Running scared
Labour voters are going to be key in deciding the outcome of the independence referendum. Even if everyone who voted SNP, Green or SSP in the last Holyrood election voted Yes in 2014, it wouldn’t be quite enough to secure a 50%+1 result.
But with polls consistently showing 15-20% of Labour voters are already in favour of independence, and also that a huge majority are dissatisfied with the status quo, it can be no surprise that the Unionist parties and media are extremely nervous of any growth in the Labour Yes faction.
But while nerves are one thing, blind panic is another.
We can only assume the sudden hysterical all-fronts assault (a particularly comic piece from Torcuil Crichton in today’s Daily Record shrieks “INFILTRATORS” as its headline, transporting nostalgic readers back to the days of the McCarthy witch-hunts in 1950s America) on Labour For Independence stems from their holding a “policy conference” at the recent gathering of the STUC in Glasgow.
The Scottish press has studiously ignored the group for most of its life, but such an event appears to have been seen as a significant evolution, and yesterday saw one of the most extraordinary attempts at a co-ordinated blitzkrieg of smearing yet to take place in the independence debate.
Central to the attack was an image published on the group’s Facebook page last year. You can see it in full below, and you’ll understand what we mean by “in full” shortly.
The caption attached to the picture is unambiguous, but we’ll add emphasis anyway: “Lab4Indy in Killie today campaigning alongside Yes East Ayrshire“.
The picture was actually taken by one of the Yes East Ayrshire campaigners in question. He tweeted it on his personal Twitter account the same day, 15 December:
You’ll have noted the caption, but again we’ll add some emphasis for extra clarity: “Big thanks to @labourforindy for attending todays EastAyrshire @YesScotland stall.”
So the facts couldn’t be clearer: absolutely nobody was pretending that everyone in the picture was a Labour For Independence campaigner. It was explicitly and publicly stated, in numerous locations, seven and a half months ago, that the image showed LFI helping out at a Yes Scotland stall with Yes campaigners.
Barton tweeted other images at the time which allow no room for doubt:
So it’s mystifying that bad-tempered, emotionally-fragile Scotsman columnist Euan McColm could have been sufficiently confused as to publish a shock-horror report on right-wing blog ThinkScotland yesterday in which he revealed something everyone had already known since 2012 – that some of the people in the first pic were Yes Scotland campaigners, not Labour For Independence ones.
(Assuming, as apparently we’re being asked to do, that the bright blue “Yes” t-shirts they were wearing hadn’t already rather given the game away.)
But “Scoop” McColm wasn’t done yet. Having used his razor-sharp journalistic talents to discover that people at a Yes campaign stand wearing Yes t-shirts were in fact Yes campaigners, he went on to drop an astonishing bombshell: that a lot of people in the Yes campaign are also in the SNP.
We’ll give you a moment to digest this stunning news. Done?
We know. We’re reeling ourselves. Thanks to intrepid, fearless sleuths like Euan McColm, we now know that the Scottish political party whose entire raison d’etre is Scottish independence, which has fought for Scottish independence for over 80 years, which passed the independence referendum bill and is by far the largest single group of people anywhere on the face of Planet Earth in favour of Scottish independence, is taking an active part in the “Yes to Scottish independence” campaign.
(In the light of such an important public-interest revelation, we can overlook minor details such as the fact Mr McColm cropped out all the original captions explaining exactly who the people in the picture were, in order to create the spectacularly false suggestion that anyone was being deceived.)
Naturally, the usual suspects in the Scottish media have been all over the “story”. In addition to the aforementioned Torcuil Crichton comedy headline, readers probably won’t be entirely amazed that Magnus Gardham on the Herald has joined in (though even he couldn’t make much of it), and respectable broadcasters who ought to know better also reported the mindboggling news that various people who supported independence had been campaigning together for independence several months ago.
However, we must salute (and for once not ironically) the Scotsman, whose Andrew Whittaker produced by far the best coverage of the “story” in a magnificently sarcastic article in which he delivered several phrases like the following totally deadpan:
“Scottish Labour deputy leader Anas Sarwar criticised LFI after it emerged that Douglas Reid, the SNP leader of East Ayrshire Council and other nationalists had stood beside the group’s banner in the Facebook photo.”
Dear God! Nationalists! Standing beside a banner calling for independence!
The object of the exercise is obviously to discredit LFI by playing on Labour members’ deeply-ingrained tribal hatred of anything to do with the SNP. But given that up to a fifth of Labour members back a Yes vote, we suspect that giving massive national media exposure to the existence of Labour For Independence might not be quite the genius move Anas Sarwar thinks it is. We shall see.
In the meantime, inspired to seek new journalistic heights by the heroic work of Euan McColm, we’re off to the Vatican to ask the Pope what kind of school he went to.
and here’s another of those quality journo types take on it all:
link to order-order.com
we suspect that giving massive national media exposure to the existence of Labour For Independence might not be quite the genius move Anas Sarwar thinks it is
No, I suspect not. LFI should be well pleased at all the publicity. They should buy Sarwar et al. a pint.
If the electorate didn’t know about LFI, they do now.
I can’t pretend I follow every minute detail of the indy debate – but I follow most of it and I was quite taken aback at how shrill the noise from McColm and others were yesterday, aimed at a group that I’d always assumed were a pretty minor player in all of this. He actually used the word “scandal” without apparent irony, which is pretty laughable really.
This is precisely the sort of manufactured storm in a teacup that gets the Scottish Hacks circle jerk in action (see how they retweet each other endlessly 🙂 – but would be met with utter indifference from a normal punter.
Maybe you could add ‘Scottish Labour for Independence’ as a VI option in yer poll Rev?
🙂
Are they aware that members of the Labour Party have been known to talk at Conservative Party conferences under the banner “Better Together”?
LOL 😀 Excellent Rev.
@Skier
Agreed, Mr Grogan should get a round in for the free publicity. A big thanks goes out to Messrs McColm, Crichton, Gardham and Sarwar. 😀
The most interesting thing about this is Sarwar taking the lead, as he did on the royal birth. Where is Lamont? Is this a portent of things to come when she is finally brushed aside and Sarwar revealed (or should that be reviled) as the real Leader of Scottish Labour.
Just wait till the cry “entryism” goes up when people with no party membership join LFI and within the rules must also join the SLAB party.
Enjoy
Hail Alba
Suck it up Euan and Torquil because the movement will go on without you and it won’t be swayed by a couple of desperate hacks spinning like demented spiders.
I’ve been a reader of this site for a wee while now, and thoroughly enjoyed most of the posts, but I have to draw the line here.
Trying to claim, Rev, that the gentleman in the last photo is in fact an SNP interloper is just too big a lie for me to stomach!
I’m off to find an “Ach, Better No” blog instead, as they wouldn’t dream of spouting lies as big as that whopper!
😉
And how many photos have we seen with Darling, McDougall etc. standing in front of a “Scottish Conservatives” backdrop. I have seen numerous photos of Lamont, Daidson, Rennie and Darling all cozying up together at Better Together events. So what’s the big deal?
LFI deserve all the support that we can give. And can someone from Bitter Together please explain what part of “Independence Referendum” that they don’t understand?
robert kerr says @10.20am
you might be onto something there Robert, what say we all sign up for labour membership then come out publicly for independence? 🙂
Ah hah!
“Given than up to a fifth of Labour members back a Yes vote”
Does this mean that you know how many people are actually Labour members ?
Please share….
@john lyons
“The most interesting thing about this is Sarwar taking the lead”
Indeed, indeed…
link to bbc.co.uk
Like the above TMITJ?
F’ing hypocrites the lot of them.
@john lyons
“The most interesting thing about this is Sarwar taking the lead”
Indeed, indeed…
[…] I’m not going to suggest you read what has been suggested on the probity of LFI. Instead, and as usual, it’s over to Rev Stu at Wings to dispel the myths. […]
I am a pro-indy Labour member, LFI dont represent me or any of the people I know in the party who are pro-independence
“I am a pro-indy Labour member, LFI dont represent me or any of the people I know in the party who are pro-independence”
So why don’t you all set up your own group?
“Given than up to a fifth of Labour members back a Yes vote, we suspect that giving massive national media exposure to the existence of Labour For Independence might not be quite the genius move Anas Sarwar thinks it is.”
I’m sure someone on here was complaining about typo’s the other day … Rev? lol
“I’m sure someone on here was complaining about typo’s the other day … Rev? lol”
I DON’T GET IT.
Also, there’s no apostrophe in “typos”.
Meanwhile Labour for Dependence share platforms with Tory and Liberal – their fellow NO campaigners, without a murmur of disapproval from our compliant, Labour friendly MSM. Only in Scotland…
Technically speaking Anas Sarwar may have a point about possible infiltrators.
The Labour For Independence movement, for example, have a clear commitment to free education, possible re-nationalisation, protection of disabled, more equal society, fairness in welfare policy, and removal of nukes from Scotland.
Obviously these openly, and clearly stated, core values have no place in the Scottish Labour Party.
Given that up to a fifth of Labour members back a Yes vote
That would be hardly anyone Rev. A fifth of Labour voters on the other hand is a very significant group.
“That would be hardly anyone Rev. A fifth of Labour voters on the other hand is a very significant group.”
Aye, but we’re sticklers for truth here. The poll was conducted at the Scottish Labour conference.
I read in that Herald article that Allan Grogan “The Natural” was once a professional wrestler. I hope that he makes it to Hollyrood could make FMQs much more interesting.
I have contacted Labour for Independence in the past to let them know how moved I was by what they were doing and that there were still Labour members who still believed in the old Labour values.
For me Labour for Independence is the Real Labour, whereas the so called Scottish Labour party and the UK Labour party are nothing more than Tories who are only in it for their own financial gain.
I think it is an insult to people who still hold true Labour vaues to disrespect LFI. Anas Sarwar is nothing more than a very bitter twisted individual who is a disgrace to Scottish politics and he should apologise for his bigoted comment
This is a solemn day for many and I shouldn’t really smile … but ach bugger it!! HAHAHAHA! 🙂
@Jim Monaghan
I am a pro-indy Labour member, LFI dont represent me or any of the people I know in the party who are pro-independence
In what way don’t they represent you? They are Labour, you are Labour. they support independence, you support independence. they are a group for independence supporting Labour members.
Is there another one?
One thing’s for sure – concerted media attacks instigated by Labour in Scotland only seem to have one effect – to increase the support for whoever it is they’re attacking. Maybe Labour should start attacking itself – might help them a bit.
Maybe Labour should start attacking itself…
Aren’t they doing that right now? They are after all attacking labour voters and members who support independence…
Attacking your own supporters has never been considered a wise political strategy.
Robert Kerr – I thought the rules for membership of LFI were either a labour party member or a member of no other party. Hence Pat Kane’s membership
does anyone believe, darling, lamont, moore etc, have a future in scottish politics after next year ?
So, there are now 4 different Labour camps?
– Labour for the Tories / Better Together
– United with El Gordo Labour
– Labour for independence (LFI)
– Alternative Labour for Independence (ALFI) (based on a post here)
Is that about right?
The core Unionist strategy is of course, ‘Divide & Rule’ – the Empire was based on it.
Now we see the heretical Scots fraternising!
Heads must roll – and quickly before this disease spreads.
Jim Monaghan – Interesting. What’s the reasoning for that? Do you simply mean that you and the other pro-indy Labour members you know haven’t joined the LFI group, or is there something about them that you disagree with?
It would seem natural for pro-indy Labour members to get behind a group that seems to share their aims, but maybe there’s something behind the scenes the rest of us don’t know about?
Jim Monaghan.
There is no doubt that most Labour Party members are suspicious of “entryism” by LFI members & consider it illegitimate. However that shouldn’t stop those supporting independence engaging with a group advocating a return to Labour values along with a YES vote in the referendum. Given there have been some former prominent Labour Party members (including current members) at LFI meetings, it does seem to me that it would be sensible to get fully involved, as there is no other forum as far as I am aware.
I think the real problem is that SNP members/supporters use the LFI facebook page to aggressively attack Labour & that ultimately is counter-productive. Constructive criticism & a vision of what can be achieved for the Labour movement by a YES vote are what is required.
I am a pro-indy Labour member, LFI dont represent me or any of the people I know in the party who are pro-independence
Jim, it is early days. Are you saying you have an objection to their approach or is simply that all the dots have to be joined up before a group that has connections to all the pro-indy people in Labour is fully established?
O/T
I see Annabel Goldie has just been ‘elevated’ to the House of Lords
….and for Labour, Scottish businessman and CEO of City Refrigeration Holdings Sir William Haughey will be joining her along with Jeremy Purvis for the Lib Dems.
I saw this and thought of you Rev: The Ghost Sub-editor strikes again!
link to scotsman.com
Diageo profits boosted by emerging markets
NEW Diageo boss Ivan Menezes yesterday threw his weight behind the expansion of the Scotch whisky market as demand from the United States helped Scotland’s largest distiller overcome a continued slowdown in emerging markets.
Now, seriously, don’t miss Natalie McGarry take on Labour (in Scotland) Party:
link to scotsman.com
@Elizabeth
Another three whose status will evaporate when we vote yes. So I guess that’s them fully committed to Westminster snouts in the trough.
Labour4indy, have made it very clear, that in order to join them, you must be either
(a) in no other political party
OR
(b) In the Labour party.
It really is that freaking simple, and I cannot fathom why the likes of guido fawkes has allowed himself to be suckered into yet another piece of bilge from the Unionista BritNAT ‘project FEAR’.
Source : http://www.labourforindy.com/#!news-release-310713/c1a5x
Jeez, that took me less than five minutes and I’m not even a ‘journalist’.
Truly, today has offered an unparalleled opportunity for free UK wide publicity for the labour for independence group.
Elizabeth….
Well they’d better make the most of it, they’ll be oot on their behinds come 2016!
scottish_skier says: @11.29
maybe labour re ,well in labour and about to give birth to triplets
link to google.co.uk
The poll was conducted at the Scottish Labour conference.
I see. Didn’t know that. Ties in with polling of the electorate then, i.e. similar Yes levels for Labour members and Labour voters.
Good work exposing the truth behind Euan McColm’s supposed scoop. I read his Think Scotland column yesterday, but I couldn’t bear to investigate it further as I feel that whenever possible one should ignore this foul-mouthed man.
Again another outstanding piece (which I’ll nick for another site) Rev well done Wings
For the first time last night I wandered onto the Better Together Facebook page – a pal of mine had commented on the now famous photo – and I just had to comment there too.
I was asking for anyone at BT to offer a valid point which would make a vote for the union worthwhile, as it seems no-one can.
I was told by someone to grow up because there are plenty of reasons to vote No in the news everyday!!!
Oh my lord! What size of mountain are we facing!!
There were hundreds of posts by unionist followers and I was shocked at the content on there.
The independence debate really has to sharpen up!
Both sides are guilty of quoting numbers, reports and statistics to suit their needs. The swamp of information will turn enough people off – but when the debate becomes so negative and twisted, I wonder how the non-voters and undecideds will ever feel inspired to get involved.
With over a year to go, I plead with all YES voters to think about the ones who either won’t bother voting or are still not sure.
We can win ‘Separation’ – as the unionists prefer to call it – if we continue to promote the fundamental aspects of independence:
Scotland can be a fairer, more democratic and positive nation – better funded to provide for its people by being managed by a government dedicated and responsible to its people. With full control of her budgets and resources, Scotland can be a nation that is stronger financially. Everyone asks how will independence change their lives: A wealthier Scotland will have the money to invest in all aspects of Scottish society.
Only the positive can win. I am disheartened at the level of animosity that many No voters have but YES Scotland must try to be a vibrant show of what Scotland could be in the future.
scottish_skier says: Attacking your own supporters has never been considered a wise political strategy.
Of course, they’re pretending that LFI does not contain real Labour supporters and that they are just an “SNP front”, so feel justified in attacking them.
That it is demonstrably untrue that LFI are anything to do with the SNP won’t hold them back from damaging their own support and inadvertantly drawing attention and interest to the very thing they wish to smear and destroy. SLAB’s attitude, methods (and outcome): so predictable…
BTW, I know it’s pointless to even mention this, but I wonder what Wonder Woman’s opinion is?
how NOT to link to an image I linked to a picture of three monkeys hear no evil see no evil speak no evil and and end up being redirected to some erotic novel, no guys no don’t all rush at once
It was only a matter of time before the MSM and Unionists attacked LFI. They have no positive case for the Union, everything is negative. Therefore, all sections of the independence movement will get attacked. McColm, Crichton, Gardham etc are prominent in defending the careers and privileges of the careerist Scottish Unionists. Sarwar is a disgrace as well. Like Jim Murphy, he can only smear opponents, and come out with the most vacuous and inane soundbites. Well done Sarwar and MSM, you have given major free publicity to the LFI. What political geniuses you are! :D: :D:
Rev – “Aye, but we’re sticklers for truth here”
You’ll never get a job in the Scottish media with that sort of inflexible attitude!
You’d think that after the way Iain Taylor’s action against National Collective blew up in their faces they would have learned a lesson.
But no, I think all they’ve achieved is to raise LFI’s profile and bring them to the attention of lot’s of Labour voters who would otherwise never have heard of them.
It will be interesting to see how many new members LFI gain as a result of this.
The above Jim Monaghan used to comment on the LFI Facebook page. He seemed to disagree with everything they posted and I believe at one point they politely asked him what possible reason he had for doing that.
Make of that what you will.
@Major
Of course, they’re pretending that LFI does not contain real Labour supporters and that they are just an “SNP front”, so feel justified in attacking them.
That it is demonstrably untrue that LFI are anything to do with the SNP won’t hold them back from damaging their own support and inadvertantly drawing attention and interest to the very thing they wish to smear and destroy. SLAB’s attitude, methods (and outcome): so predictable…
That is the thing Major. It clearly says on their own website/Facebook page that to be a member of LFI, you can’t be a member of any other political party in Scotland. Its core is made up of SLAB members. This would seem to suggest that it is not a ‘SNP Front’. Does it matter to the MSM and the likes of Sarwar? No of course not. Incidentally, has anyone ever heard Sarwar say anything positive at all?
A MASSIVE OWN GOAL BY Project Fear.
Who doctored the photograph? One rumour doing the rounds that it was Better Together’s Truth Team idea and that Blair MacDougall suckered Euan McColm in writing a story around it.
Was this a conspiracy or a cock-up? It transpires it was both.
Can Scottish journalists and commentators be that stupid? Don’t they realise the damage this causes not only to themselves but to their profession.
A fine chance indeed wha’s nae in favour,
O’ a fairer society including labour,
Nae need tae dig deep,
Tae see the stooks yi cin reap,
Wi oot yon peers and their crocodile tears,
In a land o’ oor ain an aye vote’ll gain,
A sair ficht indeed if yi cannae find labour.
stephen mclaren
most of the commenters on the bt fb page are going to vote no regardless of anything. it’s a place for a very strange group of people (rangers fans of the loyalist type, armed forces, armed forces fetishists, christians (!), tory/labour activists, and people who detest politicians) go to have their hatreds validated by the herd.
they love to talk about how unaffordable it all is and how many questions of detail remain unanswered, and that is what the bt campaign, and the westminster consensus, is feeding them. but what the no campaigners are really worried about is what will happen when those questions are answered by the white paper, and the debate moves on to the type of society we could have… that’s when things will get interesting.
bbc scotlandshire has come across another picture worth looking at:
link to facebook.com
Matbe LFI could take out a full page advert in the D.R. & Herald setting out the facts of who they are, their rules regards membership and the policies they favour. Would be good to keep their profile up and straighten out the facts of the matter. Cant cost much for an advert these days due to falling readerships and circulation.
@malky113
‘………that SNP members/supporters use the LFI facebook page to aggressively attack Labour……’ I don’t think they do. I often have a look at LFI FB and most SNP supporters are very constructive in their comments and supportive of LFI.
@Rev/scottish_skier
One fifth of Labour voters is a big number, but one fifth of Labour members is a staggering number. Last estimate I heard from a Labour member was that she reckoned about 10% of their membership would vote Yes (she herself was a definite Yes). Maybe that’s just the ones who openly admit it, of course.
Where is Wonder Woman?
Of all the reports I would say the STV one is the most balanced and gives LFI a fair hearing. There has, in my view, being a consistent trend for STV to be far more even handed in this debate than the BBC.
I was just thinking….you know how we’re always saying how nice it would be to get a fresh start in Scotland – a constitution and policies designed around the principle of the common weal, a commitment to looking after each other, conserving the land, removing nuclear weapons and supporting renewables, etc – well, do you think there’s any chance we could include a commitment to drop all previous affiliations to political parties?
Could we maybe just think about dropping the “I was a Labour supporter and I’ll go back to voting for them after independence” or “I’ve voted SNP all my life”, etc., – just drop the political party affiliations and say to the politicians…”None of you can depend on my vote at any time…it will depend on what you offer in your manifesto” It’s downright unhealthy for political parties to think they can count on your vote based on political or tribal affiliation. They won’t work for your vote if they think it’s in the bag.
Why should we limit our horizons by giving politicians advance notice of who we’ll vote for. If they truly value our votes, they should come up with more than soundbites and vague promises. If we’re getting a new country, we should demand new politics. But that can only happen if we, ourselves, let go of the old affiliations.
“extremely nervous”. Stu I would say that LFI are sending a shudder down the spine of unionists to the extent that they have never experienced.
As others have said the attack by the unionists is providing much needed publicity for LFI, which can only bolster The Yes campaign. Yet again their desperation appears to be growing by the day. Long may it continue.
@cadgers
Elizabeth….
” Well they’d better make the most of it, they’ll be oot on their behinds come 2016! ”
Looks as though Lunundun will have a head ache post YES.
The Queen has been graciously pleased to signify her intention of conferring Peerages of the United Kingdom for Life upon the following.
Working Peers.
How do they get round that one?
Over at the Guardian Severin Carrell their North of England (or is that Britain) correspondent is trying to put a ‘major disaster for the Yes Campaign’ spin on McColm’s fairy story.
It would seem that this is a London sponsored idea which has been fed to their usual suspects to ‘boost’ Better Together. Nu Labour’s usual blog posters on a Scottish related story in the Guardian are not having a good time of it.
It will be interesting to see just how quickly this Carrell propaganda putsch lasts on the main on-line pages. Last week a similar style article which took an equally factual mauling from pro-independistas was dumped in under three hours ….
The Labour heartlands are now in the same place as the Tories,in southern England.People with socialist principles in the YES and SNP camps attack Labour because they represent a culture which is alien to most people in Scotland and will do nothing to improve the lot of our working people.When the Scotsman starts supporting your position,you are definitely in Tory territory.
Blunder Wummin is in her soundproof bunker, trying to memorise her next Sinclair Script for the resumption of FMQs, so she can recite it without stumbling over the big words for a change.
I keenly await the pictures of Anas and Nicola at some meeting or other seeing as their constituencies overlap. Which will it be though?
“Scottish labour Number 2 a SNP mole” or
“Sturgon pictured working with better togeather”
I think Lamont is in a crysallis and will, in due course, appear as an Indy Butterfly?
A Labour MP confused about the party.
George Mudie, MP, Leeds East, “Do you know, because I don’t, our position on welfare, do you know our position on education, do you know our genuine position on how we’d run the health service?”
link to bbc.co.uk
Rev,
I was on the BT Together Website last night. Posted a few comments. Checked this morning – ALL GONE!!!
They are determined that no arguments appear on that website. Anyone talking against their arguments gets deleted. Couldn’t believe it …around 6 posts – all removed.
They’re scared all right, make no bones about it!
”Labour voters are going to be key in deciding the outcome of the independence referendum”
Haven’t you forgotten something? What about the tens of thousands of voters who didn’t vote at all in the previous election? How can you be sure that if you start putting out a ‘Labour’ or ‘Socialist’ message to attract potential voters that you aren’t going to sicken and turn off those people who may not be in the slightest bit interested in ‘Socialism’?
“How can you be sure that if you start putting out a ‘Labour’ or ‘Socialist’ message to attract potential voters that you aren’t going to sicken and turn off those people who may not be in the slightest bit interested in ‘Socialism’?”
When did I say anything about doing that?
link to bbc.co.uk
I have another photo of the same event, Rev, but mine includes more people and a Yes Scotland banner.
Interested?
Heck yes.
I mean, the picture with the so called ‘SNP Infiltrators’ into the Yes Labour team. I pointed out on the BT site that the SNP is a movement. Once independence is gained, then SNP supporters would most likely become supporters of one of the other parties; whether it is Scottish Tories, down to Scottish Labour. I pointed out that the SNP has right wing minded folk, as well as left wing minded folk.
Posted what I’ve just said on their site…..
Removed by BT straight away. THEY JUST DO NOT WANT TO ENGAGE! The concept that SNP supporters might be a Labour Man, or a Tory, or a Lib, just frightens them, or they just cannot comprehend it.
Either way, I won’t be back wasting my time on their site.
According to Glen Campbell on the BBC webpage:
One former Labour MSP told me recently that he was considering voting “yes” in the referendum because devolution had not prevented a Conservative-led government at Westminster imposing welfare cuts in Scotland.
He is not, as far as I know, a member of Labour for Independence.
We know that LFI is led and chaired by Labour Party members and that members of other political parties are not allowed to join.
LFI also claims to be a “rapidly growing group within the Labour Party” although it has not said how many members it actually has.
You don’t spend time setting up an attack like this unless you are worried about some aspect of those you are attacking.
This has been ill thought out and if the BFI group have any nous about them it should be easily countered.
Mr Sarwar becomes a bigger problem for his party with every day that passes!
@Jim Mitchell
This has been ill thought out and if the BFI group have any nous about them it should be easily countered.
What is the BFI group?
The Unionist media were always going to make fatal mistakes the nearer we get to our independence referendum. They dont strike you as a side that are winning, thats for sure. That someone has cropped the names from the photo of the LFI/YES group tells you the panic and desperation that is paralysing the NO campaign. Yet they have the full weight of the British msm and establishment behind them, the result should be sewn up and in the bag. But its not, due to the internet and social media, ordinary members of the public are challenging their twisted logic and lies and they really dont like it. Too bad. The Euan McColms and Blair Mcdougalls never mind the invisible woman and the Tories’ Darling were always going to have to meet their maker, you and i. Its them after all that’s standing in the way of our dream becoming a reality. Cue their hysteria at being caught out as the tsunami is about to engulf them. Labour For Independence is a huge threat to them, with this panic attack by them, theyve just let us know how much they fear this group. Nice one!
@Elizabeth
Would that be Sir William Haughey, the fridge magnate?
@Robert Louis
The Labour for Indy news release at the bottom states, “the most optimistic studies show that the Labour Party [in Scotland] have around 13,000 members”.
Remarkably close to Rev Stu estimates a couple of weeks ago, as I recall. Truly, Wings must be the largest political party in Scotland 🙂
@Rev, send me an email, and I’ll return image as an attachment.
@Albert Herring
Would that be Sir William Haughey, the fridge magnate?
Or it might be Sir William Haughey, the fridge magnet – I think you get one free with every Better Together donation.
Good indication that Labour’s or BT’s internal polling is causing them some concern.
Albert
I always remember AS’s reaction to a report on the Daily Politics progamme with a businessman worried about Independence who turned out to be William Haughey.
Brilliant typo in the BBC link supplied above by Robyn – Quine Fae Torry
“The Tories and Labour are delivering the same anti-Scottish independence message”.
Or maybe it’s not a typo…
Speaking of ‘running scared’, doubtless Blair ‘happy to debate’ McDougall has been leaving messages to that effect which just haven’t been picked up yet..
Sturgeon vs Sarwar – Hampden Park, 10 September.
Yes, really.
It’s part of a Road Haulage Association conference and and they’ll debate “How Home Rule Would Affect Road Transport In Scotland ”
link to transportnews.co.uk
LFI are a pretty small and very new group on the Yes scene. The concerted attack by McColm, Sarwar and others suggests that they are desperate not to open up a new front in this war. More power to LFI’s elbow…make the sods sweat.
Tweeted photo to you Rev.
Photo can also be seen as cover image at
link to facebook.com
It’s fear you smell in the air….. fear of cushy lordships removed and no more feeding at the teet of the UK sheep….. Scottish Labour are parasitic scumbags – using the working man as leverage to get more for themselves – always have been…. always will be…
National Collective sued by Ian Taylor – a cynical publicity stunt designed to bring disrepute to Better Together and the honourable and redoubtable Mr Taylor
SNP members from Yes Scotland poses in front of an LFI banner at a Yes Scotland stall – SNP posing as LFI, proving that it’s a front for the SNP
I love how my friend calls WoS a conspiracy site when stuff like this is going on…
“Tweeted photo to you Rev.
Photo can also be seen as cover image at
link to facebook.com“
Got it, ta. Now, are we SURE none of those LFI types are SNP councillors?
😀
“I love how my friend calls WoS a conspiracy site when stuff like this is going on…”
I’d be fascinated to know what their actual criticisms are, given that we provide sources for all our claims.
Been offline for a while, so don’t know if this is common knowledge, but the 2nd photo in Mccolm’s article purporting to be an SNP activist with handful of LFI leaflets is actually one holding a Yes Scotland leaflet, at least as the front one in the bundle. (Thanks to a supporter at the Yes stall at the Black Isle show for mentioning this to me.)
Jings. I have a few LFI leaflets at home I was going to deliver. After our local Yes effort it turned out that a LFI member had brought them and they hadn’t been used. I offered to deliver them as I’m local, as part of the Yes group.
Of course, I’m an SNP activist in my spare time. Does that mean I can’t deliver them even as a favour? That’s a nasty line they’re spinning.
@Morag-
What’s the state of play with the book?
gavin lessells says:
1 August, 2013 at 2:18 pm
I think Lamont is in a crysallis and will, in due course, appear as an Indy Butterfly?
Jesus she’ll need a wingspan o aboot thirty feet tae get that butterfly aff the groon 😉
dmw42 says:
Sturgeon vs Sarwar – Hampden Park, 10 September. Yes, really.@4.14 pm
be afraid Sarwar BE VERY AFRAID
she’ll wipe the floor with you
what was it you said Sturgeon has never beaten a Sarwar?
it just goes to show that money doesn’t buy you brains anus 😉
“it just goes to show that money doesn’t buy you brains anus”
John! Not only do we dislike playground name-calling stuff on this site, but you also included a FRIGGING CITE TAG in that post. DON’T MAKE ME COME OVER THERE.
Rev, you are right that if you add up those three parties they come to 48.8%, but if you add on other individuals and parties who have indicated support for independence it comes to about 50.5%.
Also note that there are quite a few individuals and parties where there is no clear indication from them whether they are in favour or not. e.g the Scottish Christian Party who on the one hand say they would be quite happy if the electorate voted Yes but OTOH they question whether independence in the EU is really independence.
If votes for parties and individuals where there is no clear indication for or against are discounted then I’m sure even the three parties you cited would be over 50% of the remainder.
Basically, ‘don’t know’ parties should not be counted as no’s.
Having said that, it is of course, not terribly sensible to count party support as pro or anti independence, especially nowadays.
I have done it myself in the past for geographical support analysis reason, but at a time when SNP, SSP,Greens etc support was less than the indy support indicated in the polls and people voting for them were nearly all supportive of indy or at least very relaxed about it.
P.S. I did a lot of psephology in the naughties because of my physics/engineering background where I had to do a lot of statistical analysis but retired from it when young able guys like Scottish Skier came along. So I have only had a brief look at the 2011 election.
I really thought I had removed all of the crap rev, sorry, and the name calling ? I get these bouts of dislec, dslex, inability to spel rite 🙁
I accept your reprimand rev and hereby sentence myself to two weeks holiday in Devon starting
now
I’ll bring you back some Slapton (no really) rock 🙂
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