Alistair Darling was angry last week, as he was awake. In a tetchy interview with the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland he insisted that “there is no political party in the United Kingdom at the moment that could get away with destroying the NHS”.
He went on to rubbish the idea that the English service was being privatised by the Conservative-led government, and accused the SNP of scaremongering over the issue for opportunistic political gain. So we thought we’d see if we could find anyone else who thought the NHS was in danger of privatisation and destruction.
“The NHS can’t carry on like this. It is heading for the rocks.”
– Andy Burnham, Labour shadow health secretary, July 2014.
“Four years ago this month, Andrew Lansley published his ‘Liberating the NHS’ White Paper. I can remember the shock I felt when I turned through its pages.
Just weeks before, I had spoken alongside Lansley at many hustings events and heard him promise no top-down re-organisation. And then this – the biggest bombshell ever to land on the NHS.
He had clearly been drawing up these plans in Opposition, with the help of the private health care company which funded his office, but chose not to tell the voters.
When they hit the light of day, the problem wasn’t just the danger of a distracting reorganisation when the NHS should have been focusing on the financial challenge – and all the inherent risks to patient care.
What was more breathtaking was the sheer audacity of the plan to treat the NHS as another utility to be broken up and privatised.”
– Andy Burnham, Labour shadow health secretary, July 2014.
“In a barnstorming speech, greeted by whoops and cheers, to party delegates at Labour’s annual conference, Andy Burnham said that the Tory-led coalition’s health reforms had placed the NHS on a fast-track to fragmentation and privatisation and that the legislation had to go.
Internally there has been a debate within the party about whether these populist measures could be easily implemented.
Critics point out that Tory and Liberal Democrat peers will control the Lords and would almost certainly block attempts to roll back dramatically a key coalition policy – especially if Labour ended up seeking Nick Clegg’s support to run the country.”
– The Guardian, September 2013.
“David Cameron’s biggest mistake by far is his decision to break the Coalition Agreement promise of ‘no top-down re-organisation of the NHS’. He is the prime minister who put the NHS up for sale without first seeking the permission of the British public.’
David Cameron’s re-organisation has left the NHS, in the words of its former chief executive, ‘bogged down in a morass of competition law. If we leave things as they are, the NHS as we have known it for 66 years will not survive.”
– Andy Burnham, Labour shadow health secretary, June 2014.
“I am introducing this Bill because we need to save the NHS. When out and about meeting my constituents time and again they tell me how worried they are about the privatisation of our NHS.’
‘And of course my constituents are right to be worried because our NHS – the service which is there for us from when we enter the world to when we come to leave it – is being shamelessly dismantled before our eyes.”
– Clive Efford, Labour MP for Eltham, June 2014.
“Cameron’s reorganisation is giving private firms the green light to cherry-pick services.
This arrogant PM needs to be reminded he has never been given the public’s permission to put their NHS up for sale.
If he is not stopped, the NHS will be broken up.
That’s why the choice on the NHS at next year’s election is as stark as ever: a public service under Labour or a privatised utility under the Tories.”
– Andy Burnham, Labour shadow health secretary, February 2014.
“Get ready for the next scandal – NHS hospitals, pushed by Mr Cameron to earn half their income from private patients, charging for beds left empty by these new restrictions.
Think about that – NHS hospitals, built with public money, charging people for treatments that used to be free and (are) still free to people living elsewhere. NHS staff turned over to priority care of those who can pay or are in such pain they have to dig deep.
Suffer or pay – the same old choice in a two-tier Tory NHS. We’ve got to wake people up to what is happening now. These are the first steps towards an American healthcare system, (with) English hospitals now asking for credit cards before they give care.”
– Andy Burnham, Labour shadow health secretary, September 2013.
“US health-care companies will be able to say to an NHS clinical commissioning group: ‘We have a legal right to bid for that service.’ Dragging the NHS down that path will destroy it, it will devour what’s precious about the NHS.
All the legal advice I am getting says, while we will just about be able to pull it back at the 2015 election, after that, it will be gone. That’s the choice voters face.
We were warning [about privatisation] when the Bill was going through. People might have said we were scaremongering. But here we are: the Competition Commission is intervening, for the first time, in the NHS, to block the sensible collaboration between two NHS hospitals. They can no longer deny it, it’s absolutely clear.”
– Andy Burnham, Labour shadow health secretary, August 2014.
“Be warned – Cameron’s Great NHS Carve-Up is coming to your community. A forced privatisation, ordered from the top, and a secret privatisation – details hidden under ‘commercial confidentiality’ – but exposed today.”
– Andy Burnham, Labour shadow health secretary, October 2012.
“David Cameron and Nick Clegg have both failed to respond to repeated requests to call for an exemption for the NHS from the emerging EU-US trade Treaty. Presumably this is because, as it stands, it supports the government’s policy of opening up the health service to greater privatisation. In fact, it could make it unstoppable.”
– Andy Burnham, Labour shadow health secretary, April 2014.
Well, we’re reassured now. Those darned Nats, eh?
Let’s see if AD starts answering Alex’s questions about this (remember and ask this time Alex please)
Alistair Darling will muster all his energy to support David Cameron’s government.
“Alistair Darling was angry last week, as he was awake” I would question the belief that he does not have angry dreams.
I’ve just heard from an impeccable source that Andy Burnham is voting yes.
Alistair Darling blinks so much he doesn’t need sleep.
That would be Andy ‘let’s get health policies that can be consistent across England, Scotland and Wales’ Burnham.
Darling has this “high and mighty” approach to debating which i find so annoying. He never tires of saying he was treasurer of the UK, and never fails to absolve himself of all wrong doings. He’s a liar who has offered, and can offer, nothing to Scotland. He says he loves Scotland but what he really loves is “his” Scotland. He loves his messed-up Labour Scotland that he took a big crap on. He loves himself basically. The reason he gets riled up is that he see’s any opposition to Darlings Scotland as an attack on him. He, Brown, Lamont and the rest have built their own Scotland of misery, and they just love the company they keep.
I’m just wondering if their left hand knows there is a right, never mind knows what its up to?
Excellent ferreting.
You tell ’em, Andy Burnham!
It’s a serious problem Labour have, they would like to tell one story in Scotland for the referendum and another in England for the general election. It just isn’t going to work, is it?
All those “I’m all right Jack” No voters who won’t be able to get private health insurance – too old, or pre-existing conditions. Well, they’ll have voted for it.
The pensioners Brown has scared into voting No, nicely distracted from what WM is planning for the Scottish NHS. Well, they’ll have voted for it.
Darling has evolved a circumlocutory pattern of answering questions, always an attempt to bring the question around to the ‘critical currency issue that has the Scottish government in disarry, and the SNP’s lack of a Plan B’ – the one from outer space.
He keeps talking, snapping and yapping to reduce the number of questions the interviewer can put to him.
However, the more he goes around in circles, the more he attempts to obfuscate, muddying the water, the less people understand what the hell he is talking about.
In any event, what faith can people place in this man who assisted in the destruction of the United Kingdom’s economy, and helped to impose the disaster of austerity on us all so that crooked banksters can continue prospering??
You just wonder when some feckless Scottish journalist is going to have the gumption to challenge Darling properly on this.
‘How many Scottish journo’s does it take to change a lightbulb ?’
‘Better ask Flipper’
Pretty stark warnings from this Burnham guy – must be one of those Radical Independence loonies. Ridiculous, preposterous scaremongering. Wait … no, those attributions have to be wrong, they say he’s … oh.
Cross-border Transmogrification Vortex strikes again.
Ed Milliband said the same to an audience of trade union officials
Darling’s lies laid out for all to see. Only the MSM/No campaign have no intention of telling the truth to the people of Scotland. This is all about self preservation, whether by Darling and the rest of the unionist politicians, by the MSM, or the wider British establishment.
We have surely now reached the equivalent stage of the most blatant Pravada-esque style reporting, like in the old Soviet Union, where the media refuse to acknowledge the obvious, which is that the NHS in England is being privatised. It is very strange to be living in Scotland at the present moment. There is a massive disconnect between the reality of the political situation in the UK, and what the MSM/No campaign are saying. It is really is quite an eerie feeling. No doubt it will be Salmond who is abused the most tonight, when it really should be that ("Tractor" - Ed) to social democratic values and principles, Flipper Darling. The guy is a utter, utter disgrace. I don’t know how Darling can live with himself, he has no morals or principles.
I’m hoping Scotland will be able to negotiate an opt out of TTIP for the NHS during the EU membership negotiations.
If it isn’t too late…
Alistair Darling is a lier. He is fighting for his pay check, 1/4 of a £million he earned this year from talks with big business es ???
Who do you know that makes that kind of money??? Now wonder he is fighting tooth and nail to keep the union. Becouse if its a yes win he is booted put of Westminster. And thete goes his pay check 1/4 £ million a year, ps not bad for a cheating house flipping expenses cheating scumbag.
@muttley79
Spot on with your 2nd para. Folk outside the UK learn more from their media about what goes on here than we do from our own media.
I Love this site. More of Darlings lies debunked.
Here’s the better together strategy for Labour;
1. In England scream and shout and fight about the privatisation of ‘our’ NHS by those dastardly Tories.
2. In Scotland deny the NHS in England is being privatised, and in fact everything in the English NHS is just hunky dory. Stand side by side and campaign together with the Tories.
3. ‘Scottish’ media, and the ever helpful BBC told to keep quiet about the clear lies and hypocrisy from Labour until the referendum is over.
Let’s wait and see if Glenn Campbell calls Darling out on this hypocrisy.
@tartanfever
The MSM have no intention of pulling up Darling on his lies. They are as corrupt as you can get. They know fine well the NHS in England is being privatised. This is a mighty power we are up against, forget all you have been told about a free press. This lot are in complete thrall to the British state.
Ian Taylor,
The plan is to put the NHS protection into the written Scottish constitution, to keep it in public ownership.
I wonder if he will be wearing his special specs again? I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that they hide his blinking eyebrows.
juteman
re: the glasses
bone conduction technology, so his phalanx of Tory spin doctors can tell him what to say.
Well plenty mps and lords have vested interest in privatising the NHS.
link to socialinvestigations.blogspot.co.uk
I am sure there isn’t any other country in the EU where the media and main TV stations let politicians get away with so many blatant lies.
The UK is an utter disgrace and we MUST get out of it on 18th September.
When is the debate starting and can you watch on the internet?
Alistair Darling is an embarrassment to my nation!
How can he and Brown show their faces in Scotland?
@pete
ps not bad for a cheating house flipping expenses cheating scumbag.
Succinct, tells it like it is, and to the point sentiment, which you will never read or hear about in our corrupt MSM.
Alistair “Flipper” Darling is fighting to save his career & his lavish, tax payer funded, lifestyle.
This champagne socialist raked in over £400,000 in the last two years from his MP’s salary, book deals & speeches.
And since he resigned from the Faculty of Advocates to prevent them investigating his expense abuse, his generous remuneration package is going to shrink faster than an Eskimos erection.
@GH Graham
Alistair “Flipper” Darling is fighting to save his career & his lavish, tax payer funded, lifestyle.
This champagne socialist raked in over £400,000 in the last two years from his MP’s salary, book deals & speeches.
And since he resigned from the Faculty of Advocates to prevent them investigating his expense abuse, his generous remuneration package is going to shrink faster than an Eskimos erection.
This^^ x 1 billion, trillion. If No wins then all of Scotland will be fucked, that much is crystal clear.
I was always told that you can tell someone is lying if they blink an unusual amount. So Darling is a champion liar!
@Robert Louis.
Nah, I reckon they have miniature syringes fitted to them that continuously feed Novocaine into his eyebrows.
Jim Sillars has placed an ad in today’s Record challenging Darling – you can read it via the link to this fundraising appeal.
link to indiegogo.com
link to youtube.com
flipper darling……..the demon head master
Your not being fair. It has always been Labour policy to express different views for English and Scottish voters.
The Scottish voters are too stupid to notice this!
Perhaps not anymore?
He’s mixed up with what one of his two brain cells is in control.. Obviously the more clueless of the two is clearly at the wheel on this spectacular Head in the Sand denial that the NHS is being Privatised.
Go on yir’sel Ally..
[…] « Safe in their hands […]
@ Juteman and Robert Louis
link to tinyurl.com
Recognise them ?
Even Ed Miliband agrees: link to youtube.com
“his generous remuneration package is going to shrink faster than an Eskimos erection.”
I presume your talking of a igloo in a heatwave? 🙂
When is the debate starting and can you watch it on the internet?
@Bugger.
I hope somebody from the Yes side has a Bluetooth jammer!
@muttley
re the debate….
link to twitter.com
Clottie is right the Scottish electorate are too stupid to get the subtle politic( exception of Wings followers) Scottish Labour have been telling huge porkies for years and MSM just repeat them verbatim .tonight Alex Salmond will continue with his “gentile” debate because that is what the SNP policy strategists think is the correct posture. The debate will be called a draw regardless. But the MSM will gloat and crucify Salmond ( and the Yes campaign for turning negative ) or am I just being a wee bit pessimistic ?
Muttley79
20:30
Web Link: link to t.co
@muttley79
link to twitter.com
Cheers.
Grouse beater darling may be an embarrassasment to your nation but not to his own England
Vote yes
Meanwhile, BBC with the gloves and mask off: ‘Let Maxine decide’ at 1.30pm today on Radio Scotland…..What gibberish is this…some poor ‘small business’ dupe who needs ‘facts’ not ‘uncertainty’.
Maxine?( who she?) decides to help said dupe re. ‘Plan B’ …get the picture folks?…and consults ‘independent financial experts’…Jo Armstrong and David Bell.
Well they are as ‘independent’ as Alistair Darling. Paid BT naysayers, long in the BBC stable of pet mouthpieces.
And guess what ensued?…the usual one-sided guff by these two ‘experts’. No surprise there then. Although I always thought that a ‘financial expert’ had to consider both sides of a balance sheet…obviously in the world of the Better together that basic approach has been discarded.
However, the bare faced effrontery of charade ‘need to know’ puffs like this are really staggering when you consider it.
As Prof. John Robertson concluded the BBC strategy is shit sandwiches in reversal (my paraphrase) i.e. yes stuff surrounded in a double wrapper of ‘No’ lies.
We truly are living through an onslaught of British State propaganda on an industrial scale being force fed on the Scottish people.
Someday soon the truth of this affront to democracy must be made known to the world. British ‘fair play’ and ‘decency’ must be revealed to the world as the utter sham that it really is.
Please make it the beginning of that revelation tonight!
Just hope we have some Wingers in the audience to report back how it ” actually ” went – BBC and trust have vanished quicker than that wee Eskimo’s erection
If tonight becomes a bbc stitch up then I would like a full frontal assault on them by all pro-indy sites, particularly Wings
For anyone else who’s abroad, the live stream is available here:
link to bbc.com
Alternatively, or if the stream fails, it’s on BBC MW, although I’m not sure if it’s possible to get MW live online.
It also seems to be available on STV player, although it might not be available aborad:
link to player.stv.tv
And this from the BBC live feed:
“For tonight’s debate we’re in Aberdeen to get reaction from nine voters – three voting “Yes”, three “No” and three who are still undecided.”
It will be interesting to see if the undecideds are actually undecided, or if they’re “Alex Massie” undecided.
I really have a massive ‘meh’ in relation to the sham tonight.
Even if Darling’s head were to explode in a perplexed blink overload, he will be declared the winner.
Like the last time, Blinky will not answer a single question yet be crowned the winner because he pointed, went red and shouted.
No matter what happens, Darling wins and the “final nail in salmond’s indy coffin” has been hammered home…..Zzzzzzzz…..
Yet Jackie Birdbrain sneeringly told Alex Salmond on national television that the NHS in England was NOT being privatised. Don`t expect too much from Pravda!
@Lochside
Radio 5 Live at 13:45 was even worse, interviewed 3 old English women who stay on a village at the border. Cue them being scared about not being able to visit the hospital on the Scottish side or how will the village shop deal with different currency.
The interviewer then finished with “They sadly dont have a vote” and the presenter in studio said “Cant we have them on every day….now for more on this Bank Holiday…”
click!
Of course, Darling will just come back with the cobblers that the only person that can privatise the NHS in Scotland is Alex Salmond. Which is cobblers of course and entirely misses the point.
In addition to the coming austerity cuts, every Westminster unionist party has their sight set on scrapping Barnett after a No vote which will slash Scotland’s block grant by £billions each year. This draconian cut will indeed bring our NHS to its knees and do not kid yourself otherwise.
“The Scottish Govt can ring-fence the NHS budget” you say. Okay–so now there is less for other services like education. How do we train our nurses and doctors when we have to slash our education budget? Will this not adversely affect our NHS? So we ring-fence the education budget as well, you say. Okay–so now there is even less for other services like free prescriptions and care of our elderly. What do we do then when the NHS is overwhelmed by the vast increase of sick people unable to afford their medicine or have become ill out of neglect? Do we then increase the NHS budget and ring-fence it? So how much then is left for education, elderly, care, childcare, etc, etc? And around we go until there is nothing left for any other service.
The reality is the NHS budget WILL have to be slashed along with other budgets. Tax will not be increased in Scotland because to do so would only result in an exodus of people (including doctors and nurses) out of Scotland to the lower rUK tax regime.
Westminster cuts will devastate our NHS in Scotland and it will not be safe simply because it is devolved. Just ask Andy Burnham, Mr Darling.
@Lochside
Agree about the complete bias of ‘Let Maxine Decide’ on Radio Scotland.
It would be perfectly possible to be balanced, not by pretending you can find an independent expert but by having two from each side – e.g. having Jim and Margaret Cuthbert to balance out Jo Armstrong and David Bell.
If those making such programmes at the BBC think it is their job to be biased then that is their business but it is a real shame for democracy.
And democracy is ultimately what we depend on – the ability and willingness to openly and responsively work together for common goals – far more than any particular resource, institution or asset.
Darling clutching a red folder as he enters the debate venue–‘This Is Your Lies’ right enough.
Perhaps Alex should ask flipper about the UK national debt:
The Interest bill on the UK’s £1.27 trillion debt to hit £1bn a week
Although the above was when the UK debt was £1.27 trillion it has now passed the £1.4 trillion.
It now stands at an eye watering £1,415,547,000,000 and climbing by £5,170 per second.
Some of you might have seen the programme last week that guy with huge testicles in Las Vegas. Anyway in the early days of his condition he could have got help out-of-state but because he didn’t have health insurance all he could get was treatment in his home State, Nevada. Then decent people got to hear and sent him money so that he could pay for treatment but social security got to hear of these charitable donations and treated it as income and stopped his social security. Sound familiar but this is what people will face here if the vote’no’. The warnings are all there but you know what they say you can take a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
Auld Rock
Well.
I nominate Alistair Darling for the face in the deep fat fyer challenge.
Mon eck , git right intae the barsteward!!!!
This will be rather scary for the No’s;
link to youtube.com
IcySpark: at 7:11 pm
Aye but Neil Findley does not see it that way and is pedalling crap to support his view:
Labour MSP says Tories are protecting NHS funding.
So we’re all expecting a Darling victory eh?
Oh ye of little faith. Wee Eck knows what’s required and he learned a lesson last time, and still swung the D/K’s.
I’m sure tonight will be a different debate, even with the BBC NO plants.
“If not us – who? if not now – when?”
Found this on Yes Moffat site, at first I thought ”what the hell” but then……….
link to facebook.com
@Roll on 2014
Neil Findlay, SLAB MSP, the great Scottish socialist, backs Tory rule in Scotland? Surely some mistake….
Darling took all of eight seconds to mention plan B.
Cu… Cu… Cu… Currency….
Does Darling secretly aspire to be David Bowie?
Great opening speech by Salmond, factual, positive and inspiring. Darling, straight into the doom and gloom, what a sad, sad excuse for a man..
That was a braw video, Marcia. Thanks for sharing it. Things like that help keep the spirits up.
Goodness! Darling did not come across as very likeable in his opening speech.
I thought Salmond tackling currency directly in the first question was great. Let’s see what happens with oil…
oil is bad for us,darling
walofs
@ James Caithness – the page used to be called “Better Together St Kilda”.
Salmond performing better
gggggggggggggggggggggooooooooooooooo ECKY
darlin is losing it
Darling really is a chancer of a man.
Alex Salmond – Nice Guy….please end this tactic and go for Darling….relying on Glenn Campbell is hapless!
And what about the other Oil areas?
Alex need to keep this up… he is destroying Darling.
I cant watch this anymore….so far it seems Darling gets 3 times the talk and 5 times the interuptions
Sadly Im not surprised but do feel Alex should get the sleeves rolled up, time and a place and all that
That and Im scared of Darlings “strangle hands”
It was Tory Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, who first thought of a One Nation Britain. A Britain where the aristocracy and the capitalists join forces to prevent growing demands for social justice undermining their position of privilege. This was not long after the French revolution and the capitalist classes were kacking themselves. As such, Disraeli can be seen as the grandfather of both Zionism and fascism. Critical to the success of One Nation Britain, would be the recruitment of working class leaders to do the ruling elite’s dirty work.
Did Disreali have precognition?
That’ll be the pound then. As it always has been.
I think referring to Salmond as ‘He’ when he is standing right next to him, just makes him look rude.
If woman voters are the main target, then I suspect Darling just looks like a prick.
Blinky says we can use the pound. Wahey.
Someone elses currency?
Eh Darling?
“If woman voters are the main target, then I suspect Darling just looks like a prick.”
I wouldn’t use such strong words but yes. I didn’t think he came across well in the first debate and is coming across even worse at the moment.
Salmond on fire. Amazing – stays polite and respectful and yet still manages to destroy his rude opponent. The women will love him!
Darling is getting more and more angry!
Ah… he is back to the CD collection… dreaming of Bowie again.
Darling is overcooking the currency thing… people will be realising that it is all he has.
Caron Lindsay removes her mouth from Nick Clegg only to give Darling a good licking. A more revolting example of the libdems does not exist this side of Lord Rennard. Can’t bring herself to say anything positive about the FM or negative about the ranting old drunken Londoner.
woman roasted darling
love the bbc
Well said that lady!
He`s in denial about the health service in Wales!Losing it big time tonight!
That lady didn’t miss Darling and hit the wall did she.
Labour MPs on the boards of private health providers, a point well made.
Just back in from leafleting for Yes to see Darling roasted alive on the NHS.
ROFL
Fucking superb.
Darling looks like he is going to have a nervous breakdown!
Better together!
Poll tax first in Scotland
Bedroom tax and the SG have to cough up to get the Scottish chestnuts out off the fire.
Aye ‘better together’.
twitter
no camp saying bbc is bias
Salmond winning
Campbells getting a bit panicky as more questions that he knows Blinky can’t answer come thick and fast.
I swear I heard Blinky doing a little whimper at one point. I wasn’t going to watch but I’m loving it so far.
The First Minister is looking cool, calm and collected.Answering well and engaging.
Audience seem to be pro yes so far.
Darling is losing big style.
GLEN Campbell interrupting as usual.
Fire in the belly tonight Alex, thats better.
Alex raising the level just at the right time.
stop the contest
throw in white towel
walofs
Darling lost it all now. The entire audience is laughing at him as he bleats back on the CU issue…
Nothing more sickening than watching a Labour politician defending a Tory government and Tory spending cuts. Alistair Darling what an erse you are.
Labour politician Darling’s party introduced the bedroom tax for private households and the tories adapted it for all types of housing once they got in.
Oh currency again plan ‘B’
Even the crowd have now started to moan at the currency.
AD is losing it by bringing it back to the discussion. Same shit different debate.
AS needs to go on the offensive now.
Is it me or is Darling making a total cunt of himself?
If Darling mentions currency once more the audience will lynch him.
Is Darling drunk? He seems to be swaying about!
This debate shames scotland. Two shouty men, talking over each other and not giving us, the elctorate who pay their wages, any answers. Depressing.
He is interuptting at will now.
What’s the point of asking a question then shouting the answer down. Prick.
Sticking Darlings debt back at him, GOOD.
UK subsidy going into decommisioning?
watch his nose grow.
FM throwing down the Scottish gauntlet! Darling refuses to pick it up.
Oil again, please mention the Atlantic margins FS + West Coast oil.
Currency, currency, currency….. Darling is losing it.
Stop interrupting! IS HE FUCKING SERIOUS!
Gfaetheblock… your horse not winning mate?
Darling had the look of a man who has not slept well for a long time, when interviewed on the BBC the other night. I’m not watching but would imagine AS looks composed.
Juteman says:
“Is Darling drunk? He seems to be swaying about!”
Or the anti-blinky medication?
Blood in the water, the sharks are circling.
Not watching – the twitter feed speaks volumes!
the bbbbbbcc will never spin a Darling win
If they do try they will be laughed at
Wee Eck well done sir
Train crash!
Darling must have hit the bottle. His voice is beginning to slur and he is rocking.
Trident surfaces v NHS tricky for AD.
Remember AD can’t promise any thing he’s not in power or ever likely to be, so no jam tomorrow.
Will IRAQ surface?
Ho! Ho! Ho!
byeee Mr Darling.
Brian mc – I don’t think he is, but salmond is playing to the faithful.
How much are Starbucks and Amazon paying just now Alistair?
Dawn of the shred!
KO for UKOK 🙂
Does Alistair Darling always stutter??
I refuse to watch these debates.They serve no purpose.Alistair Darling is in no position to offer a authoritative answer on any question relating to UK policy.
Alex might as well debate the lollipop lady.
AD “Money! Money! Money!”
I suppose he is only protecting his pals and the city.
How are the BBC going to spin this annihilation as a draw?
…Im sure we will get some BBC BS spin to make that case… looking forward to it. 😉
There is no way anybody could possibly challenge who is winning hands down on this debate!
If I was an “undecided” I would be voting a big YES..AD hanging out to dry..stuttering..stammering..losing the plot..audience laughing at him..finish him of .alec…xxx
Darling has lost the audience in the debate and is getting increasing flustered. Eck is on fire and in visionary attack mode. Just what we needed.
HaHa nice to see the predicted 👿 have appeared.
Not the trolling they where expecting to do though eh 👿
Poiny shouty Darling is not interrupted by Glenn Campbell
If this was a boxing match the referee would have stopped it by now.
[…] Are you one of the 84% of people who want the NHS to remain public? Tough, you can vote for one lot to privatise it now or the other lot to privatise it now but slower,… […]
Currency salience = a tiny 2-5% of scots think it th emost important issue.
Probable turnout for the Independence Referendum = 80%
Turnout for last scottish parliament and general election = 50-63%
So do we think those possible 17-30% of disenfranchised and disillusioned voters in scotland, who don’t bother to vote at Holyrood and General elections, are likely to be convinced we are ‘Better Together?’
Like fuck they do.
It’s just a touch more likely that the reason the Yes campaign is working so hard in the schemes and less affluent parts of scotland is that we know perfectly well that most of these voters are thoroughly pissed of with politics as usual and want to make their voice heard for Yes.
Nor will this mass of voters ever register on opinion polls since they don’t even vote at elections.
P45 for Twitch.
Should be interesting to see if he passes the stringent ATOS assessment.
Is someone prompting AD..he looked across the floor to his right and nodded…xxx
Surely AD is not bringing up the being in NATO chestnut, most NATO counties don’t have nuclear weapons.
Well done AS condemns the UK government for not having made plans.
AS is playing a steady game so far.
Just watching Darling being eviscerated, Darling just can’t debate, LOL. Hurrah.
Auld Rock
Darling slipped there. ‘We have to accept it’. He knows it’s lost already. 😀
Darling simply blown away.
Can’t believe how much I’ve enjoyed this. Darling getting a good kicking !
Blinker still referring to AS as..HE..total ignoramus..AS always calls him by his first name…xxx
Darling slurring and stuttering all over the place.
Piss poor and the No campaign know it so the unoinist press have their work cut out spinning Darling’s annihilation as another ‘triumph’ after tonight.
That was the clincher. 🙂
misteralz
Yep caught that and AS has just offered him a job in TeamScotland.Whit?
Team Scotland that was the line of the night!
WHAT a finale from the audience. Darling completely monstered yet again.
This is almost cruel now.
LOL
Alistair Darling is fighting passionately for his job,
bwahahahahahaha
Lying Lib-Dem turd polisher, Caron ( Take me I’m yours Cleggypants) Lindsay says that the mad ranting londoner is wining. So it must be true. As does Danny ( I’ll do it for free) Alexander.
Ooft, a belter to finish with from the woman!!
Hey Joe of course Darling will get a job.Team Scotland will need a boot polisher.
“This is almost cruel now.”
Like picking the wings off a fly!
Its OK Joe,
Alec will need someone to make his tea !
Beginning to wonder if Alex held back last time to make him look even better this time.
AS on fire tonight. Superb.
A clear Salmond win for me.
Darling deflated and goes back to currency.
Says it all.
I see a beaten man
just going by the numbers.
Darling wrote his speech before admitting that Sterling would be used.Major gaff!
gardennat… the though crossed my mind even before tonights debate. Wouldn’t suprise me at all. 🙂
Rhona!!!!!!!!!
To me the applause for Darling was more muted that the applause for Salmond.
Currency. Currency. Currency. Currency. Currency. Currency. Currency. Currency. Currency.
You’d think the man had been chancellor or something!
AS casting a wide net after a YES but surely must not be serious in inviting AD onto the negotiating panel.
AD playing the violin here but not tugging at my heart strings. Lets go for it!
Surely a draw says the BBC!
Well played FM.
Great opener and even better closing speech from Alex, Darling chooses to end on the pound which he just agreed we can use anyway!! Oh dear, that was embarrassing Alistair, total fucking car crash,. loved it!!
What’s the snap poll of DKs going to say though?
Aye, score draw right enough
Clearly Darling wrote his closing before listening to the answers. Bet then he never intended to listen anyway
Never watched it, going by comments im wishing i had.
Andrew Sparrow
guardian
calling it for Salmond
Oh that was a win. 😀
Way better performance.
Shame Darling got the last word, but overall he took a hammering.
Nice to see Salmond fighting back.
The audience certainly didn’t like Darling either.
Alec won this hands down..no question..final speeches now and flipper still going on about the currency..after admitting earlier on that..WE CAN USE THE POUND..you were caught out flipper..admit it..now for the headlines tomorrow…xxx
Well done lads and lasses. Saved me £140 and if you could keep it up you’ld have Stu out of a job.
Salmond seemed to be enjoying himself, Darling was squirming. He was visibly taken aback by what was thrown at him.
The Union has become a liability and it was impossible for Darling to sell it in any way.
Had flipper flapping on more than one occasion and well skelped his arse on currency this time round. 😀
And a big well done to the Glasgow audience who refused to listen to his usual flannel .
A salmond win for me tonight, and he probably sneaked it over the two debates, but unsure how the more adversarial tone tonight will play with the undecided and with females? Stage managed wanders to the front of the stage will only do so much to defuse the discomfort of relentless attacks.
Audience seemed skewed to pro yes as well tonight.
Onwards says:
“The audience certainly didn’t like Darling either.”
I got that impression. As the debate when on they seemed to become more anti-Darling.
BBC News in full No campaign spin mode trying to make it all about currency again.
Pitiful stuff. They must realise most people watched this before the news so know perfectly well the BBC are full of shit.
Salmond on form across a whole range of issues. Dahling was clearly all at sea because there is no positive argument for the union. There never was and there never will be.
@galamcennalath
Obviously his prepared speech at the end didn’t take into account flipper’s blooter on currency. 😀 LOL
handclapping
The running commentary was helpful and surprisingly enjoyable. 🙂
Rope a Dope,Alec went easy on him last time but stuck it to him tonight in front of a much bigger audience!
Glenn Campbell said at the very start it would be a “game of four halves”. I say this now, Salmond won 4-0.
curtice
Salmond winner
Prof Curtice just said Salmond won the debate.
BBC-‘more evenly shared debate tonight’.Whit!!
Onward
Of course Blinky got the last word. It was the BBC.
Scotlands only professor is on now telling us that Salmond won.
Have I been transported to another planet?
Brian Taylor can’t bring himself to say Salmond won!
Win by T.K.O for Alex Salmond and they still had a half hour to go. The only point I did feel awkward with was the 8,000 jobs that are at risk. I feel it is morally wrong to have nuclear weapons at all and I know those jobs are only here because they wouldn’t want them near a population center in England but these concerns were not adequately addressed by the first minister as these will be real concerns for those employed in that area.
BBC News at ten, The first and prolonged item. They are very concerned about us.
I was also following the twitter feed Paula, thanks. 😉
Darling received a resounding thrashing from Salmond of his feckless, dilatory, spineless philosophy for accepting the venal neo-con policies of Westminster.
Watch out for the press and media trying to portray the debate as nothing but shouting.
Yes is the only democratic choice!
The guy at the end who said he was a No but was totally uninspired by Darling’s lack of positives for the Union, got to hope theres many many thousands of No’s across the country coming to the same conclusion after that and strongly considering switching to Yes.
Salmond did NOT lose the first debate – not at all.
And so it begins
BBC spin has it as a “much more evenly matched contest”
I take it they were watching another channel?
What was Catherine MacLeod watching? Score draw? Em..Em.. Fiddlesticks.
That stupid woman on scotland2014 who was a spad for AD said it was a score draw.
Her name is Catherine MacLeod a complete clown.
There was clearly a swing in the undecideds in the audience to Alex.
Jim,
Removing Trident, then building a brand new Scottish Defence Force will cater for more than 8000 jobs..
This was actually pretty funny.
Kraftwerk have let themselves go. #Indyref #Indydebate pic.twitter.com/xKa8gcti7h
Come on in agent Mcleish and join the winning side!
Kevin Maguire Nats in the audience nasty personally to Darling. Mistake. Repels floating voters #indyref
confirms a Salmond won
We’ll soon see if the panel was in fact venly picked.
The BBC spin on this is ridiculous. For anyone who doesn’t already think they’re biased watch the debate then their analysis.
It was quite enjoyable though to watch Darling squirm and splutter, fluffing his lines frequently like when he said the instead of sharing risks with a population of 5M we could spread those risks with a UK of 63M pounds.
So perhaps people will now understand that AS was deliberately low key to sucker AD in on the last one , particularly on the currency issue.
A tremendous debate led by Salmond all the way.
NHS scare story ? Yea, it is a scary story. AS very clear indeed. Good points re Wales, and obviously read Stu re Andy Burnham.
“Why are you arguing as a Labour politician, Alistair? You are here supporting Better Together, standing with the Tories!”
Kaye Adams on the wireless being her usual abrasive self.
geeo said earlier…
“I really have a massive ‘meh’ in relation to the sham tonight.
Even if Darling’s head were to explode in a perplexed blink overload, he will be declared the winner.
Like the last time, Blinky will not answer a single question yet be crowned the winner because he pointed, went red and shouted.
No matter what happens, Darling wins and the “final nail in salmond’s indy coffin” has been hammered home…..Zzzzzzzz…..”
…………………..
Boom !!!
I am really really crap at predicting stuff…so i will be in charge of oil forecasting from now on..lol
Brian Taylor had to be professional and say Salmond supporters would be the happier.Even Alan Little’s special report could not be edited to show flipper in a good light.
The whole of the UK will now be aware that the First Minister is the best debater in the country.
Tell everyone we will be using the pound.The mandate comment was world class.
I was out a town hall meeting tonight with Angela Constance speaking. It was surprisingly busy given the debate was on the telly. The auditorium has 500 seats and it was well over half full. Not bad for a wee town on a Monday night 🙂
Looks like I missed an entertaining debate on the telly. Not that I am convinced TV debates do much. The media were keen to tell us Darling won last time and the Yes vote went up.
That was awesome stuff from Alex Salmond. The Wee Eck we all know and love. The 8 minute cross-examination of Alistair Darling will be cherished by many for a long time. Especially the last 5 mins when he asked Flipper to name 3 job-creating powers Westminster would devolve to Scotland in the event of a Yes vote, and not only could Flipper not mention any, he kept resorting to, “as part of the UK, we’ll have plenty job resources yadda yadda”. It was a trainwreck. I think some newspapers might even force themselves to admit that Salmond planted his boot firmly up Flipper’s quivering arse. The undecideds leaned to Salmond after the weak STV debate so after this barnstormer of a performance, I think we can all reasonably expect a healthy boost for Yes and the gap getting tighter and tighter in the polls. It’s all to play for and Scotland will be an independent nation on 24 March 2016. Hail Alba, brothers and sisters!
I wonder how Carroll, Crichton, Cochrane, Brian Wilson, Peterkin, Gardham will spin this one then?
Catherine Mcleod worked for Alistair Darling so she has an excuse but not for her execrable and frankly infantile offerings in the Herald.
A lot of people in the audience tonight were reduced to uncomfortable silence. That’s the most accurate judgement.
Call Kaye special programme radio Scotland. Some on saying not enough information!
Seems it was a draw after all just a rammy
The currency issue is now a big turn off for voters. Better Together have lost their main argument.
ICM call it for Salmond 71% to 29%.
Kevin McKenna tweets
ICM poll for The Guardian says Salmond ‘easily won debate’
Who is this guy with Gerry on Kaye’s radio show? Was he watching the same debate as the rest of us?
@CM
Jim,
Removing Trident, then building a brand new Scottish Defence Force will cater for more than 8000 jobs..
____________
With respect Alex said it would take 5 and 1 half years to remove trident and Scotland’s Navy would be based there but he didn’t say how many jobs would be created nor whether those 8,000 that are there at the moment would be safe.
It’s not a moot point as it will be a real fear for those involved and he needs to address that fact.
I will be voting yes obviously but I think those employed in that area need that answer.
Mon the wee man, it’s gonna be a YES folks. Yeeeeeeehaaaaar!
bookie from hell
Sarah Smith could hardly bring herself to say the figures of the ICM poll saying ‘around 70%’ for Alex Salmond
The useless vox pop that the media love – it’s cheap, you don’t have to pay a respected long experienced journalist to do proper research and say something insightful.
Off go TV nonenties to ask member of the ‘gullible’ public what they thought. Leading question – ‘Did you think it was shouty?’ Groan!
Anyhow, 70% give Salmond the best of the debate.
Need to keep this momentum going now.All the way try and conversion!
I don’t think a debate between two men, with all the hopes of people on them, is democracy. Its Americanisation of our politics which I sincerely object to! I’m very glad the internet thinks that Alex Salmond has won, but take a step back and ask yourself was this really necessary! I don’t think so!
The only ones to win out of this are the BBBC ! I hate them!
This must be the first time I’ve watched 2014.
Recording Scotland Tonight to compare and contrast.
Aff tae Call Kaye,on radio scotchland(ref special)and send her emails with nothing but HAHAHA and 😀
@Jim…
The MoD has alreay stated that 570 jobs are directly affected by Trident (not 8000). Faslane is a red herring, Scotland will have (and need) a defense force which will be based at Faslane where Scotland’s military budget (as in actually spent in Scotland) will be increased from £1.8bn to £2.5bn per annum with independence. Also the removal of Trident will allow further oil and gas exploration in the Firth of Clyde and Solway Firth which was blocked by the MoD in the early 1980s. Industry analysts already know there is a one-in-five chance of large deposits in these areas (North Sea was one-in-ten).
I cannot believe it is only three weeks until Scotland becomes a real country.
ICM poll 29% Darling and a whopping 71% for Alex Salmond
Crusty Prof Curtis gives the debate to Salmond.
Phew!
Had I not heard his judgement I’d never have known what to think.
Oh lord of the Wingers, I have sinned.
Been working for almost 14 hours today. Got home about 8pm, quick something to eat. Opened up a white wine – Rheingauer Riesling, domain Kloster Eberbach – sat down on the comfy couch AND FELL ASLEEP… 🙂
Mea culpa. I missed the it.
Thank god for the Wingers comments and later I’ll check out you tube, bit like match of the day. 😉
Radio Scotland desperatly trying to spin it towards Darling but its not working, Kaye is working hard but still nobody is really believing Darling has won, the phone researchers must be going 100 miles an hour to find people to back the NO campaign.
Its so funny.
The no campaign are grasping at straws following this debate. They actually now seem to be saying that health privatisation is not happening in England.
71% ICM poll AS win debate.
All I can say is well done Alex Salmond and also Glenn Campbell for not letting Alistair Darling get it all his own way.
Darling definately rattled tonight and some good questions from the audience.
A definate and clear win for the YES campaign tonight.
These numbers of employees at Faslane are easy to refute there are only about 450 parking spaces,stunning example of Britain’s commitment to ride sharing, who would guess that you can pack 20 in a car… envy of the world, only Indian trains come close.
Flower of Scotland
Don’t take this the wrong way.
This is the digital age.People want instant results.The very fact you’re on here makes you a hypocrite.
Shhh…don’t tell anyone,I agree with you.
Jim says:
‘The only point I did feel awkward with was the 8,000 jobs that are at risk’
I’d question the 8,000 jobs Jim. Faslane will be a naval base after independence. For the number of jobs directly related to nuclear weapons, I’d suggest reading this:
link to wingsoverscotland.com
That was more like it.
I loved the groan from the audience when AD started on ‘the currency’ again.
This Salmond/Darling palaver is all well and good, but what about Jim Murphy’s Roadshow?
I need my fix…where was he today, and what happened?
Scotland 2014.
Extra bonus edition…Sturgeon riding dooogy alexandur !!
ICM Poll. 29% flipper.
71% A Salmond.
Its a debate each shouts Sarah Smith..baws says NS, check ra percentages ye dumb boot !(paraphrasing) lol
Midgehunter
Thank **** it wasn’t red wine.