As is often the case with Scottish newspapers these days, the story was based entirely on a fantasy – IF a certain number of people did a certain thing (flee to England to escape a 1p income tax rise), which the story doesn’t provide a shred of evidence to suggest they’re going to do, then a bad thing would happen.
The new crowdfunding platform we used this year is a curious and arcane beast, and as a result the honest truth is that we’re still not quite 100% certain what the precise final total (including “offsite” donations and a few that squeezed in after the technical deadline) is. But as best as we can make out, including everything, it’s this:
(Fundraiser page here, or click here to donate directly.) .
The current total stands at a phenomenal £128,600 – already the second-highest ever by a five-figure margin, and just £11,447 short of the all-time record.
The Scottish Daily Mail’s never-ending quest to find the very bottom of the SNP BAD barrel reached a new record depth today, somehow managing to blame the Scottish Government for… whiplash injuries.
But as ever, it turned out the Mail’s story was missing some key data.
“There now follows a party election broadcast by the…”
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The political broadcasts at election time are a time-worn tradition in the UK (as is our reaction to them) but not too many people really understand why political campaign broadcasts take this form, nor why it’s actually quite important that they do.
Stuck for any actual news at the tail of the Easter weekend, today’s Scottish Daily Mail reaches once again into the bag marked “Emergency Barrel Scrapings” and comes up with that old faithful beloved of all newspapers, a shock-horror “OMG LOOK HOW EXPENSIVE THE TRAINS ARE!” story.
It’s always an easy hit – partly because since a shambolic, fragmented privatisation the UK does have pretty much the most expensive railways per mile in the civilised world, but also because regular train users tend to mainly travel in the same area all the time, and are easily persuaded that they have it worse than people anywhere else.
So let’s ignore all the Mail’s ridiculous cobblers blaming the SNP – who have very limited control over the fare policies of Abellio (the Dutch state-owned company who run ScotRail) and who have been prevented by successive UK governments from nationalising the network – and just see if that’s true.
Young Lochinvar on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “HMcH Have you been let out of remand? Wilma Flintstones been pining for you.. Awww! I’ll keep this brief, Brent…” Apr 13, 06:40
Aidan on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “As usual it is a 180 degree inversion from you. Those you describe as “poot and towel heads” are not…” Apr 13, 06:32
Aidan on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “The USA is not rich in fossil fuels says Geri. This is the same USA that is the number one…” Apr 13, 06:24
Geri on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “I love that song LOL “You said you loved losers – well look at your team” .. bloody brilliant! “Your…” Apr 13, 00:39
Geri on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “I’ve been listening to Baud for years. He’s excellent. That happened to him a few months ago. It’s terrible what…” Apr 13, 00:20
Geri on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “Look at you, all big & all clever celebrating war crims, Jenny & bent, unelected midget president just lifting ppl…” Apr 12, 23:57
Confused on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: ““where is the lie”? www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G9DNx7xIIc but seriously https://archive.ph/QQgz6 telling the truth in wartime can get you in trouble – jacques…” Apr 12, 23:45
Confused on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “Orban buys it; the only decent man in the EU. the 90B to yookie was a loan, but its the…” Apr 12, 23:41
Confused on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “not you, Scotland https://archive.ph/k6AUO “we” is doing a lot of faking going on, it means … me, josh, piers, the…” Apr 12, 23:39
Hatey McHateface on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “Thanks, CC. It’s a fraught time for anybody trying to run a small business so I have been busy. I…” Apr 12, 23:12
Frank Gillougley on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “I remember now, the apparatchick’s name was a Valerie. Two legs bad, four legs good kinda person. Back on topic…” Apr 12, 22:53
Mark Beggan on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “The Uruk-Hia are having serious staffing problems. There’s rumours they’re in discussions with G4S.” Apr 12, 22:43
Hatey McHateface on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “I’m no fan of the EU but fair play to them. poot is down one apologist tonight and that’s a…” Apr 12, 22:26
Hatey McHateface on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “90 billion Euros for our fighting friends in the east have just been unlocked as Orban is consigned to history’s…” Apr 12, 22:11
Geri on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “The EU was always going to get rid of him, by hook or by crook. He just wasn’t playing ball…” Apr 12, 22:00
Frank Gillougley on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “Meanwhile, back at the ranch, here in sunny Hungary, Orbán concedes and Tisza will pass the 2/3rds majority needed to…” Apr 12, 21:42
Hatey McHateface on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: ““There’s a very good reason the whole world hasn’t joined in with this madness” Sure, feart of the followers of…” Apr 12, 21:40
Geri on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “LOL! I asked myself that same question when it comes to UK elections & Brexshit referendum. Why does Pam fae…” Apr 12, 21:28
Hatey McHateface on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: ““the Greens 11 seats” Was that before or after the Green quine announced that a Green Scotland will dig deep…” Apr 12, 21:22
Geri on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “First off – let’s remind the group these are war crims. An unjust & illegal act of aggression. There’s a…” Apr 12, 21:20
Hatey McHateface on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: ““The tech Mafia will make their own version of obedient human” Truly it is as if you are completely unaware…” Apr 12, 21:15
Geri on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “Aye, aye, Captain fckwit. Y’all will be swimming with the fishes in nae time. Mind wear yer armbands! Unleash the…” Apr 12, 21:09
Hatey McHateface on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “Oh dear, Geri, you’ve just provided two reasons for them to disappear you. The first is you’ve gone public. Doh!…” Apr 12, 21:04
Hatey McHateface on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “Then again, “Rt Hon. Lord Barony” may simply be cultural misappropriation by somebody of Caribbean or Indian heritage whose parents…” Apr 12, 20:53
Geri on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “Transhumanism. The tech Mafia will make their own version of obedient human.” Apr 12, 20:48
Hatey McHateface on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: ““Operation “Cutting your nose to spite your face””. I don’t see that. Blockading the towel heids exports in makes perfect…” Apr 12, 20:45
Hatey McHateface on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: ““should normally protect the sovereignty of the indigenous people, including those living abroad” Why should anybody care about the sovereignty…” Apr 12, 20:33
Alf Baird on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: ““the occupation of ALL of our top cultural, heritage, environmental, educational, etc. positions” Indeed, an Anglo cultural hegemony and hence…” Apr 12, 19:01
