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Wings Over Scotland


Shakedown, 1979

Posted on March 14, 2014 by

Headline in the Guardian this evening.

devoout1

Headline in the Herald, February 1979.

devoout2

That’s all we’re saying on that one, folks.

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Jim Watson

Are they related? I think we should be told…

fairiefromtheearth

yea never forget history and repeat the same mistake twice, fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me 😉

MJack

Lessons from history!

Marcia

Déjà vu.

I remember it well in 1979. Once bitten, twice shy.

Croompenstein

It’s all just a little bit of history repeating..

Dave McEwan Hill

The problem is that the half-wits believe a variety of things about this. Some will believe that Scotland collecting more of its income tax means that Scotland will have more money. All it means is that Scotland collects more of the money that is already being collected. More responsibilty but no more power – and as the major Tax office is in Scotland I have no idea why complicating the collection makes is anything but a deceitful gesture that makes no sense.
Others will worry that income tax will rise

Alba4Eva

Just back in from the Tariq Ali independence talk at Glasgow University… Lecture Theatre 1 was completely rammed to the ceiling. We were sharing 2 seats between 3 folk. They had to open a spillover hall too.

Got to spread the Wings message in the pubs to a couple of folk after it too.

Great night all round :o)

X_Sticks

@Alba4Eva

“Just back in from the Tariq Ali independence talk at Glasgow University”

Watched the Independence Live feed. Tariq was superb. I’ll watch again once they post the video, it was that good. thoroughly recommended.

jingly jangly

X-Sticks, I gave up trying to watch the Tariq Ali livestream as it was buffering all the time, spoke with Rab C on the phone and he had the same, did you have any probs?

Albaman

Paste these two together on the biggest bill-boards available.

Famous15

I am now more hopeful than I have been in 60 years.

Let us relish the triumph of hope over fear.

Cameron’s visit I found very sad as I felt no person wishing to live in a fair Scotland would hear anything honest.

Short on real politics.

Ronnie

Blair Jenkin’s quote – ‘Day Trippers’ brings to mind the classic;

Got a good reason for taking the easy way out
Got a good reason for taking the easy way out now
He was a day tripper, a one way ticket yeah
It took me so long to find out – I found out!

Marcia

Another packed meeting, this time in Kirkintilloch.

link to twitter.com

– a debate between Yes and No.

Entry poll at start of debate YES 51%, Undecided 23% No 26%

Exit poll YES 63%, Undecided 13%, No 24%

Clootie

Those nice Tories would never have done that to us deliberately in 1979. It must have been some misunderstanding surely. However they would never do it twice.

It’s not as if they would say “…a line in the sand” one day and utter something else the next.

Look at that nasty rumour about this McCrone thing – that nice Mr Carlaw made it quite clear that he had never heard of it.

I think we should all calm down for the moment. I suggest we get together on the “Thatcher Day” holiday in August and remind ourselves how fortunate we have been over the last 300 years.

…and remember the early days of our union as we thrashed those Jacobite ruffians, grabbed the land, cleared out that local vermin, stopped them using that strange language. Remember – “England expects…..”

Anyone for some warm beer and cricket?

X_Sticks

jingly jangly says:

“did you have any probs?”

Yes, wasn’t the best feed but I persevered. It has been posted on the Independence Live page:

link to new.livestream.com

Well worth a watch, what a captivating speaker he is.

Linda's back

Rather than Jam tomorrow and Alec Douglas Home type promises all the unionist parties must be asked to specify what taxes will they devolve if we are daft enough to vote No.

Scottish Parliament only has control of 7% taxes raised in Scotland, Scotland Act will make this 15% in 2016 (after 8 years of deliberation). Vote Yes this year and get 100% control in 2016.

The UK’s convoluted tax system has 30 main taxes.

Currently Scottish Parliament has control of roughly 2.5 taxes.

All Party unionist Calman can up with six taxes to be devolved but this was watered down and Scotland Act will give us 4.5 taxes including crazy partial income tax which will cost £200 million a year to collect.

So how many taxes out of 30 will the Tories will devolve to Scotland and when?

link to businessforscotland.co.uk

jingly jangly

X-Sticks cheers I knew it would be posted so that’s why I gave up. Wonder if they were trying their new 4g setup!!!

twenty14

Was at the Kirky YES/NO debate – great turnout and well organised.
BREAKING NEWS
On asking the BT panel that after the detailed information regarding all aspects of the Independence from Westminister could they give me any information whatsoever on what would happen to Scotland, with regards membership of the EU on a YES vote and the scare stories that we would be kicked out – the reply was ” our membership would cease immediately ”

So there we have it – Scotland will immediately be thrown out of the EU if we vote YES on announcement of the result.
Talk about making it up as you go along

X_Sticks

@jingly jangly

“Wonder if they were trying their new 4g setup!!!”

Don’t think so JJ, I suspect it was the bandwidth at GU that was the problem. Saw their live feed test for the 4G t’other day and it was looking ace. The outside broadcast (next week I think) from Drumchapel will be interesting 🙂

Mary Bruce

@Marcia says “Exit poll YES 63%, Undecided 13%, No 24%”

Hey look, it’s scottish_skier’s 63% again. Ever since he said it pops up everywhere I have seen it pop up everywhere!

Thistle

OT

Yeah sorry about that lve stream in Glasgow people it was the best we could do given the circumstances. Next time we are back at that venue we will make sure we get more testing done with the Uni IT crew and get their internet wi-fi working with our live stream. The Glasgow Uni IT crew were very helpful we just never had enough time for testing to sort out the best connection.

We used a G4 mobile router that we bought about 3 hours before event started to give it a go as we had a very successful test using same piece of borrowed kit a few days earlier at a different location.

Anyway, we will be using the same kit this times outdoors for RIC mass canvassing in Drumchapel which should be interesting so please tune into that event for our first roaming about live stream.

Good news is we have also filmed the Glasgow Tariq event separately from stream which will be available on our youtube channel when ready.

Please for the love of whatever help with the crowdfunding we are doing as the monthly cost of live stream channel, the G4 monthly connections is coming out of my pocket and I can’t sustain for too much longer.

link to igg.me

heedtracker

link to twitter.com Check out all the twitter pics of union jacks at Holyrood posted by the Guardian’s man in Scotland or Carrel’s photos of empty halls at SNP conference and Holyrood. The Guardian’s whole Scotland doesn’t exist shtick must be aimed entirely at England, if only to make them think they are still in charge of Scotland and that Scotland likes it. Not long now!

HandandShrimp

We have been here before and it is important that we remind people that we have been here before. The Tories are not to be trusted on this and the Liberals have been banging on about Home Rule since 18eleventythree.

Alba4Eva

Donation sent Thistle.

Thanks for a great event. 🙂

…wasn’t too taken by the strange dude who tried to do a speech instead of asking a question at the start of the Q&A though! I was glad the gent to the far left, on Tariq’s side of the stage/audience made the point of ‘British Nationalism’ …and best comment of the night was on the prospects for renewables from the academic on the right side in front of me… think I led the applause for his comment.

jingly jangly

Thistle , bunged you twenty, fraid its all I can afford this month as already have given to wos, lfi,kirrie yes and more…

Appreciate what you are doing, Hopefully will give more next month. That’s if any left after cup final on Sunday!!!!

chicmac

“Just back in from the Tariq Ali independence talk at Glasgow University… Lecture Theatre 1 was completely rammed to the ceiling. We were sharing 2 seats between 3 folk. They had to open a spillover hall too.”

Went to a lecture from him when I was a student 40 years ago. He is an impressive speaker.

Kev

Apologies if already been posted, but footage of Humza Yousaf v Anas Sarwar from last weekend…

X_Sticks

@Thistle

“Please for the love of whatever help with the crowdfunding we are doing as the monthly cost of live stream channel, the G4 monthly connections is coming out of my pocket and I can’t sustain for too much longer.”

link to igg.me

Donation done Thistle.

C’mon you Wingers Independence Live needs a WEE bit cash to keep the Independence Live feeds going. I’ll only take you lot 10 minutes to get this sorted! They’re doing a BRILLIANT job of getting the message out there.

Watch their work here:

link to new.livestream.com

Dr JM Mackintosh

Typical of a Cameron !

At one time he is giving it the Cameron motto type love bombing:
Aonaibh Ri Chéile (Let Us Unite)

then the next he is unleashing his hounds…

Chlanna nan con thigibh a so’s gheibh sibh feoil (Sons Of The Hounds, Come Hither And Get Flesh)

We in Clan Chatten know all about the Camerons and had the longest running feud in history with them – over 350 years (a lot longer than the Union).

Hopefully with independence we will get back our land at Glenlui and Loch Arkaig.

Bloody Camerons – don’t trust them!

rab_the_doubter

OT

One of my favourite songs,

link to youtube.com

Lets rearrange the colours of the red and the white and the blue. (By removing the red).

DAVID McCORMACK

The more things change…..

TJenny

Thistle – donation made. 🙂

Thepnr

Thistle sent something your way hope it’s sorted by tomorrow.

Somebody posted this earlier but I didn’t watch until an unsuspecting gentleman posting on the Guardian said he was going to vote Yes until he say this.

I said thanks, I was voting No until you posted that.

How can you buy this? Anybody know? only issue is not everyone will get it’s a piss take.

Jamie Arriere

Once fooled by them, shame on them
Twice fooled by them, shame on us

Won’t get fooled again! Who sang that again..

X_Sticks

@Thepnr

Don’t think you can buy it Thepnr. They’re just trying to get it going viral. Over 40k views already.

I try to play it a couple of times a day even if I don’t listen 😉

msean

These paper reviews are comedy gold,do they really think Putin will back down? He’ll just turn off the oil & gas lol. I’m not sure I heard right,but did anyone think the Scottish indy ref question was compared to the Crimean one?

Thepnr

@X_Sticks

Then we should be able to buy it. It is a great big two fingers to the No camp. the people that done this are geniuses lol sort of. But hats off, get them their money back and maybe something for another.

It would be a laugh if it got banned at number one or if in their ignorance they played it at number one. I love it listened 3 times already and JUST WANT TO BUY IT.

Alba4Eva

Since we are having a sing song Jamie and thepnr…

link to youtu.be

🙂

Morag

This is off topic, but I gotta tell you. I got a fabulous review in Ireland’s Big Issue. Al Jazeera didn’t get it at all. This journalist has got it completely, and has said so, ar some considerable length.

link to lockerbiecase.blogspot.co.uk

Stephen Brown

…cool MPs, never have the time

Doug

Congratulations on the review. Is there any info in here that is news to you?

link to ukcolumn.org

Katy Mac

I love you for your smashing pumpkins reference alone!

Marker Post

Congrats on the review, Morag.

Re: the Kirkintilloch debate and the increase in the Yes vote, got me to thinking that this happens all the time. Is there a comprehensive list of debates with before & after figures? Would be an idea to pubilsh it on billboards – “When presented with the evidence, debates lead to a swing of x% to Yes”. Might prompt the undecideds to get their butts down to the next debate to figure out why.

Marker Post

And if that could be subtly linked to why the PM doesn’t want to debate the FM, then so much the better…

Macart

Deja vu all over again. 🙂

john king

“How can you buy this? Anybody know? only issue is not everyone will get it’s a piss take.”

If anyone doesn’t get its a piss take they truly are twtpts,
who is she btw?
and please don’t say Claire Grogan 😉

john king

“Deja vu all over again. ”

I had that once 🙂

john king

Come to think about it every time I have a Deja vu moment I seem to be listening to this :0

Robert Peffers

I woke up very early this a.m. and turned on the bedside radio. The BBC were in full anti-independence mode, as usual. Two representatives of Scottish Business were making their respective cases, for and against Scottish independence. I’m not a business orientated person but, if asked which proponent sounded the best bet to do business with, it most certainly was NOT the lady with the abject fear of change who needed absolute certainty before doing business. Particularly as she seemed to believe she had such absolute certainty in a United Kingdom still attempting to recover from the ruins of its own incompetence. However, what made me really doubt her business acumen was her obviously mistaken belief Scottish Business was better off as part of, “Brand Britain”. Does she fondly imagine the non-United Kingdom Republic of Ireland, non-United Kingdom Isle of Man non-United Kingdom Bailiwick of Jersey, non-United Kingdom Bailiwick of Guernsey and hopefully non-United Kingdom Kingdom of Scotland will float away from the non-United Kingdom archipelago of Britain after the bipartite United Kingdom disunites?

Ken500

Scotland voted YES

And will vote YES

Albalha

Tariq Ali coming up on BBC Radio Scotland GMS at some point before 10am.

Albalha

Was anyone at the East Lothain Yes event last night, looked like a good line up including Ivan McKee, Robin McAlpine, and Duchess of Hamilton.

Ken500

Brand Scotland – fish, beef (Aberdeen Angus), music, film, tourism, oil, technology, food, drink, Whisky etc all carry a premium worldwide. A 40million Scottish diaspora and worldwide markets.

Cameron visit’s will increase the YES vote. Haste ye back.

Westminster unwilling to give up the on average, equivalent of £10Billion from Scotland to subsidise London S/E wealthier tax evaders, while starving the vulnerable, in a land of plenty.

The ConDems manifesto to protect NHS/Education and cut the deficit have failed.

bookie from hell

money box 12pm

link to bbc.co.uk

Scots vote & pensions

bfh–I’ve been listening to Paul Lewis for years and regard him as very fair neutral,will be interesting his take on this subject.

Vincent McDee

In the meantime the PM was promising whatever he’s promising:

link to bbc.co.uk

Producers of electricity are charged in a way which reflects their distance from major centres of population.

There is a subsidy for generators in the south of England.

The system is intended to make it more attractive to generate power close to where it is needed.

The additional delay follows an announcement from Ofgem in December 2013 that a revised pricing structure, originally pencilled in for April 2014, would not happen before April 2015.

There is now unlikely to be reform of the system before April 2016

Scottish business minister Fergus Ewing said he was “extremely disappointed” by the news.

Reach your own conclusions about their veracity.

twenty14

O/T – oh dear SKY’s news Stephen Dixon in a bit of a fluster when one of their guests’ ( didn’t catch his name ) on reviewing the newspapers gave a simple, unexpected, backing to Independence – saying that Scotland is a different country from England and if he could vote for Indy ” Why wouldn’t you “

SquareHaggis

The TAX office in Scotland is going through a shake up, similar to the one done at BBC, DWP etc. – get rid of the clever, experienced staff and replace with compliant numpties from anywhere but Scotland. Mostly england and Wales. These are low brows who can’t even pass the most basic of exams yet they are ‘kept on’. They go to Manchester 2/3 times a month for “training” and spend most of that time pissing it up at the Premier Inn.
This has been going on under the radar for pretty well over a year now.
One area they are concentrating these resources is in their Revenues & Customs dept. Oil Service companies being one particular target for their attention.
The objective is to levy retrospective fines of up to 3 yaers on unknowing companies who are unaware of any wrongdoing. Most do not know the laws regarding Import/Export are continually being rewritten and are kept in a state of flux.

If Scotland is to get any more tax powers, who is it that will really hold that power? A stitch up and a Planned one at that.

NO IS NOT AN OPTION

galamcennalath

This new NaeSayer tactic of suggesting more power after a No vote is particularly dangerous.

Firstly there are numpties out there who will be swung by it.

Secondly, I think they are actually serious. It won’t be DevoMax/full fiscal autonomy, it will be something far less. The package will be specifically designed to cause political, economic and social chaos in devolved Scotland. It will be an attempt to turn us away from any thoughts of self government. Their logic will be, if they can put the Scots off devolution, we won’t harbour thoughts of full independence. They will give us taxes which effect everyone and they will cut Barnett. A post-No Scotland will be forced to put up income tax or slash public services. Enough pain to ensure we don’t ever consider self determination again!

gordoz

Personally I’ve never trusted anything uttered by a Tory (or Labour MP)

gordoz

Example > Tories – A No vote does not mean No Change (?)

(Ok Aye, sure; but it still means ‘Short change’ for Scots again – steer clear of Tory lies ! )

Nothing coming as Rev says above – Bxstards never change their spots !

Archie [not Erchie]

@ Thistle – Wee donation sent your way. Thanks for your efforts so far and to come.

Albalha

Tasty picks from the Tory conference today, David Mundell and Francis Maude on yet more cuts apparently including a pledge to reduce inkjet printer costs!

bookie from hell

interesting quote–Kirsty Wark

Strict rules on the impartiality of BBC journalists mean it is pointless to ask in which box she will be placing her tick, but whichever the outcome she believes Scotland will change. “Whatever happens in September nothing will ever be the same again.

link to scotsman.com

Boorach

o/t but anyone in the Easter Ross area this morning should stop by Alness High St where they will receive a warm welcome at the Yes street stall.

Forecast isn’t too promising so please drop by for a warm smile and a hearty Highland welcome.

Les Wilson

They must be trawling through the old archives to find things that combined to work back then. They think they only need to apply them again to get the same result.
The trouble for them is of course that things have moved on by a quantum leap in technology.

As they pour out their scare stories, they are being taken apart, information is now everywhere if you know where to look for it.They do not get it, they do not get Scotland, despite being in this “union” for 3 hundred years.

So really, just how bright are they? Their case to make is now not so easy as it was back then, they cannot deal with it all and are floundering around.

We see the future quite clearly, we know what we want to achieve, while they are stuck in a time warp.

Albalha

Good interview with Tariq Ali on GMS, if you missed it when it’s up on iplayer starts around 0920, so 1 hour 20 minutes in.

Alba4Eva

Thanks for the heads up Albalha of the Tariq Ali interview on Radio Scotland.

Excellent stuff after last night a Glasgow Uni. 🙂

Malc

Tariq Ali just gave great interview on GMS. Unusual to hear such a pro YES position and no heckling. Superb speaker.

Craig P

Ken500 says:
Scotland voted YES
And will vote YES

We’ve done it mair’n once
and we’ll dae it again.

caz-m

Take a step back and have think of what is happening at this Tory conference in Edinburgh.

We are like those poor kids in the Oliver movie, where they have their begging bowls out and pleading for some more.

This conference should be the time when the light finally comes on in the undecided voter’s head and they realise that we, at this moment in time, are nothing more than poor, helpless beggars and that there must be a better way.

We must get away from this shower of patronising London clowns.

gordoz

Concur on Tariq Ali – really hope Rev Stu has time to cover this Interview with Isobel Fraser.

Amazing insight from southern perspective.
But beware WM triumphilism of a No vote. Chilling !

gordoz

Will Professor Adam Tomkins ever be used by TV again as impartial observer after his crap this morning on Tory conference ?

Answer – of course he will ! TV is not impartial – Dohh!

Betty Boop

@ Malc 9.30am

“Tariq Ali just gave great interview on GMS. Unusual to hear such a pro YES position and no heckling. Superb speaker.”

Yep, it’s Saturday 15th March and I’ve just heard the most terrific and well reasoned argument for independence by Tariq Ali on Good Morning Scotland, Radio Scotland. Good for Scotland, good for England and the promises will fly out the window in the triumphalism following a no vote according to Ali (and most everyone else who has a long memory).

He also called people like Tony Blair et al, “VISIONLESS CAREERISTS” and described the Labour party’s move away from home rule over the years.

Isobel Fraser, who is a treasure amongst interviewers, listened, never interrupted and treated her interviewee with the respect we rarely ever hear when a positive view of independence is put forward. Have to wonder is she will have a job with BBC after being so fair.

joe kane

Some insights into Tory Party psycho(patho)logy –
Jacob Rees-Mogg: My nanny made me the man I am
link to telegraph.co.uk

ps
Future Tory Party leadership material –
Schoolboy forces Tesco to change ungrammatical packaging
link to theguardian.com

Ken500

The Westminster controlled HMRC is not fit for purpose. London City tax evaders are ‘untouchable’, while small businesses and individuals are hounded to death. A two tier tax system is operated in the UK by Westminster, and causes the National debt. Oil companies get away with murder.

Scotland major Oil industry taxed at 60% to 80%, while multinationals (foreign) ‘untouchable!’ tax evaders operate through the City of London. This damages British business through illegal lack of free and fair Market competion.

It is not hard working immigrants causing the economic problems in the UK it is Tory bankers. Including anti EU crooked politicians illegally milking the public purse, protected by Grandee Tory bankers. Hypocrites.

Albalha

Alba4Eva

Most welocme. Is there a link yet to the Tariq Ali event in Glasgow?

Croompenstein

I had posted in an earlier thread about our dire road infrastructure compared to England ie a dual carriageway ‘M’8 between our 2 major cities. The big question is why?

Why are the roads so different? we discovered oil 40 years ago FFS. Ask the naysayers to explain this

Malc

@Betty Boop
Yes amazed that she is used so little. Derek Bateman and Isobel Fraser were head and shoulders above the rest on Radio Scotland, hard to believe how bad management can be to lose one and sideline the other.

Gavin Greig

@john king

She’s interviewed in this Al Jazeera report:
link to aljazeera.com

john king

“O/T – oh dear SKY’s news Stephen Dixon in a bit of a fluster when one of their guests’ ”

Saw it,
Stephen Dixon the archetypal L.O.V.
the most unlikable presenter on SKY who pontificate on subjects he knows nothing about and kids himself on he’s and expert,
the guy he was speaking to also made a strong argument for fiscal union pointing out the governments arrogance,
Dixon on the other hand floundered,
interestingly the guy is married to a Scot it would seem from his opinion his wife’s family may be for yes.

jon esquierdo

Marker Post that is a great idea to get all the figures collated from the before and after votes at the indy debates and put them onto billboards

Flower of Scotland

O/t I have been in Manchester for a few days , for a funeral and decided to have a break from news as there was no wifi. I mentioned Scottish Independence and all I got was a shrug and ” well if you get it , we want it too! .we are sick of rule from London “. There was no animosity at all. There seems to more down South ie London area.

Hopefully the people of Scotland won’t be fooled again by the promises of MORE devolution, and vote for Independence!

Croompenstein

I was watching Blackadder the other night, the one where Raleigh tries to tell the Queen a tall tale and she tersely quips “Heard it!”. We should record that reply and every time Flipper, Cameron et al come oot wae the more devo pish we just press play..”Heard it!”

Dorothy Devine

OT a wee message for Ian Brotherhood , Aye Write starts in Glasgow on the 4th and Allan Bisset is performing ‘twixt 7.30 and 8.30 .I am hoping to drop in on both of you but it may not be possible and may have to choose between two things I really, really want to do.

Why does it always work out that way?

gordoz

From Mike Russell Education minister :

Campbeltown Grammar #indyref debate – ballot at end 51% Yes / 28% No / 19% DK / 2% Spoiled Papers.

Mike : How can this result be right ?
Thought Argyll and Bute Schools were all Better Together strongholds ?

Does Campbeltown have ‘Modern Studies / Politics’ taught by key Labour Party official like Dunoon Grammar School ?

Jeannie

Finally surfaced after last night’s debate in Kirkintilloch.

@twenty14 – lovely to meet you. Your question was great and the answer from the Better Together candidate did himself no favours with that answer. Obviously hadn’t done his homework.

@Marcia – were you there? Did I speak to you – I was at the door of the main hall handing out voting cards. Or are you one of us and I just haven’t realised it?

It went well, I thought. Good atmosphere. And great turnout considering it was such a wet and windy night. And, of course, great result.

john king

Cheers Gavin
just as I suspected she’s no half bad lookin is she?

gordoz

Tariq Ali podcast – from 1hr 22mins (Excellent stuff)

link to bbc.co.uk

A really good listen.

ann

What I find very telling about the Yes & Better Together meetings are the age divergences.

In the YES camp you can see people from teens through to the older generation, with mums, dads, brothers sisters, friends attending, whilst Better Together in the main seem to be middle aged onwards.

With this bigger age grouping I believe that the YES campaign is benefiting.

Capella

As well as their false promise to devolve more power to the Scottish Parliament (we’ve heard all that before and don’t believe it) is the more credible threat to devolve powers from the Parliament to the neutered Local Authorities. The Tories and their Liberal and Labour allies have joined forces, for example in Aberdeen City etc, to prevent the largest councillor group, the SNP, from exercising control over key committees after the last round of local government elections.

galamcennalath

There will undoubtedly be English Tories who actual want to see a Yes vote. Perhaps not Cameron himself – I don’t think we wants to go into the history books as the last UK PM. However, I have no doubt more than a few Tories would welcome our departure from ‘their’ parliament.

I remembered reading this….
Conservative MPs from the south of England secretly want Scotland to vote for independence to give their party a permanent majority at Westminster

link to telegraph.co.uk

….. All part of the complex Tory behaviour!

gordoz

If anyone can find me a better representation of the facts and a more compact concise piece of sense overall contained in 5 mins of talking on the subject then ima ll ears.

And all from an English perspective.

Honestly do yourselves a favour and right down some of the soundbites.

Tell them to people and then confound them, by saying No not Alex Salmond, wrong again not Nichola Sturgeon – actually Tariq Ali British Pakitani writer & Journalist.
(Why do so few of ours share his views ?)

M4rkyboy

Cool kids never have the time

gordoz

Rev : Have you seen this from Tariq Ali ? – I think its pretty dynamite stuff from outwith Scotland.

link to counterpunch.org

galamcennalath

New BBC guidelines for Independence reporting ….

link to downloads.bbc.co.uk

There is no area of its output where the BBC’s commitment to due impartiality and independence from political influence is more closely scrutinised than in reporting election and referendum campaigns. For this campaign in particular, that scrutiny will be intense and high profile.

…. you bet!

muttley79

@Albalha

Tasty picks from the Tory conference today, David Mundell and Francis Maude on yet more cuts apparently including a pledge to reduce inkjet printer costs!

The Tories are just sadistic in their attitude to spending cuts. They really do revel in them.

I went to Tariq Ali’s talk at Edinburgh University yesterday. Really, really glad I did. He is an excellent speaker, extremely intelligent, principled, and funny. He has a dry sense of humour, almost deadpan. A few people delivered speeches rather than asked questions at the Q&A session after his talk. One guy said he thought the SNP were a fascist organisation!

I was thinking of going to the anti-Tory demo today in Edinburgh, and then I saw that Jackie Bailie and Neil Findlay were speaking, with nobody from the SNP (which I thought was strange?). I decided not to go, I just could not face listening to that new Tory Baillie in particular, I would not be able to bring myself to clap her speech. Going from Tariq Ali to a New Labour careerist like Baillie was too much for me.

Brotyboy

@Dr JM Mackintosh

I thought about posting on an earlier article when someone commented about the Campbells, and now that you have posted about the Camerons I think I should make a point.

There will be many many Campbells and Camerons out there who are very supportive of Independence for Scotland, just as there are MacDonalds and Mackintoshes. We don’t need anyone alienating any of these people.

This divide and conquer attitude has bedevilled Scotland for too long

Papadox

The game is up. In order to try and bad mouth and put down the SNP and Alex Salmond they are exposing their own corrupt, putrid system to the sunlight of truth. They are so detached from the people and reality they are blindly destroying themselves for spite against Alex Salmond , SNP and the people of Scotland. They are fighting the wrong battle against the wrong army, this is the end of the beginning to the crumbling GREAT BRITAIN. Alex has drawn their fire and they fell for it. The Scottish people were the main target they should have been watching.

gerry parker

@Brotyboy,
Airdrie and Coatbridge can both get together on the Yes side, I don’t see there should be problems with anyone.
🙂

Croompenstein

@gerry parker – not so sure bout Auchinleck and Cumnock

Dorothy Bruce

The 1979 article reads, ‘…the BBC agreed that an interview with Lord Home would be included in the “Tonight” programme.’

Is this when Home insisted the bill for a Scottish assembly with a limited form of devolution was a bad bill? “Vote no and we will give you something better.

He said “will give” — and we got nothing. So what can we expect after Cameron’s “can mean” – “Vote ‘No’ – that can mean further devolution/.” Buttons?

The BBC doesn’t change…and nor do Tory promises.

Morag

Congratulations on the review. Is there any info in here that is news to you?

link to ukcolumn.org

Not new, exactly, but it’s full of Middle Eastern spook stuff that I never know whether to take seriously or not.

Some of it is undoubtedly true and a matter of public record. Some of it is hearsay from shadowy figures I wouldn’t trust to tell me the time of day. Which doesn’t mean it’s wrong of course, just don’t bet the farm on it.

I’m more interested in getting it through to the apparatchiks in the Crown Office that the bomb went on board at Heathrow, not Malta, than trying to figure out who did it. That’s their job.

Ian Brotherhood

@Dorothy Devine –

Dorothy, you can have the best of both worlds – savour Bissett, then drop in if you can, and bring the man with you! Hopefully we’ll be in full swing by nine-ish.

Richard Lucas

Tonight we’re telling porkies like it’s 1979?

Appleby

I just hope people remember this stuff. It’s a huge help that they’ve tried all the same tactics before almost to the letter but people have bad memories and that is what they are relying on.

Brotyboy

*cough*

Just the verb tense change? Or something else?

Fortunately, I’m not a professional writer.

Croompenstein

@Appleby – bad memories it seems apart from the Campbells and the Camerons!

Alan Mackintosh

Aye Rev, with yourself there is an interesting juxtaposition of names there. One would not have often thought of Stuart and Campbell being side by side…

Brotyboy

Okay, got it now.

Dr JM Mackintosh

@Brotyboy
It was a joke about the Camerons – Wings does present itself as a site for independence debate and jokes.

I have a few friends who are Camerons – all lovely people from the Highlands which David Cameron knows nothing about and cares about even less.

It was really just a piss take on him professing his Scottish and Gaelic heritage from his sermon on Mount Olympus.

I am sure the real Camerons will not take offence. It is just unfortunate that they have to share a surname with an upper class Eton educated twit who now suddenly seems to profess a deep love of Scotland. Somehow I do not think he has ever seen the Mile Dorcha or Achnacarry.

It is a lovely part of the country and I recommend going up to Loch Arkaig to see it.
No wonder the Mackintoshes spend all that time trying to get it back!

Dr JM Mackintosh

@Alan Mackintosh
Hi Ally Bally
did you like my Cameron Mackintosh joke?
Another interesting juxtaposition.

Alan Mackintosh

Hi Big Brur, 🙂

Aye I doubt Daytrip Cameron has ever been on the MV Western Isles. Best not mention the one about the three curses of Argyll…


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