Please do not leave a message
Obviously we tried ringing “Better Together” ourselves again this morning, just before 10am, but once again Blair McDougall was unavailable, and the person we spoke to couldn’t tell us when would be a good time to catch him as he’d be “in and out” of the office throughout the day.
We took that to mean that he was currently out, so we called him on his mobile.
(We’ve blanked the bit where he gives out another “Better Together” mobile number, as we don’t know if that one was publicly accessible like Mr McDougall’s was.)
We’ve sent an email to the specified address. We’ll try a text after that.
“Hi Blair. I’ve been having some trouble getting hold of you at the office, doubtless due to your busy schedule. Still hoping for an answer re: Wings Over Scotland’s invitation to a chairman-vs-chairman public debate. We’ve already had an acceptance from Yes Scotland, so we’re just waiting on you to give us the nod then we can get round to arranging the details.
If Alistair isn’t prepared to debate Dennis at a mutually convenient time and place with a neutral chair, that’s fine, but I’d appreciate it if you could let me know, so I can stop bugging you about it.
I believe you’re a big fan of single questions with straightforward Yes/No answers, so if you could answer that one it’d be lovely.
Best regards,
RSC.
.PS If it swings the deal we’ll throw in a fish supper as well.”
He’d be well within his rights to ignore that bile-filled rant, Rev.
(just kidding).
No interest in a chairman to chairman debate as they want an anti SNP campaign and people from Labour and heaven forbid other parties tarnish this simplistic agenda.
They have to avoid Cameron speaking for the UK at all costs as he is toxic, yet he is the guy in charge!
Don’t like to say it, Rev, but he won’t answer to that.
Personally, I would have just kept phoning him every now and then, and politely asked when he would be available. To keep this up for weeks, would mean that there is no chance of the BT mob shouting out about ‘just wait till we get to the debates’.
McDougall, to be honest, will never take up the challenge; even if you offered him £10,000! But by phoning him on a regular basis though, it shuts the whole of that mob up about televised debates and who should be involved.
Keep it up though, Rev. This is an annoying tactic that must be driving them crazy! Just be very polite and inviting. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in that room, everytime you phone up!
Impeccable politeness.
“Don’t like to say it, Rev, but he won’t answer to that.”
In fact you’re wrong. Stay tuned
It’s only a matter of time till you are accused of ‘Cyberbullying’ Rev.
In fact you’re wrong. Stay tuned.
Was it the fish supper that swung it?
Would it be red sauce or broon sauce?
I’m on the edge of my seat now.
Tartar sauce for McD surely
I assume “we’ll throw in a fish supper ” wasn’t literal, or was it?
Could it be that planned Better Together events would be bombarded by Yes campaigners calling for a public debate if Blair wasn’t going to answer?
Rev, you shouldn’t have offer him a fish supper; there will be accusations of bribery now.
“Could it be that planned Better Together events would be bombarded by Yes campaigners calling for a public debate if Blair wasn’t going to answer?”
You might think that could be the sort of thing that might plausibly happen.
BRIBERY!
Good cod, what next ?
“I assume “we’ll throw in a fish supper” wasn’t literal, or was it?”
For the sake of clarity and on the record, if fish’n’chips is what it takes to get Mr Darling to a debate we’ll gladly pay.
I wonder if a mince pie would entice JoLa out from her lair.
If he replies to you at all he gives credence to Wings over Scotland not on his wish list I’d reckon.
He may sniffily try to dismiss Wings as beneath his lofty position.
Whilst he fails to reply to you he really is off air to other outlets though I suppose the BBC would be happy to host him as he explains, unchallenged, why he doesn’t respond to websites.
It is a dilemma for the lad.He can always lie of course and say he never received any invitation, and his staff failed to pass on your calls. And what about his Granny? That used to be the excuse for missing school or work to attend weekday football matches.
In Lieborspeak, no doubt his strategy is being tested via committees.
Meantime Wings viewers, a few(?) sit and watch.
For the sake of clarity and on the record, if fish’n’chips is what it takes to get Mr Darling to a debate we’ll gladly pay.
What about a haggis supper with a can of Irn Bru?
Or is that too provincial?
If its no posh enough I could get my old chefs hat on. I make a mean pan fried turbot with lemon butter sauce, medley of summer braised summer veg and new potato wedges with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
Fish n’ chips for punters with cash.
What’s the nearest Fish & Chips shop to Baxter Park in Dundee?
Perhaps a few Yes campaigners wafting the suppers in front of BT noses might do the trick. If not keep a macaroni pie handy, you can lob one of those from 50 yards with deadly accuracy.
I have phoned the number 0141 225 6288 and was unable to speak to Blair MacDougall but I was assured he would be replying to the original email request in due course! We await his response and will wait and wait and wait.
I’d suggest a Pizza Crunchy but they’d probably accuse you of attempted murder if you tried giving him one of those.
For Darling you’d need to offer say… smoked salmon canapes and Dom Perignon.
Blair McDougall should be happy enough with a fish supper though.
They have to avoid Cameron speaking for the UK at all costs as he is toxic, yet he is the guy in charge!
Cameron is not eligible to vote in the referendum, so it doesn’t make sense for him to debate the issue. For the same reason, Better Together refuse to accept donations from anyone outside Scotland.
Perhaps we should call this “The Fish & Chips Wars”.
We could have Dennis “Chicken Leg supper for me” Canavan in one corner, and in the other Alistair “Mock Chop” Darling. That’s if Blair “White Pudding” McDougall pulls his finger out.
@Max – What’s the nearest Fish & Chips shop to Baxter Park in Dundee?
There’s ‘The Park’ which is literally over the road. The first review on Google says “The chip’s were hard, cold and dry. The fish was in hard batter, flat not fluffy”, so it sounds perfect!
BBC Reporting Scotland tonight ,” Nasty Cybernats stalking and terrorising that very nice Chairman of Better Together Blair McDougall.
Rev Stu Campbell a well known personal friend of Alex Salmond , and leader of the viscous Wings Over Scotland right wing Scottish Nationalist terrorist organisation with links to the Real IRA and Al Queda and on the personal instructions of Nicola Sturgeon harassed and threatened poor Mr MacDougall who as we know spends all his time for such little reward helping orphans in Africa ,rescuing stranded pets and oh yes he also tries to protect the stupid Scots from the Demonesque Salmond and his one man Separation Crusade.
In other News the Old firm are against the filthy Separists too”
Sorry Rev !but OT from the Glasgow Herald,
A YouGov statement said: “The majority of Britons say that by the year 2070 they’ll work into their 70s and chat with computers, but Scottish independence is about as likely as astronauts landing on Mars.
“Going by current trends George Louis Alexander, the child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, is most likely to ascend to the British throne around the year 2070.
“New research by YouGov finds the British public think they’ll be working as long as the current Queen and talking to computers, but less than half predict independence for Scotland.
“The Scottish National Party wants an independent Scotland to retain the British monarchy but to the British public, it does not look like they will get the choice.
“Only 49% say that by the time of King George VII’s reign the Union will be divided, just 1% more than who say astronauts will have landed on Mars, 48%.
I presume that the yougov bunch included a question ,
” which is more likely , man landing on Mars or Scottish independence ?”
“the viscous Wings Over Scotland right wing Scottish Nationalist terrorist organisation”
“viscous” as in “thick”? How very dare you.
I presume that the yougov bunch included a question ,” which is more likely , man landing on Mars or Scottish independence ?”
They have a percentage for each, so they asked the two questions separately.
Max: About a couple of meters across the road.
For the same reason, Better Together refuse to accept donations from anyone outside Scotland.
Is Ian Taylor of Vitol based in Scotland and eligible to vote in the referendum?
Offer him a steak peh fae Mathews the butcher. Naebody could refuse ain o them.
If he’s not keen on fish suppers maybe he’ll “riskit fur a biscuit”.
“Could it be that planned Better Together events would be bombarded by Yes campaigners calling for a public debate if Blair wasn’t going to answer?”
You might think that could be the sort of thing that might plausibly happen.
Sorry Rev, it will not be easy. Only 3 between Aug 3rd and 11th link to bettertogether.net, compared to the 100 from Yes in the same period link to yesscotland.net
JLT:
even if you offered him £10,000!
It would cost a lot more than that to get Mr Darling off his backside.
I found this in the Scostman:
link to scotsman.com
Surprisingly, is NOT about Moore.
if i was asked who my least favorite person in the no campaign was ? . i would tell them ian davidson
Scottish_skier NOOOOO!
bettertogether.net? Should it not be bettertogether.ok.uk or something similar?
bettertogether.not ?
Ah well, rev, you proved me wrong, but I was right about them never wanting to debate. Question is …do you hassle them on a continued regular basis about a debate, that they either eventually agree to it, or they dare not mention in case they are ridiculed.
Kudos anyway! You got a response …and it sure as hell annoyed them. I would do it again …just for fun!!
Goodness, can I join in the debate? With all this hearty food in the offing it sounds perfect for a logical, decent, rational, factual, honest chat with said fayre…how could anyone resist? Lets see what pops up next from them, could be anything, it’s like a game of chess, well except only some players are clever.