Wings Over Scotland

Aye, Murdo’s a right Elmer.

Well done Chris. Exactly what I thought when I heard Derek’s budget. He really has managed to walk the tightrope of tax and come up with something it’s almost impossible for anyone of sane mind to criticise. Both the opposition and the bbc were left floundering without an SNP bad spin to it which seemed to really upset them all.

Just need the Patrick to extract his wee pound of flesh which looks like it will be a do-able deal and the budget will be through.

Yet again the SNP prove to be competent and fair in a very difficult political climate.

If only our imperial masters were half as good and the UK might not be in the state it is. Ach well. it’s all good for the independence cause. Onward!

Very well done Chris.
Derek M certainly pulled that one out of the hat like a true magician and most people liked it, but the Tories and BLiS……..not a lot!

And for his next trick, Scottish Independence, where Derek M makes the Union disappear!!!

I’m sure Murdo Fraser and Dean Lockhart will be on the case for the Nurses.

NHS bosses are slammed for charging nurses £1,300 a year to park at work as unions, MPs and workers demand ‘outrageous’ high fees be scrapped

link to archive.is

Oh great stuff Chris, The look on Murdo’s coupon is spot on.HA HA.

alexicon @ 7.56, I don’t think Murdo and the ither numpty can say very much about the NHS nurses being charged for parking, as I’m sure that almost all (with maybe a couple of exceptions) of the SNHS car parks are free. Nothing to do with the branch office at all.

Alexicon very interesting link but I couldn’t find any Scottish Hospitals mentioned, can you confirm? If none, apart from left-over PFI built hospitals under Labour/Fib/Dems, then Murdo will be pissing in the wind and on his own Westminster clowns – as usual.

@alexicon says: 16 December, 2017 at 7:56 am:

“I’m sure Murdo Fraser and Dean Lockhart will be on the case for the Nurses.
NHS bosses are slammed for charging nurses £1,300 a year to park at work as unions, MPs and workers demand ‘outrageous’ high fees be scrapped”

link to archive.is

First of all, Well done Chris Cairns.

Now here’s another thing.

The report quoted above assumes that the term, “The NHS”, applies to the entire United Kingdom but the UK does not have a unified NHS.

Anyone know if any Scottish Hospital makes these charges?

There is. it seems, a further side issue that the PPP/PPI financing of such as the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary means that the Hospital building and its non-medical/surgical services will never belong to the Hospital Board. So the car parks belong to private sector financiers.

However, here is a cut & Paste about the ERI parking charges

The cost of a permit for staff is set to rise from £250 to £300. Here are the proposed changes to ERI parking charges for staff, patients and visitors: Up to one hour: Current charge – £1.30; New charge – £1.60. One-two hours: Current charge – £2.30; New charge – £2.70.23 Mar 2017.

The significance of this is that all the staff are paying significantly less than their opposite numbers in other UK countries but I do not see any of the Scottish MSM or unionist broadcasters take such benefits into account in their outrageous lies about the Scottish Budget tax changes.

Not a single unionist news outlet has taken into account the many actions the SNP SG has put in place to alleviate the effects of the wicked Westminster Establishment’s Austerity Measures that are obviously only being applied to the poorest and most vulnerable people in the United, (cough!), Kingdom.

As the most wealthy in the UK have more than doubled their personal wealth during the Austerity Measures they are obviously not under ant form of austerity. These measures obviously are designed to transfer money from the pockets of the poor to the off-shore bank accounts of the rich.

“Pesky wabbits” Our very own Elmer Fudd.

Auld Rock, you’re right that it is only the PFI hospitals and the Glasgow Royal Infirmary that sold of its parking that charge.

When I worked for a Trust down south 5 years ago, I was charged £25 a month for parking. I was lucky and managed to wangle an onsite space because I needed my car to get to other sites during the day but many were sent to remote locations and had to get a (free) shuttle bus to site. Several colleagues even had to drive 3 miles past their work to then get a bus back!

The alternative was £15 a day or on street parking in less salubrious parts of o

The SNP’s budget caught everyone off guard, those in favour of social justice were pleased and unionists spouted fake disgust.

OT

Interestingly, Mr Mogg, yes he the right wing chritian fundamentalist, is floating the notion the the uk is becoming a colony of the EU. He wishes to fight this with all his might.

For those of us who see Scotland as already a colony of England (uk) and the uk being one of the more equal of the 28, this will come as a suprise.

I have long thought highlighting Scotland’s historical and neo colonial status is a vote winner!

BBC Shereen– oh Murdo is the soothsayer from the labour and tories. The Irish man put taxes up more the tory man no taxes at all. Indy supporter Cat “Ive got a hangover and a cold.”
Well get someone sober to speak. Pillock

Anything about dss benefit cuts no.

Its all snp fault.– BBC scotchyland job done

Terrific, Chris, spot on!

That cartoon is lateral thinking! A cartoon character in a cartoon. I delight in is how well informed is Scotland’s voice these days and how dull is its opposition to liberty.

I wish you well for next year, and hope to see more fine cartoons.

Your essential weekend reading – a festive stocking filled with goodies

Most Popular Political Essays of 2017: link to wp.me
The Last Jedi – a Galactic Bore: link to wp.me
Best Fillums of 2017: link to wp.me
and
Trending with 7,000 hits, Sturgeon’s welcome in Ireland blanked by the BBC: link to wp.me

Is Murdo constipated?

Just asking.

WoS re tweets, my Slovene girlfriend’s rage a the nattax costing a him a few quid on his hundred grand a year pay cheque, is very predictable too.

She says that when she rises to tory First Minister power in her Scotland region, the Colonel is going to be the next UK PM, only nats will pay tax, and the lovely tories like him will not pay a penny.

liz says:
16 December, 2017 at 10:48 am
LOLZ Murdo – the permanently angry man. Well done Chris and Derek

I think they all model themselves on the permanently anger-twisted and scowling face of the Ruthsfuhrer!

Good news on the campaign to save Govan Graving Docks, Jim McColl intends to open a working shipyard once more!

Looks like the transition the EU will offer will be business as usual in the full single market. (That pisses off hard Brexiteers like Rees Mogg and Farage)

At first I thought it might be a hindrance to Indy, taking us too close of Holyrood2021.

It might be an excellent opportunity.

It’s supposed to be a transition/adjustment period from where the UK is, to where it wants to be.

The EU will want to know where the UK wants to be soon, and it wouldn’t be single market. Which is a cue for IndyRef2. We have our referendum, and ideally win, prior to March 2019 and Brexit. Then we use the transition period of being fully in the single market to set up the new state of iScotland. Before rUK leaves the single market, iScotland will become an independent state which is fully compliant with EU laws and regulations.

Sorry about too many a’s in that last one, trying to not go wtf out loud at my Slovene girlfriend’s nattax tweets. Why would my Slovene girlfriend’s hundred grand a year, make her think she’s the poorest, in Slovenia or her Scotland region?

Adam Tomkins MSP?Verified account
@ProfTomkins
Dec 15
More Adam Tomkins MSP Retweeted James Dornan SNP
James Dornan on Twitter, Dec 2015: “you can’t increase income tax without penalising the poorest most”

Adam Tomkins MSP added,
James Dornan SNP
Verified account

@glasgowcathcart
Replying to @ProfTomkins
You and I will pay a wee bit more to make life better for others Adam. What’s the problem with that?

Kennedy at 10.46 . . . . Nothing to do with embarrassment . . . They are engaged in a process . . slinging mud. . . . Knowing that some of it will stick. . . . They all know what they are doing . . . . The difficult thing for them is to creatively dream up the crap . . .

I have watched with bemusement as Tories have thrashed around trying all sorts of idiotic nonsense to declare the budget an act of wanton progressive decency 🙂

No one is going to up sticks and commute hundreds of miles a week to avoid the new rates.

By lifting the pay cap the Tories have nothing to say about pay of nurses or the police. The pay increase will be better than the tax rise if the Scottish Government had just followed Westminster tamely.

We all know that the Tories want to reduce tax for the wealthy and crush the poor their faux outrage fools no one. Like Trump, they are all about themselves and no one else.

Labour and the Lib Dems are in a curious position. They can’t say they dislike what has been done, they can just argue that they would have gone further. How much further and whether that would be economically realistic is the point of discussion and they can pitch that at the next election.

Proud Cybernat,

Dunno, but he’s a pain in the arse for sure.

galamcennalath,

‘The EU will want to know where the UK wants to be soon,’
Some hope, eh?

Its very very weird on the tory twittersphere, over Scottish nurses and teachers.

Who knew that the tory party were so passionately in love with nurses and teachers, maybe just the Scottish ones.

Although to be fair, they all seem to only love nurses earning over £36k. So you clearly have to be over a certain pay scale to feel the true love of a tory, like my Slovene girlfriends.

#tory.nurse.botherer

paul D, there definitely had a charging regime when I was there June/July 15, I had long and frequent discussions with Nurses about it, one was coming in from Near Larkhall before public transport started so had no alternative but to use her car, she also travelled to other Hospitals like Gartnavel and after an Initial period they told her she would have to pay to park onsite even though she needed her car to get to the other hospitals to conduct her business.
Other Nurses had been given parking notices for parking in visitor’s spaces. A lot of them were really angry about it. I’m so glad it has been sorted, a disgrace they even thought about levelling a parking charge on staff in the first place. Maybe down to Teething problems, another thing that annoyed me during my stay was that staff canteens were shut coz some wee German Wummin was visiting to change the name of the hospital, that went down well with the staff!
Other than that a utterly incredible facility.

As my Slovene girlfriend ejaculates his tory love for Scottish nurses all over them, his tory chums in England do stuff like this, to exact same nurses,

Stinky olde The Graun, last year,

“Bursaries for student nurses will end in 2017, government confirms

Anger as Department of Health says replacing bursaries with loans will free up £800m a year to create extra nursing roles

Student nurses and health workers protesting in January against the plans to scrap the NHS bursary.

Thursday 21 July 2016 19.50 BST

Christina McAnea, head of health at the Unison union, said the consultation had been a sham and ministers had failed to listen to the profession’s concerns. “They seem not to care that in a few years’ time the NHS will be seriously short of nurses and there will be too few new recruits coming through to fill the gaps,” she said.

“That’s because the prospect of graduating with more than £50,000 of debt will discourage many from entering the profession at a time when the NHS is struggling to fill vacancies.”

Or they could move to Scotland, where they may have to suffer NO fifty g’s of debt, at 7%, get paid more than in England, with much cheaper digs but may actually have to pay a few quid more tax, once they hit £35k pay scale.

They will also however, have to endure listening to tory nutters like Colonel Ruth, mad Murdo and my Slovene girlfriend, the future leader of the Scottish haha tory party:D

Clydebuilt 11:19

Even the non thinking voter will will start to question the shite.

Agreed occasional mud will stick. But constant mud slinging will be counter productive. Especially ridiculous mud like we are seeing.

Non thinking voters are not stupid. They will see their pay packets.

Maybe I am a chronic optimist.

Brian Powell says:
16 December, 2017 at 11:21 am
A bit OT. I was thinking that as the majority of under 55s support Independence we should start a campaign for OAPs of, if you’re not sure, vote with the young and the younger, it is their future and they are willing to take the next steps for Scotland to decide. Help them do it.

I get the feeling we are at the tipping point.. or nearly.

I see Farage and Rees-Mogg whining about Brexit, but it “feels” different now. It seems hollow. Westminster has talked the talk, but it has capitulated to the EU when talks have come to the crunch, but rather than such capitulation agitating anything more than superficial rhetoric from the usual suspects, I get the sense of an unspoken sense of relief. It’s not relief that Brexit might not happen, that seems fated, but a greater resignation that the UK is going to have to pay a heavy price if it wants to enjoy what it used to enjoy for free. Brexit is increasingly recognised as a great mistake, but a mistake the UK will have to live with rather than correct.

Now that Europe has precedent for Westminster caving in, I don’t think the next stage of Trade Talks is going to be as difficult as predicted. The EU will dictate the terms of what’s on offer, and the UK will accept it or reject it. That same precedent suggests the UK will accept the deal, and deal with the domestic fallout and national humiliation.

Don’t get me wrong, Brexit is still an intensely charged political issue, but an issue for the UK to adjust to. The UK’s exit from Europe is no longer a politically charged issue for Europe.

The big question is where that leaves Scotland. Once Brexit is recognised as the great calamity which it is, I don’t think the UK will dwell on the error which is afterall, spilt milk, but they will adjust very quickly to the new reality of life outside the EU. To be blunt, it troubles me how Scottish Independence from an unrepentant and xenophobic BritNat UK compares to Scottish Independence from a humiliated, repentant and conciliatory UK. I like our odds with the former, but I’m not so sure about the latter.

In my opinion, the Brexit “bloodletting” will be a political civil war in the UK Tory Right wing between Leavers and Remainers. Scotland’s input to that debate will be superfluous. Scotland will not get a constructive Brexit Deal unless we seize the initiative and carve a deal for ourselves.

The problem the Tories have in Scotland is that they have not been able to inoculation a hefty proportion of the population against the concept of social responsibility.

Of course there are Tories foaming against the disabled, disadvantaged and poor and would throw them under a bus at the first opportunity (HYS is evidence of this). However, that selfish ‘devil take the hindmost’ attitude that Ruth embraces and epitomises Thatcherism is not actually prevalent in all Scottish Conservative voters let alone the rest of the voting population. Indeed, on HYS it looks like they have had muster support from other parts of the UK that are entirely unaffected by the Scottish budget.

I am not surprised Ruth’s balloon is slowly deflating in the polls. Get her off “defender of the union” and the arguments are very unattractive.

Oh,that’s good. ?

In Glasgow catching up with family today. Using thumbs on a phone, it’s taken me half an hour just to type ‘hi’. (Sigh)

FILM. Slightly Off Topic—for Weekenders and Casuals to Wings over Scotland who may have missed the Scottish Government’s Draft Spending and Tax Plans for 2018-19.
Welcome. 🙂

The Scottish Budget Statement and responses by other parties included in this Scottish Parliament YouTube link:

link to tinyurl.com

Great image once again. The Scotgov have to mitigate horrendous Tory and red Tory supporting austerityon our poorest, whether in work or not. ScotGov are working wonders and having to magic funds out of the hat, and to think some are less than happy having to pay a few pennies more out of their huge wages. Nice folk they are eh. Not.

The Britnats at Holyrood and in London are clearly raging because if they cry wolf too much, their sheer greed and propping up of the rich will be exposed even more than it has been. Great work from the SNP there, knowing the Britnats attempt to use this budget against them, would be futile, ha!

re; Clydebuilt@11.19

Absolutely correct these troughers know exactly what they are doing and have no qualms about using any tactics at their disposal at all to try to thwart the SNP by conning the people of Scotland. They are dab hands at it, plenty of practice, 300+ years. Gits.

Cannae be the only one around here that voted yes, yes in ’97. Long overdue use of the mandate, but welcome nonetheless.

by conning the people of Scotland. They are dab hands at it, plenty of practice, 300+ years. Gits.”

It’s up to the Colonel to show the tory way right enough. Sneaky shits doesn’t come close.

ScotConservatives Retweeted

Ruth Davidson?Verified account
@RuthDavidsonMSP
Dec 14

88% of Scotland’s taxpayers pay the basic rate. The SNP promised none of them – totalling 2.2m workers – would face a tax rise in this parliament. FM confirms she’ll break that promise for hundreds of thousands of Scots.

Afterthought:
Open question to Ruth Davidson:
Will your next manifesto include a pledge to reverse the budget and increase taxation of the lowest earners?

That Alf Baird article spelling out how Scotland meets the citeria of a colony is spot on.

Looking around the yoon tory twitter stuff, much of their perpetual colonisation of Scotland involves simply never ever mentioning the word “Scotland.” From ex RAF guys along the Buchan coast, to high tory new town Edinburgh, colonialists do not like to even mention their colony.

They do like to invent catchy little names for their individual places, that they do not want to be Scottish in any way whatsoever and online its usually starts with, My….co.uk.

Interesting language use but can even the concocted UKOK nomenclature of colonialism in Scotland work for much longer?

They must feel like King Canute most of the time:D

@ heedtracker – the comments are also worth reading. Looks like we ought to be on the UN decolonisation register.

If one accepts that Scotland is a colony, then the logical step towards independence is to get Scotland placed on the UN ‘Decolonization’ list of Non Self Governing Territories. Scotland’s existing independence supporting democratically elected majorities of MP’s and MSP’s should be sufficiently persuasive in this regard.

Lets face it, the trouble with Scotland really is, that it’s full of Scots.

link to youtube.com

@ Capella 2.37pm

Thanks for posting the link. It’s an important article. I wouldn’t like to think we’re settling for vassal status – too often recently it’s looked that way.

Drew anderson…there it is again !!

WHAT NEXT ELECTION ???

(See response to Handandshrimp above).

Breeks 12.48

“I get the feeling we are at the tipping point.. or nearly”.

I hope it’s more than just a feeling. If the Yes movement can get itself sufficiently co-ordinated and organised in how it boosts support for independence by getting facts and information which is normally suppressed out to the soft nos, undecideds and haven’t got a clues then with hard work and determination support will begin to reach 51, 52, 53%.

When (if) that happens then we really will be at the tipping point into critical mass at which point support starts to become self generating, partly at least.

Geeo

Admire your confidence. I have a gut feeling that Brexit is going to drag on. Hammond and Co seem to be getting the upper hand and I don’t think any of the bats are straight.

Earlier in the year we had a Cabinet Office Minster visit and we were treated to a Q&A with the Minster. On the single market he was adamant we weren’t leaving. However, I was struck by the speed and certainty he said that. He lost his seat in June though.

The trouble with mitigation is that it “gentles” people into resignedly accepting any deeper change forced upon us here in the colony.

In a way, the SG is in a bind. It is obliged to do the best it can for all of us, even though it’s not in our long-term interest to be at all complacent right now.

And if the SG doesn’t, it’s accused of either being incompetent or “divisive”. Or more likely both simultaneously.

The extreme Brexiteers are right in one way: what’s the point of being “half-way out”, having to obey all the same rules but no longer being able to influence them in any way? This is the selfsame weakness I have been warning about re the Brexit-Lite EFTA promoters. It’s actually the worst of all possible options, not the best. It pleases no-one!

It doesn’t seem to me though to be too good a strategy either to solely depend on realities getting through to people sufficiently quickly. There is a definite danger of drifting into a shoulder-shrugging acceptance of a slow-mo Brexit.

Something more is needed, and soon. Like Tommy Sheridan did with the poll tax, someone needs to stand up before too long and galvanise opinion into realising that we’re being lead like sheep to the slaughterhouse, and that we need to act decisively before this disaster is forced upon us.

Afterwards will be too late, and this historical opportunity will have been carelessly thrown away for nothing.

@geeo,

Apologies for the double post.

Same question Ruth, next election OR plebescite…

May’s government is on the shoogliest of pegs; snap elections only require 3 weeks notice.

BBC shortbread:

Alex Rowley has announced that he does not intend to resume the role of deputy leader of the Scottish Labour Party.

Last month, the Fife MSP was suspended from the post following allegations that he had sent abusive text messages to a former partner.
———————————————————
No surprise there then.

Drew Anderson @ 16:37,

So a sudden election replaces the BritTory gov by a BritLab gov. What diff for us then?

Corbyn’s lot have been getting away with the same kind of neglect as Ruthie – policies as substantial as a soufflé, but attention always being directed elsewhere.

If we’re “lucky” BritLab might just about settle on single market/customs union and indyref2 is off. Or they might not. Who knows?

It’s high time we started making the running for a change instead of standing by just stupidly waiting for the next riptide to come in and carry us passively anywhere but where we need to be….

Just a few thoughts, partly O/T.
The recent Ireland deal, compromise, shambles, whatever you call it.
May depends on the DUP, for the time being. Keep them sweet.
May’s civil servants who can read, write and think, will have advised her that within 2 to 4 years there will be a majority in Northern Ireland for re-unification. At that point, May or her successor will be able to dispose of the Ireland problem at one fell swoop. There is no reason on earth why the English will want to go on buying, subsidising and cozying up to the N.Irish protestant “brigade”.
Et voila, full attention can be turned to subjugating Scotland, removing any vestiges of EU alignment, removing the devolution powers remaining and so on. There will no longer be an EU hold over Westminster, once there is no border to worry about in a United Ireland.
Only if Scotland uses the hiatus between the events of Brexit and reunification will there be any chance of sliding over into the type of relationship with the EU which the Scottish voter wants with the aquis intact.

Tax, looks like I’m going to have to pay a little more. Haven’t worked out how much as no doubt my accountant will add a lot to the bill for filling out what should be a simple form.
But wait.
My two kids went to Uni without fees. That could be worth £54k.
I don’t pay for prescriptions. Maybe £100.
I don’t pay bridge tolls. Maybe £100.
I have an all Scotland bus pass.Maybe £200.
My council tax is lower than south of the border. £300.
If I suffer an accident or emergency I’ll likely get treated a bit faster. £???, still alive well that’s a bonus.
My old mum at 100, yes 100, gets excellent free personal care in her own home. £100s,£1000s?
Personally I don’t feel the effect of the amelioration of the bedroom tax, but I know some who do and I’m glad to pay towards it.
No doubt I’ve overlooked additional benefits and am happy to be reminded.
All in all I’m pretty pleased to live in Scotland and pay a very modest increase in tax.

Lastly a question.
How is it that May’s gang can find around £40bn as the cost of ruining trade, prosperity,family life, interpersonal relationships et al.
But she can’t find enough to support the English NHS properly. Educate English kids properly and most importantly provide adequate support to those who need it either on a short or long term basis.
Answers on a postcard please.

Historically the SNP are to blame for the Crusades, the murdering of indigenous peoples in America Australia India Caribbean Islanders and all the other folks around the world too, and who knows some folks they may not have even found to murder yet

We must put out a call for any religious groups or ethnic minorities who haven’t yet been approached for the murdering and plundering of their yet to be colonies of Scotland

Scotland a once proud murdering nation are running out of murderees and peoples to opress and loot from

Whoops! Terrible mistake there,endless apologies Scottish people it wasn’t in fact you at all

Slip of the country, it must have been some other Empire building Arsholes,

Easy mistake to make

If you liked the SNP budget then show support get out and vote for them. If you stay at home because its raining or what ever excuse we will lose them. If you don’t get out and vote the Tories will get in and remove the social security system and the SNHS so the well of can pay less tax. That goes for all Tories whatever the colour.

If you like the SNP budget imagine what they can do with all the powers of Independence. Scotland for all the people not just the elite. When we are asked “Should Scotland be an independent country?” Get out and vote yes. Tell your family and friends to vote yes. Talk to your parent and grand parents. Get out and vote yes.

This post is not for Wingers, obviously, but for lurkers and Wings newbies.

@galamcennalath says: 16 December, 2017 at 11:46 am:

“Brian Powell says:
we should start a campaign for OAPs
Indeed, swing the older NOs and we’re home and dry.”

Sheesh!

Not that same old illogical claptrap again?

It isn’t logical to imagine because you are over a certain age you will vote as a Unionist. If that were the case then there would be an ever increasing total of the increasingly more elderly swinging the polls towards unionism.

This because the percentage of elderly voters is constantly increasing. That being the case there is obviously a rather different, and more simple, explanation for the phenomenon.

It really is very simple. The Labour, Tory and LibDem parties have an ever increasing percentage of their remaining membership composed of elderly, long established members and loyal members.

It isn’t the non-aligned electorate that votes for unionist parties it is simply their long established memberships, or put another way, they are NOT picking up nearly the same percentage of the younger voters as members and thus what remains is going to be increasingly more elderly.

It is thus stupid to think that it is simple the age of the person that causes them to vote unionist. The truth being that they are the unionist party members and it is because they are the loyal and established members of the unionist parties that makes converting them so difficult.

Conversely, as the SNP I followed as a schoolboy had a very small loyal membership then the current membership will be of necessity a younger age group.

I believe that this has been well established as fact. Remember the Scottish MP, (Labour), who said, even if independence harmed Scotland, he would still vote against it.

Bold choice of Derek Mackay as a magician.

Created the illusion of a tax cut for the lower paid, when it is only 40p a week.

Breeks @ 15:36

What we have ended up with is the independence movement managing north britain more efficiently than south britain ever did.

Even more more disturbing is the independence movement is getting the blame for a relatively poor performing Scottish economy, a result the mismanagement (one size fits all) by the the british eleite of the uk economy which controls the Scottish economy.

Devolution was never supposed to work for Scots. The logic behind it is London will control funds, its in their interests to hang the SNP out to dry. SNP fail, unionist’s get back in Holyrood, purse strings are relaxed, look how mannificent the uk is!. In the background press and bbc steer the nation’s thoughts with Daz and warm water!

Those with power steer the ship, we see that with EU – uk and uk – Scotland.

I am disturbed that we (collectively) have moved away from the will of the 62%? We now seem content to be delt any rubbish the uk elite deems fit for us.

I have always been a don’t rock the boat person, we are in this for the long run to gain victory, but we are playing by the uk rules, uk elite don’t (unless faced with EU or US ) play by the rules.

We need a strategy, agree it, and then implement as single mindedly and forcibly as our opponents!

Proud cybernat 6.58pm. Well as the aforementioned Mr.hood passed away on the 4th of this month. This is one christmas the auld unionist bigoted barsteward wont be celebrating.

gala…..
Agree. There are always exceptions to any rule but the truth is a 70 yr red white and blue rosette wearing tory will not vote for independence.
We need to reinvigorate the existing Yes voters, persuade the undecided (there are still plenty), encourage the tens of thousands who didn’t vote last time to vote for their country and also prevent the unionists interfering in the postal ballot system.
Seems a tall order but with the correct message and truism that we are the best people to govern our country we will win.

and the yooniists know it.

Re- stewartb @7:49 pm

Let’s correct this!! Apologies for not reading the quote carefully enough!

The contributor I quoted surely meant: ‘Remember the Scottish MP, (Labour), who said, even if independence BENEFITTED Scotland, he would still vote against it.’

Is that the definition of ‘solidarity’ – that term SLAB activists keep coming up with to justify keeping the people of Scotland in circumstances where they are harmed, time after time, by Tory governments in Westminster that they didn’t vote for?

Stewart 7:31

Exactly. Use the progressive budget to underline what we have and what we could lose. Things could get better or things could get worse. We (voters) decide the country we will live in. We have got to support the SNP (vehicle) to deliver the positive change.

No there is not an election coming soon. But I get asked what have the SNP done us??? When I show the huge list of achievements over the past ten years eyes glaze over because its too long. I’m sure people can’t believe it or are too intimidated by it. Right now we have some cracking bullet points to underline “what have the SNP done for us”… Look at your pay slip!

We shouldn’t be too hard on Mr Hood at least he told the truth unlike his fellow slabbers who feel exactly the same as he does but are just not stupid enough to say it

At’s a sin ra Gers goat beat 3-1 aff Sintjonson

Musta been murder fur Murdo ‘n Murty.

Just summarising from the last thread, Scotland with an onshore GDP of £150 billion produces an onshore revenue apparently of £58 billion, so roughly £1 revenue for £2.50 of GDP. The area of Scotland is 20 million acres, so £7,500 GDP per acre for a revenue of £3,000.

Bear with me!

So a certain area of 60,000 acres north of Braemar owned by an inheritance tax dodging Trust, should have a GDP of £450 million, for a revenue of £180 million per year.

Subtracting an existing GDP of for the sake of argument, £100 million, and revenue of £40 million, it appears the Queen should be paying Scotland £140 million a year in a fair and equivalent offset Land Tax.

Oh dear, she will not be amused.

@artyhetty says: 16 December, 2017 at 1:55 pm;

“Absolutely correct these troughers know exactly what they are doing and have no qualms about using any tactics at their disposal at all to try to thwart the SNP by conning the people of Scotland. They are dab hands at it, plenty of practice, 300+ years. Gits.”

That’s a muckle plus, Artyhetty. The Romans came in 54/55 BC and there has been a Londinium Establishment ever since.

The Romans didn’t build their walls to keep the Scots out of England for, in the first place there was no Scotland nor was there an England back then. In the second place why would the Northern Britons want to invade south Britain?

Then, as now, there was plenty of space for the northern Britons and a smaller population that had everything they needed in the north. The real facts are that the way the Roman Empire worked was to Romanise the former rulers, (throughout the entire Roman Empire ), and have them run whatever country it was for the Romans.

The Roman military, though, took over all defence and built the infrastructure. The construction work kept idle Centurion hands busy and out of trouble and made sure the natives didn’t rebel. Then the Romans held a census and set up a tax system that included customs and excise.

So those Roman walls were actually customs barriers to prevent smuggling. BTW: the Romans had a nice little earner capturing and selling slaves back in Rome.

So there you go – there has been a London/Westminster Establishment since 54/55 BC and the UK is still a tax/customs/excise setup today.

@Ian

If it’s also a public holiday then more people are available so would be good time.

@Yesindyref2

Happy to hear your good news.

Sounds like a plan for long overdue fairness in our country.

Colin Alexander @ 9.49

Troll away big chap, nobody is listening to your fuddishness

All those yoons who are in lower paid jobs,zero hour contracts, or on disability pip etc. Just think how you will be so better off under a scottish conservative or red tory government instead of those bad snp lot. Still you can always wave your flags at the royal wedding next may. Shiny buttons eh.

Colin Alexander 9.49

“Shhh. Be vewy vewy quiet, I’m hunting wabbits”
Surely, none other than Bugs bunny’s arch enemy Elmer Fudd?

@Proud Cybernat says: 16 December, 2017 at 2:22 pm:

“Perhaps (if there was nearby land available) the ScotGov could inform NCP of its plans to build a car park that would be free to use by NHS staff and patient visitors? Perhaps that would help concentrate minds and encourage NCP to cut their profits and simply sell up?”

Matter of fact there was an item on the news, (I cannot remember where), that an MSP is to propose a change in the Scottish Law on Privately run public car Parking.

Sorry but I was somewhat busy at the time and, as usual, attempting to do several things at the same time so cannot tell you which MSP, if he/she had a seconder or what the details of the proposal were. It was, though, in the news within the past two or three weeks.

@Breeks 9.51pm
“Kinda yeah, but kinda no.”

Something like that. Time is short. We’re too low in the polls. We’ll probably never get a better chance to improve that, but we need strong leadership. I don’t want Nicola Sturgeon to be remembered for what she didn’t do.

No-one ever heard of Elmer Fanny.

@IanB
With a banner: “All the best for your marriage from your next-door neighbour”.

Gordo, Murdo, whose next Leonardo?

As long as its the Last Supper for Yoons.

I watched the BBC Propaganda Channel this morning for a quick dose of SNP Bad and Scots are Stupid.

It just reassures me that I’m still stuck in a fascist state.

A senior manager at the Beeb came on at 7.45 am to dispel
letters that had accused them of being biased and not checking on rogue claims and figures spouted by UK Politicians.

Wait for it! Not only is this untrue, but they have even formed a “Special” team to check up on these things to ensure everything is factual and correct?

What a beauty! That is right up there with that extra £350 Million per week going to the NHS after Brexit.

I can picture that special team.
One has his hands over his eyes, another with hands over his ears, and the last one just reads out the latest propaganda straight from Westminster.

PS Sneaked my last ever look at a Daily Hail.
Their poor wee Scottish pensioner readers must have SNP pictures on the dart board ready for the paper to drop through their letter boxes.

Do you realise that because of the SNP fewer £Millionaires are buying multi-Mullion pound homes, and that some people who earn wonderful salaries are paying a couple of quid per week in extra tax?

Even a Tory Geek at Hutchison’s private school is left aghast at how wealthy parents paying over £10,000.00 per term could come with extra money to keep their kids as elitist snobs.

The poor souls are only getting the best performing NHS, toll free Roads and Bridges, new roads and bridges, Free University tuition, free prescriptions, the best performing train services, free personal care for the elderly, smoke free pubs and restaurants, reduced plastic waste from carrier bags, and 95% of our school kids leaving to a positive destination such as jobs, further education, or training.

Disappointed that this cartoon isn’t up to the usual very good standard and has to rely on an offensive reference to female genitalia to get laughs.

??

Nope you’ve lost me.

Even if Murdo was drawn as Elmer, which he isn’t, Bugs still said “What’s up Doc” to everyone he was winding up.

@Ron Maclean says: 16 December, 2017 at 4:33 pm:

“How can we hope to win a constitutional argument that Scotland did not cease to exist in 1707 when we constrain ourselves to actions which effectively concede that it did?”

Well no we did not. In fact no one gives anyone sovereignty – everyone and everything that is sovereign has had to take it for themselves.

So you are correct that when a majority of Scots say they are sovereign then there is only one way for anyone, or anything, else to prevent them doing so and that is by force.

BTW: Do not think for a moment, that if Westminster thinks it would get away with it, they would not attempt to use the United Kingdom’s armed forces and these days the Police forces are armed forces. I read only this week that the Police are to train up several thousand more officers in the use of Tasers.

Don’t say you were not warned.

Never mind the Fudd Colin.

It’s the way Bugs is handling his carrot that this prude finds deeply offensive.

Too far this time Topher.

off of. ffs
Like i said. Stunned. :-0

I’m just in from the Rub a Dub Dub.
Seriously, I’ve had enough.
The Unionists Up Here would lead
Scotland into poverty and
eternal subjugation
to our English Masters.
There is no hiding place.
Voting No at the next Referendum
is to betray Independent Scotland.

Good one Chris. Absolutely nailed it once again.

We’ve got the Scottish Tory rat pack up in arms about the SNP Government trying to claw in around a measly £160 million through using the Westminster economic levered poisoned chalice, whilst their bosses down south are robbing us of £3.4 billion (Scottish equivalent of NIrish bung and the £500 million cuts over the next 2 years) + £130 million emergency services backdated VAT. And the rest!

Now I spent two hours yesterday trying to calm down and console an 88 year old woman. She was in a REAL state to the point that I reckoned that she could have dropped down dead in front of me with a heart attack.

Why? Because she received a letter last week from the DWP, in the scary brown envelope, announcing that support for her mortgage interest benefit (SMI), as part of her pension credit, is ending for everyone in the UK from 5 April 2018. Better known as ‘Help with Housing Costs.’

The letter arrived with an 8 page information leaflet which outlined “what you can do now.” The three alternatives are:

1. Pay off your mortgage altogether, such as through selling your home and relocating elsewhere (and that may alter the amount of benefit you get).

2. Contact your mortgage lender who may be able to suggest alternative ways to manage your mortgage payments such as changing your mortgage interest rate.

3. The DWP can offer an SMI with interest loan (no mention of the rate) to pay towards the interest on your mortgage. If you do so the DWP may also place a second charge on your property (no mention as to what type of charge, why or how much). You pay back the loan when you sell or transfer ownership of your property (or kick the bucket).

They go on to highlight in BOLD print that if you “don’t take action your home will be at risk” and to help you decide what to do next you’ll get a call from a company called SERCO who work on behalf of the DWP.

This 8 page leaflet TOTALLY focuses on individuals taking out the SMI loan with FOUR lines ONLY allocated to contacting your mortgage lender.

However what ANNOYS me more than anything is that this 88 year old woman who lives alone received the letter last week and two days later received a call from someone from SERCO asking her if she was taking out the loan (on commission?). She hadn’t had time to make sense of the letter or speak to anyone else about it. She’s an extremely independent individual who doesn’t rely on social services and at her age has lost her husband, many friends and relatives. In other words she has no support network other than a couple of other people and myself. I just wonder how many elderly people across the UK have no one to help them at all?

I can’t begin to tell you how absolutely scunnered I am with this Westminster Government. The UK Is one of the richest countries in the world with Scotland propping it up financially, but it’s hammering vulnerable people into the ground ….. literally …. freezing and bloody well starving, if not frightening them to death.

I sat and held an old woman in my arms yesterday who was shaking and weeping uncontrollably and apologising for weeping. Heartbreaking. Had my arms around her extremely thin and frail body wracked, twisted and knotted with arthritis. She was encouraged to buy her council home when she was in her 70’s … say no more … she doesn’t have a clue about what to do next and is absolutely terrified with regard to what they’ll do to her now, especially as the man from SERCO (check them out) told her that he will be phoning her on Monday when she will have to make up her mind as to whether she’ll take out the loan or not.

She went on, frantically, about being thrown out of her house, when they’ll do it, where she’ll go, she doesn’t know how to sell her house, who’ll help her, how can she pack up and so on. I went through it all with her and suggested that I’d go with her, if she wants, to her mortgage lender. Told her to tell the SERCO man to back off. Don’t give out your bank details etc. I’d love to be there on Monday when he, the bast*rd, phones but it’s not possible between one thing and another.

This extremely decent woman and her husband worked their butts off for this country, he in the Army in WW2 and both helping NUMEROUS people over time. These two people alone have done more good than the Scottish Tory cabal combined will ever do in a million years and yet that pathetic bunch of narcissistic losers will still make sure that she and hundreds of thousands of people like her won’t be allowed to end their days in peace. Hell mend them.

I left her house and drove home crying my heart out (sad, frustrated and more than anything raging). Crying for the weak and vulnerable across this country and vowing to fight the Unionists tooth and nail once AGAIN to get us ALL out of this hellhole. If not for us fight for them folks: The vulnerable, your children and grandchildren.

The one positive in all of this is that this lady is highly intelligent, knows what Westminster / the Media is up to even although she doesn’t access the Internet and supports Independence. I pray that she lives long enough to see us get it. Ends her days peacefully in an Independent Scotland.

Petra 3.01 am , read your post and was almost in tears myself , these scum bastards and I do not apologise , because of the current UK govt these scum feel untouchable, this is the way of the great UK tory , liebour and lie dums, this is their no concience unfeeling don’t give a shit governance , they don’t care that this womans husband fought for this country same as they don’t care that young men and women are coming back from ( conflicts ) scarred mentally and physically that are having to rely on charities to help them . Yet a SNP SG with a concience and a heart are being denigrated and castigated by brit nats and the msm by asking well paid citizens to pay a little extra tax to maintain a societal necessity.

Re the elderly ladies situation would it not be possible to contact a SNP MP to highlight this in westmonster to illustrate this heartless bullying of an elderly person aligned with the cooperation and collusion of a private company to frighten and force this woman to either take on unmanageable debt or sell her home and make her homeless , either of which may force this person to consider taking her own life or create a fatal health incident

It has been said many times we HAVE to get out of this rancid union

The state “ breakfast” propaganda unit in full “ pay for your own pension mode” this morning. Apparently babies and toddlers have to start saving now to pay for their old age pensions as the sooner everyone funds their own pension , the sooner the Tory government can abolish “ the state pension”. This will enable the government to buy aircraft and other military “ toys” for the RN carriers etc. as apparently the MOD is penniless and admirals ,Generals and other “ top brass” will soon be heading down to the local food banks
After Brexit , apparently the state “ pension age” will be set at 100 years. This threshold will be frozen for at least one parliamentary term. Any “ waspi “ women still alive will be fully compensated
In 2060

link to politicshome.com

link to instituteforgovernment.org.uk

link to politicshome.com

link to blogs.lse.ac.uk

Brexit: Mrs May’s twilight world
link to eureferendum.com

Special report: Mark Watts compiles key testimony from 14 extraordinary days of hearings on Rochdale investigation that exposed institutions over child sexual abuse – All roads lead to Westminster.
link to byline.com

Its government is virtual, borderless, blockchained, and secure. Has this tiny post-Soviet nation found the way of the future?
link to archive.is

link to warhistoryonline.com

@HandandShrimp says: 17 December, 2017 at 12:23 am:

‘Disappointed that this cartoon isn’t up to the usual very good standard and has to rely on an offensive reference to female genitalia to get laughs’.

“??
Nope you’ve lost me.”

You are not alone, HandandShrimp, it lost many others too.

In both U.S.A.sian and UK English the term, “FUD”, is an acronym for the phrase, “Fear, Uncertainty & Doubt”.

In Lowland Scots, (a language in its own right), the term , “fud”, means an animal’s, (such as a rabbit’s), tail.

The offensive term, “fud”, as used in, “Scottish Standard English”, that is spoken in much of Scotland does indeed refer to female genitals but Scottish Standard English is a slang dialect of Standard English.

Incidentally there is an now obsolete version of the term, “Fud”, in the Northern Isles and it means a squall or a sudden gust of wind.

” Robert Peffers says:
16 December, 2017 at 6:41 pm

Not that same old illogical claptrap again?

It isn’t logical to imagine because you are over a certain age you will vote as a Unionist. If that were the case then there would be an ever increasing total of the increasingly more elderly swinging the polls towards unionism.

This because the percentage of elderly voters is constantly increasing. That being the case there is obviously a rather different, and more simple, explanation for the phenomenon.

It really is very simple. The Labour, Tory and LibDem parties have an ever increasing percentage of their remaining membership composed of elderly, long established members and loyal members.

It isn’t the non-aligned electorate that votes for unionist parties it is simply their long established memberships, or put another way, they are NOT picking up nearly the same percentage of the younger voters as members and thus what remains is going to be increasingly more elderly. ”

One of the things that strikes you when you poke around on Unionist sites is the number of links with militaria. I think that if you calculated and compared total military recruitment in Scotland 1945-60, 1960-75, 1975-90 etc then you might have some sort of predictor of “generational Unionism”.
(Having said that, my father spent 15 years in the RAF and latterly a slightly greater length of time voting SNP.)

Oh dear BBC Sunday radio with two unionists trolls one of which used to read BBC scotchland news attacking Scottish budget. The other a well Kent face from Kent? Or Essex?

Wheres the balance? None, does BBC care nope

The cheek of Vince Cable. The LibDem caused Brexit. Supported an EU Ref for a AV Ref. A complete failure.

According to the Mail zoomer. They should put up taxes in England to get rid of immigrants. Or just to fund public services. Westminster has cut. NHS £4Billion, Education £6Billion, welfare £3Billion a year. £13Billion. They are spending £30Billion on HS2, Hinkley Point, Heathrow and Trident. All a total waste of money. With more credible, feasible safer alternatives. Supported by the LibDems. They facilitated it. Dumped by Cameron. The Tory slush fund now headed by Cameron. Ovepaying the Chinese to embezzle public money.

Frank Field the bleating heart hypocrite. Supported the Universal Credit changes and voted them through. Along with Brexit. What a liar.

Brexit what a mess. Independence Ref coming next.

Just catching up this morning and am appalled at what is happening to the lady who had a letter from DWP Petra. It really upset me. Is it possible for someone else to be there to support her for the phone call on Monday? There must be many like me who would want to do this if it was possible. But finding someone close enough at short notice would be a challenge.