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The quality press 50

Posted on September 08, 2014 by

You have to laugh.

hoots

Anyone would think WE were the ones who’d had to remove, apologise for and pay compensation for defamatory articles about THEM.

A theme develops 238

Posted on September 07, 2014 by

Save it from what, exactly? Democracy?

theme

(More here.)

The great surrender 70

Posted on September 07, 2014 by

Owen Jones in the Guardian, 7 September 2014:

“New Labour’s surrender to the underlying assumptions of the Thatcherite crusade gave the independence movement its greatest opportunity. Yes, the Blairites could not entirely purge Labour’s traditions, and so the minimum wage was introduced (albeit at too low a level), poverty was reduced and public services were invested in.

Yet they illegally invaded Iraq with Conservative support, killing hundreds of thousands of civilians and 179 British military personnel before handing much of the country over to fanatics. They punished aspiration by introducing tuition fees, saddled public services with long-term debt through the colossal rip-off of PFI, and began privatising our NHS – laying the foundations for some of the pernicious policies of this coalition as they did so.

They allowed the living standards of millions of working people to begin falling years before the crash, even as the coffers of corporate Britain prospered like never before. They failed to solve an ever-worsening housing crisis, leaving 5 million languishing on council housing waiting lists. They cut taxes on corporate Britain while indulging in entirely destructive gimmicks such as scrapping the 10p tax rate.

Many Scots look at the Britain built by this political elite, they don’t like it and they want out.”

Seems to pretty much cover it.

Quack quack quack quack quack 299

Posted on September 07, 2014 by

Here’s what George Osborne actually said on today’s Andrew Marr Show:

“You will see in the next few days a plan of action to give more powers to Scotland. More tax powers, more spending powers, more plans for powers over the welfare state. 

That will be put into effect – the timetable for delivering that will be put into effect – the moment there is a no vote in the referendum. The clock will be ticking for delivering those powers – and then Scotland will have the best of both worlds.”

(From 32m 40s.) It’s not actually very hard to follow.

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All over the place 318

Posted on September 07, 2014 by

So, first this happened:

timesyes

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It’s behind you, Donald 386

Posted on September 06, 2014 by

New YouGov poll tonight. Yes 51 No 49 excluding Don’t Knows. Interesting.

behindyou

The Observer’s front page splash is the No camp’s last-ditch Hail Mary – a new devolution talking shop. They just don’t get it. This is about tomorrow, not yesterday.

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Kicking the dog until it bites 326

Posted on September 06, 2014 by

Today’s Daily Mail carries a dismal article under a hysterical essay of a headline reading “Homes vandalised, accused of stealing jobs and an atmosphere of discriminatory intimidation: The savage racism turning Scotland into a no-go zone for the English”. (It actually describes a couple of minor incidents, spread over several years, affecting a single elderly couple in Stirling, without a shred of evidence that they were in fact motivated by their Englishness.)

There are undoubtedly small pockets of anti-English racism to be found in parts of Scotland, like there are small pockets of every kind of racism and prejudice found in every country in the world. But why would any Scottish person ever be driven to feel animosity towards the English – our friends, our family and our neighbours?

englishpassport

Not just because of a few isolated nutters on Facebook, surely?

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Brian Wilson is a liar 167

Posted on September 06, 2014 by

Alert readers will already be aware that former Labour MP, minister and nuclear-power lobbyist Brian Wilson is one of our least favourite figures in the independence debate.

bwilson1

A man utterly consumed by tribal hatred of the SNP – even by the standards of Scottish Labour, which is no mean accolade – his Scotsman columns are some of the most mendacious, bilious propaganda to be found in the country, to the extent that we don’t even link to them in our “Zany Comedy Relief” section.

Today, however, he’s outdone himself in spectacular style.

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Story of a thought process 98

Posted on September 06, 2014 by

One being shared by more and more Scots.

Something in reserve 81

Posted on September 06, 2014 by

finalbend

*Readers! Meet Chris in person next Thursday as part of the Scottish Cartoon Art Studio. Tickets are FREE but you need to book in advance. – Ed.

Ein Yolk, Ein Reich, Ein Fuhrer 198

Posted on September 05, 2014 by

Because throwing an egg is EXACTLY HOW HITLER STARTED.

einyolk

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Rational thinking will have to be made 220

Posted on September 05, 2014 by

This is Andy Brough, the Executive Director at Schroders Investment Management Ltd, discussing the referendum and currency on the Bloomberg channel yesterday.

He predicts a Yes vote in the referendum, and that Scotland and the rUK will share the pound, regardless of what George Osborne says. He predicts a “chaotic” aftermath, but seems rather relaxed overall at the prospect of an independent Scotland in a currency union. And for a senior City financier, he seems to have a very perceptive grasp on the reasons behind Scottish Labour’s backing for the Union.

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    • Cynicus on The quality of mercy: “TURABDIN says: 6 April, 2026 at 4:56 pm From WIKI:?«The earliest use of the term appears in 1507, when King…Apr 8, 15:18
    • Northcode on The quality of mercy: “Due to the proliferation of mindless, illiterate and ill-informed pish scribbled doun in this place by colonialists (unionists if preferred……Apr 8, 14:52
    • Sven on The quality of mercy: “Mark Beggan @ 14.11. Mot a country of deranged morons … more a devolved administration of deranged morons elected under…Apr 8, 14:29
    • Northcode on The quality of mercy: “Nae ither folk bar the Scots thersels hae the nous, the knawledge or the experiens o mony generaciouns, tae unnerstaun…Apr 8, 14:14
    • Confused on The quality of mercy: “Reality check time. The only relevant benchmark for Scotland’s ECONOMIC POTENTIAL is with our small nation peers, most of whom…Apr 8, 14:12
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    • Confused on The quality of mercy: “they just won’t give it a fucking rest, will they – frog face weighing in https://archive.ph/cHiZ4 – but, but -…Apr 8, 14:09
    • Aidan on The quality of mercy: “Well if it’s all been done before, why are you so utterly clueless about it and posting (in that last…Apr 8, 13:38
    • Dan on The quality of mercy: “Ooh, an lse report… oh aye, this had been done to death long before Johnny come lately Aidan turned up.…Apr 8, 13:11
    • Aidan on The quality of mercy: “Do you have a link to those figures “James”, since I can’t find them anywhere. What I can find is…Apr 8, 12:52
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The quality of mercy: “BANNED DOCUMENTARY ON SCOTTISH OIL (The McCrone Report) « Tha paipeirean oifigeil a bha dìomhair ach a-nis air am fosgladh,…Apr 8, 12:49
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The quality of mercy: “McCRONE REPORT – Scotland’s Hidden Oil Wealth « In 1974 the Tory government under Edward Heath commissioned a report by…Apr 8, 12:42
    • Captain Caveman on The quality of mercy: “Well, I guess you had better start rummaging that amongst that great big steaming pile of unwashed kecks, empty beer…Apr 8, 12:32
    • Alf Baird on The quality of mercy: “Names are names, colonial plunder is colonial plunder. Whaur’s oor oil money, an for aw else tae, ower the past…Apr 8, 12:06
    • James on The quality of mercy: ““According to 2013 figures from Fraser Of Allander Institute economist Brian Ashcroft – husband of former Scottish Labour leader Wendy…Apr 8, 11:58
    • Captain Caveman on The quality of mercy: “““As of April 7, 2026, oil prices are high and volatile due to supply concerns, with global benchmark Brent Crude…Apr 8, 11:54
    • James on The quality of mercy: “Apt coincidence though, eh? Doncha think, “Agent”?Apr 8, 11:53
    • Captain Caveman on The quality of mercy: ““Is it down to lack of means, or is it a tactic acknowledgement that deep down they know the money…Apr 8, 11:46
    • agentx on The quality of mercy: “@ james “Shell initially named all of its UK oil fields after seabirds in alphabetical order by discovery – Auk,…Apr 8, 11:27
    • Aidan on The quality of mercy: “@James – don’t start having a massive tantrum because you’ve been made to look stupid by your own lack of…Apr 8, 11:25
    • Captain Caveman on The quality of mercy: “Oh dear. “Eight Ace” is triggered again. 😀Apr 8, 11:01
    • James on The quality of mercy: “Our thieving southern neighbours started taking the piss as soon as the stuff was discovered. “An oilfield? In Scotch waters?…Apr 8, 10:48
    • Cynicus on The quality of mercy: “TACOApr 8, 10:43
    • James on The quality of mercy: ““UK” “government” giving oil drilling licences out for free then? F*** off the pair of you. Supercillious charlatans.Apr 8, 10:42
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