Rules for them and rules for us
We were a little bemused to read in today’s Herald (and also to hear on “Good Morning Scotland”) of the appointment of Professor Jim Gallagher as an official adviser to “Better Together”. Not because we’d been in any doubt about the academic’s views on independence, but because the Herald had already identified Prof. Gallagher as the No campaign’s “Director of Research” in a referendum supplement back in December.
Indeed, the Herald article goes on to note that “Mr Gallagher has been working behind the scenes for Better Together for several months”. So today seems a pertinent moment to revisit a letter we sent after reading the supplement to Ian Stewart, the editor of The Scotsman, and to which we’re still awaiting a response.
Dear Mr Stewart,
I was intrigued to read today in another newspaper that former government adviser Jim Gallagher is in fact currently employed as “Director of Research” for the anti-independence “Better Together” campaign. Mr Gallagher recently wrote a pro-Union article for the Scotsman which disappointingly did not disclose what I suspect most people would regard as a rather pertinent fact.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/jim-gallagher-referendum-comes-down-to-money-1-3062637
My enquiry, however, concerns whether Mr Gallagher was, to your knowledge, paid for this article – either by the Scotsman or by “Better Together”. I’m sure you understand the reason for my curiosity, given the enormous media furore earlier this year concerning the journalistic activities of Dr Elliot Bulmer.
Can you enlighten me?
Regards,
Rev. Stuart Campbell
We’ve sent Mr Stewart another email this morning politely asking him again if he might clarify the matter. We look forward, as ever, to an explanation of why the media’s principles regarding disclosure are apparently completely different for experts backing Yes and those calling for a No vote. And as ever, we expect to be disappointed.
So when Alistair Darling said it wasn’t the job of Better Together to define a no vote there was someone already there at Better Together who was going to do just that?
link to newsnetscotland.com
“We look forward, as ever, to an explanation of why the media’s principles regarding disclosure are apparently completely different for experts backing Yes and those calling for a No vote.”
Because we’re stronger and more secure in the UK. What do you mean “how”? Why must you keep asking questions? Please just shut up and go away. Or vote No. Just don’t vote for sepurashun.
Yet more proof that the words news and credibility are no longer friends. Every day there’s yet another falsehood or tactical omission and thank God for Rev and others having the stamina to keep on churning through and highlighting such media manipulation.
The UK Govt and Press have the cheek to slag other “lesser” nations on media control too.
BTW..Ramsay Jones looks like an extra from Are you being Served with that expression above!
Rev Stu
Are you certain he is no longer a Gov adviser?
If I remeber Dorice, usualy found on the Guardian blogpages and at least once here, said that Professor Curtice is appointed / retained by Vince Cable’s Dept as an “expert” voice, as is Gallagher and maybe the Uni of Aberdeen Microbiological expert, forgot his name, who is also very active in the No (Academics Branch) campaign.
Do you know if such a scheme exists, and if so, could that explain why the same old face keep popping up on the BBC pontificatiing away despite being “retained?”
Director of Research job ad, salary 45K
link to bettertogether.net
Incidentally, doesn’t Gordon Aikman call himself that? Are there two, both on 45k?
A fine list of twats.
Paul Sinclair looks ready for a heart attack
I see Prof Gallagher has a finger in a few pies. Several directorships including two Swiss-owned life assurance companies. Typical British Establishment figure, spending years in the public sector at our expense, building up private-sector contacts for a golden retirement.
@ chalks
Yes, out of the two, however, I think this UKOK image (link to scotsman.com) is more likely to have been recycled from a someone’s bad idea for a health awareness campaign.
So here we have a bunch of people who’ve been round the block a turn or two and they still come away with the most spectacular piss for beleaguered BT.
How they arrive at their bedrock principles against self-sufficiency for their own country (most of them) helps put Mike Dailly’s dalliance towards a federal non-monarchist country and effectively YES but always NO into perspective. In other words – they are totally lost and mired in a past that’s long lost. So begs the eternal question? Why?
Regarding Chalks comment that Paul Sinclair looks ready for a heart attack, this is probably due to the strain of listening to the stuttering mess Johann Lamont makes of his carefully crafted script each week on FMQs.
Typical British Establishment figure, spending years in the public sector at our expense, building up private-sector contacts for a golden retirement.
And don’t forget the real possibility of a knighthood, following a NO vote in September.
I would also suspect that, if the good Prof was paid, it might be substantially more than the £100 paid to Elliott Bulmer.
Keep at ’em, Rev.
Your reply will be
Dear Sir
As you already know we are a nest of scheming Bastards.
Regards
Mr Stewart
O/T something that just arrived from an energy newsletter.
Norway: All Norwegians become crown millionaires in oil saving landmark
Everyone in Norway became a theoretical crown millionaire on Wednesday in a milestone for the world’s biggest sovereign wealth fund that has ballooned thanks to high oil and gas prices
O/T
Just received the latest newsletter from Five Million Questions for the lecture on the 15th January. The topic is The Defence Of An Independent Scotland and it will be presented by Professor Hew Strachan (All Souls College, Oxford).
His name rings a bell, but I can’t quite place why; anyone any ideas about him, his position, which isn’t explained in Wikipedia?
Well, that certainly brightened up my little day. 🙂
Beards are so 2013.
O/T @ Luigi
Christ – Have you thought of the size the House of Lords would be after a no vote ?
How many more Baron Hughsless McKorruptasphuc of Kilneverheardof ??
Dreadful news for Ireland – and disastrous Gold discoveries.
Poor Ireland dont they know that natural reserves of anything are BAD (very BAD) and damage the ecomomy
Professor Gallagher is rather new to the world of academia. He was a career civil servant, latterly working on the Calman proposals at the Scotland Office. He appears to be seeking to breathe new life into them.
On Good Morning Scotland this morning he described Westminster as functioning as “back-up” for a devolved Scotland – rather like water-wings for a nervous swimmer perhaps?
Cricky, don’t read that job add rev, you’ll have kittens.
“both more experienced and newer campaigners. Salary will be based on your experience but will be
An skilled campaigner, you will be familiar with political and issue campaigns. Creative and resourceful you will be able to work on your own initiative.”
wtf! you’d have thought they might have got someone from p1 to proof read it before sticking it up there!
But Rev,BBC Scotland is leading its political news with ‘Ex civil servant joins Better Together’ Would the BBC lie to us ?
Now that you know Mr Boothman, that we know, that you knew Mr Gallacher was already employed by Better Together and I take it this is just any publicity is better than no publicity, let’s see if you have the integrity to change your evening headlines or are you going to make Jackie Bird read out lies?
Bets anyone?
Brotboy at 12:44 pm
Hew Strachan: link to all-souls.ox.ac.uk and other websites.
A few years back I went to several lectures and meetings involving him, and felt he was a very establishment figure with too much involvement in the military/defence to have much interest in Scottish independence. Of course he may have changed. Details of many of his professional activities and publications can be found here: link to politics.ox.ac.uk.
He is also Senior Member of OUSSG (Oxford University Strategic Studies Group) link to oussg.org group is’devoted to the examination of contemporary strategic and international affairs through speaking events and field study trips. The central feature of its activities is a weekly seminar, which is given by distinguished men and women from the diplomatic, military, political, intelligence, academic, business and media fields’.
I used to go to quite a few meetings, rather interesting, quite a lot of American officers, the odd Russian etc.
McKorruptasphuc of Kilneverheardof ??
that’s delicious, gordoz.
Interesting at the end of FMQs today, after Lamont and SLabs serious mauling over childcare and free school meals, that Taylor just had to emphasise that the final question where salmond really hammered SLab, was asked by an SNP member. Theres going to have to be serious editing of FMQs for newsdrive and misreporting Scotland as the vote the other day is mentioned numerous times lol
The editorial staff at the Hootsman are probably too busy looking at the ‘situations vaccant’ pages to notice. Does anyone outside the over 70 and living in Morningside demographic even read that paper anymore?
All those devious media tactics explained : here
“Dreadful news for Ireland – and disastrous Gold discoveries. Poor Ireland don’t they know that natural reserves of anything are BAD (very BAD) and damage the economy.”
As the Irish mine their gold they are, quite literally, creating black holes. We Scots in our glorious union can only watch and laugh.
Isn’t the point here is that the status of Prof Jim Gallagher as a neutral observer and independent expert in this debate has been completely bogus, and deliberately so. It looks like the bearded wonder has been on BT’s payroll for months.
O/T
Anyone still playing dictator bingo?
link to blogs.spectator.co.uk
No mention of FMQ on misreporting Scotland. Still chopping the tape and glueing it back together I guess so that SLab didn’t vote against feeding poor weans. Vote? what vote.
News sniffer has caught out the BBC again with copious rewrites of the story:
link to newssniffer.co.uk
No bets Rev, you’ll wait a while. 🙂
Never ceases to amaze does it. Oh double standards thy true name is BT/MSM/Westminster troughing ermine arsed weevils (strike through as appropriate).
@Green Bean
Thanks for that. It would seem to confirm my gut instinct that he is unlikely to be neutral or positive towards the concept of an Independent Scotland. I think Wikipedia also refers to him being given some honour recently, so I had him as an establishment figure.
If he has been at Oxford for years, then it is a given he is a Unionist.
Disappointed to see the words “media” and “principles” used in the same sentence. Standards are slipping at WOS.
Labour Hame – beyond parody: http://www.labourhame.com/archives/3937
No doubt tomorrow morning Radio Scotland’s Jim Naughtie will conduct one of his usual fearless, hard-hitting interrogations of NO campaign representatives as he interviews the newly appointed leader of Better Together, Alistair Darling.