The consolation prize 91
Posted on
November 29, 2014 by
Chris Cairns
The Scottish Secretaries 309
Posted on
November 28, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
The coverage of the Smith Commission findings in today’s press is woeful pretty much across the board, regardless of where each paper’s allegiances sit. Right-wing Tory papers fume about the poor suffering English (without ever quite pinning down how England would lose out from the proposals) and rage bitterly at what they bizarrely interpret as hypocrisy on the part of the SNP for signing off on the report but then criticising it as inadequate.
(If it helps, chaps, try picturing yourselves as creditors of a bankrupt business being offered a CVA settlement of 10p in each pound owed. It’s better than getting nothing at all and you’d accept the offer, but you’d still be pretty unhappy, right?)
Meanwhile, the Daily Record continues its blitzkrieg bombardment of breathtakingly barefaced bullshot, attempting to simply overwhelm gullible readers by virtue of the sheer volume (in both senses of the word) of its spin and flat-out lies.
Monkey disowns organ-grinder 185
Posted on
November 27, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
We mentioned this story (about David Cameron pushing ahead with “English votes for English laws” legislation that would exclude Labour MPs from budget votes, despite the Smith Commission report categorically saying he wouldn’t) earlier today, but one particular line from it deserves a post of its own.
He said: ‘This is the Prime Minister’s view, it is not government policy.’”
You heard it right, readers: a never-seen dimwit in a job so pointless he himself stood in the last election on a policy of abolishing it altogether really just said “Don’t listen to anything this idiot says about government policy, he’s only the Prime Minister.”
It’s been that sort of day, folks.
Bams to the slaughter 179
Posted on
November 27, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
You have to hand it to David Cameron – he doesn’t hang about. Barely two hours had passed after the declaration of the result of the independence referendum when he started tying new devolved powers into legislation on “English votes for English laws”, in a slick knifing of his unsuspecting hitherto-allies in Labour.
And just as hot on the heels of the Smith Commission’s final report, he’s at it again.
And now for the truth 296
Posted on
November 27, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
It’ll be a brave Yes voter who buys a newspaper (other than The National) or switches on their TV or radio today, because Scotland is already enduring an outpouring of concentrated spin and outright deception that perhaps even exceeds that seen in the last few weeks before the independence referendum.
Blood pressures will be soaring across the land as people are told things about the final report of the Smith Commission that are flatly at odds with the reality, by journalists and broadcasters who either know perfectly well that what they’re saying is false or haven’t bothered to try to find out.
Below, you’ll find the facts.
The biggest lie in history 155
Posted on
November 27, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
We’re going to hold off full scrutiny and analysis of the Smith Commission report on devolution until it’s actually released and we’ve read it, rather than going on pure speculation like most Scottish newspapers this morning.
But what we CAN talk about is this.
Vow left on bus, eaten by dog 279
Posted on
November 26, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
We’ve had another letter from the government.
The Great Devo Con 93
Posted on
November 26, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
Two interesting comments from last night’s Scotland Tonight.
So that’s good to know.
Priorities ordered 211
Posted on
November 25, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
Scottish Labour-style.
Good stuff. We’re just not sure that’s, y’know, the main reason for doing it.
Another rise in inflation 104
Posted on
November 25, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
It’s still Jim Murphy Day here at Wings (did you all get nice presents?), but we’re as sick as you are of hearing him avoid questions about devolution, so instead we’re going to take a look at something else he said this afternoon.
£250 million? We’re sure it used to be rather less than that.
The art of loquacious silence 88
Posted on
November 25, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
Today we’ve become quite obsessed with Jim Murphy’s pathological avoidance of a straight answer to the question of whether income tax should be fully devolved to the Scottish Parliament or not. The BBC now has a report on his much-trailed speech in Glasgow, but we’ll get to that in a moment. First it’s worth having a listen to this.
It’s an interview taken from the “Pienaar’s Politics” podcast on Radio 5 Live earlier this month. And it makes for an intriguing study of the art of evasion.
All things to all men 67
Posted on
November 25, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
Following on from this morning’s post, we thought it was about time someone found a definitive quote from Jim Murphy outlining his position on the devolution of full income tax powers to the Scottish Parliament once and for all.
It turned out to be a surprisingly tricky job.
