Scottish Politics For Dummies
As we write there’s a protest going on outside the Scottish Parliament regarding the privatisation of ferry services to the Western Isles. It was formally announced almost three hours ago that there definitely wasn’t going to be any privatisation and that the service would remain in public hands, but the protest still went ahead.
The people conducting the protest, who’ve got the exact thing they wanted, are now doing their level best to lose it again. Welcome to Scottish politics.
The prospect of a potential privatisation arose when the Scottish Government put the contract for the services out to competitive tender, as it was obliged to do by EU law.
The last time the contract had been put out for tender was under the Labour/Liberal Democrat administration in 2005, when what was then called the Scottish Executive was absolutely adamant that there was no way out of the obligation:
The tendering process this year was essentially identical to the one that was duly won by Caledonian Macbrayne in 2007, and had the same result – CalMac put in the best bid and under a strictly regulated set of criteria were awarded the contract.
The opposition parties, however, sensing a political football to kick around, have been campaigning for a complete reversal of their old position and demanding that the service should NOT be put out for tender in future, even though they were the people who made that decision in the first place.
They’re doing this despite their strident assertions that the process would definitely result in privatisation – and indeed, in the Daily Record’s case, that it already HAD done, past tense, almost a year ago – having been proved completely groundless.
In an uncharacteristic display of incompetence, the SNP delayed announcing the extremely popular decision until two weeks AFTER a general election. Meanwhile, the opposition parties are crowing that it was their campaigning that led to the decision being made for political reasons.
Awkwardly, should this view gain widespread traction Serco would have grounds to appeal the decision, which must under the EU rules be made for purely commercial reasons. The only threat of the service now being privatised is if it were to be held that the Scottish Government had awarded the contract to CalMac under political pressure.
(As things stand CalMac is now safely in public hands until at least 2024, well after the next Scottish election. Any decision to take the contract out of tender could in any event be reversed by a new government long before it ever became due again.)
So to recap: people who got exactly what they wanted are protesting angrily about it, in such a way as to risk overturning that victory, in order to try to reverse something they themselves did and said was irreversible, that won’t matter for nearly a decade anyway, in the hopes of damaging a government that was telling the truth all along but chose NOT to make political capital out of it even though there was an election on, and which has kept public services in public hands just like it said it intended to.
If anyone’s got any questions, you know where to reach us.
You are forgetting – SNP BAD. Bad bad bad SNP.
I see Kez there, making a difference, of course (not). Duh!
Inspiring that the Daily Mirror’s Kevin McGuire took such an interest. Does he has an island holiday home too?
Thank God for this site (and Stu of course). That’s all I can say.
No doubt all organised by the red tories.
Yup – its the law, its not our law, but we followed the law and got the result you wanted.
And they still protest? Doh! Thicker than shit.
“Serco’s bid sought certain changes to commercial terms aimed at striking a balance between the risks and rewards involved, but in so doing the bid was deemed non-compliant by Transport Scotland.”
link to serco.com
Doesn’t this mean there was effectively only one tenderer; Calmac, who won?
They could all tramp down to Muirfield where another example of progress is revealed.
“Yes, but they are doing it deliberately!”
CalMac BBC Scotland :-
“…………….The new contract, which was awarded by the Scottish government, covers the eight-year period from 1 October.
The tendering process was the source of a dispute between unions and CalMac and the Scottish government last year.
The Scottish government said EU rules meant it had to open the process to competitive bids.
The dispute saw an independent panel set up to provide examine the tender process, which it found to have been fair, open and transparent…………………..” 🙂
link to archive.is
[…] Wings Over Scotland Scottish Politics For Dummies As we write there’s a protest going on outside the Scottish Parliament […]
So to recap: people who got exactly what they wanted are protesting angrily about it, in such a way as to risk overturning the decision and losing it, in order to try to reverse something they themselves did and said was irreversible, and that won’t matter for at least a decade, in the hopes of damaging a government that was telling the truth all along but chose NOT to make political capital out of it even though there was an election on, and which has kept public services in public hands just like it said it intended to.
Christ have Kezia Dugdale and Ian Murray learned nothing over the last 10 years or so in regards to Scottish politics? That of course is a rhetorical question. SLAB really do appear to have a death wish. They never seem to learn anything, they persist in this highly cynical and downright stupid approach to politics. They are acting like children, although to be fair to some children, without the same maturity. It is incredible watching them make utter fools of themselves, and presumably expect the electorate in Scotland to take them seriously at the same time.
Smells very like the vote for the first SNP budget when the SNP were in a minority and the Greens wanted an undeliverable concession to vote for the Budget, the Tories wanted extra Police and Labour wanted something else.
The extra Police was amended in and Labour’s condition was accepted but they still voted against the budget to the hilarity of the rest of Holyrood.
Labour have had this who tactic game planned and cannot change to adapt to the changes they foresaw.
If they had any brains, they could be dangerous.
I sincerely hope that Kevin Maguire at the Mirror gets this shot across his bow……what a plank he has turned into.
A classic example of the deranged mentally of opposing anything and everything just for the sake of it.
It does make you wonder if the evolutionary theory of ‘Survival of the fittest’ is just a load of bollocks.
I suppose they’ve spent all that money on little calmac badges, going to the trouble of putting them on avatars etc., and they don’t want to switch off the hate just yet.
I wonder how Reporting Scotland will pitch it later… SNP forced to climb down, minority government can’t force its will on us now, we have Ruth too, the SNP are finished.
I wish I could wake up in 10 years when it was all over and they were gone.
Welcome to the twilight zone (Scotland) where up is down left is right cats are actually small dogs and the SNP are actually a knitting class who unwittingly walked into Holyrood thinking it was a wool convention and now run the country better than the last lot despite not having a clue what the hell is going on.
Yes, all of this is according to the looney yooney media which is so demented now that at some point very soon they are going to ask for Russia’s help in dealing with the “democratic problem” they see is ruining their britfest party.
It takes a special kind of selfish, thoughtless halfwit to place a result like that in jeopardy for the purpose political gain and posturing. The usual suspects never f***ing disappoint.
Thank Gawd they were denied access to any success in the recent elections. The thought of them being anywhere near serious responsibility…, well thankfully that won’t be an issue for hopefully many, many years to come.
Protesting after the decision has been made just shows you the mentality of the people on the Labour benches – empty vessels who’ve never grown out of student politics. It’s a shame seeing SSP flags there, though – interesting company to be keeping.
(Even more interesting that they’re standing under SSP banners and not RISE banners, mind…)
It’s worth pointing out amongst all the crowing, that this result only happened due to calmac putting in the most credible bid. If that hadn’t happened, we’d have been looking at serco running the show.
Bears pointing out.
Good to see Ian Murray, Labour’s sole MP, trying unsuccessfully – again – to score a cheap political point against the hated SNPBad Government. I’m only surprised he didn’t don his Union Flag suit for a photoshoot opportunity while doing so.
Gosh. SLabour are such a successful campaigning unit that I will probably vote them in next election…:) 🙂 🙂
Imagine these dummies running our parliament?
The votes protested recently against Labour. It seems that the protest will be repeated next year.
It conclusively proves that Labour exist only to serve themselves and not the people of Scotland . They keep walking into their own bear traps.
It is just breathtakingly stupid. There is no other way to describe it.
Having been a union member for 30 odd years, I left a couple of years ago.
This article sums up the reason why.
Test
I thought that EU law on tendering has been misunderstood… apparently it doesn’t have to be competitive tender if the government in question can argue that there are powerful social reasons for keeping services in public hands. Only in Britain market ideology has reached an apparent consensus, so that consideration is overlooked.
“apparently it doesn’t have to be competitive tender if the government in question can argue that there are powerful social reasons for keeping services in public hands.”
See the previous article.
Oh dear, how embarassing. Still, fuel for the vote ‘leave’ lot. Electoral Commission leaflet this morning, jeez the front page is quite scary, some sort of torture device. The arguments, set out for both sides for those who don’t have time, or energy to read up in more detail.
I do hope that someone at the demo, has access to twitter so they can view WoS and go home and do something useful with the day. It’s getting to be like a daft comedy, it really is, but perhaps that is the intention.
Reporting Scotland will start with ‘campaigners applaud’.
So a Member of the UK parliament, Ian Murray, has said the decision to award the contract to CalMac was taken because of campaigners (which he was one) and Trade Unions,
not because of CalMac being the better bid,
surely SERCO will use this statement by a Member of the UK parliament,Ian Murray, as a basis to call the bid a bogie,
and get the EU to overturn the decision,
Ian Murray through his overriding hatred of all things good for Scotland,could well have destroyed the CalMac tender.
Just another day in the life of BritNat Scottish unionists mobilizing against the interests of Scotland and her people.
Where will it all end for these creatures?
Ouch, bangs heid on desk. Jesus feckin wept, ye couldnae make this crap up.
Whit a bunch o’ empty heidit numpties. Thank god that the SNP have the interest of the people of Scotland front and centre. Imagine if that lot were let loose to run the country. Stuff of nightmares.
They are protesting simply so tomorrow’s headlines will likely read ‘Slabour and Unions force SNP climbdown on threatened privatisation’
Just one wee quibble “Scottish Opposition Politics by Dummies”
Well that’s settled – now how about East Coast Ferries.
Is there any legal reason EU laws or other why Calmac could not run ferries from East Coast ports such as Rosyth to The Continent with suitable subsidies?
The West Coast Ferries are heavily subsidised so why not ferries from The East Coast/
Resurrect the service from Rosyth to Zeebrugge with vessels up to the standard provided by the long lamented Superfast (not the crap Scottish Viking service which was a disgrace) – I’m sure that Jim McColl could provide suitable vessels.
Additional services could be introduced to Norway and The Baltic and the building of suitable vessels on The Clyde would ebable us to give 2 fingers to WM and their destroyer/frigate contracts.
Properly promoted and integrated with the whole Scottish Tourism industry including W. Coast Ferries such services would be of great benefit to Scotland.
The previouis Zeebrugge service was never properly promoted or advertised – all we ever saw were a few adverts from travel agents selling short break package holidays on the Continent I don’t know how much promotion the service was given at the continent end.
Never mind depleted uranium, we have weapons grade stupidity right there.
It seems Scotland really is a one party state, the opposition are simply too incompetent to function.
@DougDaniel
RISE claim to be strapped for cash. Without all the short money you SNP lot get from councillors, MSPs, MEPs and a pile of MPs as well as millionaire donors you can see why. Maybe you could have a whip round at your next party meeting for them in a spirit of Yes Unity so they can at least buy new flags. No?
Thanks for setting this out Rev.
TBT not read it all , mainly as the facts have been abundantly clear to most of us.
Slab & Libs are a shower o £eckin’ ejits and this just proves it beyond reasonable doubt.
MSM reporting ? I’ll see tonight ….SNP Bad anyone ?
Off to do some work as these kinda things are starting to really Pi$$ me o££.
I don’t think the decision will be in jeopardy because it is pretty obvious politicking by a disgruntled minority party.
I suspect many a Slabber is quietly furious that Serco didn’t win because they dearly wanted an SNPbad to float their boat.
Not sure why they want an abandonment of any future tender exercise – could Calmac not conceivably win the Northern routes off Serco if there were another one?
Jimmy
Hard to see what else could be done..ideas?
We are here to chant SNPBAD because of x, if x is no longer an available excuse we’ll just chant SNPBAD anyway.
This kind of thing sums up the tory BBC led UKOK freak show really well
“in the hopes of damaging a government that was telling the truth all along but chose NOT to make political capital out of it even though there was an election on, and which has kept public services in public hands just like it said it intended to.”
As mentioned above:
CalMac wins ferry contract after rival bid ruled “non-compliant”
link to archive.is
Next stage?
SERCO will be rubbing their hands in glee.
SERCO use this demo & press reports as evidence in their legal case to overturn the decision.
SERCO are awarded contract by default
Batsh!t crazy doesn’t even begin to describe these idiots with the fake demo for political gain. I’ve seen bids subjected to legal objections in London-expensive & never goes well.
Well done SLAB/Greens/SSP/RMT-I truly hope you get what’s coming to you from the workers of CalMac when they are all transferred to SERCO under Transfer of Undertakings legislation. You will deserve all the ire you get & more besides.
Using people like this for your own purposes is truly despicable.
I know a couple of Labour supporters (yes I know) and I am going to humiliate them with this. And no I don’t want them coming over to YES side as we need to keep our group IQ high.
Wonder if they will be stupid enough to organise a protest at the shool refurbishment privatisation mess they started themselves?
Might as well, they couldn’t be regarded as being any more ridiculous than they already are.
Muscleguy says:
19 May, 2016 at 1:27 pm
@DougDaniel
RISE claim to be strapped for cash. Without all the short money you SNP lot get from councillors, MSPs, MEPs and a pile of MPs as well as millionaire donors you can see why. Maybe you could have a whip round at your next party meeting for them in a spirit of Yes Unity so they can at least buy new flags. No?
Come on Muscleguy, RISE are the darlings of our tory BBC led ukok media now. So much tory media boosting and coverage for the left of the left of the left might confuse but you can hardly grinch about lack of flag money. But you do.
This has the stench of Labour incompetence all over it.
Another shining example of why we don’t trust you any more and why we’ll never vote for you again.
Time to open up the East Coast Ports for Scotland’s Import / Exports.
That way the likes of Scotch whisky can then be a Scottish export rather than English, because it currently leaves from Hull.
I did not believe in kicking a man when he is down, but the craven Labour party is just about there. They should be shown no quarter and treated just like the Tories, the enemies of Scotland.
There is only one party that really looks after Scottish interests, the others are all Westminster lead, to keep Scotland occupied by stealth.
A question. Who actually comes up with labour strategies anymore, whoever they are, they need fired.
Heedtracker, more BBC bias here
link to indyref2.scot
I couldn’t care about politicians private lives but had hoped SNP elected representatives would be better than the UKOK types, however as usual there is double standards from MSM/BBC who turned a blind eye towards Purcell and Mathieson indiscretions.
And no Yes journalist or politician tried to make political capital or snide comments about Alastair Darling’s affair with a journalist Maggie Vaughan whilst married and obviously preferred separation to being Better together with his first wife.
There is something fantastically deranged about going on and having the protest anyway. It is like something from a 1950s Ealing comedy.:)
The UK SUCKS.
Ian Murray is a tit, and comes across as one, no offence to real tits there.
For those wondering where they are getting you don’t need to tender from, the RMT sought legal advice and that advise said that exemption could be sought under a Teckal exemption.
Off Course the Scottish Government legal advise said that they needed to carry out the tendering process, Note that the RMT case is legal advice not LAW.
link to rmt.org.uk
As a long suffering Cal-Mac user Im happy that the tender has not gone to Serco, Cal-Mac has its issues but in the main they do a decent job.
The fact that the Scottish Government consider these ferry links vital enough that they contract firms to run them might give some merit to the vital service opt outs available to EU members. However there’s always a possibility that as Scotland isn’t the member state we can’t actually invoke the defence clauses that Westminster could do to not tender military shipbuilding and support local steel production.
These ferry services are, in some cases, a lifeline and must be maintained. If a private operator wants to compete then by all means do so.
It’d be funny bordering on hilarity if the LD MSPs from the isles were forced to vote alongside the SNP by their electorate should this come to some kind of vote.
New SG presenting itself to parliament started 2pm:
link to scottishparliament.tv
Sturgeon outlining their attributes and responsibilities she wont say Aye ours are better than any of yours, but it would have been nice to hear her!
We await the opposition replies. 🙂
And no Yes journalist or politician tried to make political capital or snide comments about Alastair Darling’s affair with a journalist Maggie Vaughan whilst married and obviously preferred separation to being Better together with his first wife.”
Thanks a lot.
I just threw up my lunch.
There are some things in this life bettertogether left hidden.
The fact that they planned the protest after the decision was going to be announced confirms was never about the decision rather getting their wee faces on the telly. The fact that the Greens where in on this is pretty piss poor. It does however guarantee that I’ll look on them as just another opposition SNPBad party.
Expect the loyal BBC will run the story as protest – decision made – Labour victory
RMT are only one of several unions representing the CalMac workforce. All of their paid officials are directly elected by their members, which can lead lead to posturing along the lines of “see how hard I fight for you, vote me back in again next election”. This behaviour is not necessarily the best way to achieve their object and might even be counterproductive. The TV coverage of chants of “RMT RMT” outside Holyrood will be anathema to many CalMac employees. I noticed John Finnie green MSP there to support them, perhaps a learning experience for him.
The plan is as long as the deluded see the telly pictures and read the first three lines of a newspaper they think they’ve done their job
Labour, Lib Dems, and yes that little band of so called SNP supporting Sherwood foresters, The Greens
Fists in the air as one with cries of SNP Baad
I should mention of course that the FM had a meeting with the wee Hied of the Sherwood Foresters where she could have told him the result of the Tender had he been prepared to offer co-operation so mibbees that’ll teach that individual not to Fukc about with the Khaleesi who’s a wee bit smarter than the average growth
As a former bid manager one of the most important things you need to do is submit a bid which is totally compliant with the tender authority’s terms and conditions. Once Serco realised that they weren’t able to meet these, they would have known their chances of winning were very slight.
I suspect that Transport Scotland always knew that commercial bidders like Serco would struggle to accept the terms and conditions. But in the end their astute bid process has led to numerous improvements and job guarantees from CalMac at what I presume is a reasonable price. All in all another good display of competence from Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government.
HYPOCRACY!
OT from Holyrood
Nicola announces her new cabinet.
Odd to see the Tories on the other side of the chamber.
Jackson Carlaw, replying to Nicola for the Tories, gave a very funny and warm speech. Don’t expect it will last. Kezia was dull.
@Jimmy says: 19 May, 2016 at 1:01 pm:
“It’s worth pointing out amongst all the crowing, that this result only happened due to calmac putting in the most credible bid. If that hadn’t happened, we’d have been looking at serco running the show.
Bears pointing out.”
It only bears pointing out if you fondly imagine you are posting to such as Labourhame, Jimmy.
Thing is you are not posting in Labourhame. I’d wager there isn’t anyone else on Wings, (who isn’t a troll, or a visiting Yoon), who were under any delusions that the situation was other than stated by Rev Stu.
We tend to be just a little more informed on here and we also tend to think before we comment.
Muscleguy says:
19 May, 2016 at 1:27 pm
@DougDaniel
RISE claim to be strapped for cash. Without all the short money you SNP lot get from councillors, MSPs, MEPs and a pile of MPs as well as millionaire donors you can see why. Maybe you could have a whip round at your next party meeting for them in a spirit of Yes Unity so they can at least buy new flags. No?
Err . . . actually no!
The SNP were born of a dream, ridiculed and pilloried, discredited and poopoohed from the very begining. They have evolved, served their time (apprenticeship) on Councils, at Westminster and as a credible governing body in the Scottish Parliment. It has taken over 50 years to reach this point.
Rise have barely come out of the back room at the pub in comparison. They are frought with divisions and egos far bigger than their soundbites. When they have done the hard miles, won the Councils, stood for Westminster or, even better, in an Indy Scottish Parliament, then and only then will they be able to claim some kudos.
That is when folk will support them in droves, pay their membership subs and debate long and hard for the best way forward. Somehow I doubt if millionaires will ever be their bedfellows though.
Despite the admirable sentiments proposed by some left wing entities, Scotland desperately needs entrepreneurs and their forward looking business brains to create jobs, exports and a can-do culture that energises the economy.
Pound the streets first, the spending pounds will come soon enough IF (Big if) the policies are sound – if not, RISE and the others will wither.
Redicul-asses slow as Molasses,about time those Union members took they,re representatives to task,leading them roon the Mayberry pole an tying themselves in knots.
(ok dont shoot me ah know Mayberry’s no at Holyrood)
Shouldn’t the above read Yoonism For Dummies. The EBC must have been spitting acidic bile and had volcanic steam coming from its ears.
SNP VERY BAAHD since they didn’t give the contract to the corrupt corporate friends of the Yoons in Serco. SNP EVEN BAAHDER.
I think I have cracked more ribs from laughing as if I hadn’t laughed enough about the Yoon ostriches voting against hosting the Yoon Open ever again.
The rib tickling compensates a little for the decision not to ditch Fergus Ewing.
Deputy Deadwood not joining in the jocular repartee at all in the chamber which is disappointing, much too dreary and dour. Today is all about circus and lampooning. We are in the phoney war stage at the moment.
Jackson Carlaw was much more entertaining in his remit to throw the custard pies at the SG new cabinet which is what the affair is all about.
The Greens and Wee Wullie were a wee bit like the labour too new and too small to be of significance although he referred to a buffalo and two pigs.
Sturgeon’s reply was quite good and jibed Carlaw for camouflaging the word Tory from the electorate during the election and regretted Deputy Deadwood had left her joke book behind. 🙂
All jolly hockey sticks!
The parliament ministers are in post and all agreed by parliament…Queenie can now be informed
Let the journey begin. 🙂
If Carlsberg did stupid——they still could come near Labour and Greens.
Bella are doing their annual fund raising activities and are also publishing an interesting book in June titled Scotland 2021. Contributers include Irvine Welsh, Khuloud Saba, Alistair Davidson, Neil Cooper, Joyce McMillan, Maggie Chapman, Adam Ramsay, Robin McAlpine, Kathy Galloway, Niamh Webster, Tom French, Vonnie Moyes, Anuj Kapilashrami, Sara Marsden, Jane Denholm, Tam McTurk and dozens more.
We need alternate media to stir the brain cells and avoid only getting information from the MSM.
link to indiegogo.com
…another great Labour victory. They saved the ferries from the nasty SNP.
Meanwhile back in reality it has been demonstrated AGAIN that the SNP government is both competent and professional. A government that is motivated to serve the people of Scotland.
I have a suggestion for the other parties….try to rise to this standard rather than screaming SNPbad every day…people are starting to notice!
I’m finding Carlaw hard to laugh about, given the speed at which he submitted a complaint about 2 SNP MPs for investigation of expenses. He knows they are not guilty of inappropriate claims, but serves his prurient purposes.
However, Wishart tweeted this morning, that Carlaw will not be popular with his WM colleagues, as all ‘guests’ in hotel rooms, will need to be checked out, and Tories have more than anyone.
Hope Karma bites Tory arse.
Are the SNP getting the message yet though? And that is – Stop being so bloody nice and take the effin gloves off and put on the tackety boots and get stuck intae the quizzers!
@ Gus
Love the idea of ferries, etc., from the east coast to the continent, but, I doubt that these could be subsidised. The ferries to the islands are a different matter because they are in-country service links for our own citizens.
@Iain More
Not sure what your beef is about Ewing?
I hear this all the time in the anti fracking groups, and its completely misplaced.
Ewing is a loyal, hard working Minister. Whatever he delivers, is in accord with party policy. He has never rebelled. If you don’t like what he does, you need to take issue with party policy, not the man.
As I’ve posted before, Armando Inniacci is out of a job when it comes to writing future political satire.
Seriously, who can top that lot?
This, following on from the Conservatives asking the House of Commons standards watchdog to investigate the SNP. The Conservatives! FFS.
Ruth Davidson won the election. Didn’t she? With the SNP in imminent free fall?
Sometimes, during weeks like this, I feel the fabric of my sanity fraying at the edges.
Steve Sayers!? Call the white van. Please.
@Haggishunter says: 19 May, 2016 at 1:46 pm:
“Time to open up the East Coast Ports for Scotland’s Import / Exports.
That way the likes of Scotch whisky can then be a Scottish export rather than English, because it currently leaves from Hull.”
Never going to happen, Haggishunter. The main company exporting Scotch calls variously calls itself :-
”
Diageo Great Britian Ltd
Diageo plc
Diageo Brands BV
Diageo Scotland Ltd
here’s some of their head offices:-
Diageo’s Head Office: 8 Henrietta Place
London
W1G 0NB
Park Royal Site: Cumberland Avenue
Park Royal, London NW10 7RR
020 8965 7700
A major site for Diageo is its ‘prestige office development’ in Park Royal, West London, which is the head office for Diageo Great Britain, and until recently the site of brewing of Guinness for the UK, which is currently being moved to Ireland.1
Diageo Ireland: St James’s Gate, Dublin 8, Republic of Ireland
Tel: 01 643 5438/5683
Diageo Scotland ltd: Edinburgh Park
5 Lochside Way
Edinburgh
Lothian EH12 9DT
Diageo Great Britain: Lakeside Drive
London NW10 7HQ
Get the picture now, Haggishunter?
They are mainly registered as a UK company and thus pay their tax mainly as from London. They also export their Scottish exports. They do Gin and other stuff too in Scotland but they export it mainly from Hull ports and thus it is accounted by the UK government as English Exports.
So Scottish Labour continues with it’s suicidal ‘lets carry on treating the Scots people like they are thick as shit.
Words fail me. Failing, Fail, failed. Arseholes.
Bernard Ponsonby was saying in his report last night that no complaint had been received by the commission from Carlaw, half 6 news.
Carlaw should be reported to the standards commission himself for his comments on Eastwood just prior to the election, trying to stir up trouble.
On the evidence of the pics above, it would appear that the good people of Cunninghame North didn’t buy the shite pedalled by Johanna Baxter of Labour (Other Tory)….she came 3rd in the constituency vote.
Why, oh WHY do they do this? Why do they continue with their utter rubbish? We can all see they are trumpeting some ‘success’ when everyone can see they are being utterly ridiculous. Do these people not know that the INTERWEB EXISTS and exposes them as a bunch of opportunistic, self-serving pish-talkers? It’s utter breath-taking stupidity from them.
But hey – effing keep it up you bunch of halfwits. More lies to expose to the electorate of Scotland and more ammo for us.
Keep it up. Tick, tock yoons.
Another great piece on WoS.
The picture at the top is a classic. There is something very pathetic about Kezia Dugdale.
And so another day of SLabGreenour UKOK fcuk wittery farts along, from BBC Scotland to rancid the Graun, liars and hypocrites do that UKOK thing in their Scotland region.
In other news
link to siberiantimes.com
‘Scotland is kilts, whisky, ales, bagpipe and freedom-loving people. It’s the only state which became a member of the United Kingdom voluntarily so they have the moral right to leave it if they want to.’
The moral right to leave.
Anyway – why does Rangers FC want to run Scottish ferry services? Oh wait – just saw Kez’s banner. SERCO and not SEVCO. Got it.
At the risk of being wrong – again – in my recollections, I understood at the time that the 2005 process was less of a threat to Calmac since potential commercial bidders were put off by the serious restrictions on Sunday ferry services at that point.
I look forward to Ian Murray being SERCO’s star witness in a judicial review or whatever kind of proceedings may emerge from this fiasco, but rest assured that if the decision is overturned on appeal, it will still be spun by opposition and media as the fault of the SNP.
Its the Bain principle in full flow. They get what they want but still cant get past the fact the SNP won another election. Its the voters you know. They are voting the wrong way.
No doubt the MSM will be spinning this as some kind of capitulation from the SNP under the withering pressure of the SLabour and Ruthie parties. Wee Willie will also be running around telling anyone who will listen that it was he who caused this.
Expect headlines like “Massive blow to SNP….”.
In the mean time the Scottish public will look on, shake their heads and say “Aye right ok”.
At some point the MSM and the opposition parties are going to have to come to terms with the fact the Scottish people think the SNP are doing a good job running the place.
Willie Bain may no longer be a Labour MP but his party still insist on applying “The Bain Principle” whenever it can.
For those unaware of the Bain principle it goes. “If the SNP Propose it then Labour will Oppose it”
Will they ever learn.
Seriously, who’s the bigger troll, Jackie Baillie or Kevin Maguire?
This article about SERCO’s share price today may raise a smile.
link to trendsandtargets.com
We need a change of emphasis now. During the election I e-mailed my SNP candidate about the continuing lacklustre response of the SNP to lies and deceit of both the opposition and the media. It was in the context of the PFI scandal.
He was re-elected. However his response was, and I quote
“I try my best but interestingly the constant barrage of anti-SNP propaganda sometimes seems to be counter productive”
“I”, not “We”. Acknowledges it is propaganda. Worst of all he seemed to be relying on the “counter productive” effect to win through. How? Who’s reporting it? Us on here? Is that it?
At the start of a new term of office the SNP now need to develop and publicise it’s strategy to begin to tackle this barrage of propaganda.
The parliament only formally opened today but already we’ve had
the nonsense about repealing OBFA, Kelly’s blatant lying about it, Carlaw’s appalling behaviour over MP’s conduct and now this mince today.
I’ll need to think a bit more about developing some positive ideas around this, but to be honest I’m heart sick of always being on the back foot. Another 5 years of this without a plan to counteract it, and we’ll lose.
Oh and the MSP used to be a Cabinet member.
@ Ronnie Anderson, 2.34pm
Keelhaulin’ micht be too guid for them, Ronnie!
Very poetical, ye are Ronnie, after sniffin’ the guid fresh air o’ the north on your travels. Right about the unions though, time they looked at the company they keep/support.
So, let me get this right, Calmac won the bid, which was required BY LAW (a process used by the last Labour/liberal administration), so the ferries stay with Calmac until 2024. So what is all the greetin about?
Seriously, the only reason red tories like Iain Murray (and he IS a tory) get away with this utter bull, is because the so-called ‘journalists’ of Scotland play ball. Time and time again, there is zero critique of any of this politicking nonsense, and ALL to the detriment of Scotland.
Just consider how project fear was allowed to spout lie after lie after lie during the first independence referendum. Not only were they never criticised by the so-called ‘journalists’ in Scotland, but indeed their lies were publicised and pushed as FACT in the media, including the BBC day after day.
Look at the contrast in England now, however, with the UK/EU referendum. Attempts to use project fear tactics are backfiring, simply because journalists and the BBC are actually questioning the rubbish and lies.
It could not be any clearer, Scotland is treated by the media as an English colony. ‘Keep the jocks ignorant of the facts’ seems to be the order of the day.
Meanwhile, the likes of Iain Murray will carp long and hard, about the tendering process – a process his party, Labour, first used.
Thank god for this site, for without it, it would be very hard to get ANY useful information about Scottish politics at all.
One_Scot says:
19 May, 2016 at 4:00 pm
Seriously, who’s the bigger troll, Jackie Baillie or Kevin Maguire?
Jackie is much, much BIGGER!
Heedtracker at 334pm
Just saw your post, I like that phrase ‘The moral right to leave’.
Of course Scotland also has a legal right to leave the UK, if the people democratically decide to do so. As the treaty of union is a bilateral treaty between Scotland and England, it can be ended by either party – as is the case with ANY treaty (regardless of what Westminster likes to say).
Seriously, who’s the bigger troll, Jackie Baillie or Kevin Maguire?
Pound for pound, its got to be Baillie. Maguire’s just another ukok drive by gimp.
I sometimes think that the cause of Scottish independence must be blessed to have such utterly incompetent numpies opposing it.
All a bit too obvious, though! Makes you wonder what entities operate more discretely and subtly against us.
@ Betty Boop Whit wiz ah no poetical before ah drooned in that guid fresh air in the north of Scotland lol.
Honestly, it’s a wonder anything gets done in the UK given that amount of time the Yoons spend obsessing about Scotland and the SNP.
Just as a matter of academic interest, it would be interesting to know what % of the ‘Nae Wummin If Youse Please, This Is Muirield’ voters were also Nawbags in 2014.
Any guesses?
Just absorbing some of the Twitter stuff about Labour influencing the CalMac outcome.
How stupid is that!? When did Labour last have any positive influence in Scotland?
I say positive, because of course Labour exerted huge influence during IndyRef, and that outcome has been thoroughly negative no matter how you judge it!
Robert Louis @ 4:09pm
Both the leave and remain campaigns darn sarf seem to be using the Project Fear handbook and cancelling each other out.
Meanwhile the tories are eating each other alive which is no bad thing.
I think if there’s any SNP “Incompetence”, then where they consistently fail is in not refuting claims made by the opposition and nailing them to the wall with the debunking they could easily silence them with.
Like Salmond didn’t on the issue over the pound.
I got the impression he didn’t realise how serious that was.
Like every time the media try and stick the “once in a lifetime” thing on their backs.
They seem to just shrug their shoulders, not realising that, not only does this have a huge impact on the malleable, but all those little points unchallenged, add up to the potage of misinformation mash. that is spoonfed to the unfed undecideds who will believe a headline before any attempt at thorough explanation, however lengthy or honest.
I do wish Nicola would stop reacting to female opposition like she’s down Patna Working Men’s Club in a rammy, defending a pal with shrieks and lashings of handbag though, as she utterly destroys the men with concise ice.
She just lets her buttons get pushed.
Anyways.
Nice gunk tae the opposition!
katherine hamilton says:
19 May, 2016 at 4:02 pm
We need a change of emphasis now…continuing lacklustre response of the SNP to lies and deceit of both the opposition and the media. …Another 5 years of this without a plan to counteract it, and we’ll lose.
The very best thing I have ever seen was the Wings advert in the Glasgow Underground in 2014.
I was always going to vote yes, and I wasnt paying much attention to the debate, but that information that only 1 newspaper out of 37 supported independence gave me a jolt and started a process that ended up with me getting most of my information from places like this. Glancing at newspaper headlines and listening to the BBC is now just a kind of propaganda watch.
Somehow we need to get some awareness out there, without appearing like paranoid conspiracy theorists.
To be honest I think theres a limit to what the SNP can do, I think it would be unwise to directly attack the media, but actually what they could do is make their website MUCH more accessible and informative. I never even look at it these days. Stuff like this post should be headlined on it. It should be a go-to place for Scottish news.
‘Scottish’labour jump on board Calmac Ferry after it has berthed at where they wanted to be in the first place, but never mind they can get their photo opportunity in the paper.
PS:
Tory vendetta indeed as they split over EU and allow the SNP a chance at WM to get it’s way over TTIP.
David Cameron facing Commons defeat over transatlantic trade
link to archive.is
Far right toryboy world’s not saying much about it all
euan mccolm ?@euanmccolm 36m36 minutes ago
euan mccolm Retweeted Adam Tomkins MSP
good appointment. and a tough one for constance.euan mccolm added,
Adam Tomkins MSP @ProfTomkins
Delighted to be invited by @RuthDavidsonMSP to join her front bench Shadow Cabinet. I’ll be shadowing @AConstanceSNP
3 retweets 8 likes
From Slovenia presumably. Casts a long shadow across the EU does bettertogether Slovenia branch.
Baillie, Dugdale, Murray, and their rentamob.
While REAL politicians are inside taking care of business, this dwindling bunch of numpties continue to confirm what an intellectually challenged bunch of nasty wee chancers that they really are.
Money for old jam.
We’re well rid of New Labour and their corrupt little gang Up Here.
I note that Andy Burnham is jumping ship.
Mayor of Manchester?
What a waste of space this lot are.
OT
I’m wondering why so few people on here (and so few at the BBC) have mentioned the ongoing investigation by The Electoral Commission into Tory spending in last year’s General Election. It’s worth pointing out, by way of highlighting the seriousness of the issue, that;
“Making a false declaration in relation to candidate spending carries a punishment of up to a year in jail and/or an unlimited fine – and anyone found guilty is barred from standing for election as an MP or holding elected office for three years.”
(Daily Mail)
If found guilty, it seems obvious to me that their victory in the election last year would also be brought into question.
The Tories should be worried about this.
During the election they had bussed literary hundreds of people in several “Battlebuses” all over England into key marginals. They claim that this bussing comes under the national party’s expenditure (although they never declared it), rather than local candidate’s spending.
The rules are very clear on the distinction between local and national spending; link to electoralcommission.org.uk
The problem for the Tories is that the ‘bussed’ activists were not just campaigning on national or nationwide issues, they were actually very specifically targeting local issues as this document makes clear: http://www.channel4.com/media/images/Channel4/c4-news/2016/Apr/14/script2–(None)_LRG.png
Looking at that document, it’s interesting to see how central the “threat of the SNP” was to the Tory campaign in England.
It all sounds a bit petty on a certain level but the numbers point to over-spending in over 30 constituencies by tens of thousands of pounds.
If the Electoral Commission investigation comes to nothing in a case as clear-cut as this, I think we can safely throw in the towel in terms of expecting any fairness from them with future elections and referenda up here.
The level of downright lying backtracking and flat out mis information being pumped out by Yoon world today is quite staggering and it’s led me to think what cowardly sniveling pond life these Yoons and their “Churnalist” breast feeders are
The safety of cowering behind their keyboards buried deep in the folds of their Yoon mothers aprons of the BBC and fortified milk newsprint offices tells the story of how they feel not only about Scotland but the whole of the UK
And it’s less than contempt for their fellow man everywhere, if they can’t control the agenda they will just try and wreck peoples lives with the most appalling low grade behaviour imaginable and all to create relevance for themselves
It’s fortunate for them, and they know it, that this isn’t America, where some folk just can’t take what life is dishing out to them anymore or they are being oppressed by the same things we are in this country and it leads them to take up a gun and shoot people because they can’t think of any other way to express themselves (apart from the loonys that is)
Personally I’m not that kind of a person, I’m more of a hand down your throat rip lungs right oot kinda thing but I can certainly see that a big gun might have an appeal Thankfully and fortunately for them (Churnalists and Yoons alike) we don’t have guns here well we’d have too many dead bus drivers and jails full of women if we did
I say women because I know they dislike bus drivers more than men
We should do a poll; If Kevin McGuire was standing in front of you how many people would like to stick a Faggot in his eye
If Jackie Baillie was standing in front of you how many people would force a Steak Bake up her nose
If David Cameron was standing in front of you how many people would stick his privates into a Pigs——- Oh no he’s done that already
UKOK neo fascism as wit presumably. He’s called Fluffie because it just works. Jeez oh toryboy world’s banal. The banality of yoons.
euan mccolm ?@euanmccolm 20h20 hours ago
just to be clear, some of the less enlightened sorts at holyrood came up with “fluffy” because they reckoned mundell wasn’t manly enough.
My Slovene girlfriend’s certainly hit the ground running. She likes to shake things up, they say in Ljubljana. Daily Record’s getting a big mention which is odd considering how much rancid the Graun and Herald btl work went on, Slovenia says vote NO or else style.
Question S5W-00133: Adam Tomkins, Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 19/05/2016
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce (a) legislative or (b) other proposals regarding the scope and application of purdah on the duties of the Scottish Information Commissioner and the commissioner’s ability to announce decisions.
Current Status: Expected Answer date 02/06/2016
Question S5W-00132: Adam Tomkins, Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 19/05/2016
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report in the Daily Record on 29 March 2016 that the Scottish Information Commissioner was minded to delay announcing decisions that might be critical of ministers until after the 2016 Scottish election, whether it is aware of the commissioner delaying such announcements in previous periods of purdah.
Current Status: Expected Answer date 02/06/2016
Question S5W-00131: Adam Tomkins, Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 19/05/2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether there was communication between it and the Scottish Information Commissioner regarding the commissioner being minded to delay announcing decisions that might be critical of ministers until after the 2016 Scottish election and, if so, whether it will publish details of this.
Current Status: Expected Answer date 02/06/2016
Question S5W-00130: Adam Tomkins, Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 19/05/2016
To ask the Scottish Government when it became aware that the Scottish Information Commissioner was minded to delay announcing decisions that might be critical of ministers until after the 2016 Scottish election, as reported in the Daily Record on 29 March 2016.
Current Status: Expected Answer date 02/06/2016
Question S5W-00129: Adam Tomkins, Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 19/05/2016
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the report in the Daily Record on 29 March 2016 that the Scottish Information Commissioner was minded to delay announcing decisions that might be critical of ministers until after the 2016 Scottish election.
Current Status: Expected Answer date 02/06/2016
Question S5W-00128: Adam Tomkins, Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 19/05/2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Information Commissioner is subject to purdah.
Current Status: Expected Answer date 02/06/2016
Maybe we should have been there with our flags flying, data on banners, thanking Nicola and the SNP for what they’ve done. Or would it all be a waste of time with cameras pointing in the opposite direction?
Additionally I noticed that a talkative, smiley Ross Greer attended the protest. Any other familiar faces?
I agree with those posters who think it’s time the SNP went on the attack and really get after the Scotland-hating britnats. Go for the rich britnats first, especially the so-called landowners. But I also think we, the pro-indy public, should do our bit by enacting peaceful civil disobedience. Start by refusing to pay the bbc licence tax. Let britnats pay for britnat propaganda. Don’t just traffic-cone Wellington’s statue, take the piss out of all imperialist statues – if you get my meaning.
Radio shortbread not happy with Calmac getting through on the nod (their opinion) and saying to the Calmac spokesman “You won’t have to do anything in the next few years”.
Calmac man taken aback slightly… Good old Anti! 🙂
He’ll get used to it.
I think the contract does specify significant improvements but hey!… It’s the way Anti tells it.
@Robert Peffers
Regarding exports Robert and I’m just musing here but if we were Independent and had East coast shipping transport I’m wondering if we could have Scottish Border Tariffs to deter this over the border becomes English or British exports stuff because the cost of transporting from Scotland would be more economical
Maybe the Plaques would be moving walls from London back to Scotland given that where money’s concerned business has no friends
Given Serco’s involvement with Styfumbler during Indyref, where they persuaded big companies to comply with the Empire’s decree, I would have been astonished had they won this contract.
Thankfully, apart from the real need for essential services such as this to be in public control, that’s another Empire takeover of Scotland’s revenue scuppered.
Of course, any yoonbloon can make a false statement about SNP sellouts, thwarted by slabtory pressure, in the knowledge that it will be printed with impunity by the media who continue to poison our young people’s view of this stinking union.
OF COURSE THEY DIDN’T CANCEL THE BLOODY DEMO !!!
The claims for mileage/travel, food, accommodation and a day off from the ‘real job’ for ‘trade union-related business’ were already in WEEKS AGO!
That, and having arranged to meet pro-Union-Hacks in the nearest boozer afterwards for some all-expenses-paid libations.
If there’s a photo opportunity, a chance for a skive plus free food’n’drink, do you honestly think they’ll just decide to go home/back to work?
If you do, then you’re dumber than Kez!
Sorry for o/t.
In regards to the terrible air egypt loss today, with 66 passengers on board, and a strong suspicion of terrorism as a cause.
Is it just me that finds the BBC using a continual loop of an air Egypt plane, landing safely , as a wee bit insensitive ?
and this ladies an gentleguys is why i donate to this site. who else could tell it like this
Rise and the (non)Greens got enough SNP members money in the YES campaign for their total incompetence. Piss up at a brewery comes to mind. Just wasted again. Hanging on the shirt tails, to stab SNP in the back. Empty vessels making enough noise. The (non) Green just put off moderate voters from FFA/Independence because of their ‘policies’ An implied ‘land grab’ and 60% tax. They just piss folk off. Trying to make people’s lives harder and waste £Millions/Billions of public money.
The farmers were paid their CAP. It wasn’t supposed to be paid completely until the end of June. It was a few weeks late. The end of February payment was paid in March. Any farmer who applied to the intermittent Fund got paid.
Westminster took the extra CAP payments the EU made to Scottish farmers. Scottish farmers receive the lowest CAP payment in the EU as part of the UK. Westminster took the extra payments and gave it to wealthier farmers in the rest of the UK. The U.K. Farming minister said, ‘Better together’ when doing it. Cheek doesn’t even come into it.
From a couple of things I have seen the general onionist position on this contract award is…
SNPBad
why?
Because it just fucking is….alright! Bastards!
I feel like jacking in my membership of the RMT after seeing that halfwit on stv news, old school union official, and no doubt card carrying labour supporter.
Labourites from Scottish Parly are there. 2nd rate rejects. The mouth Lewis McDonald, Dugdale etc. On a jolly day out on expenses. While Westminster sanctions and starves the vulnerable.
L. McDonald complains about the Oil and Gas sector shredding thousands of jobs. It is under UK gov control which he supports. Osbourne put up Oil tax 11% (£2Billion) in 2011 to 80%. The price began falling. Osbourne kept the tax high. Took it down to 60%, and only took it down to 40% in January. Not even down to 20/30%. (corp tax).
Oil & Gas is being imported. Putting up the balance of payments and the debt. The UK industry was wound down because of the tax regime, shredding thousands of jobs. The price has gone up. It will take until end of the year before confidence will come back and intended Projects can start up.
Osbourne (deliberately) damaged the Oil industry and the Scottish economy. Osbourne is just ignorant and incompetence. Osbourne cancelled the CCS Project for Peterhead and lost the investment from Shell. The Unionists broke every promise. Evel liars. They just do not care.
A Tory MEP is now trying to get an EU fund set up to contribute. All around the houses. Westminster cuts projects. Taxpayers fund EU. Tory MEP tries to get funding back.
Scotland raised the same £54Billion with Oil revenues as without Oil revenues. £54Billion. The Tories/Unionists always ruin the Scottish economy in anyway they can.
Kevin McGuire is a Labour/Unionist spokesperson and lackey.
@ Ian Brotherhood, 4:32pm
About 130%, Ian – that’s how they get a naw vote, isn’t it?
@Cat
I’ve had a look at NEF. Basically you got 1200 from SNP 1400 from Lib. However the makeup of Willie’s 15000 is interesting 9000 Lib and 1400 ‘Green’ 3200 ‘Tory’ 600 ‘Slab’ + 600 ‘SNP’ Yoons. Uncomfortable being Slab when 1/3 of your 2400 supporters are Yoon; I can live with 6% SNP support being Yoon but Patrick has a hard backed horse to ride with his vote 50:50 Yoon.
Should be an interesting 5 years being represented by the ‘leader’ of the 5th party!
Ken500, let me tell you something about timing….
Machiavelli on his death bed was receiving the last rites. After the priest asked him to renounce Evil and the followers of Satan on this earth for the third time, Machiavelli stirred and uttered his last immortal words: “this is not the time to be making new enemies…”
Now I’m not suggesting you are Machiavelli. And I’m not suggesting you or the SNP are on a death bed either. I’m simply suggesting you stfu with the anti-Green stuff right now.
The interesting thing about this tender process is that the timetable was actually truncated to get an earlier decision, I forget the excuse the ScotGov used.
Which strangely enough would have favoured the incumbent by reducing the time any competitors had to put together a reasonable tender.
What an amazing coincidence that iswas.
@ AhuraMazda says at 5:08 pm …. ”I’m wondering why so few people on here (and so few at the BBC) have mentioned the ongoing investigation by The Electoral Commission into Tory spending in last year’s General Election. It’s worth pointing out, by way of highlighting the seriousness of the issue, that ….”
We have mentioned it AM. The seriousness of the issue. You must have missed it.
@ heedtracker says at 5:10pm at …. ”UKOK neo fascism as wit presumably. He’s called Fluffie because it just works. Jeez oh toryboy world’s banal. The banality of yoons.
euan mccolm ?@euanmccolm 20h20 hours ago
just to be clear, some of the less enlightened sorts at holyrood came up with “fluffy” because they reckoned mundell wasn’t manly enough.”
This is him trying to make out that we are homophobic. Dangerous people.
I thought he was called Fluffy Muddle and it was because he is not particularly effective.
We were calling him Fluffy long before he came out. I actually felt slightly more sympathetic after he came out than before
I think Euan thinks he is the news.
Okay Petra, but it hadn’t been discussed in any detail. Anyway, it has now.
You’re welcome.
So we can expect the National to highlight the truth behind the Calmac tendering fiasco involving Labour and the unions.
Craig Murray has been covering the investigation AM with over 250 comments (overlook the SNP Baad comments) relating to it on his site.
The tendering process ~ Seems reasonable and fair.
That sounds similar to what happens with the ‘National-Lottery.’ They’ve got a contract that’s up for renewal every so often and they must legally put it out.
Remember Richey B tried out for it once, but didnae get it?
Jackie Baillie’s grammar is almost as excruciating as her maths: “should have never went …” No, Jackie, the word here ishould be GONE.
You know, as the Scottish Labour Party is going, going, GONE!
Sorry – should
And: as in
Poor wee yoons dont they know that because of a union that they joined with Europe then the law is set by the EU,even if it is just a bit of bureaucratic paperwork so someone can file it for documentation.
They dont half get their knickers in a twist about some real silly things.
Though trying to make us more tory than the tories and that the government caved angle is in line with their new tactic of doing the same thing they did before.
EU project fear remain and EU project fear leave are a real stupid ass bunch of morons ,hey EU please help us we have these morons going to make a decision about our future and the dont have the first clue about any of it ,oh and could you please tell them to stop acting like they run the EU if you let them take an inch they will steal the fucking tape measure.
link to youtube.com
relax max
I disagree with Wings take on this in more than one respect, though I agree re the opportunism of Labour and other professional politicians. Don’t know if he or those he quotes have read the EU laws on procurement but I have, and they clearly allow a case to be made for these ferry services not to be put out to tender under the section on ‘derogations’, whichever party happens to be in power at Holyrood. Second, it could well be the case that the current Scottish government intended all along to keep Calmac public – in fact I’m quite prepared to accept that it was, and of course it was the right decision – but he completely underestimates, in fact disregards, the impact of genuine campaigners such as the socialists, trade unionists and others who were there today, some of whom I know personally, Without pressure from below, governments can do as they, or their campaign contributors, see fit. We can see that in action at Westminster any day of the week, and the abrupt change in SNP policy on public transport which took place immediately after a substantial donation to the party from Brian Souter, should be fresh enough in Wings’ mind, as it is in mine, to remind him of any party/government’s susceptibility to those who do not have the interests of the working class at heart. Todays campaigners are the very people who keep such practices at bay.
“Don’t know if he or those he quotes have read the EU laws on procurement but I have, and they clearly allow a case to be made for these ferry services not to be put out to tender under the section on ‘derogations’”
That’s covered in our article from last year.