Revolution for lazy people
Oh, I was irritating when I was 15.
On our way to school, my friends would stop at Ian’s Newsagents and scatter their pocket money on the counter to work out how many fizzy cola bottles and packets of Space Raiders they could get. I’d do the same, but mine would have a copy of The New Statesman thrown in too.
In my RE class, the children would write out one-line answers to the essay questions about abortion and terrorism and slavery, whereas I’d be bowed over the desk, nose to paper, furiously scribbling out pages and pages of precocious ramblings. The teacher would return my jotter, coated in red-inked comments, and I’d fire more back at him in my blunt pencil.
My proudest possession in those teenage years wasn’t an autographed pop star annual but my Labour Party membership card, and I’d spend evenings trudging round housing estates shoving leaflets through doors (I was too young to be allowed to canvass). I could be found on local gala days manning the Labour Party’s tombola stall, ankle-deep in the damp grass, shaking a bucket of tickets at passersby.
I’d go home and watch Newsnight whilst everyone else my age was watching Friends.
Campaigning is hard – especially when everyone thinks you’re an oddball. It requires time and energy. You also need a fair amount of courage to knock on doors when you’ve no idea who is going to swing it open and confront you. Your feet get wet and you miss your dinner and the bitchy girls in the back of the class say “How come you’re into all that politics? What’s up with you?”
I left the Labour Party in disgust when I was 18. New Labour’s snooty refusal to hold a conference in traditional, working-class Blackpool was the trigger for my resignation, though the rot had set in when Blair ditched Clause IV.
I was appalled at their cringing desire to be accepted by Middle England as they went flouncing off to posh Bournemouth and fancy Brighton, cutting Blackpool out of the loop for years. The snub to this fine old town, which symbolised their working-class credentials, was the final insult for me.
(I received a simpering letter from John Prescott’s office insisting that Tony Blair has ‘fond memories’ of Blackpool – I still have the letter – but the damage was done. The Labour Party were slick and soulless and unrecognisable and I was out of there.)
I’ve never re-joined a party but I still consider myself political. Recently I read Fast Food Nation and was spurred into a furious boycott of McDonalds. For weeks I was smug and proud of my willpower but then my boyfriend and I were on the motorway, travelling home from Angus, hungry, tired and tetchy. He spotted a McDonalds and suggested we stop. At the thought of their hot burgers gleaming fries and luscious ice cream I wilted. I gave in and – oh – how I gorged on the despicable food I’d sworn to boycott. But I was hungry, and I was weak and I’m only human, after all.
So yes: campaigning, boycotting, and being an activist is hard. You really do need some steel in you, and it’s easy to recoil from political activism when you read about people chained to trees or the awesome Greenham Common women. That kind of life just isn’t desirable – or even possible – for most people. From the safety of your sofa, you may flinch at footage of people being dragged off into police vans at Faslane and think “Don’t fancy that much”, and who could criticise you? I just had a Happy Meal, so there’s certainly no blame coming from me.
And when we read about Iain Duncan Smith and the latest abomination to emerge from Westminster it’s easy to feel we can’t do much, not when we’re up against the mass of voters who keep relentlessly returning these people to power. How simple it is to shrug and feel that your one small voice or your floppy batch of rain-spattered leaflets won’t make a difference.
So what can us weak or flawed or just plain knackered-from-work ordinary folk do? How can you be politically active if you don’t want to get your socks soaked or give up your precious Saturdays or land yourself in a brush with the law?
You could mark an X on the ballot paper on 18 September. It’ll take a few seconds. (Okay, factoring in the trip to the polling station, maybe 20 minutes.) You could help to bring about a huge change – bigger than anything any UK political party will ever be able to do in your lifetime – without having to sacrifice anything, or boycott anywhere, or get teargassed. You won’t have to buy a chain or a tent or thank God, any lentils.
How magnificent it is to realise that, if enough of us get off the sofa and make that strange mark on the ballot paper, we’ll have won a peaceful revolution so dramatic that people used to have to die in their thousands to achieve it (and still do, elsewhere in the world). By doing that one tiny thing, you’ll be more effective than all the hordes of campaigners. You’ll be doing more in one pencil-stroke than armies of them manage in a whole lifetime of leafleting and lecturing and doorbell-ringing.
I’m glad of political activists, of course, and they have my admiration and empathy, but the referendum wrests the power away from the vocal and the privileged and the sharp-suited and places it roughly in our own hands. All we need to do is make our mark.
Inspiring and honest material Julie – Nice read.
I agree –
By the stroke of a pen the young, the old, the brave , the craven – all comers can create a real country to be proud of – no need to involve hunger strikes armies or weapons of any kind,
just imagination, inclination and determination to create a nation.
Nice piece of writing Julie. Labour are more tory than the tories and at least you found them out at an early age. I was at a political meeting ( this was during Blairs tenure ) and a punter stood up and asked the Labour councillor what he had done for the old folk. Without batting an eyelid he retorted that he had got the council to extend the cemetery !
Thanks Julie – you sound cool – not annoying.
A low-key campaigning tip for those who don’t fancy gritty campaigning:
Wear a big bold cheery Yes badge all the time – I’ve had many constructive, relaxed conversations in supermarkets etc in the past few weeks, mostly with ‘Don’t Knows’ who are interested and keen to chat about the referendum in a non-pressured way.
Visible Yes folk having sane/calm conversations will win many hearts & minds 🙂
Great piece. Also makes me feel lots better about the times I have ditched plans to help man a Yes stall on a Sunday or go canvassing in the rain and opted for staying indoors in front of the telly, occasionally retweeting something about independence.
Thanks, Julie, for this piece. Very inspiring ending.
The Scottish Revolution! Just a mark on a paper! Love it.
Hi Julie,
Very well written and I can fully empathise with you. And you are absolutely right–those who want change but won’t vote for it because they think “we cannae win” should get a grip of themselves and seize this golden opportunity to bring about the change that they always hoped for but couldn’t ever see happening.
A simple X in a box can make it happen. Let’s do this thing.
YES Scotland.
I posted a comment on the Latvian lessons thread a few days ago.
http://wingsoverscotland.com/latvian-lessons/#comment-617381
Basicly it was my (rather long winded) account of my time in West Berlin in the early seventies. During that time I witnessed the lengths people went to to escape to freedom from the oppression of East Germany. Some made it some died in the attempt. All of them left everything behind.
I make no apologies for repeating my closing sentence “All we have to do is turn up and put a cross on a bit of paper”
There is something more you can do that doesn’t involve trudging round harrassing strangers with soggy leaflets… just convert one person! Use it as an excuse to go to the pub with someone you haven’t seen for a while.
If you believe in a Yes vote, here is your mission: Get pi$$ed with an old friend… it’s a hard life! 🙂
Perhaps we can formalise this in a monthly ‘campaign day’ and get everyone to similtaneously find one new person to convert.
Oh dear I will have to deviate from the consensus so far. Julie I don’t know you but from this and your last article I suspect we hold rather differing views on life, the universe etc.
I suppose I always find young folk involved in organised politics rather an odd thing, maybe it’s a William Hague thing. Going on marches, taking part in demonstrations, boycotting products etc was the thing for me. No interest in signing up to a part of the poltical establishment.
Clearly if enough folk get off their sofas and vote YES we’re there but that’s far from clear at the moment. And there’s much more that can be done, by way of effort, than an either or of inertia or welding yourself to pipes attached to a group of fellow protestors. It needs effort at all levels and, sadly, I tend to agree with J Curtice that YES need to be more prominent on the airwaves in the coming months.
And the idea that boycotting McDonalds is not easily doable if you want to, really? I can honestly say I’ve never been in one and have never starved.
You may of course be going for literary embellishment on that point.
Anyway on a lighter note I checked to see if you were the same person who’d written the Maryhill article and, to my astonishment, I see I missed a proposal of marriage. Apologies @Taranaich.
There’s an even easier thing than wearing a badge, and that’s to have a Yes sticker on your car.
No one even knows who you are, but you are carrying a visible sign of your belief everywhere. Imagine a whole car park full of Yes stickers. What sort of impact would that have on undecided passers-by?
41p from link to shop.yesscotland.net.
Cheaper than Macdonald’s chips and better long-term value.
I’ve been boycotting Golden Wonder crisps since 1993, when they changed to foil packets and gave it the old “new and improved flavour” pish. Absolutely ruined my favourite crisps.
Good article again, Julie. As Stu aluded to on Facebook, if Russell Brand wants to see an example of how voting CAN change the world (well, your own wee world anyway), then he need look no further than Scotland next year.
Chapping on doors isn’t for everyone, but as long as everyone does what they can, then we’ll get there.
Yes, the pen is indeed mightier than the sword.
O/T but I can’t resist, It’s been rather a trying day here, especially with unplanned for family commitments, so I have only just watched FMQ’s. the strains of the day were removed entirely by the look on JL’s face, when the Alex Salmond used the phrase ‘something for nothing’ during the his wynd up to her questions.
If looks could kill we would all be making plans to attend Alex’s funeral!
Good piece Julie, and of course, at the heart of it, is all those years of trudging around campaigning for a better Scotland, can be rewarded with very little effort, simply by voting YES.
X
gordoz says
“just imagination, inclination and determination to create a nation.”
Sometimes someone posts something that makes you shiver with excitement
Gordoz YOU ARE SOMETHING ELSE 🙂
Yes, the pen is indeed mightier than the sword.
A common mistake. It should actually read “the pen is writier than the sword.”
O/T To all who saw it (FMQ’s)
It was political TV at its best – FM on top form swatting bothersome flies and not slipping a beat. Dignified squashing of Rennie & Baillie and Im sure he enjoyed dispatching the hapless and incompetent Ms Lamont and her spurious petted lip retorts.
Best laugh I’ve had in ages watching a serious attempt at explanation of issues from FM, transform into well honed dignified rebuff of needless political point scoring attempts from ‘Proud Scot’ BT numpties – classic stuff.
How easy did he punt these guys out the park ?
@john king
Cheers John: Scotland – the nation state
I think thats what’s at the heart of it for me; something so meaningful, so once in a lifetime, can be created by everyone of us working in our own small way to build the belief structure for those as yet undecideds who genuinely are willing to be convinced.
I think thats the special factor we have in reserve that No side just don’t posess.
Sad to say I thought thats what would attract the young – but it seems we have to work the hardest on this section of the community.
But hey we all like a challenge and I work with young people so I have my work cut out for me anyway.
Cool article Julie, I was down in Glenrothies at the wk-end visiting the wifes relations, I reckon I have a soild 3 out 4 yes’s compared to the complete indifference of a year ago, the other person is almost there.
And your right, it will only take a stroke of a pen to change helplessness into HOPE.
o/t
heres one for the folks of Dunfermline
link to preview.tinyurl.com
I do hope Ian (Anderson) if your viewing this that you don’t object to my post?
@ John King – Very apt sir
The title does seem to sum up the good voters of Dunfermline who returned the worst elction candidate Scotland has seen in many a year !
The mighty Cara Hilton – what were they thinking ? – oh; I know vote Labour cause wur better the gither n’ at ! (Jesus)
And you could be the first domino in the next chain of colonised nations to declare themselves free.
I keep hearing the YES side make it all up as we go along – policy on the hoof so to speak.
Ref Debate at Dundee Uni last night – Quote from Blair MacDougall of ‘Britter Together’
“Barnett Formula will be here for “30-40″ years more”.
Can he be authorised to promise that?
Kininvie
If you really want car stickers then go for the real thing
link to s833.photobucket.com
Everything is bigger and better in the Highlands! 😉
Good article Julie, and typical of similar “journeys” of other mainly Labour voters to the SNP, or at least to supporting an independent Scotland of whatever political preference.
I am proud to say I convinced a “Mibbes aye, mibbes naw” waverer to vote YES next year (pats self on head). I’m now currently working on “politicising” another young single mother neighbour, who is already impressed by the SNP Government’s policies such as increased nursery hours and the council tax freeze. She doesn’t get on well too with another neighbour, so I used that by asking her if she would be happy handing him her entire earnings from her part-time job to her neighbour, and relying on getting back what HE decided should be sufficient spending money for her living expenses. She looked at me as though I’d grown horns. I then pointed out that this was exactly what was happening between Scotland and Westminster – and that then the Unionist press and media have the temerity to accuse the SNP Government of being “subsidy junkies”!!! Another YES voter almost there I think, going by her apparent acceptance of these last facts.
@Boorach
Not sure about the roosty auld van on the right, but the car with the ‘Yes 2014’ treatment on the left looks pretty sexy.
‘Yes’ can be sexy with minimum effort; ‘Better Together’, on the other hand…
@ BuckieBraes
steady on lad/lass… that’s my hame you’re maligning! 🙂
Jist the day ah wiz having visions of JOHANN Lamentable oot of a job on her erse but whit happens some smart cunts ( sos inevative people)fae Edinburgh Uni come up with a new version of WI FI n Whit day they call it LIE FI noo ah have visions of Johann Lamentable being unleashed on the world promoting LIE FI Scotland that gives so much to the world of invention & then there JOHANN but hay ho a component of said LIE FI is a Light Bulb good at Lie in but DIM as fk STV 6pm news
Does anyone have footage of Charles Kennedy playing foam ten-pin bowling in an old folks’ home?
(No particular reason for asking – I just like that type of thing.)
O/T but sort of connected. I don’t understand what powers a supporter of devo-max would want to be reserved to Westminster. I talk to people who would like that option, but then when I ask them, also fail to find such a power. I would appreciate a serious consideration of this – is there a power that would be best exercised as the UK rather than as independent nations?
Oh Boorach ye wee soul, and I had visions of you reclining in a Wnniebago, King size.
Looks, velofello, as they say, are only skin deep. Inside it’s a real boorach but it’s where I hang my hat! 😉
@Paula Rose
How about air guns and speed limits?
@ Albert Herring – No, it would be fun to watch a 20 mph speed limit imposed at the border (how do you do do those smiley winky things?)
O/T I’d always somehow respected David Steel but the utter c**p he’s just spouted on Scotland Tonight about Scottish Lords in a revising chamber at Hollyrood, amongst all the other usual unionist claptrap, mean he’s nothing more than another toom tabard. Totally disgusting and anti-democratic.
OT
Has Alan Cochrane in the Telegraph just committed journalistic hara-kiri in his latest rant?
“And I for one was not at all unhappy to see the back of the “benign” Dewar or to see the noble lord’s best laid schemes on PR come apart with the Nats’ victory in 2011.”
link to archive.is
benarmine, Agreed. I got the impression of a vote No and we’ll see you aw right pish, knowing is his heart, he canny deliver anything.
Apologies, Stuart – no idea why that happened.
Rev I am going way o/t here, I hope you will forgive me, I think it will be of interest especially to your good self.
#Atos #Glasgow1014 Today will go down in #Infamy for #ScottishLabour whose #Glasgow #Councillors voted to oppose the motion to “write to the games organisers” to demand that Atos be kicked off the games. Following the vote there was uproar in the City Chambers which had to be cleared by the Lord Provost. Shamefully, the Labour group had packed the public gallery with Labour hacks to outnumber Anti…-Atos protesters. The Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont – who has said that Scotland will be the only “Something for Nothing” nation if it insists upon defending the universal benefits that underpin our welfare state – must have applied a three-line whip on the Labour group to comply because we know that Labour councillors who vehemently oppose Atos were forced to vote against with the threat of their careers if they didn’t. It does not excuse their complicity.
Archie Graham – Lamont’s husband is the council’s Depute Leader and Executive Member for the Commonwealth Games and has responsibility for the delivery of the Commonwealth Games in 2014. It makes us wonder. Don’t you? Along with our comrades Glasgow Against ATOS we demonstrated at their house earlier in the year.
Black Triangle knows that Labour cannot be trusted to defend the fundamental human rights of Scotland and the UK”s sick and/or disabled people.
We guarantee that in the run-up to the plebiscite on Scottish independence on the 18th September 2014 we will not permit the Scottish people to have the wool pulled over their eyes about the true intentions of this treacherous party to carry on with the ConDemLab consensus on neoliberal welfare “reform” and we will now step up our struggle to do everything to ensure a vote for Yes Scotland. It is the only conceivable way that our community will be able to break free of Atos, the fascist DWP and the tyranny that is driving our people to abject poverty, destitution, bottomless despair and SUICIDE.
Scottish Labour has shown its true colours today and declared its allegiance to Atos and war on us.
May they live to bitterly regret their decision to stamp on Scotland’s sick and/or disabled people under the jackboot of ConDemLab cuts, austerity and OPPRESSION!
Wow, politically disillusioned at 18? Yep, that beats most of us, so I hope you are now enjoying a bit of a second childhood – certainly, the enthusiasm and the spiritual lift I feel today now that politics can really mean a significant change and effect on my country has made me feel young again.
I boycott Bells whisky too, ever since they closed down the Perth HQ and moved to Harlow Essex – Arthur Bell a great benefactor to Perth is still birling in his grave. Plenty of others to choose from.
…and what was wrong with nipping into Forfar for a bridie? (It was the MacDonalds on the A90?)
benarmine
Mr Steel has less gravitas than his spitting image puppet which has more gravitas than Wullie Rennie.
PS:
I see that NNS dug is up wie a new post.
@Doug Daniel
I’ve been boycotting Golden Wonder crisps ever since they decided to close their Bathgate factory and move the work south along with all the brand new equipment. (I wonder if that was bought with a grant)
Was hardly surprised that they went into administration in 2006. Perhaps my boycott played its part.
Today’s fMQ’s was a classic. AS brilliantly answered all the oppositions spiteful,negative and simply lying questions. The media was silent and even the BBC blog site was edited in a biased fashion. The Dundonian sage added nothing to the BBC coverage. I wish I could cancel my licence fee again!
Kininvie,
anent your comment re car stickers at 6.39 or thereby, I’ve thought that it’d be a good idea to include one of these as a freebie when we are stuffing leaflets, newspapers and the like through letter boxes. Folks without motors could then stick them onto windows.
Julie,
forgive my bad manners in not responding firstly to you, I enjoyed your article and it reminds me of when I was young and strong and full of it. Now I’m older, weaker but I’m still full of it. Only it’s a different kind of it, as in a grim determination that we will, one day, run our own affairs, free from the blighted hand of Westminster.
Albalha
Thanks for your recent help and support and by the way a few weeks ago I got 9/2 at Corals on a “yes” in September next year (this is part of Dram’s get rich slowly campaign where I make small but frequent deposits with large internationally recognised organisations of good report – well there’s little difference between bookies and banks is there?).
Finally, is it just me (part 569) but is Johann Lamont not well? That was a weird FMQ session.
Herald: FMQ’s What a hoot!
Comments section says it all except for OBE who also gets trashed.
link to archive.is
@call me dave-
I went there, had a look…
How many John MACINTYRES are there, eh? They spell their names differently, and one is an OBE?
What’s the sketch? Seriously, I never ever go there. I’ve heard of the OBE dude, but not t’other one.
It’s all a bit Jekyll & Hyde for my liking…diabolical doings.
The game’s afoot!?
This place is civilised, nay dignified, by comparison.
@Bill C
I hope every single Blog site in Scotland covers this tomorrow and condemns it as harshly as it deserves.
It’s an absolute fucking disgrace and if anyone is left in Scotland wonders what Better Together means, it means that the British Labour Party and their wee cronies in Glasgow don’t give a shit about the sick and disadvantaged in our society.
The Labour Party are absolute scum.
Julie
Activists are more than just those that knock on doors, deliver leaflets or man Yes Scotland stalls. Everyone reading this site is an activist to some extent. We crowd-fund polls, write articles and I’m sure almost all readers of a Yes persuasion spend some time discussing the merits of an Independent Scotland with friends and family.
Lets continue to do our bit no matter how small.
On the other hand here’s what a writer for the Spectator thinks of Dundee. Is the author unaware that Scots may read the article, not a good way to garner a No vote.
“Finally there’s Dundee. Yes, Dundee. You may think of it as a miserable, failing Scottish town”
link to archive.is
@ Thepnr
Why dont they talk about this stuff when discussing the morning papers at the end of Newsnight Scotland ?
@gordoz
I’m pretty sure you know the answer to your own question, so it’s rhetorical?
Fecking UK media, that’s why I look for and post links to stuff like this, we have to do it ourselves because the MSM for sure will not be.
PS Like your posts.
I was out delivering leaflets recently and got a torrent of abuse from an older gentleman, which rather shook me and knocked me for six. He was very aggressive and hostile to it. He kept going on about A. Salmond all the time. I haven’t experienced this when out campaigning before (since 2007), but I think there is a new level of hostility from the papers since the referendum was announced. Before, they didn’t really care, but now there is a real threat to how they see themselves, they’ve gone full blast especially with the attacks on Salmond. Mind you, you’ve got to suffer for your country’s freedom. My mum thought he was probably frustrated because there are no signs of Bitter Together campaigning locally at all. I can also say from experience wearing the badges helps to normalise YES and draws people’s attention. They are ever present in people’s gaze. The only problem is when people don’t know what they are. It takes them a while to work it out. Maybe Yes Scotland or Vote Yes or Yes 2014 as we get nearer the time as alternate badges.
@ Bill C
I was reading this article in the Guardian on wednesday link to theguardian.com
and one of the comments (which seem to have been removed as they are today) gave me this link. http://ilegal.org.uk/thread/7140/dwps-esa-reassessment-programme-chaos?page=9&scrollTo=20660
DWP outsources ‘back office’ services to India!
Guess who is getting the contract. Will your pension be safe if you vote NO ?
Lamont’s husband is the council’s Depute Leader and Executive Member for the Commonwealth Games and has responsibility for the delivery of the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
This isvery alarming news indeed. If he has anything to do with the opening parade, I expect Team Scotland to be marching under the union jack. I wonder how many more pro-union symbolism he has planned.
Get the Yes banners out for all the events at the Games, best antidote to the unionist muck
Good article Julie. I had a young lad in for work experience during the week and he was definitely pro independence, great to see the enthusiasm of the young. We were also having a chat with one of the tanker drivers (from Hull) he went from a “don’t be coming back to us in 10 years when you are skint” to actually asking questions about English independence.
Got another few people questioning the way things work at present too, one at a time, that’s how we will win this, keep getting the truth out there at every opportunity.
g.p
i find fmq much more enjoyable to watch if i record it and when i watch it i fast forward when lamentable speaks (i cant stand her vile non-sensical aggresivness).
I watched FMQ from the Parliament’s website and took the time to watch and listen.
The JL stuff was actually amusing but I came to the conclusion that she really is human dross. The veneer has slipped and what is left is pitiable.
I am ashamed that this person represents anyone Scottish. I wonder what the Ambassador from Croatia thought of it all witnessing her efforts from the gallery.
JL needs to get a grip on reality.
Well done AS.
Brian Mark – Actually that is a good idea, but it needs to be subtle but effective. That is use the Saltire Flag with ‘Team Scotland’ across it and a YES in the top quadrant or a plain flag with YES in the top half and TEAM SCOTLAND’ in the lower half. There will be a lot of people wanting to wave the flag. If enough ‘Flags’ are produced, not just for the Commonwealth Games but for all events , it could be quite effective. At all events these days you see the usual stalls flogging the flags of what ever team happens to be playing, if its a Scotland event you also have the usual ‘headwear’ Well it cant be beyond the capabilities of someone to start producing flags, banners and headwear with the YES & TEAM SCOTLAND theme. Imagine if you got 20,000 to 30,000 people wearing and holding these at any event!
Robert Kerr
I also watched FMQ’s the first impression that I had of Lamont as she stood up was of some old battle axe sucking on a wasp. Seriously, she has that look having just a bag of soor plooms!
The other observation is that she just doesn’t have any original thought in her head, it really is all scripted for her as she continually reads from her scrip as she is asking a ‘question’. She has the most disgraceful attitude in parliament, its almost as if Alex Salmond had previously stolen from her , her favourite bag of soor plooms!
O/T Rev, sorry but here we go
link to theguardian.com
The Powers in Westminster have decided that Wales needs a referendum.
Before, after, or on the same day as ours?
Pushing “devolution” for all the territories. They really are rattled.
We shall win!
If you fancy a laugh.
link to archive.is
Ukip in Scotland thrown into chaos amid rumours of leadership coup
THE future of the UK Independence Party in Scotland has been thrown into turmoil with a civil war looming and a coup planned against its leader north of the Border.
To paraphrase one commenter ‘UKIP Scotland actually have a future to throw into turmoil?’
On Atos, it was Labour that introduced Atos to the Welfare assessment system and Labour that let them into the door on a number of other privatisation projects. The notion that Labour would do anything to upset that relationship in Glasgow was a forlorn one. They are all as thick as thieves. If Milliband gets in 2015 there will be no change to anything. It will be another “back to the future” and Blair’s sweeping privatisation of health care and and all the rest. Thatcher fought shy of privatising many defence establisments, such as Faslane, not so Labour who privatised more defence jobs in the 13 years than the Tories did in their 18. Both parties sing from the same hymn sheet.
It is little wonder that politics and politicians are so despised. Daughter popped down from Uni yesterday and we watched the opening 10 minutes or so of QT, till she could stand no more and said “OK Dad enough of this shit” and put on Ren and Stimpey…which I confess I also found more interesting than the utter nonsense the three clones and Mrs Merton (it looked like) were spouting. Daughter isn’t apolitical and posts a lot of Upworthy stuff on her blogs and Facebook but God she can’t stand what passes for political speak at all.
Scottish Skier
I didn’t even know UKIP had enough members in Scotland to make it worthwhile electing a leader…never mind there being a rival. It sounds like Monty Python and the whole “splitter” thing 🙂
@Thepnr –
Shocking stuff in English Press (totally needless but not unexpected sadly), thanks for the heads up –
I would have never seen this dismissive rubbish unless posted by keen folks on here such as yourself.
cheers
O/T
Susan Calman to do an STV quiz show…is it called “Spot the Genuine Threat”?
…can you guess what shes indicating here
The Spectator piece was written by Merryn Webb the editor of Moneyweek.. the magazine that keeps telling us the UK is utterly butterly borked (if I get that email again my head will explode).
I’m sure her piece panders beautifully to the prejudices of the home counties set but as advice and understanding of the Scottish economy and future direction goes, it really is beyond worthless. However, as it was wholly about pandering to prejudices rather than financial advice I am sure the Spectator felt they got their money’s worth.
Edward says @8.53
I think that idea is not only daft it borders on madness.
what happens if an athlete (who is entitled to their own opinion) objects to yes banners, can you imagine the negative headlines,
the no camp would have a field day,
no I say we stick to the flag that represents the Scottish team (Saltire) and watch those idiots try to make political capital out of that.
@stone
wearing the badges helps to normalise YES and draws people’s attention. They are ever present in people’s gaze. The only problem is when people don’t know what they are. It takes them a while to work it out.
Had a recent similar experience in a local pub.
A guy I vaguely know saw me approach the bar (a rarity in itself before Training Day quips in 🙂 )
“Is that badge for Alex Salmond? I don’t like him!”
After a brief & sensible, civilised chat from myself & TrainingDay – we backed off, smug in the fact that we were convinced we had converted another one! (Even a wee fib to declare that I didn’t like AS either maybe helped him see we were perfectly reasonable & logical people!)
John King – That’s interesting as I didn’t say replace the saltire or have YES banners, perhaps I was to subtle. I said have ‘Team Scotland’ after all the Canadians push ‘Team Canada’ as is the USA , with ‘Team USA’, so why not ‘Team Scotland’, surely that’s something that everyone can identify with
But your right why draw attention to YES, after all we don’t want to upset people and give others an excuse
point missed entirely
Edward
look at the faux furore the unionist press made out of Alex Salmond waving a Saltire at Wimbledon,
the Commonwealth games are not the place to take a political argument up with the unionists because right or wrong the Yes campaign will lose the argument as long as the unionists control the media, I didn’t say you had said replace the saltire with yes banners but to attach that to a saltire is begging for trouble btw
let me remind you
“That is use the Saltire Flag with ‘Team Scotland’ across it and a YES in the top quadrant or a plain flag with YES in the top half and TEAM SCOTLAND’ in the lower half,
put the word YES on a flag at the games and we’ve as good as killed our chances of a win!
John King
Point taken – apologies for me not thinking
The Saltire has to be pushed to the front at every opportunity as I suspect certain Labour councillors will try and get the union flag waved at every opportunity during the games
I see the RBoS is on message with its
RBYES campaign.
@Albalha: Anyway on a lighter note I checked to see if you were the same person who’d written the Maryhill article and, to my astonishment, I see I missed a proposal of marriage. Apologies @Taranaich.
*Beams* 😀
@Edward
Great idea about “Team Scotland”.
Elvis is alive.