them over, humiliates them – makes them think before they do it again)
In the context of media debate this means – something we need a new word for – a form of polemical invective which combines – factual rebuttal, gratuitous abuse and the ad-hominem – all at once
– like when Jackie Bird is talking pish and has the “alarmed” look on her face (SNP?!!? what – how – oh no!!!) – you want to
– prove her wrong with facts and logic, but also
– call her a scrawny-necked old witch, and
– a trait’rous mouthpiece for a criminal conspiracy
It does annoy me when I see an SNP guy/gal on the telly still acting as if the obviously-hostile questioner in front of them is -somehow- an unbiased member of a Socratic Academy attempting to simply find the truth in a pure and objective manner …
SNP folks should get their media training from stand-up comedians – learn a few tricks for putting these arseholes down- real FAST
For how this plays to the public – it is always when the target fights back that wins plaudits – many examples
– Chomsky getting Andrew Marr all riled up
– Galloways had a few good spats
– Cathy Newmans besting by that canadian geezer
– Eric Cantona kicking that hooligan/fan bloke could be seen as a form of “performance art as banter”
– and just to say – all the best political insults gain you a form of immortality. Notably both Trump and Hugo Chavez have done rather well with a uniformly hostile mainstream media against them (- strange bedfellows, I know)
The recent baby box nonsense – the SNP should have just ridiculed that, in public – not even bothered with the facts and logic; they could have at least attacked their opponents motives.
The SNP are all caution and moral rectitude (- and it works), but putting the boot in, once in a while, would be nice to see – especially if you attack people whose votes you have lost anyway. They need a SHITLORD-in-chief – where do Frankie Boyle and/or Jerry Sadowitz stand on independence? Better still, that guy from Galashiels with the Tourettes Syndrome – and they can’t hit back on him as it would be “hating on the disabled”.
Now, serious point over – let me lower the tone
“What the Farmer said to the Judge”
link to bbc.co.uk
– which he followed up with “just don’t look at my hard drive, eh now”
Re; Corbyn and the Naval orders for the Clyde.
“An MoD spokesman said the Clyde had secured 4,000 jobs until 2035, having been given a commitment it will build the Navy’s eight planned Type 26 Frigates.”
This has got to go into the “Bullshit” tray.
I know for a fact that it will not take anywhere near 17 years to build 8 Frigates, especially with 4000 shipbuilders. They could have three Frigates getting built at the same time, all at different stages of production.
The Clyde would take about 4 years to build these 8 ships with another couple of years for fitting out. Meaning the vast majority of the 4000 workers would only get about three years work.
2035 my arse.
Just more crap from the English Establishment.
And the Frigate contract is not signed and sealed yet. More ammo for IndyRef2 for them.
link to dailymail.co.uk
Serious question –
Have you ever watched or listened to a *live* BBC Scotland programme about the contemporary Scottish independence debate which you felt was balanced, enlightening, civil and well-chaired?
If so, please tell us about it. (A link would be great, but if there are enough clues then we should be able to nail it.)
😉
The English Establish like nothing more than having the Clyde Shipyards in a constant state of dependency.
They want our shipbuilders to be in the “Begging Dog” pose permanently, preferably with their tongues hanging out.
There are so many other projects our shipbuilders could turn their hands to. As well as shipbuilding for our new Scottish Navy, we could also turn our hands to building Wind Turbines or Oil and Gas related work for the North Sea.
There is a future for the Clyde once we become an Independent Nation.
The media are letting the Tories off sooo lightly when they should be getting the boot in! The Guardiian … it didn’t used to be so light on the Tories.
“Brexit customs standoff could go on for another week – sources
Ministers pessimistic about prospect of finding solution, with two rival plans in play”
What is this!? If they were contemplating customs union then it might make sense, but they’re not! Their two plans are wishy washy wishful magic thinking which the EU will reject out of hand. They are not having meaningful discussions nor realistic planning.
Yet no one seems to be challenging them to get a grip of the situation.
They are just playing for time. Passing the days meaninglessly, and the media is allowing them to do so,
link to archive.is
Shug 10th may 4.06pm
Funny how they say everyone in Scotland is shite except for journalists and broadcasters. We of course know that it is the media in Scotland that is shite.
Try having a good look at yourself you bunch of shite journalists and broadcasters. The stench of propaganda is overwhelming. I have to hold my nose if I go anywhere near Propaganda Quay.
“Theresa May has reportedly just agreed to spend £13.4bn on a nuclear power plant”
link to thecanary.co
So does Scotland get a proportionate amount for our Energy Sector?
Here we go again:-
Green Light given to a new £1Billion tunnel under the Thames.
Gus 1940,
Hmm, new tunnel for London..
Can we (that’s everyone outside England’s capital) get electric trains and bridges at level crossings first?
I don’t know whether to bother with a detailed rant, or just to say that David Leask can’t read, sees only what he wants to see, is obsessed with Wings, and is a dick.
Thepnr, 4.54
Jeepers….
The Trade Union Unite support spending £Billions on Trident for jobs in Burrow in Furness. £1Billion from Scotland. They should be building ferries, liners, supply and patrol boats in Scotland. Get rid of Trident.
The Tories are already wasting £Billions on Hinkley Point. 2 tidal barrages would be far cheaper and produce more energy. Crossrail cost £Billions. London transport totally subsidised. HS2 is a total waste of money. Subsidised. Hinkley Point and HS2 are the Tory slush fund. Embezzling public money. The British Chinese consortium. Cameron, Carrington, Osbourne’s father in Law et al. Getting consultancies, fees and expenses. Cameron bought another £Million house in Devon.