We referenced this a few days ago because we definitely remembered it happening, but we’d been unable to actually locate the evidence, and at Wings Over Scotland that sort of thing bothers us. After a very considerable amount of effort we’ve now tracked it down, so we’re bunging it up here to preserve it for the record.
(At that point host Frank Skinner gave up and moved on.)
It’s from one month after the indyref, and the interesting thing is that Robinson is twice given the opportunity to respond to Skinner’s question about whether he thought that the pro-Yes supporters had any sort of fair point about his alleged bias, and both times – rather than, say, just dismissing it with a quick “Of course not” – he ducks it.
Readers can, as always, make their own judgements.
Amid the horror of events in Catalonia yesterday, the Prime Minister of the UK – quite unintentionally – said something during an interview on the Andrew Marr Show which was highly pertinent not only to the Catalan referendum but to British domestic politics too. We thought it needed saving for the record.
This site can’t claim to know enough about Spanish and Catalan politics to have an opinion about whether independence for Catalonia is a good idea or not. All we can say is that democracy is a good idea, and the draconian and extreme attempts of the Spanish government to suppress the referendum – ludicrously under-reported in the UK media, particularly broadcast media – are a terrifying throwback to its fascist past. We very much hope they don’t succeed.
As readers who were once children will probably recall, papier-mache is a substance in which incredibly flimsy material – such as tissue paper or newspaper – is turned into something rather more hard and durable by dint of combining multiple layers of it with a simple flour-and-water solution.
What’s less well-known is that the process also happens IN newspapers.
For a case study, let’s look at this article in today’s Times.
The Scottish Daily Mail almost explodes with fury over new crime statistics today:
Which is weird. Because there’s less crime in Scotland than there’s ever been at any time in modern history. How do we know that? Because the Mail tells us so.
We stuck this short clip up on YouTube yesterday as a throwaway while watching the Labour conference in slack-jawed astonishment (a visitor from an alien planet would have concluded it was the gathering of a party that had just won a landslide victory, not lost its third general election in a row), but on reflection it deserves a proper post.
If you know anything at all about the story of how female Glasgow City Council employees have fought for equal pay, you’ll probably be as outraged as we are at Baxter’s bulletproof brass neck. But the video actually demonstrates what appears to be Scottish Labour’s master strategy for winning back Scotland.
Labour will start their autumn conference in Brighton properly today, but the comrades have already been at the seaside over the weekend. We thought we’d see how the UK’s official alternative to the Tories was getting along.
Mark Beggan on Push The Button: “The left have created a Frankenstein they cannot control. This summer is going to be the ‘Summer of Hate’!” Apr 26, 20:14
Northcode on Push The Button: “Are you a knob or a stud? The word “button” originates from the Old French word “boton”, meaning “knob” or…” Apr 26, 20:09
Alf Baird on Push The Button: “Aye Northcode, the native ‘forgetting’ their past is a big part of colonialism, and that what is called ‘Scotland’ is…” Apr 26, 20:07
Northcode on Push The Button: ““What a load of shite. . . . . . . as usual.” Whereas the sparkling sentences of the unionist…” Apr 26, 20:05
Southernbystander on Push The Button: “But this is not an either or – helping others does not require that you have sorted your world out…” Apr 26, 20:00
Southernbystander on Push The Button: “Yes. This shifts the criticism of blue voters from virtual signalling wokerati to people with a conscience who worry voting…” Apr 26, 19:52
George Ferguson on Push The Button: “@Mark Beggan Just a few short articles ago I mentioned the precarious nature of the X38 bus route from Edinburgh…” Apr 26, 19:45
George Ferguson on Push The Button: “@Mark Beggan A few articles ago I detailed the precarious nature of the X38 bus route from Edinburgh to West…” Apr 26, 19:33
Steve Ashton on Push The Button: “Button! They tried to proof test the nuclear button. But the man there to press it had brains of dead…” Apr 26, 19:25
James on Push The Button: “Well, you’re the “shite” expert right enough… maaaaate.” Apr 26, 18:58
Chas on Push The Button: “What a load of shite……. as usual.” Apr 26, 18:30
Sven on Push The Button: “And, indeed, below the self proclaimed breast enhancer, the former David Paulden.” Apr 26, 18:09
Mark Beggan on Push The Button: “Wouldn’t it be karmic if all the Left wing,Antifa,Trans warriors all got their doors kicked in by a dozen armed…” Apr 26, 17:35
TURABDIN on Push The Button: “This piece is by a selfstyled «thinktank»….dohh! As all foreign correspondents rarely quit the London bubble it is not surprising.…” Apr 26, 17:33
Mark Beggan on Push The Button: “You just love the old violence. Who are you going to “tear to shreds”? Just stand at the back and…” Apr 26, 17:19
Mark Beggan on Push The Button: “Is it a coincidence that the evil regime and the Lefty Europa both advocate violence against anyone who disagrees with…” Apr 26, 17:12
Cynicus on Push The Button: ““ This article on the fractious trends in UK politics is signally notable by the absence of Scotland or Wales…” Apr 26, 17:03
Northcode on Push The Button: “Contrary to popular belief… blue buttons are intrinsically socialist, red buttons capitalist. Socialism is for the many, capitalism is for…” Apr 26, 13:42
Captain Caveman on Push The Button: “What’s the wealth per capita of Norway, in terms of natural resources? Asking for a friend. Also, using China as…” Apr 26, 13:40
Alf Baird on Push The Button: ““lousy, sub-optimal, unsustainable results” Here this is the inevitable consequence of UK Gov privatisation of public utilities which today are…” Apr 26, 13:34
Northcode on Push The Button: “Buttons are boring… unless they are those buttons made from a protein (casein) found in milk. For those interested, casein…” Apr 26, 13:25
Geri on Push The Button: “China has lifted 800 million ppl out of poverty. They’re described as socialism with Chinese characteristics. A mix of both.…” Apr 26, 12:50
Aidan on Push The Button: “Would they “bomb them tae fuck” Geri?” Apr 26, 12:12
Jamie on Push The Button: “Socialist Norway is one of the richest countries in Europe and regularly voted one of the best countries in the…” Apr 26, 12:01
Geri on Push The Button: “Or the scenario where the majority pressed the Red button but the powers that be just kill everyone anyway cause…” Apr 26, 10:52
TURABDIN on Push The Button: “BROOKINGS is a US thinktank based in Washington. This article on the fractious trends in UK politics is signally notable…” Apr 26, 10:51
TimePilot on Push The Button: “Darwin was right. The Red people thank you for your vote, off you pop.” Apr 26, 10:23
TURABDIN on Push The Button: “THESE NATIONAL(IST) PARTIES seem not too keen on their respective country’s independence. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq59xvdzjv7o A woeful act by tired old hasbeens….kindly…” Apr 26, 09:02
Captain Caveman on Push The Button: ““Socialism wants (insists) you vote blue and like it.” Very true – and invariably with lousy, sub-optimal, unsustainable results.” Apr 26, 08:54
