Questions for Jim
Scottish Labour branch office manager Jim Murphy will be appearing on BBC Radio Scotland’s “Call Kaye” programme from 9am today, taking questions from voters as well as presenter Kaye Adams. The phone number to ring in is 0500 92 95 00.
Below are a few posers readers might like to put to Mr Murphy, because he seems to have been adept at avoiding them throughout the campaign. Feel free to reword them.
“You keep saying that voting SNP could let the Tories back into power by the back door. Yet this is arithmetically impossible – if Labour and the SNP have more than 325 seats between them, it doesn’t matter how they’re distributed, the Tories can’t win a vote of confidence. So can you describe to us any specific result, in terms of seat numbers, that you think would let it happen?”
“You’ve repeatedly refused to say whether you’d stand down as an MP after a year if elected, in order to stand for the Scottish Parliament, or whether you’d try to do both jobs. Your answer has always been ‘I’ll tell my constituents first’. The election is in eight days. Have you told them yet, and if not, when will you?”
“Do you accept, once and for all, that the biggest single party has no special rights in terms of forming the government in the event of a hung parliament? And if so, can you confirm for us that Labour IS prepared to form a government even if it comes second in the election?”
“Numerous Labour figures, including former Glasgow Lord Provost Michael Kelly, East Dunbartonshire candidate contender Stewart Moohan, and East Lothian CLP chair Robert McNeill, have publically called for tactical voting for Unionist candidates who aren’t Labour. As this is expressly against party rules, have you expelled any of them?”
“Do you consider the behaviour of party activist and media pundit Ian Smart, which includes regularly calling SNP members ‘fascists’ and ‘Nazis’, on social media acceptable? If not, what action have you taken about it?”
“Can you confirm that Labour would definitely oppose full fiscal autonomy for Scotland at Westminster if it ever came to a vote, and that therefore all your warnings about it are meaningless?”
“Do you accept that it’s the democratic right of the people of Scotland to vote for a future manifesto, from any party, which calls for a second independence referendum, and that no politician has a right to block that choice if it’s what the Scottish electorate chooses to vote for, no matter when they might do so?”
See if any of those make it past the screening process. Be polite and don’t shout.
A couple more:
Gordon Brown keeps appearing on telly making policy commitments. Given that he is standing down as an MP who will ensure his commitments are delivered?
Where’s Jim’s evidence that Labour won’t lose a single seat at the General Election?
During the referendum you emphasised that we were one nation and Better Together, now you are emphasising how Scottish you are and that Scottish Labour (sic) make the decisions, not Westminster
Why have you changed your mind?
I suspect Kaye’s producers will be having a wee look here (*waves*) and anyone suspected of asking any of the above won’t get on air.
Twats? woohahahahaha
Lung capacity isn’t what it used to be. I don’t think I could hold my breath that long.
I suspect (and I’m always willing to be proven wrong), but I suspect this morning’s programme may be a Labour love in.
Only the SNP is putting forward a positive progressive message in this general election and this is reflected in the latest TNS approval ratings for the UK political leaders as published in The Herald this morning:
Sturgeon plus 55%
Miliband minus 2%
Cameron minus 7%
Farage minus 15%
Clegg minus 34%
Even in the UK wide poll Nicola Sturgeon gets an approval rating of plus 33% with Cameron at plus 7% and Miliband at minus 8% despite the most recent TV debate which according to Labour spin machine he allegedly won.
I thought I saw something on Twitter last night saying that he was going to stand as an MP and as an MSP next year too at East Renfewshire Hustings
I know the answers to every one of those questions! Indyref 2, SNP Bad ????
Did you take money from the CIA when you were a £Revolutionary Communist Party” student leader?
What happened to the rest of the, now defunct RCP, are they still working for British Intelligence?
Jims answer to question 1.
Voting SNP reduces the seats Labour win so that they have less than Conservatives. LibDems form majority coalition with the largest party and Scotland gets the Tories for another 5 years.
Murphy has deleted article he wrote for Daily Telegraph in January 2012 when he supported Tory austerity measures with now ironic quotes about the shallowness of populism.
Will probably listen just to make a comparison with yesterdays dreadfully biased and objectionable “interview” by Kay [with an ‘e’]
Like Macart I suspect that Kay[with an ‘e’] will be astonishingly soft with Jimbo.
Mr Murphy can you in fact confirm that contrary to media hype at the time and the claims of some of the more colourful Better Together parliamentary campaigners, that devo max, home rule, a near federal arrangement was never truly on offer for the Scottish electorate?
Can you also confirm that the permanency of the Scottish parliament will NOT be written into the constitutional law of the UK?
MD,
Your first is spot on.
I wonder if they will have any questions from that ‘Stuart from Bath’ chap? Nah, they probably auto-block the whole of SW England, just in case.
Do you still think you will retain every Labour seat in Scotland?
Is Ed Miliband, by ruling out a referendum, acknowledging that a majority of SNP MPs is sufficient justification for independence or is he in fact deliberately in breach of UN Charters and Treaties in regard to Scotland’s Human Right of Self Determination?
Here’s one that will definitely get through, Jim why are you so good? Maybe in a Mrs Brown like fashion, we take so good to mean something else, like such a prick.
Jim & Kaye at 9am. Hmmmm… They’re both bullying types so it’ll be interesting to hear how they cope with each other. Ehh…no. On second thoughts, there’ll be absolutely nothing interesting about it.
Would it not be more likely to succeed if you were to state a more anodyne question then actually ask a real one. Like ” Jim I vote yes but feel labour is the best option for Scotland in these uncertain times, how do we convince others to return to the flock?” I am sure they would love to put such a demanding question to Jim the savior. Once you are on air ask him a real one, chosen from above.
Murphy has just said that if elected as an MP he will sit at Westminster for five years even if he becomes First Minister of Scotland which he considers a part time job.
Please save this recording for next year’s Scottish elections.
Hi Jim, where are Scottish Labour registered? Everything I’ve read says they are just an accounting unit of UK Labour.
Just listening(although that was hard work listening to the whispering tory) to Murphy with Gary R on GMS. He stated he was going to be an MP for 5 years and also stand for FM next year. Gary pressed him on it but he waffled away and ignored him.
Any sensible person would agree an SNP and a Scottish Labour vote are both an anti Tory vote. The only difference is SNP MPs are controlled from Edinburgh while Scottish Labour MPs answer to London. Which do you think therefore would prosecute Scotlands case more strongly?
Murphy telling lies on National Radio about Neil Hay
Jim,
My windae cleaner is rubbish. How much will you charge for a bungalow come May 8th?
nae streaks, mind
@Sinky
I hope it is a PART 🙂 time job.
He has certainly given it his best shot to make it so.
@ James says:
“Jims answer to question 1.
Voting SNP reduces the seats Labour win so that they have less than Conservatives. LibDems form majority coalition with the largest party and Scotland gets the Tories for another 5 years.”
Then Kaye will butt in and say, ‘Naw Jim, shut TFU. Yoa’ve goat it aw rang, ya nutter. If Labour ‘n SNP join forces, then as long as ye vote fir wan or the ither, i’ disnae mattir. Except, it’s bettir tae vote SNP,’cos then Scotland wull hiv a strongir voice in Wesminster. That’s how it works Jim, noo jist sit there an’ don’t open yir f’n gub again tae ah tell ye.’
I may have misheard whispering Jim, but I could swear he just said that he sacked a candidate in 2010 for unpleasant remarks on social media…
Can’t trust myself to phone in as I would lose it, start shouting and it needs more control to speak to this deluded fool than I have. If anyone is going to get anywhere with this person, it needs a calmer head than mine, so anyone feeling zen this morning? I’ll bet nobody with a decent question gets on anyway, just the usual biased selection, but the best of luck chaps….
I am sure that the GMS news at 0800 said that renewing Trident would only cost 100 million. That’s a relief – I thought it was 100 billion.
Just listened to Murphy telling lie after lie and not answering any straight questions on this mornings GMS
One interesting bit when he claims that he sacked a Labour candidate in the run up to the 2010 General election for being abusive
Now perhaps someone can enlighten us as to how Murphy could ‘sack’ someone from Labour in 2010 when he was not party leader at the time
Looking forward to Call Kaye (not) to hear her giving Murphy a hard time (not)
Jim, who is taking possession of The “Toom Tabbard” from Ed,when the electorate kick you out ?
“Jims answer to question 1.
Voting SNP reduces the seats Labour win so that they have less than Conservatives. LibDems form majority coalition with the largest party and Scotland gets the Tories for another 5 years.”
That might or might not be his answer, but either way it’s bollocks. It’s arithmetically impossible.
Dismal Jim, so punch drunk that he is just in repeat mode this morning. The games up it seems and he is unable to disguise his impending doom. Garry took pity on the hapless Jim who was on the ropes early on in the first round. But TKO it was.
Never mind Jim maybe you’ll have better luck on this morning’s phone in. Aye right!
Mr Murphy. Just how much money did you make from British and US intelligence? How much do you have in the bank and salted away elsewhere?
Will you canvass the Sellick pubs in the Swallygate telling them you are proud of Labour’s record in Ireland, like sending Troops IN in 1969, introducing the most antediluvian laws that broke the record as the worst offender against Human Rights in Europe?
Do you wear Butcher’s apron undergarments underneath your Sellick taps?
Do you intend invading the Muddle East any time soon?
Did you enjoy your Trident Birthday cake presentation at Faslane from the Trident bombers?
And finally, does Kay Adams have her tongue down your throat and is she sitting on your knee?
We’se should be telt.
Is Murphy offering to do the First Ministers job as a zero hours contract? It would be the first of its kind that exploited the employer.
Doug Mcg commented on Questions for Jim.
in response to RevStu:
Is Murphy offering to do the First Ministers job as a zero hours contract? It would be the first of its kind that exploited the employer.
I spoke to an Scoto Indian shoapkeeper in the Swallygate who was bemoaning the fact that Scotland does not produce anything anymore and everything is produced on slave wages abroad. His solution was to hire an Indian Prime Minister for 100 rupees a week and that he would do a better job than Andy, sorry, Davey Cameron.
Listening to Kay Adams. just now, who is actually giving the Smurph a hard time and making a fool of him, which is easy the peasy. Jist cannae believe it.
Ask question that can have a yes or no answer. Then state at the end of the question that he MUST answer either yes or no.
On second thoughts that’s never going to happen, is it?
Jim ” after the seventh what are you going to do with your free time and does the benefit system have an expenses system for ex MPs?”
Jim will you be sanctioned by the brew for being sacked by your employers (us) for industrial scale misconduct
Kaye’s first question will be
“Jim why should people vote Labour…please take as long as you like to answer I won’t interrupt or ask difficult questions”
There were a few “posers” in the photo too. Imagine posing next to a skip with Tools for Hire along the side. Some mystery paintshop expert has added “TWATS” for good measure. I wonder who that could have been?
Literally taxi for Jim!
So says Kaye, he’s in one somewhere in Glasgow and might be late for his phone in…that is funny.
Excellent questions, alas none on austerity policies.
Media monkeys and press are happy to go the Labour and Tory route by only asking how much will so-and-so policy cost, and where is money coming from? – the prevailing attitude being austerity is here to stay. None will ask why Labour gave all the peoples money to the banks and didn’t let a single rotten department of them collapse.
Wonder what Brand will produce from his silly meeting with trendy Miliband.
Murphy interviewed at 8.05 this morning said he would serve as a Westminster MP for the full 5 years. Also stated that the billboards would spell out plans to end zero hours contracts “if we could afford to rent them” (the billboards)
Branch office coming apart at the seams…..
Your present political policies contradict to your prior statements made during the Scottish referendum. Manipulation of media may have helped you on some cases, but the question I would love an answer to is; Why betray your clique of minor loyal voters, and pathetically try to contribute to constitute a majotiry hung government? You can not have it both ways.
link to theguardian.com
The link is t a long piece by Krugman: it is well worth reading. It generates the fundamental question for labour and indeed all mainstream parties: why do you support the debt/deficit narrative which is doing such damage?
to get on, just say that you want to ask Jim something like, ” are you ever scared doing your public speaking on the streets” then hit him with one of Wings zingers.
aitchbee @ 8.27am
Glad I wasnt the only one to hear Murphy say that one about sacking a Labour candidate in 2010
Maybe Stuart can get that clip?
Mr Murphy do you regret accepting the challenge of leading the Labour Party in Scotland?
Incidentally, the story about Jim spending nine years at Strathclyde is not, according to one source, quite accurate – more correct to say ‘nine years as a university student, with three failed attempts to get a degree’. According Calton Jock –
link to caltonjock.com
– Murphy got some Highers at Cardonald College, then went to Strathclyde (that was in 1985, according to Murphy), then apparently left and started something with the Open University, then chucked that and went back to Strathclyde again. Not any better, really.
No lets see if the number of times Murphy blames the SNP and how many times he gets interupted by Kaye Adams?
As if to back up my remarks made in my post minutes ago, here is comment made by Nobel economist Paul Krugman:
“It has been astonishing, from a US perspective, to witness the limpness of Labour’s response to the austerity push. Britain’s opposition has been amazingly willing to accept claims that budget deficits are the biggest economic issue facing the nation, and has made hardly any effort to challenge the extremely dubious proposition that fiscal policy under Blair and Brown was deeply irresponsible – or even the nonsensical proposition that this supposed fiscal irresponsibility caused the crisis of 2008-2009.
Jim did fire a Labour MP Candidate in 2010 – Stuart MacLennan.
He called highlanders “teuchters” – outrageous.
He definitely had to go after that!
Gary Robertson gave him an easy time. It was embarrassing actually, almost as if Murphy was interviewing him at times, rather than the other way around.
I’m guessing Kaye will do likewise and focus on the polls which it suits Labour to emphasise as part of their scare strategy.
Kaye says she is waiting for Jim to “come”
Jim do you pay your canvassers £25 per hour , why ?
are you using labour election expenses just to leaflet through the post office ?
are you not a unionist now /again ?
how long will it take you to be a trougher again if elected?
Who’s Jim Murphy????
To paraphrase one of Stu’s questions: Do you agree with Ian Smart that SNP supporters are fascist, Nazi scum?
Hi Jim, three questions :
1) Given that your party has been advising people to vote tactically for anyone but the SNP can you confirm that you will be working with the Conservative party?
2) You keep telling us that Labour are going to give us 1000 new nurses. Can you tell us how you aim to achieve this given that the NHS is a devolved matter?
3) In your leaflets you say that more nurses will help the issues with the NHS. Can you tell us why having more nurses is going to solve a bedding crisis?
He’s made it. I knew he wouldn’t pull out.
Kaye not talking over him yet..funny that. I’m not going to listen and will catch up later.
Listening now, Kaye has had a little chew at him. Jim says SNP are just copying Labour.
Calls stacked up.
Does that dumper truck have Twats written on it?
Sacking in 2010 eh?
it couldn’t have been the chap that told the SNP MP to
” F^ck off” in triplicate could it?
Can’t remember who that vulgar , unprofessional pillock was – perhaps someone else can.
Absolutely no polish or charisma whoever it was.
Mr Peffers , as an Aberdonian I had great difficulty with the accent/dialect used north of my home town. If you can search youtube you may find an interview with a cheil from either the Blue Toon or the Broch.
I believe the poor interviewer was set up by the camera crew and he was completely flummoxed by the rosy cheekit loon he was attempting to interview.
I don’t know about you, but I think Jim thinks these Zero Hour contracts are Exploitative…
[…] Questions for Jim […]
Rev “it’s artithmetically impossible”
How so Sir?
Say Cons 290, Lab 265, SNP 40, Lib 30, Others 25 seems possible based on Lord Ashcrofts most recent poll. Who forms the government?
“Rev “it’s artithmetically impossible”
How so Sir?
Say Cons 290, Lab 265, SNP 40, Lib 30, Others 25 seems possible based on Lord Ashcrofts most recent poll. Who forms the government?”
The Lib Dems have expressly said that they WILL go with the biggest party. In your example Tories plus Lib Dems plus the NI MPs gives the Tories a majority. Makes no difference whatsoever even if all 40 SNP MPs go Labour, because they never get a say in the matter.
Moohan is pissed off with Labour party, They shit on him from a great height
during the East Dumbarton Council selection.
Nothing to do with tactical voting.
Is Kaye getting a bid fed up with Murphy’s avoidance of giving a straight answer
Creepy Jim is being – very creepy Jim
Murphy on call Kaye, ” we will see when the boxes are opened around 2am ” Plans laid?
I just had to hang on a bit longer to hear a couple of questions but “it’s like nailing a jelly to the ceiling”, as one of my old pals used to say.
Thick Jim Dim pretends not to understand the question, his maths is weak. He’s lost the plot completely now. 🙂
I pity Kaye this morning Jim has no credibility left even among his diminishing band of supporters. Oh there’s one on now good on you Amanda.
The Labour candidate sacked for making offensive remarks on Twitter apologised tonight, saying he was “young and stupid”.
Stuart MacLennan, who described old people as “coffin dodgers”, branded one woman a “boot” and joked about slavery, said sorry for distracting the Labour campaign.
MacLennan, who had been the candidate for Moray, told the Guardian: “I am sorry to anyone I offended but I am specially sorry for having distracted from what should have been quite a good day for Labour.
“I am young and stupid but that doesn’t quite cut it and that’s why I’m gone.”
Jim Murphy, the Scottish secretary, took the decision to fire MacLennan after details of the tweets were published in the Scottish edition of the Sun today.
Found on Guardian April 9th 2010. Apologies can’t seem to get archiving from my tablet.
Would that Stuart MacLennan be the same ex member of the ‘International Group’.
Can’t believe Kay Adams is actually holding Murphy to account and is struggling to stop him waffling, lying and playing for time. She certingly is no’ stupit. My estimation of her has shot up. Let’s hope she can keep it up.
Was supposed to have added my surprise in the possibility that he may be telling the truth there.
Jim, SLab keeps muddling up devolved and reserved issues and which parliament has responsibility for each. Is this done through misunderstanding or an attempt to confuse?
@Fiona
Good Krugman article and how ironic that the Guardian are publishing it now. The answer to his question about why the opposition aren’t challenging the austerity myth is, of course, that they are. The opposition is Nicola Sturgeon, Leanne Wood and Natalie Bennett. Not Eds Miliband and Balls.
When ‘new’ Labour came to power in 1997 after being out of office since 1979 it showed a keen interest in the importance of communicating its message and employed a range of image consultants, researchers and specialist advisers to ensure that its message was appealing to voters.
Its 1997 manifesto was constructed using 17688 words (2000 more than the Conservatives ) and 3.5 times longer than its 1946 manifesto. Persuasion is an important political rhetorical tool-the manifesto harnessed notions of trust,honesty,right,wrong,fairness,justice etc in its first section (most people don’t read beyond that) ‘Britain will be better with New Labour’, ‘we will promote personal prosperity’, ‘we will save the NHS’, ‘we will strengthen family life’, ‘we will clean up politics’-to persuade the electorate to vote for them.
New labour was particularly keen on religious metaphors to persuade us of their moral and ethical qualities- ‘faith in the ability of this government…ten specific commandments put to you…our covenant with you’
So its interesting now to reflect on their current manifesto- what rhetorical coherence can be gleaned from that-metaphors of food banks, zero hours contract, austerity, privatisation of NHS England (gleefully embraced by new Labour),weapons of mass destruction, rising malnutrition, the super-rich.
Or they could just be truthful and admit that they are now a party of dead metaphors.
Given that you have been the public “face” of Scottish Labour during this election campaign, how bad a result will it have to be before you resign as leader?
@ Capella: to a degree. But the SNP still supports the debt/deficit narrative and propose tinkering, which is also what labour supports. The challenge needs to be far more radical, though I hope that it is as low key as it is for the practical reason that the electorate have been so comprehensively taken in by the story
Ask him why he lied about sacking Stuart McLellan in 2010 earlier when Gary Roberston interviewed him. He stated ‘I took action and sacked the guy’. According to an article in the Guardian it wis the Scottish General Secretary who sacked the guy who was Colin Smyth at the time. Murphy had no input whatsoever apart from supposedly trying to save the guy from expulsion according to the article. Such a basic lie so can he be trusted on onything else ?
@dezcore Thanks for clearing that up 🙂
Murphy answers a question regarding pensioners being means tested
by denying they would be means tested, but would be based on how much money a pensioner has
Erhm Murphy to find that out that means ‘means testing’ you fucking bam!
Pacific Kaye, is out for number one, she’s not stupid and as Labour head for the history books the future’s certainly not Boothman. Time to take a tummle tae hersel methinks!
This makes fascinating listening – the Scottish people are empowered, knowledgeable and confident – what an amazing legacy from the referendum
Murphy would not answer any questions about Ian Smart, and what he was going to do. He would not even criticise or condemn Ian Smart.
Again what does Ian Smart have that he is untouchable. It must be something fairly substantial!
Murphy on Ask Kay – such a parcel of platitudes in a nation.
Exposed as a political void.
Yes, no doubt Kaye is questioning based on the fact, that Labour are in the bin, and to pretend otherwise would sound like a Monty Python skit, which it has been in past weeks, but we are a week out now.
Off topic, but I have just donated a little to DEC, who are on the ground in Nepal. It’s very easy via PayPal.
I watched a report last night, and felt very guilty/ashamed to be sitting safely watching my TV, in my warm house. Lucky indeed.
@ Fiona
NS has said that austerity doesn’t work (sorry no link but I think it was in the leader debates). The SNP also did not support the Tories in the HoC vote for further £30 b cuts. Labour did.
But it’s true she also says that the deficit & debt should slowly reduce, which Krugman says will happen automatically with growth.
So I think she is spelling it out for the electorate. Good that the MSM is catching up -slightly!
@Capella
Steve keen’s writings about fallacy of austerity are first rate. Keen predicted 2008 recession on basis of too much private debt..
link to forbes.com
Well there is no doubt what the voters think of Smurphy and slab. Power to the people WOW! Wizzzz gone!
Murphy called out as a liar by one of his own former voters. I love Glaswegians, they tell it like it is.
er jum….
have you any plans to appear on celebrity big brother this summer?
Why did Jim Murphy have the authority to sack a Labour candidate in Scotland in 2010 when Iain Gray was the Leader of the Scottish branch at that time?
Is this Jim admitting that the Scottish Leader is pretendy and doesnae have any real authority over Scottish MPs after all?
No wonder he cannae do anything about booting Ian Smart out the party now that he himself is demoted to Scottish Leader. Nor Kezia. Maybe they could ask London HQ to do it for them?
Dead man walking and even Kay with an E is booting in – superficially anyway. This guy is like the hollow man – no substance and plenty of front – but his cred rating is sliding ever downwards.
How come he was on GMS this morning while trying to ‘get the kids’ out to school and yet have to get a taxi to Pathetic Quay where GMS is broadcast from? Yet another mystery from a hugely mysterious individual taking the public penny for doing just what?
And would you believe it – the very last caller is a convert to Labour who has just posted his Labour (first time ever even) vote. Gies a break!
@ galamcennalath
its neither gala its our Jim he just makes it up as he goes along,makes you wonder about their spin team are they coaching him or chasing after him trying to undo all the damage he causes,if its the first lol they are fuds ,if its the second best of luck with that lol
Did you hear the dundee fella chiding Jim for being late and warning him about the welfare sanctions for being late when he loses his job next Thursday. I fell aff my seat laughing.
that was hilarious, the only person showing any warmth towards jim and labour was a tactical tory voter at the end
says it all really
well contrary to popular opinion she didn’t give him a easy time of it she tried her best to stop jim going off subject it was just to bad that some of the callers allowed themselves to be diverted and allow jim to go on to other things instead of sticking to one question she continually pointed that out be clear in the question you want to ask i thought she was pretty fair
Independence live fund raiser
Indiegogo doesn’t work. There is no bank A/c no. (name)
I’ll gie ye a wee respite Jim, sent ye ma vote this mornin ken.
THEN asks what Labour is gonnae dae for him???
Jeez, what a fekkin eejit.
I find myself in the curious position of thanking that BBC for serving up Jim to the electorate on a plate………
How many houses was that for Scotland Jim? 100,000 you say? All for us???
with these houses you are spoiling us
So, here we have an outright lie from Jim Murphy.
He said his family emigrated to South Africa because of the policies of Thatcher which meant his father had to leave Scotland to look for work.
The truth is they left in 1979 well before Thatcher’s policies had been implemented: here’s the proof;
“Murphy was born in Glasgow and raised in a flat in the Arden. He was educated at St. Robert Bellarmine School in Glasgow until 1979, when he and his family emigrated to Cape Town, South Africa, after his father became unemployed.” link to en.wikipedia.org
Long awaited ,disappointed as usual GMS moderated.
Thatcher did nothing that Lords Wilson and Callaghan hadn’t done before her, or Blair and Broon since. She at least admitted she was a Tory.
The game’s up Jim, ecen Kay with an E couldn’t hide her exasperation and possible disgust. The spin doctors will be spinning in their graves if they are still alive after that Titanic interview.
First rule for passing exams: always answer the question.
No wonder his university career was such a failure.
It is often said that country wide polling applied to individual seats does not take into account personal appeal particular local candidates have. I have no doubt that there are standing candidates who will get a boost because they are perceived well by constituents.
Surely, this must work the other way for Murphy!?
I just cannot see how his constituents hold him in high regard! He is an obnoxious sleekit evasive dishonest individual. What he lacks in intellect he tries to make up by aggression.
Please, oh please, let Murphy lose his seat!
Got through with my Question. To ask Jim the last time the largest party did not form the Government. Was labour part of that Government. they said they would phone me back if they had time for me to talk to Jim. They never phoned back. Maybe my Question was to hard for Jim.
DimJims now a Toblerone, 5 sides 3 points,next week he,ll be ah square,ave no ever started on the many many many faces.
It’s been Morning Call for a wee whiley noo…
Glad I listened to this after all, adams not interrupting and allowing Murphy to hang himself! Carcrash from team MurphyAdams ?#?morningcall?
Not listened to the programme
Did Mr Murphy say that the SNP manifesto was a cut and paste of the Labour manifesto? Someone on twitter says he did. WTF?
Fiona commented on Questions for Jim.
Did Mr Murphy say that the SNP manifesto was a cut and paste of the Labour manifesto? Someone on twitter says he did. WTF
Yes he did and has said it before and that flattery is the sincerest form of imitation.
Wot a bam. Labour has cut and pasted Tory policies for years and cut back afore the word “austerity” wuz invented.
JESUS FECKIN CHRIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ipsos-Mori poll for the STV
SNP: 54%
Labour: 20%
I will have to lie down.
How is it possible for an intelligent man!! ( sorry, just having a wee laugh at myself) manage to speak for an hour and say absolutely NOTHING, he just made a noise and answered nothing. Not quite the biased interupting interviewer we had yesteday with Nicola,but we still got answers when she was allowed to interupt Kay( with an e)
Sweet Jesus on a pogostick!
😀
STV poll: SNP on course to win EVERY Scottish seat at general election
link to news.stv.tv
@ Stephen kilday
I think his ability to do that is precisely why the elite think he is a heavy weight politician: it is a “core competence”, in their minds
funny that @ronnie when i think of our Jim and a shape the one that comes to mind first is a tube.
Thanks, donald anderson.
If he believes that (No, don’t laugh), why does he think they cannot work together? Rationale?
Grudging this is, but after feeling the direst need to rightfully slag Kay with an E over her disgraceful treatment of Nicola Sturgeon – she gave Murphy the right treatment today – easy that may have been with such a chancer – but up till now and over the past ten years + she and her BBC ilk have helped produce this political carpetbagger.
Maybe, just maybe, this is the clearest signal from the BBC Labour supporters club that the job is now impossible and it’s lifeboat stations time.
Far too late for some, if not most, of the likely suspects – tough!
Grouse Beater paraphrases Father Ted for Murphy’s benefit:
These toy voters you are holding are small – the voters way over there in the constituency are far away.
He gave the example of Labour failing to form a government in 2010 as one of illustrating that the party with the most MPs always forms the government.
Firstly, Labour trying to form a government while being the smaller party does not, by any twisted logic, infer that that was never possible.
Secondly, the moral supremacy of the larger party, cited by Clegg, after the fact, as part of the reasoning for them allying with the Tories was just a cover for him being a closet Tory. He wrote articles supporting neoliberal monetarist madness before he even became an MP.
And besides all that, it has no relevance to the present situation because the SNP have already nailed their colours to the mast. There is absolutely no prospect of them allying with the Tories even if they are the bigger minority party.
Thirdly, I do not believe Labour, or at least Balls, wanted to carry on in government in alliance then anyway.
Caught up with ‘Scottish editio’ John Pienaar programme. More to come after 11:00hrs news. Good listening and much missionary work being done down South.
link to bbc.co.uk
I suppose Murphy will be getting another taxi to East Renfrewshire now to meet those pensioners on his schedule this afternoon.
Hope they are ready for him!
Not listened to Call Kaye – too difficult, I think I’m allergic to Kaye and JM. And too busy reading up on economics – thanks scottieDog!
But what an exciting poll from STV. Can the news get any better!?
It’s going to have to be an awful big surprise on Sunday to knock a dent in that SNP lead.
Most of us aren’t relying on the polls and don’t believe it will be that good so are still hard at a work campaigning.
The more telling point is that these polls are 100% proof that whatever Murphy, Dugdale and Miliband are doing they are just making things far, FAR worse for themselves and the red tories.
We’ve only just over a week left to keep campaigning or regret not helping for the next five years. Some of these seats are obviously neck and neck so ignore the polls and keep up the good work in the campaign. 🙂
Prepare your selves for a really vicious response from the unionist media after this flurry of polls that show support for Labour in Scotland has slumped.
Nicola Sturgeon, Alex Salmond, SNP candidates and activists, and their families will now be subject to an intense and highly subjective smear campaign.
Expect the worst, their will be abuse from all quarters —— but hold your nerve as we are on the verge of something momentous.
Have to admt I did cut n paste the Slabber Manifestation from my desktop to my recycle bin.
I felt it might contaminate the machine.
Didn’t leave it sitting there in case for later retrieval either in fact treble deleted it just in case.
New poll pleasant: but remember that they will now spin anything less than 50 SNP MP’s as failure. Don’t fall for this
Fiona
If we get 46 MPs I will be too busy partying to notice how they are spinning it 🙂
Rev
What about a post highlighting lies and misrepresentations in those interviews this morning?
That poll is amazing. It looks like some Labour voters are going to the Tories! Their tactical voting is backfiring!
@gillie
Indeed the polls are all very good, but a week before the referendum Yes took the lead and we all know what happened next.
I’ve just received another lib dem leaflet [12 so far]
I know some round here with absolutely no interest in politics who will traipse to the ballot box and vote for the face they’ve known for years.
Because they have no interest in looking or listening to the truth.
So there is still plenty to do to get the result we need.
Yep, I must agree with a few comments about Kaye today.
I was one of those who gave her pelters yesterday, because I assumed that in normal BBC style, Jim Murphy would be given an easy ride today.
Since she also gave him a difficult time I have to say that this is in fact balanced political interviewing from Kaye, and that is in fact all we have ever asked of the BBC.
Now if the rest of them did the same, I might just pay the licence fee.
@Fiona
Re “cutting the deficit’. I Think ALL mainstream political parties have to dance to the ‘deficit’ tune a little. The city of London media machine is very powerful and more radical (although perfectly sound) approaches would see them crucified. It might take another recession before we see proposals such as positive money’s gain wider acclaim..
link to positivemoney.org
link to positivemoney.org
Prof Curtis on’What Scotland thinks’ just giving the facts, I think he’s given up with the spinning.
Anas Sarwar and Sandra White slogging it out on radio 5. The other polite panelists from earlier on have been replaced with a rammy now.
Typical Sawar… 🙂
Don’t mind being proven wrong on this. Apparently Mr Murphy’s morning didn’t go the way he would have hoped?
Shame.
54% of Scots now saying they plan to vote SNP at this election.
Incredible.
But wouldn’t it be fun if it was 55%?
Yes, ScottieDog. I acknowledge that, and have done in every post I have made on the subject. And I hope that the SNP will prove more sensible in the event, if they should have the power to do that. But I remember a lot of labour supporters of my acquaintance who believed that Tony Blair was just appeasing in the same way before 1997: he wasn’t and that self deception was very damaging for the people of this country.
I am not saying that will happen again: I honestly believe SNP are not bewitched by neoliberal nonsense: but hostages to fortune are hostages. At some point what Simon Wren Lewis calls “mediamacro” will have to be openly opposed by some politicians if democracy is to survive. I hope those politicians will be Scottish.
Having said that I do realise how much harder that is within the union, than if we had voted yes
Sawar just said, “written in black and white in the Edinburgh agreement it was once in a generation referendum”. Radio 5.
Really!
If that is true others would have said so including dim Jim.
As Sawar has proffered it ..I think he just told a lie.
Reverting to the photo at the beginning I thought “Tools for hire” was actually a good description. I suppose it’s Weegie humour but then I Googled and found it is much wider in use than W Scotland.
link to urbandictionary.com
So succinct
Enjoy!
@ call me dave
I think Curtice is not really spinning, though like all of us he is probably subject to some confirmation bias.
Not everyone who disagrees with one’s analysis is a puppet, and so far as I have seen his positions are defensible on the basis of the evidence, then and now.
Can’t ask much more than that.
Latest MORI Poll. Just noticed. Within the error margin, Lab and Tory are neck and neck in Scotland. 20% & 17%. Who could have believed that!
Wasn’t going to listen – cant normally stand Kaye – but will have to catch it on iPlayer.
When it gets to 60% I will relax! To me it looks like a lot of the undecideds are now going with the flow which is SNP!
The Libs/Labs and Tories are all taking voters off each other.
There is no comparison with the referendum. The polls had Yes at roughly 46/47% a couple of days before. We got 45%!
SNP are 30/34% ahead not a couple of points behind. Even allowing for a partial surge to Labour we would be looking at losing 5% at the most. However lets wait until next Monday/Tuesday to see where the 20% don’t knows are heading.
Certainly looks like the end for Murphy no mates even his own people turning away from him
Says something though when a whole country rejects your very presence
When a whole country dislikes you with this amount of intensity
When a whole country wants you to just go away somewhere else
Djae think ahve hintet anuff
I’ll stop I’m enjoying it all too much
A few promising words on undecided voters…
Broadly speaking, statisticians would fall into two camps when it comes to undecided — 1) those who assume the undecided voters should be split evenly between contending candidates, and 2) those who would argue that the split should reflect the pattern/breakdown found amongst voters who had decided.
Either of the two above would work well for the SNP but obviously option 2 would be better for us.
That said, there’s some interesting theories about undecided voters out there. Most people assume we are talking about the same people who remain undecided up until voting day. But there is evidence to suggest that a lot of voters go in and out of the undecided category over time so that someone who was undecided last week may be decided this week and vice versa.
The above bodes well for the SNP too. It suggests amongst the ever-shifting sands of undecided voters, most (around 54%) who are likely to arrived at a settled view are coming down on the side of the SNP.
A lot of researchers have tried to nail down undecided voters and gauge how undecided they are but that has proven to be a very difficult equation.
Personally, I must wonder how someone who is undecided at this stage could be expected to be decided about how undecided they were… Answers on a postcard.
An American study found that undecided voters — by quite a high margin — were more likely to vote for the challenger party or candidate rather than the incumbent. Again, as I understand it, here in Scotland, going into this election, I guess this would be promising and bode well for the SNP too.
Another study, based on my vague memory of this stuff from University days, indicated that undecided voters were less likely to vote than decided voters — makes sense when you think about it — and, again, that would suit us just fine or at least do us no harm.
So, in conclusion, I am suggesting that we have nothing to worry about when it comes to undecided voters. Some might be just too ashamed to admit that they are really intending to vote Tory or Labour (or, at a stretch, even Lberal), and that could explain the seemingly high number of those who are undecided right now. But there’s no reason to think those types would outnumber reticent SNP voters who, for whatever reason, don’t want to admit their voting intentions.
What is clear is that Scottish Labour needs something big and dramatic to happen between now and election day. A lie on the scale of The Vow would maybe do it but the problem is they no longer have credibility and aren’t trusted. Nobody is going to believe another big lie like that, and it’s my understanding that the ranks of the 45 have been swelled by No voters who feel now that they were conned with that Vow.
In statistics & polling, a lot of emphasis is giving to the direction of travel rather than any single snapshot poll. On that basis above all others, I think we have good reason to be very confident and I would say it is now likely that we will probably win every seat in Scotland.
Latest Poll blow for Sturgeon, less than 50% not going to vote SNP.
ah ha! the 59 seat claim out today designed to motivate the grey masses.
Not buying it for a second.
Shortly to be followed by MSM overdrive about it all being about a new ref on independence.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they actually started saying that a second referendum is actually IN the SNP manifesto!
Why does that picture make me think that this is what happens when you’re booked as a Village People tribute act and no-one discusses it beforehand.
Mentioning austerity in comments above, there is this from Paul Kruger, economist, especially the bit about Britain. Looks again that Nicola’s approach on dealing with the debt is the right one.
link to theguardian.com
@acceldo 10.24, I spotted that too, as that was the first time I heard him claim South Africa was about leaving due to Thatcher.
It is of no interest why they went there as a family, as he was a child, but why lie it was down to Thatcher ruining his family’s job prospects to try and prove how anti Tory he is?
Like Blair, Maggie would be proud of Jim now.
The best bit of the late starting Kaye/Murph interview was when a cheery chap from Dundee phoned in and proffered Murkey a bit of good advice , Scots humour at its best. Worth a listen to approx. 45min in.
I have little personal doubt that Curtice did spin things in the past if only by selection and interpretation of fact IMHO.
Using incompetent plant operators is a criminal offence under the Construction Design and Management Act 2015, yet again Labour are involved in criminal activity!But will the press report this? NO
What I don’t understand is why other Labour candidates are allowing Jim Murphy to destroy their individual campaigns.
Can anyone explain that behaviour?
Aceldo Atthis
Murphy isn’t half being lean with the truth
Fact is his father lost his job as a result of Jim Callaghan’s Labour government!
As you rightly point out Thatcher only came to power in May 1979
so any effects of her government wouldn’t have had any effect on the company that Jim’s dad worked for until the following year at the earliest
What Murphy doesn’t want people to realise is that Callaghan’s government was very unpopular, which is why the country as a whole voted them out
Labour also tried the same ‘formula’ in the 1979 election, of ‘vote labour to ensure Scotland’s interests in Westminster’. So Scotland did and Labour MP’s from Scotland sat on their collective hands during Thatchers time in parliament!
@Dorothy Devine says: 29 April, 2015 at 9:24 am:
“Mr Peffers , as an Aberdonian I had great difficulty with the accent/dialect used north of my home town. If you can search youtube you may find an interview with a cheil from either the Blue Toon or the Broch.”
Some years ago I was researching the history of the Scots Language from pre-Union times. I came across a collection of the Minutes of Town council meetings from North East Scotland. The hilarious part about them was they were all written in, “The Doric tune o wir ain leid”, (The North East accent of our Lowland Scots Language).
It contained some real gems. Like when one Toon Cooncillor was trying to use English and another tells him that, “In Aiberdeenshire wi ca aa neep aa neep”.
I must confess, though, I struggled a bit with the spelling. There is a theory that, “The Macdairmid”, (Christopher Murray Grieve), and his contemporaries invented The Lallans, often described as literary Scots. This is not quite true. I was brought up on a farm and, (excepting the usual course language of farm workers), we spoke Lallans Scots.
Thing is we had never, except in the text of the odd Scots Makkers Novels, seen written Scots. It was once proscribed then subjected to being belted out of us by the liberal application of the Lochgelly Tawse. So, unlike English that really only became standardise by such as Shakespeare and the advent of the Printing press, Scots was really never an officially used standard written language.
So local pronunciations were often based upon the spelling of the local clergy. My own surname proved to be a nightmare when tracing the family tree.
In one case a name was recorded for a marriage as, “Pepher”, the birth of their first child as, “Peffer”. The Christening of that child as, “Paphers”, and his subsequent marriage as, “Peffers”. (Farming folk tended to move abode after the annual, “Feein oan Merkits”), so records were scattered and written by different clerics.
What Chris Grieve and co. did was standardise the spelling and grammar of spoken Scots. As a schoolboy I found I could pick up, for example, an R L Stevenson book of poems and read his use of Scots a good deal easier than I could Standard English. Robert Louis was writing in the language I learned at my Grandmother’s knee.
Here’s a great example : –
Thrawn Janet by R.L.S.
link to readbookonline.net
@ call me dave
Anas Sarwar says “written in black and white in the Edinburgh agreement it was once in a generation referendum”. Radio 5.
This is an out and out lie, the Edinburgh Agreement does not mention “once in a generation”. Why am I not surprised?
If the “ESTABLISHMENT” wonder what is happening in Scotland I think from listening to conversations at work and in the pub its the cover-up of the child abuse linked to Westminster the Saville affair and the House of Lords that is so completely disgusting to the average Scot they can see a way of getting rid of this decrepit lot for the better of humanity, also the realignment of the North Sea border, keeping the Mcrone Report secret is also the work of the Establishment with a great help from our media, It has all completely backfired on them for all the right reasons, they have brought it on themselves and can not blame anyone else , we are not stupid north of the border.
“Can you confirm that Labour would definitely oppose full fiscal autonomy for Scotland at Westminster if it ever came to a vote, and that therefore all your warnings about it are meaningless?”
So, by the same token, is it meaningless for those of us who are against the anti-Europe, anti-immigrant policies of UKIP to oppose and speak out against them?
In order for evil to flourish,….
Jim Murphy in the driving seat – of a stationary dumper truck.
Cameron announces the Del Boy election. “No Income tax no VAT.”
Ministerial cars are to to be Reliant Robins.
You plonker Dave -or is it Rodney.
Next year we will all be millionaires. And pay no tax.
@ Valerie
“I spotted that too, as that was the first time I heard him claim South Africa was about leaving due to Thatcher.”
What sort of politician would lie so blatantly like that about his father and his upbringing?
The obvious truth is that his family went to South Africa to opportunistically take advantage of the job prospects that apartheid offered white immigrants. That’s obviously something he is ashamed of, in my opinion, and so he should be.
But twisting that around to make it sound like they were forced to go because of Thatcher is not on.
Scum.
@ call me dave
Sawar just said, “written in black and white in the Edinburgh agreement it was once in a generation referendum”. Radio 5.
The phrase,’once in a generation’,was used in The Scottish Government White Paper on the Referendum.
It is the view of the current Scottish Government that a referendum is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. This means that only a majority vote for Yes in 2014 would give certainty that Scotland will be independent.
Free Scotland says:
29 April, 2015 at 12:17 pm
Jim Murphy in the driving seat – of a stationary dumper truck.
That’s a pretty sound description of the Scottish Labour party
Wow Wow and Wow again – a Bonanza of SNP seats!
Just look on STV at that yellow map from Shetland to the Borders – truly amazing.
If we can get over 50% of the poll what an achievement that would be – onwards and upwards to May 7th.
@ Edward
“What Murphy doesn’t want people to realise is that Callaghan’s government was very unpopular, which is why the country as a whole voted them out”
I disagree, I think he is ashamed that his family took advantage of the job prospects offered by the racist apartheid system.
Can I just add, South Africa back then was in the news every night — nobody could have been in any doubt that the regime there was overtly and sickeningly racist and many of us recognised it as such at the time.
Why should we tiptoe around that stuff now when we didn’t then and when history has since validated our view that apartheid was just disgusting and wrong.
When I and others were boycotting and refusing to buy South African fruit over here, Jim Murphy and his family were over there taking advantage of apartheid and profiting by it.
It would be a shame not to join in the grilling. Sorry if this doesn’t appear directly related to Scotland, but Dundee is twinned with Nablus. It’s my civic duty. 🙂
link to dundee-nablus.org.uk
Mr. Murphy, why are you able to support Israeli statehood but not Scotland’s? In doing so, can I assume that you also support a two state settlement and recognition of an independent Palestinian state. Why not ‘better together’?
Ooops. Just noticed that Murph is not in the driving seat – he’s sitting on the right wing. How appropriate!
@ MajorBloodnok
Made me laugh, thanks 😀
BBC haven’t quite switched off the Red Tory Life Support Machine completely, but it does seem to be misfiring badly this week. It looks like it may pack in completely before next Thursday, and no wonder – it has been worked very heavily during the past 10 years, and the BT campaign knackered it beyond repair 🙂
A 7 year £3 billion exploration project has just begun in an area West of the Shetlands. The field is called “Loyalty” I kid you not! Someone is taking the piss!
They bombed Iraq for oil, they bombed Libya for oil, they love bombed Scotland for oil. If anyone ever doubted why Westminster is so “in love” with Scotland let there be no doubt, it’s the oil stoopid!
link to archive.is
Chic McGregor commented on Questions for Jim.
“He gave the example of Labour failing to form a government in 2010 as one of illustrating that the party with the most MPs always forms the government.”
He also cites 1929. Actually, Ramsey Mac was the most left wing PM Labour ever had.
Aceldo Atthis says:
“….. the ranks of the 45 have been swelled by No voters who feel now that they were conned with that Vow.”
True, but I think it might go even beyond NOs who have realised they were conned.
There must be people who didn’t want to take the step to independence, or felt the time wasn’t right, and voted No …. but that doesn’t mean to say they agreed with BetterTogether and Labour’s tactics and behaviour. Surely many were disgusted!?
Equally, I would like to think some No voters were impressed with decency and positive nature of the SNP and Yes, even though they disagreed on the subject of independence.
It’s party politics now. The contrasts in SNP versus Labour’s behaviour couldn’t be greater!
Alert Listener Award
If you listen very carefully to the first few seconds of Call Kaye, you will hear her say that “Jim Murray” of the Scottish Labour Party is with us this morning etc. etc.
Bad enough when Ed Balls calls him Jim McMurphy, but who would have thought a competent presenter like Kaye Adams (pauses to extract tongue from cheek) would have made a similar gaffe?
Wandered off to do something for a wee while.
@Fiona: Prof Curtis.
I put in ‘stopped spinning’ but in previous posts and on the radio he has many times,IMO, come down marginally in favour of the unionist parties. But he is a nice chap I am sure.
PS:
I hear Wullie R. is giving his speech today to a football team representing the number of lib/dems in Scotland. 🙂
He’ll be talking to himself in the mirror on the 8th (and there is no guarantee of there being a reflection).
A dumb fuck driving a dump truck. There has to be a story or a poem in there somewhere..if I could just put my finger on it.
@ call me dave
No I don’t believe its in the Edinburgh agreement either and frankly as a legal document, that’s the only place it could carry any weight. Outside of that, there is no politician in this hemisphere that can dictate a timetable to the Scottish electorate. If the referendum result was fraudulently achieved and the Scottish electorate believe this to be the case, then they and they alone will decide whether they wish to have a further referendum and when.
Now as yet, the Westminster parliamentary parties have delivered for the electorate exactly zero on the pledges made, have backtracked and binned at least two of those cast iron guarantees of Gordon Brown and are set to either water down or chronically delay the rest.
Evidence has been uncovered of HMG lobbying both the corporate world and overseas aid for interventions. Statements made by BT on both NHS and pensions have already been proven entirely without basis and last but by no means least has been the treatment of the Scottish electorate meted out by both Westminster unionist parties and their media since the referendum, which has been nothing less than appalling.
I’d say Westminster is beyond the point of defaulting personally, but its up to those who voted no on the day to say if this is the future they saw for their country post no vote. If not? Then a hand is always offered.
I think Dave’s problem will be that the Liberals, DUP and UKIP are a toxic mix and one would doubt that the Liberals could thole it for long.
At least a Labour, SNP, PC, SDLP, Green mix all lean the same way (albeit some lean more than others).
@Robert Peffers,
and here was I thinking you were related to Michelle Pfeiffer?!
Prefer a coallie dug in the driving seat. Less damage than a Smurph.
Murphy reminds me of a wat fart in a white suit
Wasn’t Paul Kruger the US economist who said independence would be a disaster? And now he supports Nicola’s view on austerity economics?
The BBC will, correctly treat SLab as the main party as polls mean nothing compared to votes.
Remember that we have won nothing yet, they took 40% last time..
We need to push on… 50%of 80%turnout.. A mandate to go further in social policy.
Democracy in action..
Thorough arguments supplying real solutions to common issues.
Sunniva says:
29 April, 2015 at 1:06 pm
Wasn’t Paul Kruger the US economist who said independence would be a disaster? And now he supports Nicola’s view on austerity economics?
Not my recollection. What I remember him saying is that it would be very bad if we did not have our own currency. I agree with him on that.
Just looked at Edinburgh Agreement.for “once in a ageneration”
Once : no mention
in: 212 mentions
a: 900 mentions
generation: no mention
in a: no mention
Sarwar cannot even employ the Eric / Andre principle of having all the right words but not necessarily in the rght order !
Skimmed through it twice and cannot find any evidence to support Anas Sawar’s “once in a generation” statement. ?
link to gov.scot
link to gov.scot
link to gov.scot
@ galamcennalath
Yes, I agree the ranks of the SNP in terms of this election have been swelled by other issuess too.
The importance of the Vow lie, though, in the run up to this election goes beyond that though — who, for example, in view of the Vow lie, would now believe another big lie if they were to come up with one tomorrow?
This is important. If you look at the polls they need to concoct something big and dramatic in the next 7 days or they are toast.
So, coming right up, One Big Lie burger with fries and yes, they’ll want to go large with that…
@Capella AND @Fiona : Says :29 April, 2015 at 10:06 am:
“NS has said that austerity doesn’t work.
I took it, (could be wrong though), that what Nicola meant was that the red/blue/yellow Tory mantra of fake austerity, (it cannot be real austerity when the rich-list shows the richest have more than doubled their riches), follows their principle of, “make the rich richer and the wealth will trickle down”, has obviously not worked.
The alternative, (which has proven to work in the past), is increase the spending power of the poor and, because they still won’t have any, “Disposable Income”. (the sum remaining after tax, etc. to spend as the person chooses), then their increased spending power goes on living costs.
This has two main effects – it reduces the welfare bill and it trickles upward into retail, wholesale and manufacturing and that creates jobs and an upward, rather than a downward, spiral.
If you like a trickle-up replacing a trickle down.
There is no doubt the change, mainly by Labour, of moving the main tax take from direct to indirect tax moves the main tax burden from the richest to the poorest.
Kruger’s first name Justin by any chance? As in Justin Kruger noted for his elaboration of the famous Dunning-Kruger effect which outlines how thick people are inclined to overestimate their abilities etc?
His name is actually Krugman, Aceldo Atthis: at least that is who we have been talking about today
It’s Paul Krugman. He wasn’t against Independence, he was against Scotland sharing the pound sterling and thought we should have our own currency.
Sorry, Fiona, cross posting.
No worries, Graham. Bound to happen sometimes and shows we are all awake. I aspire to “alert”, though 🙂
Paul Kruger’s brother Freddy is pro Austerity. He is for cuts, cuts and more cuts. Everything should be slashed 😉
If you would like to listen to some nonsense, here is a link to it;
link to bbc.co.uk
@Dr JM Mackintosh says: 29 April, 2015 at 12:59 pm
“and here was I thinking you were related to Michelle Pfeiffer?!”
I’ll give you a wee insight on that one, Dr Jim. The name Peffers is without doubt a Scottish surname. Peffers means, “Between two Rivers”. The town, “Strathpeffers”, is Strath= area of flat land+between two rivers. Check it – it sure is.
We traced the direct male line back to the Fife coast of the Tay. In the cemetery of Balmerino we had family buried in the 1600s. The variations of the name in foreign parts include Pfeiffer and, (I’m not kidding), a whole sect of the tribe of Chipewa Native Americans, have the surname Peffers.
The Chippewas are one of the largest American Indian groups in North America. There are nearly 150 different bands of Chippewa Indians living throughout their original home land in the northern United States (especially Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan) and southern Canada (especially Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan).
Ye couldna mak it up!
Rev @ 12.51 pm
Yes LibDems have said they will go with the largest party.
So in my example if Labour held 30 seats that the SNP threaten they would be the largest party and LibDems would go into coalition with them locking the Tories out.
As you say by electing SNP MP’s rather than Labour, Labour will not be the largest party, the LAB/SNP combination will not be enough to form a government and we will end up with another Cameron lead Tory/LibDem government.
It is what the polls are suggesting at the moment.
But you know all this, just don’t like to mention it eh.
Yes, Kaye Adams handled Murphy with great expertise, but oh, god, the same guff and arrogance from Murphy and the neo-liberal comedians.
link to grousebeater.wordpress.com
Aceldo Atthis
Totally agree with you
I didn’t mean to minimise what the South African regime at that time was about.
The reason given by Murphy was stupid
But as you rightly pointed out the bigger picture is the fact that they went to South Africa during the apartheid regime knowing full well what to expect.
You would have to be either racist or completely blind to events at the time and I don’t think the Murphy’s were blind
During the 60’s and 70’s there was plenty opportunities in Canada, USA, & Australia for any skilled worker, but instead the Murphy’s went to South Africa. You really have to shake your head at that!
@macnakamura @callmedave
Perhaps Sawar is mixing up the EA with the SG White Paper – from the preface:
“If we vote No, Scotland stands still. A once in a generation opportunity to follow a different path, and choose a new and better direction for our nation, is lost.”
Either way it’s not a commitment and anyway as we keep hearing, no government can bind it’s successors, and we have a new government every five years.
Jim Murphy is paid a lot of money to know the answer to such questions thrown up by an informed electorate.
It is behoven of him to answer honestly with full facts. The fact he can’t or won’t convinces me he is a useless spivving sponger… who would rather his lab lot vote tactically against their own principles so as to screw my vote.
Waste of space and expenses. There, that’s me being polite.
Can’t we have a caption competition with that picture of Jim at the care home on the BBC election live page? Heres my go
Jim ” I’m a socialist”
Several times, as I’ve wandered my way through the blogs today, I’ve come across Murphy asserting that he wants to be First Minister. Assuming he loses his seat next week (oh god, please let it be so), is that not a bit of a setback to his ambitions? Anyway, in which of the many parallel universes does he actually think this might happen? The man’s arrogance is breathtaking! Maybe people should just point at him and laugh whenever they see him and his crate coming.
Bob the demo man.
Listening to it the noo. Kay we an E introduced Main Stream Murphy as Jim Murray. Ha. Even she’s forgot wa yi are Jimbo.
I enjoyed reading that Mr Peffers and I enjoyed the explanation of your name – just goes to show that Scots engineers did indeed get everywhere!
I like to think there are red haired Chippewas.
I holidayed on Barbados many years ago and was astonished to find so many Scottish surnames – met an Arsley McDonald , a rather unfortunate first name.
“Several times, as I’ve wandered my way through the blogs today, I’ve come across Murphy asserting that he wants to be First Minister. Assuming he loses his seat next week (oh god, please let it be so), is that not a bit of a setback to his ambitions? Anyway, in which of the many parallel universes does he actually think this might happen? ”
I can think of a plausible scenario in this universe:
Assuming that the SNP become the majority Scottish party at Westminster-right now looking like a fair assumption-the voters might just decide that the SNP have enough power and be inclined to support Labour in the Scottish parliament. Remember the Scottish Parliament is set up to make absolute majorities much harder to achieve so it’s highly likely that the SNP could again have a minority of seats after the next SP elections. In that case I suspect the other parties would find it very easy to have an anti-SNP coalition with Murphy at the head.
Is Pfieffer pronounced ‘Fifer’? I get out too much so don’t get much of a chance to keep up to date on luvvies and pop-stars.
Cheers Jim fae Dundee haha laughed out awfy loud at your comments after a borefest of a day at work!
I think someone should ask Jim Murphy why he and all his spokespeople and his party, want another referendum. That’ll smack his gob.
surely gordon brown’s promise of 1 million pounds within 24 hours for food banks will come from the gordon and sarah brown charity! sure it will.
Please try to remember that the BBC are as Biased as can be.
You won’t get through the filer call if you are a Bad SNP supporter with a question that might reflect badly on Labour.
Fight Fire with Fire, they Lie you Lie, be a Labour supporter on your filter call and ask a “nice” soft question.
Then when you get on air, hit them with the reality, politely of course.
If you have used the same phone to call in before, they know your name number and district, so no point in changing your profile.
I want to know what benefit Scotland gained when Labour gave away 6,000 miles of our Maritime waters, and 6 Oil rigs to England. Also why our Fishing rights were traded off with the EU
in order to retain Fishing rights in English and Welsh waters?
Maybe Dim Jim could tell you about people he meets on the doorstep who are on a waiting list for their own home, waiting for an NHS operation, who are so hungry at times they require Food Banks, but want to see money invested in weapons of Mass Destruction that you could never dare launch no matter what?
Richardinho,
I understand the politics but what I meant was that the man’s a joke. He couldn’t run a bath and is one of the most despised individuals in the country. Does he not get that? Does he interpret “Away and GTF!” as affectionate chaffing? He’ll be lucky if he doesn’t get run out of Scotland on a rail. Even if it were to redress the power balance, no bad thing in principal, would people really, actually vote for this proven and reproven, right-wing liar and chancer – a man with all the charm of a hagfish but none of the integrity and wit.