Wings Over Scotland

@Dane 10.19

The ‘green ink Brigade’ on this site are the people who constantly post the same SNP propaganda which is off putting for the majority of Independence supporters who do not support any particular party regularly.

This is an Independence site not an SNP site.

It sounds as if you want repetition of fixed viewpoints without discussion and are afraid that any criticism of the SNP, SG and FM is a criticism of Independence.

Surely it is better to have a range of opinions rather than seeing your own reflected back at you all the time. It may comfort you that others think the same way but then you never learn anything. Or do you think you will never change your mind on anything ever again?

There are a number of posters here who when presented with references or evidence say they just want to hear posters’ opinions and then go on to rubbish them or raise suspicion about the posters because they do not agree or feel uncomfortable hearing different views.

I prefer informed opinion. I have raised this about the historical interpretations here. History, more than any other subject, is rife for misinterpretation. However it seems people do not want sources or references, they want someone else’s interpretation of e.g the Constitution because they are lazy or because the posters’ narrow views fit with their own.

There are some subjects that are manipulated for political purpose more than others – History is one and another even more relevant in the current climate is Psychiatry, a tool of despots and dictators for as long as it has been around.

I feel it is unfair to label every differing opinion as BritNat or causing disruption for the sake of it. We want to be informed and make rational decisions and we cannot do that if only one prevailing viewpoint is allowed.

Ironically, the site was set up to challenge the orthodoxy of prevailing opinion but it seems that does not extend to below the line commentary.

@Golfnut

Another aspect to all this ‘new Indy party’ idea …. the SNP have achieved success, particularly at WM elections, because the BritNats are fragmented into umpteen parties. Conversely the Indy side hasn’t been so fragmented. If the SNP vote were split evenly between two parties ( like Lab and Tory (and now Brexit also)) it would have been far less effective. Or, if the Greens were more effective and stood at GEs.

Anyone suggesting seriously undermining the SNP electoral success is playing with our future. Some will be BritNat saboteurs – divide and rule. Others, to my mind wreak of ideological purity in a fight leading to defeat which is somehow an achievement. Some have just let impatience take hold of reason.

Indy support is increasing. It is coming. But SNP ongoing success is essential.

Are the SNP being assertive and confrontational enough? I’m tempted to say no, but fortunately I’m not in the driving seat.

Galamcennalath 11.35

SNP

There is a wonderful illustrative diagram in the Museum of Scotland, showing the schisms in the Scottish protestant church after the great disruption of 1843 and thereafter.

If that is not a political lesson in what not to do, I don’t know what is.

Topical, eh? 😉

Re Wark and McConnell, will some Winger please immediately save & archive the following Scotsman article (I don’t have the skills)?

I searched for both fore and surnames, and
found a Scotsman article dated Sunday 12/02/2006, headlined “Wark kept on BBC probation over bias fears”. Here are some extracts….

“Leading TV presenter Kirsty Wark was placed on probation by worried BBC chiefs a year ago as a direct result of her controversial holiday with Jack McConnell and will continue to be closely monitored.” ……

“The Villagate row erupted after Wark invited McConnell and his wife, Bridget, to spend Hogmanay with her and her partner Alan Clements at their 150,000 house in Alaro, Majorca. The families also holidayed together at the villa in December 2002.”……

“It subsequently emerged that Wark and her family had twice been overnight guests at Bute House, McConnell’s official residence in Edinburgh.”

@A Bruce 12:05pm

By October I heard

Just for you @exile says at 12:00 pm

Archived article Wark and McConnell

link to archive.is

@ exile – also, Alan clement is a producer who gave evidence to the Culture, Media and sport committee of the HoC taking evidence on the parlous state of broadcasting in Scotland.

When asked why there were no dramas produced in Scotland for years, Clement answered that in 2014 Scotland “went out of fashion”.

Unfortunately, his response failed to broadcast as the live transmission buffered at that point and when restored, his contribution had been edited out. Fortunately, the transcript in Hansard printed his response.

@Dr Jim
Ha! I’ve read that title a few times in the far past, when I used to take Private Eye. Thought it was an English thing. Is it not Lizzy or Libby in our neck o the woods?

@Welsh Sion
Sorry about that, but you do win 1 Free Internet for creative use of ‘Estivate’ – nice one! 🙂

@Iain mhor 12:56pm

As far as I understand it the story goes that Prince Phil the Greek used Brenda as his pet name for her Maj

Of course that could be another one of those urban myths but loads of us have pet names for our spouses so it could be as true as anything else

I hope it’s true because it makes them seem less likely to be *The Lizard people from outer space* destined to rule over us for all time

@Iain Mhor.

Good question, bored or not it deserves an answer.

Prince of Wales was the Royal title of the monarch of Wales. Edward longshanks, after defeating Welsh forces,(temporarily I might add since Wales never really gave up) conferred the title on his son and heir to demonstrate his overlordship of the Welsh. Didn’t go down to well, but ever since the heir to the English throne was invested as Prince of Wales. Scotland’s heir held the titles of Earl of Carrick, Bruce’s Earldom, however when Bruces daughter had child( she married the High Steward) that title was added to the heirs list. Lord of the Isles was added later when full control of the Isles was removed from the McDonald’s. I think it was James VI who conferred the title of the Dulke of Rothsay on Charles his heir. Charlie’s title in Scotland is the Duke of Rothsay heir to the Scottish throne which is still extant.

The Royals should slim down or bow out. Not much chance of that. Multiplying. When the Windsors keel over. There has to be s9me changes. £400Million of funding. The Tory Royals support austerity causing mental health problems. They engage in illegal wars, killing other people’s mothers.

Their excessive cavalcade just knocked down and severely injured an elderly lady at a crossing. They do not stop. Some of them should not be driving. They got fantastically wealthy tax evading. The heir pays £2Million tax on £20Million. 10%. The rest tax evade. Monies which should go to fund essential services and elderly services. The privileged get fantastic tax free pensions.
.

Golfnut @ 1.10pm

Do you know the ‘ich dien’ = ‘eich dyn’ myth, which began life in the Victorian period?

And of course, as you appreciate me typing here, the Cymry never ‘gave up’. (Even when your own Bonny Prince Charlie was ‘Prince of Wales’ [sic.])

Re Royal costs.

Have a look at this …

link to en.m.wikipedia.org

I can’t be arsed looking any deeper into this, but was surprised by the assertion … “Revenues from these hereditary possessions have been placed at the disposition of the British government …. the revenues of GBP 304.1 million (fiscal year of 2015/16) far exceed the expenses of the British royal family in this sense resulting in a “negative cost” of the British monarchy.”

I object to monarchy on a moral basis – I don’t agree with hereditary privilege being part of the framework of society. The message it sends rather than the cost annoys me most.

Something does disturb me though … the world’s most successful nations are monarchies (Norway etc) which does shake my believes.

Capella at 11:21 am

Self-ID and review of GRA Act.

I do not think the SG had any intention of proceeding with the slf-ID/GRA business at this time and their announcement of a delay and further consultation was pretty much what I would have expected after reading the documents related to the review to date. I think you gave a link to them and I had also found them for myself.

In particular the detailed analysis of the responses – 15,000 – or so that was carried out by an independent researcher. Reading that, albeit quickly, it was clear to me that the SG would not proceed even although there seemed to be a majority in favour of various changes the opposition was pretty strong and coherent. No government could ignore that.

So as I said, not surprised by their decision but it certainly caught a lot of other people on the hop especially the ones, some of whom were prominent on this site, who saw it as a way to beat, and possibly divide, the SNP.

You do not stay in power for 12 years or more by handing the opposition that sort of cudgel.

bittie45 @ 1.31

Only 17000 signatures in support of independence required to reach the 250000 target on Yes.scot.

For those who haven’t yet, please consider adding yours.

________

Have already done so.

In solidarity, I enclose the link.

link to yes.scot

Hi Ken500.

You typed,
“There is an article that explains the connection.”

link to lenathehyena.wordpress.com

Yesterday on the Guardian I asked if there was anything Boris could do to lose Tory support

I wondered if turning up for a debate dressed as a golliwog would do it. Or perhaps a drunken greet and meet with the plebs ending up with a Karaoke rendition of Smack My Bitch Up with ambiguous mumbling leaving doubt as to whether he was singing about heroin or domestic violence.

I postulated that as long as he said “31st October, do or die” he could do all the above and still win by a country mile.

My arse was moderated almost instantly 🙂

When did the Guardian become so utterly anemic and pathetic?

Just been doon tae watch the parade at Bo’ness Children’s Fair. Gratifying number of Saltires on show. Only a few UJs though. Maybe no like the Indy mairches, but still…. Well done Bo’ness!

BTW National Roadshow hits Bo’ness next week. What a week they’re hivven doon there!

@galamcennalath

As the maxim runs, the rich get rich by not spending money.
For example the chooky rossy has incomes from his estates. How much does he spend of that income to upkeep the estates.
A case in point:
Chairlie is forever cutting aboot his big drum, Dumfries House, at Cumnock. Much of the landscaping and other restoration work was done ‘gratis’ by *ahem Voluntary Organisations and a fair bit of equipment was donated to those organisations by local businesses.

I was working with one a while back, which donated a fair sum of equipment to local ‘Charity’ orgs. The fact that the business was on its uppers at the time rankled. The fact he was getting his big hoose done up free with child labour, didn’t help my mood.

Now, I do not wish to disparage the various volunteer groups and charitable organisations, who do great work in the communities. Possibly having such merits as credit towards a chooky embra award or some such, might go a long way for kids and the unemployed trying to get a kickstart in life.
The big hoose does also bring in tourism and money to the area. But somewhere, somewhere at a distance, I can’t help feeling that it was *kerching, free equipment, free child and unemployed labour and all it cost was a pat on the head, a photo op and a cardboard ‘Award’

Ensuing profits? Well, maybe they are all plowed back into the community and I’m just a big cynical, grumpy arsehole.

Re McConnell

Remember the furore when McConnell better have got the council’s Director of Museums job in Glasgow in the 1980’s. Who the heck is she? said one worthy.

Ahh connections said another.

That’s labour in charge

BBC Licence is paying the enemy to feed you propaganda 🙂

link to thesun.co.uk

link to en.wikipedia.org

Happy Days 🙂

@ JEff.

Yes I think you may be right on the Duke of Rothsay, I think it was created so that the Scottish title matched the English.

Churchill didn’t need to invent the convention, it had already been used in Scotland. One of Robert the Bruce’s grandsons became King when his older brother died. The name John was considered unlucky for a monarch, so he was crowned as Robert.

Thanks for reminding me regarding about the origins of the Scottish title.

Golfnut says:

The name John was considered unlucky for a monarch, so he was crowned as Robert.

…. presumably because no one wanted to be seen following in John Balliol’s footsteps. And certainly not in that period of our history!

link to en.m.wikipedia.org

Golfnut @ 3.42

You’re getting there! 😉

‘eich dyn’ = ‘your man’ in Welsh. Allegedly the words uttered by Edward I when he presented his baby son to the invaded Welsh as the ‘new’ Prince of Wales from the battlements of Caernarfon Castle, with the further emphasis that this baby spoke not a word of French nor English. (Nor obviously Welsh, but hey, who could quibble with the Conqueror of your country?)

‘ich dien’ of course is German for ‘I serve’ and if memory serves me right was the motto of the Duke of Luxembourg, who, along with his personal symbol of three ostrich feathers, was appropriated by Edward, the Black Prince on his murdering the said Duke and installing them, along with the motto, to the ‘Prince of Wales’ set up.

All this of course is Victoriana make believe – Edward I did no such thing nor indeed present his son to the Welsh people. (Edward II, although born in Caernarfon – my home town – would be invested with his new Principality in Lincoln in 1301 in a private ceremony before his father.)

This Principality, (by which we are incorrectly associated) lasted until 1535 (and the first ‘Act of Union’ aka Laws in Wales Act). Notwithstanding none of the subsequent ‘Princes of Wales’ came from anywhere but Wales, the title of PoW is NOT automatically given to the eldest son of the English/British monarch. The Sovereign has to personally appoint that dauphin to the role (as Elizabeth I/II did in 1958) and then he has to be invested with his (non-existent) Principality via Investiture.

These ‘open air, public’ investitures of PoWs is relatively new – since 1911 in fact and with David Lloyd George’s contrivance to get David Windsor (aka Edward VIII) invested in Caernarfon Castle in that year. Charlie duly followed in 1969 – there being no son available to George VI to be made PoW and Princess Elizabeth could not be Princess of Wales.

My father wrote a novel on the exploits of a young adolescent who intended to assassinate Charles Windsor on his big day. Note too that this was a real threat too with those on the edges of Welsh nationalism of the time threatening the same.

Now back to our ‘Acts of Union’ of the 16th century which put an end to ‘the Principality.’ They also ended ‘Wales’ in English legal terms, as everywhere (until 1967) was to be referred to as ‘England’. That is why Robert Peffers and others make the point that there are only two signatories (Scotland and ‘England’) to your own Treaties and Acts of Union of 1706-1707.

However, our self-same ‘Acts of Union’ (1535-1542) were abolished by Westminster as of 21 December 1993, so that we are no longer ‘in union’ with our eastern neighbour. (Remember, we haven’t been a Principality since 1535, nor considered as part of England since 1967).

In consequence we wish for a speedy repeal of *your* Acts of Union with said southern neighbour and join us in the freedom that that entails.

Next stop: Independence!

Yours, aye.

Dros Gymru / For Scotland

@ Welsh Sion.

Thanks for that. I remember watching the ceremony on the telly, black and white for us.

So we’re did the ‘ your man ‘ motto come from. Is it from the ancient Welsh ceremony before the Anglo Normans stuck there nebs in.

Golfnut

Still here on gardening leave – meaning in my case, leave from gardening and some recalcitrant overgrowth. Thanks for responding.

Slightly puzzled. Do you know which of Robert Bruce’s grandsons? Robert III was a great grandson of Robert Bruce and eldest of Robert II’s many sons. He was christened John and as an infant was not expected to live. However, the second brother was christened Robert and was a thorn in his brother’s side throughout his unhappy reign. John was given the regnal name of Robert but his brother continued to be called Robert and was made Duke of Albany when Dukes were being created in Scotland by Robert III. The title thereafter became the title given to the the Scottish monarch’s eldest brother.

I sometimes wonder if the situation of the two brothers was a psychological element of Albany’s troublesome relationship with his older brother. He might have expected to reign had his sickly brother not lived to maturity and then to have his own name, Robert, taken as John’s regnal name might have rankled. Not having enough heirs was often a problem for monarchs but nearly as bad was having too many.

David, the first Duke of Rothesay, did not live to become King and died in mysterious circumstances. Robert III was so distraught at not being able to protect his sons from his jealous brothers and recalcitrant nobles that he felt obliged to send his remaining heir, James, to France. However, the ship was intercepted by English pirates and James was handed over to the English king. Robert III was said to be so overcome by grief that he retired to his favourite castle, Rothesay. ( Might have been the reason why the title granted to his late elder son had been Duke of Rothesay.)

Everyone will know what happened to James subsequently.

By the way, the story about Churchill concerned the regnal number, not the regnal name.

It’s a hot day and my brain is fried. Going to take a long cool drink in the shade and dare the weeds to grow.

Anyone know why Duke of A-L-B-A-N-Y cameout as Caesarly in my post. I know I’ve been out in the sun too long but..

Golfnut @ 4.49 pm.

Apologies, I must have explained it badly.

‘Eich dyn’ = ‘Your man’ (or ‘Votre homme’, if you understand French).

This was NEVER said by Longshanks – it’s either a bad pun on ‘ich dien’ or an attempt by Victorian educators to normalise Edward I as a benevolent overlord to the cowed Welsh. (Those of us with a good head for history know all about ‘Victorian educators’ and what they did for the native, Celtic languages of these islands …)

Before the Conquest, Wales had its own kings and Princes, with the last native Prince of Wales, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd being killed in battle on 11 December 1282 – a date marked in our collective memory. He was even acknowledged as PoW by the King of England – Henry III – in 1267. He also made agreements with the Comyn family in Scotland. His brother, Dafydd, assumed the title but was subjected to a ("Tractor" - Ed)’s (aye, right) death by Longshanks a year later on his capture.

There’s a lot which some people don’t know about Welsh history (often deliberately so, others because of a failure of education), but I’d be happy to recommend useful background reading to anyone here (either through the medium of English or Welsh.)

Cofion.

@ JGedd.

Robert the 111 was indeed the monarch renamed, his brother A-baby would undoubtedly have made the better king and,he knew it. A bany’s son was beheaded when James returned to Scotland. A bloody period in Scotland’s history.

WS

A History of Wales by John Davies is a good start

IAN DUNT ON PUTIN & THE NEW WAY OF COMMUNICATING BY NOT COMMUNICATING.
The architect of ‘confused perplexity’, which underpins Putin’s reign in Russia, is Vladizlav Surkov, Putin’s chief political communication strategist. Here in the UK, his name is not recognised and his huge impact and influence on UK political discourse is suppressed. It appears that the Conservative Party has copied what he has done in Russia, as a means to achieve the same result as that achieved by Putin – staying in power for a long time.

link to mailchi.mp

“Fake news, the inability to assess the reliability of the information you see, the emergence of a political class with no concern about truth, which will say anything to get what it wants and is seemingly completely unfussed by whether someone points out it’s wrong, the death of any sense of honour in the manner in which one discusses things in politics.

The aim is to make it almost impossible to assess arguments. And once that is chiselled away, your ability to form independent judgements is fundamentally compromised.

This has always been core to authoritarian agendas. It’s why making Winston Smith say 2+2=5 is so important in 1984. Once you cannot reason independently, you must defer to a higher power.”

Robert the Truth

It’s not good to see you back posting again.

You’re favourite BBC Scotland blogger states today:

“How do I know what corrupts a bee?”

The answer’s obvious, Mr Taylor:

“Shorter flowers and more honey.”

Happy weekend, everybody!

West Dumbarton Council need to flecks their muscles again & tell the MOD to FROFF

link to helensburghadvertiser.co.uk

CameronB Brodie says:
28 June, 2019 at 6:27 pm
Legerwood
I hope you’re not doubting my motivations re. my concerns over self-ID? “”
………

No, because I had not noticed your position on this issue. Sorry.

Thanks Ronnie!

Legerwood
“No, because I had not noticed your position on this issue. Sorry.”

No problem then. If you ever do get interested, you could do worse that search back for material I’ve posted, as I’m pretty sure I’ve provided sufficient evidence to convince any reasonable observer, that women exist and have embodied, sex-based, human rights. These trump feelz any day, in any reasonable court of law.

Trump ain’t going to like this news.

Special EU channel to allow trade with Iran, circumvent US sanctions is now operational – statement link to rt.com

Question is, where does that leave uk firms if Oct 31st actually IS exit day and WM are desperate for a trade deal with ‘murca?

On the outside of EU/Iran trade and even more squeezed. Think america will replace those lost orders uk firms may have with Iran ?

Nah, me neither.

Cameron Brodie @ 7.32 pm

“”No problem then. If you ever do get interested, you could do worse that search back for material I’ve posted, as I’m pretty sure I’ve provided sufficient evidence to convince any reasonable observer, that women exist and have embodied, sex-based, human rights””
…..

I am a woman, a reasonable one on the whole, and do not need academic tracts to convince me of the fact of my existence as a woman. But thank you for the thought.

link to facebook.com

@ jfngw 8.01 pm you took my post right oot ma brain ( scary ) but lard jack thinks we can’t see the stupidity in his statement , maybe this is how he thought when handing that 1.5 billion back to wastemonster , but typically his wee holiday buddie widnae like tae confuse or confabulate her co conspirator
After all it widnae dae to point out that a market of 405 million people is mair than a market of 56 million people , but there again arithmetic was never a strong point of jacks liebour unless it was filling in their expenses forms

UK Govt should follow Cineworlds brave example and immediately ban tartan

OT

Trump on for a landslide

Democrat candidates championing abortion rights for trans-women (AKA men……..mental)

Putin on the money with the death of liberalism

Hope my Party is paying attention – social responsibility, yes, liberalism, no.

Dear Dr Jim!

How dare you defame children?!!!

ahundrethidiot

The Tories: Hold my Pimms.

Ha!Ha! Is there really no demand in Scotland to see Robert the Bruce?

I presume that there is demand south of the border?

cineworld might be losing customers.

@Dorothy Devine

Apparently all the people who count have seen the film and it’s no good so England is saving us Scots from bad cinematography

I sincerely hope no one we know will darken the doors of Cineworld again. Hit them where it hurts – in the pocket.

@winifred mccartney says: 28 June, 2019 at 10:12 pm:

” … I sincerely hope no one we know will darken the doors of Cineworld again. Hit them where it hurts – in the pocket.”

It’s the same old story, Winifred, “Except for viewers in Scotland”.

You just have to laugh – could they manage to be more small minded than that?

If a film was made about the events of 1706/1707 in Scotland then presumably Cineworld would have to decline to show it.

RobertTheTruth @ 11:31
Robert, nowhere in my post do I mention the SNP. I am well aware that the Independence Movement is more than just the SNP. I don’t know if you misunderstand what I was getting at. I do not want a repetition of fixed viewpoints, that’s my point.I like to read informative, & sometimes diverse opinions of good contributors on here. If you check the archives in any of the previous articles, you will see many of the same protagonists, spouting the same negative drivel time & time again. These are the ones I was referring too, they will never change. All they do is clog up the forum. I’m sure you must have seen some of the veiled threats made on here recently. Hardly encouraging, & certainly not showing the movement in a good light.

Geeo @ 5:03pm
Geeo, I don’t know what you’re getting on your high horse about. I didn’t come on to argue with genuine contributors. I am not being negative about people putting positive points & information. You are a regular contributor on here, so you should be aware of the people I’m referring to. The same ones who crop up on every article spouting the same drivel time & again. Also the ones making threats, veiled & otherwise to other posters.
I also said that Stu’s blog is the biggest & best. I also know Stu has just had a record fundraiser, & worth every penny.
You are correct in saying that the blog is well read & appreciated by many,including non & not yet believers in Independence. The same cannot be said about the comments section though. Unfortunately, it has become a turn off for some activists. If you don’t know that, you’ll have to get out amongst the grassroots a bit more. There are many excellent regular posters, and several occasional with good points, well worth reading.
I still look in at the comments, but I tend to use the “Find” function to get to the posters who I appreciate want to read. It makes life easier.
This article looks like it has run its course, & Stu will probably have the next one ready soon. I’ll look back in then.

Interesting article on the Irish Border
link to zerohedge.com

It links to a series of articles in the Daily Telegraph

Mercosur has 14 full and associate member countries, now with a trade deal with the EU. Yet brexiteers will think not being part of the Mercosur bloc/ EU bloc of over 40 countries is of little import (in reality, little export).

Dane@11.16pm.

So, now you are claiming people are not reading the btl comments as much as the articles ?

Are there seperate figures for distinguishing that claim ?

Or, again, you are projecting ?

Oh wait…some grass roots activists “told you’ which clearly translates as being a representative fact.

By all means, feel free to moan about btl comments, but to claim there is a surge away from them by site visitors because you and a few others said so, is projection of your personal view.

I always read the btl comments on here, as it is a great place for quality information from people with great ideas and insights helpful to the indy cause, which is exactly why they are polluted by allsorts of trolls, naysayers, agitators, splitters etc, desperate to get people to STOP READING.

The info of a topic post by Stu is the thumping heart beat of this site, the btl discussion is the blood which spreads the hearts message far and wide.

People can learn as much from each other down here btl, as they learn from Stu’s articles.

Even the agitators etc teach us stuff, we learn how to identify their techniques, styles, language of division and so on, then WE can share even THAT information far and wide to others.

Once people see it, they never unsee it.

Once that happens, they question stuff they see.

And THAT makes them harder to fool.

THEN they start to believe WE are correct.

Telling folk on here that “people are put off by btl comments section” COULD be read as “do not read the btl comments folks”

Its already the plan by some, clearly non indy folks, to try make btl look divided, particularly by the concern trolls and “sleekit” types who constantly berate the SNP and FM.

Lets not help these people.

Meet them btl and fucking tell them we ain’t buying the shite they are selling.

WGD:- ‘BBC2 Newsnight’s Scottish Toryfest.’

….”Out of the nine political voices that the programme presented from Scotland, seven were Conservatives. And not one of those representatives of a minority party was asked to explain what mandate they have from the people of Scotland to block another independence referendum. So yeah, a totally balanced and even handed presentation of the current state of Scottish politics after 20 years of the Scottish Parliament. That’s your BBC balance for you.”…..

link to weegingerdug.wordpress.com

I remember Tesco refusing to stock Braveheart VHS tapes, then after that became a media issue (it wouldn’t now) they stocked it but it was £50, way above the norm for VHS movies.

PS2

Cameron made a personal plea to the head of Sony not to license Outlander in the UK.

Caledonia was banned on the Beeb.

Letter from America was banned on the Beeb (after it was explained to them what it was really about).

Retaining Scotland has been a long term goal of the English Establishment.

Lucky enough to live in Glasgow so there is plenty choice when it comes to watching films on the big screen. I’m done with cineworld now, there’s a 9 screen cinema opening up in the St Enoch centre soon so I that along with all the rest is more than enough choice and choose I shall. Just not to cineworld in the future. Sick of big companies thinking they can bully their customers.

Yeah, take your time Scotland. What’s the rush?

Meanwhile the world moves on.

link to mobile.twitter.com

Robert the Bruce film is showing at Vue in Edinburgh and premiered at Edinburgh film festival.

Cineworld been off our radar for quite sometime since there was an error with son’s direct debit, he had a subscription as he used to go there a lot, they did not tell him there was an error and sent it to their ‘internal debt collector’! Son has never been in ‘debt’, ever, I was livid and they got short shrift from me. Avoid them, nasty company.

Check put this article on the BBC website –

link to bbc.co.uk

– specifically check out the photos. The kids showing the Queen round the Gaelic language centre are all holding saltires *and* union flags and some just the latter. Now presumably they didn’t all bring them from home, so someone must have dished them out. The teachers? The Queen’s entourage? Either way it’s turning kids into a transparently political statement.

I’d recommend Craig Murray for sobering and wide perspective, although, for once I see what I consider an uncharacteristic failure; a failure to grasp just how weak a leader Jeremy Corbyn actually is, despite whatever principles he might have.

link to craigmurray.org.uk

The “best of a bad lot” doesn’t cut it when the “bad lot” is the spectacularly dismal and inept shower of political empty vessels we are currently saddled with, across the whole political spectrum. Corbyn gives an increasingly remote opportunity to change the script, but not I think, to write the happy ending.

I don’t know where the head of the Establishment snake is, the critical pivot point where everything can be put to right by a magnificently benign cascade, but I do know the “malevolence” could not manage these surreal misadventures without the puppet media and it’s indoctrinating propaganda.

As religion arguably loses it’s grip on the increasingly secular world and forfeits it’s capacity to control the masses, the “modern” media is stepping in to fill the vacancy, and it’s an ugly and dangerous phenomenon that is currently unfolding.

At some point, it will start the burning of heretics, and damning non-believers.

Ronnie ; 7-05
Someone does hand these flags out don’t know who they are from, home office perhaps. During a visit to a school, by Prince William Saltires were taken from the kids and they were given UJ’s. At the opening of the Queensferry crossing the kids were on the bridge denying access to these people.

@Breeks.

Regards Corbyn.

It does appear to be a bit of a blind spot for Craig, I don’t see any benefit for Scotland if Corbyn becomes Prime Minister, he wants out of the EU, he is undoubtedly establishment voting fodder along with the rest of Labour.
I see the the Civil Service have gone political again, apparently they consider Corbyn to frail for the job of PM.
It’s seems there code of conduct can be disregarded if and when its suits.

The film will be a great success available.worldwide. Scottish films are always a great success worldwide. A massive engaged audience. Scottish matters influence the world. They always have done.. Scotland is a great attraction for the film industry. Scottish film industry is doing really well. Bringing in visitors and revenues. Famous worldwide. Scotlabd has great hero’s and stories to tell. Including Alex Salmond. A great Statesman with world influence. A great storyteller. Really interesting.

Cineworld will just lose out, A poor financial decision, They are already losing out. The profit comes for the estate increasing in value. When it is sold. That is why the drinks and sweeties are priced so high, To try and offset profits. Cineworld have made another bad commercial decision. Bad for review and customer service, They could change their policy or lose out, Their poor decision. Losing revenues and business. People will just use other outlets to view it, A massive audience and fan base.

Today’s Daily Telegraph highlighting SNP’s IT failures at £250M.

Whilst this definitely requires scrutiny, the usual lack of balance and Telegraph’s obsession with independence and the SNP means the huge IT disasters in England are forgotten.

Meanwhile the SNP wait for the other side to blunder in aid of our cause.

When you watch the BBC coverage of the 20th anniversary, remember that Scotland did not vote remain to a question to leave or remain a part of the United Kingdom. It voted ‘No’ to the question -‘Should Scotland be an independent country?’

I spotted this in the Electoral Commission Report

link to electoralcommission.org.uk

“4.49 Professor Tomkins was of the view that ‘independent country’ fudged the
issue and did not get to the heart of the what the referendum was about. He
was opposed to the idea that Scotland should become independent of the rest
of the UK, but told us he could vote ‘Yes’ to the referendum question
proposed, because he could accept that Scotland is already an independent
country in all sorts of ways.
I consider that the question must refer to statehood – “should Scotland
become an independent state?” – and not to Scotland’s identity as a
‘country’. ..Scotland may already be an independent country but it is
not (yet) an independent state.”

bjsalba says:

…. but only as a guide to how Brexiteers/ERG types think … they still think they can get a good deal from the EU

It’s quite difficult to separate the bullshit they spout to get gullible right wing voters on side, and what they actually believe. The problem being they appear to believe the impossible, which prompts questions about their mental state.

Another aspect, they still confuse future trade arrangements with the Withdrawal Agreement. In the early stages Brexiteers thought they could do both in parallel. This was always nonsense, as trade talks can only occur after Brexit. The transition period negotiations into the WA allows time for this. So when Brexiteers talk of concessions from the EU it looks like they want to talk trade too early, again.

The WA seems straightforward. Citizens rights, money owed, and an arrangement to protect the Good Friday Agreement. What is it the Brexiteers are unhappy with? The suspicion is that the hard core just don’t want any WA, they want a dirty ‘no deal’ exit. Then they believe the EU will give them the open trade they want, with no strings. Fantasy built on more fantasy.

The Scottish *journalists* day

What have you got on the SNP today says one *journo* to the other, well I heard one of them couldn’t get their tablet to work, perfect says the other we’ll go with *SNP IT failures*
anything else? well I saw John Swinney eat a pie, Oh yes ya beauty *Swinney fails on nutrition in our schools* C’mon there must be more we can get them on, Oh well Nicola Sturgeon was wearing a fitbit style watch, Bazinga!! *Nicola Sturgeon in health scare is she fit for office*

Well that’s it for the day back to bed for a rest before we meet up at the pub at tea time for some more fact finding

Sorry if this has been posted before. BBC hypocrisy.

apple.news/ACqOkDo3JQmKdBTUMMkiPwA

I’ll try that again.

link to apple.news

Given that Holyrood is about to start the summer recess and won’t be back until early September, it means the writ for the Shetland by-election will not issued until that month.

After allowing time for nominations and then the usual 3 or so weeks campaign, the polling day should be late October.

What do you know? Brexit day, the 31st October is a Thursday. We could have a parliamentary by-election on the very day Scotland is taken out the EU against our majority wish.

To hold the seat against the SNP challenge the Lib Dem candidate will have to defend the policy of their party to deny an indyref2. And will have to defend that policy during the final few days that Scots are EU citizens.

@Welsh Sion says: 28 June, 2019 at 5:04 pm:

” … Apologies, I must have explained it badly.”

No, Welsh Sion, you explained it just fine.

” … Those of us with a good head for history know all about ‘Victorian educators’, (and what they did for the native, Celtic languages of these islands …). Of course also with the aid of the Lochgelly Tawse, or any solid bit of standard issue schoolroom equipment”.

Mind you it did have some good effects. Most pupils leaving school in those days were adept at ducking and dodging flying objects.

Indeed – I think I had some of those Victorian educators as my teachers in the early 1940s. ;-))

Due to WWII they had conscripted anyone, young enough, who could walk and hold a gun and it included teachers. I hadn’t realise the old buffers teaching us were old Victorians but now that you mention it … …

If truth be told the history of the British Isles as taught in our schools is more fantasy than truth and it started with the Romans who were the first to record it. When you really get down to serious study the first thing you learn about the Roman historians is that lots of it contradicts other lots of it.

Roman history, much like today’s, is politically biased and dependent upon which Roman faction the author belonged to. So the reader finds one historian’s report contradicts another historian’s report.

So the question has to be, “Who decided which version was the true version to be included in the school’s curriculum”?

The really strange bit is how, in every case, the versions chosen always seems to support what is best for, or shows up England as, best?

” … Before the Conquest, Wales had its own kings and Princes, with the last native Prince of Wales, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd being killed in battle on 11 December 1282 – a date marked in our collective memory. He was even acknowledged as PoW by the King of England – Henry III – in 1267.”

Which is another matter that the schools curriculum never makes plain. The Celtic system of Royalty differed greatly from the Anglo Saxon system. In the Celtic system there were many individual kings or princes who all owed fealty to one supreme king.

It often called them other than king or prince but the system was the same. As in the Scottish Highland chieftains and the Southern Upland extended Family system, (also often wrongly described as clans). It seems to me that Welsh, Irish and Scots history is always tinged in the curriculum by the English point of view.

I do not know about Wales but the pre-World War two Scottish teaching profession were almost exclusively Oxbridge educated teachers. Only post WWII did, due to demobbed service people returning, did the Oxbridge stranglehold on teaching begin to relax but there were still far too many of, (cough!), ‘the old school’ of educators teaching in our schools.

Tory Royal visit.

Lord Hamilton who betrayed Scotland for what they can get. Enough is never enough. Total greedy thieving hypocrites. Low life unionists. Still at it. The garter racket.

Re the NTS .

Look at the members of the NTS. It cries out lib dem, Tories and labour place men and women. Seems a higher proportion of people from certain classes and from England. Some also sit on our Universities pushing the britnats line.
Can’t spot anyone from a council estate. Happy to be corrected.

Still one director is a “father of three children who are new to Scotland but are getting out to castles, coastlines and other great sites run by the National Trust for Scotland pretty much every weekend.”

Ahhhhhhh. It sells it to me. Unlike the £15 coo mug made in England.
Reminds me when I cancelled my family subscription the rather cheeky letter sent to me in response. How dare We.

Maybe such charities should have minimum number of individuals reflective of Scotland today and not from the 1950’s and not political place men or women which the NTS is.

So, Scotland’s Parliament is 20 years old today.

Next year at 21 it gets the key of the independence door.

While I agree it’s an outrage that the Robert the Bruce movie won’t be shown…

Where is the outrage from the Scottish population and the SNP on the soon to be repatriated powers from EU / talk of WM spending in Scotland bypassing Holyrood / massive stockpiling of civil servants in Edinburgh’s UK in Scotland office (or whatever it’s calling itself) / removal of Foreign Office support to the Scottish Government’s overseas visits / ripping up of the Sewel Convention and much more…

These are the things that we should be shouting about. And before I get pelters from the party faithful on the Wings BTL commenters, I’m gonna come out and say it – it’s what the SNP should be shouting about.

I get that movies can trigger passion and pride but the issues listed above are what really matters and need to be shouted out hard.

Education difference. Scotland was guaranteed a separate legal system and separate (Protestant church) A shared Protestant monarch. The separate Church led to separate education system. Education was church based done through the Parish. Scotland was the first country in the world to have free tertiary education. That is the significance of the education system it was universal and ‘free’. Available to all. Also led to a more equal classless society. A meritocracy. That led to freely educated people. People could do the best for the community. This contributed to the Scottish invention.

Still the same today. Scottish invention changed the modern world. A commitment to universal education for all. Education according to ability. Not the ability to pay. The SNP total commitment. Improving the economy. Life long education system. Freely available. Scotland has one of the highest education population in the world. More uni pro rata. More people in education or training. More apprenticeship. Additional needs education provision. It is some (unionist) councils that do not comply with the aims abd ambition.

The Victorian culture held back woman. Less equality. Church dominated. The Church acted as a control. without community restraints.of discipline. Control by the State. Class system. Without other desired means of control.

Be good or you went to hell and damnation. Be burnt in the fire. Instead of the glamour light of heaven. Etc Reinforces class values. Headed by a god like monarchy cult. The divine right to rule. Know your place. You get your just rewards. An imposed paternal society of male dominance. To keep power, control and cohesion. Dominated by ‘family’ restricted values so people would conform and not step out of order. Even used as cannon fodder by the monarchy and the State. Death of millions.

Life was cheap. People lived shorter lives. Average age of death. In Victorian Times 50% of children died before they were five. A large expansion of population. Malthus theory. Total of hygienic conditions or medical advances. People drunk alcohol safer than unclean water. They were all drunk and boisterous but died younger. Depressing,

That influence education. Only the wealthy could afford it. Males received more value. Females less educated. Many people could not read and write. Education became an elite commodity.Victorian values of hierarchy. Not conformed to in Scotland. More highly educated. More opportunities.

Scotland To be treated equally. Terms of the Treaty of Union.That did not happen. Treaty of union not supported in Scotland. Riots and petitions presented in Edinburgh Parliament against it. Ignore by the privileged. Same today. Tory Royal visit. Hierarchy of privilege. Not appreciated in Scotland.

Republic of Scotland@10.24
Not really an attempt to phase out our football team.
It’s like all other sports. The National team recognised by the Olympic authorities is the U.K.
So the Murray brothers. Alan Wells, and a host of other Scots, Welsh and N Irish had to compete as British or miss out. You can’t blame them for wanting to appear at the greatest sporting festival.
Of course the answer Is Independence.

I too was stunned at the group of UJs outside our Parliament. All I noticed held by non-Scots. All tourists. One Scot interviewed who may or may not have been holding a flag. There was, I am glad to note, no flag waving or much cheering. Surely the flags must have been handed out. Especially interesting is the royal calvacade we’re flying the Lion Rampant!
20 years ago I do not recall any UJs. Just a sea of Saltires. What is going on? It was the same when Harry and Megan visited

Fireproofjim The issue is that there has been noises from Fifa that the UK should have one “National” team for Fifa sanctioned events such as the World Cup and other Major tournaments.
Think its a good idea myself, if we are happy to be a region of Englandshire why should we have our own National Football team.

The BBC web pages has a 20 question multiple-choice quiz to mark the 20 years of the Scottish Parliament.

Trouble is, although the multiple-choice answers are there, most of the questions are completely or partially missing.

Sums up the mess that is the UK and its institutions like the BBC.

Geeo@12.17am

A cracking post telling it as it is. Don’t like to compliment you too much because some diddys will think I am complimenting myself. LOL