Scene missing again
Posted on
April 27, 2016 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
We’d hoped to be bringing you in-depth analysis of the Scottish Labour manifesto by now, readers, but a couple of hours after their launch event there’s still no sign of it anywhere (we’ve checked their website, Facebook page and Twitter feed, all blank).
So we’re going to nip out to the shops for a bit. In the meantime, here’s some footage we recorded of the fantastic live stream of the launch the party put out.
It is here with everything they stand for: link to scottishlabour.org.uk
It’s amazing just how crap SLAB is becoming. They seem to be incapable of getting anything right, even the basics.
Even their website is a joke. I’m not a huge fan of the over-stylised SNP one but at least it doesn’t expect the viewer to have to change their browser window size to view it. Labour does. It must be a complete pain on a phone or tablet.
It’s almost as if the intellect of Labour’s party organisers is dropping along with their poll ratings.
Cringy McCringeface
Are you gullible? Vote libdems
Are you extremely gullible? Vote tory
Are you unbelievably stupid? Vote ‘Scottish’labour
I’m 69 and have been waiting for over 50 years for SLAB to get its act together and create a socialist country to no avail. Whenever their ready dinna Rush yersels fill yer pockets first. I’ll hod on the noo.
[…] Wings Over Scotland Scene missing again We’d hoped to be bringing you in-depth analysis of the Scottish Labour manifesto by […]
It’s ok Stuart. No need to hurry back. In depth analysis below.
SNPBAD
McTernan must be back in town.
Honestly, how anybody thinks this incompetent shower could possibly run a government needs their head examined. UKIP have more credibility, and that’s saying something.
Party loyalty aside, I don’t care who you vote for next week, just make sure they can tie their shoe laces up within 3 attempts – so basically ANYBODY but Scottish Labour.
(Also the Tories are thieving bastards, so you know… not them either).
A broadcast of typical labour standards, shaky , incomprehensible , fragmented , disjointed and a complete pigs ear of a mess.
But imagine putting out your manifesto after people can send in their postal votes, Labour the thick as a plank party.
Vote SNP x 2
Except for the MSM, was anyone actually at it? It sounds like it was recorded in a small, cold, concrete garage (corrugated asbestos roof too).
This is all about shoring up and trying to attract back their traditional vote.
I think there is a danger in being complacent and just ridiculing Kezia’s general incompetence. The headline banners behind her could possibly have an impact, when reduced to a few simple slogans and promoted hard by their friendly media.
“Scrapping the Council tax” sounds good, until you realize they are just effectively renaming the council tax.
“Taxing the richest 1%” sounds good, except the figures show it could actually lose money. That doesn’t matter to Labour. It is all about the appearance.
Simple slogans could come across well on the doorsteps, to many who aren’t politically aware.
And any late swing might not be picked up in the polls.
This is why it is so important for SNP supporters to give it both votes. List seats were needed last time, and could well be needed again.
What a sad end, with a whimper.
Labour, the former Red Giant of Scottish politics has become a timid White Dwarf. If things don’t improve for them, if they don’t improve, in the next year or so they are fast heading for a political Black Hole that they will never get out of.
Perhaps extinction is inevitable. The gravitational pull of the union may be just be too strong to escape from.
I’ll get my spacesuit. 🙂
Opps………it wasn’t just a sound recording (my video isn’t playing it very well). This is mince – applause now – about 40 or so present? Was Sarah clapping at the end too?
Oh jeez, that’s grim.
“Opps………it wasn’t just a sound recording (my video isn’t playing it very well)”
There’s nothing wrong with your video. That’s what the actual broadcast looked like.
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!
The first time I’ve felt any pang of pity that this once huge steamroller is reduced to this farcical shell. But, I’ll get over it. Honestly.
Now honestly, try not to laugh 😀
link to twitter.com
Kez is headed for the mother of all drubbings. She’s managed to raise party hopes to…er, plummeting past the Tories. The Tories, FFS.
STV are now reporting that SLAB are 2pts behind the Tories on the list vote. That’s before this disastrous #fagpacketmanifesto launch.
I can see Labour under 15% by election day.
Blimey that’s bad, video from an old mobile phone?
Anyhoo
link to twitter.com
Scottish Labour: Not raising taxes = £3bn SNP cuts.
Scottish Labour: Not cutting APD = raise of £500m.
???????????
Was that filmed secretly on a mobile phone? It’s like a Despatches undercover investigation.
This is a serious question, by the way. That can’t be an “official” release. Is it?
Bloody Nora! Or in the words of John McEnroe, you can not be effing serious.
OH MY they cant even do a decent Audio Video presentation.
Probably a good idea since we cant see deputy dugs lips moving, the audio was coming from an old tape recorder running under the lectern and she cant lip sync ….. not that she can do much except breath and talk pish all the time.
Wolfie Smith of the Tooting Popular Peoples Front must have been the technical advisor for the launch.
Power to the people——-or at least the equipment.
Ms Dugdale exhorts us to vote for ‘Real Change’.
I’m taking her advice. SNP x 2.
They couldn’t launch a toy yacht on Victoria Park pond.
It is obvious that UK Labour have left her to flounder. Nae money, nae Big Beasts.
What about details of the 152,000 college places, Kezia?
Drink at footie? Ban fruit machines from bookies?
1000 new nurses?
Christ even I am cringing at this disastrous effort.
Unwatchable guff.
Where’s Duncan H? Surely he’d be happy to give us a detailed first-hand account of it all…
…he was there, right?
That was the official broadcast which is to put on their website?
Surely not… Your having a laugh!
They’re skint and bereft of ideas as well feet on the ground.
The money valve from London darn Sarf has been turned off.
Scotland is a Labour party no go area, only the branch office caretakers open the office and close up at the end of each miserable day. 🙁
Some of the old miners and railway men I used to know, now long dead, would never have contemplated such a whimpering exit from the political stage.
SNP x 2
Labour were very wise to launch their Manifesto after the postal votes were posted.
I’m sure this will increase their share of the vote.
Utterly dreadful – what else did we expect.
What is she standing behind – a large pink ice cream cone thingy?
Rev. Stuart Campbell says:
27 April, 2016 at 1:11 pm
“Opps………it wasn’t just a sound recording (my video isn’t playing it very well)”
There’s nothing wrong with your video. That’s what the actual broadcast looked like.
CAFM…………..Really………I cannot believe any professional organisation would post that to represent what they are and do.
Labour really are done in Scotland, they really are – and the new poll seems to illuminate the downfall.
I managed to listen to the Head Girl for 47 seconds. If I aim for the whole 3 minutes plus, will someone promise to waken me up before 2pm? Need to get back to work.
See, the MSM love to pedal the whole ‘politics is really boring’ line.
Labour, bless em, are certainly providing plentiful opportunities for laughter right now.
Then there’s Ruth Davidson, proving that not every leader has a switched on advisor by riding a buffalo… which I suppose is a bit better than a tank.
And everything Willie Rennie says basically works on me in the same way as watching The Office. It’s absolutely perfect comedy to cringe to. Rennie’s got that deadpan comedy face, and funniest thing of the lot is he thinks people take him seriously.
No ideas, no principles, no integrity, no activists, no morale, no hope.
An entirely fitting end.
Just an embarrassment, the room sounds empty, like their promises. The tories must be laughing their socks off at this, what an excellent job we have done, they will say with a pat on their own back!
But then what did Labour ever really do for Scotland anyway.
Cant wait to see what BUM’s can make out of this coo’s nest, its like a scene from a school play.
Er..
Did Kezia really say this? Saw it on twitter;
“It angers me to my core that we just accept that kids who don’t have a mum and dad are born to fail” — @kezdugdale
Now I’m not the most eloquent of speakers and I do speak English, but this is on a par with the Sex Panther scene from Anchor Man line – “60% of the time it works every time”
Duh!
I wonder what young Kezia plans to do in life?
BTW, that is a completely genuine question. She’s clearly not cut out for politics and has found herself in a dead end job.
I wish her good fortune in the future – whatever she turns her hand to.
The release of the Hillsborough decision has completely overshadowed the manifesto launch
Perhaps a mercy.
link to scottishlabour.org.uk
The SLAB manifesto page, a reflection of the minds of the people that wrote it.
Blank.
Deputy Deadwood distraught!
link to archive.is
No wonder! They may be 3rd.
link to archive.is
Personally, I think it’s marvellous, definition set at 360 is cunning, they need no lighting, no serious backdrop, no elocution, no diction, no make up, no expensive clothing, to go with no policies. In short, they’ve saved a fortune on something, they knew no one would watch anyway.
This is new Labour at their best. Sorry Scottish new Labour.
It seems odd that hours have passed and nothing has appear online.
Or is it? Who are Labour appealing to now? Probably not voters who do their politicking online!
Most people who would choose to read it online will ridicule it. So perhaps keeping it offline for as long as possible, may be intentional. They want the BBC and colonial media to have their say before the cyber-opposition gets tore in.
O/T
Much hand wringing in the mother of parliaments today.
How many huge and corrupt police scandals darn Sarf can you remember…lots.
But up in North Britain a cock up in getting to a road accident (not good I know) is beyond the pale in the media and a reason to change your government.
Funny old world init… init?
In the name of the wee man…. !!
Today’s Red Tories manifesto release will be dwarfed by this End of the Pier Show:–
BBC Reporting Scotland Branch tonight at 6:30pm:-
“In an extended election edition of the progamme, Jackie Bird interviews Ruth Davidson of the Scottish Conservatives”.
A thought. All this talk of “give your second vote to someone else” may backfire on the Unionists.
Almost all the seats anyone other than SNP get will be from the regional lists. So if (for instance) some Labour supporters don’t realise this and vote Labour+Green, then Labour will suffer.
Their many festos will be on the front page of scotlands ‘chumpion’ on the am of election day, with loads of ‘vows’ and free jelly and ice cream.
It looks as if it has been filmed by a camcorder held by a baby!
Dire absolutely dire. Just happy that we have Independence Live.
link to independencelive.net
Labour trailing in third spot behind the Tollys. Fecking told yeh!
Cringe!
The downwards spiral continues. Heck if they keep it up for another week then they could even be fourth at this rate.
Only thing missing is either the Last Post being played on the bugle, or the Hamlet advert music.
Don’t worry yourself, Mamma Kez–BBCSLAB are on the case as I type and will surely have your head CGI’d onto Nicola Sturgeon’s body at the SNP manifesto launch which was, let’s face it, a classy performance.
Okay. Time for another wee rendition–just for auld time’s sake you understand:
link to youtube.com
Kez–yer stuffed, hen. Give it over to someone who has a clue. Oh and –
SNP BOTH VOTES
I forgot to add, why oh why aren’t the Greens targeting SLAB voters, it would be easy pickings for them.
Archived for posterity: The Labour Party Manifesto (North British Branch)…
link to archive.is
Wow, says it all !!!!
SLab do very LOUD clapping though. “If we have the courage to do things differently there is nothing that we cant do” is nice.
WoS also getting it from SLab today, for some reason. Its such an bizarre outfit.
SO! on their big Scottish election last minute.con manifesto blast hardly a week before the actual election, hardcore SLabour unionist says
Scott Arthur ?@DrScottThinks 3h3 hours ago
Kezia – our manifesto is not about the politician on the cover.
It’s about the people of Scotland.
Scott Arthur ?@DrScottThinks 2h2 hours ago Edinburgh, Scotland
Utterly repugnant views from @WingsScotland on #JFT96. His desire to shock and offend is beyond contemplation.
Might win back Dr ScottThinks some ex Slab votes but what’s it got to do with the last few weeks of Dugdale’s rein.
Oh dear, oh dear. Gie it u Kez lass, yer teas oot.
Pitiful, just pitiful.
The applause was recorded at some non-labour event and then played through a retired miner’s ghetto blaster.
SLAB demonstrating their competence as usual.
Piss-up in a brewery? Nope. Too difficult.
Kez has a 5 year plan for Scottish Labour and it’s gang members.
A 5 Year Plan to implement in 8 days.
They’re finished as the STV Poll shows.
From the link I posted above:
STV Poll.
link to archive.is
‘Scottish’ labour’s worse result pending since 1910…Geez!
deputy Deadwood found out!
————————————————————-
Leader Kezia Dugdale’s net satisfaction rating has suffered a -16% swing since February.
She is now the only Scottish party leader with a net dissatisfaction rating, -11%.
On the contrary, Ruth Davidson’s has a +15% rating while Nicola Sturgeon has a +36% rating.
Net satisfaction ratings:
Nicola Sturgeon: +36%
Patrick Harvie: +23%
Ruth Davidson: +15%
Willie Rennie: 0%
Kezia Dugdale: -11%
Jings i could have filmed that better on my old VHS.
Is that it the official release makes sense dont let anybody hear the drivel we are talking.
So Slabbers how does it feel when your BBC pals turn on you and promote your better together buddies the blue tories hmmm.
Feeling stupid well so you should chumps.
Kezia, nae much longer to reign over what’s left of Slab. Next! 🙂
Thepnr says:
27 April, 2016 at 2:13 pm
Labour trailing in third spot behind the Tollys. Fecking told yeh!
———–
This STV poll on the day of their manifesto is another kick in the balls for them.
I think Labour will end up hanging on to second place, but it really would be remarkable if they ended up third, at least in terms of seats. The end of an era.
In a way, I don’t want to see that happen.
But perhaps that is what is needed for Labour to finally drop the branch office status.
As things stand, they are getting outflanked on both sides.
The Tories for London rule, and the SNP for Scotland.
Perhaps there is somewhere in the middle with federalism, but that isn’t in the power of the Labour branch to decide.
Proud Cybernat says:
27 April, 2016 at 2:17 pm
Kez–yer stuffed, hen. Give it over to someone who has a clue.
Unfortunately for the red tories, Anas Sarwar (who makes Kez look like a genius) is waiting patiently to secure his list seat and take over as branch manager. The agony seems set to continue. My heart bleeds. 🙂
I get the impression that by waiting as long as possible to publish its manifesto and then to take it down from their own website
that Labour didn’t want people to scrutinise too closely its manifesto.
OT I saw the headlines inside the daily stranger today where Kezia Dugdale as described Nicola Sturgeon as cheap and dishonest.
That video reminds me of something but I can’t quite put my finger on it.
It’s as if you’re just waiting for the funky 1970’s music to start and a bloke to come in with a toolbag and a moustache asking if she’d like her plumbing looked at.
“In-depth analysis”? Sarcastic bastard! 😉
Re; Peter McCulloch
KD, calling Nicola Sturgeon ‘cheap and dishonest’. Wow that takes the biscuit that does, it’s called projection Kez!
Labour said they did not want their manifesto launch to be ‘presidential’. Looks like they can chalk up one success then.
As fir the rest, better left to grieve in peace.
By the way what is all this about Labour and care packages?
Don’t they know that this has just been re-organised into an integrated Health Boards/Local councils initiative one of whose aims is to reduce bed*blocking? It came into effect this month.
Onwards says:
27 April, 2016 at 2:30 pm
I think Labour will end up hanging on to second place, but it really would be remarkable if they ended up third, at least in terms of seats. The end of an era.
The Buffalo Riders are actually better placed to take list seats where they are strongest. The red tories face huge numbers of SNP votes where they are strongest, and so may be challenged for a few LIST seats.
I would say it could go either way, 50:50 at the moment. The red tories face their worst result since 1910. Who said it was a boring election?
Is the SLAB manifesto ( link to archive.is ) like a blank cheque type thing? Can I fill it out myself?
Now that really is a novel idea. Well done SLab!
Do we know which, if any, of Kez’s colleagues were there to support her?
@Inverclyder
Businesses gave up doing 5 year plans 10 years ago!!
Putting the bollocks in shambollocks
Chernobyl style meltdown
As of a few minutes ago the Herald on-line edition did nit have anything about Labour manifesto but it did have a story about a recent poll putting them third after the Tories.
Using my mobile phone so may not be seeing the whole picture but very odd behaviour by Herald.
‘Aw Da *SNIFF* no-one loves me!’
‘Never mind hen, just sit at the family table and I’ll make you some comforting soup.’
@Onwards
OK I’ll admit it, there is a feeling of sympathy there for the party that is no more.
The Labour party though as I knew it ceased to exist in 1997 when Thatcher’s love child Blair took over. What a pompous git that was, can’t say who’s worse, Blair, Cameron or Osborne.
It took me an awfully long time to realise that the lizard people were now running things. I can’t stand lizards, Boris Johnson, top lizard. went to all the right schools, Bullingdon club graduate like Cameron, knows that a pound spent in Croydon is far better than a pound spent in Glasgow. Osborne is just a weasel of the weasaliest sort. Fecking despise that man.
Boris though? Top man, hahaha. Likely our next Prime Minister in 2020. If the Scots have any sense they will steer clear from that. Maybe?
If the red tories hang on to second place next week, KD will be hailed as the great saviour. If they come third, she will be gone quicker than you can blink. Ruthie the Buffalo Rider would be treated like royalty. She would be the Queen of the next tory party conference. This is exciting stuff – the blue and red tories have started a bitter “all or nothing” battle to the end. Winner takes all.
@Artyhetty
27 April, 2016 at 2:37 pm
Yes it really does take the biscuit for Kezia to spout that rubbish about Nicola.
But is anyone surprised?
I think is a an increasing sign of desperation from Labour
when it is reduced to the tactics of character assassination.
because at the end of the day that’s what it is.
I’d say the Labour Branch have judged the mood right. They’re blatantly playing it for laughs now in an attempt to get the sympathy vote. The wisest thing they’ve done in decades.
A lot of schadenfreud circulating here. Not a good thing, as in not good enough.
I hope these figures are correct.
I want them crushed, destroyed and dishonoured. I hope Dugdale is sacked. I hope whoever takes over is sacked next year after the Council elections.
I want them gone, sinking into a sludge of ignominy, embarrasment and humiliation from which they never re-emerge.
I truly f**cking hate them.
Roughian says:
Businesses gave up doing 5 year plans 10 years ago!!
Yes.
I was commenting on the Guradian article that was linked to earlier.
link to theguardian.com
It played crap for me as well, thought it was just me, thanks Rev for clarifying.
Like some kind of dodgy home made sex tape. Good job I recognized Kez in her 1950s homage get up.
I’m really just bored of them now.
Off topic
The QT Face book page is getting shared, because they have realised a clip of vintage QT.
Robin Day hosting, and Denis Healy blustering away at being clearly and calmly challenged by a young (cute) Alex Salmond. I think they are trailing it because Alex is on QT tomorrow?
What a man. Everything he said is consistent with his principles today.
Denis Healy telling him the oil is running out!!!!!
Any remaining Slabbers out there should watch it, just in case you have any doubts about how Labour lied and betrayed.
@Ian Brotherhood
‘Never mind hen, just sit at the family table and I’ll make you some comforting cereal with some hot milk” Oh hen.. and yer teas oot.
Sorted
And folks, here’s the real hard truth none of the yoony parties or any of their lickspittle lapdogs in the Colonial Media will ever get –
Scotland has CHANGED – FOR GOOD. The Rubicon has been crossed and there is no going back EVER to the way things were. And no amount of Colonial Media BS will ever have a snowball’s chance in hell of changing us back; of restoring the old order; of returning to ‘normal service’. It just ain’t going to happen – EVER.
Scotland and its people have set themselves down a new path to a better future where WE call the shots and decide matters on OUR terms, just as it is an any other normal, democratic country of the world.
And the Yoonies and their Colonial Media lackies will NEVER stop us – not now. The 45% (now probably nearer 50%) are all still here and online talking to each other, passing information, exposing lies and truth in equal measure. And, more importantly, we are all here SUPPORTING each other (trolls excepted).
We haven’t gone away and we grow stronger each and every day.
Next Thursday is unfinished business and another step towards the ultimate goal. And let’s be clear – our vote next week is as much a judgement on and a message to the Colonial Media in this country as it is on the misguided, yoony parties who happily put London before the people of Scotland.
Put Scotland FIRST, – SNP BOTH VOTES
WHAT THE FUCK, LABOURS NEW MANIFESTO, DOUBLE LOCK
LABOURS MANIFESTO WILL PROMISE LABOUR IN WESTMINSTER WILL CUT THE DEFICIT YEAR ON YEAR BUT NOT BORROW TO DO SO?????
Its gone again!! have they not wrote it yet?
What was handed out?
I’ll just leave this here.
The more things change, the more things change, from 1987. Who’s this good loooking young SNP go getter and whatever happened to SLab, Denis Healey and co?
Red tories BetterTogethered it with the blue ones 2014, Healey told us they actually did bury McCrone, but explains here that not Scottish oil’s all gone by 1987 too, apparently. SLabour liars then, SLabour liars now.
link to facebook.com
My earlier post was only good, for a couple of hours, when it linked to a blank page. Please take it off now it’s time to park the car at the side of the road.
I want Labour gone out the picture,for years they have been the distractors of everything blue tory,their job was to get in between us and the real enemy westminster.
Now they are near gone the blue tories will have to come out from behind their red tory pals and face us.
Its gonna get real ugly hope you are ready for this Ruthie because we are not going to hold back on you and your disgraceful shower of aristocracy wankers and no hiding your party name is going to help you.
Not a threat a promise.
Last days o Willie? Could be but Rennie is not going without his own version of UKOK democracy good, Scottish democracy bad, he explains to SKY news.
link to youtube.com
The best things are worth waiting for its said ,
Oh well that was interesting .
There’s nothing much for blue toryboy unionists like this either, from Jeremy Hunt lookalike Kevrage in particular, lots of WoS bad though. Funny that.
Kevin Hague Retweeted
Duncan Hothersall ?@dhothersall 4h4 hours ago
“Our manifesto isn’t about the politician on the front cover, it is about the people of Scotland.” – @kezdugdale
From the belated drivel.
Problem! Labour believe that there
should be a clear message that
hate crime will be dealt with
using the full force of the law in
Scotland. We will adopt a zerotolerance
approach to hate
crime, particularly that which
is motivated by religion, race,
sexual orientation and gender
identity.
Answer: The Football Act is a bad
piece of legislation, we will
repeal it
Why would they wait until 8 days before the election to publish a manifesto? Is the reason that it gives less time for it to be shot down in flames as utter bollocks? They can’t be scared that any sensible party is going to plagiarise it surely? Don’t Parties in the general Elections normally have theirs out three weeks in advance? Mibbe they’re short of funds and have been trying to negotiate a deal for cheap printing and finally gave up.
@katherine hamilton
Don’t hold back Katherine… Oh! 🙂
@DerekM
The shape of things to come. 🙂
Katherine, I get the impression that asking you to “Take a Fresh Look” here would be a waste of time.
The media have abandoned Labour in Scotland. When the focus switched last year to the “one party state” stuff, they were basically acknowledging that the SNP’s political opponents were all pretty much useless.
Since then the preferred means to an end has been the issue of plurality. “One party state” talk and more recent discussions about second votes all feeds into the strategy. With this the media (and BBC in particular) basically appointed itself the official opposition it seems.
It’s also noticeable that they are doing their best to trivialise and downplay the forthcoming election. I watched the news yesterday and more prime time coverage was given to snooker than Scottish politics.
With this and incessant talk of a foregone conclusion they hope that there will be a low turnout of SNP supporters.
I hope we can get people out to vote in high numbers, it will help the SNP massively. And SNP x 2 really is imperative.
Its now (looking up a clock) 3.30 pm and for some reason there is no post-manifesto launch piece in the Herald, by those stalwarts Gardham and Sanderson.
Its like it never happened.
Perhaps the two leading Labour journo’s went to the pub after and thought ‘sod it (or words to that effect) Labour are up shit creek and no weaselly reporting can make that turd shine
right at the end we get this?
We rule out another
referendum on independence
during the lifetime of the next
Parliament.
So hypothetically 3 million Scots stand outside parliament for a week in the snow and rain pleading for a referendum, OK not likely but who the fuck can that dictator think she is or her fascist party to put a line on democracy. a here today and gone tomorrow politician, GTF!!!!!
Muriel Gray was apparently using the Hillsborough disaster for SNP Baaad points today on Twitter!
Future Lord Tomkins, BetterTogether Slovenia region not impressed by his SLabour BetterTogether colleagues, which makes sense from that raging toryboy, for once. He’s retweeting the Daily Heil latest STOP the breakup of Britain frontpage screamer.
Adam Tomkins ?@ProfTomkins 8h8 hours ago
Another campaign day. That’ll be more Labour chaos and confusion, then
That’s a party that has spent millions on image and spin doctoring… they invented it, and they come out with this pash!
When Anas takes the reigns he’ll have better spin, but they will be just as pish as before.
Interesting stats
Tory mentions 7 conservative 3 = 10
Snp 21 times
watch your flank labour, funny when only 45 Labour MP’S voted against austerity cuts I assumed the rest were in the bar and missed the vote, looks like they really are Tory’s, red Tory’s
Uh oh..our fave paper the DR is getting having a go at our Stu. shows you he rattles their cage.
If that ‘launch’ doesn’t tell Kez that her goose is cooked, nothing will. She’s finished and SLabour know it and that’s why they’re no’ spending any money on her big ‘launch’.
How come a lot of us here can see that and Kez can’t? It’s no’ as if Kez would have been wanting something for nothing. Or is it a genetic programme thingy?
Ho-hum.
SNP BOTH VOTES
Sorry off topic and not archiving just in case anyone wants to comment on what this ‘journalist’ and his ‘detest the snp and what they stand for’ comment
link to politics.co.uk
So,if Kezia is on minus eleven,where would the next leader,Anas Sarwar,be? Wouldn’t a Jackie Baillie/Jenny Marra joint leadership be a better bet?
By the year 2020, IN 4 YEARS if you vote labour they will raise an extra 3 Billion in tax??? How?
If social media had been around 27 years ago, instead of the corporate media being the only purveyor of information, would the Hillsborough families have had to endure 27 years of pain before the truth was admitted?
@DerekM
Yes, we’re done with Labour. Get the Tories in our sights. The real enemy.
Dandy, Beano and the Slab manifesto.
Agree with Katherine Hamilton’s comments I too want them wiped from our landscape. Dugdale, Baillie, Gray, Mackintosh and the rest.
Well I took a quick visit to the shop and couldn’t find it. It definitely isn’t in my local shops wheelie bins. The hunt goes on. Maybe they left it on a lap top on a train, correction in a case on a train, the use of a laptop might be too techy for them.
Nana – great link. Ta.
Ian Dunt – aye, a name that rings with stupid coconut. Couldn’t even get Angus (called him Andrew) Robertson’s name right, FFS! BTL comments were spot on.
Andrew McLean says:
“We rule out another referendum on independence during the lifetime of the next Parliament.”
They realise that an SNP majority is likely. However, they probably think they can keep Indy support down in the hope that the SNP won’t risk losing twice.
Their goal may now be to avoid IndyRef2 before the next election. Realistically, two SNP majorities is extremely fortunate, a third one in 2021 would seem unlikely.
No majority means no IndyRef2. And, the Unionists know that. They have tried to stop a majority this time, next they need to try to stop a referendum in the coming parliament.
They only need to hold off until the SNP have no majority, then it is all over for decades, if not forever.
If that is the actual AV launch of their “manifesto,” they are bereft of political ideas, honesty and money.
Jezuz
@heedtracker
Great post, fresh faced Alex Salmond not intimidated by Denis Healy. I like that man Salmond very much.
link to facebook.com
I think all this will bring more SNP votes, Slab politicians?, must be pulling their hair out, in unison with their members.
I suspect many will now vote SNP to try and stop the Tory rise ( if that is what it really is?)
As Ruthie will be getting her easy ride with Bird tonight, Slab must be seething. Clear, now, the Tories will be pushed as far as the BBC can, followed by the media. In the main they will be changing to vote Tory. even they, must now admit they are a lost cause.
If I was a Slab supporter, I would be giving my 2 votes to the SNP, out of disgust for the Tories and their disgust that Slab are heading to the also ran, bin.
The SNP are now their best bet to put in policies that are remotely “social”. So it would seem the best bet for them to choose.
Tactical voting and a video to explain it all.
Check out The D’Hondt system.
link to scotgoespop.blogspot.co.uk
Okay downloaded something which claims to be the lost manifesto on my Kindle. So how do I get shot of it?
“I detest the SNP and what they stand for – separation, nationalism, political opportunism – but Angus Robertson is quickly turning into the unofficial leader of the opposition in Westminster.” – Ian Dunt (from Nana’s link)
That’s the thing with these churnalists. They follow each other like sheep. They “detest” the SNP only because all their meeja chums up here detest them (though even they’d be hard pushed to tell you why). Those out-of-the-loop of mainstream Scottish politics merely “detest” the SNP because everyone else in the meeja does. It’s become the meeja ‘COOL’ thing to be and do.
But when these buffoons stop and actually do a little proper research, question their own assumptions, challenge the barrage of irrational anti-SNP rhetoric they might actually see that they are behaving like a spotty, snotty, 15 year-old with an attitude problem.
The good thing is most 15-year-olds grow out of it.
“SNP-bashing – yeah, did that. But it’s SOOOOOO NOT COOL anymore!!”
Question is – will the ‘grown-ups’ in the meeja grow up and get rational? Or do we need to pull their fecking teeth out first?
SNP BOTH VOTES
If Kez was aiming for the retro look with that “video” she really should have shot it in black and white. Definitely in with a chance for a BOUFTA though.
@Nana
thanks for the link. No comments available now it seems. Good, hope the bastrds were telt.
@Proud Cybernat
Good btl comments so far. Aye I saw that he didn’t get Angus’s name right. Some journalist eh?
Herald running a story now about wrong postal ballot papers having been sent out. Sure call me dave will provide a link soon.
Not Forgotten
Scotland’s Independence and Project Fear
Project Fear was constructed by the BT campaigners, as the main obstacle to Scotland’s Independence, presenting their case for staying in the UK,via the complicit MSM/BBC….’Scotland as a Independent country is too risky, too fearful, the status quo is safe, stay here with us’….essentially to play on people’s fears and to blunt their freedom of choice.
People can become paralysed with irrational fears, it is neither uncommon or new, well documented, it is has been happening since time immemorial, think of any number of big sporting events, that participants, failed to perform to their normal standards on the big day….we are all human.
This status quo ‘is safe’, argument has been blown out of the water by Wings over Scotland’s Wee Black Book, the truth is, staying as part of the UK is even riskier than Independence and has left Scotland’s Parliament, without the main ‘control’ measures to eliminate or minimise these risks.
While empathising with people’s fears, whether it’s paying back a student loan (cough), paying the rent, losing their job, the dreams of a better life for their children (all caused by the status quo), please encourage people to read the WBB, and to look at the core values that an Independent Scotland would have at the heart of its multi party politics, starting with a fairer society, a more efficient economy and more importantly the economic control levers to achieve them.
The main obstacle to Scotland’s Independence is not Fear.
‘Fear is not real, it’s only a product of the thoughts you create, Fear is a Choice’.
In an Independent Scotland, we will all have freedom of choice, not the paralysis of imagined fears, but to do that, more of us first need to take,(including the MSM/BBC if they wish to continue, in some form or another) for want of a better term….the Road to Damascus…..or even wake up ,open your eyes.
SNP x 2 Eu in
Indyref2
Galam-whatever: “two SNP majorities is extremely fortunate, a third one in 2021 would seem unlikely.”
Getting a bit ahead of yourself there.
In five years I like to think we’ll have our independent liberal-democratic state and be a leading Tiger economy of Europe.
Imagine all that time and energy invested in productive stuff instead of this, Jeremy Kyle, and Twitter.
The postie always knock twice (postal votes) 🙁
link to archive.is
Deputy Deadwood in the Herald at last.
link to archive.is
“SNP stand for separation,nationalism and political opportunism” blah blah blah.
The SNP stand for Scotland.The other parties stand for London rule.
Katherine Hamilton 2.55, goan yersel hen. Well said, my sentiment on SLAB as well, Time the were gone, they have held Scotland back for years. SLAB are a useless shower from Wendy Alexander and her enormous brain, Iain Gray with his Subway moment, and wondering where the money for an oil fund would come from, sheesh. To Johan Lamont with her something for nothing culture, to her we are not genetically programmed to make decisions. Maybe she’s no, but I don’t have any problems with my political decisions on who to vote for. A wee clue, it’s no SLAB.
Fred @ 3.33 WFT! how the hell did Muriel Gray get SNP BAAD fro the Hillsborough disaster. That’s a new one.
Nana, thanks for the link. Ooor ain Angus Robertson is definiteley one of the good guys. I’m pleased he’s on our side.
@carjamtic
The BBC/MSM will never take the Road to Damascus. They have been pumping out the same bilge since the early 1970s. The only difference is the quantity of it has increased one hundredfold if not more since then.
@Thepnr
Managed to capture 4 comments before the page refreshed and now the comments are gone.
I find it somewhat unsettling in how you continue to portray the SNP as a nasty, vicious party when it is incredibly clear – which you, yourself have even gone as far to admit though not in as many words – that it is the SNP who are holding a moral and principled stance. I didn’t see any such condemnation of the Tories behaviour/
Please explain political opportunism to us lesser mortals
seperation, nationalism, political opportunism, would that be the same as simply wanting to run their own Country just like all other Nations take for granted
You’re happy to admit that Cameron and the tory government are lacking in morals and that Corbyn and Labour are ineffectual in opposition, and yet you fail to see why the SNP (and a lot of scots] are so determined to separate from Westminster. When you talk about detesting a party and all that it stands for, maybe you should aim your loathing at a more deserved target
Remember when camcorders were invented?
And a relative would make a rambling speech at a wedding?
Shouting shrilly?
In case the camcorder wouldn’t pick up the powerful words?
Just saying…
So there has been a problem with the Postal Votes sent out by the SLAB controlled Renfrew Council. Ho hum!
Fred @ 3:33 pm
..and remember when people used to know who Muriel Gray was?
Over 30,000 postal vote ballot papers sent out in Renfrewshire? WTF? How can there possibly be that many postal voters in just one region?
@call me dave- that Herald article is very worrying.
Is it all the SNP PVs that are invalid?
I suspect a scam, PVs need to be got rid of except for medical emegencies
Ah know we’re awe talking about the Dug’s manifesto, but has anybody seen Sitting Bull’s?
Greannach says:4:44 pm
Fred @ 3:33 pm..and remember when people used to know who Muriel Gray was?
Did she not bust out greetin when her flask was broken?, Me I much prefer Murial Spark, must be the blue woollies?
Ian More @ 4:40
Ah ken Ian,but still time for some ‘whistleblowers’ to step forward…not too late for individuals 😉
Mureil Gray. Tube.
@Nana
Yeah, in an otherwise reasonable piece about Mr Robertson the ‘bubble’ commentator couldn’t resist rising to the surface. His understanding about Scottish politics, the SNP and the Scottish voter basically woeful.
It doesn’t occur to these bods that perhaps decent people are voting for a party of government with some decent ethics. They hear the word ‘national’ and fill the gap between their ears with every negative connotation they can think of and that’s before noting the nationalist in themselves.
Its been said before but, UK nationalism good – Scottish nationalism bad.
Perhaps if the fella is looking for the tunnel visioned, the narrow minded and the intellectually lazy, he’d best start closer to home. (shrugs)
Just read the piece in the Daily Raggard about how well received Kezia’s presentation was to the HO Down There yesterday, 26th April.
Apparently the reporter is unaware of the timeline in the run up to next Thursday’s GE.
He /she (?) reports that the Labour Big Guns, Corbyn, Watson, McConnell and others will head North in the ‘next few weeks’ to lend support to Dugdale’s campaign.
Like their manifesto. it appears that Red Tory Labour have left it a bit late.
If there is a god, please repeat the ‘bow down to your Imperial Masters’ masterpiece of counter propaganda.
Look out the rickshaw and the Star Wars tape.
Please. oh please, jump on a train from Euston to the Central, and march up Union Street to a ‘mass’ rally at the top of the hill.
I’m about to YouTube the March of the 100 Red Tories, just to cheer myself up.
Labour is toast Up Here. Corbyn and Co., like, reportedly, Cameron, have given up on Scotland.
Not long now.
Was that it! I wasn’t expecting anything Presidential but WOW that truly sucked. That was the sound of the last nail being driven into the SLAB coffin. And Kez, for what it’s worth, You wern’t any good, not really and the lame questions to the First Minister kinda proves it.
Rev Stu 1.11pm
How many times have you watched that video? Are you quite sure there isn’t a special computery sort of password thingy you have to punch in to get the proper video? Are you quite sure there isn’t something in that video which you are simply too obtuse to “get”? I’ve watched it a few times now,to no avail.I feel I’d like to show it to some sort of brainiac,say a university professor or the like,who might be able to shed some light.Or I might just wait for the BBC interpretation later on.Theyre going to have their work cut out with this one,though.Perhaps if Labour had dimmed the lighting a bit further and got Jackie Bird to give the spiel in a muffled voice,it could have saved a lot of bother.
@Thepnr
I attempted to capture the comments, it was a long post and as yet it hasn’t appeared. Thinking I did it wrong or ?
Weird thing is I can archive the article but not with the comments included. I still have the article open on my laptop, if the post doesn’t appear I will try again later.
Jack Collatin says
Yup, the guy was brilliant, great to watch it go down.
More of it at the right time would be brilliant again.
Was Anas Sarwar responsible for the production on this video?
@Macart
They just don’t seem to be able to help themselves from having a dig. It’s all so immature and just shows them up to be devoid of original thought. If only they did some actual research and not keep parroting the same old snpbad.
Daily Record is at it again. Misinformation. Hillsborough was a tragic accident. No one set out to kill people. The Authorities acted badly but it is turning into a witch hunt.
Worth repeating, the sooner these ecclefechen bassas are buried and the dirt tramped down,the sooner we can get on with the business of preparing this country for independence.
Wipeout at the councils and we’re off and running.The Blue Tories are a mere distraction,nothing more ,nothing less,
Once the Labour heartlands were breached it would only be a matter of time,wily old SNP members taught me this from an early age.Make the breakthrough.,get into government ,show your capabilities and job done.
Goodnight UK
Where’s the Chilcot Report?
Is that 44 live stream viewers? Impessive.
I will laugh if the Blue Tories still come in third, despite this open goal.
And, hopefully, the Bull Straddler will get the sack — she’s so dishonest she makes Hillary Clinton look genuine.
I reckon Sarwar will still knife the Dug in the back, using the expected fall in Labour MSP numbers.
This is a great chance for the Greens to start competing for third place. They have a leader with a functioning brain and genuine left-wing policies — what is there for SLAB voters (those still left) not to like?!?
Jack Collatin said at 4:58 pm
Just read the piece in the Daily Raggard about how well received Kezia’s presentation was to the HO Down There yesterday, 26th April. Apparently the reporter is unaware of the timeline in the run up to next Thursday’s GE. He /she (?) reports that the Labour Big Guns, Corbyn, Watson, McConnell and others will head North in the ‘next few weeks’ to lend support to Dugdale’s campaign.
Maybe the campaign they’re coming to support is Kezia’s campaign to try to remain leader of “Scottish” Labour after they come 3rd behind the Tories?
Aye guys and you know what is amazing you are the independence people of Scotland.
Stand back guys and admire what you have done and feel proud,they laughed at us thinking we could never pull this off well we showed them.
And no matter how the blue tories try to spin it just remember this the only reason they have a chance of sitting in opposition is because that is where we want them.
Amazing so proud of you guys lets get tore in about those scum blue tories and show them the real power of Scotland her people.
Charge you wingers no prisoners.
Thepnr says:
27 April, 2016 at 4:09 pm
@heedtracker
Facebook! That video from 87 of Salmond and Healey who looks madasafish.com
There’s hundreds of YES sites from all kinds of people, professions, sports, bikers, S&M, farmers, as well as all sorts of YES candidates, prospective and current. Big difference from 79.
Other news, just watched a RISE election truck drive down Pollokshaws road with very loud hailer extolling, vote RISE for an independence referendum.
A football analogy kept popping into my head when I read this. 🙂
……………………………………………………….
“I am 100% Team Kez Dugdale.
She’s a phenomenal leader of the Labour party. [She] has been setting the agenda in Scottish politics and that’s something the entire movement is proud of”
“My support for Kez is loyal and unconditional; I’m 100% supportive of her.”
……………………………………………………..
He was enjoying some raw liver and a small bottle of chianti at the time. 🙂
link to archive.is
Get them telt Alex
link to twitter.com
@Nana
Their research, near as I can tell, is talking to each other and talking to somewhat partizan political chums.
In short, they believe each other. It doesn’t seem occur to them to talk to SNP members or voters. They’re simply bemused by the population’s refusal to trap with establishment parties or listen to their sage wisdom.
Clearly its above our native abilities to understand the complex issues, strategies and political philosophies expounded by the commentariat. Bless their wee cotton wossinames though, they do keep trying to get through to us in their missionary work to the barbarous north. 🙂
Al-Stuart says:
27 April, 2016 at 2:19 pm
Archived for posterity: The Labour Party Manifesto (North British Branch)…
link to archive.is
Wow, says it all !!!!
Now, that’s a manifesto to be proud of, LOL!
SNP x 2
Heedtracker,
Amazing, a RISE truck, eh?
Well I’ve been into Ullapool which is plastered with SNP and Green posters with a few for tories, an independent and even a couple for Ukip but I didn’t see a single one for RISE. Not even by Jean Urquhart’s house!
I am not at all convinced that she even wants to get elected for RISE!
SNP needed less than 1,000 more list votes last time to take a Tory list seat.
With the Tories looking to be second it is even more important to vote SNP on the list so that they cannot increase their seats.
The Telegraph;
Deputy Deadwood.
link to archive.is
I see no ships!
link to archive.is
PS:
I’m off for a while to watch the livestream footie.
Madrid V Munich
I’ll enjoy reading that labour manifesto later..if it appears.
carjamtic.
So what we need to do is get Westminster and Scottish Unionists really frightened.
🙂
That was dire.
cearc says:
27 April, 2016 at 6:02 pm
Heedtracker,
Amazing, a RISE truck, eh?
Yes it’s like an old council flat back transit van with RISE all over it but the guy was certainly belting it out. Good old hustings stuff.
Other other UKOK news, a lomg wail of fury from rancid The Graun and Rupert Carrell is very angry with his Scotland region tonight. Jump in anywhere to this Graun chancer’s vote SLab or else, selfish greedy sweaties, its for your own good
link to archive.is
Scottish election poll puts Labour in third place behind Tories
Poll released after party’s manifesto launch suggests Scottish Labour could slip to third for first time since 1910
Dugdale had hoped that delaying her manifesto launch until the penultimate week of the campaign could give Scottish Labour a late surge.
The manifesto goes further than the UK party’s policy by calling for Trident’s replacement to be scrapped – a stance forced through by members at the Scottish party’s last conference.
Well , didn’t STV do well?
They gave Ms Dugdale the opportunity to have a party political broadcast – which tidied up the crap manifesto and left one with a smily , nicey , nicey labour leader in Scotland .
Quite a remarkable performance. Utterly dishonest but quite remarkable.
@call me dave
Madrid V Munich
doping,steroid and blood enhanced pish,
Hearts and Motherwell as they meet in the 2016 Scottish FA Youth Cup Final at Hampden Park tonight at 19:20 on BBCALBA
Edinburgh`s finest V The Steelmen
BBC ALBA 19.20 (that is 7.20 for any yoons lurking)
@Macart says
“missionary work to the barbarous north” hahahaha Aye well some days I could easily sharpen my axe.
Think you might like my post at 5.50. Alex Salmond in great form.
Gerry Parker @ 6:05
No,no them,they’re beyond scaring,if they wur ‘scareable’ they’d shit themselves every time they looked in the mirror.
Ugly inside and oot 😉
Dorothy
Aye but their latest poll is less kind
link to stv.tv
@Scot Finlayson
Oh forgot that. As a Jambo..ish observer I’ll give it a go, ta.
Derek M @ 3.15pm = )
OK Kes. That was properly dreich.
It’s beginning to look like we can now turn our full attention to facing the Buffolo Gal and her shower of entitled cowboys who have been ripping off our country for centuries. They will rue the day.
But we must take nothing for granted. Ignore the polls and keep working for the result you want to see!
SNP and SNP!!!
….did I miss it?
Well after having to witness STV Aberdeen’s outpourings and drivel I am not going to suffer the Burd Show on top of it.
Good luck to those of you who are going to watch to see what way the Burd head will spin. Will she get tore into the Buffalo Rider as her precious SLAB is going down the tubes or will she do fit she is telt by her London bosses and big up the Tories and give the Buffalo Rider an easy time of it. The only thing I am sure of is that it will be SNP VERY BAAHD from two directions.
Labour manifesto
Lunatic edition
really dire, they can no longer paper over the cracks
2011 32%, 2014 30%, 2015 25%
i thought labour would drop to about 21% in this election, in line with a rise in snp support to 54%, but for the first time since 1997 we are seeing consistent polls showing the torys support rising from 15% (been at this level for 20 years now) and the labour party falling by the same amount, about 2%.
a week is a long time in politics, i wonder just how far the labour party can fall, if the torys win 2nd place, the dam may just burst.
the battle lines have been drawn, scotland vs uk, the labour voters stuck in the middle are about to be forced to choose.
this is evidence that the unionist labour voters have indeed started to desert labour
Thank you The PNR @ 4.07pm and Nana @ 5.50pm!
Put a huge smile on my face!!
Alex at his best as usual = )
@Thepnr
4 comments from the Ian Dunt pieceI managed to grab are posted at 4.40
I thought I had managed to capture the posters names, obviously I did it wrong or my fat fingers messed it up.
Put it this way. If you haven’t understood the decline of Britain, you’re unlikely to grasp the vision for Scotland. And that means I’m wasting my time.
link to derekbateman.scot
“Scottish Labour to finish third behind Tories, poll finds” (From STV)
We should be excited about the prospect of this. Labour just obfuscate the reality of the situation and muddy the waters.
With the SNP standing toe-to-toe against the Tories in the Scottish Parliament there will be much more of a sense of us (Scotland) against them (the British State).
Also it will mirror the same sense of us against them that exists in the House of Commons.
The EU referendum, no matter what happens, is going to lead to chaos in the Tory ranks. It looks like Scotland and the SNP are going to be poised to make the most of that.
SNP x 2 is crucual and we must get people to vote.
I’m very worried about turnout; a low turnout hurts the SNP more than anybody else.
So much for the ‘people’s party’, a party traditionally in thrall to the British establishment and its class system.
Nana re the
cDunt piece, does this help, it’s just the first few comments:link to tinyurl.com
It’s beyond satire. Thanks for the clips of Alex Salmond earlier Nana. Without that I might have almost begun to lose the will to carry on reading this thread.
Looks like the media cheerleaders are almost beginning to give up hope?
I see the Horrid Herald is coming out today with all guns blazing against the SNP and even Stu himself.
What a toe-rag of a so called newspaper it has turned out to be since the red tory apparatchik Gardham joined them.
On another note Kezia is just trying to put up taxes in the pretence it is for vital services, when we all know it is to give straight to town halls so they can spend it on jobs for the boys.
Local authorities must be swimming in money after the [comical] scenes I have recently witnessed by the Gardening and paths and road departments in my area.
K1 excellent, I don’t know what I did wrong. Most likely multi tasking haha I’m so easily distracted!
Capella here’s Angus today at PMQ’s. I did have the video from a twitter link but this is better.
link to thecanary.co
Personally I hope the Tories take second place. Then the Slab voters may realise there is only one party to protect Scotland’s interests and I don’t mean Willie Rennie.
Enough Slabs may come over to reach the magic 55%. It is not far away.
@Davy says: 27 April, 2016 at 1:00 pm:
I>” … But imagine putting out your manifesto after people can send in their postal votes, Labour the thick as a plank party.”
Indeed so, Davy.
As it happens I posted off my SNP X2 votes yesterday.
Would the Labour in Scotland promises have made me change my votes?
NO WAY.
@ alexicon
Note the comments are disabled. Ho hum.
Nana here’s Angus on you tube from 14.53 secs in…saves going on tae the Canary page:
link to youtube.com
Great link with Alex on QT from ’87 earlier btw.
Jon Ronson’s book, So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, gives a complete description of what certain types are trying to do on twitter.
Great stuff from Angus at PMQs Nana. I read from a link upthread that Angus is fast becoming the main opposition in Westminster. Think it was a Guardian article but can’t find it now. Good to see our MPs taking a stand on child refugees.
@ Capella
link to politics.co.uk
Capella , it was Nanas link from one Ian Dunt on politics.co.uk .
Rev , why is the Herald attacking you over comments about Hillsborough?
Capella
It wasn’t the Guardian but Politics UK- here is a link to the article;
link to twitter.com
Oh Dear, Labour are in a very dark place this week. Only a few days left to cut their losses, salvage what they can and avoid a complete melt-down. I kid you not – the constitutional issue remains dominant and they are getting squeezed hard from both sides. The SNP are running away with the indy vote and the Buffalo yoon riders smell blood.
Labour turn one way to please the yoons, then they immediately turn the other way to please the nats, and they end alienating everyone. Rabbits, headlights come tomind.
Come on Kez, before it’s too late. Choose a side and stick with it. Anas is standing quietly behind you with knife ready.
@ Dorothy
Bandwagon jumping SNPBAD opportunity. There are no comments allowed to avoid all that refutation stuff.
Considering how hard BBC led creep show media in Scotland says hate the SNP Scotland, polls like this must puzzle them.
Stephen DaisleyVerified account
?@JournoStephen
STV News poll:
Do you know what parties stand for? (net agree)
SNP +66%
Con +37%
Green +25%
Lab +7%
LibDem -12%
heedtracker says:
27 April, 2016 at 3:09 pm
I’ll just leave this here.
The more things change, the more things change, from 1987. Who’s this good loooking young SNP go getter and whatever happened to SLab, Denis Healey and co?
Red tories BetterTogethered it with the blue ones 2014, Healey told us they actually did bury McCrone, but explains here that not Scottish oil’s all gone by 1987 too, apparently. SLabour liars then, SLabour liars now.
link to facebook.com
———-
wow, 1987..
How far the SNP has come. It must have been hard going back then.
2 or 3 seats, languishing in the polls, Blanket unionist media coverage, no internet..
Well done to everyone who paved the way back then and kept the cause going through hard times.
The remarkable (not) thing about this old footage from QT from 1987 is Denis Healey citing the ‘oil running’ out as the main problem for Scottish Independence. The shameless lie that has been echoed relentlessly before, during and after the referendum…
Sooner we destroy the lying Red Tories the better…they have kept Scotland in a hole for decades while they lined their pockets off the public purse…shower of lying bastards.
link to tinyurl.com
I’ve ‘pulled’ that vid of Alex and ran it through tinyurl off the Facebook page so it’s just a simple video for keepsakes for people.
O/T James Kelly on the Scot parly voting system
link to indyref2.scot
Onwards
It was difficult back then and even more difficult in the early 1960’s with no media coverage at all. In 1987 the Scotsman did give the SNP a much more fairer coverage than today.
@Dorothy Devine,
Everone and their aunty is attacking the Rev on twitter and the media,because he refuses to accept no fan was responsible for Hillsborough.
He is in a way actually correct.
Anybody who knows about the movement of crowds knows that density is important. Four people per sq metre is considered dangerous.At Hillsborough there were around eight people per sq metre.Lethal.
The fan were ,and I stress this, the UNWITTING instrument in the deaths of the 96 who suffocated. There were no warnings given of dangeron the PA system ,no effective method of crowd control in use and the police more or less abandoned their duties of crowd control to ease congestion outside the stadium. Fans tried to gain entry to the stadium oblivious to what was already happening at the front. The result was predictable as it was sad.
I remember being at Hampden for a cup final between the old firm. It was standing only,and when Celtic scored I was lifted off my feet and swept around twenty to thirty feet down the terracing before being deposited back eventually around the same area. Scary.
Ponsonby is actually laughing at Dugdale a car crash interview
Thanks Conan and Bob Mack .
I really do loathe what has happened to a once truly good paper , the cretinous drivel that now passes for journalism in the Herald is appalling.
Bob Mack @ 8:30
My father used to take me to the football on a Saturday afternoon,in the early 70’s,it was okay on the way in,through the turnstiles,but about 15 minutes before the game finished,they slid open the massive ‘exit’ doors.
Mass exodus down the terraces and a bottle neck at the exit,meant you were lifted clean off your feet,carried for about 30/40 yards,in slow motion,feet off the ground,crushed and struggling for a breathe before being dumped on the pavement as the pressure relieved once through the doors,absolutely terrifying.
You learned wait till 10 mins after the game finished to leave,no wonder I gave it up,(most of the men were in a hurry to leave,for a bevvy)
@ Conan, Dorothy and Marcia – that’s the article! Thanks. Great to see Angus being recognised as a competent party leader, after all the flak he takes on our behalf. Makes Cameron look like a spiv in an expensive suit.
Dorothy Devine at 8.57
Couldn’t agree more. It is almost painful to watch.
Could we start an online petition to get the editorial staff sacked?
Its been a bit weird watching far right UKOKists trying to make Scotland not vote SNP x 2. They clearly assume that they can make SNP x 1 and SLab x 1 but polls show its gone Tory x 1. Upper class twittery in action.
Fraser Nelson ?@FraserNelson 3h3 hours ago
Tories overtake Labour in latest Scottish poll. link to blogs.spectator.co.uk … Reminder: in politics nowadays, nothing is too weird to happen.
One of Ligger Neil’s neo fascist favourites sinks this low. Only UKOK toryboy world could do this, using a tragedy 30 years ago is very desperate unionist toryboy politics in their Scotland region and all because we wont red and blue tory, ever again, looks like.
Red tory
Iain Martin Retweeted
David Clegg ?@davieclegg 6h6 hours ago
Wings Over Scotland blogger blames Liverpool fans for Hillsborough tragedy
Blue tory
Scott Arthur ?@DrScottThinks 4h4 hours ago Edinburgh, Scotland
Utter disgrace – @WingsScotland continues to promote discredited lies. #JFT96
Only in Scotland can you watch hard core conservative UKOK unionism rage into the abyss at not being taxed much more. England’s a different universe from Scotland now or at least hard core toryboy’s like kevrage here are an alien species to his English tory chums. That’s Britnats for you.
Kevin Hague ?@kevverage 2h2 hours ago
Kevin Hague Retweeted Stephen Daisley
after all that fucking griefKevin Hague added,
Stephen Daisley @JournoStephen
STV News poll:
Keep income tax rates in Scotland same as they are in rest of UK…
10 retweets 19 likes
Reply
Another dire day for Dugdale. There are no big Labour guns making any public appearances to support wee crokey kermit soundalike Kez.
Where are the mighty Lords Reid,Foulkes and Liddell to support Kez in the most important of Labour’s history?
Why no Brown or Darling?
Is Clunk/Crash/Capitalist Gordon biding his time for a dramatic last minute intervention?
Is it Kez, the Edinburgh power shift take over, or what the heck is going on?
Whatever it is, the cliff edge is looming large. Not long until 3rd place and the year of the Sarwar.
O/T
Looks like oil jobs/price on the up in Texas ?
link to crudeoiljobs.com
@carjamtic
Oil price climbing
link to archive.is
I can’t help but think the tories must have gone over budget in the leafleting by post to my wee house. I and my family have received no fewer than 11 vote Davidson bits of toilet paper all –delivered by Royal Mail post. Talking to friends thay have also been deluged.
Can wee Ruthie be asked how she can afford it? A rich uncle in London helping out?
Don’t want to find out after the election that they have broken the rules and they say ” ..oops sorry-it was an administrative error.”
Was that it? Was working today and have seen no news but canny help feeling this was meant to be some kind of gamechanger.
The manifesto pledges (for those who have not voted already) that I bothered reading all seemed to be vague ‘we will make this better’ pledges on every conceivable area. Despite the vast number of pledges a smaller number of more fleshed out policies that could actually be implemented would surely make sense.
Can you remember Jack McConnell’s platform of doing less better! That was someone in the same party!
I saw the APD magic money generator is today going to fund the deposit scheme for first time buyers. So my once in a blue moon family holiday abroad is going to help fund upper middle class families buying their children their first flat AND something else will have to be cut to pay for this extra pledge as there is not simply extra money.
The letter from Kezia is mind-blowing. A couple of sentences which sums up her argument stuck out: “Because of the new powers that are coming to Scotland we can choose a different path. The
Scottish Parliament doesn’t have to be a conveyor belt for Tory cuts.”
That the Scottish Parliament does indeed currently have to be a conveyor belt for Tory cuts seems to me obvious. Scotland has to adapt to the diet the treasury gives us. Kezia doesn’t count tax rises as cuts but there are consequences to sucking money out of the economy otherwise why not ramp up VAT to 30% and spend the money on hospitals and schools?
What will Osborne think of Scotland increasing taxes to mitigate cuts to Scotland’s budget? Will he perhaps welcome it? If I was an evil tory like Osborne I would be planning to reduce the Scottish budget again and again now and get the popcorn out while I watch successive Scottish governments mitigate.
The only thing I would have been afraid of if I was Osborne was Scotland cutting taxes below rUK levels and making Scotland more competitive but hey! You won’t out tory the tories in that particular race to the bottom.
Anyway- as a document that is far too late for up to 2/3rds of postal voters to read before voting and with zero chance of victory it IS a complete waste of paper, column inches, data and whilst I have certainly wasted my time commenting on this anyone reading this has been similarly detained to no end.
The bottom line is that the chance for Scotland to get off the Tory conveyor belt came and went in September 2014 and Kezia was all for staying put. I am sure we will get another chance at indy but sadly for Kezia she will find out how unforgiving politics can be and soon. Then she can watch as the party dies with Anas at the helm.
As many may have seen the Herald now has a smear story against Stuart Campbell
link to archive.is
As most of the article is behind a paywall (which there is no way I am going to pay for) most of the story is hidden
Suffice to say that the lead paragraphs infer that its a ‘fresh story’
This has to be a new low by the Herald
The smear piece is written by Brian McLaughlin
There is no doubt in my mind that the unionist press are out to do there damnedest to deflect attention from Labours woes in Scotland and attack the pro independence movement.
Unsurprisingly there is no comments allowed on the piece
@ Hamish100
Strangely, I haven’t had anything at all from Ruth – and this in the region where they have all their constituencies and a list seat to defend.
I can’t even remember when I last received election material from the Lib Dems; they’ve never had any chance here at Westminster but I was slightly surprised they made no attempt to keep their Euro seat, and now there’s nothing in support of their incumbent list MSP. I’d have thought they’d be desperate to hang onto him.
Still, I suppose there’s still nearly a week to go…
Tam Jardine
Good post Tam, certainly not a waste of time.
I think the new tax powers only allow for Scottish tax rates to rise above those of rUK, not drop below them. Don’t quote me on that though.
Not had any leaflets from Cons or LD but my son got
one from Labour delivered by postman 10/14 days ago.
However, got a hand-delivered leaflet from our Labour candidate today. Must have been in the kitchen so didn’t see who, or how many, delivered them.
I was in the SNP shop this afternoon and when I told them about said leaflet they said it confirmed she was only delivering leaflets to her local council seat. That would be right as she is 12th on the West Scotland list so has no chance.
SNP x 2 and EU Remain.
@ Edward
I wouldnt worry about it Edward they always pull out a slur on the Rev.
I loved his reply on twitter to one “cheers mum” had me rolling about on the floor.
Just another day at yoon BUM HQ and another pack of lies as they desperatly try to deflect from what has been a really bad day for yoons 🙂
That’s it. It’s official. Kezia is in fact a sleeper agent for the SNP. She joined the SNP years ago and was told to infiltrate and fuck their chances up. She should be given a Medal of Honour once we are independent. She must go home at the weekends to Mummies and Daddies and the three of them must roll about on the floor laughing their fucking heads off? “Daddy, you’ll never guess what I did this week to fuck Labour chances up?” “I filmed the release of our manifesto on that mobile phone you gave me when I was seven”.
Stephen.
CameronB
Thanks- I don’t know enough about the final version of the income tax powers to comment but if they can cut APD they can abolish it.
They could abolish council tax or the new version of stamp duty or whatever- they are certainly areas they could slash below ruk levels if they chose to.
The trouble is that even if there were areas where we wanted to give Scotland some competitive advantage all Osborne does is copy any tax cuts.
Don’t get me wrong- I am not against raising taxes to INVEST but Kezia’s idea is that raising taxes to keep spending at the same level is an investment when it clearly is not.
Investment for me is building a tidal lagoon or electrifying a railway line or funding biotech or a centre of excellence for the gaming industry or a new hospital. Investment for me is not spending money protecting people from Westminster’s bedroom tax for example. That surely would be classified as defence expenditure.
What I cannot stomach is Ms Dugdale claiming that the lowest paid will not be affected by the 1p tax rise because the Personal Allowance will rise next year. She claims this will compensate them for the tax rise. No it does not. It just means that they are paying the ‘compensation’ out of their own pockets!
Someone on £17,000, which is the figure Labour was quoting, in 2017-18 will have a personal allowance of £11500. At 20p tax they would pay £1100. At 21p which Labour proposes they will pay £1155.
Even if it works out at just over £1 per week that is a loaf of bread and at that level of income that is important.
@ K1
Healy is dead, yet Salmond and North Sea oil is still here.
So much for Healy’s argument…..
Kezia is holding it together in her interview with Bernard.I see her bottom lip trembling a wee bit,but so far no tears.It might be only a matter of time though.
Bernard is holding it together in his interview with Kezia.Theres been a few times he burst out laughing at her,but quickly got back onto a serious,sober note again.It might be only a matter of time before he pishes his pants though.
Ach, never mind Kez, hen…the STV canteen may have some comforting soup left…
Another round of SNP bad, rancid Graun style anyone? SNP bad, one party state, we gave them super powers to turn Scotland into a UKOK heaven on earth, but its still shite, after 14 SNP fail years, but they cant blame England any more, Sturgeon commands, you know rancid Graun’s itching to reach for nazi stuff again, etc etc.
link to archive.is
The SNP has commanded Scottish politics for the last decade. Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, commands both the party and the country.
Kezia getting shredded on STV. Scotland Tonight.
I’m not quitting! Yeah, right.
I would love a link to this car crash from Kezia when anybody’s got the time….readin’ Rev’s twitter is hilarious…
Aye scotspine….and Labour are dead too…in Scotland.
I find the who is coming second stuff hilarious. It is a battle between who is totally irrelevant and who is utterly irrelevant. Fraser Nelson seems not to have noticed the Tory vote share is not increasing.
Nicola should just be called Cap’n of the starship Scotland from now on in.
Fuck ’em all.
OT but it should give you a giggle.
I just heard David Frum, (former speechwriter for President George W. Bush), suggest that the Kremlin is involved in providing the SNP with support, as a means of gaining influence within western democracies. Was I asleep when this happened?
@K1
It’s on the STV page
link to player.stv.tv
Dugdale insists she is in it for the long haul.
We will see.
Craig Murray @ 11:04pm
You forgot about Wee Wullie Rennie and his World Tour of Scottish parks, outdoor centres and petting zoos.
Naw Cameron yer chip’s malfunctioning, our dear (the golden Nicola) one has been hopping back and forth tae Russia in thon helicoptar making aw the arrangements since last year. Pretty soon we’ll aw be issued we’oor assimilation chips, wi optional babel translators, fluent Russian in nae time attaw. Cannae wait 🙂
Onwards ye huv tae sign in or make an account tae see it. I’m no dain’ that, but thanks anyway 😉
Rev? Any chance you could put it up as an ‘and finally’ gies aw a happy night night? 🙂
Ever since the Ibrox disaster Scottish Police Command training taught crowd control more in terms of hydrodynamics rather than a sapiental human activity. That was viewed as arrogant and patronising by some but Hillsborough demonstrated that failing to close a flow allowed the consequence. All the other stuff like the cover up etc. was part of the fear of being criticised in public. I remember my feeling of anger when watching the police on the track apparently ignoring the tragedy in front of them and not opening the track gates but then remembered that in the months before how the police were ridiculed for allowing pitch invasions.
In that era I did see individual constables open track gates ,to relieve pressure,at “smaller” Scottish grounds when the likes of Rangers and Celtic visited but i also noted that when the fans were returned to enclosures these constables were or appeared to be criticised by Senior Officers.
@K1 –
Same here…
The properly chewy bits will surface soon enough.
K1
I though Our Dear Leader was only popping over there to wind up the zoomers. Ach well, I’d better report to HQ for an upgrade.
K1 says:
27 April, 2016 at 11:19 pm
Pretty soon we’ll aw be issued we’oor assimilation chips, wi optional babel translators, fluent Russian in nae time attaw. Cannae wait 🙂
Russia? It’s like Paisley with less Vodka.
@K1 It should be on youtube soon. Type in Ponsonby Dugdale interview on google. The other Ponsonby interviews did not take long to appear.
meanwhile
link to stv.tv
The ‘still’ images of Kezia facing Bernard Le Ponsonby (for it is he) are crying out for the whole ‘Mastermind’ treatment…
‘And your specialist subject?’
‘Fucking Up The Scottish Labour Party.’
‘Miss Dugdale, you have chosen Fucking Up The Scottish Labour Party as your specialist subject, and your two minutes start…now.’
@heedtracker
“Only in Scotland can you watch hard core conservative UKOK unionism rage into the abyss at not being taxed much more.”
——
It’s ironic, huh ?
Tories raging when the SNP refuse to jump into their trap alongside Labour and the Lib Dems.
Lots of Tories were completely against income tax devolution seeing it as a step too far. It only got through at the last minute.
The hope was that YES/NO would be sidelined by LEFT/RIGHT
– resulting in the loss of an SNP majority and a Tory revival.
I reckon most SNP supporters understand the position that increasing Scottish tax rates before independence would just hand the Tories a weapon to beat us with. And it would be risky at the top end without the powers to reduce avoidance. The tax band freeze is a good compromise.
The SNP seem to have taken the sensible position at this time, IMO.
Balanced on tax, but progressive on spending.
Kezia grilling
link to youtube.com
Don’t worry Kez. Anas Sarwar and Neil Findlay are 100% behind you. Unfortunately they are unsheathing their daggers as I write.
@Ian Brotherhood says:
‘Miss Dugdale, you have chosen Fucking Up The Scottish Labour Party as your specialist subject, and your two minutes start…now.’
———-
hahaha !!
It’s not been the best manifesto launch for Labour..
First boot in the sack being a poll showing Kezia as the least popular leader, and her branch office slumping below the Tories.
Then a total car crash interview the same day with Bernard twisting the knife over Trident and sovereignty.
Maybe it is a tactic to get a few sympathy votes..
O/T I have just watched Newsnight on the American Election and David Frum, former speech writer for George Bush offered his opinion that Trump’s more ameliorative tones towards Putin has to be seen against Putin’s endeavours to puff the “Scottish Nationalists” because of his desire to break up Britain and disrupt NATO.
Whow, we are making waves in the world of geo-politics.
Thanks Nana, rabbit in the headlights for Kezia…it is laughable her position on the prospect of indyref2, as BP said, 40% of ‘your’ voters backed Yes and there she is for all tae see in utter denial of the NEW politics in Scotland.
We will have a referendum anytime we choose Kezia, it is not up to you to tell us whether we ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t want one at our own choosing. You need to get over winning a tiny battle and move on. Or have you forgotten May 2015 already?
There is no going back tae Labour in Scotland no matter what ‘vision’ Kezia Dugdale thinks she is having…your’e tripping Kez…up and out.
@ Ian Brotherhood
…and your two minutes start now.
BP: How will your 1p tax increase revitalise the Scottish economy?
Kez: eh,eh, SNP bad?
K1 & Ian B
It is painful to watch and you would need a heart of stone no to feel a little sorry for Kezia.
By the end Bernard has wee bits of blue fabric hingin oot his gub.
There is still an input error on the Education page of the labour north Britain branch manifesto.
Rogue bit of formatting code in the wrong place so it shows up and misalignes a sentence. A small thing I know but you’d think after one mistake they would proof read the whole thing.
She looks ‘desperate’ Tam that’s true…and it’s not that I don’t feel for her on a human level, but on a political level I have no such sympathies. We have to realise she chose this role for her life and at a time over the past few years when it is clear they are toxic in Scotland.
She is an adult, knew what she was walking into. We have to remember she represents a Labour party that has been central in destroying Scotland economically, people in her position can’t just get away with saying they ‘weren’t born’ at a given time or they were too young tae recall the McCrone report as Curran said during the ref.
We all did the work in realising what the true state of affairs has been, we opened our hearts and minds to the facts of what has taken place over the past thirty to fifty years, we lived through those times. Kezia Dugdale is in denial about her party’s true colours, and has nailed her ambitions to their flag.
When she resigns next week, I’ll feel for the human. But I’ll still think she brought it on herself. She is being used, but then she literally ‘asked’ to be the leader of the branch.
What did she expect?
Bernard did not ask her about her party abstaining in Parliament so Osborne could carry on with the austerity measures she moans about.
She keeps saying she wants improve Scottish lives, yet she knows full well this happened. Sorry for her, well a little bit, but she is undoubtedly a liar, and woefully trying to hoodwink the Scottish people.
@Nana –
Thanks for the link, have just finished watching it all, and nae skippin’ either…
IMO her performance wasn’t nearly as bad as some commenters were making out. Put it this way – I’ve seen worse, e.g. Sarwar.
If the dwindling number of SLab supporters have any sense then they’ll hold Kez to her word, keep her in place as long as possible, and be grateful to her for holding what’s left of the fort. They have no serious alternative.
It’s like watching The Thick of It with Nicola Murray played by Kez. One of the policy banners should say: Quiet Batpeople.
People vote for this?!?!
@Nana says:
Kezia grilling
Ooooh! Nana got 4 minutes in and had to stop. I felt decidedly uncomfortable, like an unwilling spectator at a public execution.
The popcorn tasted…well…a bit off and the whole thing was like a cat playing with a moose. All a bit sad really, gave me quite a turn so it did. Put my knitting away and got up to go.
I’m sure in my imagination I heard the guillotine blade hurtling down …as I clicked off…. it was gruesome! 🙂
If it had been Murphy or Sarwar or even Jackie B. I would have cheered to the echo but I’m too soft hearted. 🙂
Ouch Bernard really did for her that was the final nail i am thinking she isnt even going to make it until the election,are we going to see them stick on a “super” sub and do they even have one?
On Kez tonight.
I must have a heart of stone because I couldn’t work up any sympathy for her. I kept remembering her miscawing her father and when she did that she crossed a line. Just another SLAB Brit Nat piece of work.
It was still painful to watch. It reminded me of a fish struggling for oxygen on the deck of a boat.
Anas is probably hard at work on the whet stones right now and it will be him that applies the coup de grace to her and not any media hack.
How on earth did she ever get to be the leader of a political Party?
Cynical liar gets exposed as such for all to see and we are to feel the slightest pang of sympathy ?
Not a hope.
My favourite part of recent interviews has been the look on the other leaders faces when they have been shredded.
They are so used to being allowed to waffle utter rubbish, it must be some shock to the system to be asked hard stuff ..!
A face like a startled amoeba jumped into my mind there…that’s being generous, and not to the amoeba.
Talking of Jackie Baillie, where did she go ?
Cannot recall seing her interviewed since just before the schools were closed.
Getting concerned about her…….honest!
Ian More said ” How on earth did she ever get to be the leader of a political party?”
I think the die was cast the moment these words spilled from her mouth “I promise that I will do my best;
To be true to myself and develop my beliefs,
To serve the Queen and my community,
To help other people and
To keep the (Brownie) Guide Law”
Then she joined the Labour Party by mistake thinking it was a branch of the Girl Guides. The rest is history.
Jesus Fucking Christ.
Just watched the Ponsonby interview with Dugdale. That’s one of the worst performances I’ve ever seen from a politician.
Keep her in the job. Please.
How on earth did she ever get to be the leader of a political Party?
because for decades we in the snp have been chipping away at their core support. denying them councillors, positions of power across scotland. we strangled them at birth.
the reason she has been promoted beyond her tax grade is because their isnt a gene pool big enough in slab to produce the quality require. san marino will never win the world cup, 50,000 people isnt enough to produce 11 world class players.
on the other hand, look at the quality of snp mps and candidates? mhairi black, tommy shepard, dr phillipa whitford,
if ivan mackee and jeanne freeman were in the slab and not the snp….. they would already be the leaders..
coupled with the fact that all of the top actors, not just sean, and sportsmen, murray, poets, writers, painters, support indy now, the unionist cupboard is very bare.
the best the unionists could do was barrowman, bowie, izard, rowling, etc, none of whom live is scotland, just shows how far the unionists have fallen
come indyref2, the unionist will need to roll out a plethoria of c, d &e list celebs to support the union
get ready for cheggers plays no,
link to youtube.com
Christopher Biggins, safari so goody, says rule britannia
link to youtube.com
john barrowman, bingo caller,
link to youtube.com
@John Boyes
Aye!
“Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.”
🙂
How many jobs did Unite seek to protect when they made their motion
I looked but could not find the answer I found 520 civilian jobs
I found 6500 which I think was not just Faslane
I found 19,000 – 20,000 but by then it was all a blur
The above came from BBC 4 and the papers
Here is a straw in the wind
link to archive.is
This mentioned later, hurried tampering with legislation.
link to archive.is
Come on,folks,let’s get things right.It’s not BLAIR,it’s B-LIAR, as in a CARMICHAEL.
Bon
Oh jings!
I got halfway through Mr Ponsonby’s grilling of Kezia and had to stop. That was almost literally toe curling.
Ooft! 😮
Worked up the courage to go for another five minutes and I’m done. My eyes are bleeding now.
Dear God! That’s bad.
…and yet twenty percent of Scots will still vote Labour. I wonder what they would have to do to lose that support?
I suppose I only have to wait a week to find out.
Maybe I’m becoming soft in the autumn if my life (some might say winter!) but I began to feel sorry for Kezia. [To be clear, not enough to ever vote Labour again, but you know]
She is a perfect example of the Peter Principle. People get promoted until they reach their level of incompetence. Personally I think she struggled in her previous positions in the Labour “cabinet” but perhaps that’s a bit too harsh.
Her problem is that due to strong arm tactics by the “men in the shadows”, the next Labour leader has maneuvered himself onto the top of the party list in Glasgow. Mr Anas Sarwar is too frightened to stand as a constituency MSP, of course. And he and his apparatchik will be prepared to bide their time until the next Labour debacle is done with. (Council elections next year).
She is in the job far too soon for her current abilities, I suspect she has “advisers” that are working against her, she is not being supported by the Labour party machine, and is tied to London Labour whether she likes it or not. She is the “Patsy” for the Sarwar political/personal machine. But in the meantime, she has to be the face of Labour and take the flak from those reporters prepared to ask the awkward questions.
I think on the day, Labour might do better than the polls predict and retain 2nd place, thus ensuring her position for another 12 months. Not that good for proper opposition, but until Labour’s control in the councils is finally broken, I doubt there will be ‘bright young things’ looking to Labour as a first political choice.
This election is important on so many levels. Think carefully before you vote.
Call Me Dave @2.07am
They really are really panicking!!
CMD @ 2.07
Our economic and fiscal policies are most certainly not in meltdown. Thy are mostly reserved to Westminster. But I would argue that a UK which is so heavilly in debt, and where taxes consistantly fall short of forecast may well fit that description.
They either are misquoting, dissembling or are still in search of the plot.
After viewing this broadcast, Scotland’s General Election 2016 could be setting a new world record for the worst Labour turnout to vote ever. And nae wonder!
Either that or the voters will decide to use their SNP votes instead.
SO make mines a Guinness:
link to youtube.com
As ever, good things come tae those who wait.. it’s all there in black & white.
Federal US doesn’t support a Federal UK but does support a Federal EU. Hypocrites.
Scotland would have FFA/Independence if it wasn’t for Labour, who destroyed their own Party.
Scotland would have £13Billion better spent, and not be paying for Westminster policies. Not pay £4Billion on loan repayment it doesn’t borrow. Of losing £4Billion a year in Oil revenues and thousands of jobs because Oil tax is 60/80% when the price had fallen 75%. It is still 40%.
Scotland could be one of the most prosperous, fairer more equal countries in the world. Cameron doesn’t care, LibDems are irrelevant, Labour destroyed their own Party.
O/T links
link to indyref2.scot
link to fionamoraggrahame.wordpress.com
link to deadlinenews.co.uk
link to snpberwickshire.scot
It is one of televisions “You’ve Been Framed” moments. Like coming out of the toilet with your skirt tucked in your knickers.
Argh!
Sympathy? No,not a jot. She has deliberately lied to ,and misled, the Scottish public all for her own personal gain and advancement within the Labour movement.
She is unfortunately unaware that the Labour dinosaur is dying. It exists stumbling around , hungry and emaciated,uncertain of what is actually causing its demise, and future advancement will be to extinction only.
There are new mammals in town who live and breathe in the same oxygen we all do ,and they are the future of our nation.
O/T links
George Kerevan questions/ Treasury Select Committee question the FCA on HSBC fraud redress
link to youtube.com
link to snp.org
Wow this is good
link to twitter.com
link to indyref2.scot
The Greens want to change Council tax to income tax. Change income tax? to a property, land tax. A land tax could put up the cost of housing, food and damage exports. Land is exempt from tax to keep farms together. Larger farms produce more. Not all farmers/landowners are wealthy. They are mortgaged to the Banks.
People know what the Council tax is when they get a house. People on low incomes get a rebate or do not pay it. It is approx £20 a week. Higher tiers are being put in place. People are more annoyed by Councils wasting money on non mandated grotesque projects against the majority wishes and the public interest. Willy Young’s Don crossing is late and over budget. The carbuncle is a waste of £Millions of public money. Leased back.
A progressive income tax is the fairest tax, without tax evasion (tax havens).
Fracked US gas is being imported to Grangemouth and fracked in England. There is no separate distribution system. There will be places in Scotland where it is safe to frack. Scotland is half empty.
SNP x 2
O/T links
link to touchstoneblog.org.uk
link to politics.co.uk
Drone footage -Postcards from Pripyat, Chernobyl
link to en.rfi.fr
@craig murray
It is a battle between who is totally irrelevant and who is utterly irrelevant
The Visionary Johann Lamont did forsee a Race to the Bottom…
“We are not genetically programmed in Scotland to make political decisions.”
Clearly the “We” that Johann Lamont were referring to was the Labour party.
Unfortunately there are still around 20% of the population that are programmed to vote for them.
Had to watch the reporters discussion after the Kezia interview again this morning, did they really laugh at the incompetence of the manifesto launch, where they flabbergasted at the incompetence of the decision to wait till yesterday to launch what was a uninspiring run of the mill piece of spin?
Oh yes they did. 🙂
HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES LABOUR YOU INCOMPETENT BUFFOONS,
As Bernhard said, the decline has been happening since 1999. Its not Kezia’s fault, though she hasn’t helped.
Brits being Brits, they could never allow an autonomous Labour party in Scotland (nor the ConservativeDems, nor the BBC nor STV etc), even Corbyn admits this. He is all for Irish freedom, but not Scotland a total hypocrite.
In short, Scotland is too politically different from the UK, the priorities are different, unionist’s are selling a shit product and defending a shit corrupt plutocratic British establishment, when Scotland wants a modern European styled democracy.
Picture the scene, there’s a knock on the back door, the father opens the door, “oh Da can I get my old bedroom back,” father with open arms “of course you can Kez of course your can.”
“Oh Da it was brutal oot there.”
Almannysbunnet says:
“Unfortunately there are still around 20% of the population that are programmed to vote for them.”
Yes, on one level I find it astonishing.
However, it does show the illogical way a large minority of the country make important choices. Clearly they don’t make them based on current events, information and facts.
I can only conclude its nostalgia, basically an out of date worldview. Then we do have to remember Labour had its fingers in very pie in Scotland not so long ago, so there is blind allegiance and those who feel they ‘owe’ Labour.
One in five of a nation does seem a lot of people willing to act irrationally and continue to back a party visibly in meltdown.
For her own sanity kez should resign next week !
Galamcennalath: “One in five of a nation does seem a lot of people willing to act irrationally”
55% voted against Scotland regaining its sovereignty, and they their full civic and civil rights restored.
Brothers, Sisters, Good morning.
Clearly the mode of production in Scotland is having a detrimental affect on our relations of production and all else.
All we can do is sit and watch, waiting for it to burst asunder.
Kezia is a paper tiger. The imperialist running dogs have abandoned traditional approaches to politics and are instead trying to divide us and foster apathy.
2 votes good, 1 vote bad.
Snp x 2
@Iain More says: 28 April, 2016 at 12:57 am:
” … How on earth did she ever get to be the leader of a political Party?”
The obvious answer, Iain, is by default. The truth is no one else in the London Labour in Scotland Branch Office was daft enough to put their name forward. Everyone else knew it was a request for ultimate execution.
Fracked US gas is being imported to Grangemouth and fracked in England. There is no separate distribution system.
Ken
Gas is just gas once it is extracted. It is the extraction process that is the issue. If the US and England want to poison their water table that is their choice. Fracking is a red line for a lot of people especially as the prime sites are all in populated areas. The SNP need to maintain their Green credentials, fracking off Portbello or under Bathgate will just not do.
Other than that SNP x2 🙂
Tam Jardine @ 12:04 am
Tam, you’d need a heart of stone not to burst out laughing.
@ Ken500, Scotland’s more than half empty, the empty bits are not where the gas is! Where do you suggest fracking is safe? it’s an environmental nightmare which is why the Scottish Government has imposed a moratorium on fracking.
Plenty of gas in Shetland!
Grouse Beater says:
“55% voted against Scotland regaining its sovereignty,”
Indeed, on the face of it, it is sometimes hard to understand. However, as we have all discussed endlessly, there is a long list of reasons why people voted NO.
At one end of the spectrum are those who genuinely don’t want Scotland to have sovereignty – they know exactly what they are doing.
Then those who believed promises. Also, those who were actually terrified by the fear mongering. And, a dozen other reasons.
We disagree with their decision, but we see why they made it and know what needs to be done to counter much if it next time.
However, Labour backing after all that has happened? Almannysbunnet said “programmed to vote” and that is about right. Blind and illogical. Almost a weird brand loyalty effect.
I wonder when Kezia will realise that she has been thrown overboard by the establishment. They have been backing the Tories to come second in Scotland since last autumn.
The previously compliant and supportive press and media that used to promote Labour in Scotland (to save the union)decided some time ago that Labour couldn’t save the union
So even if Ruth Davidson bases her political message on mounting farm animals and counts using Smarties she gets positive coverage while Kezia gets filleted. The unionist establishment media has been composing and writing Labour’s copy for so long that Labour actually can’t do it anymore.
The race to the bottom is real and our enemy is neither the entirely expendable Labour or the entirely expendable Tory in Scotland but the establishment media.
We now face the incredible prospect of a Tory result of about 19% of the vote being hailed as a great victory.
And Scotland v the Tories for the next referendum. Bring it on!
@HandandShrimp
Apart from the potential damage to the ground under residential areas that are ‘fracked’ (is that the actual description?) my greater concern is for the potential damage to the water tables in Scotland.
There are many of the fracking licenses that have been granted by the UK government which appear to have potential consequences to the water tables in areas which produce Whisky. How ANY government would risk contamination to these sources of water, and the consequent potential decimation of one of our most famous and popular products defies all logic.
I watch the SG closely on this issue, as I am sure do many others. This is not a sector that I want to see developing in Scotland. WE do not need it, we have adequate supplies of oil to enable us to invest and improve renewable technology, and any potential benefit with fracking is more than off-set by the devastating consequences if it goes wrong.
Rant over 😉
I think we need to look at our own character to explain that stubborn refusal to abandon Labour. We are a stubborn and loyal lot us Scots. When we give our allegiance to something, it isn’t done lightly and it takes something special before we overcome the inertia for change. Sadly for Labour, I think that’s precisely where they are. Their support has been defying gravity for so long that even the die hard supporters have trouble convincing themselves there’s any sense in it. How can people get behind something when there’s is no substance to put your weight behind?
What strikes me as newsworthy, (ha! Newsworthy in Scotland. No pun intended), is the extent to which the main Labour Party can’t even be bothered to help out their local hero Kez. Do they see her as a lost cause? Or is Labour’s grasp on Scotland so threadbare that the very lightest touch from UK Labour will scream of foreign interference? Perhaps they just know it won’t make any difference.
I’m not sorry about Labour. I wasn’t politically minded when Labour stood for anything, and as I’ve matured, I was always aware of something disingenuous about Labour. I have a major bee in my bonnet about local corruption, nepotism, and general skullduggery at Council HQ, and for me, despite the best efforts of certain individuals, those terms are almost synominous with Labour. Saddest of all, those improprieties are well bedded in now, and we will suffer them long after the Labour Party is defunct.
May the Tories merely reap what they sow, since that natural justice alone should be more than adequate to assure a few more decades in political obscurity for them.
Lib Dems and UKIP? Well, with enough lost deposits, they might eventually get the message too.
Scottish politics could be on the brink of something new; a power struggle between the three remaining dominant forces in Scotland. Westminster, with no Scottish mandate from the Scottish people, the Unionist press, with no political heavyweights left to lend credence to their shrill propaganda, and lastly, Scotland’s democratically elected government.
How can we lose? Pretty easily As it happens, since only one of those three still believes in democracy.
The Herald today does not go big on the Labour manifesto. No front-page screaming headline. Wee paragraph below the fold and the rest inside.
On-line Herald. You have to go to the Politics section to find an article about it and even then it is the same one they put up yesterday. It has about 50 comments but all made yesterday.
Looks like they are going through the motions nothing more as far as Labour are concerned.
I watched about half of the London by interview. Bernard does often look like he is just holding it together.
I can’t feel any sympathy for Dugdale. Yes, the talent pool is nothing more than a stain on the floor now, but lack of awareness, and arrogance, has made Kez jump for the brass ring. Why feel sorry when that ring disintegrates in her hands?
Her performances in Holyrood mark her as raised in the SLab tradition – attacking, snarling, wide of the mark, devoid of intelligent analysis.
Jog on, Kez. NEXT!
Imagine big Gordon will be getting warmed up for another intervention.
@galamcennalath says: 28 April, 2016 at 8:46 am:
” … One in five of a nation does seem a lot of people willing to act irrationally and continue to back a party visibly in meltdown.”
I met one in the Chapel Level Shopping area yesterday, galamcennalath. The lady was a year older than I and obviously disabled as she used a wheeled walking frame. She said she voted SNP last time but, “Didn’t like yon Nicola Sturgeon because she was just like the rest of them and out to line their own pockets”.
I pointed out to her that all elected SNP MSPs had refused to accept the last rise for MSPs and were donating it to charity. I asked her how she felt about paying for her prescriptions, Home Care and the increased Council Tax she would be charged after the Council Tax Freeze Ended.
She actually looked shocked at the prospect and I realised she had no idea that the Unionist parties had all opposed those SNP instigated policies.
Then I pointed out that the media in Scotland were lying to her. The constant media put down of the, (Independent), Scottish NHS, independent Scottish Police Force and independent Scottish Education System was an anti-Scottish campaign of lies. In fact the SNHS, Scottish Police and Scottish Education services were significantly statistically superior to their equivalent services in all other areas of the United Kingdom.
In the end I said, “I suspect, young lady, (nothing like a bit of flattery for political advantage), that you are a Daily Record Reader”.
She looked nonplussed and said, “How did you know that”? I could do nothing else but burst out laughing.
I explained the media are all owned by UK rich folks or the UK establishment. I took her name and address to send her a copy of The Wee Black Book I will print out and post to her. I’m about to go out this morning to the Post Office Counter to draw my State Pension.
That is the reason there are so many Scots still voting Labour. They have no clear idea of the actual state of Scottish Politics. It is a bit like Dyslexia, “Word Blindness”. There is, of course a Numbers Blindness, “Dyscalculia”, too. It seems there is a Political blindness too and it affects a fairly large section of the Scottish population.
It cannot be as large as 20%. Some of those remaining Labour voters will actually be elected Labour Councillors, MSPs or MPs. Not forgetting their friends, families and assorted Hingers Oan. Which last category includes assorted die hard left wing Trade Unionists.
The unionist elite via the media will delegate the task of protecting the Union to their agents as appropriate e.g. Bigots in N/Ireland , Labour in Scotland. Etc The media will either champion the selected Union patsy or fail to report any failings that could negatively effect them.
Labour is no longer a safe pair of hands in Scotland to defend the union, the LibDems are finished. The only option now is for them to rally around the “tank commander” who will attract the bigots who see the union in the same light as their N/Ireland counterparts. To this group add the Red Tories of the Blair era and finish the mix with the Blue Tory pensioners driven by self interest.
The unionist vote is a last ditch effort to save their union. A rearguard of internal division built over years. Religious bigots, self interest and greed coupled with decades of conditioning by the MSM. (Often via wars or celebrating previous wars.)
The too wee, too poor and too stupid indoctrination has weakened so the last battle will be led by the Tories. Better Together MK11. It will not end until Ruth shoots herself in Johann Lamont’s bunker and hands control to Gordon Brown and his secret weapons that will save the Reich…sorry UK…got carried away there.
Finish them off by voting SNP X 2. Make sure you vote and don’t assume that the living dead won’t muster their zombie army to delay a better future.
David said:
28 April, 2016 at 9:50 am
“Imagine big Gordon will be getting warmed up for another intervention.”
David, I think even Gordon has now realised, the general public has stopped listening-to and being scared into voting Labour by Gordon.
O/T Not paranoid enough yet?
RT has the “Snowden” Trailer. The film comes out in September. But will it be shown in the UK? Probably less toxic than Outlander to the Establishment.
link to on.rt.com
Unionist Scots for me are like children brought up in poverty, they know nothing different and think it’s the norm but the more the SNP build Scotland (not re-build) the more I hope no voters will realise this is not the norm.
I still can’t get me head around the fact that if all us Scots stayed at home on GE night it would make no difference to the result, there is no democracy in this Union for Scotland, very plain and simple to understand I think and the main reason for independence.
Call for impartial scrutiny in some papers this morning online
The SNP too big, too powerful and to clever by half!
In addition can we please have the speaker cause it’s our turn and we’ve never had that job yet.
We could park Lamont there or maybe Jackie even…anyhoo it’s not fair init…init?
They don’t like do they…do they!
There is one member of my family, 10 years younger than me, who always votes Labour and will always be NO in an Indy ref.
She didn’t remember who led the Labour Party in Scotland, when asked. She doesn’t even care, but she will always vote Labour because she doesn’t know any better and doesn’t want to.
There is no point in trying to convert her, in fact she gets aggressive when anyone mentions politics.
She calls Nicola, “Sturgeonater” to annoy.
The people, I think who will vote for Kezia, are a bit like this. Frightened of change.
Folks these nasty misguided SNP 1 Green 2 folk are massing over on Newsnet.scot…….
Could do with some back up to push the SNP 1 &2 message
I have no sympathy for Kezia Dugdale, I think her ego allowed her to be promoted to a job which is to all intents and purposes is currently beyond her capabilities.
It was the same with Gordon Brown – I never rated him as an MP or as a chancellor – who thought he was prime ministerial material and look at the disaster that turned out to be for the UK when he became prime minister.
Dave McEwan Hill says:
“… thrown overboard by the establishment. They have been backing the Tories to come second in Scotland since last autumn.”
There has certainly been a shift, a realisation on their part that Labour aren’t effectively doing their job in Scotland, which is to protect the Union. Davidson is being talked up in a way no Tory has been for decades.
Still, I think support for Labour is so ingrained in the colonial media (particularly the BBC) that they are finding the switch difficult. They still so often give Labour back door election broadcasts and addresses!
The mixed messages about which colour of Unionist Tory to back will prove less effective,
Also Davidson has been trying so hard to play down the true WM toxicity of her party. They can’t hid that indefinitely.
It all bodes badly for the multi coloured Tory Unionists, hopefully.
This morning I did something I said I would never do again – I went onto Mail online.
Mainly, I wanted to see their take on the SLAB manifesto launch. I couldn’t find it, but, I did see lots of featured stories on people (so-called “personalities”) I had never heard of.
I did notice, in one story, that a new super-yacht was built of “steal” (sic), and I saw in another photograph, HRH the Duchess of Cornwall being greeted by: “A unifrom-clad veteran”, actually Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of wherever Camilla was, in full uniform.
If the Daily Mail cannot get the basics correct, I don’t think we should be too concerned at its blatantly anti-Scottish stance and propaganda. It is another dying rag.
Clothe …..brilliant post, keep em coming
I was having a chat with an interesting and interested young fella this morning. He was asking in or out of the EU and pointed out the sudden lack of immigrant stories , they had been so prevalent and now they were quietly vanishing from the media.
His point was that an overplayed mouthpiece was now biting the bum of the Remain bunch and its cohorts and the moneyed brigade were getting jumpy.
He reckons those heart breaking pictures and articles will vanish altogether in the run up to the referendum as in
” immigration problem ? what immigration problem? ” having bellowed warnings of the direst for so long.
I will keep an eye on that.
I wonder if Gordon Brown is going to intervene again for the first time. Or is he just happy to be earning loadsa money like a true Labour gentleman?
@Flower of Scotland
Sounds like a severe case of Cognitive Dissonance,
I think most of the remaining supporters of the Labour Party in Scotland are suffering from the disease of Cognitive Dissonance,
basically faith over fact or the ability of the mind to shut of facts that contradict a deep held belief,
it is a safety valve in the mind to stop people realising that they have wasted their life in a wrong belief and the negative effects that could cause their emotions.
@Nana
Thanks again for the links
labour manifesto taken off-line to be fixed , as pointed out here early on…dearie me!
OK where is Jackie Baille and Anas Sarwar or even er hem… that guy frae Fife … aye Rowley.
Is there to be no kind words for the ‘whipping girl’. She’s had enough surely.
PS:
Will a Scots Tory revival ignite with a symbolic victory in affluent Eastwood?
link to archive.is
Well we all agree Slab is a busted flush, so let us concentrate on the Tories. “The Ruth Davidson Party” and it’s Westminster masters.
Their record gives us soo much ammunition against them, but so little from the EGC and Bum media is heard.
We need now to take up the cause against the Union, the Tories supply all we need to sicken them.
They are in the firing line now, let all the Indy blogs now turn on them. Oh, and let us not be nice about it.
This morning I did something I said I would never do again – I went onto Mail online.
Its even worse in rancid The Graun world today, 10 minute vid of SNP bad, one party state, Johan Lamont’s what’s a penny on your taxes you greedy so and so’s, and same old massive vote RISE boosts.
They use Channel 4 news style vids of ugly Glasgow shots, that empty for years but waiting preservation art deco cinema in Govan and this south side closed and for sale hospital too. Its closed because the new Southern General took over and rancid Graun gits dont video that, shock
link to en.wikipedia.org
Attack propaganda UKOK style, gets creepier all the time.
OOPS, EBC in last post, typo.
Hugh Barclay says:
28 April, 2016 at 10:13 am
I still can’t get me head around the fact that if all us Scots stayed at home on GE night it would make no difference to the result, there is no democracy in this Union for Scotland, very plain and simple to understand I think and the main reason for independence.
Ruby replies
The same applies to the EU referendum.
link to archive.is
Reading this story lead me to thinking about BBC Arabic and BBC Persia.
‘Amri, 36, said: “When I was a child, BBC Arabic was the only radio station talking about democracy and freedom. I lived in a very strict religious family where everything was forbidden but I bought a radio and I would hide it under my pillow and listen at night. The UK was my dream’
BBC Persian Television
The annual budget of £15 million is funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office,but as with the BBC World Service which is also funded by the FCO, the BBC remains editorially independent,though some Iranian media have accused the British Government of using the service as a propaganda tool. The Iranian government issued a statement denouncing the new service as ‘suspicious and illegal’, and ‘working against the interests of the Islamic Republic’. On 1 April 2014, all World Service funding transfers to the Licence Fee model, which is paid for by all UK residents who watch television as it is broadcast.
BBC Arabic Television
In 1994, BBC Arabic Television was launched by Rome-based Orbit Communications Company (owned by King Fahd’s cousin, Prince Khalid ibn Abdullah) and a subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian Mawarid Holding. On 21 April 1996, it was “pulled off the air”[1] following an episode of Panorama that was critical of the Saudi Arabian government. Ian Richardson, who set up the news department during that time blamed the short life of the channel on a clash with the owners over content.
During the short life of BBC Arabic Television, there were several angry ‘liaison meetings’ with Orbit and the guarantees of editorial independence proved to be a sour joke, only barely obscured by a thin smokescreen about the BBC’s alleged failure to observe “cultural sensitivities” – Saudi code for anything not to the Royal Family’s liking. When it became clear to Orbit and Mawarid that it had, in their terms, created a monster not prepared to toe the Saudi line, it was only a matter of time before there would be a final parting of the ways.[2]
Many of the staff who worked for the original BBC Arabic Television service went on to work for Al Jazeera television, now one of BBC Arabic Television’s main competitors.
Plans to relaunch the channel were announced in October 2005 and broadcasting was to start in Autumn 2007, but was delayed until 0956 GMT on 11 March 2008.
@Flower of Scotland
Celebrate the Sturgeonator! Use it myself, actually. Pace my post earlier to destroy the enemy you need some kind of ator.
What I’m really waiting for is the Tories. Get Dugdale and co. oot the road and then we can get really started.
Ms. Davidson, be careful what you wish for. Your desire to introduce Westminster policies up here is beautiful. When the dogs of war on here are let loose, and the Dug starts nipping at your heels, you’ll be heading for England a la Rifkind quicker than we can say cheerio.
You’re not going to save the Union. You’re not going to be scrutinising anything. You are the one who’ll be under scrutiny and it won’t be nice. You lot have been destroyed once and you will be destroyed again.
Re the Slab voters mindset, a wee anecdote. There are two ladies I know, elderly mother and daughter sort of late 40’s early 50’s. Both great fans of Nicola Sturgeon and voted yes, and SNP. They stay in the Glasgow area. Talking to one of the neighbours, who asked the two ladies how they were going to vote (GE).” Oh they said, we’re voting for Nicola”. The neighbour then proceded to tell them “that she wiz votin Labour, cause I’m no a ("Tractor" - Ed) tae ma faemly and my grandparents, no like you two, ye should be ashamed o’ yersels.”
That seems to be the mindset of some of the 20% SLAB voters, and I’m afraid that the devil oot o’ hell, widnae make them change their minds. We just have to leave these folk to their own devices. It’s a waste of breath even trying to talk to them
Lots of outstanding posts today, folks (particularly Breeks, Clootie, Ruby, Kath & Marie). Keep ’em coming.
SNP BOTH VOTES
“In 2011 the CBA published the report Brave New World Service, which considered the future of the World Service, highlighting some challenges but also the opportunities these changes could present for the service.
CBA Secretary-General Sally-Ann Wilson, who commissioned the report, said: “Then, as now, we maintain that the World Service has never been more relevant or needed – for audiences around the world with no other source of honest news, and for the UK public, who could benefit from the service’s expertise – having a news service with better quality international coverage that more accurately reflects the nature of our globalised world.”
If UK BBC licence payers are paying for the BBC to broadcast around the world telling everyone how marvellous, free democratic & absolutely spiffing the UK is then it seems unfair to complain about immigrants queueing up at the UK Border in France wanting to come and live in this ‘amazing’ country.
I rather wonder if the penny has dropped yet with the Labour legions which have dominated areas of the Scottish media (particularly the BBC)for decades. They may have imagined they were supporting a progressive political agenda for change and they may have had a decades long loyalty to the Labour Party and their connections to it.
But now they’ve to punt Ruthie.
Do they now know they were being used to save the union and nothing else? BBC had the Labour manifesto launch as LAST item on the Scottish Brit news and it was item six or seven on BBC Scotland ceefax.
What are they thinking today?
What is The News Where They Are?
Marie,
The 20% that is left that will vote labour will consist of the die hard unionists, the elderly, and the misinformed. They can only go down from here as the old folk die off. They may be replaced by the young of the die hard unionists, but they in turn may be trying to plug a leaking dam with a finger as the more hardline unionists amongst them, (the ones with no furniture or food in the cupboards, but have £thousands in Royal memorabilia) switch to the tories. I predict 15% in 2021 for Labour and that is where they will stay. Maybe then, they will back Independence, even if it’s for self preservation?
Maybe then, they will adopt a new anthem for Scottish Labour. “The Self Preservation Society”.
Stephen.
@ Marie
“The neighbour then proceded to tell them “that she wiz votin Labour, cause I’m no a (“Tractor” – Ed) tae ma faemly and my grandparents, no like you two, ye should be ashamed o’ yersels.”
This is an offshoot of the “they fought for us in the war – we cannae betray them now” argument. It’s a dumb argument. Those who fought and ied for us in war did so to PROTECT our liberties; to PROTECT our absolute right to change our mind and vote for who WE wanted, not what those who layed down their lives for us wanted–they wanted us to have freedom and freedom means having the right to vote for who you want.I personally do not think we honour their memory by using our freedom to back a party that has held our counry back for generations. And I think many of those who fought and died for us would probably say that too.
Can anyone imagine the UK Government allowing something similar to the BBC World Service to be broadcast in the UK.
How long would they be allowed to broadcast if they were critical of the Queen/the UK Gov/the UK media etc or if horrors of horror they showed Outlander.
@clydebuilt
This from a posting on newsnet sums up the tactical voting argument: “personally I am content with any worst case scenario of a SNP1/Greens2 vote if that were to transpire, though I anticipate a more positive outcome.”
How many of the tactical voters are “content with any worst case scenario of a SNP1/Greens2 vote“? I’m certainly not, it could kill Indy for ever.
Very very busy so just in to do that post + newsnet, back when I’m quiet!
@ Dave McEwan Hill : yes bring on the Tories as our opposition at Holyrood. A result Labour will never recover from and an opposition that will not be listened to. A double whammy.
“My name’s Kezia and when I’m the leader me and my party are going to have a really big party and we’re going to bring all the dolphins and flamingoes and pretty animals and birds and unicorns to my house and we’re going to save them and everything in the world is going to be nice and we’re going to give all the orphans in the world a cake and I’m going to blow bubbles all over the world and I’m going to give the orphans a bouncy castle and then I’m going to……….”
TNS poll
Scottish voter intention for EU referendum:
Remain 48%
Leave 21%
Don’t know 31%
…. a lot of DKs. I suspect turnout will be low-ish and DKs perhaps just won’t bother.
Greannach
Brilliant! What about ‘My name is Ruth’
What will she be doing with the animals, the bubbles, the cake, the orphans & the bouncy castle?
Thought I would have a wee look at labour’s online manifesto to see if I could find any typos. Didn’t have to look far. Found this in the “Education” section (how appropriate):
{fesproviding an average of £100,000 to every secondary school.>
By the time you read this, someone will no doubt have attempted to correct it, so I’ve archived it.
link to archive.is
You are all making a big mistake if you think Kezia and Labour are obstacles to an SNP majority.
The second vote issue is also exhausted — anyone who wants an SNP majority and splits their votes is simply an irrational gambler. The debate has played out though, it’s over, and if they still intend to do that then we’re not likely to convince them now.
The big enemy for the SNP now is turnout. A low turnout will hurt the SNP more than any other party.
Time to start helping with arrangements at constituency level and make sure our people get out to vote.
Before anyone asks, yes, I’ll be doing my chauffeur where I live and I would urge everyone who can do likewise to offer their services.
Ruby says:
“What will she be doing with the animals, the bubbles, the cake, the orphans & the bouncy castle?”
Follow the example of HQ and live up to their name of the Nasty Party.
Of course that’s not want she says.
Ruth is autonomous ruler of the Scottish see no evil, hear no evil, and definitely speak no evil, Ruth No Indy Davidson Party.
galamcennalath
There hasn’t been enough ‘propaganda’ as yet to help the ‘don’t knows’ to make up their mind.
It’s a tricky one for hardcore Scottish Unionists who believe voting to remain will lead to IndyRef2.
I must admit I can’t be bothered taking too much time to think about the pros & cons of EU membership the thought of the Ruth Davidson Tories making decisions about our human rights is enough for me to vote to remain.
When there is an EU Ref in iScotland I will take more time to consider it.
@galamcennalath
Now considering how tight the EU vote is in England, watch out for fireworks if its Scotland’s vote that scuppers a Brexit.
Ruby said:
28 April, 2016 at 12:13 pm
Greannach
Brilliant! What about ‘My name is Ruth’
What will she be doing with the animals, the bubbles, the cake, the orphans & the bouncy castle?
Ruby, Ruth’s a Tory: She will shoot the animals, the bubbles will be in the champagne with which she will salute the success of said shoot. She will, naturally, eat the cake to which she is entitled, orphans – we support through our private schools’ charity status, provided, of course they are the right sort of orphans, and, castles don’t bounce – they fall down, unless we can persuade some body to preserve them for those of us who own them to live therein.
Off topic, but no doubt of interest.
The ‘Justice for Willie McRae’ campaign has taken on a retired DCI formerly of Police Scotland to conduct an inquiry on its behalf: “Along with a former colleague (also retired) he has already started interviewing existing witnesses and identifying new ones.”
link to justiceforwillie.com
NeoconNat says:
28 April, 2016 at 12:19 pm
You are all making a big mistake
Ruby replies
FGS Another finger wagging lecture from the NeoConnard!
Is anyone listening?
Ruby @ 12:13 pm
“My name’s Ruth and I’m the leader of the Ruth Party and when I’m the leader of the northern territories too I’m going to move that silly so-called parliament in Edinburgh or whatever it’s called to the Crieff Hydro where we can invite the WRI to come and show how to make tasteful doilies and I’m going to make all the unemployed layabouts dress like Murdo Fraser and I’m going to hold our party conference in the Falkland Islands and I’m going to have a statue of Michael Forsyth or Alistair Darling erected in Nitshill or some other horrible place where horrible people live then I’m going to sign up for the army and go and fight in Libya. Or maybe not.”
Socrates MacSporran
Totally brilliant!
Sums her up perfectly!
“My name’s Willie. That’s it, really.”
Ruby says:
“It’s a tricky one for hardcore Scottish Unionists who believe voting to remain will lead to IndyRef2.”
That’s a good point. I did see one recent poll dataset (I wish I would remember to bookmark these things) which showed that voters of every party in Scotland were Remain, even Tories.
Once Holyrood election is over and Scots concentrate more on the EU, Tories are the ones who have the most soul searching to do because they are invariably the least Indy.
Cameron is master of Unintended Consequencies. When he called this EURef, I doubt if he even considered Scotland and his Union. It would nice to think it all came back to bite him big time.
Macart says:
“Now considering how tight the EU vote is in England, watch out for fireworks if its Scotland’s vote that scuppers a Brexit.”
… that might actually be the best outcome.
bugsbunny & Proud Cybernat, aye I think you’re both right. That attitude and the folk that maintain it will die out.
I’m in my late sixties now, and my late father fought in WW2. Both he and my mother always voted labour, both were active in their respective trade union. SNP were always ” just tartan tories”. But I know that both of them would be appalled at the state of SLAB now, and I reckon both of them would vote SNP, They were actually both kind f in favour of independence. I think the whirring noise that I hear at times, is the pair o’ them birlin in their graves.
Anyway, my oldest grandaughter,16, is rarin to go next Thursday. She’s lookin furrit tae going to the polling station with granny to cast her first vote. So that’ll be another two for SNP. The wee yin was mad as fire that she couldnae vote in the referendum, and she cried on the 19th September when the referendum was lost.
I have great hope for our future generation, independence will definiteley come, I just hope I’m still around tae see it.
As for Ruthie forming the opposition, well it is Scotland v Tories then. Take no prisoners and no holds barred. Anas Sarwar as SLAB leader as well, my cup runeth over.
New tns poll, looks like greens taking some regional votes but still looking good any perceived decline around margin of error.
link to tns-bmrb.co.uk
@galamcennalath
With what I have read recently, I’m pretty sure that the only time Scotland crosses Cameron’s mind, is when he thinks about Trident.
He had to deliver the EU referendum, and I think regardless of outcome, he will leave, and happy to do so. He would be leaving with a relatively clean slate, and not lost Scotland on his watch, because he knows it’s coming.
It’s fighting to remain in EU, because it’s best for his business contact list.
Just as Sarwar is busy at the whet stone, so is Bojo.
looks like full scale war UK labour party
Ruby whimpers: “Is anyone listening?”
One of several voices in Ruby’s deluded mind replies:
“No.”
graeme says:
28 April, 2016 at 1:29 am
Just watched the Ponsonby interview with Dugdale. That’s one of the worst performances I’ve ever seen from a politician.
Just watched it. Indeed, it was truly awful.
Kez, yer way out of yer depth, Hen. 🙁
Labour’s North British Branch Office
Act I – Ultimate Car Crash Interview
Ponsonby, “Today’s exclusive STV poll suggests you are going to come third, you are the most unpopular of the mainstream party leaders in Scotland & that Labour could be heading for its worst performance since 1910.”
Dugdale, “Et tu, Bernard?”
— Finis —
Labour in meltdown with Ken Livingstone suspended.
At last Marie Rimmer MP faces trial in Glasgow to-morrow over assault charge on Yes supporter but has not been suspended by Labour.
That is another Labour member suspended – Ken Livingstone this time
Sinky says:
“At last Marie Rimmer MP faces trial in Glasgow to-morrow over assault charge on Yes supporter but has not been suspended by Labour.”
A quick google confirms this, but also how little coverage there is anywhere in the media.
Imagine how the colonial media would be behaving if it was an SNP MP who had assaulted a No supporter.
Some posters remarking on the curious mindset of the diehard Slab voter. A slightly warped variation of the bluenoise/orange/monarchist Tory type, except kicking with the other foot. Old Labour always insinuated itself with the, mainly urban, Catholic community, so that a strong identity developed along the lines of Catholicism/Celtic/Labour (not always in that order).
There was a time when Labour liked to peddle the idea that the SNP was a mainly a pro-Protestant party. Meanwhile on the other side of the divide there was the phrase, ‘home rule means Rome rule’. Who needs a socialist manifesto when you can rely on a surreptitious nod and wink?
Needless to say, we have this glorious Union to thank for creating such divisive ploys.
Macart says:
@galamcennalath
Now considering how tight the EU vote is in England, watch out for fireworks if its Scotland’s vote that scuppers a Brexit.
Although I want Independence it would be great if its Scotland’s vote that narrowly holds the UK in the EU.
It would drive all the right people apoplectic.
Re. this antisemitism suspension pish. Ken Livingston desperately pleading that he has not hear an antisemitic coment within Labour, for 47 years.
Yeah Ken, antisemitic ‘socialists’ only formed the fucking Labour party and were instrumental in the creation of Israel, you prick. Has Zionism solved the ‘Jewish Problem’? Is Zionism itself antisemitic?
@ The Fabian Society
Why an Israeli state but no Scottish state?
@Anagach
Its a tough call… 🙂
How and ever on current polling its not outwith the bounds of possibility as a scenario. Spookily we may be about to become even more unpopular with the Mail and its followers.
I didn’t think that was possible. 😮
Kezia is keen to convey that her party is so very democratic, however in respect to a second Indy referendum it would appear democracy Kezia style is confined to her party only and not extended to the democratic rights of Scots who do want to have a second Indy Ref in their lifetime.
Kezia is keen to promote the lie that Scots want to move on to deflect attention away from Labour’s misguided major participation in the infamous BT campaign where Labour played a prominent role as the doomsday messengers.
Labour are a party resigned to promoting a collective denial of their true position in Scottish politics and STILL they continue to proceed on the self destructive path.Allowing has been’s like Sarwar back into the political arena when he was rightly rejected by the electorate last year as an MP…beggars political belief.
There are too many issues as to why Labour are dead in Scotland and if Corbyn is still leader of WM Labour in 2020 then they will dead in England too come the next GE.
Unbelievable to think possibility of Tories being main opposition to SNP in Scottish parliament however if so then they will be easy targets for SNP Government considering the disgraceful and despicable policies of WM Tory Government.( Ruth D thinks she will hold SNP to account…me thinks the opposite, this could be fantastic opportunity to hold real villains to account considering her HQ party’s record at WM …bring it on ).
Seems the Red Flag is no longer flying for Labour party it’s now more like a Red Rag to a bull when Labour party mentioned in Scotland.And Ruth D thinks British bulldog mentality will save the day….another delusional yoon politician oblivious to reality of where Scotland really is politically).
Both votes SNP
Kez just watched for THIRD time and intend to watch again and again and again grill just F’ing grill
O/T. North East Fife.
Just got the parties leaflets crammed through my letterbox. So I thought I would peruse them all to see what was what.
UKIP – Main message was to shake up Holyrood. Leaflet printed in Stockport so good support for the Scottish economy. 10 policy bullet points. the one that caught my eye was ” to oppose inefficient wind turbines”. Overall no detail or who candidates are.
Labour – Main message was Both votes Labour. Leaflet printed in Cardiff. nuff said. Policy points Choose kids not Cuts and Labours plan for Fife. One that caught my eye ” ban fracking…unlike the SNP” overall no detail or who the candidates are.
Lib Dems – Main message Re-elect Willie Rennie. Overall this is all about getting other parties to keep out the SNP. Lots of newspaper cuttings either saying SNP bad or Willie Rennie good. Policy points £500 mill extra for education.support for GPs and mental health.Defending our local police. Printed in Livingstone..fair do’s
SNP – Main message , Stronger for Scotland. Leaflet printed in Dundee. Main messages – SNP successes in Government and local successes by Roddy Campbell in Fife. Professional 2 page doc with full range of policies across the board.
Now I am biased…I will be voting SNPx2 but if I was a floating voter, the only one that says ” we have done a good job” is the SNP. Lib Dems is a negative anti SNP promo and UKIP and Labour have no substance at all. …… Oh and the Tories? Not seen a thing. I’ll have to rely on Reporting Northland to tell me how awesome Ruthie is.
CameronB Brodie says:
28 April, 2016 at 2:11 pm
Is Zionism itself antisemitic?
That’s a very good question. Zionism is strongly promoted by the elites, and many ordinary jews simply do not support it. So why is it that people who speak out against Zionism are deliberately accused of being anti-semitic by the “PC” media? Another convenient confusion, perhaps.
Livingstone suspension a victory for Blairites as he was to lead the defence review for Labour,including Trident decision.
Anent the Slab luvvies at Pacific Quay, they prostituted any principles they had long ago, bought & sold but backed the wrong horse.
re Livingstone issue.
Labour lets the tories off the hook re Hillsborough
re Blue Tories being second. I don’t actually think that will happen. I think UKIP will actually take enough votes from on the List to stop that. I think the Red Tories will be second. I hope I am wrong about that because I think the Sturgeon would have a field day against the Buffalo Rider as opposed to the more slippery Anas. Kez is toast even if SLAB holds on for second.
re Red Ken
I have a conspiracy theory about the Livingstone row. I think that is more about the Brit Establishment trying to hide the vicious infighting that is happening in the Tories over the EU. The Brit Nat Brainwashing Corp has gone for Livingston with both barrels blazing. Oh and to cover up the abhorrent Brit Tory brutality of the child refugee vote. I didn’t see anything on the BBC about that today but I might have missed it.
George Galloway –SNP Nazis
link to huffingtonpost.co.uk
@Luigi says: 28 April, 2016 at 2:51 pm:
” … So why is it that people who speak out against Zionism are deliberately accused of being anti-semitic by the “PC” media? Another convenient confusion, perhaps.”</I?
Indeed so. There is a great deal of difference between anti-Semitic comment and anti-Israel comment. It is a bit like saying it is anti-Christian to be anti-Irish Republic. One is religion and the other political.
The Jewish matter seems not to differentiate between religion, nationality and politics.
Another open goal missed by Labour. A big opportunity to nail the WM tories big time and what happens? Labour in-fightng breaks out again! Another war of words, a big name suspension and a shotgun blast to the toes. Media have a field day. A wonderful distraction. David Cameron will be ever so grateful. With enemies like Labour, who needs friends?
Indeed Robert. IMHO, Judaism is more correctly defined a religion or culture, rather than a nationality.
Here’s what Trotsky had to say on the ‘Jewish Question’. Perhaps not such a bad lad after all, if perhaps a tad naive and Utopian. 😉
link to marxists.org
P.S. Anyone know if Jim ‘Fundilymundily’ Murphy, is still up to his baws in Labour Friends of Israel?
@Luigi says: 28 April, 2016 at 3:41 pm:
“Another open goal missed by Labour. A big opportunity to nail the WM tories big time and what happens?”
All that does, Luigi, is prove the point that claimed differences between any of the Westminster Establishment parties is no more than smoke and mirrors.
All Unionist Parties are but different names for, “The Establishment”. They may seem to fight each other as parties but in fact will close ranks to defend, “The Establishment”, against all comers they collectively perceive to be incomers.
That, “Establishment”, is the elite that has ruled South Britain since ever there has been a recorded British History. It has been recorded as such from around 50 years before the birth of Jesus Christ.
CameronB Brodie says:
28 April, 2016 at 3:43 pm
Indeed Robert. IMHO, Judaism is more correctly defined a religion or culture, rather than a nationality.
Ultimately its begging questions like why tory BBC led UKOK media are going mental on Livingston and Lab, with Israel?
And, is WoS the forum to take sides?
Eyes on the prize people, eyes on the prize:D
heedtracker
Indeed. Eyes on the prize. I just thought I should point out that Labour’s ‘socialism’ has always been a mirage.
@NiallD
Re. the labour leaflet.
Not a word of the Labour’s tax rise for low-mid earners.
How sneaky is this wording ?
“Under Labour’s plan those on low incomes wouldn’t pay a penny more in tax than they do now, but the richest earning over £150,000 will be asked to pay a little more. Under the SNP’s plan it’s the richest who won’t pay a penny more – while the rest of us will pay the price in deeper cuts”
Labour’s definition of ‘low earners’ seems to comprise only those who pay no tax, and under the SNP plans everyone earning over £45,000 will be paying around £300 more from not increasing the tax band.
That’s another nice trick from Labour recently.
Never mention “raise taxes on low to mid earners”
Always say “use the new powers”
I was about to give you a link to a very interesting statement from Jewish Socialists, but there’s a very untimely 509 Bandwidth error on the site, and some spooky x-files music perhaps.
Anyway check out Jewish Socialist (dot org dot uk) later, for their Statement on Labour’s Problem with Antisemitism. Well worth a read.
Hamish100 says:
28 April, 2016 at 3:12 pm
re Livingstone issue.
“Labour lets the tories off the hook re Hillsborough”.
Tony Blair also refused to have an investigation into Hillsborough and Andy Burnham was booed at Annfield when he spoke at memorial day.
In a dishonest Union, that is politically unequal, the corrupted Westminster/London Elite wish this arrangement to continue, as they are the main beneficiaries of it and will use anybody and any means necessary to maintain it.
On the basis that everyone understands/recognises this political inequality of UKOK, what are the motivations of the pro-unionists parties and their branch managers? What gets them out of bed in the morning to defend this corrupted inequality?
They could point out that historically, their party was of great benefit to everyone in UK, they did good things, could arguably highlight some examples like the great wars, the NHS etc. and this is their motivation.
This was at the peak of their powers, back in the day, they have been credited many times for this, today, they are no longer fit for purpose, ever increasing scrutiny has revealed their sustained, systematic ,abuse of power, that’s led to a huge fall in values, attitudes, moral standards and trust.
The people of Scotland witnessing all of this, have by the simple process of joined up thinking, decided nae mair, and rejected them, not as an angry lynch mob, as some would portray, but by democratic process.
I cannot remember one ‘given moment’ when this happened, maybe there wasn’t one, more of an accumulated fall of acceptable standards/behaviours and the loss of Westminster’s moral fabric.
(Thatcher,Saville,Dunblane,Iraq,Blair,Brown,Bankers,MP,s Expenses,McCrone,…..).
Westminster is a parliament, where there is no political equality for the members of the Union, the three smaller members are dictated to, by the largest member, led by a tainted undemocratic mob, of the ‘private members only club’, variety.
Scotland’s people, recognising this political inequality, the injustice in this, decided, nae mair, and began the call for equality, demanding to be heard and the call for more democracy.
These pro-unionist branch managers know this, happy to go back in time to recall things that are positive for them, then refusing to acknowledge the negative things, the selective memory syndrome, ‘it was before my time’, ‘I don’t remember’, they are all full of it, some a wee bit more sleekit than others, but all cut from the same cloth, but what really motivates them, is pure and simple….self interest.
I do not take any pleasure in Labours misfortunes, (for me they turned blue and started shitting all over the carpet, long ago), IMHO their interest, is not, in the best interest of Scotland. They are acting under instruction from London, to prevent/delay Independence, for their own self interest and in the best interest of the corrupt London Elite…..so, see ya wouldn’t want to be ya.
SNP x 2 Eu in
IndyRef2
Testing: New laptop. Nothing effing works.
@CameronB Brodie says: 28 April, 2016 at 3:43 pm:
“Indeed Robert. IMHO, Judaism is more correctly defined a religion or culture, rather than a nationality.”
I have long held that to be so. However I do see a parallel with the Worldwide Scottish diaspora. Many of these would have us believe they have the right to vote in such matters as Scottish referenda. I think not.
It is one thing to live in a foreign country as a foreigner and quite another to live in that foreign country as a national of that country. Yet some would wish to claim the right to also still belong to the country of your birth.
My entire immediate family, excepting my own wife and children, emigrated to Australia in 1962. That is my parents, my married sister, her husband and their brood.
None of them has ever returned to Scotland and none of them has ever attempted to claim votes or any other than cultural allegiance to Scotland. Indeed mother and father are now dead and part of Australian soil.
I have no doubt, though, they all still thought themselves as Australians of Scottish extraction rather than Scots in Australia.
CameronB Brodie says:
28 April, 2016 at 4:00 pm
heedtracker
Look at how tory press in Scotland are so completely crackers, they use a football disaster in Sheffield to attack a Scottish politics blogger 30 years later.
BBC sell themselves world wide as being everything we know they are nothing of the sort but its not world infamous British “gutter press” for nowt.
heedtracker
I still agree with you. Eyes on the prize. I just thought it would be more accurate to suggest British Labour’s ‘socialism’ has always been of the British Nationalist verity. One people, one nation, one leader sort of thing. 😉
@CameronB Brodie says: 28 April, 2016 at 4:00 pm:
“Indeed. Eyes on the prize. I just thought I should point out that Labour’s ‘socialism’ has always been a mirage.”
Aye! Cameron B, and it began that mirage with Kier Hardie himself and that even before he helped to bring the Labour Party of today into existence.
heraldnomore
Thanks for the tip. Works for me.
link to jewishsocialist.org.uk
Sorry Heed. 😉
on twitter, lol
Politics Punked ?@PoliticsPunked
Ken Livingstone’s day has become a bit like The Shawshank Redemption, except with more tunnelling through shit and no redemption at the end.
“My name’s Gordon. I’ve got a moral compass, a swivel-chin and lots of bank accounts.”
Today Wullie Rennie was on a quad bike…
link to caltonjock.com
“Today Wullie Rennie was on a quad bike.”
Did it have stabilisers?
@ Onwards 4.13pm
Absolutely agree. No mention of what a low income is. Disingenuous is a word that springs to mind.
Even then it was not as bad as Wee Wullies disgraceful piece of propaganda. I wonder how long it took to find those newspaper clippings?
Conan the Librarian™ says:
28 April, 2016 at 4:39 pm
Testing: New laptop. Nothing effing works.
That cheered me up!
Good Luck – we are all watching!
@Proud Cybernat –
It did, but they were no use in the end – he rode too close to Ruth Davidson and she mounted him.
I spent a brief period working in Israel.
I found decent Israelis and Palestinians and I found erseholes from both communities.
So its quite simple for me, good people and not good people.
Is that overly simplistic?
Does this have anything to do with Scotland’s Independence?
@ Ian Brotherhood
FFS – Sitting Bull meets Standing Willie. Oo-err…
Marie Clark says:at 11:17 am
“I’m no a (“Tractor” – Ed) tae ma faemly and my grandparents, no like you two, ye should be ashamed o’ yersels.”
A good retort is
“Let them call me a rebel and welcome. I feel no concern from it. But should I suffer the misery of devils, were I to make a whore of my soul.”
Did Willie Rennie’s inspirational quad-bike excursion feature any copulating farmyard animals?
Andrew McLean says:
A good quote from the time of the American war of independence.
One thing worth remembering is that historians reckon the rebel / independence faction had 80% support among the colonists.
We in Scotland will probably only achieve 80% many years after independence!
Some good news (besides the Rennie on a quad bike)
Amazon Primers – Turn is back for Series 3. Period drama based in fact about America’s war for independence.
Fascinating stuff.
What’s left for Wullie R to do?
He must be getting towards the end of his wee list now…
1. Quad bike. Check.
2. Forest zip-wire. Check.
3. Introduce bestiality video. Check.
What next?
@ Ian B 🙂
Wee Wullie Rennie and his farewell tour now entering it’s last week.
HaggisHunter
I don’t want to disrupt the direction the thread is taking, though I can’t see Willie mounting a comeback quite as successfully as his recent co-star. 😉
I do think Labour’s position re. Scotland and Israel, is the ultimate hypocrisy though. Israel exists largely because of Labour’s support for ethnic nationalism (Zionism), yet Labour call Scots Nazis because we want proper democracy.
Words fail me as to the low regaurd I hold the British Labour party.
pack up his things and get the heck out of dodge Ian ?
Saying that its Wilber no clue we are talking about i watched the other day him on some show no idea what it was wasnt my choice but he was talking like the lib dems had a chance incredible stuff and that people were warming to the lib dem message,i burst out laughing one of the funniest things ive seen in years.
Oh no, Jackie Burrrd couldn’t face grilling poor Kez, it would be like skelping your own wean. Left to Sally to bungle through the interview.
New tax powers blah blah, SNP bad, blah blah, no referendum blah blah, think about the babies blah blah. I’d rather listen to a set of nails scraped down a blackboard.
Watching Dugtail being interviewed on reporting Scotland and the penny has finally dropped. Kezia is stupid! Kez put the lights oot on the way oot hen. Bye. Coo coo.
Sarah Smith [britnat bbc] for next slab leader?
Kezia, a political party that has as its core independence, having won a massive landslide we have 56 MPs you have one, that’s one the number one, that’s a lot less than 56, in fact you are virtually without representation, now for the second time that party is probably about to win another landslide in the country’s parliament, do you think that gives them a mandate!
Kezia answers “no”
Kezia do you know what a mandate is,
Kezia answers ” I don’t discuss my sexuality”
galamcennalath
As long as we get 50% + 1 vote it’s game over.
Personally I would love 60% but 1 year after American independence how much support did they have, my guess is that the butchers aprons will be in the recycling bin come the morning!
Vote labour, after all according to them everything one ball hitler did was legal?
FFS labour have you lost your frigin minds!
CameronB Brodie says:
28 April, 2016 at 6:31 pm
“…ethnic nationalism (Zionism)”
An unfortunate term to use on this topic. I am not going to defend the current division in the Middle East. However anyone who has read the pre-war/post war foundation of Israel would not use that term. The nation was primarily formed by an ethnic spread that was almost world wide.
The formation of the state was primarily due to the failure of other nations to find a solution.
An anger with the current government does not justify the re-writing of history. Israel has the most diverse population in the World as regard to ethnic roots.
Clootie
Go and read the declaration of Israeli independence then read this. I think you’ll find my position reasonable.
link to jewishsocialist.org.uk
@Ian Brotherhood says: 28 April, 2016 at 5:14 pm:
“Today Wullie Rennie was on a quad bike”
As long as that’s all the sneistie wee nyaff was on Ian?
@Cameron B
Interesting link. They seem very clear on their stance, which is very helpful.
I find Israel and their role in geo politics scary.
CameronB Brodie
…and using your logic Iraq, Falklands, Northern Ireland etc are because of British ethnic nationalism.
The actions of Governments do not reflect the views of the population. Snap shots of history to not tell you the future.
I will not be entering a debate because your previous posts indicate a bias and I prefer to keep an open mind and not have topics hijacked in this manner.
Must have for all the family.
link to youtube.com
Order yours now!
@ Valerie – thanks for the tip re Turn. Just finished “The Man in the High Castle” – very realistic account of America if the Axis powers had won WW2.
And Outlander is only on once a week on Sundays.
Got to fill the airwaves till next Thursday. Can’t face any more Unionist PPBs
If the Greens or RISE take votes from SNP supporters and deny an SNP majority government, we can forget about independence for ten generations, let alone one.
There is a reason why the unionists and the enemy within (The National, Bella, Newsnet) are heavily promoting them.
SNP+SNP.
P.S. Perhaps inappropriate, as I don’t see Judaism as an ethnicity, rather a culture. But culture is the expression of ethnicity. Confusing.
Apologies if I have caused anyone offense.
C4 teatime news thing from Brussels on Brexit, with some very top unelected Eurocrats begging, pleading, threatening UK to not leave. Odd photo montage of ex Pres Barosso, who told Scotland via BBC Andrew Marr show, Scotland wouldn’t get in to the EU if we voted YES.
Could it be that bad, out of that pack rich unelected EU bullshitters threatening fledgeling democracies like Scotland?
This is toryboy Cameron’s UKOK rep in EU, never once stood for election anywhere, any time.
link to ec.europa.eu
@HaggisHunter says: 28 April, 2016 at 5:31 pm:
” … So its quite simple for me, good people and not good people.
Is that overly simplistic?”
Yes it is not only over simplistic but misses the entire point.
Which point that is has little to do with individuals but lots to do with political and/or religious factions.
“Does this have anything to do with Scotland’s Independence?”
Yes it does. It is not about the goodness or badness of individual Jews or Israelis.
The point is being made that political factionalism and religious, or sectarian factionalism, are two quite different matters.
As in Scotland, where the lines between such as Irish based sectarianism and Irish politics has always crossed over into Scottish religion and politics to the determent of both Scottish religions and politic. So also has this matter of anti-Semitism been badly affected and confused.
If I make a comment against the Israeli Government it should never be construed as being anti-sematic.
Here is the definition of – Antisemitism (also spelled anti-Semitism or anti-semitism): – It is prejudice against, hatred of, or discrimination against Jews as an ethnic, religious, or racial group. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite.
The point being that being Jewish is to belong to a ethnic, religious, or racial group.
Being an Israeli is a nationality. Not quite the same thing.
Capella check out NOW tv you might find a good series on there.
My son gave me John Adams DVD and the West wing boxset, loved both.
I watched the man in the high castle some time ago and have watched The Americans series[Russian sleeper agents in America] waiting for the next one to be shown over here. Just finished watching Deutschland 83 again waiting for the next episodes. So far its very good.
No mention of Hill being an unelected tory lord
link to ec.europa.eu
and then his wiki thing says
Jonathan Hopkin Hill, Baron Hill of Oareford CBE PC (born 24 July 1960) is a British Conservative politician who,
link to en.wikipedia.org
Only teamGB produces wiki style politicians, who never stand for election. Stench of Westminster/City super rich toryboy bollocks reeks out of that office.
@Valerie says: 28 April, 2016 at 7:26 pm:
” … I find Israel and their role in geo politics scary”
Aye! Valerie, and so does most of the rest of the World.
@IanB
“What’s left for Wullie R to do?
He must be getting towards the end of his wee list now…
1. Quad bike. Check.
2. Forest zip-wire. Check.
3. Introduce bestiality video. Check.
What next?”
The item missing off Poor Wullie’s bucket list is,… err…, a bucket.
Useful for sitting on and, err, other things. Crivvens, jings, help ma boab.
Today’s junk mail consisted of a Labour folded pamphlet, with both a UKIP and a LibDem pamphlet tucked inside… I am certain they are paying for delivery of their rubbish… possibly even sharing the costs between them?
All in the bin now anyway. SNPx2
@Clootie says: 28 April, 2016 at 7:28 pm:
” … I will not be entering a debate because your previous posts indicate a bias and I prefer to keep an open mind and not have topics hijacked in this manner.
Rubbish! If there is bias that bias is all yours.
All that CameronB has, rightly, said is that the term, “Anti-Semitic”, is constantly being abused and misused by those who would attempt to start a fight in an empty warehouse, (as you are attempting to do right now).
the definition is :-“Hostility to or prejudice against Jews.
To be Jewish is not a nationality. I have Jewish friends who cannot trace their roots out of Glasgow. As birth records do not go far enough back.
Their family has thus been Scottish for centuries. Semitism is NOT hostility against a nationality and, believe it or not, there are even Christian, and other religions, among Israelis, Jews are found as nationals in every nation in the World
Clootie: “An anger with the current government does not justify the re-writing of history. Israel has the most diverse population in the World as regard to ethnic roots.”
Who is re-writing history? Certainly not the 70 Palestinians who on average have died for every Israeli that died, purely as a consequence of the illegal occupation. It’s like an eye for an eye only they take 70 eyes.
Funny how apologists for Israel are always so keen to talk history but not recent history — typically it’s inter-war history or ancient. Very selective.
As for ethnic roots, I honestly don’t even know what that means — are we supposed to applaud diversity as they massacre thousands, what planet are you on?
Charles McGregor: but if Rennie is Oor Wullie, who are Fat Bob, Wee Eck, Soapy Soutar and Primrose Paterson? I think we should be told.
Surely, the parlour game for all the family.
Faites vos jeux, monsieux dames……
Well- I finish work and discover that labour down south are self destructing over antisemitism. I read the Guardian piece on it and am none the wiser- plenty of writhing about but really just another opinion piece.
Is this just a case of the press picking away at an issue- a line of attack until someone ends up saying something controversial? I read some tory soundbites that kinda said to me – we hate loads of people but not Jewish folk- that on labour.
Aye- Dave is a nice guy- those Syria kids can GTF but let’s get all self-rightous about something Red Ken said about Hitler. I don’t get the flashpoints of hot debate in England. You could masterbate over images of death camps your whole life but not do 1 millionth of the harm prosecuted by the tories the other night on the Lord Dubs amendment.
It is very easy to forget what is real and what is just UK media bollocks.
Happy to be corrected or informed… late to this this evening
@Cappella
You should try and watch It all in order, so hope you can access Series 1 & 2. Series 3 is the same as Outlander – an episode per week.
2 very good Scottish actors in key roles too. Angus MacFadyen plays Robert Rodgers, a Scottish mercenary doing the wet work for the British with his band of Rangers, whilst the bewigged British waft around, playing the harpsichord, working out ways to get the best food and drink, and trying to woo women.
I love it.
You know what? They sound like the lib dems. They always claim to influence and that other parties adopt their policies.
Lib dems are a third party. Not a good look
@Brian McHugh says: 28 April, 2016 at 7:56 pm:
“Today’s junk mail consisted of a Labour folded pamphlet, with both a UKIP and a LibDem pamphlet tucked inside… I am certain they are paying for delivery of their rubbish… possibly even sharing the costs between them?”
Aye! Me too, The point is that they arrive with the mail from the postie. The last three lots here have all contained, in the same bundle, a letter. My wee dog never misses barking when anyone pushes through the gate.
They are using the post and I’ve never seen a single party worker deliver anything here except the local SNP.
Most National SNP stuff has also arrived via the post.
Tam, as usual, your analysis looks sound.
I liked what you said the other day about taxation too.
Maybe you would like to comment on my theory that the radical left cost us the 2014 referendum. It was largely a perceptions thing because, let’s be serious, nobody really takes them seriously, but those perceptions were enough to give many people an excuse to say “efffff that”.
I’m just sowing seeds, some grow, some don’t…
@Tam Jardine
link to middleeasteye.net
From tweeters I gather Blairite John Mann has had a go at Ken Livingston but made damn sure the cameras were on him at all times. Tweeters are saying that Ken Livingston’s remarks were made regarding this
link to en.wikipedia.org
Some are saying it was staged in order to take the heat off the fact that the police have launched a formal investigation into a tory mp’s election accounts and have gotten together with the electoral commission and CPS to hold a summit re electoral fraud by the tories.
Others say its an attempt by Blairites to crush Corbyn
Phew!
Kezia has absolutely no shame.
She had another car crash on Reporting Scotland today. Not quite as bad as on STV last night as Sally Magnusson was trying real hard to help her get through it but it still turned into a disaster.
The worst moment was when she tried to deflect from Labour’s scandalous PFI schools risking childrens lives by exploiting the case of a child who died in a non-PFI school. Utterly disgraceful.
Brian McHugh says:
“ I am certain they are paying for delivery of their rubbish”
My understanding is each candidate gets to send out one election address by post just before voting. I believe it’s free. These are arriving just now. That may be why you are getting a stack together.
Certainly, earlier leaflets for Unionist all seem to come by post, paid for. They have very few activists left.
By contrast, most SNP leaflets have been activist delivered. Lots of them I have lost track of how many I have delivered. Perhaps 5-6 over the last few months.
Brian McHugh said at 7:56 pm
Today’s junk mail consisted of a Labour folded pamphlet, with both a UKIP and a LibDem pamphlet tucked inside… I am certain they are paying for delivery of their rubbish… possibly even sharing the costs between them?
AIUI, any party contesting a given constituency gets a mailshot of either an unaddressed leaflet to every home in the constituency or an addressed leaflet to every person on the electoral role in the constituency. The low budget approach is the former, the slightly more nuanced approach is to do the latter and to send different leaflets to different people living at the same house.
If they want more leaflets than that delivered, then they can send additional unaddressed leaflets using the Royal Mail’s Door-2-Door service (which is more normally used for things like takeaway menus!). However I’m uncertain whether they can pay extra to send more things as electoral material – though the posties probably like it if they can, as they get paid extra for delivering election material. Obviously the parties can use their own labour to deliver leaflets as well.
If the stuff came nested together then that’s a result of your postie not doing their job properly as they’re specifically told *not* to nest D2D or electoral material.
Hey wingers,
Just wanted to share a meeting I had with a friend today.
We are both represented by a very good MSP, Keith brown. My friend voted “YES” during the referendum but I asked him today who is voting for in the Scottish elections and he replied “labour”. Apon asking him why he told me he doesn’t trust Nicola sturgeon. I tried to reason with him but he was adamant he is voting labour.
I guess my point is there are some who will never get beyond labour as a political choice but he does believe in independence. Maybe Kez and her team shoukd start listening to the people of Scotland. There are many labour voters that want independence and she should respect the will of her supporters.
Thanks Nana – will try NOW tv and look up those series. You’re a mine of information! Don’t know how anyone has time to watch MSM except for research purposes.
I see UK Labour are getting a drubbing in the media. Highlights the dire state of Westminster politics now. I hope they are noticing the parallel with Indyref.
Watching Ponsonby and Nicola: why can’t the FM just stop when he talks over her and simply say, after the inevitable dead air, “Sorry, I was just waiting for your next interruption”?
Kevin Evans says:
You have a friend who supports independence but doesn’t trust Nicola so he’s voting labour? So he trusts Kezia and he wants independence?
Your friend is taking the piss.
Rennie
Dour Wullie, Soor Wullie, Naebodies Wullie
Kevin,
That’s interesting, because I was talking to a friend yesterday who was giving his first vote to the conservatives, he’s a Tory has been all his life, then he said but I am voting for Nicola on the second vote? Just Nicola thoug not you Scottish nose pickers. Stunned I asked why, it’s obvious he said, she’s bloody marvellous! Especially compared to that frigin rest!
And that’s it, which one do you trust, it’s your life, your money, you’re future, when you go into the we box, and by the way, if you are in central Scotland, it’s a fair chance I will have made at least one by my own fair hands, which one do you trust!
I try hard not to be Anti-Anything but Pro Common sense, but I would like to say that I cannot understand the USA being allowed to mediate in Middle-East Politics.
How could they be considered impartial when everyone knows
that the USA left all the equipment for Nuclear Bomb making on
a dockside without any type of security, that let an Israeli
ship sail away with it.
An Israeli official was imprisoned for confirming that this was how Israel came to make their own nuclear threat.
Jewish money holds the balance of power in America, so they can never be neutral or just when negotiating with the Arab Nations.
For those who have never read or have memories of the event,
Palestine never fought as a Nation with Germany in WW11, and yet
their country was taken from them.
I ask myself why not a slice of Germany, Italy, or Japan to house a new nation of jews after the horrors of the holocaust?
During World War II, the Jewish Agency completely dishonored the 1939 White Paper issued by British government, which outlined the steps related to Jewish immigration into Palestine. The White Paper included the following major recommendations:
Ten years after the release of the paper, Palestine will be given conditional independence. It will function as a unitary state.
For five years, 10,000 Jewish immigrants can enter Palestine on an annual basis. Further immigration will be subjected to Arab acquiescence.
Palestinian land will be protected from Zionist acquisition and safety of the citizens will be ensured by both the parties.
Since the White Paper was a major blow for the Zionist agenda, they never accepted it. The outbreak of World War II deteriorated the situation even further as Jews came out in the open to oppose the Paper and continued their illegal migration to Palestine.
Not Convinced
My folks recived some nested literature the other day. An SNP A3 folded to A5, bundled with A5 leaflets for RISE, Solidarity and UKIP.
Someone must have collated these bundles?
Kezia Dugdale-Brain missing again.
link to archive.is
Rancid the Graun puts Swinney under that good old UKOK microscope and finds, SNPbad. Fair play to our red tory unionists in England, the closer May 5 gets, the harder they do work to get the SNP out.
or
Lots and lots and lots of SNP v v bad, do not vote SNP says The Guardian.
“Every other party is doing it differently – three of them, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Scottish Greens, would raise taxes for the better off. The SNP is cutting them, just less than Osborne plans to.”
Re election materials.
I got a bundle with mail delivered by postman. Later while waiting for a bus the postman stopped to talk to me (known him since he was a wee boy) and he told me they were given a choice as whether to deliver as they came in or to save them up. His team chose the latter as it was more efficient.
SNP x 2 and EU In.
Not convinced @ 8:55, my postie is a Yesser. 😀
@NeoconNat says:
28 April, 2016 at 8:34 pm
Maybe you would like to comment on my theory that the radical left cost us the 2014 referendum. It was largely a perceptions thing because, let’s be serious, nobody really takes them seriously, but those perceptions were enough to give many people an excuse to say “efffff that”.
I’m just sowing seeds, some grow, some don’t…
————-
Hi NCN,
Lots of folks think you’re a pretty obvious troll here.
But giving you the benefit of the doubt, and assuming you are as committed to independence as you make out to be, do you think it is wise to be posting on the most popular indy blog in the run up to an election.. with a provocative name and opinions that could possibly turn many on the left away from the SNP ?
I’m sure there will be thousands of lurkers reading this site in the run up to polling day. What if they assume your potentially arrogant and patronising attitude to the left is reflective of common opinion amongst indy supporters? Would that be a good thing.. when you obviously want to see the SNP do well and attract votes far and wide.. ?
Sturgeon has promised to reopen the debate on independence in the summer. Would then not be the best time to passionately promote your slightly controversial theory?
I’m sure you think you’re a pretty smart guy.. surely smart enough to see where behaviour could be self defeating. Right ?
@Effijy
The last thing USA does in the Middle East is mediate! Ask all these countries left wastelands in their wake since WW2.
Watch this space for what happens in Syria next. Putin has just signed contracts with Syria for £1B worth of restoration works, and Syria are saying they want Russia to develop their oil!!! I don’t care what anyone says, Putin is very smart.
Now it remains to be seen how U.S., Israel, Saudi, French, UK are going to react to this very large spanner in their plans for regime change that benefited them.
The yanks were already gathering forces on the pretext that they had to go into Syria, to finish off terrorists, but there are very few terrorists left, thanks to t he Russians.
A lot of commentators are worried it could signal WW3.
Don`t know if it`s been mentioned but Alex Salmond is on Question Time tonight from Hull,England`s City of Culture 2017,
he is on with the usual Oxbridge Mafia,Red,Blue and Goldy yellow Torys.
Just had a wee look at Duggers car crash on last nights Shortbread Tonight, she mentioned challenging poles, well Duggs here is a challenging pole.
Put a telegraph pole on the top of Ben Nevis, try climbing the pole in middle of winter, in a pair of flip flops and speedo’s, now that’s a challenge.
Duggs time for a new career, me thinks. (out of politics)
O/T
Gordon Brewer “The poor mans Bernard Ponsonby”
Very O/T
Snowing like mad here in Thornton, Fife. I blame the SNP, now they will have to get both my votes!
Good old twisted pair copper wires for Labour’s video link.
Out of date. By the summer, the Labour right will have mugged JC. Ever more clear that the best bet is to get away from this system.
SNP twice. EU remain.
The argy bargy in the media about tax plans is naive and stupid. Labour and Lib Dems only went for tax rises to be different from the SNP, that’s all. Neither have proposed an income tax rise for years, in fact it’s been an orthodoxy for decades that it is untouchable. The Greens have always been for higher taxes, so fair do’s.
It’s simple. The SNP have an election to win. Don’t scare the horses. Win it.They then have 4 years to re-calibrate the tax regime as best they can with limited powers. You can’t do that, Kezia and Willie, if you don’t win.
What you can do if you win is launch a summer offensive on Indyref2, though. Ain’t you 2 gonna love that from your weakened positions. Keep telling us we’re deluded, brainwashed and stoopid as your parties are trashed. It obviously works for us.
“What’s left for Wullie R to do?
He must be getting towards the end of his wee list now…
1. Quad bike. Check.
2. Forest zip-wire. Check.
3. Introduce bestiality video. Check.
What next?”
Poor Jeemy…
Just watched Nicola on STV. Now that is a proper politician you can be happy to vote for.
Chalk and cheese in comparison with Kezia’s car crash
Kezia is just totally out of her depth and for her sake I hope she resigns and does something useful with her life.
The most horrendous Ponsonby interview was with the UKIP guy which was truly terrible and compulsive viewing if you ever need to know what incompetence means.I hate that we pay his wages.
Looking forward to a good victory next week
Ruthie D also had a pictorial message tonight, aka Willie. The scene behind her was recycling rubbish! What a joy! ???
katherine hamilton says:
28 April, 2016 at 10:09 pm
The argy bargy in the media about tax plans is naive and stupid.
They only gave up PAYE solely to make lots of problems for SNP Scots.gov and go after them on it as hard as possible. It’s light years from anything The Vow fraud promised.
Graun’s man in Scotland plays with it, boosts SLab tax raising promises but what the economic effects would be doing this in less than 10% of the UK isn’t considered. Graun even quote an economics Prof from Sterling.
UK.gov control every other economic lever in Scotland, in particular the now worthless oil industry, greenest ever tory.gov’s ditched renewables, control social security, reneged on all big Clydeside BetterTogether navy spends and so on but they now have a giant Scottish PAYE stick to beat the living shit out of an SNP Holyrood. Clever toryboys. Graun’s just jumped the UKOK gun a bit.
Its amazing really how these hundreds of UKOK news rooms are stuffed with dudes that really believe they can influence how we vote.
Here’s a cautionary tale for anyone who feels like sounding-off about Israel.
If you get to the end of it you might be curious enough to check Amazon etc to see if the book in question is still available…
‘The Fate of an Honest Intellectual’ by Noam Chomsky:
link to chomsky.info
Just catching up late PM funeral in the East Neuk and delivered partners parents back to Oban.
Snowing heavy and in the dark phew!
Anyhoo the whole journey from Anstruther to Perth and up to Oban is festooned with SNP signs and saltires. Whole gardens and fences covered.
Some lib/Dems ones accompanying the SNP on lamposts in Oban but not many.
Father-in-law,a dyed in wool, lib/dem glum on journey but had last laugh as he had a sole lib/dem poster on the lampost outside his gate.
I told the old coot that if I had known he would have had to walk the 130 odd miles by himself. 🙁
I told him they were toast he agreed!
@bunny.
No my friend was not taking the piss and if you read what I wrote I didn’t say if he trusted or mistrusted Kezia.
My point was he was labour in his political thinking.
He is a Labour Party faithful. It wouldn’t matter who was there leader.
I don’t agree with my friends choice of vote but we need to understand the psychie of some Scottish voters. There labour thru and thru but they still want an independent Scotland.
Chortle
link to thenational.scot
Neo
Despite popular opinion I’ve been happy to give you the benefit of the doubt.
Just wondered if your previous name has anything to do with the distrust and scepticism with which you are held here.
Angra mainya = “destructive spirit”
Ian Brotherhood@10.37
Sorry Ian I haven’t looked at the link yet, but as far as sounding off against Israel.
I have no problem what so ever in defending Palestine,
there are some decent Israelis who stand against what “war crimes Netanyahu” is doing to the Palestinians.
I for one will do and say what I like against the war criminals until they stop apartheid and murdering innocent Palestinians.
Its time the world opened its eyes and told Israel to go and “Do One”
Ask yourselves this,
If someone knocked on your door and told you to leave your house and land, because they were taking it, would you fight back? I think the answer is simple.
They stop the Palestinians tending to their Olive crops, and when the land dies through lack of harvesting the Israelis take the land from the Palestinians, citing they are not farming the land.
Free Palestine
SNPx2
Ian Brotherhood@10.37
I forgot to mention, have a wee look at the GPHRC in Glasgow, they are a great wee charity.
SNPx2
*EXCLUSIVE*
Footage of Wullie Rennie’s quad-bike adventure.
The poster uses an unusual variant of Rennie’s first name, but the voice is clear enough.
Not for the faint-hearted…
link to youtube.com
Interesting piece in the herald- “Sturgeon says Holyrood should have right to call referendum within weeks if country draggedout of EU”
link to archive.is
My reaction is perhaps not the desired reaction to the piece – I think we are meant to be appalled rather than excited.
@Gary45% –
Please don’t let my use of the phrase ‘sounding-off’ give you the wrong impression.
You’ll understand why I used it if you read the Chomsky article.
😉
Ian Brotherhood
I heard you mate. 😉
Onwards, what you said there is hard to take seriously, but let’s try.
First of all, I’d say 99% of the views on here are — to varying degrees — made by people who are left leaning. On that basis, I think your point is basically an argument for some sort of regimented totalitarianism. With a ratio of around 99 to 1 expressing the usual sentimental socialism, I don’t think you need concern yourself.
Secondly, assuming as you do that my singular voice in this forest of leftists might affect readers and potential voters, why is it that you show no concern for the sizeable percentage of people who come here and are turned off by the socialist dogma?
It follows logically from the argument that you are making, that my views might help win votes amongst those who have more conservative views; and that’s a category of voter that is underrepresented here to the point of being almost invisible. The SNP/Independence movement could potentially win a huge amount of support from that category of voter, are we to pretend they don’t exist?
You seem happy to completely dismiss the argument I made about the perception of the independence movement being too closely associated with the radical left, and that’s your choice, but it’s just as relevant here to the points you direct at me.
Swap my political point with a point about racial bias and you might see beyond your own prejudices. So, experimentally you might imagine I’m arguing as an ethnic minority that the independence movement appeared too pro-“white” and should be less racial. Your response to that is tantamount to saying “shut up, we don’t want to scare away potential white voters”.
I’m not arguing, incidentally, that the Independence movement should move to the right. Or, going back to my experiment above, I’m not arguing it should be more pro-ethnic minority. I’m arguing that it should be more apolitical. It should be above the divisive politics of left and right, just as it is above politics of race.
Lastly, do you really think anybody is going to be daft enough to A) read this junk, and B) let it influence their vote? Seriously? I know a lot of people visit Wings but I find it hard to believe they come to read the comments.
We should all recognise that a referendum is not the only legitimate way to gain independence.
Feel the love!
Hedge Fund Manager on QT, said if Scotland leaves following Brexit, that would be win/win.
Graeme, no offence, but I don’t think I’ve done anything that requires the benefit of the doubt.
I also don’t think the names people use on here matter much, do you? Aren’t we supposed to focus on the substance of arguments and ideas? While we are here, aren’t we supposed to encourage and welcome diversity of opinion?
I thought we were all supposed to be enlightened libertarian socialists or something, or does that only apply when speaking to those who agree with us?
It’s a particle accelerator; without collisions it serves no purpose.
NeoconNat
I’d welcome you as a true independence supporting Conservative (possibly an oxymoron), as they’re like hen’s teeth around here. The thing is, your values don’t gel as coherent and rational, IMHO. You make some excellent party neutral points, then trash all that work with dubious assertions. Sorry, still not convinced you’re the genuine article.
For other non-telly watchers, this package seems as good as any for getting a flavour of what’s been happening around Ken Livingstone.
Many readers of this site have long-since become acquainted with the pack behaviour of mass-media and will be able to deconstruct this without much effort.
Watch out for familiar faces in the press-pack, and look forward to seeing their analyses crop-up in due course.
link to youtube.com
‘..a referendum is not the only legitimate way to gain independence…’
Good point, worth repeating.
There are many democratic routes to self-determination.
A referendum is just the icing… for a cake that has to be cool for it to stick.
I myself care less for icing.
I’m not arguing it should be more pro-ethnic minority. I’m arguing that it should be more apolitical. It should be above the divisive politics of left and right, just as it is above politics of race.
Well go on then! Get stuck and give Scotland pro indy apolitical arguments.
We live under tory rule and have done for a long time, fifty shades of toryboy world.
Scotland is toryboy world and its the toryboys that have its goon media in Scotland, from Graun to torygraph via Pacific Quay, currently all raging at SNP Scots.gov for NOT hiking tax, on poor old wealthy tories in their Scotland region.
Or, same BBC led UKOK toryboy media currently boosting to UKOK heaven far left activists like RISE, who would never seen a tory press word written about them anywhere, except now in Scotland, where we have to listen to same reactionary and often extreme right British media ever more desperate to get us to vote radical left. Its all a UKOK puzzle.
So neo, you’re in the YES matrix now, have at it.
Neocon says..’I thought we were all supposed to be enlightened libertarian socialists or something, ‘
And from your comments you seem to strive to sully and degrade enightenment, liberty and society, wherever possible.
You are not a Scottish Nationalist.
Valerie says:
29 April, 2016 at 12:12 am
“Feel the love!
Hedge Fund Manager on QT, said if Scotland leaves following Brexit, that would be win/win.”
It makes me feel girly pink and fluffy in a libertarian socialist sort of way. Okay I have been at the Ben Riach before the Neocons yanks get their hands on it all.
Let the Brit Nats eat financial derivatives. I think our resident Neocon might be one and the same as that Hedge Fund manager.
Just interested in your choice of name Neo that’s all. Your defensive and cocky response was a bit unnecessary but not surprising.
Hi Charles McGregor. (Why did “Chic” get the bum’s rush?)
You typed,
“The item missing off Poor Wullie’s bucket list is,… err…, a bucket.
Useful for sitting on and, err, other things. Crivvens, jings, help ma boab.”
From a couple of decades of following Oor Wullie’s blog in the Sunday Post, I gathered that Soapy Soutar had more influence over Wullie than he was given credit for in Wullie’s blog. (As was hinted at by Tinto Chiel.)
Was Soapy the real power behind the throne/bucket? He seems to have played the ‘Malcolm Tucker’ role in Wullie’s blog, without Wullie realising it.
A possible subject for a thesis by a student following this course?
link to dundee.ac.uk
CameronB, to tell the truth, I don’t take many things very seriously. If I could find something worth taking seriously, I’d get a tattoo. I support independence 100%.
I’m happy to put the apparent lack of coherence you point to down to schizophrenia or existentialism. What if I wake up a lib-dem some day?
Anyway, I’m worried about turnout next week. You should all worry about turnout next week. The bastards are playing this election down in the hope that nobody will vote.
@Graeme Doig –
Perhaps he didn’t give proper thought to the name he chose, or thought it might mean something else…
After all, he told us that ‘English’ isn’t his first language, eh?
🙂
Hi NeoconNat.
You typed,
“If I could find something worth taking seriously, I’d get a tattoo.”
They need money – and organisation. But you can get access to a decent one at Edinburgh Castle, annually.
Heedtracker, some day we are going to have another independence referendum. It could be soon.
If it was necessary to shun the politics of class and the left in order to win the next indyRef, would you be prepared to do so? I think most of us would. To an extent, I think it might be necessary to do that.
Life’s like that sometimes, you need to make sacrifices.
Looking at the demographics etc., I don’t think we are likely to win many more friends over from Labour. I’m absolutely certain we won’t win any over from the Orange lodge. Who does that leave?
NeoconNat
I ain’t no psychiatrist, I ain’t know doctor with a digree.
But it don’t take too much IQ to see what you’re doing to me…
The structure and logic of your argument does not suggest a disordered mind to me. Your clangers also appear to isolate wedge issues. I smell …..
Most people who comment on political sites are by nature somewhat… argumentative.
Trolls love this.
As everyone leaps to answer them they grab hold of one minor point in the debate, which is usually one of semantics or interpretation, and hang on to it with disdainful determination; ignoring all rebuttals, they keep asking for yet another rock…
Louis, don’t spoil it, I’m trying to build bridges here not burn them.
I have a policy of fighting back when people attack me. The only just war is a defensive war, right?
Tell you what, I’m going to watch snooker of all things. So you now have something on me.
I like the noise snooker balls make when they collide.
Click!
It is entirely possible that angry conservative is the only living example of a SNP supported who is also a complete arsehole?
To be fair his political back story is complete nonsense, his intellect is wanting, and his agenda plain. All roads point to troll, but he could be just another idiot?
If you find this assessment unkind, look at all his previous posts!
Hi CameronB Brodie.
You typed,
“I smell …..”
Now, the ‘proud pedant’ in me asks why you followed your ellipsis with two extraneous periods. Is there a hidden message there?
Onnyhoo, in answer to your ellipsis and two periods, which were alluding to the olfactory senses, I would offer this as a possible answer.
link to youtube.com
@NeoconNat
Do you reckon your somewhat provocative attitude reflects a wish for the indy cause to be ‘apolitical’ and ‘above the divisive politics of left and right’? It’s going from one extreme to the other.
Right now, we have an election fought on the basis of limited income tax devolution – devolved partly to split the SNP vote on left/right lines. Consequently we get impatient idiots urging NoVotesSNP on twitter because they aren’t left wing enough at this time. We have TV interviews like tonight where Ponsonby is winding up Sturgeon as Thatcher-like.
Did she embrace that position ? Did she hell.
The default position in Scottish politics at this time is social democratic.. slightly left of centre.
All I’m saying from a purely strategic point of view, there are more votes on the left than the right in Scotland.
You know this though. The indy cause likely does needs a broad church approach to get to its destination. But at election times, politicians will cast their nets where the most fish are.
It’s like Salmond on Question Time tonight, taking the populist, media friendly, line.
Anyway, carry on, carry on..
Some balls don’t make a sound when they collide – if they’re between two bricks.
Brian Doonthetoon
I think you should knock whatever it is you’re doing on the head Brian. My post ain’t got any periods in it, extraneous or otherwise.
Gee it a break mate. 😉
P.S. I haven’t got my glasses handy so I had to get right up to the screen there, to check that. How undignified. 🙂