Our Uncle Billy
Yesterday, a wealthy American man who as far as we know won’t have a vote in the referendum expressed a personal opinion about independence which made the front page of half of Scotland and Britain’s newspapers, was trumpeted all over the TV and radio, and got “Better Together” very excited.
This morning some idiot based in Luxembourg honked about it on BBC Breakfast news, throwing in his own clueless and ill-informed (and of course, unchallenged) view. We’re having some difficulty working out why we’re supposed to care about either man’s position, or why they were given lots of free airtime to espouse them.
Because as Alex Massie succinctly pointed out in the Spectator yesterday, BP aren’t going anywhere if Scotland votes Yes. They’re going to get MORE powerful, not less, if Scotland is independent, and the value of the product they made an £8bn profit on last year isn’t going to fall one cent. So Bob Dudley’s feelings about whether Britain is “great” or not have precisely no bearing whatsoever on anything.
They are, nevertheless, still about a thousand times more relevant than those of Alpesh Patel, the CEO of an equity company for rich people, who the BBC for some reason employed to discuss the newspapers on this morning’s edition of Breakfast. Our Uncle Billy has a pretty strong view on independence too, and unlike Bob Dudley or Alpesh Patel he DOES have a vote in September, so we’re not quite sure why he’s not wall-to-wall on the national media. We’ll see if we can find out.
We’ll let you watch the short clip for yourself without further comment, except to note that absolutely every word Mr Patel says about the referendum damaging investment has been conclusively shown to be arrant drivel.
The BBC sticks this stuff out at ungodly hours hoping we won’t notice, but if we have to be up at ten to bloody six every morning to catch them, then that’s what we’ll do.
Some Americans in Scotland (me) will be voting yes. Don’t listed to the propaganda ministry.
Re Mr Bob Dudley surely a good day to bury bad news and wade into the independence debate instead, making sure to express a ‘personal view’.
The BBC covered it because it was their interview it didn’t get a mention on other broadcast outlets like Channel 4 News.
That man is a knob-end.
I really object to idiots like this, who have little to no knowledge of things Scottish, getting ANY airtime at all.
Another BBC cheap shot they make me feel sick.
When this is all over I will be so so happy to be rid of the existing BBC from Scotland’s airways.
I look forward to watching him eat his hat…
WooHoo!
2,000 posts! Well done Stu. Can you reach 3,000 by 18th September?
He is probably justified in opposing independence. Across the globe, 80% of oil and gas is produced by state oil companies. Private sector companies like BP fight over the dregs – the white bars in this chart
link to petrostrategies.org
I understand that he has ordered a bowler made from toffee to be delivered on the 19th September. I assume it will be bitter lemon flavoured.
“BP could cut investment in independent Scotland” is the headline the BBC wanted to invoke in print and it got it via The Times newspaper (link to tinyurl.com).
But the paper made that headline up because Bob Dudley actually said that BP will continue with investing in the North Sea.
Brent Crude is traded in US Dollars. BP pay folks in Aberdeen or wherever in Pounds Sterling to drill it out the ground for them & in Nigeria, they pay them in Naira. But so what?
It doesn’t actually matter what currency the local get paid in to do the grubby work of extraction & refining.
All that really matters to BP is the differential between costs (including the corporate tax regime) & the wholesale price from which even Alistair Darling could figure out is called the profit.
Odd though that Dudley made no mention of the uncertainty caused by wars, military coups, endemic corruption & theft which is common place in many of the 3rd world countries in which BP drills for oil.
What a total and utter eeijit that man is, spouting complete drivel live on the telly. You’d think one of the BBC journos could have taken the three seconds of research required to spot that Scotland has in recent days posted record levels of external investment.
Rather than damaging Scotland’s economic prospects, news about the independence referendum is working as a massive, free publicity campaign.
Can’t wait to see the guy eating his hat on the programme on 19th September. I’ll even get up at 6:10am to watch it live.
link to m.thedrum.com
Sorted for the plonker.
Why are YES Scotland and Blair Jenkins not arranging an equally “important person” to call into Pacific Quay and explain to the world why Britain isn’t Great.
What a blithering idiot.
He can guarantee it can he? I guess that means that the referendum is gonna be fixed to fail like they did in america with Ron Paul.
It never ceases to astonish me how the BBC continues to trot out people to vehemently defend the union without any attempt at balance. This organisation reminds me of Pravda in the 1950s, espousing state sponsored propaganda.They are doing much to discredit journalism and media reporting as a profession. Heres hoping we will be free of these people in an independent Scotland.
Apparently Mr Dudley has a big problem something like 30% loss, could be he was out to bury that. Fancy an oil company, one with British in it’s name making a loss. Well I never.
I cannot wait to see him eat his hat.
BP personnel are up on charges in the US – culpable homicide – destroying evidence. BP has had to sell off $42million of assets to cover compensation. BP cuts corners and causes devastation. BP has to pay $millions in compensation in Africa.
Bob Dubley should hold his tongue and mind his own business.
The bill for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has reached $42.7 billion (£26.2 billion).
It’s still “uncertain” how high the bill will be when all the claims are finally settled.
But Mr. Dudley is apparently more concerned about the uncertainty caused by not knowing which currency his employees in Aberdeen might be paid in.
So I’m sure we’ll soon be getting press statements expressing his concerns about the uncertainties of currencies in those stable democracies his company operates in like Libya, Iraq, Azerbaijan & Egypt.
Patel and Bob what a pair eh? But coming up on the dopy bastard stakes is Caroline Flint MP who suggested indy would mean higher electricity prices. Remember Caroline no ‘mates rates’ when we sell our surplus to you, market rates only. That’s why our prices won’t be half as high as yours. Labour resorting to having their shadow cabinet members spout the same rubbish as the tories cabinet members. Ya gotta love them for their ability to convince undecideds how to vote. How many times until they understand people don’t react the way they want to threats, insults to their intelligence and smears.
Again bias shown by the BBC as there was no counter view given by the YES side.this along with the omissions of the FT report and SPAINS confirmation that yet will not block Scotland’s entry into theEU shows where the BBC stands with regard to Scottish independence.Everyone should complain as this is the only avenue left or am I wrong.have already complained.
Kidnap and murder of his employees apparently causes Mr Dudley less uncertainty than the Scottish referendum on self-determination. It’s a funny old world.
O/T the English lovebombing continues on the BBC, with Caroline Flint telling us those people who love us and want us to stay – y’know, the English – won’t invest in our energy renewables post independence. Instead, they might go to France for nuclear – obviously on the basis they love the French more than us.
It’s true because BBC Uncertainty said so.
The UK gov raised Oil tax revenues 11% (£2Billion) to 60% to 80% in 2010 Budget and cut Scottish Block Grant £1.3Billion a year. Multinationals (foreign) tax evade through the City of London, against fair competition rules and damaging British business.
Sorry yet should read they
Scotland – Stop paying your license fee for BBC propaganda
Adds to Favourites.
Les Wilson @ 8.31.
In my opinion the BBC, or Westminster, has made just that calculation. If the vote is a Yes, they are toast here, so it’s all or nothing.
They operate from a leased building, all the equipment is mobile, and what’s a few million chanced when the prize, if No, is keeping the golden goose.
It’s the energy companies that invest, worldwide, where they can produce the cheapest (renewable) energy and meet EU renewable energy targets.
Building a nuclear Plant near a flood plain by a French company, isn’t the cheapest option. The last nuclear energy plants built in France and Finland was years (7) late and £Billions over budget, even without decommissioning costs. The dearest and most dangerous (Japan)
Labour cancelled a Humber Tidal barrage scheme £9Billion, as too expensive.
Training Day
Another daily scare story from a London politician who is talking mince on energy prices.
Fact is energy prices will increase MORE if we stay in UK.
Scottish Government has spent £290m since coming into office on renewable subsidy, the cost so far of dealing with just nuclear waste UK wide is £83bn.
The Hinkley nuclear power site, estimated to cost £16 billion to build, is expected to generate 7% of the UK’s energy supply when it is fully operational as the UK government finds itself under pressure to find an affordable source of energy.
The nuclear subsidy of 92.5p guaranteed electricity price for 35 years, double the existing price and probably higher than the cost of renewable electricity by 2023, when the first power is generated, seems an economically reckless commitment – a grim legacy for our children and grandchildren.
There is also the less publicised Treasury 65% guarantee of the £14bn construction finance, a further apparent guarantee for construction-cost overruns, compensation if EDF closes Hinkley early and an open-ended public guarantee to deal with the waste – adding to the 80-year £80bn clean-up costs we are already saddled with. This begins to look like a “nuclear at any price” Faustian pact, but it is the true measure of the cost of nuclear. If the government could have had a cheaper deal, it would have. The only hope of some economic rationality is that the state-aided distortion of the power market by this preferential deal will be declared illegal by the EU.
The interesting thing is that at 10 o’clock the report was well balanced and fair. The later ‘The Papers’ discussion forum reverted to type on the very clearly biased presentation of the news. As soon as the blond lady – forgot her name – mentioned she thinks Bob was trying to make a sound bite to lift his profile, the BBC presenter sought to over-ride that view with unsupported anecdotal references to the interview trying to paint a picture of a man passionately against Scotlands independence.
and yet repeated letters to the BBC only get a response that there is no evident bias.
Beat me to it, Rev! I’d just switched on the telly and caught the very last bit. Put on the PC to watch the whole disgraceful thing (and record it too).
Perhaps we should crowdfunding the purchase of a hat. The Rev could send it to the Beeb so that this guy could eat it live on air. I’d certainly pay to see that.
Damn this ‘no edit’ function!
@ Doug Daniel
You mean you actually intend going to bed on the night 18/19th September…
Can’t see it myself, but then I’m easily excited!
Aah, the reliable Ms. Caroline Flint & her claims about England “subsidising” Scottish energy consumers.
Well, she’s an expert on the subject of subsidies. She got a big one for herself paid for by the tax payer who covered £14,553 in fees for a new flat she bought in London in 2006.
At last! Someone who has subject matter expertise, making a comment about unfair subsidies.
In the days following the UWS report i think the BBC have just gone all out offensive against Indy. Such a shame when at a time when the public in general need the media to be as professional as never before, we have been let down. There is a gaping hole in the televisual and print media waiting to be filled by professional outfits. Rewards could be huge.
I’d like to see someone erudite (not me!) going on BBC Newswatch to challenge them on their bias just over the past week.
What an arrogent prat.
Inward investment has increased since the SNP gov was elected in Scotland. Patel does not believe in democracy and will have to stop telling lies. There has been a big increase in salmon and whisky exports to China.
The UK gov has made it more difficult for Indian students to come to Britain. India has retaliated no one can enter Indian waters without a Visa, with affects for travel, shipping and trade.
One of the major problems is that the presenters and interviewers have not spent any time researching the issue of independence and seem to get their views from other media who make things up and spread misinformation!
Heh, their running scared now. We’re definitely in the ‘then they come to fight you’ stage and we know what comes next. 🙂
BP no longer use the full/original title because they are no longer a “British” company. They are 60% owned by the USA. The US ownership was not highlighted after the GofM disaster due to political advantage of misdirectin of the public.
Oil Companies work all round the world with every form of Government. They have deals ranging from a fixed price per barrel up to full profits on production (state paid via tax).
When it comes to the investment gate the model is simple – up front investment and operating cost versus profit / political stability and risk / field live reserves / projected oil price / transportation cost and market / etc etc
I cannot think of a more attractive area for an oil major than the North Sea. They may divest older assets but that is just the normal operating mode of the majors (compare it to the person who only operates a new car for 2 years and then sells it. To the next owner it is a “new car”). Operators such as Apache / Taqa etc are far more effective at running older assets.
When you look at the history of BP in places like Iran (Persia) during the middle of the last century they hardly stand as a beacon of responsible operator.
I have been in the industry for most of my life and his statement is politically motivated and at odds with world wide operations.
Miconda – they had a well control system under designed. The control room televised each night was the Shell command centre (They, BP, had nothing in place). The emergency capping tool was also Shells as BP had no contingency in place for this scenario.
Shall I move on to Alaska…!
Couple of thoughts.
Firstly. The vast majority of oil producing states (which an independent Scotland would absolutely be one of) have a nationalised state oil company.
Secondly, something Ian Bell mentioned on Twitter struck me as being a bit mischeivous but certainly plausible. He mentioned Camerons approach to Putin. And he wondered if Putin may have had a word… Where’s the harm in getting on Putins good side from a BP perspective.
Anyway, for any new exploration being done in Scotland I’d absolutely be in favour of a new nationalised oil company being set up. We cannot be held hostage to the whims of oil corporations. The profits from our natural resources should be going to the people not to big oil companies. I don’t think that should be remotely controversial.
Andrew Morton
I’m with the hat idea and think that it should be the most bouffant See You Jimmy bunnet we can find.
A wee thistle for decoration would add some piquance.
UK gov reduced solar buy back from 42p to 21p. Discouraging Solar investment, especially for older consumers. The UK gov, Hulne refused permission for a coal CC project at Longannet, in Fife. An Independant Scotland would have has the funds to go ahead. Scotland lost out on the opportunity for EU renewable grants because of UK gov indecision.
@ObamaCares
I saw that too. BTW, The Papers is on iPlayer.
I had to get up really early and saw this nitwit on the BBC spouting some fairly silly stuff. I suppose he wants to be known as tough-talking and controversial. I must admit I’d never heard of him before. One of the commentators did break in mildly as said he couldn’t guarantee that the UK wouldn’t break up, prompting him to say he’d eat his hat on TV. So, I suppose he wants to get a regular slot in front of camera.
Also meant to add that we know now where not to buy our petrol.
Fergus Ewing, energy minister, took no prisoners on GMS this morning and demolished Mrs Flint’s arguments in about 3 minutes. Run right over the interviewer and showed a style similar to Ivan yesterday.
Worth a look later on playback.
Johann will be scoring that one off her FMQ’s list. She would be better going on the fraud in the Scottish Health Service where there is more mileage and rightly so.
Russia -Putin was at loggerheads with BP, over share deal. Big trouble for BP, big time, the executives could have ended up in prison. BP had to release share deal to Russian (nationalised?) oil company. Name?
If you Listen from 40sec to 1:08 you can see that the conc ernes he mentions relate to investment in the UK, the UK economy and prospect of end of the UK.
The issue he has is reduced investment in the South though he turns it as an issue for Scotland if we say No beacuse ‘intevestors are currently thinking twice’ in investing South of the Border.
Figures show that investment into Scotland is not suffering at all. If there is any uncertainty imacting the South UK it is surely because the UK Gov and the NO campaign thrive on uncertainty and doubt, so it is no surpise that investors ask questions.
II think a lot of energy is needlessly spent by posters venting their wrath on the inmates of Pacific Quay. We have known and recognised their bias for years.
Energy is better spent trying to counter the propaganda war they are mounting.
In the last few weeks there has been an increasing demand for Aye Right leaflets which direct the public towards sites such as this. Distributing these leaflets is a better way of countering the BBC garbage and an effective one.
Leaflets available in Glasgow and elsewhere from self at 07788661018
What exactly is Project Fear trying to tell us?
Oil is traded and paid for in US dollars in every nation that BP trades in so it wouldn’t matter if Scotland used the Scots Merk as that has no effect on BP’s trading in Scotland’s oil.
The Scottish regulatory system for oil and gas is already in place as a share of the UK’s with a substantial outpost in Aberdeen so there would be no additional costs unless Dudley is fearful of a tightening up of regulation in an industry where BP hasn’t exactly got a very good track record e.g. Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Like any oil company BP follows the oil and operates in numerous nations across the world and aren’t going anywhere as long as oil and gas remains off Scotland’s shores for the next 50 to 100 years according to various estimates hence why they are spending £10 billion at present in developing new oilfields off Scotland.
This is nothing but A Project Fear scare story to try and scare Scots into voting NO so that the bankrupt Westminster run rUK economy can continue to plunder Scotland for another 100 years.
Alpesh Patel is wrong about investment uncertainties & the BBC failed to challenge him because inward investment is at record highs & bucking the global trend.
“Rise in UK inward investment goes against a global decline. The UK has bucked a downward global trend with a 22 per cent rise in inflows of inward investment last year, according to a UN report.”
FT 26th June 2013 (link to tinyurl.com)
“UKTI’s 2012/13 inward investment report shows the UK continuing to strengthen its position as the leading European destination for foreign direct investment. The UK saw 1,559 investment projects secured – 11% more projects than the number recorded during the previous year.”
UK Inward Investment Report 2012/13 (link to tinyurl.com)
Ivan McKee was asked on two BBC radio shows and BBC news last night to comment on the BP CEO’s comments and when they talked to an international businessman who knew what was actually going on they got a shock.
Ivan McKee BBC News: Surprises interviewer with size of #BizForScotland membership link to t.co
I have just sent the following to BP and would urge others to do something similar and keep it civil.
—-
As a regular customer of BP, I am writing to say that I will not be buying any of your products as a result of your CEO’s interference in the Scottish independence referendum debate. I am aware that he chose to enter this debate in an attempt to bury a BP bad news story.
He is absolutely entitled to his opinion, but I for one will no longer be putting money into the pockets of a company which seeks to interfere in my future and that of my family and country.
I will also be encouraging family, friends, workmates and neighbours to stop buying their petrol from BP stations.
Sometime later today a conference call is going to be made involving Better Together, BBC and the Labour Party.
Blair MacDougall will say “I thought we had agreed the strategy was No more Fear bollocks. We know they aren’t buying it. Its to be all about promises of Jam tomorrow from now on. Christ even wee Wullie Rennie can get wae the program, get it together folks!”
19-09-14 Breaking news: Scottish independence YES vote causes worldwide hat shortage.
When taken together, the recent trends, the angles the BBC reports are using, the UK ministerial interventions etc are not the actions of a side winning the arguments.
Things are getting desperate, pleading for the UK to remain unchanged, love bombing, hurt feelings, dire warnings without substance… Realisation is setting in.
I see that Ian Bell has broken the omertà around the FT story in today’s Herald. I managed to sneak the archive.is link in to the comments BTL. Here’s a link,
link to archive.is
If that is not blatant State propaganda, then I don’t know what is.
O/T a bit.
Good piece by Ian Bell in Herald today. Mentions FT article.
link to archive.is
Question to editor. “Why did Herald not cover this at the time?”
Supplementary. “Why did Herald allow Ian Bell to mention it at all?”
First attempt at archive. If it works it is so easy. No more links to newspapers for click-bait.
“Question to editor. “Why did Herald not cover this at the time?””
As I said on Monday morning – there’s a perfectly legitimate excuse for not covering it, because it’s not new news. The FT is running a week-long special of independence features, which is why they mentioned the stats, but they’re old info.
We have to pick our fights, and this is a pointless one.
@Andrew Morton.
Snap!
The only way the BBC will listen is if we all stop paying their tax I stopped paying it 3 years ago and apart from a few letters which I send back to Pacific Quay I have heard nothing.
Breakfast hat.
link to youtu.be
E mail letters@theherald.co,uk with your complaints!
How can the state broadcaster, which we pay for be used against us by a foreign government to launch and sustain a campaign of fear, intimidation and misinformation against a section of the country it purports to support.
This is out and out propaganda and intimidation against its own population and using our money to achieve this reprehensible operation.
The mother of parliaments?
Free and fair press?
BBC = EBC ENGLISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION.
TIME TO DECOUPLE FROM THIS BUNCH OF GANGSTER.
THE ESTABLISHMENT (RULING CLASS) HATE SCOTLAND AND ITS PEOPLE – THEIR ONLY LOVE OF SCOTLAND IS POWER, CONTROL & OIL.
The reason it was all over the media was so that people would be talking about that and not the FT report. Sadly, that’s precisely what happened.
The thing I noticed on the Guardian cover of the Bob story was just how much antagonism there was to the intrusion from people with little or no interest in Scottish independence. A common theme was “I’m not Scottish but if I was told I shouldn’t vote for independence but some foreign, rich, corporate CEO that is exactly what I would do”
It was heartening to actually to see. I think the few BT stalwarts there were a bit shell shocked to be honest and not at all pleased. If BT want to drag these people into the fray then hell mend them. It doesn’t play well and Darling just looks like corporate shill cooing and preening over their supportive words.
This is good 🙂
He was right about one thing. The UK will not break up. It will be dissolved. It’s like looking through a time portal with all the exact same tactics being used as the 70s. Seriously, is this all they have?
I was fuming this morning listening to him and was ready for chucking the TV out the window this morning after listening to his ranting and raving.
Thing is he is usually quite good on his guest spot.
I can only assume that “HIS” business is suffering.
I also look to the day when he will have to “eat his hat”.
Ah well that’s BP onto the same list as Tunnocks and the BBC Licence fee. Will be writing to them and urge all the wingers out there to do the same.
Said before, I’ll say it again: the Dunning-Kruger Effect is running riot in the referendum “debate.”
I particularly flinched at how Alex Salmond was brought up to personalise the debate YET AGAIN, perpetuating the notion that the whole idea of independence was his idea YET AGAIN, and that the referendum was somehow forced on the people of Scotland YET AGAIN.
I’m getting past fed up with people treating the referendum as something “forced” on us. Polls show a majority of Scots want a referendum. The referendum was on the SNP’s manifesto, so if they DIDN’T do it, they would be breaking a manifesto promise. Funnily enough, the people who say the referendum was forced on us usually also bleat about how the rest of the UK was “shut out” of the decision.
It was Dudley who had to go into hiding and escape Russia, when the BP-TNK deal went sour.
Despite the dramatic fall in profits, the Chief exec rewards have dramatically increased. All the work is done in Scotland but the HQ’s is in London, so the execs can go to the Opera.
So You want a balanced Media?
The Herald has the Ian Bell column..and then it has links to these articles front and centre on its Politics page:
Warning of risk to transport links after Yes vote
No camp in grocery price rise claims
LibDems want parties to back plans for more Holyrood power
Poll: 52% of voters back Union
Tuition fees may harm EU chances
Flint: independence would hit green power plans
BP boss: Great Britain is great and it ought to stay together
Rennie sets out Lib Dems’ plans for post-no vote constitutional reform
English would demand own poll on currency union if iScotland seeks it, say Tory MPs
In Scotland its the first BBC in Scotland Radio morning news at 6am thats being doing this kind of hard core vote No stuff for years now. Its so corrupt and so biased, it’s a great way to get going on a cold dark winter morning with sheer annoyance at what a bunch of lying gits they are.
Is it going to be an emergency kitten day today? Raging and it’s not even 11am, Poor Rev. I don’t know how you do this full time.
There does seem to be a surge of BT scare stories on the BBC since the report from the UWS. Sticking two fingers up at us? They also used an article from the FT in the above video almost as a measure of validation of their story on the BP boss’s comments. Yet omerta on the FT article on how iScotland would more than survive. I think Paul is right: the only way they will listen is if we don’t pay the TV tax.
BP,issue a press statement saying that Bob Dudley,was speaking from a personal view point, aye rite,he,s GEO of Europe BP,& BP USA werent consulted, sow seed,s here in Scotland, reap the reward,s,as already said several time,s
boycot all BP produce,s.
How many more have joined the non payment of the Bbc Licence fee,not buying the printed press.
All those company,s will be looking at Wing,s, HI YA, dont let the door hit you,s on the wie oot, fur weil no miss you,s when we have a bigger voice come Independance.
I,ll enjoy the revenge however it,s served up.
@Robyn
The BBC don’t give a snuff if you or I don’t pay the licence fee and financially they wouldn’t even notice. The best thing is to drag them in front of Scottish Parliamentary committees as often as possible so that they can be exposed for their bias. The public has to be shown that they can’t be trusted to report the debate honestly.
Gayle: It’s like looking through a time portal with all the exact same tactics being used as the 70s.
It is like the 70s, isn’t it? Except one side now has the internet.
This is the very clown I was talking about on the previous tghread I called him al pesh I didnt know that was his first name, but the crap he came out with was breathtaking.
@greannach
Sent my complaint to BP , now off to complain to the BBC TRUST again ! Do it every year but HEy Ho .
On BP, over on the Guardian both Leopold (a sane Labour No supporter) and Rider (words fail me) both expressed surprise and in Leopold’s case a little displeasure at BP’s intervention. Rider simply noted that BP work in 100 countries….101 is a problem? (I am sure he will back to his old self soon enough though 🙂 )
I wonder if BT will repeat this exercise because I am not at all convinced it is playing the way they wanted depite the No Facebook sites going into the usual over-dramatic overload on this. They haven’t shown they are much of a learning organisation so we could get lucky here again.
Currently working in Northern Finland and put the telly on in my hotel room very early this morning. First thing I heard was this ignorant loud-mouth telling us the damage Scotland is doing to the economy. He apparently knows everything.
This is the sort of shite being broadcast by the BBC to Europe.
It’s almost as if the BBC is desperate to convince itself, not the people of Scotland. It’s definitely a sign of insecurity on their part.
I missed out Ivan Mc Kee in my post there,that man,s a diamond, well done Ivan,whens your next appearance, Darling perhaps,give me a warning,I,ll fit a external cathiter (i,ll save some of the 6pt milk container,s)I,ll fill one in the first 2 mins,but as I have learned on Wings always have reserve,s on standby.
REV, am nae lightwieght am 19half stone, an ave run oota triffle,s, sitting here day efter day.keep yer nose tae the grind stone & the rest of the WINGS mob.
@Grant_M
What software do you use for capturing video? My wife was asking me last night if I could do it and I wasn’t sure the best way to approach it.
The BBC are rigidly opposed to Scottish independence. They offer opinion not fact, headlines not debate, bias not balance.
You can basically wipe your erse with the BBC Editorial guidelines.
Richard!
The BBC News seem to have gone a little manic not so much since the UWS report but since the polls started showing the gap closing. The UWS report is just a warning that their days are numbered and hence BT are leaning on the BBC to get as much out as possible before they get called to account.
I think they are over-doing it. There is so much it is blatant and unconvincing. Like Pravda at its silly worst when Russians used to joke There is no Pravda in Izvestia and no Izvestia in Pravda.
This feels a bit desperate now from the unionists. They can’t win on the traditional arguments so they now drag ‘anyone with something to say’ into the debate. BT are failing and no amount of BBC complicity will reverse that trend. Unfortunately it’s all very ugly to watch as grey suits and nobodies are tasked to routinely put Scotland down. Don’t Knows are going to get tired of this and say ‘fuck it’ I’ll vote YES.
Doesn’t mean we get complacent though.
One of the ESTABLISHMENT: LORD PATTEN OF BARNES Chairman of the EBC trust.
Was a minister in THATCHER GOVERNMENT
Involved in the POLL TAX SHAMBLES
Was a EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER
CHAIRMAN OF BBC TRUST
INVOLVED IN SAVILLE SHAMBLES RE ENTWISTLE
Paid adviser to BP plc
Enough said!
Robyn
“There does seem to be a surge of BT scare stories on the BBC since the report from the UWS. Sticking two fingers up at us?”>i<
I've noticed that too. It's to tell us that THEY are not going to be intimidated by YES facts about BBC bias.
Patel says ‘when I’m with UKTI’, and from his site you can he’s heavily involved in that arm of the UK government. Was this vested interest mentioned when he was introduced?
Since the cuts of recent years, UKTI effectively IS the FCO in many places. The priority is business and investment, not diplomacy, culture, or friendship. But as we know, a current mission is to discredit Scottish independence. So if we hear any Indian magnates chipping in their 2 rupees’ worth, we can guess it was Patel that asked them to do it.
Stuart Campbell: “The FT is running a week-long special of independence features, which is why they mentioned the stats, but they’re old info.”
True, but the data are not the focus, it is the analyses and conclusions carrying the FT’s imprimatur that are newsworthy.
*NEWSFLASH*
ALL HADDOCK/PRAWNS/SALMON/LOBSTER/LANGOUSTINES have announced they are to move to English waters if there is a Yes vote, the BBC has learned.
Speaking on behalf of the Fish and Shellfish Alliance (FASA) Michelle Coldwater, said ‘If there is a Yes vote, we are very worried that our friends and family will be caught and taken to Peterhead/Fraserburgh, as there may very well be a re-birth of the Scottish Fishing Industry. Usually we are accustomed to going to Spain, but feel with a Yes vote, this would not be possible. I implore the Scottish public to VOTE NO, keep us going to Spain!’
@Calum Craig
I have the whole suite of Applian programs, but generally speaking Replay Video Capture (on its own) works for many video streams.
It just shows the contempt we are held in when they treat us like infants and think this shit is good enough to trick the thick JOCKS.
The thing is the top EBC newsreaders in London are quite shocked when they are exposed to the truth by someone who knows the facts like IVAN McKEE, it sure knocks the sneer of their face.
I hope the pseudo middle class proud Scots realise they are the only ones who believe they are something special to the establishment. YOU ARE THEIR CANNON FODER. tug at the forelock and bend the knee MASTA!
The secret of the No campaign is to announce all the things that are not going to happen if there is a No vote, but minimise this information being available in newspapers and media that the majority of people see e.g. teatime TV news, breakfast time radio, widely read newspapers (Sun).
Then when it becomes obvious nothing of any meaning is going to change or anything positive is going to happen, if there is a No vote they can say, “We told you what the situation would be, it’s not our fault you didn’t pay attention”.
So information is on Newsnight and papers few people read, the job is done. Of course any negatively spun stories and outright lies and misinformation is in all the commonly used outlets.
“Financial Times commenced a week of articles on independence with an analysis that left the No campaign struggling for a rebuttal. The FT, internationally respected journal of business and economics, told exactly the story Yes Scotland wanted to hear.”
The above is quoted from Ian Bell’s piece in the Herald, link to archive.is and is very important so I’ve reprinted it here to give it wider circulation.
youtu.be/u8yyxM74U5I
My impression was that the BP boss ended up making a bit of a fool of himself. By waffling on about “uncertainty” he obviously forgot to realise that hes in the most uncertain business in the world and that his company operates in unstable powderkegs such as Iraq, Egypt, the Caucauses and the Philipines.
The interviewer could easily have rendered his comments pointless by simply asking if he would halt BP investment in the North Sea upon independence. The mind truly boggles at how support for indy isn’t in the single figures given this incredible media bias.
It all shows that, come September, the vote isn’t just a judgement on the “Union” it is also a judgement on how much Scots trust the media in this country, esp the BBC.
Completely uneducated and nothing to back it up. Business for Scotland’s Ivan McKee interview on the bbc was good. Clear, precise, accurate nothing like that non-sense.
People who come to this site should stop fuming and fulminating about what NO and their anti-Indy supporters are doing. And you should forget all the conspiracy theory nonsense whether it may be true or false. You are only upsetting yourselves and sending out negative vibes about YES.
It is a Referendum campaign. It is not going to be fought fairly. Opinions are too polarised. Both sides are always going to be spinning news and events. It would be far better to expend your energy on doing something positive like campaigning on the ground or as I have urged before joining twitter. There, you can help spread the word widely and vent your anger on the No-Men’s views. But above all be positive.
o/t got your mail Ken thanks a lots, stickers getting handed out as we speak.
Guy based in a very small European nation complains that a small European nation would be damaging to business.
link to en.wikipedia.org
🙂
Always remember who is at the helm of the bbc,Chris Patten,ex tory minister and guv’nur of Hong Kong.
Politicians,retired or not,should not hold these positions as they require impartiality.
If this attack on Scottish democracy by BP’s CEO alone has put you off buying BP petrol etc, keep in mind that supermarkets like Asda buy their petrol from BP.
Vagina Monologues on BBC Breakfast News… who knew ?
@ John King
Let me know if you require any more John, got a few left.
“Old news”
Yes, but they barely reported it the first time round either, preferring some stupid rehashed old scale story – I’ve forgotten which – over the newly published GERS.
dammit ‘scare’. Can we have the edit back?
Bob (the unionist american) Dudley and his great “uncertainties” over Europe and currency. Did no-one at the BBC think to ask why his company was pouring record levels of money into the North Sea despite being fully aware of the upcoming referendum for 2 years now. Are the shareholders aware he is investing eye-watering amounts of their cash against his better judgement?
This kind of bias just makes me angry; very, very angry.
There`s no point me adding my tuppence worth as there is absolutely nothing we can do about it bar ‘storming the Bastille’. A few thousand unpaid license fees won`t leave even the slightest of bruises on the BBC behemoth.
The radical change only a Yes vote can bring is necessary.
@Albert Herring
The day the GERS figures were released also happened to be the day the ‘Swinney leaked document’ was made public, no prizes for guessing which got top billing.
Lord Browne former Chief executive has also got interesting links to Westminster.
BP made £8.3Billion profits. How much was made in NS?
I wonder what they have got lined up to coincide with this years publication (early March I think) although this years will likely be way less dramatic given the drop in NS revenues, and the fact that much of the figures are already available.
Im in neither camp but I have to say that all these bias accusations aimed at the BBC are getting quite tiresome. You can’t really blame the BBC for what a business leader has said in an interview just because you don’t agree with it. The onus is on nationalist campaigners to find equivalently important business leaders to speak in favour of independence. I can only imagine that this has proved to be an impossible task.
At the moment I am using up my holidays (this is my summer holiday). I am using my time off to help the cause and will be out delivering “Yes” papers and “Aye right” leaflets. This is how the public will learn the truth regarding Scottish Independence, and I urge everyone to get involved with your local Yes campaign. However, if you are unable to do so just donate when you can as it all helps, and come 18th September we will be free. We will win our independence!
The fact that you have to heavily moderate comments tells me that you are fighting a loosing battle. But good luck all the same.
R whittington says:
The fact that you have to heavily moderate comments tells me
Heavy moderation? Your post getting through kind of contradicts that, does it not?
that you are fighting a loosing battle. But good luck all the same.
You mean “losing”?
*OBVIOUS “NO” PERSON POSING AS UNDECIDED* ALERT.
Unbelievable. BP boss’s personal view on independence leads UK and Scottish news all day, including the lead item on BBC’s News at Ten. Dear oh dear, they must really be getting rattled if they’re leading with this bottom-of-the-barrel stuff.
And even if I wasn’t a Yes supporter, I’d be getting really fucked off by now by this relentless too stupid / too poor / too wee stuff every single day. Only today Caroline Flint popped up on GMS to say that if we ‘chose to leave’ they’d, er, buy their electricity from France, so there!
Oh, and this is about the most lightly-moderated site I have ever been on. Once your first post has been passed (to prove you’re not a spambot), you can post anything at all and it will appear immediately. And it won’t disappear unless you mess up the formatting in such a way as to wake Stu’s sleeping grammar nazi alter ego. (OK, too many links and maybe an annoying slogan might get you moderated as well.)
I think typing “loose” for “lose” is treading a bit dangerously too, mind you.
Did you actually read the “new users” page like Uncle Stu told you to?
R Whittington
You obviously think the EBC is a world class unbiased truthful operation.
THAT SAYS IT ALL!
@R Whittingon
Do you by any chance travel with a black cat and believe that the streets of London are paved with gold?
Love watching you lot bully people if they don’t tow your line. Forget the BBC Pravda cracks: Wings reads as if Stalinism never died
“Love watching you lot bully people if they don’t tow your line.”
“Toe”.
What a sad and pathetic rant by yet another seriously pro-British Establishment goon.
“… I will guarantee you it’s not going to break-up!”
Really? *You* can *guarantee* that the United Kingdom is not going to “break-up”…? How awfully sinister sounding. Do you know something we don’t? Is the result of the referendum pre-ordained? Well, well! So the “UK”‘s secret services are going to ‘arrange’ the result, are they? Okay, thanks for the warning!
“… Alex Salmond… having this referendum… insisting on it [LOL!]… economic damage… when he [LOL!] loses, it will be shown so…
“The great UK, together.”
‘And here endeth this politically biased, unfair and partial broadcast on the BBC for Better Together.’
These Britnat ranters are presumably going by some kind of pre-ordained script. They are made aware of the headlines and the articles they will be asked to comment on pre-broadcast, so there is plenty time to assess and prepare their statements. Anything that is related to Scottish independence, even if trivial, is routinely rubbished and condemned by those the BBC has deemed as worthwhile contributors while the presenter(s) remain mute, or snigger, or make light of it all.
It is but the British state using ‘all means at its disposal’ to caused FUD in the electorate. It’s black-arts-style lying. It’s called propaganda.
Scottish independence was never going to be something that the UK government was going to agree to cordially and with the goodwill to continue working together in the case of a ‘Yes’ vote – even if we are now in the year 2014. It has been, and will continue to be a struggle of monumental proportions for independence to be won – but it can… and will be. It is the will of the Scottish people versus the state apparatus. Through the democratic process of a referendum in September, the people will overcome the odds and win.
Dal Riata says:
“So the “UK”‘s secret services are going to ‘arrange’ the result, are they?”
That is my deepest fear Dal Riata – I wouldn’t put it past them. Rig the polls to make it look close and then rig the vote. They have a lot to lose.
To a supporter 11:56 am
I delivered over 700 YES newspapers this week.
And it is on sites like this that I find out what Bob-Bob was burying – BP profits down 30% – and a big costly court case in the USA.
Quite a lot of negativity on here. Theres pros and cons to independence, but I find myself sympathising with the no campaign more and more. I only hope that the debate matures before September that we cam all make an informed choice.
@The Cat
Hi George! Nice to see you dipping a tow in the water.
How dare Alex Salmond keep a promise to the people who voted for the party that promised them a referendum. How dare he not go back on his word like the scum bags we have on the rest of this rock.
The BBC know exactly what they are doing. Propaganda is deliberate, specific and concerted. They are setting others up to say the words to questions they are fed. This is an infringement on democracy and blatant interference in Scotland’s affairs. Once they realise a YES vote is on the cards they then might turn their attention to what effect it will have on England. They are either sleepwalking or supremely confident that their propaganda campaign will work.
Bob ‘FUD-dy’ Dudley?
The Establishment feed one lot of shite to the English via the EBC, PAPERS. the jocks are poor, wee, stupid and England has got to subsidise them.
The Establishment keep telling us how we are to stupid, wee & poor. We could survive on our own however so long as England looks after us we might manage.
The English are getting angry because we aren’t grateful for their non existent subsidies and we are ungrateful.
The proud pseudo middle class jocks are feart the English won’t hold their hands. SLAB can see the gravy boat heading down the Clyde without them on board.
DON’t know how the referendums going to go,
BUT THANKS TO THE ESTABLISHMENT AND ITS SPEAR CARRIERS, THINGS WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN. BIG TIME!
Everyone who gets threatening letters from the BBC for not paying the tax please hold onto them.
Here`s what we`re going to do.
Fill a sack with them, take them to Pacific quay, film the whole thing and empty the sack proclaiming why we can but will not pay, invite them to take us all to court.
Post the video online.
Contact other folk who have placed many other video`s about BBC bias and non payment under threat of prosecution.
Share video`s as widely as possible.
Build a massive load of examples of bias and pull them all together into one large document.
I saw this live actually and was rather disappointed. Although, I think he offered to eat his hat on air if there’s a YES vote. Anyone got ketchup?
I am of the view, and because Bob said it was a personal opinion not BP policy, that someone in Westminster asked if he would say some words of comfort for the No campaign. We know that they have been touting through the foreign office for friendly words and we know the Russians gave them a raspberry back. So words of comfort were expressed. the CBI and IoD have likewise rallied to Osborne’s support (may we gain a Yes vote but Ed still wins in rUK and puts your tax up to 90%).
The thing is do ordinary voters care what the CBI think? They are so self identified with the establishment and the ruling elite they are in fact one of the things we are trying to get away from.
The fact that you have to heavily moderate comments tells me that you are fighting a loosing battle. But good luck all the same
r whittington
There is very little moderation here, very little indeed. Spammers and out and out trolls get booted but they are few and far between. Captain Caveman and others are against a Yes vote and they have been here and debating openly for ages.
What we have had for the past few days is a DOS attack, either specific to Wings or part of the wider European DOS attack which is disrupting posts and making stuff disappear and reappear randomly mine included.
However, Stu is doing an excellent job frustrating those trying to disrupt the interwebs and we press on regardless.
[…] – BP released a statement today saying the company is backing a No vote. The announcement was really just confirming an earlier intervention by their chief executive, Bob Dudley, who in February said he is committed to Britain remaining together. In the event of a Yes vote, however, you’ll be pleased to know that BP won’t be taking their ball and going home. BP will remain in Scotland while there is still work to be done (and there is much), and in fact the company will very likely find themselves with more power in an independent Scotland than it would if Scotland remained in the UK. So, don’t worry about poor old BP. They’ll be fine. […]