Scorched Ayrth
We’re really, really sorry about that headline, on several levels.
But wait until you see what this one’s about.
A couple of months ago we highlighted the ingenious solution being adopted by the No campaign to the problem that Yes Scotland has vastly more grassroots activists prepared to go out onto the streets and talk to people about the future of their country.
Rather than engage in a debate and put their own arguments to the test in public, the London-funded advocates of the Union get around being outnumbered by refusing to turn up, and then demanding that this self-created “imbalance” must be redressed by banning Yes campaigners from appearing either.
In Prestwick, though, they’ve just taken that approach one step further.
You’re reading that right. Two Tory councillors have cancelled an entire event for 10,000 people rather than let two or three Yes Scotland campaigners peacefully hand out leaflets and chat to anyone who might be interested, anywhere in the vicinity. The people of Prestwick are to be protected from the onerous chore of saying “No thanks” by having their entire annual celebration abolished for a year.
We’re not sure any further commentary from us is necessary.
I grew up in Prestwick. This sort of petty Tory action doesn’t surprise me at all.
So basically, because they have no powers to prevent a few YES campaigners being there they’ve decided to scrap the whole event?
They should go the whole hog and nail up everyone’s front doors so they can’t go out onto the street and inadvertently be contaminated by somebody who might be in favour of Independence.
Is this not Nicola Sturgeons mothers area? She is a councillo0r down that way! (Not a Tory one obviously)
I’m surprised they allowed people to carry national flags.
The Norwwegina flag for instance – obviously SNP subliminal propaganda.
Well, it’ll be nice and quiet then – why don’t we have a WoS day-out, buckets and spades, knotted hankies, the works.
@Ally – I think Nicola’s Mum is the Provost of Irvine.
See the “Top Town” picture..i see just behind Graeme Johnstone it says insp….I suspect theyre trying to trick any dyslexics into blaming the SNP for this embarrassment…clever old Ayshire Post!
Does the No campaign not realise that you attract nobody with these antics?
Seems the best answer is to nationalise the airport a wee bit further afield.
What do these two Tory cooncilers do for an encore? Shoot badgers and drown puppies? They deserve to be run out of town whilst pelted by the school kids. Pair of killjoys.
They really are terrified aren’t they? The only plausible explanation for cancelling this event is that, given the information, a fair decent chunk of that 10,000 would be convinced to vote YES ( if they’re not already) and BT are petrified of it.
So instead of debating their position they make sure the other side can’t. This isn’t surprising just saddening. I expect this won’t be the last of this sort of nonsense.
It will only get worse as they get even more desperate and panicky.
It appears Tory councillors have fallen into the trap of acting against Prestwick before Scotland decides to leave the United Kingdom. Blair M. will be livid.
And yet, if the front-page photo is from last year’s parade (an assumption, I admit) it would seem acceptable to fly the (part of) Cyprus flag. No controversy there then…
Terrible thing to be that frightened.
So Prestwick familes are to be denied an annual day out on the prom…and local businesses are to be denied the spending of 10,000 punters buying ice-cream, fish-and-chips, sweets, drinks and the rest…by a few Tory @UK_Together muppets ? UN-BE-LIEV-ABLE.
The No camp are terrified that people might actually see arguments that counter their own feeble scare stories.
This is, frankly, so far beyond the pale that the Tories have made themselves look utterly ridiculous and not a little pathetic. I predict that they will recant just like they did over the flag at Stirling. This decision is too stupid for words and people like Ruth will have some teeth sucking to do to ensure that the damage is limited.
I think Edinburgh should take a leaf out of their book and cancel (or preferably dynamite) Princes Street to stop Colin Fox setting out his stall most days. It’s the only sensible solution to stop Edinburghers being contaminated by ‘socialism’. Brrrrr. Mind you, he’d just move to George Street so it’s a no win scenario for Edinburgh.
(Disclaimer – I don’t really advocate this. I’ve met Colin Fox and he’s a great guy.)
One of the tactics used by government forces in a dictatorship is to shut down the opposition by fair means or foul. Violence is sometimes the preferred method of reactionary government forces, but very often the simple denial of a public platform is just as effective. In this case, the British Establishment is not resorting to violence, it is just shutting down an event which attracts 10,000 revellers and is an economic bonus to the area. We might not live in a dictatorship, but the tactic here of the British ruling elite is to deny a legitimate political movement the oxygen of publicity. I would suggest Prestwick is a classic example of the British Establishment employing the tactics of a dictatorship .
I have never understood the idea that politics must somehow be detached from everyday life. But it is this rather silly notion that these Tory councillors are appealing to as an excuse to close down debate.
There can now be no doubt about the latest strategy of the anti-independence campaign. Having nothing new to say themselves, and realising that the Yes message is having a significant impact, the aim is to prevent that message getting to the people of Scotland as far as possible and by any means possible.
This ups the ante quite a bit with regard to the various low-intensity attempts to stop YES campaigners getting the message out there that we have become aware of. Now that it’s in the papers (and on WoS) who knows where this story will end up…
They really must be terrified. It’s not enough for them that they have the BBC as an arm of Better Together and most of the rest of the media pumping out their propaganda on a daily basis to keep everyone in the country ill-informed.
No, they must also stop people who are pro-independence even being able to walk through a crowd handing out leaflets!!!
And they believe if there’s a no vote next year based on that kind of stifling the debate and arguments, that’ll be fair and stand?
@MajorB-
That dastardly Fox – this is the boost he needed. Even as we speak, he’ll be demanding lists of all outdoor events organised for next summer, ordering his commie bedfellows to stock up on wallpaper tables and loudhailers.
Forget T in the Park people – those bastard socialists have it in their sights. And I have it on good authority that those sleakit Greens are well-advanced in their plans to wreck every Highland Games and Gala Day that comes to their attention.
SSP and the Greens – the SNP’s very own Brown Shirts.
Typical Unionistas – purposely hurting the community and damaging the local economy for their own small-minded, petty political ends.
This is not the first time I have come across this kind of petty politicking from Unionist councillors. A Labour and Tory councillor colluded in trying to stop our 2009 homecoming event as they were worried that the SNP maybe get the credit for it. A council officer was taken away from his normal duties in order to search for legislation that would allow them to remove our Saltires.
Disgusting, small-minded people who abuse and misuse their powers.
The more we see of this type of action, the more we know that BT’s bland assurances about ‘bayoneting the wounded’ are lies.
They are bricking it because they know they are losing.
With every blink from Darling, another voter moves to Yes.
Why are these people so damn stupid, the Yes campaign is not political it is for the people not a party, when will they get it through their thick skulls that they are in fact stifling peoples right to their opinions. These Scots are reinforcing David Camerons and the Tories opinion that Scots are stupid!!
“A Labour and Tory councillor colluded in trying to stop our 2009 homecoming event”
Stirling’s Labour-Tory alliance have succeeded in doing that for next years event, despite people from all over the world having made arrangements to come. Replaced with a massive UK armed forced day, for which the common good fund is paying a huge amount.
“The shock call to cancel follows trouble which flared this year when pro-independence material was handed out among the crowds”
Swap crack cocaine for pro-independence material and I could see where they’re coming from, but what planet do these people live on if they think a few leaflets are worth declaring a state of emergency for?
@ Cath
Aye, Cath. his is the Unionist’s idea of a fair and socially inclusive Scotland – circumvent democracy and shut down all honest debate.
Replaced with a massive UK armed forced day, for which the common good fund is paying a huge amount.
Aye, and of course a massive UK armed forces day and a “celebration” of the start of WW1 is not political.
£1.10 for the Ayrshire Post?! Scandal indeed.
sounds like the same strategy as Stirling in trying to prevent the Bannockburn re-enactment by scheduling Armed Forces day on the same date. Surely they must realise that this will backfire?
I was one of the YES folk on Prestwick prom. And the wee woman in charge was hopping from one leg to another in anger at a few of us being present. She went a got the police and we left. But not without asking the Inspector to be sure if he was right. So later on at Ayr Flower Show, threatened with police who never appeared. So if your in that situation keep smiling, be polite and never hot headed. Although we do get accused of being aggressive. Bulls**t
So, they found in Dunfermline, and probably elsewhere, that calling the police got them nowhere because, shock, horror, talking to people and handing out leaflets is not illegal and doesn’t require any sort of licence. Little surprising that a couple of Tory councillors should appear to be thinking it does, but I digress. This is pathetic all round. What is more political? A few yes campaigners handing out leaflets, or a politically motivated cancellation of an event which attracts in the region of ten thousand people to the place?
People are not stupid. A larger number of people will look at this article with the view that it’s a heavy handed over reaction even if they do not support yes. And some of those will question why the unionist councillors see a few polite campaigners as such a major threat anyway?
Short answer there. They ARE scared of us. They know that people move in the direction of a yes vote when they are presented with facts about independence, and that’s just based on things we can already answer. Once the white paper comes out, and I’m pretty much praying it will be near airtight in the detail, it should shake them out of fear and send them towards full blown hysterical panic.
This is insane. The loathsome British nationalists in Scotland are veering close to self destruct; this is further proof. Reading this article made me feel uncomfortably angry.
This is the same mentality that tried to prevent workers having access to public libraries and letting their children have an education a 100 years ago. Good grief, if people could read and find out things for themselves there’d be anarchy, I tell you! Anarchy!
Oh, and the headline… yes, you probably should be ashamed on some level…. but it’s funny.
Is free speech not allowed anymore? Why don’t the NO camp have a stall? Cannot see a problem in their being a stall from both sides of the debate with the proviso of the public coming to the stalls if they so wish.
Ayrshire Tory political strategy is to deny citizens the right to enjoy a popular event and hard pressed local businesses from making a few quid. What a strange political strategy – universal miserableness.
For anyone who won’t sleep tonight if they don’t find out what was on Brian Taylor’s Roadshow:
RBS – ‘Will we ever get our money back?’ 18 minutes.
HS2 – Blethers. 17 minutes.
Women in business – ‘Should there be quotas?’ 8 minutes.
Grangemouth – Back-covering blethers. 10 minutes.
And that, as they say, was that.
Toodleoothenoo!
Ian Brotherhood
Why was the programme not cancelled if there was someone on the panel who believes in a Yes vote?
They’re frit…
I think a day out in Prestwick is called for. Hundreds, alright dozens, of yes supporters walking up and down the Prom in twos or threes might just be newsworthy in light of the cancelled alternative.
Hope these councillors are booted out of office.
It is very clever though and it works for them – they will spin this as Show cancelled due to Independence campaing as per comments by Stewart Clakston of the towns Parkston Hotel (who could not resist a we dig eh !)
So predictable how they operate.
Its like the home team coming out with ‘we haven’y got a full team fur the gem – so match is aff share o’ the points n ‘at; oh and nae compy fur yer trip hame guys right.
It appears They own the game in this country – shocking & disgusting that campaing are ‘hogbound’ over technicalities such as this mince.
Scotland come on, get a grip FFS people we must have free speech and debate. Sort out your cooncillors, formal complaints from all voters in the area surely. Get it on the cooncil minutes – waste their time.
@Ian Brotherhood @12:17
Great idea! Just a few YES supporters, from every part of the country, descend on Prestwick on the day of the cancelled Prom. Say, around 10,000 in total – less than half the Calton Hill attendance. Should be a boost for local businesses too…
A Yes Scotland day next summer – nothing formally organised, just a lot of people heading to Prestwick beach one Saturday in the summer. Boost to local business & a bit of fun – perfect answer to this political censorship.
How can that possibly not backfire?
maybe the yes camp should start to run no stalls to provide the required balance.
I think the most ironic thing is. They often claim that Salmond wants to live in a Stalinist country. Er… Police State definition:”The inhabitants of a police state experience restrictions on their mobility, and on their freedom to express or communicate political or other views” Nough said!
Great opportunity for WOS to take over this event. Let’s offer to crowd fund the event so that the kids can have their day out. After all, the prom won’t be in use by anyone else that day . . .
Big Jock says: 1 November, 2013 at 1:27 pm
“I think the most ironic thing is. They often claim that Salmond wants to live in a Stalinist country. Er… Police State definition:”The inhabitants of a police state experience restrictions on their mobility, and on their freedom to express or communicate political or other views” Nough said!”
Nough indeed. Bloody well said, Jock.
Didn’t some council official at the Dunfermline event tell YES campaigners they couldn’t hand out independence leaflets because it was a Robert the Bruce event? A bus in Dundee still carries the poster. I have to smile every time I see it and wonder what the Bruce would think of it all.
We’ve got them on the run If their keechin themselves this early. The 60:40 Aye/Naw will be easy
This is possibly the most hurt and angry I have been in this whole campaign. I personally know the guy who wrote that article. I don’t know him that well, but I’ve been to plenty of football games with him, shared some beers with him, shared the odd train journey and had a laugh and a joke. And now here he is, lying about us, making it sound like Yes campaigners were causing trouble and suggesting that handing out leaflets is somehow an aggressive act. This is just sickening.
I just don’t understand the thinking of “business people” in this country at all. Do they want to make money or not?
I spent 6 years living in the States and based on that experience, my “business” instinct would be to say, “OK – people will be coming to Prestwick for the event, what else can we do to attract them or get them to stay in the town longer and spend more money?
“I know, why don’t I, proprietor of the Parkstone Hotel, get onto Yes Scotland and Better Together and offer to provide a venue for an independence referendum debate that same evening – given that the presence of Yes Scotland during the day might generate some interest and prime to pump”. Might attract even more people to the day event. Why do so many of our business people fail to see a business opportunity when it’s right in front of their eyes?
And advertise it as an opportunity to get more information from BOTH sides.
Typical ‘Better Together’ – clueless and counter-productive!
They’ll change their mind…,
…if the prom is wide enough to fit tanks.
How devious, deceitful and brutal can Westminster be? Check out diago Garcia (John Pilger) on Wikipedia. Stole their country, dumped them into concentration camps thousands of miles from their own country and were abandoned. What caused this treatment? They asked HMG for some assistance. diago Garcia is now the largest US military base in the world and used to terrorise and control the middle east. So be careful what you ask for. Because Lundinium knows how to treat ungrateful rebellious natives for the benefit of great Londinium.
You see now how these loathsome people think. They have no qualms damaging their very own communities because they believe they have come up with a good idea to stop a couple of folk with YES t-shirts handing out leaflets that the ordinary person has the right to choose to accept it or not on the day. Of course the idea is to demonise the YES campaign, to make other community councils think twice about what they are doing. This will only make people angry, not towards the YES campaign but to those who set out to wreck their community.
@Papadocx…
and that was signed off under a Labour government!
Just seen Alistair Darling leaving the Scottish Labour Party headquarters ie The Scotsman news paper building. Wonder what new mischief he has been up to?
Who is this Joan O’Donnell person?
This reminds me of the Republicans shutting down Government because they couldn’t get their own way. Maybe the Tories are taking tips from their mad American cousins.
Wait, what?
I think this is yet another example of lying with the truth.
“trouble which flared this year when pro-independence material was handed out among the crowds. Even the police were asked to intervene”
Read:
A bunch of anti-independence politicos called the police on some people handing out flyers in the street, then got upset when the police didn’t do anything to stop them (and may have had their own voting intentions changed in the process). They were then further upset that the police’s action was met with popular approval, so they felt the need to lash out by cancelling a gala.
Also, they feel that the group of people calling themselves “Yes Scotland” should be able to provide assurances that no-one will walk around handing out flyers supporting an independant Scotland.
What are they smoking?
Future Yes campaign outings should take 2 stalls,a desk and a chimpanzee with them.One of the stalls for the Yes campaign and the other for No,in the interests of balance and let the chimp bang away on the No desk for a few hours.
Now that would be a fun headline:
“Yes Campaign offers to provide No Campaign stalls and volunteers to provide balance to the dabate, since the No Campaign can’t seem to find the people”
Illy
Even the lies they tell are mostly not true.
A shower of Muppets who know perfectly well that it is legal to hand out leaflets (or they do now after their pathetic little tantrum last year). So the only option is to lie and pull the plug on the whole event. I don’t use the term lightly but these people are political scum.
What’s the problem here? who the f**k is genuinely going to physically stop the YES campaign or any other campaign for that matter. Furthermore who gives a shit what the opposition thinks or does.
The days of the establissment telling people how to think and behave are gone now.
No need to try and understand the thoughts or agenda of our opposition, just do and continue what we think/know is right.
Shut down local festivals, fairs etc to stifle debate. Ban YES from a presence because there will be no balance without a NO presence. Cynical indeed.
Well, they’ll just have to cancel the UK Armed Forces Day because I’ll be there next year handing out YES leaflets.
YES Scotland.
Future Yes campaign outings should take 2 stalls,a desk and a chimpanzee with them.One of the stalls for the Yes campaign and the other for No,in the interests of balance and let the chimp bang away on the No desk for a few hours.
Not sure about that, the chimp might actually be better than the aggressive, sour faced people they normally manage to muster.
Is this the proverbial bayoneting we were promised?
link to dailyrecord.co.uk
A chimpanzee – hang on a minute – won’t it supply more meaningful answers than any number of Bitter Together numpties could?
Beat me to it HandandShrimp
The proms too cauld and even worse, you might run into Colin Montgomerie!
Couldnt we just crowd source a large full scale page in the Ayrshire Post instead?
canmore 1:45
was’nt sure about that. HMG runs the show whoever they may be! It’s just a name to keep the plebs quiet and in the dark.
This is the new(ish) ploy of the ever more desperate Bitter Together lot. They will do this where ever they can, to shut down debate as they know they have the weakest case. It is desperate stuff, now that the tide is slowly turning.
Expect much more, which is sure to come. Let us all laugh at them and get on with convincing the convertable .
Statistics for Crosshouse Hospital Accident and Emergency Department:
21.12.08 to 10.01.09
21.12.09 to 10.01.10
Total attendance
3381
3701
Falls
218
406
Orthopaedic trauma admissions
71
135
Paper Cuts
0
0
@ Creigs1707
“Well, they’ll just have to cancel the UK Armed Forces Day because I’ll be there next year handing out YES leaflets.”
I think the UK Armed Forces Day should be cancelled since the Taliban won’t have a presence.
Andrew Morton says:
Great opportunity for WOS to take over this event. Let’s offer to crowd fund the event so that the kids can have their day out. After all, the prom won’t be in use by anyone else that day
This would be brilliant. Is it possible?
HandShrimp,
Joan O’Donnell is the Vice Chair of Prestwick North Community Council. She fronts the Prestwick Prom Gala Day event committee. In the abscence of assurances from Yes Scotland she appears to have been ill-advised by two local Conservative councillors and cancelled the event for 2014. The Chairman of Prestwick North Community Council is quoted in the above article and is clearly not happy with the actions of his vice chair in cancelling!
In the front page picture above you can see this June’s Gala parade led by Cllr Margaret Toner (Con), Cllr Hugh Hunter (Con) and MSP John Scott (Con). But of course that is not politisicing a family event is it?
I can imagine this Joan individual running around shouting
“What’s all this leafleting? This is a local parade for local people. We will have no leafleting here”
Is Prestwick the New Grangemouth? (an industrial dispute that led to the closure of a petro-chemical plant which led to a Unite/Labour climbdown)
Is Prestwick the New Stirling? (commotion over the Saltire being replaced by the Union Jack on council buildings which led to a Labour/Tory climbdown)
I can’t see these petty-minded little unionists getting away with this either in Prestwick. The town should have its annual gala and it should be open to all.
PS So what if Scotland votes YES, does that mean no more Prestwick Proms?
HandandShrimp:
Isn’t that the point? That the Yes campaign could provide a better voice for the No campaign that the No campaign can without really affecting us that much.
We really are the nicest revolutionaries I’ve ever heard about. We’re even offering to help out our opposition.
@ Andrew MortonGreat opportunity for WOS to take over this event. Let’s offer to crowd fund the event so that the kids can have their day out. After all, the prom won’t be in use by anyone else that day”
I’d chip in for that.
Wings/Yes Scotland saves the day!
Oh my, the Prestwick Prom Gala Day Committee is just crying out for the Aberdour Community Council treatment.
If the maker of the legendary Aberdour You-Tube film is reading this……….go for it
@ Andrew MortonGreat opportunity for WOS to take over this event. Let’s offer to crowd fund the event so that the kids can have their day out. After all, the prom won’t be in use by anyone else that day”
Great idea, lets all chip in and save the day for the kids. What should it be called?
How about:
“YES! We got our gala after all, in spite of the torys being party-poopers”
White letters on blue for the logo.
Should probably make the point.
This is not a political referendum ;it is constitutional . Tories do not do politics themselves. It is the oiks who do politics. Tories are the natural heirs to the divine right of kings.Do not bother them with reality.
Tory MP flanked by two Tory cooncilors happily leading the parade to last years ‘non-political’ prom celebration FFS.
Surely the easy answer would be to offer/invite/allow both BT and YES to actually take a stall (if BT are lacking volunteers I’d happily hand out their leaflets and talk folk through the contents).
By summer of next year the whole debate will be hotting up and folk will be hungry for information afterall.
TO be CLEAR on this issue PRESTWICK PROM COMMITTEE ( is in fact a SUB comm) of the Community Council Mrs Joan O, Donnell is the Chair of that Comm the Local Athority Councillors are only there as members of the Community & advisers on Local Athority issues ( they have no vote or power ) no Community Council member can be a member of a political orginization nor hold any position on Committee s The Chair of the Comm Council Mr Jim Ronney has the power to bring those Comm members before the Full Comm Council ( emergency meeting 2 thrds of member in agreement) Comm Councils are Funded from the Public Purse ( per head of the area represented / also fund raising within the Community Residents / Buisness. Scottish Gov rules ie COMMUNITY COUNCILS . So I would hope that this post is shared with PEOPLE of PRESTWICK if THEY are MAKING A POLITICAL Decission they are WRONG & can be Challenged / AS A COMMUNITY COUNCIL SECRETARY ( OF SICK ) due to brain condition ( an spelling mistakes ) I have read the RULES several times over Mrs O Donnell/comm members should RESIGN FORTHWITH ( GARTLEA AIRDRIE COMM SECT ) still aff sick . Jist in case some nosy cunt wants tae check wie NTh LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL 01236812338 Comm Info
“Great idea, lets all chip in and save the day for the kids. What should it be called?”
Wings over Prestwick?
“Wings over Prestwick?”
Natch
If they’re publically funded, can we ask to see the minutes of the meeting when the decision was taken?
Stuart Black says:
1 November, 2013 at 2:29 pm
“Great idea, lets all chip in and save the day for the kids. What should it be called?”
Wings over Prestwick?
Perfect!
MochaChoca:
That’s exactly what they don’t want to happen, but just the fact that there are plenty of people here who would be willing to sub in for the No Campaign volunteers if they provide the materials shows how confident we are, as well as highlighting the differnece in levels of popular support.
Seriously, we’re looking more polite than the Icelandic revolution, and that’s saying something!
As we get closer to the referendum it will be increasingly easy to spot No voters as their faces will be bandaged due to the excessive cutting off of their noses in order to spite their faces. : (
I can picture them parading around Georges square blood dripping on the pavements a bit like those Arab guys that go in for that self flagellation thing.
If the community really want to have a knees-up next summer they should just crack on and organise one.They don’t need the council to do it.
Definitely scope for a “Yes Day” to fill the gap here, to show that we are Can-Do crowd – but I suspect there is a long time left for this decision to be reversed and for McDoughnut to ride up on his white steed bearing leaflets.
However, let’s inform the rest of the world in the meantime.
When people ask me where to find information about the referendum (as a result of my sporting a Yes badge), I always point them to both campaigns’ official and Facebook sites (as well as this one of course).
As well as coming across to people as being very fair-minded, I think both the YesScotland and NoScotland materials are equally effective in nudging people in a Yesward direction.
Perhaps every Yes stall should also carry a selection of No stuff, which would neutralise any little-Hitler type objections.
I’d quite fancy a wee jaunt back to Prestwick. Haven’t been back since college except for the airport. If this gets organised I’ll see you all in the Golf on the main street.
Exactly what benefit is derived from having the Council layer of Government?Does it matter which party organise your bin collection?It is becoming more and more apparent to me that the councils are an obstructive and useless layer of bureaucracy.
Maybe this is a good time to send a ‘Business for Scotland’ link to businesses in the Prestwick area
link to businessforscotland.co.uk
@Albert Herring:
That’s a really good idea. Now if only they made flyers available to the public so we could get some…
Maybe creating a psuedo better together group might be an idea?
Let the idea go postal….and every new better together member/group might come under intense scrutiny…
My first reaction was laughing disbelief, then anger, and finally sadness.
Is this what the “Great” Britain is coming to? Shutting up “dissidents”, denying the ordinary public information and proper debate?
Not just in this instance (cancelling a whole community event for purely political reasons, FFS!) or the instances where Yes campaigners were not allowed to similar events because the No Scotland folk weren’t there, but also more generally, especially in the MSM.
Trumpeting on and on about “unanswered” questions and then refusing to report the answers. Giving free platform for the No Scotland folk to spout their message of fear, doom and gloom but failing to give the positive Yes Scotland vision equal platform. If they have to report on Yes stuff, phoney balance dictates that No Scotland folk are brought into it… (BBC giving equal airtime to 20,000+ indy marchers and a half dozen No Scotland folk handing out leaflets to four “members of the public”, anyone?)
The remarks about a police state and comparisons with denying ordinary people access to education and libraries might seem a bit OTT but the underlying thinking and mentality are the same. The establishment protecting its own interests against the ordinary people.
The UK and Scottish democracy is in grave peril. That’s what saddens me the most.
The only way to preserve (and perhaps even enhance!) democracy in Scotland is to vote YES next year.
Dcanmore thanks for the link, Business for Scotland has spoken at three events in the area and by coincidence I went to School in Prestwick – so the article caught my notice. Hopefully the townspeople will get together and organise their own prom and cut the petty politicians out of the process.
The prom committee refused to allow a stalll for Yes campaigning hence the decision for a couple of folk to hand out leaflets. Poor polce officer got stuck in the middle and tried to keep the’peace’by asking leaflers to keep towards the main access. Local Tories were up in arms because lots of people were getting information.
Some of the local Yes team for South Ayrshire met the local Superntendent afterwards who said campaigning and leafleting was perfectly OK.
Headline should have read ‘Local Tories furious at having the wrong sort of politics at their event.”
Right!, that’s it, next time I see fat food Mcdonald chaps outside handing out flyers, I’m
calling the police.
And Acronym from the techie community that has been in use for ages describes exactly what they’re doing:
FUD: Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt.
What lumilumi said, great post.
Truly remarkable, that the good people of Prestwick are to lose out, due to the insanity of two Tory councillors.
As the article says the community rely on this event to boost there income, and the people of Prestwick dont have their troubles to seek either with the uncertain future of Prestwick Airport, albeit the SNP have stepped in to save it.
It seems to me a clear cut case of cutting your nose off to spite your face.
The BT camp, seemingly just dont have the man power to match the YES camp, its becoming clearer by the week, that BT’s on the ground campaigners, dont have the stomach for it.
My gast has finally been flaberred. It is clear is it not, that the anti independence unionists in Scotland, who so bitterly oppose a resumption of Scottish independence, are feart. I simply cannot believe the churlish infantile nature of the behaviour of these people, they are like spoilt weans.
Banning the open and democratic process for a democratic referendum, has NO place in a democracy. Some people handing out leaflets is an unbelievably stupid reason to cancel a public fun day.
Cath and Luigi,
Also in addition to armed forces day in Stirling, we have, courtesy of Westminster, the celebrations of the commencement of World war 1, plus as announced a few days ago by Downing street, for the first time in 23 years, the UK will host the global NATO conference (which almost all country leaders will attend including Obama), in AUTUMN 2014.
None of the above are however related to the independence referendum in Scotland, which Westminster is most definitely NOT attempting to gerrymander. The timing is, we are to believe, entirely coincidental. Aye, right!
“We are ashamed that we have to cancel it because of politics” says the woman who is cancelling the event because of her political views.
The correct response to the despicable Tory cancelling of a public event to stop YES campaigners handing out leaflets is… wtf?
As one of the YES campaigners handing out leaflets that day I can assure you the story is even more bizarre than you have reported. We were approached by the two cooncillors (separately) and told to leave because we were on ‘private property’ (Prestwick esplanade) or the polis would be called. There was a polis car less than twenty feet from where we were standing and they were not in the least bit interested in moving us on, knowing that what we were doing was well within the law. I should add though that the Ayrshire Post, a member of the Mirror group, is itself building up an anti-independence head of steam in recent weeks and no doubt will continue to do so as the Bitter Together camp start to panic and completely lose the plot.
If I ran an affected business in Prestwick, I’d there and then decide to VOTE YES, regardless of my beliefs, just to teach these moronic Scotland and Prestwick hating Tories on the council a lesson they won’t forget.
Jeez, there is a recession on, and any event such as this, can in some instances make the difference between a business making it through for another year or folding, with many people left without jobs. The people of Prestwick should be marching on the council with pitchforks and torches.
Maybe, just maybe, the business people of Prestwick will now realise that voting Tory, is not a very good idea.
So Tory councillor Hugh Hunter supports blacklisted trade unionists
But he wont support the people of Prestwick, astonishing.
link to ayradvertiser.com
beamMeUpScotty says
“in the interests of balance and let the chimp bang away on the No desk for a few hours.”
What about a blow up Alistair Darling and we could all take pleasure in watching him slowly deflate?
On the other hand, Tory Councillor Margaret Toner, who is the “Life Long Portfolio Holder”, for young people of South Ayrshire. Cant find in in herself to support the people of Prestwicks fun day out.
link to south-ayrshire.gov.uk
We need answers to the countless questions.
We need answers to the unanswered question.
We need answers.
Oh, well we’ll come along and give everyone as much information as possible. The other side can do the same. We can both provide as many answers as possible.
What?? are you mental? No way. Close this whole thing down. How dare you suggest such reasonableness.
C’mon. Just one major newspaper pick up this pathetic act of toys out of the pram and shame this council!! This blatant attempt to stifle debate has to be highlighted. C’mon Sunday Herald, you can do it.
Least they werent handing out business cards like this
Looking at the front page of the newspaper, I noticed the advert for Vennal Cameras.
Poor spelling, but apt.
When will these people ever learn,
this sounds like a job for the wings team
lets make em pay
To the good people of Prestwick.
Click on the link to leave an E-mail or telephone Mr Hunter at his council office, and let him know how you feel.
link to south-ayrshire.gov.uk
Or if you prefer Margaret Toner, at her council office,I have no idea why you would, prefer her to Mr Hunter, both leave a rather bad taste in the mouth.
Click the link below.
http://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/councillors/margaret-toner.aspx
handandshrimp says
“What’s all this leafleting? This is a local parade for local people. We will have no leafleting here”
Ha ha ha hysterical maybe we should rename Prestwick Royston Vasey?
I think the Prestwick Tories are feeling the pressure after the SNP govt saved the airport. It’s nothing but a piece of political spite by an impotent party. I hope they change their minds.
ON-topic – because it’s about the No campaign trying to control who can and can’t turn up at events – here’s the email I just received from them about the AcademicsTogether event that I registered for (under a false name, naturally). It’s quite amazing how determined they are to control who turns up.
To Colleagues,
I’m very pleased you have signed up to join us on Monday for the launch of Academics Together.
If you could reply to this email ASAP with your name, address and contact number that would enable me to add you to the attendance list for the launch and to our Academics group database.
I look forward to your involvement.
Best,Nigel Anthony
—
Nigel Anthony
Research and Engagement Officer
Better Together
@ desimond
Are we surprised?
link to wingsoverscotland.com
I’m not familiar with the Council’s procedures, but these belters are surely bringing Prestwick residents and businesses into disrepute.
Up for crowdfunding either/or both Ayr/ Prestwick – as previously said, we could call it ‘Wings over Prestwick, or Ayr Beneath Our Wings
desimond said: Least they werent handing out business cards like this.
Was it Nigel Farage canvasing for UKIP?
On a practical note – what happens if, say, 500 or 5,000 folk have arranged, via social media, to meet at a certain place and time e.g. a beach. Does that, technically, come under ‘unlawful assembly’.
@dougdaniel
Well surely the best way to really test it is to register as yourself, no?
@lumilumi
Hahaha, Bravo!
Stop press….Prestwick Council urge Troon countrparts to stop the annual Sick Kids Taxi convoy as some vehicles clearly have registrations that include Y 3 and 5 in them!
@Doug
Email him back, asking for his qualifications. You want to make sure that he is a genuine academic.
@Ian Brotherhood:
I very much doubt that the police would do anything about it, even if it is technically illegal (Most things are technically illegal these days, curtesy of the “special arrangement” we have with the USA).
After all, it’s just a day out at the beach, right?
I was just quietly contemplating how to reach more young folk with the Yes message when my phone suddently rang. A delightful young Glaswegian lady wanted to know which home improvements I might consider making to my property over the next year. Alas, none. But rather than cause disappointment, I took the time to point out to her that if she voted Yes next year, there would be a lot of government jobs coming to Scotland and she wouldn’t need to work in a call centre anymore if she didn’t want to. She sounded impressed.
So, in future, cold calls are no longer a nuisance…..but an opportunity
UK democracy Tory version – one sole useless MP in Scotland (and lucky to have that!) which they then claim gives them the right to impose WMDs on the Clyde and savage cuts to the Scottish Block Grant.
Local democracy Tory version – 2 Tory Councillors cancel holiday event for petty political reason, an event which usually draws around 10,000 participants and visitors, with the huge financial windfall this brings to the local business community.
Wings Over Prestwick pro-independence event – great idea. Over to you, RevStu! Re crowd funding – I’ll be contributing as soon as this is arranged.
@Doug Daniel…
Bejeesus! Just take a look at the cv of your new friend, it’s like something from In The Loop.
link to linkedin.com
@ianb
‘Public assembly’ legally speaking, only needs to be 2 people in a public space, as to the specifics of whether or not you’re in breach, well as they say that’s open to interpretation.
Albalha – “Well surely the best way to really test it is to register as yourself, no?”
There’s no chance they’re getting any of my contact details! Who knows who they sell them to?
I’ve merely replied asking why they need them in order for me to come along to the event.
Im up for crowd funded day on Prestwick Beach, in fact that’s a fablious idea! Go for it Rev.
@DougD
I suppose with a specific group I see why they want to know who people are. It’s not quite the same as a general BT meeting, I don’t think.
Are you an academic?
@Albalha said: ‘Public assembly’ legally speaking, only needs to be 2 people in a public space, as to the specifics of whether or not you’re in breach, well as they say that’s open to interpretation.
So that means the police could lift you for just having a conversation with someone in the street. “Pavements are for walking on not talking on – move along there or I’ll tazer you. Evenin’ all.” They’d like that in Pestwick.
Just received the latest email missive from Project Feart:
“This is it – we need your help”
Dear XXXXX
In just over four weeks time the nationalists will finally reveal their white paper which they promise will “answer all the questions” about the cost of leaving the United Kingdom.
We expect a thick document full of false promises and light on detail as to what the true cost of independence would be. This in our eyes is not what the people of Scotland deserve.
The nationalists will throw everything they have got at this moment to persuade people that we should break up the UK family – we cannot let them distort the true facts with their fiction.
With this in mind, Better Together will be running a series of campaign events w/c 25th of November. We will shortly be advertising events in your area on our website, so please keep an eye on this.
In the meantime if you have not already signed up to Blether Together, please click here to sign up and make five calls before the 25th of November.
We need your help to ensure our positive message on why Scotland has the best of both worlds is heard across Scotland. Please don’t leave it up to someone else- we need your help now.
Rob
Rob Murray
National Campaign Organiser (Grassroots)
Better Together
Jeannie says:
1 November, 2013 at 4:42 pm
“I was just quietly contemplating how to reach more young folk with the Yes message when my phone suddently rang.”
LoL, Love it.
McNic says:
1 November, 2013 at 5:00 pm
“Im up for crowd funded day on Prestwick Beach, in fact that’s a fablious idea! Go for it Rev.”
What about free ice creams for the kids that missed out?
Albalha says
“‘Public assembly’ legally speaking, only needs to be 2 people in a public space, as to the specifics of whether or not you’re in breach, well as they say that’s open to interpretation.”
Stand back,
leave it tae me,
ma wife says a could start an argument in an empty room/beach
@DcanmoreYup, NA a full-on apprentice unaccountable politico/wannabe apparachik fighting the good fight to make a career in a political system where it doesn’t matter who people vote for. In other words, a perfect match wi BT/PF.
Interesting that he was involved in fieldwork for Prof C’s suspiciously high-Brit identity scoring NatCen SSA survey – might explain a few things…although the actual questionnaire was such a dog’s breakfast of questions (both wording and order-wise) that I’d be surprised if that’s not the real reason (which would be ironic given the Prof’s snippy critique of our first poll!).
@majorbloodnok
It used to be 20 then was reduced to 2 in 2003, triggered to prevent animal rights folks doing their thing, I understand.
‘Serious disruption to the life of the community’ is enough and that is clearly open to interpretation.
Bit far for me to travel for a day at the seaside but I’ll happily chip in to make it happen.
First thing you Prestwickers need to do is get down to the pub and form yourselves into a ‘Wings over Prestwick’ committee and get yourselves an entertainment licence from the council. Get your application in and get it publicised to rub their Tory noses in it!
Marcia says….
“Why was the programme not cancelled if there was someone on the panel who believes in a Yes vote”?
Probably because there were another three on the panel who don’t. Balance in 21st century Scotland.
I’m also up for crowd-funding a beach party. Great idea.
“Even the police were asked to intervene”
Any arrests ? enough said !
Strangely, this story doesn’t appear in the online version.
It’s in the online Record, though.
Oh dear… can we now look forward to all the towns independence supporting businesses having their windows smashed en mass and all indy books being burned… oh hang on, that was another dictatorship!
@ Jeannie (4.42pm)
Ooo, brilliant!
My usual response to cold callers is a polite and quick “I’m sorry, I’m not interested. Thank you and goodbye” and hang up. But your strategy… Tapping into all call centre/telesales workers in Scotland… Brilliant!!!
To be realistic, many of the call centres aren’t in Scotland, they’ve been “outsourced” to cheaper labour countries, such as India. But the idea of engaging with a cold caller as a person, instead of an annoying “teleseller” or “customer interface” of some company… Well, everybody wants to be a person. They’ll listen to you just because you want to talk to them as a person, instead of the usual “Sorry not intetested”, hang up/cut off the phone that they get dozens of times a day. (What a soul-destroying job it must be.)
Brilliant idea, Jeannie!
Why don’t we organise a day out on prestwick beach
so that we can show the weans what a Tory looks like
How about an Indy/Wings summer party weekend?
Somewhere like Aviemore, so we can indulge, then have a healthy Sunday walk.
Think I’ll head down to Wetherspoons later for a pint in the Royston Vasey Pioneer.
‘Drams in the Field’ at Glenelg would make a fantastic Indy festival.
Doug Daniel, I got one of those e mails, why the hell they think that I am an academic, only they and heaven knows, I also can’t help wondering how the academic mentioned can be called an activist for this group, when it hasn’t been launched yet.
Mind you I consider myself lucky, three e mails from Better Together in two days, although by the last one, which concerned itself with the White Paper, you could almost smell the hysteria, so much for ll that keep calm and remember your British crap!
You know I’m seriously considering getting my phone number put back in the phone book in the hopes that one of the Better Together blethers makes the mistake of calling me…
I would think the business community and locals of Prestwick will be letting a couple of local councillers know that a certain decision needs to be reversed or a couple of councillers will be looking for new jobs, fight fire with fire.
Come on Prestwick din’a let these selfcentred numptys ruin your PROM, stand up to them.
Think back a few weeks to the events in Stirling – Armed Forces Day over Bannockburn – the Union flag instead of the Stirling Saltire being flown. Prestwick not allowed to hold their event. Etc, etc.
These are not random happenings, they’re politicaly motivated spoilt brats who would rather spit in the soup of YES than attempt to demonstrate their arguments to the public at large.
As they don’t have any positive facts or even the followers to speak out for the Union, we’ll have to shame them for their stupidity.
I’m still waiting for an official go-ahead to say that the SSP will definitely be there on whatever day the Prom was supposed to happen, but I can say this with confidence – the SSP has a lot of support in Ayrshire, especially North Ayrshire, and we used to have a great squad in Ayr – this is the catalyst we need to get that team back together.
If you are one of the Ayr-team I’ve heard so much about, please make yourselves known to me, or any of your old contacts – this is the time to get the show back on the road. And if you’re in Prestwick, but feel a bit stranded, be assured that the North Ayrshire Branch is more than happy to help in any way if you want to get organised – there are more of you than you perhaps realise.
Don’t let these petty bastards get away with this – we can turn it into something magnificent, and show them up for the intellectual and moral cowards that they undoubtedly are.
And, most importantly, those weans will still get their big day out – they don’t care what colour of balloons they end up playing with, and nor do most of their parents.
Juteman @ 6.51
“Drams in the field at Glenelg”- mistaken identity, I never left nearly tram city all day, kind regards Dram.
Ian Brotherhood
Would tomorrow not be an opportune day for some of said team to pass out some pertinent literature around Prestwick and environs.
Roll up Roll up! The leaflets the tories don’t want you to see
When my copy of the Ayrshire Post was delivered, I was flabbergasted. The Prestwick Prom has been a great event for the community, and the committee seem to have been quite happy to take money from the SNP in the past for a stall. Wings Over Prestwick is a great idea, but from the reaction of local punters and businesses, I think there is a good chance someone else will run the event next year anyway. Its too good a party to lose for such a petty excuse. A massive own goal by the bitter together mob. I’ll be there next year if it goes ahead. If they take offence at us handing out leaflets, they can’t stop us all wandering about wearing yes teeshirts, hats etc. We must stand up to the BT bullies who want to censor any chance of a good going debate.
@Davie Hay (11.10) –
Any day’s a good day!
I’m sure the guid folk of Prestwick will start discussing this nonsense tomorrow, when it’s sunk-in. (I would not want to be one of those Tory councillors on Monday morning.)
North Ayrshire SSP normally concentrate on Irvine, but we did foray Ayr during the summer, and the reaction was great – very occasional hassle, but the type of thing anyone might get on the street, and none of it was in objection to what we were there for i.e. signatures on a petition against the Bedroom Tax.
Curiously – while in Ayr High St (right beside the ‘Yes’ stand, Wallace Tower) we were approached by a few folk who were involved in Ayr SSP-as-was, and it was all very pleasant, we swapped names of shared friends etc, but I’m not sure what, if anything, they’ve done about it since. (I’m just an ordinary member of SSP, not privy to membership details etc, but I’m assured we have a lot of support right across Ayrshire.)
I see democracy is alive and well, UK style that is! Scotland is trying to have an open and free debate but one side is so scared of it`s pish poor arguments being exposed that it resorts to such tactics. I can`t imagine this happening to such an important event where i`m from but never say never. I hope that Yes get out in that area in great numbers and show these sad individuals up for the unsympathetic cowards they are.
How dare they do this to any community, I hope Yes get on TV with this and start putting the boot in. Maybe this is more of an opportunity than a bad thing.
Every cloud has a silver lining.
Been AFK for a couple of days. I haven’t read all the comments yet but surely this is a good thing. Now that the reason for the cancelled event is out there, won’t we see the regular attendees voting a resounding yes?
I think this is disgustingg, considering that Ayrshire is one of the worst counties in Scotland with a view to deprivation and unemployment. This bring so many benefits in the form of hard cash from visitors, of course, an inlux of tourists who need all sorts of services, and of course lifts the spirits of the locals during a time of austerity. So much for the unionistas wanting the best for the people were elected to serve.
I say nearer to the time it would be an idea if we could get as many people to turn up on the day that it would have started to show some sort of solidarity with the people. Do our shopping in the town, enjoy what services and features they have. (They do have some, actually), and stick a big two fingers up to the local council bully boys. What are people#s opinions on this? They can’t stop interested individuals turning up in town to simply shop and look around, etc.. Can they? (yet)
Now this is spitting out your dummy on a grand scale. These politicians need to grow up and let people have their event. It is disgusting to cause so much harm and unhappiness to suit your own ends.
These people would obviously lean towards doing away with free speech completely if this is their reaction.
I’d hope there is enough fuss over this that it can be overturned and the event can happen. Vile, vile Tories. Will Labour and Lib Dem go hand in hand with them and show the BT true colours?
I wonder what these two Tories are going to do about prosecuting people for “thought crime”. Banning public assembly for fear of people interacting, debating and having opinions is one thing, but how to crack down on people thinking? They are seriously going to have to rub their heads together to solve that one.
Is there some kind of system of fines which could be levied on offenders?
Confirmed by SSP earlier today – we will he spearheading resistance to this spiteful decision, and the message to those councillors is simple: reverse the ban. If you don’t, we’ll organise a People’s Fun Day.
Joan O’Donnell comments she is not happy the event had to be cancelled because of political interference. The referendum question is non-political, therefore making the interference non-political. The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator explains in great detail why it is so, in its guidance to charities on the referendum.