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Wings Over Scotland


Sittin’ on a beach

Posted on September 28, 2014 by

Don’t panic, readers – I’m not about to make you look at all my holiday snaps. But after Thursday’s “Gone fishin'” post, I was buying milk in the local Co-op and got busted by a reader demanding to know why I wasn’t at the seaside, so this is for him.

image

On a personal note, one of the best things about the indyref campaign was how the profile of Wings brought me back in touch with people from the past. The old friend I used to climb trees with when I was a wee boy. The chap I hadn’t spoken to since primary school who turned out to have designed all The Shamen’s best record sleeves. The guy I used to trade dodgy Atari ST games with at the Craigshill Computer Centre and who now does something so secret I can’t even mention it.

And an old colleague from my days on a Small Business Organisation course at West Lothian College in the 1980s, who I’d lost contact with when I left Scotland (his personal life, and therefore contact details, were in some turmoil at the time, let’s say) and who, it turns out, has just jacked in a nice safe Civil Service gig and moved to Weston-super-Mare, the nearest seaside town to Bath, to follow his dream of starting a video production company.

So if any more of our unseen army of Wings readers (like the charming Phyllis from Maryhill, who very nicely accosted me on the train coming here, having been in the Bath area for a wedding) should happen to spy us in the bar later, and overhear some conversation about possible future collaborations, I’d just like to assure them that it’s purely coincidental, an inevitable offshoot from catching up about what we’re all up to these days. It’s not a work trip. I am on holiday.

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Betty Boop

Have a nice one Stu! You just can’t help yourself keeping an eye on us lot though, can you? 🙂

Bugger (the Panda)

Photoshopped photie

Nae Donkey manure.

Bigdrone

That sounds like a very professional political ‘honest gov, it wisnae me’ statement!

Whatever you’re doing, enjoy! And thanks for the past two years or so!!

Graham

U took scotland under ur wing now the people of scotland want to take u under our wing, anyone who sticks up for scotland will live on in the hearts of the scottish . Hats off to u

Croompenstein

Those are some seriously scary footprints in the sand there Stu, look after yourself 🙂

Morag

What, you mean you really are just day-tripping from Bath? I had visions of you living it up in a hotel, being waited on hand and foot, and the separats having their own wee holiday in separat boarding kennels.

Cheapskate.

Jock Poiticaljunkie

Enjoy your well earned break. Do just try and chill and recharge the batteries coz we need you for Round 2. We, your loyal readership, really appreciate all your graft and we have the dosh to keep you going, to beyond Independence. This is you job now. I also think, on that score, you need to be working for more than the Living Wage. Try some NUJ stats or something and I, for one, will happily chip in. 🙂

Jim Clark

I was working in Bath, the week before the referendum, back home now, working from Scotland for the rest of the year, maybe back in Bath/Bristol, New year, hope we can hook up.

farrochie

Milk fae the Co-op. You know Co-op Group contribute to the Labour Party?

Enjoy the beach.

TYRAN

Do you get any of that pier shite in Scotland? Serious question.

Calgacus

Enjoy yourself Rev. Is the roller coaster open?

Natasha

Typical – I put a considered post onto a thread, only to find you’ve all buggered off next door! Hope you don’t mind sand between your toes, Rev. Keep relaxing.

Daibach

That island in the distance looks like Steep Holm in the Bristol Channel, so Stu might well be in Weston Super Mare, happy sand castles 🙂

Bugger (the Panda)

Not too many peers on that side, or the other for that matter?

The giveaway is the architecture of the thingy on the end.

Unless it is a cunning stunt and he is embedded in some pub in Bristol?

J Galt

TYRAN
In Scotland Piers earn their living being useful places for Ferries, Fishing vessels and Puffers (Google it) to dock, not hosting Roy Chubby Brown, selling warm pints of watery bitter or teeth rotting sticks of rock. And they tend not to go on fire so often as their southern cousins.
Just for your information

JimnArlene

Have a good holiday, we know you’ve earned it.

Morag

Some of us figured out he was in Weston-super-Mare at about quarter to one.

link to twitter.com

Helena Brown

Where ever you are Rev, have a nice one, and it is none of our business what you are getting up to. Hope the rats are also having a holiday away from all the kittens. Mine was off with his harem of ladies when we were away. We are oh so glad he is neutered or we would be having talks with all the girls owners by now.

Truth

Enjoy. But as others have said, do not shop in the co-op.

Any friend of Labour is an enemy of us.

Capella

Looks like you have the beach to yourself. R&R with bucket and spade but obviously your smartphone to hand!
SWITCH IT OFF

Natasha

Off topic I know, but has anyone got any links to pictures or footage of the demo at Pacific Quay? I never did have any joy with independence tv live.

Political Tourist

Fair play to you.
You deserve a rest.

Bugger (the Panda)

Morag

Well done.

cynicalHighlander

@Natasha

Found this.

Natasha

CH, thanks, that explains a lot. Will just have to wait for some kind soul who was there to post on Youtube. 🙂

One_Scot

It’s funny, I thought a few days back, I am not sure the Rev is the type of person to take his foot off the gas.

I am beginning to think we may be getting the wool pulled over our eyes.

benarmine

Anybody can stick a photae o’the beach on here matey. You’re foolin’ no-one. There’s alert readers here for heaven’s sake.

AuldA

Weston-super-Mare… What a name. Is it a place where you can trawl BIG seahorses?

hamish

Piers – none of that frivolous stuff in Scotland !

M4rkyboy

Does someone have a list of companies that came out against independence?
I have rejected all press and media and am looking to include companies.

FergusMac

Johann Lamont is sponsored by the Co-op, I believe.

A.N.Surgent

Aw jeez, theres only two shops in my village and wan`s the co-op,
can I apply for a pass or an exemption.

Bugger (the Panda)

Are members of the co-op not automatically members of Labour?

Anybody know?

Domhnall Dods

You used to hang around Ray agostini’s atari shop in craigshill too? Small world

Capella

Facebook page with boycott the companies details
link to facebook.com

mogabee

Sounds like you are re charging the batteries! Doing much the same, but mine includes canals and pubs.

Hard times…????

Mariaskid

Ok, so where can I shop? In my small town we have co-op, tesco and a wee Scotsmid .. We have private butchers, bakers and green grocers, but no grocers. I have already scored one of our several tea shops off my list because of it’s over enthusiastic display of union flags. Life is getting complicated, Perhaps Lidles or Aldies, please don’t tell me anything bad about them, and I am suffering Marks and Spencer withdrawal symptoms already.

scotty land

Hi Folks, having ditched the daily R and Sunday M after 40 years, I taken up delivery of my Sunday Herald. Can anyone tell me where you find (accurate) figures of paper sales. For example the drop in the battered and bruised Scotsman (well done Stu), Record Sunday Mail etc in the past month. Also the increase in sales of the Sunday Herald.

StevieMcB

Mariaskid
Since being made redundant and becoming part of the undeserving poor ALDI has IMO been the best thing to happen to Scotland regarding the weekly shop, i cant speak for LIDL, but i hear its quality & value are similar. M&S were always treats for us anyway.

fred blogger

link to radiosaltire.org i’ve only just tuned in, it’s cool so far.
just thought, don’t forget the scottish CND, like i keep doing.

Paula Rose

But I like holiday snaps – and we haven’t had pics of rats for ages.

Bugger (the Panda)

Paula Rose

Google the NO campaign and photographs.

Paula Rose

I like the Rev’s wee hairy things, plus we used to get pics of his wee pussy as well. Time we had more pets on Wings.

Bugger (the Panda)

The Herald newspapers have now relisted themselves as “regional” newspapers so they need only publish annual or bi-annual sales statistics.

We know that the last one availalble for the Sunday Herald was about 25,000 pere dition.

The Editor now a has tweeted it is now over 50,000 since coming out for Indie.

I would guess the daily editions are soaring like lead balloons, as usual.

The Scotsman seems on death row, having downsized everything they could including the coffee brand.

Flower of Scotland

Hope you’re having a good swally, Stu!

I live in the No village and have only one grocery shop. Guess which one it is? Aren’t I the lucky one!

SquareHaggis

link to scotlandreferendum.info

For anyone who ain’t seen it yet.

muttley79

Anyone know a Mick Pork character on James Kelly’s website. The **** is saying I am a troll!

Midgehunter

As you’re all apparently stuck for something to do, here’s something to read about a guy who’s on holiday at the moment. 😉

link to en.wikipedia.org

Bugger (the Panda)

Muttley79

Mick Pork is a longtime poster for indie, mainly on the Guardian and maybe the Telegraph.

His venture out the newspapers and into the blogs here is quite recent.

He and James Kelly seem to go back some time.

crazycat

@ Bugger (the Panda)

I’ve tried several times to post something telling you that membership of the Co-op (as in getting points towards a now non-existent dividend on your messages) is not the same as membership of the Co-operative Party; none of my posts has arrived, so this is my last attempt – if you really want to know how the party differs from Labour, you can find out on wikipedia – it may be the link I added which is causing trouble.

crazycat
Colin Church

Did I hear the FM being booed in Gleneagles trophy ceremony? Disgrace.

Bugger (the Panda)

thanks crazycat

Paula Rose

Here’s a nice song about a beach –

link to youtube.com

Helena Brown

Mariaskid, shop in Aldi and Lidl to your hearts content, both German, both more interested in keeping their customers content rather than keeping David Cameron happy and Aldi sell more Scottish produce than any of the other supermarkets put together. Also you cannot fault Aldi for quality.

Graeme Doig

Fergus Mac or anyone

What is this sponsorship of jl by the coop. Are our msp,s sponsored ?

Maybe showing my naievity here but thought I,d ask anyway.

Natasha

Muttley, assuming you were ‘Anonymous’, I think Mick Pork was annoyed because you didn’t pick up on the sarcasm in his post. It’s a shame you’re sniping at each other when you’re both on the same side.

Helena Brown

Colin Church with reference to your report of the First Minister being booed at Gleneagles. Can you see the Americans what ever their political persuasion booing their President. They certainly wouldn’t, they respect the office. Time to learn that methinks or I will be booing those three muppets who are in opposition.

M4rkyboy

The internet should fill in the gaps for all you shoppers.You can get all your hardware stuff and odds and sods from there.
I am going to open an account with Airdrie savings bank who i luckily have a local branch in Falkirk and shop at Lidl or Aldi.

muttley79

@Bugger

The bawbag accused me of being a troll. Porkchops GTF!

Bugger (the Panda)

Helena Brown

Same with Lidl.

Check out their fresh meats and the packaging. Top of the line in their class.

Paula Rose

muttley79 – down boy and come to heel, now there’s a good boy – we know you’re not a trolly wolly and we love you lots, now have a pork scratching xx

Bugger (the Panda)

Muttley79

I said he was new to (y)our place and style of blogging.

He is defo pro Indie but maybe perhaps not Scots?

Ask him, politely mind.

fred blogger

link to youtube.com oh, i do like to be beside the sea side.
🙂

Juteman

@Muttley.
I just let Mick know you aren’t a troll.

Bugger (the Panda)

Graeme Doig

Arguably the Labour Party grew out of the co=operative movement and the co-op is in fact a political party, which sponsors and finances MPs, including Ed Balls the shadow Treasury Minister.

By virtue of their membership of the co-op political movement, they are also members of Labour.

muttley79

@Natasha

The problem with sarcasm on the internet is it does not work if you do not know the person who is being sarcastic. You just think they are being obnoxious.

Natasha

@muttley 79
I know, it would help if we had an irony font. A smiley face helps too. I wasn’t getting at you, by the way.

muttley79

Cheers Juteman. I have calmed down now.

Paula Rose

Actually – getting back to the shopping theme, I’m a great fan of Lidl, you can get all sorts of German hardware.

Natasha

@Paula Rose
Don’t tell me, you like their tools.

Paula Rose

Their local manager is always happy to show me their latest offers. Last week I got a great deal on fork handles.

muttley79

@Natasha

Yes, I know. Does anyone know what is wrong with this website, as it takes quite a while for posts to appear? I assume it is being attacked again.

cynicalHighlander

@Paula Rose

Pets at home.

AuldA

@BtP:
You shop at Lidl? I can’t believe it!
I acknowledge they have sometimes great deal on some piece of hardware. I wish they sold MacBook, too. 😐

Paula Rose

Eek a hen – have you got pics of cocks? I don’t have a problem with them – less pecking.

handclapping

Now Girls! You can see the Rev’s no here 🙁 however while he’s awa sunning hisel we’ve work to do

Its no good saying we should share out the constituencies for 2015GE we need to know which ones If we put the sort of party % we might be hoping for into Electoral Calculus we get the seats the SNP
Might not win : Incumbent
Tory 2
Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk : Michael Moore
Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale : David Mundell
LibDem 1
Orkney and Shetland : Alistair Carmichael
Blab 17
Dumfries and Galloway : Russell Brown
Renfrewshire East : Jim Murphy
Paisley and Renfrewshire North : James Sheridan
Inverclyde : Iain McKenzie
Glasgow North West : John Robertson
Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch : Gregg McClymont
Airdrie and Shotts : Pamela Nash
Paisley and Renfrewshire South : Douglas Alexander
Rutherglen and Hamilton West : Tom Greatrex
Motherwell and Wishaw : Frank Roy
Dunbartonshire West : Gemma Doyle
Glenrothes : Lindsay Roy
Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath : Gordon Brown
Glasgow South West : Ian Davidson
Glasgow East : Margaret Curran
Coatbridge, Chyston and Bellshill : Tom Clarke
Glasgow North East : Willie Bain
and Scotland Votes gives another three
Ross, Skye and Lochaber : Charles Kennedy
Dunfermline and West Fife : Thomas Docherty
Glasgow Central : Anas Sarwar

Which of these would another party / significant individuaal be better placed to win?

Graeme Doig

BtP

Cheers. I’ll have a wee look into it. Need to get a bit more savvy to contribute here 🙂

Ann

Only have two shops and the Post Office in my village. The shops being a little cornershop and the CO-OP.

Started using the wee shop for some stuff, but it only has limited stocks and have to use the CO-OP for the wee essentials and totally bypass all the stuff with the Union Flag on it.

Having used ALDI a couple of times now, I have been quite impressed with amount of Scottish foodstuffs that they sell and it the main use a lot of the smaller independants and family businesses which can only be good.

They are also a heck of a lot cheaper. Got a couple of bags of messages yesterday for just over £26.00 which I think is excellent value.

Love the M&S bread and some of their other own brands, but don’t use now.

Bugger (the Panda)

AultA

They used to do real Reinheitsgebot beer but they reduced the quality and now the same beer brand (their own) is not Reinhetsgebot.

Still tastes OK,

I prefer Jever myself, if available.

Natasha

@handclapping
Michael Moore is actually LibDem, although of course there’s no real difference. Do you happen to know what his majority was? I’ve got a feeling the SNP came second in that constituency in the last GE (I’m in Roxburgh).

Natasha

Oops, just checked, the SNP came 4th! Okay, this may be a hard one to pull off.

Natasha

However, Paul Wheelhouse, who stood against Michael Moore in 2010, is a well-known, respected and effective MSP. I don’t know if he would be willing to stand for WM, but we might well do better this time round if he did.

Luigi

Oh how I hope we can get rid of a few red tories in 2015.
Not easy though – big majorities.

The reluctant NOs and soft YESs have to now realise that the only way to guarantee significant more powers for Holyrood, in the medium term, is to start tactically voting out unionist MPs at general elections.

Tories of all colour need to be targeted.

scottish_skier

@Muttley, just give yourself your name on Scotgoespop.

Number of concern trolls we have on there at times is nuts. Call themselves ‘anon’ most of the time.

Luigi

Just found out an old couple (friend’s parents) voted NO because they “always vote Labour and a YES vote would have been a vote for the SNP”.

I despair.

muttley79

I think there is a real difficulty in predicting the 2015 general election in Scotland by using the 2010 results. The Lib Dems have effectively committed suicide in Scotland by going into coalition with the Tories. If they had at least negotiated a good deal with the Tories then even that might have helped them a little, but they did not even do that. They got the AV referendum for being the scum’s political enablers, and even that got beaten easily.

SLAB have also been shooting themselves in the foot as well, and have had their own alliance with the Tories in thwarting Scottish self government. They still have mostly huge majorities but they have hardly done themselves any favours with the electorate.

muttley79

@Scottish Skier

Cheers, but I really do not think I am going to get on with that Mick Pork character. Best to leave it now I reckon.

Paula Rose

handclapping and others – get the analysis and stats going xx

Another Union Dividend

The so called golf fans would do well to remember that no political leader has done more for Scottish golf than Alex Salmond.

Here in this neck of the golfing woods, we are extremely fortunate that there are highly enthusiastic, powerful backers keeping things buoyant. Whatever your thoughts on the bold Alex Salmond, there can be no denying his passion for the game and it can only be hoped that the next person at the helm continues to recognise the huge importance of supporting golf in this country.

Salmond’s intervention, and the lucrative alliance with Aberdeen Asset Management, saved the Scottish Open and it is now going from strength to strength. The Women’s British Open has backing through to 2019 – and will be played here four times in that period – while the Ladies Scottish Open was recently given a new prime slot in the schedule, the week before the British event, and an increase in prize money through a support package that is committed through to 2018. More importantly, the junior initiative of Clubgolf, which has introduced some 300,000 youngsters to the game, remains an integral part of the golfing landscape.

“This support is not stopping the day after we celebrate the next European Ryder Cup win at Gleneagles,” said Salmond a couple of years ago.

link to heraldscotland.com

AuldA

@BtP:
Guinness is my preferred ale by far.
If it’s not available, I try to get a Belgian abbey beer such as Leffe or Grimbergen, preferably dark. They taste awesome.

The rest is just shandy. 🙂

But in your region, drinking beer is a high-treason, no? You risk your life every day. Hats off.

Craig P

Ah Steep Holm, the Severns answer to Ailsa Craig. 😉

Heard Willie Rennie banging on about ‘extreme devolution’. What a stupid phrase. Especially from a leader in a party that has theoretically championed federalism for over 100 years.

AuldA

@Another Union Dividend:
I read that ERC next European edition was to take place at le golf de la Boulie in Versailles. Is that correct?

handclapping

Not having any hard data but my thoughts would be

Colin Fox, SSP and RIC : Glasgow East : Margaret Curran, CF et al would put up a good show, as they did with the Easterhouse canvassing and if they got her out that would really upset the Blab MSP selection for 2016

Greens : Glasgow North West : John Robertson concentrate the Green support they have in G’ow on this one seat and try and make Trident their cause there.

Tommy has said support the SNP but I’d have loved to see him in : Glasgow South West : Ian Davidson up against the chairchoob and his reclining seat 😉

Macsenex

Alex Salmond has done more to promote golf than any of these Unionists who swan around in their Pringle sweaters and have kept women out of their golf clubs through classic sexist behaviour which their wives tolerate.

AS is is big enough to overcome this just at the reception for Scottish Olympians in Glasgow.

Don’t these idiots realise that people who award these prestigious international events look not just at organisation but also the respect their democratically elected over moment receives in deciding whether to award other events to the country? You don’t need to agree with your government to respect them as the international embodiment of your country on the World Stage.

davidb

Those Glasgow and Dundee turnouts are just so off the norm. Are they so very different from the rest of Scotland?

Re the Co-Op. There are other institutions like trades unions which finance the Labour Party. Perhaps now that so many people have joined Yes parties it would be an idea to organise. Don’t just boycott places, but take over the local branches of things like the Co-op or your union. You can decide whether and to whom political levies go then – and endorsements and sponsored MP’s.

Paula Rose

Which region is that dear? We brew the finest ales in the world and a well kent spirit.

ronnie anderson

Cearc, Cearc, Paula Rose needs some advice on Cocks n Hens from our resident Foul expert.

Any links on todays Bbc demo yet.

FergusMac

Graeme.

From the Co-op Party Wikipaedia entry:

There are four Co-operative Party members in the Scottish Parliament:

Claudia Beamish (List MSP for South Scotland)
Kezia Dugdale (List MSP for Lothian)
James Kelly (MSP for Glasgow Rutherglen)
Johann Lamont (MSP for Glasgow Pollock)

There you have it.

Ian Brotherhood

@handclapping –

Interesting suggestions there.

Ivan McKee is probably too busy to consider going into mainstream politics, but what a star he was in the campaign. I’d love to see him up against just about anyone, but even the idea of him hoofing someone like Anas Sarwar is delicious.

Lesley Riddoch versus Mags Curran would be another belter…

Fairliered

Mick Pork was a weel kent winder up of Tories and kippers on Political Betting. Don’t let his ascerbic sense of humour put you off. He’s a yesser.

cynicalHighlander

@FergusMac

Some rotten vegetables there.

Lanarkist

Community Councils nominations are due in two weeks, so if anyone wants to start at the grassroots we should consider putting forward candidates. Need to start clearing out old wood and start reasons for canvassing practise and tactics.
Microcosm and all that, change at all levels, a Community Council, Local, Regional, City, National and Westminster.

Grow grassroots community groups through various useful subjects and activities. Cohesion creates communication, support structures and canvassers that should be easily brought on board!

Twin prong strategy across the spectrum of Government on all levels!

Kevin Meina

I was at gleneagles and nearly ended in fisticuffs with several booing English nobs.There were a lot of English there and a lot of stuck up wheel heeled lot of no voters there on there standard life and RBS freebies sucking champagne glasses all day ,I am sorry to say it wasn’t a particularly representation of the Scottish electorate but that is golf in general.I played at Rowellan castle in Kilmarnock last week and heard a tablefull of middle class arses slagging of one guy from a table of ten who had voted yes

Fairliered

Enjoy your holiday, Rev. If you are where you think you are, does the Commodore Hotel in Sand Bay still serve a good meal and a decent pint of Butcombe Bitter?

Robert Peffers

@Betty Boop says: 28 September, 2014 at 2:05 pm:

“Have a nice one Stu! You just can’t help yourself keeping an eye on us lot though, can you?”

Let’s face it Ms Boop, ‘It’s dirty work but someone’s got to do it’. Do you think we DO NOT need a eye kept upon us? We are, after all the nearest thing the London Establishment has to downright revolution.

Nana Smith
Graeme Doig

Thanks folks . Have just given myself a wee history lesson in Co-op /Labour links.

Al

The SNP won Glasgow East as recently as 2008 so its clearly winnable for them. The SSP and Greens were a long way behind, so the SNP would appear to be the best bet to get rid of Margaret Curran here…

link to en.wikipedia.org

Robert Peffers

@Calgacus says:28 September, 2014 at 3:18 pm:

“Enjoy yourself Rev. Is the roller coaster open?”

Roller Coaster? ROLLER COASTER?

You expect the Rev to go ON a roller coaster after just having climbed OFF the bloody biggest Roller coaster ever?
Sheeesh!

WRH2

Paula Rose says she misses the photos of the Rev’s rats.
That reminded me about the night of the 18th Sept. On my way to the count I saw a large rat running across the road. Don’t panic, I live in the Borders and there has always been rats round farms. Plenty of food for them. Anyway, I slowed right down to let rattie cross the road. They are just little furry animals with as much right to live as we have.

Ian Brotherhood

@Kevin Meina –

Well done on keeping the heid.

We have to expect much more baiting and gloating, and – perversely perhaps – it will probably intensify as ‘The Vow’ is seen for what it is.

My Yes stickers remain on the car. The wrist-bands are still on. Have removed the poster from the upstairs window – more for family peace of mind than anything else.

Have had several dodgy looks from random strangers in supermarket car-parks, but encouraging smiles from others. Any locals who chin me about still having the stickers on the car will be told that Stevenston, Saltcoats, Ardrossan, Irvine and Arran all voted Yes. North Ayrshire fell to No because of…guess who? Kilwinning, Kilbirnie, (and either Beith or Dalry, forget which…)

Even in what some (unfairly) describe as ‘The Land That Time Forgot’, we nearly pulled it off.

Next time? we will.

Mealer

davidb,
at this time,there is probably nothing better a Yes supporter can do for our cause than to join his /her union and make sure they represent the memberships views.

Mealer

Trade unions need to speak for their members.Not the Labour Party.

Robert Peffers

@hamish says:28 September, 2014 at 5:02 pm:

“Piers – none of that frivolous stuff in Scotland!”

Whit! When I were a lad they certainly had one at Granton with the Herring Fleet going 24/7 and the Northern Lights Lighthouse tender berthed on the end of it.

Natasha

@Mealer
I phoned my union hq (EIS) last week to check if I paid a political levy. Apparently our political fund is kept for fighting legal battles and does not go to any political party. The nice woman on the other end of the phone didn’t seem surprised by my query, so I asked her if she’d had many enquiries about this in the past few days. She admitted that there had been a fair few . . . !

nigel

Luigi says:
28 September, 2014 at 8:29 pm
Just found out an old couple (friend’s parents) voted NO because they “always vote Labour and a YES vote would have been a vote for the SNP”.

I despair.

I feel your pain, Luigi

Theres no other way to describe 55% of Scots-thick as pig shite.

Shoudnt really come as a surprise though-If Scots really wanted independence, they would have unshackled themselves from the GB corpse yonks ago!

I guess emigration, being cannon fodder for London etc , over such a long period,HAVE indeed taken their toll on the IQ of the remainder……….

liz

Just been on twitter – lots of criticism of the booers – they are very angry – dishing out insults by the barrel load – we yessers are all bigots, hate our fellow Scots, delusional, loons, talk bollocks – you get the picture.

Also had someone say – bet I’m happier than U r – told him he was up too late – go to bed etc.

They are blazing that we r not still under the duvet

handclapping

I’m all for Lanarkists idea of cutting our political teeth on Community Councils. Something we can do now and keep the momentum of the Yes efforts going

Wee jock poo-pong mcplop

“Anyway, I slowed right down to let rattie cross the road. They are just little furry animals with as much right to live as we have.”

Absolutely right, and you are to be commended on your humanity. Good to know the 45 are kind people. It all fits, somehow…

archieologist

The Scotland on Sunday newspaper had a stall at the east end of Princes Street, Edinburgh, today where they were selling copies of the paper plus an I Love Scotland Shopping Bag for £1 -What a Cheek!

Their sales are obviously plummeting, and they’ll soon have to give the paper away!Both the Scotsman and its Sunday sister paper rarely have anything positive to say about the SNP Scottish Government. They lack balance in their news and reporting and have nothing to offer the progressive 45% who voted YES and want political change in Scotland.

We need a rebalancing of the hostile MSM to fairly reflect the views of the nationalist movement in Scotland.

WINGS,NEWSNET,BELLA,BATEMAN BROADCASTING and others have led the way in holding the British Establishment to account and providing a forum for progressive views and debate. I await with interest to see how they develop and collaborate in the coming weeks and months.

Mealer

Natasha,
Well done you! We need much more of this.

liz

@nigel – about 25% could easily be persuaded to vote Yes – they want more powers but scared to take final leap.

Only about 27% feel truly British.

link to lordashcroftpolls.com

handclapping

I had a look at the Coop party when I lived in deepest blue England and all our deep blue Tory voters shopped at the Coop and unknowingly financed beasts like Dennis Skinner (shudder, really my dear that man).

You turn up at the members meetings of your local retail Coop and offer to be Secretary. 3 years on you’re in and can put yourself forward as a delegate to the regional conference of the Coop party. Then you can start to dissasociate them from Labour saying that now it is the Greens that most closely align with co-operative values.

Paula Rose

I am on my local community council – it is a place to provide a voice, not create division.

dakk

@WRH2
I also seen many large rats on the 18th.They all voted No

ben madigan

@Mealer “trade Unions need to speak for their members. Not the labour party”

Noticed some people said trade union members could withdraw their contribution to the labour party, while continuing to pay their Union dues.
can the contribution be sent to another party like SNP, SSP or greens?
In other words can the member decide where his/ her political contribution goes?

Boorach

@ Ian Brotherhood

Ian, we’re having a street stall/recruiting drive on Saturday, any chance could you let us have a supply of SSP membership application forms?

SquareHaggis

@Lanarkist,

Good idea re Community Councils.
We need to get more Scots involved at this level.
For too long have we let other people run this aspect of our lives.
Time we got off our ar5es and made the decisions for a change.

handclapping

@Paula Rose
So you don’t think the care and compassion shewn by the arguments of the Yessers should have a voice?

cearc

Ronnie,

Chicks… not my favourites at the moment. What with one thing and another happening I am rather behind with despatching a large brood. Yesterday I found a dozen of them all up in my elderbushes/trees, stripping all the berries! No elderberry sauce on my chicken this year.

Natasha

@ben madigan

can the contribution be sent to another party like SNP, SSP or greens?
In other words can the member decide where his/ her political contribution goes?

I wouldn’t have thought so, it would be awfully complicated to manage. If your trade union is affiliated to a party then you could refuse to pay the political levy and it would just be removed from your membership fee. A lot of trade unions aren’t affiliated, though; check with yours to see what their position is.

kininvie

@handclapping

We have a real problem with Jim Murphy’s seat in Renfrewshire East. It’s a straight Tory/Lab contest, with the rest nowhere:

link to ukpollingreport.co.uk

Do we ask Yessers to hold their noses and vote Tory in the hope of unseating unlucky Jim? Personally, I think I’d rather have 2 Tories in Scotland than Mr Murphy.

Shuggy

@ handclapping:

Just a thought – There may be some newer MPs on your list (i.e. elected in 2010) who have benefitted from their predecessor’s following. I can think of one who “inherited” a large majority in a Labour stronghold when the sitting MP retired.

However, the area in question is one of the four which voted Yes in the referendum, and the MP’s subsequent vote in favour of the Iraqi air strikes has only added to the disgust and outrage of people there.

Incidentally, I understand the MSP for the area is also less popular than cholera.

Natasha

Re community councils; I was on our local community council about 10 years ago; I gave up in disgust when I got criticised for sitting in the secretary’s seat!! You have to be prepared to ride out an awful lot of pettiness and bullshit, and I had better things to do with my time.

Paula Rose

handclapping honey – that is not what I mean, community councils are the voice of local communities to their representatives at council and parliamentary levels. This means engaging with folk and making sure their voice is heard. I am all for people getting engaged at every level of politics, but it is not a forum for partisanship.

Kevin Meina

Yes still proudly displayed in West Kilbride as well

Kevin Meina

Yes still proudly displayed in West Kilbride as well

Robert Peffers

Graeme Doig says:28 September, 2014 at 6:56 pm:

“What is this sponsorship of jl by the coop. Are our msp,s sponsored ?”

Where you been, Graeme?

The Trade unions have always sponsered members of parliaments and Councillors. The very first Labour MP was Keir Hardie and he was sponsored by the trade unions & the Liberal Party. The Co-operative movement, Trade Union Movement and the Labour Party were all once more or less all the same movement. Then Labour began to get too big for its boots and began to distance itself from the Co-op and has more recently began distancing itself from the Trade Unions. That is probably because it has gone more & more right wing.

kininvie

@Ian,

Can I second Boorach’s request? Last week in West Lothian, Yes had sign-up forms for the SNP, but could do nothing other than hand out contact details for the other pro-Yes parties. Been in touch with Greens since then, but could do with local SSP contact, if you have one. If not, forms would be good. email me kininvie (at) gmail (dot) com & I’ll give you address.

nigel

liz says:
28 September, 2014 at 9:51 pm
@nigel – about 25% could easily be persuaded to vote Yes – they want more powers but scared to take final leap

Just emphasises my point Liz-The remaining Scots, for the most part, are so cowed and timid that they will never take “the final leap.”

Can you really imagine any other country, faced with such a choice, actually rejecting what was on offer? Of course you can’t! Ive been to many countries and, without exception, are all proud of their flag. It sickened me to witness the reaction from Scots when the FM raised the St Andrews Cross at Wimbledon! I fell out with a neighbour who started mouthing off at that point!

The Scots with most “get up and go” (My son included) got up and left this shithole of a union and is now ten times better off in all ways than if he had remained here.

Thats what I was referring to when I mentioned the IQ of the remainder……..

Ian Brotherhood

@Boorach (9.58) –

No probs.

Please message me:

ian@stevenston4.fsnet.co.uk

I’ll make sure you get a stack. If you’re anywhere within decent driving distance of Ayrshire, I’ll deliver them. Otherwise, you’ll get them by snail-mail.

Thanks mister.

Hoots!

Paula Rose

Ian honey – what is the difference between the Green Party and the SSP? Serious query – I’ve left the high heels at the door.

Ian Brotherhood

@kininvie –

Noted.

No idea who we have up your neck of the woods, but will find out.

handclapping

@shuggy
Even allowing for a LibDem collapse and a 15 point swing you are still looking at 48% to 37% in West Dunbartonshire. I think you have to write it off as a mountain to climb in 2020.

Bob Sinclair

@kininvie

Interesting comment made at RIC Southside meeting today:

Who’s to say that Murphy won’t be de-selected as Labour candidate?

Paula Rose

handclapping honey – we do mountains, it’s in our blood.

Dave McEwan Hill

The Argyll and Bute result looked bad but we won the historic county of Argyll and Bute only to be undone by the huge NO vote from Helensburgh and Lomond (which is actually much more heavily populated that the traditional Argyll and Bute). No idea why it is in A&B anyway. It is little more than a suburb of Glasgow with a huge British military base in it.
My sympathies go to the hardworking Helensburgh SNP

boris

More Problems, (other than the £4 Billion annual cost of the war in the Middle East) for George to Deal With in the next few Weeks. All of which will be Passed on to the Taxpayer Whether they Agree with it or Not.

George Osborne, (Chancellor of the Exchequer) in his Autumn statement, for delivery to the country in November will announce an increase and extension of existing austerity measures. This will include a number of new cuts in welfare spending and public sector pay restraints, to last for the duration of the parliament and beyond.

link to caltonjock.com

Boorach

Thanks Ian, I’m for bed now… 5:30 rise, will contact tomorrow.

Paula Rose

I really do not get this idea of only fighting battles we think we can win – wise up, we are the Scots.

cynicalHighlander

@Paula Rose

Environment comes first.

liz

@nigel – you’re probably correct – u can’t get through to morons.

Lots still ‘celebrating’ booing AS – they really are thick.

highseastim

Robert Peffers

Or in some cases like my union the RMT, we are distancing ourselves from Labour!!

h_johnny

@nigel – No matter what we think of them, i don’t think calling 2 million Scots thick is going to help our cause.

We need to engage the 55% more so that independence is utterly inevitable.

kendomacaroonbar

Here’s the Bruces comment on Indy ref and the oil.. enjoy !

link to youtu.be

boris

George Osborne, (Chancellor of the Exchequer) in his Autumn statement, for delivery to the country in November will announce an increase and extension of existing austerity measures. This will include a number of new cuts in welfare spending and public sector pay restraints, to last for the duration of the parliament and beyond.

link to caltonjock.com

SquareHaggis

WGD is back and an interesting comment therein

link to weegingerdug.wordpress.com

Paula Rose

@ cynicalHighlander – is that ever not in the interest of people or am I not understanding your point.

Michael McCabe

A Song for Rev Stu. link to youtube.com Have a good Break and Haste Ye Back.

mr thms

# kininvie

My brother’s family lives in Eastwood and reckon Mr Murphy will lose his seat..

None of the pro-Union parties will get their votes

Robert Peffers

@ben madigan says:28 September, 2014 at 9:57 pm

“Noticed some people said trade union members could withdraw their contribution to the labour party, while continuing to pay their Union dues.”

I’ve not been an active TU member for many long years but it used to be rag-bag of different rules in different unions. Everything from no choice of paying the levy and where it went to full choice of everything. It sticks in my mind that Westminster brought out legislation to make it illegal to force members to contribute or to force them to contribute to a particular party. In my Shop stewarding days it was common for Labour Party Stewards to make it hard for anyone to opt out.

nigel

h_johnny says:
28 September, 2014 at 10:36 pm
@nigel – No matter what we think of them, i don’t think calling 2 million Scots thick is going to help our cause.

We need to engage the 55% more so that independence is utterly inevitable.

Agreed, Johnny-but, if the cap fits, wear it!

We only need another 5% to swing it. I suspect this achievable but, alas, I suspect the remainder cannot, or will not, “un-thick” their closed mindsets…………

Robert Peffers

@kininvie says:28 September, 2014 at 10:04 pm;

“We have a real problem with Jim Murphy’s seat in Renfrewshire East. It’s a straight Tory/Lab contest, with the rest nowhere:”

I rather got the impression that the Smurph was about to set himself up as the one to oust Johann Lamont from being Scottish Leader at Holyrood. If so he will be looking for a safe Labour seat for Holyrood. It is not against the rules to hold down both a seat at Westminster and at Holyrood. I think Murph sees himself as Scotland’s FM.

cynicalHighlander

@Paula Rose

Yes but only the Greens have it as their No 1 priority all the others are very slowly catching up that an unhealthy environment costs far more in the long run, diversity is the key for all life. Just had a Sexton beetle fly in the window attracted by the light, they like dead bodies to lay their eggs on and I am here alone so I put it back outside.

heedtracker

Anothe bunch of lying phonies rewrite teamGB history. Dont forget to pick up your AlicSamin stress toy too

So from this
link to wingsoverscotland.com

to this
link to archive.today

They know they’re just another bunch of rancid hypocrites and liars but they still want us to like them. Talk about your Catch 22. Never buying their crap again.

Jeannie

@Dave McEwen Hill

Dave – wondering if one of your lot left me a large corex Yes sign at my wee hoose on the banks of Loch Fyne? Just discovered it yesterday. If it was you, thanks. I’ll keep it for next time!

Shuggy

@ handclapping:

“Even allowing for a LibDem collapse and a 15 point swing you are still looking at 48% to 37% in West Dunbartonshire. I think you have to write it off as a mountain to climb in 2020”

Oh, I don’t know, the people there are SEETHING!

Paula Rose

@ cynfulH – a sexton beetle! Honey where do you live? I’m coming for some nature study xx

crazycat

Re – opting out of the political levy:

With the exception of the RMT for a while (and now again, perhaps), I believe all unions which pass part of their political funds on to a political party do so to the Labour Party. This is, however, a decision made by the membership and thus not permanent.

I opted out of the political levy for Unite decades ago (as soon as it became possible) because it goes to Labour but a couple of years ago I did vote in favour of the retention of the political fund because this covers all political activity by the union, including non-party campaigns. This was explained in the leaflet that accompanied the ballot, but it was not clear to me whether my opting out meant that I am not contributing to this fund either.

Back to the Co-operative Party; members are allowed to also be members of Labour (but not of any other party) but it isn’t automatic. In practice I suspect dual membership is more or less universal, but they do stress that they are an independent party which chooses not to put up separate candidates because their aims are supported by Labour. (Hmm…)

Robert Peffers

@Kevin Meina says:28 September, 2014 at 10:07 pm:

“Yes still proudly displayed in West Kilbride as well”

Still got window stickers on the Camper-van here in Kelty but it was not practical to keep the large bonnet, door and side panel magnetic stickers on the vehicle nor was it practical to keep the big flagstaff on the rear tailgate or the small front window mounted flagstaffs. The house window stickers are still up and I’m working upon a chimney, or wall, mounted flagstaff, for the cottage. I have the flagstaff built and rigged but not yet decided on how to make a mounting for the pole that will allow the lanyard to be used from the ground.

That one will have to wait, though, as I strained a muscle in my neck/shoulder late on referendum night, (Don’t Ask! it was a daft wee accident).

Paula Rose

oops – I was getting an image of Ringo doing manly stuff, giggle

Ian Brotherhood

re opt-out of Union subs to Labour –

UKIP were banging on about this today at their conference. (It was the first motion up for debate.) Anyone can opt-out of having a % of their union sub being given to the Labour Party, but they cannot choose another party to gift it to.

Don’t take no Poirot to work out why UKIP don’t like that, but it’s useful info all the same. ‘Mony a mickle maks a muckle’, right? – make sure Labour doesn’t get so much as a sniff at your mickles.

Robert Peffers

kininvie says: 28 September, 2014 at 10:10 pm:

“… could do nothing other than hand out contact details for the other pro-Yes parties”.

Do not both those parties have web based applications on their sites for membership, kininvie?

Paula Rose

Ian dear – this is a family oriented site, we don’t mind a tickling of muckles but sniffing mickles is a bit below the belt.

Jeannie

I still have my Yes stickers on my car and a Yes poster in my window at home. I haven’t changed my mind about Scotland being an independent country,so I see no reason to take them down. Drove from Glasgow to Argyll over the last two days and passed quite a few cars still displaying Yes stickers. I also have a “Bairns not Bombs” one on my car window and I think it is entirely appropriate to display it under the circumstances. I’d say, hold onto your stickers. Mind you, I’d like a new one that just says, “How no?”

Robert Peffers

@Paula Rose says:28 September, 2014 at 10:29 pm:

“handclapping honey – we do mountains, it’s in our blood.

Indeed it is, Paula Rose. and I’ve been an SNP supporter for a very long time. One thing I have learned is that winning surprise seats, particularly in by-elections and times of strife, is like buying a luckybag – you have no idea what the hell is going to come out of it but they all cost the same price..

cynicalHighlander

@Paula Rose

No high heels!

cynicalHighlander

@Paula Rose

No high heels!

cearc

Ian,

I can assure you that they will not get within sniffing distance of my mickles, even downwind.

Paula Rose,

Now, now, no need to be prudish. We all know you are a shy and sensitive wee flower but it is after the watershed.

Paula Rose

@ lots of you – aw shucks, nitey nite xx

cynicalHighlander

Anyone know if the demo at the BBC went ahead today?

Ian Brotherhood

@Robert Peffers (10.57) –

‘I think Murph sees himself as Scotland’s FM.’

I’m fairly pished right now. Five minutes ago I went into the back garden to have a fly smoke, and was chuffed to see The Toad sitting at the verge of the lawn.

He’s been about for a few years. He may even be the same creature I picked up in the Stevenston Morrison’s car-park approx three years ago, when he was no bigger than a five-pence piece. He looks healthy, big-limbed, bright-eyed, and was clearly deliberating on which of four nearby slugs to target by way of pre-hibernation loading.

Anyway, my point is this – The Toad has more chance of winning a Westminster seat than Jim Murphy. That man is finished.

Chris

Enjoy your holiday and thank you for your work

ben madigan

Thanks to Natasha, Robert and Ian for all the info about the political sub.

So if I’ve understood everything – a member can stop it no prob – but has to make his/her own arrangements to send the equivalent sum to a political party that is not british labour.

And some trades Unions do not send the sub to the labour party anyway – they save it up in a fighting fund for legal battles etc.
Everything’s much clearer now

LizM

With regards to still having yes signs up, my jeep still has one. Mind you the car I saw tonight at the golf club didn’t just have Yes sticker the sides still had a huge “2014 AYE” 🙂

David

I see people saying that Jim Murphy maybe fancies himself as Scotlands FM?

I swear to any gods there may be, spirits, fate or divine entity or even the universe itself – if that man somehow ended up as Scotland’s FM i would never call myself Scottish again, so embarrassed i would be for the sheer lack of intelligence in ordinary people that that could be allowed to happen.

For me you may as well wrap a saltire round the stone of destiny and give it a state funeral to declare Scotland dead.

Ive frankly shit smarter objects than Jim and there isnt a parasite in nature i consider to have less basic integrity.

Out of touch, half baked career politician to the core.

Capella

@davi
come off the fence David and stop beating about the bush!

Morag

You know, I always said I would never go to live abroad. I lived in England for 25 years and I’ve been so glad to get back.

But I swear if that creep Murphy ever becomes FM, all bets are off.

Robert Peffers

@nigel says:28 September, 2014 at 10:51 pm:

“… alas, I suspect the remainder cannot, or will not, “un-thick” their closed mindsets…………”

Oh! Come on, Nigel! Think about what you are saying and put yourself in the position of an OAP on the basic pension – making the choice each week of whether to eat or heat and a knock comes on your door. There stands a bussed in, paid for English NO activist. He/she asks you what you intend to vote and you say, “Ah’m votin Aye! of course”, and this smartly dressed individual with an the English style accent you have always associated with the such things as School Head Masters, Housing Officers at the local Toon Ha, Bosses, Bank Managers and other people you associate with authority figures says, “Are you mad? Don’t you know that if you vote YES you will force the United Kingdom Government to stop your pension? How could a Scottish Government manage to pay for all the Scottish pensioners”?

These old people are not thick they are terrified and imagine themselves starved to death in a cold house with not even anyone to bury them. Think about it – even big strong men have unreasoned terrors. As an MOD worker with Nuclear Radiation I had to have a medical examination every year. This was done with a couple of RN Surgeon Commanders and the workers all in the scuddy standing in a long queue. On one occasion I was right at the front of that queue when the surgery assistant came through the inner door with a tray of large syringes in one hand a a ready for action large syringe in the other. I heard this sound like a big collective sigh behind me and looked round as I heard a series of dull thuds. There was a line that now had gaps in it where these big hard Royal Dockyard hard-men were lying passed out at the sight of those needles.

Get the message, Nigel? Abject fear is often irrational and nothing whatsoever to do with intellect.

yesindyref2

SNP average of the Yougov polls is different:
SNP – 38.6%
Lab – 29.3%
Con – 18.1%
Lib Dem – 5.2%

Putting this into electoral calculus highlights a potential problem seat – Dumfries and Galloway – which switches from Labour to Conservative. I’ve played with other values and the same problem can happen, unless a lot bigger SNP %age.

The reason it’s a problem is that it gives Labour their traditional reason for “Vote Labour”, something they will use, and exaggerate as a national problem. D&G would need careful targetting, and the SNP media machine well ready to handle it as well. They might get some media sympathy if they suggest local voters vote – Labour (ugh) to keep out Tories. Or of course really go to town targetting Labour voters there. Local issue – A75.

Ronnie Leitch

My Yes flag will fly from my roof until Independence day. Also my works van with the Yes stickers will continue to travel through the borders, that’s where I work He-He.

yesindyref2

Another thought about electoral calculus. It’s presumably set up on what was the existing swings from or to Labour and SNP etc. What it doesn’t take account of, for istnace, is the number of LibDem 2010 voters who voted YES, which was quite high – 39% according to Ashcroft.

Electoral calculus might have them swinging to Labour, whereas a substantial amount could be persuaded to go SNP and Indy.

Tam Jardine

The Yes vote in East Renfrewshire was 24287. Jim won the seat in 2010 with 25987 votes (beating the Tory guy by 10500 votes.

The Eastwood constituency in the Scottish Parliament (which I believe has the same boundaries as East Renfrewshire returned a labour MSP in 2011 with 12662 votes (a majority of 2000 over the conservative candidate. In 2007 labour won also, with 15077 votes but a smaller majority.

It is unthinkable to get behind a conservative challenger, although that would be the easist way to unseat Jim. If the yes voters can get 100% behind a single candidate then that candidate will win. Whoever it may be I wish them the very best of luck.

It would be interesting to hear from any Wingers in the constituency as to what the best move would be.

Brian Doonthetoon

Re: Community Councils.

From Day 1, CC’s have had to remain ‘non-political’. If my memory serves me well (wheel’s on fire), the CC’s in Scotland all have a constitution that bars politicisation.

As Paula Rose (I think) typed, their job is to represent their communities in dealings with the local authority.

In Dundee City Centre, our meetings always had at least one of our councillors and the Community Liaison Sergeant from Tayside Police in attendance, as invited guests.

Robert Peffers

@David says: 29 September, 2014 at 12:10 am:

“Ive frankly shit smarter objects than Jim and there isnt a parasite in nature i consider to have less basic integrity.”

While I appreciate your utter disgust, David, the point is that neither you I or the rest of Scotland’s voters outside of the Labour Party would have a say in the matter. The First minister is chosen by the elected members of the party that gains the majority, or heads a coalition, at Holyrood. Murphy is said to be campaigning to oust Lamont as Scottish Labour Leader but need not be an MSP. There is nothing to stop anyone being both an MP & an MSP at the same time.

However, to also take over as the FM he would have to be an elected MSP and selected by the Labour, (or Labour led coalition), if they held a majority at Holyrood.

manandboy

As a special treat to Jim Murphy

to let him know how we feel about him,

every Yes voter in East Renfrewshire

should vote Conservative in May 2015.

Unless anyone has a better idea.

I would have voted for Mgt Thatcher

in these circumstances

and that’s saying something,

albeit somewhat predictable.

But it is of course a matter for the good people of East Ren.

Kalmar

Morag: never a truer word spoken. That really would be the final straw.

Kevin Meina

I would just like it to be known that West KIlbride is a YES village .For some strange reason we lumped in with Dalry which had more sashes than brains.I was nightshift in eve of vote ,went straight to vote from work at 0745 to be met with a sight which made me a 48 year old man sit in his car a cry.The houses surrounding the polling station had saltires and yes banners hanging from practically every window.I went in stared at the voting slip for almost 5 mins losers it at placed my cross.The voting clerks gave me a sympathetic smile as they could see how emotional I was.Till the next time .

Kevin Meina

I would just like it to be known that West KIlbride is a YES village .For some strange reason we lumped in with Dalry which had more sashes than brains.I was nightshift in eve of vote ,went straight to vote from work at 0745 to be met with a sight which made me a 48 year old man sit in his car a cry.The houses surrounding the polling station had saltires and yes banners hanging from practically every window.I went in stared at the voting slip for almost 5 mins losers it at placed my cross.The voting clerks gave me a sympathetic smile as they could see how emotional I was.Till the next time .

yesindyref2

Electoral calculus shows the importance of “other” in that column. I’d say put Sheridan against a good but difficult target, with SNP and other support, and 2-3 SSP and 2-3 Green candidates similarly, with all supporting SNP in the other seats.

Then there’s the UKIP factor – 2.6% overall in the SNP poll, presumably higher in some parts than others, which could take away some Tory voters, but also Labour if it had the same pattern as in England.

It seems clear though that co-operation between the YES parties could optimise the thrashing Labour take. Shame!

liz g

Liz M
Are you still here posting

yesindyref2

Just for interest, the timetable for the GE 2015:
link to parliament.uk

Day 6, 19 days before 7 May, about 17th April, is the last day for nomination or withdrawal of candidature.

Suzanne

On the subject of shopping, Lidl are great and they have some fantastic European lines. Their marmalade is wonderful. However, I moved house earlier in the year and am now out of Lidl range and am stuck between Tesco and Marks & Stains and no smaller grocery shop. Sigh.

The Cooperative – will be phoning the bank and asking about their political allegiances. I had thought the bank was outside political sympathies but now I need to check.

As for Murph, he’s delusional if he thinks he’s going to get a sniff at the FM-ship. As is Lamont, of course. Labour is disappearing down the swirling plughole of irrelevance in Scotland.

stuckdoonhame

Dream on if you think anyone can unseat that wee git Russell Brown from Dumfries & Galloway. There’s a horrible tendency of (as my late mother-in-law was fond of saying) “it’s aye been” down here. Brown is a local man and like dear old Sir Hector Munro (barf) before him, once they get established they seem to never get un-established.
On top of that, IMO the SNP have managed to seriously piss people in this area off, removing various local services to the Central Belt (and as a long-time independence supporter I’d include me in that number). The argument for centralising fire service response was that it could be done from anywhere – so why not from here, where there is a massively low wage economy and a great deal of ‘hidden’ poverty?
I feel it’s a crying shame – Galloway managed years ago to unseat the Tories and send an SNP MP to Westminster so why has the area been so ignored?

Alex Clark

It’s not just us or the Catatonias that want change across Europe. The great majority do.

This video is an inspiration and the reason we will not give in.

link to youtube.com

Alex Clark

Catalonians of course.

macart763m

@stuckdoonhame

Just Google Scottish government spending, Dumfries and Galloway. The SG much like anywhere else in Scotland receive little or no headline credit for the positives, but too many headlines for much that is negative. I agree though, Mr Brown is pretty much an immovable in the region.

I wonder though if Mr Brown could have kept Stena in the region when they considered their move a few years back? Or would Labour have let them leave in order to favour their Ayshire constituencies? Even the modest improvements to infrastructure along the A77 and A75 to facilitate access to the port, would they have occurred? I doubt it. But how much headline space has any of the above received? The spending plans you’ll see after that simple google search will also highlight some significant spend in both NHS and education facilities. Again, where are the good news stories?

But one windmill goes up anywhere and the focus/action groups come out of the woodwork and the SG goes through a shit storm of bad press. The region is basically landed rural with two large bodies of habitation at either end. If or when rUK votes to leave the EU they are in for a bad day of I told you so as they watch a great deal of subsidies disappear never to be seen again. Some folks though need to be faced with the starkest of choices before they realise just who has been working for them and who has been working for themselves.

bjsalba

@stuckdoonhame

You say SNP have managed to seriously piss people in this area off, removing various local services to the Central Belt

I notice you don’t list these services. I had the same claim made in my area, when I pressed them for details it turned it that most had been moved as a result of decisions taken before 2007 or were actually the in Westminster control, not Holyrood.

When you get the details get back to us.

BB

Obviously we need proof from Stu in the form of a photo of a sand castle built each day with that day’s newspaper held in shot. 😉

JLT

The Computer Repair shop in the old Mall ha-ha-ha. That takes me back. I got my old Sinclair ZX Spectrum repaired in there!

Anyway …enjoy the holiday, Stuart

JLT

God, I had forgotten all about the computer repair shop in the old Mall. Back in 1985, I had to take my old ZX Spectrum repaired there to be repaired.

Anyway …enjoy your time off, Stuart

Grouse Beater

Another Monday, another week of Westminster rule.

JLT

If you saw the Mall now, Stuart …you wouldn’t even recognise it! Anyway …enjoy the break.

highseastim

O/t, isn’t it strange how allegedly the “banned” newspapers to not seem to be carrying any stories on Peter Howson handing back his OBE!!

FergusMac

I live in D&G, but in Scotland’s sole Tory constituency, next door to Brown’s.

If you think BBC Scotland is bad, the local news for D&G at half past the hour on GMS is a hell of a sight worse. Almost every day, a Labour politician is on, usually Brown, Elaine Murray or a local councillor. They are given free rein to say whatever they like, with no one questioning them or responding from another party. It really is wall-to-wall Labour propaganda, constantly attacking the SG and the SNP. It’s rare for any other politician to be on.

At least, it was before the Ref. I no longer listen to the BBC, and I have no intention of ever doing so again.

I was in Dumfries about three weeks ago, and I walked past Brown’s constituency HQ on Friars’ Vennel, just along the street from where Bruce slew the Red Comyn in Greyfriars’ Church. Alongside the No posters in the window, there was a huge Butcher’s Apron – put me in mind of an Orange Lodge.

Graeme Doig

Grouse Beater

Aye but Cameron has reiterated his commitment to the vow along with English votes blah blah…

WAPOS considering we could have had it all.

pussy nancy

Came across this article (not sure if it has already been posted) if so, my apologies. It is rather long and contains comments on the whole procedure of the referendum before and after. Many or most of the accusations have already been debunked. I have no idea about the validity of some of the comments but thought it might be an interesting read for some. I was hoping that something MAY have been overlooked. link to sott.net

Molly

Just jumped in the car and heard GMS headlines. The case for Mr Ineos put as part of the headlines, no counterbalance. Just you’ll all be filthy rich with no disruption etc .

The topic aside , BBC Scotland really are the voice of Westminster.

heedtracker

Rancid Herald says Cameron got Brown to vet his last speech for teamGB. “One Downing Street insider quipped it was the “best conversation” Mr Cameron had ever had with his Labour predecessor.” So try and inventing a bigger fraud on the second Monday of the New Union.

Labour writes Consevatvie speeches now.

It was Gordon Brown wot won it though. That last desperate rage at Scotland by Crash day before polls, then blanket BBC coverage brought majority back in to line.

Cuts are a coming big time and they must go directly to the No voters. It’s that simple, not!

The Brown’s were on a flight to New York Friday 19th, first class, all the trimmings, perfect end to a perfect fraud.

SquareHaggis

Anyone else a wee bit suspicious about those Ashcroft demographics figures?

These amazingly colourful and detailed figures appeared immediately after the referendum, but from where? From what data?

If, as has been reported in many areas blank ballots were issued, how would it be possible to track these blank ballots back to a voter never mind their age groups?

My sister had a blank backed ballot paper issued to her at her polling station and has been trying to track it back through her council without success. They can verify she voted from the polling list but cannot verify which way she voted. This was a week after the vote so how did Ashcroft know who voted Y/N immediately after the vote? It’s simply not possible IMO.

Fiona

@ Square Haggis

Ballots are secret: you are not supposed to be able to find out how someone voted. It is kind of the point

Ashcroft conducted a poll by telephone of 2000 respondents. You may or may not accept his findings, but it is not related to the ballot papers in any way

Luigi

The main profiles of the 55%:

1) Britaniaphiles (lost cause)
2) Ignorant (just don’t get it yet)
3) Terrified (Project Fear)
4) Tribal (Diehard Labour, hate SNP)

Forget category 1, but we can certainly work on the others.
It’s not easy though (is it ever?)

Helena Brown

BtheP, I do not have a Lidl here in Dunfermline, two Aldi stores, two (spit) Asda’s and about to increase the number of Tesco’s to two. I used to work at the bottom of Leith Walk and there was a Lidl in the Kirkgate. my workmates used to refer to them as Herr Flick, but it was well used. So if Lidl want to move in to Dunfermline it might take the pressure of my Aldi, where you really need to take a number to get round these days.

JWil

It seems that the BBC and other media outlets have decided not to show the handing over ceremony of the Ryder Cup by the First Minister. It doesn’t happen at Wimbledon. It doesn’t happen at major football games. This is just further evidence of BBC prejudice.

Helena Brown

Luigi, as I see it the 45% only need time, we need to keep the youngsters educated politically, having started we better not stop. The elderly were among the worst Britainophiles, many who grew up through the War and still believe the trash they were told, and who have only the MSM to follow. We have to keep the pressure up on the remainder. Those people still voting Labour are the hard core, doubt there is any saving them.

Shrodingers Cat

Tam Jardine
I notice many people posting the electon results for the GE in 2010

It is as if the Libdem meltdown in the Holyrood elections in 2011 never happened

I reveiwed the boundaries for both NEFife and for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath for both the GE and the HE and they are remarcably similar (rosyth is in Cowdenbeath HE constituency not in Gorden Browns GE)

which when combining the Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath 2011 results gives a totally different picture form Gordon Browns victory in 2011

I appreciate this is easier in some areas than others, I struggle in some areas as I dont know the areas that well, But if anyone wants help to do this, i am willing to help,

shrodingers cat

Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath Combined HE and GE results

2005 GE
Labour 24,278 G.Brown Chancellor
SNP 6,062
Tories 4308
Libdem 5450
58% turnout

2007 HE notional
Lab 24240
SNP 17040
Torys 6190
Libdem 7450
Turnout 45%

2010GE
Labour 29,559 G.Brown PM
SNP 6,550
Tories 4258
Libdem 4269
62% turnout

2011 HE
Lab, 24300
SNP 23400
Tory 3685
Libdem 1422
46% turnout

heedtracker

Such a Parcel of Rogues in a Nation 1707 and 2014

Future Lord Gordon Brown, Sir Ian Wood, every single UKOK Scottish hack, Sir Crichton Torquil, Sir Jim Naughtie, Sir Gordon Brewer, bloater Fats Madougal, maybe he’ll get an OBE as he wasn’t that great, the endless readers letters writers to the Press and Journal that kept raging, who the hell do the Scots think they are and wind farms mean the end of the world, future Lady’s Lamont, Bird, Magnuson, Bird for her creepy sneer at all things Scottish democracy, Magason because you probably still would, Stair heid Lamont because what would aye thone neighbours think about that then, the grotesque that is Better Togther Slovenia branch that has nothing to do with a Glasgow law academc called Prof Tomkins, the only political analyst in the world Prof Curtice and of course, last but not least and actually not last as the list of rogues seems endless, the British fascist thugs that attacked people in and around George Square after showing us their nazi salute. Rule Britannia.

crisiscult

Although I’m boycotting all MSM, I do still listen to Radio Scotland (and also read archived newspaper stories others post here for example). Radio Scotland makes me so so angry, and I think that’s positive, because it reminds me to keep my energy going in fight against the BritNat forces.

This morning’s example: Ruth Davidson and Gary Robertson. Question for Rutty – Do you think people in Scotland don’t really get the UKIP thing in England?
Response – I think if you flip it on its head you’ll understand Gary. They have UKIP and we in Scotland have our own nationalists, the SNP.
Gary thinks, ‘good one Rutty, now lets move on to the next question’ ‘What about your line in the sand?’
Rutty – well I’ve always been open to making the arrangement stronger. We are happy to consider all income tax being devolved.
Gary – thinks, shall I ask about other taxes e.g. crown estate and oil? Nah, don’t think I’ll bother
Rutty – and by the way, I’m a proud Scot and Brit and I can wear both hats blah blah blah

Robert Louis

I notice that over on that thing they call twitter, there is a bit of a barny about people refusing interviews or participation with the BBC. I wholeheartedly agree that nobody on the YES side should even entertain working with the propagandist BBC.

No matter how nicely they talk to you, to get your participation, your views will be distorted and skewed as always.

The BBC are an establishment state propagandist for Westminster, no more, no less. The head of the BBC trust is appointed by the Queen and Prime minister, for heavens sake. We should not give them the time of day.

They have zero interest in your viewpoint, they only want to talk to you, so as to lend a veneer of credibility to their biased output. If you help the BBC, you make it easier for them to portray themselves as ‘balanced’, when in reality they are nothing of the kind.

Let’s not work with ANY of those organisations who went out of their way to lie to and deceive the people of Scotland during the referendum campaign.

Tam Jardine

Molly

I also listened to the propaganda this morning served up by BBC Scotland. They may have a much harder job convincing Scots that fracking 300m below their houses is not just completely safe, necessary and beneficial than the BBC had when they were campaigning against Independence but it won’t stop them from trying.

Was thinking that if it’s ok for Ineos to frack under my house they wouldn’t mind if I turn up at their offices, or Dart Energy in Stirling with a spade and a few hundred like minded folk to dig a big tunnel under their front lawn.

We could give them 6% of anything we find!

The SNP have to go hard in on this issue – Scotland has nothing to gain from fracking and the risks are many. But for the SNP it makes political sense when almost everyone, yes and no is against fracking under their house.

It is a way to reach many of the 55%, particularly the middle classes.

heedtracker

link to holyrood.com

Wise guys.

“Secretary of State for Scotland, Alistair Carmichael, has defended the decision to appoint Lord Smith of Kelvin – an unelected peer – to oversee the process of further devolution, arguing his appointment demonstrates that “the Government is serious about achieving a big deal in a short time.”

And Mike Moore because he’s so trustworthy and democratic

“I am struck by the fact that the English question is to get a full Cabinet sub-committee with William Hague and all the resources of the state put at its disposal, whereas Lord Smith of Kelvin – whose abilities I rate extraordinarily highly – gets two civil servants and a few weeks to do his job.”

Robert Louis

Tam Jardine,

Totally agree with you regarding fracking. The SNP should bang on about it night and day, as those nice people of Morningside and similar areas are in for a shock when they find out Fracking can happen just about anywhere, and not just way far out in the country. Then they find out that the Scottish Government, or council have zero say in the matter.

IMHO, it really could sway many in the middle classes who voted NO to realise just what a big mistake they made.

Scotland is rich in oil and gas, with 60% of the EU’s proven reserves, and enormous renewable potential, there is NO need for fracking whatsoever in Scotland.

Craig P

Dave McEwan Hill

Remember that Helensburgh is an active military base and also home to the indigent version of the retired Majors of Tunbridge Wells. But although people have yachts in their driveways rather than cars, unhappiness is the curse of Helensburgh. It’s home to some of the most miserable buggers in Scotland outside of Fife.

As for why Helensburgh is in Argyll. It was given a choice in the council reorganisation of the 1990s – stay in West Dumbarton or move to Argyll. They chose Argyll, complaining that they paid for everything in Dumbarton and got nothing spent in Helensburgh in return. Now they complain they pay for everything in Argyll and get nothing spent on them in return.

Helensburgh doesn’t deserve Argyll. And interesting to hear it prevented a fifth council declaring for yes, which would have made a continuous cross-section of good guys from Tiree to Shotts.

Craig P

Looked at the Daily Record again this morning. It is back to its purpose as a Labour cheer-sheet, already promoting the idea that the Conservatives are on the down and Labour are set to win 2015, which with Milliband in charge is clearly not going to happen if England has a say in the matter.

Robert Louis

Hey folks,

St.Andrews day is coming up on 30th Nov. Why don’t we make it the biggest festival for YES ever? It is after all OUR day.

This year it falls on a Sunday, which means the Monday after (1st December) is a bank holiday.

What do people think? Plenty of time to get organised.

Luigi

Those people still voting Labour are the hard core, doubt there is any saving them.

They can and have been chipped away over the years, but it won’t happen quickly (stubborn old buggers). Let’s see how they feel after the Tory landslide in 2015. UKIP voters will be bought off with promises to go tough on Europe etc. Milliband will be slaughtered by the MSM on his stanbce against “English votes for English laws”.

Another five years of Tory austerity hell.

It’s coming.

Nana Smith

Corruption at every level without a doubt.

I hope the No voters are happy once the drilling starts and their house values plummet.

link to theguardian.com

Nana Smith

@Robert Louis

YES definitely and as its my birthday on the 3oth Nov this will just make it all the more special.

WantonWampum.

TO Natasha – Scots FibDem MP majorities :-

Michael Moore = 5,675 Maj. (SNP =4TH)
Sir Robert Smith = 3,694 maj
Alan Reid = 3,411
John Thurso = 4,826
Jo Swinson = 2,184
Michael Crockart = 3,803
Sir Ming Campbell= 9,046
Malcolm Bruce = 6,748
Danny Alexander = 8,765
Alis Carmichael = 9,928
Charles Kennedy = 13,070

Tory MP David Mundell has a Maj at4,194 from 2010.

heedtracker

I know UKOK media’s mocking us but if you have any need to for WTF right now, future Sir Crichton Torquil of the Daily Record says

“Torcuil Crichton: It’s time Labour took Scots voters seriously”

TORCUIL reckons giving the job of first Secretary of State for Scotland to an MSP – combined with Labour MPs seeking Holyrood seats, would signal a party that takes Scotland seriously.

So there you go. Torquil Crichton is the man who knows stuff

“LITTLE details on a large canvas can sometimes be the most revealing. A small scene on the referendum’s vast campaign trail stuck with me as a lesson for Scottish Labour .

It was Gordon Brown storming out of the doors of the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow, witnessed by a few loitering journalists.

Having finished one barnstorming speech, he found he was late for another in Edinburgh.

As he ripped off his microphone, he fumed at no one in particular: “Why did no one come for me earlier?”

His frustrated growl would be the perfect title for Labour’s campaign memoir.

The party won by recalling to service its most able leader. The only direct blow against Alex Salmond was struck by Alistair Darling, the street campaign was a solo Jim Murphy effort and the flashbulb moments belonged to Anas Sarwar. All of them are Westminster MPs.”

Crash says why did noone come for me earlier but can that nutcase really be this mad, is another teamGB mystery.

Crash did win the UKOK day though.

Capella

@Wanton wampum
You are using the 2010 figures I assume. With the current voting intention figures which Scot Goes Pop produced on Sept 25th:
SNP 40.3%
Labour 29.5%
Conservatives 17.3%
Liberal Democrats 5.5%
Greens 4.0%
UKIP 2.8%

The seats change handsas in this table:
link to tinyurl.com

Graham

O/T

If anyone is interested I am setting up a dedicated forum to promote Scottish independence. No ads, no tracking just a discussion hub. Early days yet but it is picking up.

http://www.lionrampant.scot

WantonWampum.

At the tory party conf, soon to be ennobled David Mundell was “Bigging-up” Ruth Davidson MSP as the winner of the IndyRef.?

Before AND after the signing of the “Edinburgh Agreement” she was fond of drawing her “Line in the sand” totally opposing any devolved powers from WM to Holyrood.?

She drew a line in the sand at LEITH.

Now that her line in the sand has travelled across Scotland and is currently on the foothills of Ben Nevis, her sand scrit is a moveable feast.

Also UNDERSCORES her subjugation to BamCam in much the same way as Lamontable is Slab scab Leader UNTIL she is slapped-down by Mibbeland and Balls.

Tam Jardine

Shrodingers cat

Interesting – I am no expert in these matters but predict the lib dem collapse turning into a complete rout. In 2010 about 465,000 folk voted lib dem. Plenty less than SNP but they get 11 seats and we won 6 (the tories faring even worse under FPTP.

And wow – Scottish Election 1year after the Lib dem constituency vote drops to 157,800 and the list to a paltry 103,000 odd.

So there are plenty of voters who switched to the SNP at the Holyrood election and may well repeat this mass migration in May. My guess is that former Lib demmers always vote so this vote will go somewhere.

Combine this with a significant dissaffection with labour and it could be very interesting, particularly if the pro indy vote is not split and the unionist vote is.

Some huge labour majorities to overturn but the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

I did think the tories would pick up a few rural seats in May – a charge of electoral fraud may not sit too well with the faithful for Ruthie. Oops!