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.
Spartan 117 on The Turning Point: “@Hatey 6:42pm Don’t get me started on Silliband/Mahatma Andy’s bungling on Pallet Line. Another fine mess completely irrelevant to our…” Sep 29, 21:02
Hatey McHateface on Cowering From Destiny: ““Independent Ireland has remained neutral for the last century thereby avoiding being dragged into Imperial England’s 80 or so colonial…” Sep 29, 20:35
Hatey McHateface on The Turning Point: “Stick to making soup, Dan. There’s no reason for alert readers to question your claims that you know your soup.…” Sep 29, 20:23
Dan on The Turning Point: “Ach, as stated before, Scotland doesn’t need to be spending billions on defence when we jist need to deploy our…” Sep 29, 20:04
Hatey McHateface on The Turning Point: “Not smart enough, too tarnished, and toxic. Yet she’s going on the lecture circuit and you’re not. I guess you’re…” Sep 29, 20:03
Bilbo on The Turning Point: “So the State asset is going on the lecturing circuit? Guess it’s the only thing left to her. She isn’t…” Sep 29, 19:31
Aidan on The Turning Point: “Oh I agree the Europeans should be taken much more of the cost of this (although they are for the…” Sep 29, 19:16
Hatey McHateface on The Turning Point: “All those words, Bob, just to say you’re ignoring me. Have you ever sat down and counted all the times…” Sep 29, 18:51
Hatey McHateface on The Turning Point: ““marched us headlong into a conflict that was absolutely nothing to do with us and without regard to the consequences”…” Sep 29, 18:42
Hatey McHateface on The Turning Point: “What’s conventional defense, CC? Whatever your answer is, if you know anything about the subject at all, it’ll be a…” Sep 29, 18:35
twathater on The Turning Point: “Here we go again give your vote to someone other than the snp who best represents your feelings, lend your…” Sep 29, 18:23
Spartan 117 on The Turning Point: “Sorry, I vociferously reject the idea that the defence of U is a “strategic objective” for *us*. It *might* be…” Sep 29, 18:15
Hatey McHateface on The Turning Point: “““Tax cuts for the rich, benefit cuts for the poor” he cries” Except the rich aren’t getting tax cuts. And…” Sep 29, 18:13
Captain Caveman on The Turning Point: “@Aidan That’s not to say, however, that we shouldn’t be spending money on our OWN (conventional) defence (not someone else’s),…” Sep 29, 17:59
Hatey Mchateface on Cowering From Destiny: ““Ah dinnae hate you, son; I pity you” Crivens, James, yer maw will hae ye washing yer mooth oot wi…” Sep 29, 17:59
Captain Caveman on The Turning Point: “Don’t you think though, Aidan, if the things you say are true, isn’t it about time that “U”‘s immediate EU…” Sep 29, 17:56
Aidan on The Turning Point: “I will challenge you on this Spartan, the situation in U is extremely serious for all of us in Europe,…” Sep 29, 17:38
James on The Turning Point: “That last was aimed at Adrian, who is cheerleading reducing what is already the lowest -piss poor- state pension in…” Sep 29, 17:30
cirsium on The Turning Point: “Well said Willie 2014 ran them close, closer than we may know and it could not happen again. Given that…” Sep 29, 17:09
Spartan 117 on The Turning Point: “You both raise very sensible points. The fact is the UK are pissing galactic sums of money away on, quite…” Sep 29, 16:47
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Turning Point: “Key historical documentary. Video is remarkably still available here and there online. DÌOMHAIR (CONFIDENTIAL) BBC ALBA 2013. Gaelic with English…” Sep 29, 16:45
Captain Caveman on The Turning Point: “Indeed, Spartan. Very true.” Sep 29, 16:39
Aidan on The Turning Point: “Yes James – in the real world where actual people live, defending ourselves against the real possibility of a wider…” Sep 29, 16:35
Spartan 117 on The Turning Point: “Ignore it. It’s off its tits again on whatever intoxicating substances its managed to raid from the COSHH cabinet. You…” Sep 29, 16:22
James on The Turning Point: “The yapping Armchair General says “we cant afford it”… And yet….. and yet…’we’ can “afford” to waste £205 BILLION on…” Sep 29, 16:15
Captain Caveman on The Turning Point: “What is it with you, Confused? You act like a particularly thick, foul-mouthed, petulant teenager who’s just discovered a keyboard,…” Sep 29, 14:20
gm on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “There are many more anti as opposed to pro independence posts on this site. It makes you wonder about the…” Sep 29, 14:17
Confused on The Turning Point: “sir ranulph fiennes is currently living in my garage; some blondie slipped me a monkey to “look after her dad”…” Sep 29, 13:41
Aidan on Cowering From Destiny: “By “neutral” I assume you mean “undefended”, there will be no remaining neutral for Scotland if all out war breaks…” Sep 29, 13:36
