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Our man on the scene 900

Posted on September 24, 2014 by

There’s been a lot of talk on Twitter and Facebook of irregularities at the referendum counts, leading to accusations that the referendum was somehow fixed, culminating in a petition to have the procedures investigated, or even the referendum re-run. As with most conspiracy theories, this is largely down to people not understanding what they’re seeing, as the videos flying around the internet showing bits of the count have been removed from their context.

votecount

For example, there’s a video showing a counting table with a No sign on it with a pile of ballot papers, with the top paper showing a cross beside Yes. To the uninformed observer, this looks like Yes votes have been dumped on a table of No votes; but in reality, the pile of votes were still waiting to be split up into Yes and No at this point, and if the person making the video had bothered to check, they’d have found this out.

So here’s a quick guide to how the count worked, as observed by one of this website’s own official monitoring agents (specifically me).

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Tags:
Category comment, investigation, scottish politics

We told you so #2 955

Posted on September 23, 2014 by

Even we’re surprised how fast these are coming true.

image

Stay tuned for more. They’re on the way.

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Tags:
Category comment, scottish politics, uk politics

The best of friends 681

Posted on September 22, 2014 by

We’ve known and documented for some time now that Scottish Labour’s attitude towards “foreigners” is, well, let’s be super-generous and say “ambiguous”. But this photo from nine days ago made even us take a sharp breath.

labfront1

The woman on the left is the Labour MP for Aberdeen South, Dame Anne Begg. She received her DBE in 2011 “for services to disabled people and to equal opportunities”. But who’s her No-campaigning pal?

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Tags: ,
Category comment, disturbing, scottish politics

The voices of unity 229

Posted on September 22, 2014 by

Just a small sample.

unity1

“You were rumbled, you fucking traitors. Now shut up.”

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Category comment, scottish politics

A lie won’t fly 860

Posted on September 21, 2014 by

Scots voted No, in the end, on a ‘vow’ of greater devolution. Every Scot I have spoken to understands that the promised transfer of power can only take place if the books are balanced and Scots no longer legislate on England-only matters; this is manifestly part of the deal. If the UK government, Tory or Labour, reneges on it then the referendum result will have been fraudulent and founded upon a lie that won’t fly.

nofly3

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Tags: ,
Category analysis, comment, scottish politics, uk politics

Number 1 in a long series 416

Posted on September 20, 2014 by

Of posts subtitled “We told you so”.

straw

Coming soon: Iraq War III, Tory victory in 2015, UK out of Europe in 2017. Hold tight.

Tags:
Category comment, uk politics

Enough is enough 399

Posted on September 20, 2014 by

If we hadn’t already been sure, this would have sealed it.

separated

Because we all know what really happened in George Square last night.

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Category comment, culture, scottish politics, uk politics

The candle 429

Posted on September 20, 2014 by

hopesnuff

Tags: ,
Category pictures, scottish politics, uk politics

Keep ’em peeled 326

Posted on September 19, 2014 by

Now, technically there are still around 20 minutes of the 19th left as we write this, but we’re reasonably sure that Parliament is now closed for the night and as far as we can tell this doesn’t seem to have happened.

vow2a

You’ll let us know if you spot it, won’t you, readers?

Tags: ,
Category investigation, scottish politics, uk politics

Fooled you twice, suckers 568

Posted on September 19, 2014 by

The Daily Record, 15 September 2014:

“David Cameron , Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg have signed up to a historic joint statement that was demanded by the Daily Record on behalf of the people of Scotland.

The unprecedented agreement was signed after the Record demanded that the leaders clearly explain what they are offering so the Scottish people can decide if it is a better alternative to independence.

The agreement was brokered by former prime minister Gordon Brown and Scottish Labour. This new pledge means that all the parties with a chance of forming the next UK government have guaranteed the ‘extensive’ new powers will be put on the statute book next year.

Brown said: ‘We have agreed a timetable for that stronger Scottish Parliament – a timetable to bring in the new powers that will go ahead if there is a No vote. A White Paper by November, put into draft legislation by January.'”

Our emphases. But you’ll never guess what, readers.

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Category scottish politics, uk politics

The country that wasn’t 1,041

Posted on September 19, 2014 by

Last night, everyone in Scotland lost.

greyhr

45% of the electorate in the highest turnout in modern UK political history voted for hope and for change, and didn’t get them. 55% voted in terror of change, but will get it (for the worse) anyway.

The No campaign desperately abandoned all pretence of being an alliance and turned into a red-and-yellow-branded Labour one, only to lose in Labour’s core Glasgow heartland and doom the party to all but certain defeat in both 2015 and 2016. The SNP will likely take advantage at the ballot box, but win only a poisoned chalice.

The Tories will triumph in the next UK election as saviours of the Union, then be forced into an EU referendum only a demented minority of them really want, and which will result in a disastrous exit from the EU. And of course, the Lib Dems were dying no matter what.

So it goes.

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Category comment, media, scottish politics

Us, now, or never 2,468

Posted on September 18, 2014 by

We have fifteen hours.

spiky

The next fifteen hours mark the only ones in the entire history of time in which the fate of Scotland has rested democratically in the hands of its people. In 1707 the country was sold from under its people’s feet by a tiny handful of “nobles”. Before that it was won or lost in blood and sorrow. Today, the will of the people – every man and woman with one equal vote, regardless of wealth or property – shall decide.

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Category comment, scottish politics

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