Something worth remembering
Posted on
March 19, 2015 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
From politics.co.uk this morning:
And here’s Ed Balls saying it, just so we’re sure:
The world's most-read Scottish politics website
-
About
Wings Over Scotland is a (mainly) Scottish political media digest and monitor, which also offers its own commentary. (More)
-
Recent Posts
- 12-12
- 12-09
- 12-07
- 12-03
- 11-28
- 11-25
- 11-23
- 11-22
- 11-18
- 11-17
- 11-12
- 11-09
- 11-06
- 11-04
- 11-03
- 11-02
- 10-29
- 10-26
- 10-26
- 10-21
A tall tale
Wee Books
Video
Probably a robbery
Transphobia
Is Labour going to cut in a more caring way?
Balls’ comments expose a deeper problem for Labour. For five years now, they have opposed the government’s austerity programme and yet the scale of cuts we have seen this parliament are broadly in line with those planned by Alistair Darling in 2010.
I think this Adam Bienkov should do some research before writing stuff like this. I don’t think I’d call this opposing the government’s austerity programme, but hey what do I know I’m just the village idiot around these parts. 😀
link to publications.parliament.uk
The Tory infiltration of the Labour party is now complete.
Britain’s future is now neoliberal A Team or neoliberal B Team.
The billionaire media moguls will ensure this arrangement isn’t challenged by upstarts like the SNP.
“I think this Adam Bienkov should do some research before writing stuff like this.”
Given the context, I’m going to cut him some slack and assume he meant “in their rhetoric”.
There is only ONE Westminster party. It comes in three colours.
It just shows either that the SNP will drag them into reversing some of it or that Labour are now so indistinguishable from the Tories that they will naturally fall into coalition with them.
@X_Sticks
Four colours, you forgot UKIP purple.
I guess we can wait a few nano seconds for the “taken out of context” Labour brigade to start chipping in.
Labour cuts good! Labour attack on unemployed good!
I see a Grand Coalition on the immediate horizon.
Rev. Stuart Campbell says:
“I think this Adam Bienkov should do some research before writing stuff like this.”
Given the context, I’m going to cut him some slack and assume he meant “in their rhetoric”.
I bow to your superior knowledge in all matters journalistic here. 😉
Labour’s £30 billion worth of cuts are not the same as the Tories £30 billion worth of cuts.
Labour’s are caring cuts while the Tories are just plain old nasty cuts.
And no, Rachel Reeves is not IDS in drag.
I hope I have cleared that up for people.
@ X_Sticks
Yup.
Both, cheeks of the same…..you know the rest.
@ X Sticks & Muscleguy.
Its ok guys Joseph has goat them all coverd with his Tecnocoloured Dream Coat.
From a Labour careerist point of view a government supported
on a case by case basis by the SNP is preferable.
It means more ministerial vacancies available.
The alternative Unity scenario with the Tories means senior
positions spread between two large parties.
If D Alexander etc had an ounce of sense then he’d be in favour (if he keeps his seat).
Should the Union be more important to these troughers then a Unity government in bed with their Tory twins is a possibility. Time will tell.
Considering that Labour have voted with the Tory/Lib Dem Government or abstained where to do so would allow the government’s measure to succed, I don’t believe that Labour can claim the moral high ground on anything anymore.
They are tories by another name & should be ashamed to call themselves Labour. They are indistinguishable from any of the other tory parties.Calling them ‘Red Tories’ is completely appropriate given that yesterday they ‘jumped the fence’ publicly in Westminster & now leave the electorate with Hobson’s Choice. They are now all the same & only interested in retaining their seats on the ‘gravy train’
Labour has indeed left every Labour voter behind, consigning itself to the scrapyard of history. Red Ed, my foot-he is no more red than Cameron or Osborne! Hopefully, the electorate will make it’s feelings about this final betrayal on 7th May.
Vote SNP get Scotland.
Blue Squirrel or Pink Squirrel
Theyre all nuts!
It’s just a trim, not a full on prune.
Labour will cut from benefit claimants
as they don’t represent those people
No Brown, Straw, Balls, Blair.
Ed Miliband’s red tories will be cutting public services, the NHS, welfare and pensions just as much as Cameron’s tories.
Why would you waste your time voting for more of the same right-wing Thatcherite policies from Labour and the tories?
Ed Balls comes across to me as being too big for his boots,
and too ‘Tory’ to be in Labour.
I’d also say he is no fan of Ed Milliband – but then,
who is?
Rachel Reeves has really just confirmed that Scotland is not subsidised by Westminster/England, as the neoliberal mind set would not tolerate the subsidising of anything let alone a country.
If I were voting in this GE in England (which thankfully I am not) I would want to make my total disgust with the Westminster parties clear.
I woould therefore do the following:
Wouldn’t that be fun.
[…] Something worth remembering […]
It’s looking increasingly like Labour’s entire election strategy is “vote for us ’cause it’s our turn”.
That should be “the neoliberal mind set would not tolerate the subsidising of anything, that wasn’t making a massive profit, never mind a country”!
Just why has an alternative, radical, progressive (socialist) party not materialised in England? Are they still sticking with Labour in some vain hope? If UKIP is the disgruntled far-right of the Tory Party, where is the disgruntled hard-left of what is, effectively, still ‘New Labour’ hiding?
Perhaps a large dose of SNP is required?
bjsalba at 2.43
I live in England.
Funny you should have already had a vision of my voting intentions!!!!
It’s like being a political bomb disposal expert and knowing which wire to cut..
Red Tory, Blue Tory, Red Tory, Blue Tory.. sweat dripping off your brow.. The strain of which one to cut loose..
At least the Blue Tories are staying true to form, and unashamedly so. You know what your getting there – shafted!
The Red Tories however. Well the fact they’re being referred to as Red Tories speaks volumes in itself. At least they used to stand for something, hard to tell what they represent (we know who they represent – Themselves!)
Don’t get me wrong, there will be times when issues have cross party support/agreement.
But for Ed Balls to come and say he’d not reverse anything is ‘Astonishing’ – in fact, I’m Astonishingly Astonished (hear that JoLa.. I’m out-astonishing you). What, no other Budgetary offerings to counter what the Chancellor has just dealt the Nation? He didn’t even make any attempt at faux outrage.
Erm.. (stares at ceiling), no.. it was fine.. (picks rag nail from wedding ring finger).. I’d not reverse any of the announcements or decisions in the marvelous per-election budget.
Petrol was up again this week. Oil crises? What oil crises?
@thedogphilosopher
Just why has an alternative, radical, progressive (socialist) party not materialised in England? Are they still sticking with Labour in some vain hope? If UKIP is the disgruntled far-right of the Tory Party, where is the disgruntled hard-left of what is, effectively, still ‘New Labour’ hiding?
Because I suspect that it is actually unelectable, in England anyway.
As a GE is 48 days away and there is going to be postal votes, has anyone heard anything of the police investigation into Ruth Davidson`s vote counting comment on the day of the referendum.
As the SNP are on course to secure a historic number of seats and are therefor regarded as a real threat to the stability of Westminster the dirty tricks brigade are going to be out in full force.
More leaflets for Douglas Alexanders constituents, will Duggie explain to his supporters why and who kept the Macrone Report secret and how many Scottish politicians, ( including Lib Dem Sir Robert Smith), agreed to the realignment of the North Sea border. We are so much better together stealing and keeping secrets and manipulating the media to ignore all is so easy.
McDuff , not a dicky bird but the Herald is assailing us with the nasty cybernats being nasty to her on Twitter – ONE nasty cybernat claiming to be a 45er.
Shockeroonie!
O/T – Apologies.
Just a random thought…
Why the establishment parties do not want to have any dealings with the SNP at WM…
Well, because if the SNP did have a big say in the Governing of the UK and, assuming they do a pretty good job of it (which I am sure they couldn’t do any worse to be honest), then, it stands to reason, if the SNP can show they can run the UK well, then Scotland would be a breeze.
Of course, they could always try and have the UK renamed Greater Caledonia… tee, hee.
Is it my imagination or has Jim Murphy been absent from tv and newspapers for the past few days?
That Osborne budget speech in full:
“Toughbutnecessary, blah, blah…
Longtermeconomicplan, blah, blah…
Hardworkingfamilies, blah, blah…
Spin, triangulate, personalise, soundbite
Waffle, waffle, waffle
Cut, cut, cut.”
HEAH! HEAH!
That Balls response in full:
“Toughbutnecessary, blah, blah…
Longtermeconomicplan, blah, blah…
Hardworkingfamilies, blah, blah…
Spin, triangulate, personalise, soundbite
Waffle, waffle, waffle
Cut, cut, cut –
but we’re the nice ones.”
Is it my imagination or has Jim Murphy been absent from tv and newspapers for the past few days?
No, creepy Morphy’s back in the lab getting his disingenuous batteries replaced.
“Its alive!”
O/T
Anyone else receive an email today from a David Cameron supposedly at Scottish Labour in Glasgow who is trying to raise £24k in 24 hours.
What a joke! Puzzled how they got my email address.
I caught a quick look at D Alexander posing with his yellow case. How can anyone with even a modicum of integrity, sit on those govt benches beside Gideon and Cameron yesterday, and today ponce around with that yellow case? I was cringing.
In the HoC,there weren’t enough present to field a football team on either side. Then, the Speaker gave him a mild reprimand, that Ministers cannot use their position to give a political broadcast, that it has to be a statement on behalf of the govt.
This guy is so embarrassing, but as Wee Ginger says, there is nothing that can save Fanny now.
@annie – sorry was your imagination, Murphy was on network Newsnight last night giving his insightful guff
Valerie-you are giving fannies a bad name. At least they are useful and serve a purpose.
O/T but I see from the BBC website (not actually a story of course but their update stream) that the Labour councillor Marie Rimmer (now Labour Parliamentary CANDIDATE Rimmer for St Helens South) parachuted in by BT on referendum day to educate us on the error of our ways and charged with assaulting a Yes campaigner at a polling station has had her case postponed to August due to the lack of a court in Glasgow.
Am I the only person that thinks this was important to be reported and tried before the general election?
After all it would be a shame if it turned out that a Labour candidate was a violent thug that they couldn’t get rid of or something. I wonder how that nice Mr Joyce is doing these days?
annie says:
Is it my imagination or has Jim Murphy been absent from tv and newspapers for the past few days?
Was just thinking that myself, Annie.
I mentioned on a Scot goes Pop comment, that Wings putting Jim Murphy on the spot, by calling out his ‘Biggest Party’ Lie, would see Jim going into hiding for a few days, to let some other hapless chump take the heat.
If he isn’t on the tv, they can’t ask him about the Revs comment.
My money is on it being poor Kezia, who is tasked with making the ‘biggest party’ claim on broadcast media, just to see if Labour can still get away with it.
If they can, Jim will be back with a vengeance. like a blockbuster sequel:
TERMINALLIAR 2. Alta Vista Baby!
@Annie,
Dunno about Jim Murphy but Tom Clarke’s been in Malawi.
No need to canvas in Coatbridge.
20,000 majority. We’ll scare the sh@t outov them the week before the election and they’ll turn out for us in their droves.
Aye, ma faither voted Labour, and his faither before him too, Labour is the party of the working man.
On oil prices
The OBR have a terrible record in predicting oil revenues.
George Osborne is a political chancellor and even Alistair Darling called into question the OBR’s neutrality when in 2010 he told the BBC “Right from the start the Tories used the OBR not just as part of the government but as part of the Conservative Party.”
From Financial Times 2 February 2014
Even excluding the North Sea’s hydrocarbon bounty, (Scotland’s) per capita GDP is higher than that of Italy. Oil, whisky and a broad range of manufactured goods mean an independent Scotland would be one of the world’s top 35 exporters.
Often people say (even though they are Indy supporting, SNP voting) they would prefer Labour in government in WM rather than the Tories. In the past, I would have said the same.
Now, I think differently.
Firstly there was Labour’s record – Iraq and banking! Secondly, there now seems to be so little difference in policy between Lab & Con. Thirdly, how might events at WM effect progress towards Scottish independence.
On record and policy there is little to pick and choose.
That leaves the journey to Scottish independence and which style of WM government makes that more likely. There seems two general routes – slowly by getting more and more powers until wavering Scots lose their fear of self determination and take that final step – or in a constitutional crisis where an emergency independence referendum is called as the only feasible solution. Slowly would seem more likely under Labour, quickly under the Tories or a grand coalition.
I can foresee circumstances where independence is more likely, more quickly, with a Tory+LibDem(+UKIP) government!
On falling oil prices that Labour celebrate , the independent OBR that they quote with relish:
George Osborne is a political chancellor and even Alistair Darling called into question the OBR’s neutrality when in 2010 he told the BBC “Right from the start the Tories used the OBR not just as part of the government but as part of the Conservative Party.”
From Financial Times 2 February 2014
Even excluding the North Sea’s hydrocarbon bounty, (Scotland’s) per capita GDP is higher than that of Italy. Oil, whisky and a broad range of manufactured goods mean an independent Scotland would be one of the world’s top 35 exporters.
My god, the negatory mob are totally firing into their Calvin’s over this oil story on all the MSM threads.
O/T
Ladies (and gents!) Nicola Sturgeon to be on Radio 4 Woman’s Hour tomorrow, (Friday). I think Jenny Murray will give her a fair crack, especially with regard to sexisim in politics. Should be worth a listen. Also Mutual Grey will be on talking about the restoration at Glasgow School of Art following the fire. 10.00am to 11.00am.
Jock-in-the-Box
When you’re sitting on the tip of the rats’ tail
it is hard to know why the rat’s nose is twitching.
Since Mgt Thatcher came to power 1979-1990,
Politics in the UK has changed beyond recognition.
Back in ’79, politics was about running the country,
and while there were plenty of people making a nice living
out of it, particularly the Tories and Labour,
it was nevertheless an exercise in Democracy & Governance.
But then Thatcher changed all that.
Out went Democracy and Governance, in came Profit & Power.
Out went Public Service, in came self-service.
What was good for the Country, was replaced by what is good for me.
Social Democracy was abandoned and the race to the money began.
But who knew? Not the electorate; they were either too busy to notice,
or were asleep, politically speaking.
The UK Gov weren’t going to broadcast what they were doing.
The voters were kept on the tip of the rat’s tail,
while Thatcher’s nose was busy twitching,
seeking out ways of making money from the taxpayer.
Politics was now a business – very big business.
But a business in which it was vital that the voters
were kept in the dark.
So it is today, particularly in Scotland.
The Governments’ response of secrecy to The McCrone Report
is still Government policy today.
Presented with masses of oil data,
from Norway to the West Coast of Ireland,
the UK Governments’ response is still the same – silence.
Contrast this with a full page Shell advert
in the most recent edition of Donegal Airports’ Magazine,
headlined ‘Fuelling Ireland’s Future’.
With what? Irish West Coast Gas & Oil of course.
The same gas & oil deposits continue
up the West Coast of Scotland,
but the UK Government’s response – silence.
Politics is now a business in which MP’s
are paid employees of the neo-Liberal Money Industry.
MP’s have all been told to keep quiet about the oil & gas,
so as to make it easy for the money men to steal it.
So the UK Gov policy is to keep the Jocks in their little box, not knowing what’s really going on – up at the rat’s nose.
If the Irish can have an oil industry benefiting the whole of Ireland, we can have an oil industry benefiting the whole of Scotland.
Forget living in a box
or on the tail of a rat.
Vote SNP.
How Convenient
A Labour candidate accused of kicking a woman at a polling station on the day of the Scottish independence referendum has had her case deferred until after the General Election.
Councillor Marie Rimmer, 67, is the candidate for St. Helens South and Whiston.
She had been in Glasgow to campaign for a no vote on 18 September last year. Ms Rimmer has previously pleaded not guilty to assaulting Patricia McLeish at the polling station in Shettleston.
Ms McLeish once stood as a candidate for solidarity. The case was adjourned because there was no available court until 3 August.
Cag-does-thinking says at 4.43
BBC headlining with the idiot who sent vile message to Ruth Davidson but no mention of the Labour candidate.
I smell a rat in that the case was postponed until after the General Election. The alleged offence took place over six months ago.
Marie Rimmer, 68, is the Labour candidate defending Shaun Woodward’s 14,000 majority in St Helens South. She was due to appear in Court 6 of Glasgow Sheriff Court this morning accused of kicking a Yes supporter woman at a polling station on 18 September last year.
link to order-order.com
Help me out here folks. If Ed Balls would not reverse anything that wee georgie porgie announced yesterday, why do they expect people to vote labour.?
At least with the blue tories you get exactly what it says on the tin.So what’s the point of voting pink tory to get the same result?
Then they have the cheek to blame we folk on social media for finding out stuff for ourselves, then pass it on to others. Oh dear, and we are doing it deliberately too.
It must be me, am I missing something here? I’m beginning to feel confused. I think I may have to join Lesley-Anne in the village idiot category. Shame that really, I used to think that I was a reasonably intelligent human being. Sigh.
Memory doesn’t seem strong with any of the parties from ‘better together’.
Repeating fact based arguments from the Yes side, hoping no-one will notice.
Forgetting why the party was founded in the case of the red smurfs.
O/T
Referendum assault case delay, Catriona Renton BBC Scotland:
A Labour candidate accused of kicking a woman at a polling station on the day of the Scottish independence referendum has had her case deferred until after the General Election.
Councillor Marie Rimmer, 67, is the candidate for St. Helens South and Whiston.
She had been in Glasgow to campaign for a no vote on 18 September last year. Ms Rimmer has previously pleaded not guilty to assaulting Patricia McLeish at the polling station in Shettleston.
Ms McLeish once stood as a candidate for solidarity. The case was adjourned because there was no available court until 3 August.
How convenient!
Aye Labour the party without a cause or “balls”, swiftly followed by a member of the yellow Dodo party on his way to extinction
Hell mend them, they will get what they deserve.
Vote SNP, get Scotland.
What is a councillor from St.Helens getting involved in another countries vote for independence anyway?
@ Joemcg.
Nevermind Fanny by Gaslight, more like Fanny by Candlelight,
because his lights are getting put out along with the rest of them.
😉
In the next couple of weeks the Labour Party will have to publish a Manifesto.
And the big problem they are going to have, is that they are only allowed ONE Manifesto. You can’t have a Manifesto for England and a Manifesto for Scotland.
So to please our southern neighbours, they will have to be as tough as the Tories on those sub-human benefit scroungers and other lowlife.
But what they seem to forget is that they have to sell the same policies to the Scottish electorate.
The “One UK Manifesto” conundrum will be Labour’s downfall in Scotland.
@
Joemcg says:
19 March, 2015 at 4:38 pm
”
Valerie-you are giving fannies a bad name. At least they are useful and serve a purpose.”
Careful there Joemcg, there are a lot of female posters on here and that post crossed the line.
This is not a pub conversation, although I could say that arseholes have a use, if it were.
O/T but apparently Maryhill Jobcentre was taken over at some point today by protesters angry about sanctioning of benefits. Polis called etc.
Signs of some fightback at last. Goody.
The guy tweeting abuse story is very strange. It somehow doesn’t ring true. An account festooned with 45 and SNP, out of the blue, sends very public abuse to well known political figure, producing predictable responses.
Then he phone her office and apologises to say will never do it again. She accepts apology.
Massive flurry of tweets and retweets about him being suspended.
It would be useful to find out when he joined SNP.
I guess he could be like one of those people who keep confessing to crimes.
Labour spit-roasting the Memory of Keir Hardy
SLOW DOON ya feckers kin you,s no see I,m trying tae Baste here.
Get your money folks on a Tory majority. Sure, it won’t be a land slide but the rUK simply have no confidence in Labour and Balls has merely backed up this position by his complete and utter lack of vision for an alternative to a right wing agenda.
Sad but I’m preparing for not just another 5 years of hard line Tory policies but cuts like we’ve never seen the likes of before. Osbourne is very clear at least in his intent…. he will leave this country in social ruin in the name of reducing the deficit.
Ok I can see why that might upset the ladies. Apologies.
Bit of a teamGB surprise just there on BBC R4 PM news and SNP actual mentioned in headlines too, but its BBC horror at a SNP member homophobic tweet. Still at least those shills mention SNP as the never normally do. On balance though same shills did report extensively the racist UKIP Scotland MEP Coburn last week and ofcourse this repulsive UKIP wasn’t ever mentioned by that even more repulsive outfit determined to make us vote anyone but SNP.
On balance, that R4 BBC PM thing is normally presented by BBC proud Scot but of the year Eddie Maire and he never mentions SNP ever, so that must be how that tweeter story slipped through.
JB @4.28pm, I too had an e-mail from self same David Cameron. Now both my husband and I also had e-mails from Cara Hilton (unfortunately we are in her constituency) I think we have got to blame our Stu for this. Remember all those questions we asked of our Labour Member about what they knew about various things. I think somewhere in their stupid heads they thought we supported them. I now I got asked if I wanted to join the Party after the Referendum by thon nice eejit Miliband. I did reply asking if they thought I had taken leave of my senses. I thought they had got the message, obviously not.
caz-m says:
“In the next couple of weeks the Labour Party will have to publish a Manifesto.And the big problem they are going to have, is that they are only allowed ONE Manifesto. You can’t have a Manifesto for England and a Manifesto for Scotland.”
You are correct. However, I reckon the Scottish branch will release some document which will target devolved issues. Most of their campaigning has involved devolved matters, so that continues the pattern. Will they refer to this as a ‘manifesto for Scotland’? Wouldn’t surprise me! MSM and BBC won’t make the challenges which should be made.
What goes through the tiny minds of knuckle draggers when they send obscene tweets to people like Ruthie?
Do they get some sort of perverted kick out of it?
They are beneath contempt and are not welcome in any society, far less an open and welcoming one like the SNP.
link to bbc.co.uk
So BBC vote Slab propaganda machine kicks in harder than ever tonight but its a neat example of dirty tricks in action by spooks no doubt. Or its not, or maybe it is, or not. If it keeps happening, it is, possibly.
Dear UKOK dirty tricks brigade,
If you google say “UKIP’s Coburn MEP racist insult “Abu Hamsa” Humza Yousaf” there are no BBC report links to any BBC report concerning Scottish MEP Coburn open racism, which is a bit creepy but also suggests you all need to get coordinated with BBC shills like them creeps at PM for example. Otherwise its way too easy to spot you all in action.
Yours sincerely,
A Sucker.
STV and BBC Scotland have decided to present the SAME format for their evening news bulletins from now until the election.
In order of importance:-
1/ SNP Bad or Very Bad. (And Only report what happened in the Scottish Parliament if it was bad for the SNP).
2/ Murdur
3/ Fitba
4/ Weather.
You have been mischievously selective.
Ed Balls also said “What I will reverse is a plan for deeper spending cuts in the next three years than the last five.”
He also said Labour had a plan to cut the deficit with a more “sensible” mix of spending cuts and tax increases on the better-off – and it would also axe what it calls the “bedroom tax”.
And to repeat the point made during the referendum campaign, the quickest way to get rid of the bedroom tax is to get a Labour government at Westminster.
Contrast with John Swinney’s reluctance to ameliorate the effects of the tax to avoid “letting Westminster off the hook.”
Yours sincerely, A Sucker.
You’re too hard on yourself, Heedtracker. 😉
@Joemcg
Well done Joe, your not the first and doubt you’ll be the last to type something “lighthearted” which upon reflection might not have been the best idea.
Good for you holding your hand up and admitting to a mistake. It’s certainly more than a unionist politician would do.
Serious question What now is the point of the Labour party?
If after the GE we end up with ‘A Govermnt Of National Unity’ the question arises of ‘Who would be PM?’.
Also, I’m trying to picture getting on for 600 MPs trying to squezze on to the benches on the Govt. side while the Opposition benches only contain about 60 or 70 MPs.
x-stick…ukip purple eh!. what colour do you get when you mix blue and red??????
JB @ 4.26.
I also got a begging email from ‘David Cameron, (not the PM)’.
I think they got my address from my MP – Dame Anne Begg, whom I’ve had to write to more than once.
But I’ve never voted Labour, nor been helpful to them in any way.
Incidentally, there is an ‘Unsubscribe’ option, which also asks why?
Oh, Yes!!
So if tories and labout join in government will that make the snp the party in opposition
Great for prime ministers questions
Blue Tory, Red Tory, Yellow Tory, Purple Tory…
Easier just to call the lot of them the ‘Rainbow Tories”.
Seconded
Thepnr says:
19 March, 2015 at 6:28 pm
@Joemcg
Well done Joe, your not the first and doubt you’ll be the last to type something “lighthearted” which upon reflection might not have been the best idea.
Good for you holding your hand up and admitting to a mistake. It’s certainly more than a unionist politician would do.
@fireproofjim
Absolutely agree..
I cannot for the life of me understand this, i thought apart from her politics most folk liked the “Babe” i don’t agree with all that much of what she says, but at least she says it straight out and it’s a credit to her
unlike her Labour counterparts who, i’m afraid have nothing to commend them
@jmcg, I should apologise for starting it!
Apologies, but I just like calling him that, it suits him.
BTW, another huge gaffe by Michael McCann, uncovered by Snp branch in East Kilbride. Some SLab supporter snuck into a meet and greet for the SNP candidate, using false details.
He then proceeded to write some kind of nasty story about the event.
Wikipedia first few lines on the Labour Party description.
“…While beginning as a working class movement, it today is largely middle class”
Apologies if this has already been linked and also for going O/T.
Scot goes POP has the latest news on the latest full scale Scottish poll from Survation. 😉
link to scotgoespop.blogspot.co.uk
A good old Calvanistic budget based on a negative and factional solidarity between the deserving and undeserving delivered by a metropolitan middle class elite ( that is our elected WM elite) . The message delivered by our shiny game show host type politicians is the ideology of the market but presented as pragmatism and a socioeconomic framework which ensures fairness for all.
Except it’s not really… It’s the media- led politics of personal ambition ,consumption and global markets where the cult of market performance rules and everyone’s intensely relaxed about people getting filthy rich except those of the 99% .
(Joemcg – claws retracted xx)
Re the Ruth Davidson media storm, any homophobic abuse on twitter or real life is unacceptable. But I can’t help thinking that abuse of the electoral process by gaining knowledge of the No result via early opening of ballot boxes is also unacceptable.
What safeguards have been put in place to ensure that our votes in the GE are securely locked away, counted and safely stored for rechecking – in case of incidents of fraudulent voting?
Ronnie says:
“Easier just to call the lot of them the ‘Rainbow Tories”.”
The Westminster party.
Muscleguy says:
“Four colours, you forgot UKIP purple”
That would elevate UKIP to party status, I think of them more like a gang.
Ronnie 6.55pm
“Easier just to call the lot of them the ‘Rainbow Tories”.
I had a wee giggle at that one Ronnie.
Who would be “Geoffrey”, the boss man.
And who would be “Bungle”, “Zippy” and “George”.
JB says @ 4.28pm
” Puzzled how they got my email address.”
complain to the Information Commisioner!
https://ico.org.uk
@ Ronnie let me know when the parties starting I,ll bring along Jeffrey an the ither puppets, we can ah singsong.
Yeah, I listened to that interview.
It’s telling that you’ve elected only to sample a 12 second snippet. The worst kind of intellectual dishonesty.
And, I suspect, counter productive.
In reality much more was said.
Ed Balls point, as I recall, was that he wasn’t that concerned about the minutae of the budget, which pretty much gave with one hand and took away with the other.
What he did say is – and I suspect this is crucial eh – he wouldn’t be implementing the £25Bn of cuts Osborne was proposing.
“What he did say is – and I suspect this is crucial eh – he wouldn’t be implementing the £25Bn of cuts Osborne was proposing.”
Do try to keep up with the news, dear. The entire point of Osborne’s speech was to abandon the planned £23bn – not £25bn – of extra cuts in the next Parliament (over and above the £30bn Labour have signed up to), and reduce that figure to £7bn. What that means is that the difference between Labour and Tory budgets is something like 0.2% of UK government annual spending.
On BBC 2 at the moment is,
“Britain’s got the builders in”
Rev. it’s more Brit Shit crap for your long list of, all things British, from the Beeb.
Rule Britannia!
Marie Clark says
“I think I may have to join Lesley-Anne in the village idiot category.”
Dont you kid yourself
Lesley Anne is one of the smartest cookies on this site.
Your fooling no one Arbroath. 🙂
@ Phil Robertson
And to repeat the point made during the referendum campaign, the quickest way to get rid of the bedroom tax is to get a Labour government at Westminster.
People in Scotland don’t pay the bedroom tax, because the Scottish government decided they should not. So the best way of making sure it stays that way is FFA.
Did you not know that?
@ Joemcg
Apology accepted from me .
I’ll Second Alex , Thepnr @ 6.28pm
A reminder to us all to review our post as it is permanent and probably gonna be visible for ever .
May be viewed by yer gran kids in years t come ! Oooops !
Any way, no one needs berated from me . Non of us are prefect , yet .
Oooo just noticed this I-pad disnae hae a review pane ? Mmmm odd .
Just received a wee letter from D & G council today.
My worries are over, apparently. 😉
I can now confirm with no doubt of a lie that I and my partner will BOTH be voting on May 7th. 😛
The only problem we have now is who to vote for. There are so many *ahem* outstanding candidates from so many *cough* excellent parties. Oh I can see this will embroil our every waking moment between now and May 7th. If only there was some way of differentiating between good parties/ candidates and bad ones. Oh well if we haven’t made our minds up by May 7th I guess we’ll both be using the old fall back tried and tested method. What do you mean you have no idea what I’m blethering about. I’m talking about the old tried and tested method of going into the voting booth, turning round clockwise THREE timse saying out loud “Mr Magoo went to the zoo!” closing your eyes and whilst saying “Izzy Wizzy let’s get busy!” put in a cross on the ballot paper. If everything works out correctly you will have voted for a candidate if not well … erm … you have just spoiled your ballot paper. 😀
Lesley-Anne.
Not much of a bounce for the red tories after their conference there.
Here’s who commissioned the poll and the data for all those pollster anoraks out there.
link to unison-scotland.org.uk
keep using the term red tories folks, they do not like it one bit
O/T with something to cheer us all up.
Latest Survation poll in Electoral Calculus
49 SNP & 11 Labour
Obviously different seats will be behave differently, but here’s their list of those likely to get their jotters 🙂
Frank Doran, Anne Begg, Robert Smith, Pamela Nash, Alan Reid, Sandra Osborne, Brian Donohoe, Katy Clark, Michael Moore, John Thurso, Gregg McClymont, Russell Brown, David Mundell, Jo Swinson, James McGovern, Thomas Docherty, Michael McCann, Fiona O’Donnell, Sheila Gilmore, Mark Lazarowicz, Ian Murray, Michael Crockart, Menzies Campbell, Anas Sarwar, Ann McKechin, John Robertson, Tom Harris, Malcolm Bruce, David Cairns, Danny Alexander, Cathy Jamieson, Jimmy Hood, Michael Connarty, Graeme Morrice, David Hamilton, Gordon Banks, Alistair Carmichael, James Sheridan, Charles Kennedy, Anne McGuire
There are a few names I’d like to have seen there, but 49 SNP MPs in May would be excellent. Definitely a bus load.
@ caz m naw caz Zippy’s hiz ah rain check he,s exposing hisel,ah furcoat ah borrowed hiz Zip fur the back o ma heid an hivna geid it back yit.
Oooh, @galamcennalath, that’s a long list for the DWP to process, it’s gonna Jack up our unemployment stats!
Quite a few of my favourites in there, including my own local Smith Commission envoy McClymont 🙂
galamcennalath @ 8:04 pm.
You can add Curran, Selbie and hopefully Murphy to that list.
Heard a rather inflamatory comment on Radio 4 this morning around 07.20 where a business analyst said that the Sterling gains and the economic recovery would be put in jeopardy by the prospect of unstable government i.e. a hung parliament and would be disasterous if the SNP held the balance of power.
Needless to say, the interviewer did not challenge that opinion at all…
Racist Coburn v homophobic SNP member
What of course should be obvious is that Coburn is an elected member of a political party.
BBC are biased …. aah that feels better
Which again begs the question, if Labour aren’t there to oppose the Tories, what are they there for?
john king says:
Marie Clark says
“I think I may have to join Lesley-Anne in the village idiot category.”
Dont you kid yourself
Lesley Anne is one of the smartest cookies on this site.
Your fooling no one Arbroath. 🙂
Awe shucks! 😉
You’re just saying that to cheer me up JK. 😀
I agree with you there alexicon. I always use the infamous RED Tories, BLUE Tories, YELLOW Tories and PURPLE Tories. I wouldn’t use anything else. 😛
Will the BBC apologise?
link to twitter.com
link to channel4.com
This looks awful but most C4 stuff is excruciating. They were going to call it “Jim Murphy is a liar” but that might give the end of teamGB away.
@lesley-anne
Have you tried the white quilted with aloe vera?
Ahhh, so the troll of Ruth Davidson is in fact a UKIP supporter, or just a troll. However of course the media has led with this all day (and curiously maybe it’s just me but I can’t find coverage by the BBC of the Labour PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATE up for assault outside a polling station during the referendum. I’m sure it’s just an oversight.)
Shades of deja vu of the referendum campaign. Planted outrageous story, day of damage to one part of the campaign and accusations and then quietly disappears when the truth comes out. I have to be honest and say it all smacks of the dark arts who haven’t had much success here.
Just like New Labour in ’97.
@ galamcennalath
There’s something rather dodgy about a prediction which allows Margaret Curran to keep her seat but not Alistair Carmichael his, is there not?
It also hasn’t taken account of retirals.
I assume they are using uniform swing; the overall changes might not be far off, but the detail is suspect.
Sorry for going O/T AGAIN. 😉
Anyone who followed the Twitter goings on last night over the abuse sent to Ruth Davidson might be interested in this.
link to twitter.com
handclapping says:
@lesley-anne
Have you tried the white quilted with aloe vera?
I keep looking for that HC but the shop is always waiting for a delivery when I need some quilted luxury. 😉 Hence the reason why I always use the infamous RED Tories, BLUE Tories, YELLOW Tories and PURPLE Tories. 😀
Is this Nu Labour taking yet another urch to the right, or is it the traditional left reasserting itself?
Marx felt the Lumpenproletariat was a layer of the working class that is unlikely ever to achieve class consciousness and is therefore lost to socially useful production, of no use to the revolutionary struggle, and perhaps even an impediment to the realization of a classless society.
The term proletarian was first defined by Marx and Friedrich Engels in The German Ideology (1845) and later elaborated on in other works by Marx. The Marxist Internet Archive writes that “this term identifies the class of outcast, degenerated and submerged elements that make up a section of the population of industrial centers” which include “beggars, prostitutes, gangsters, racketeers, swindlers, petty criminals, tramps, chronic unemployed or unemployables, persons who have been cast out by industry, and all sorts of declassed, degraded or degenerated elements.
Thatcher’s gang repackaged this as the cod science known as “underclass theory”, and you all know how that one has worked out.
As I’ve said before, in the longer-term, I think we desperately need to redefine our relationship with the state, in a manner that is not defined by capital. Any suggestions? 🙂
link to en.wikipedia.org
cynicalHighlander wrote:
“Will the BBC apologise?”
link to twitter.com
And here’s what they still have on their Teletext page.
Notice anything strange about it? No name, just “SNP member.”
“An SNP member who subjected the Scottish Conservative leader to homophobic abuse on Twitter has been suspended from the party.”
Politicians from across the political spectrum condemned the expletive-littered abuse levelled at Ruth Davidson.”
“Ms Davidson responded: Do you kiss your mother with that mouth? Bet she’s really proud of you.”
“First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the abuse was unacceptable.
End of.”
O/T but just back from the talk by Alex Salmond in the Central Hotel Glasgow.
Very interesting as expected.
He was very relaxed, in great spirits and obviously a very good speaker.
Ruth Wishart was chairing the talk and there was a Q&A at the end which I couldn’t stay for the whole of but the interesting bit was the talk.
He said he expected the MSM to be as dreadful as they were and spent a huge amount of time, effort and energy trying to refute all the ‘stories’.
He did say though that he was surprised at just how bad the BBC was and in retrospect that had been an error not to expect it.
He singled out James Cook, Brian Taylor and surprisingly IMO David Dimbleby as being fair.
He also said we would have been ‘gubbed’ had it not been for social media but didn’t mention anyone by name.
And that Cameron had been told that the Yes vote would never be more than 30%.
He said as a betting man, he would have been happy to have devo max on the ballot paper because he put on each way bets but it was not up to the SNP to push for that.
And when it was dropped he said that gave him full control over the time, question and getting 16/17 yr olds to vote.
He said that he decided to resign after Cameron’s EVEL speech which he thought was the opposite of magnanimous and that you could write a book on how much Milliband doesn’t know.
There was more but that’s the gist of it.
Balls exposed!
Think there’s a bit of paranoia about the Labour candidate up for assault having her case put back until August. The most probable result is going to be an emergency re-selection so she is taken out of the spotlight. My wife was the unfortunate victim of a pending disciplinary at one of her last jobs and wasn’t the only one. The intent seemed to be a warped form of staff retention and discipline because you couldn’t get another job with that hanging over you.
At the same time link to en.wikipedia.org kind of shows you can be convicted of assault and still carry on as an MP. Mind you he was suspended from the Labour party for it. End of the day having those charges hanging over her won’t make her campaign easy.
@Liz9.12, thanks for that feedback. I’ve just received his book this morning, so looking forward to that.
Thank you for mentioning Alex picked out James Cook, I have a sneaky liking for him. BBC has just posted a short interview with him and Nicola, chatting and walking on Irvine beach, it was quite sweet really, supposed to be a bit of an insight to Nicola, I think.
Alex also knows Brian Taylor from Uni, and they do look relaxed together.
galamcennalath – is there not something a bit odd if that poll’s predicting that the SNP = 49 seats and SLab = 11, ’cause we only have 59 MP seats, not 60.
@g4jeepers says. 9:13pm
“Balls exposed” give us a name and a picture. Was it the EBCs Elenor Bradford that exposed Balls this must be answered. The mind boggles.
I’m away TAE lie doon.
WOW!
Sorry folks I’m at it AGAIN! 😉
Scot goes Pop has updated his page to include the Survation poll information on voting intentions for May 2016. 🙂
link to scotgoespop.blogspot.co.uk
Putting these figures into the Scotland Votes seat calculator gives this result. 😛
S.N.P. 69
Labour 27
Lib Dems 6
Tories 13
Greens 14
UKIP 0
Unbwelievably the Lib Dems go UP by one seat. The Greens GAIN 12 seats and Labour LOSE 10 seats.
link to scotlandvotes.com
Labour seem to have given up even pretending that they are different to the Tories, are they conceding defeat? Or do they think there are too many “Labour ’til I die” people left?
As many SNP/Plaid/Green MPs as possible are needed.
Help for those struggling to rule things out
link to thescottishscaremonger.blogspot.co.uk
Re the tweets at Ruth (completely unacceptable as they are).
I’m a bit suspicious about who is behind them.
We get someone with 45 and SNP insignia all over their twitter pic sending utterly offensive and completely vile messages to Ruth Davidson.
Then he apparently calls her to apologise.
He is then quoted as saying he had someone from SNP calling him and hanging up when he said he was going to record the conversation.
Then it appears he has links with UKIP.
There is something stinky about all of this.
Given the state of fear of the Unionist parties, msm and Establishment over the prospect of an SNP surge at Westminster, I wonder whether there are dark arts beginning to be practised and whether there will be more of this. I don’t think we will see a “spectacular”, as that would mean a very public Police enquiry, but rather a co-ordinated drip, drip, drip of “SNP bad behaviour”.
Why has the individual behind these tweets not been reported to Police for a hate crime?
Is Ruth the (ignorant – and by that I mean unaware and not complicit) victim of a Jim Murphy style public egging by an “SNP/Independence supporter”?
Something stinks here, but if the tweeter is identified as an SNP member, I will obviously retract my suspicions.
(that aside, the attack on Ruth was vile and despicable)
Seat calculators. I think these things apply the same % to every seat, which won’t happen because some standing MPs will have genuine local support, and others won’t. They do give a rough idea of what might happen with poll figures.
If the SNP stay this far ahead, I hope we are looking at 45+ MPs.
@Lesley-Anne
Oops, I think you are looking at the Holyrood number, dear.
The Westminster numbers are:
SNP – 50
Labour – 8
LibDem – 1
Con – 0
Green – 0
UKIP – 0
If the tweet to Ruth Davidson was NOT from an SNP member, then why did Nicola Sturgeon say in Parliament today that she would be suspending the member until they had a disciplinary hearing?
How can you discipline a member if you don’t even know who they are.
I’m confused.
Lesley-Anne, those poll results are looking good, except the one that has missed out Dougie Alexander from losing his seat.
@liz
Thanks for the precis on Alex Salmonds talk tonight. Cheers.
Ronnie Anderson
Do you also sign in as “Ronnie” or is that somebody else?
There is somebody who signs in here as “camz”, which isn’t me.
Evening “camz”.
Too much navel gazing.Banks and shares,derivatives paid Chairmanships and speeches to company directors are the way to go from Westminster.Got to dig the dirt on Cameron and his city Hoodies.
In my new book, Good Times, Bad Times: The welfare myth of them and us, I present the results of research over the last decade or more in LSE’s Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE) and elsewhere using large datasets, our own surveys, government statistics, and the results of computer simulations.
link to blogs.lse.ac.uk
Thing is X-Sticks if you go further down James’s site he gives you the Scottish Parliament constituency ballot and Scottish Parliament regional list ballot figures. These were the figures I put into the Holyrood seat projector.
The poll also contains voting intention figures for next year’s Scottish Parliament election..
Sorry X-Sticks think I win this time. 🙂
test
OT
Nicola interviewed on BBC news, just now.
Believe it or not, a friendly and uncritical five minutes in which she was given a chance to show the real person, who is infinitely more honest and open than the Westminster gang.
I’ve said it before, – we are lucky to have her.
@scotspine
I saw that tweet last night on the Revs feed and immediately thought “I smell shite”. Now with other stuff coming out today it would seem that I possibly wasn’t too far off the mark.
We surely are not all so stupid as to disbelieve that it wouldn’t be beyond the Establishment to throw in a few more SNP members during the upsurge after the referendum for the sake of stirring the pot.
To be honest, I personally am well beyond that, the only people they are fooling are the uninformed.
THAT MAY PROVE TO BE THEIR DOWNFALL.
Let’s absolutely NAIL the lying bastards and expose them for what they are. They are messing with a much more informed electorate in Scotland than ever before.
Treat us with contempt at your peril!
Erm, I think we are winning folks.
Just seen this from Natalie McGarry. 😛
Today, a current Lab member walked in to campaign hub asking why he should vote SNP, wanting convinced. Left saying he will & w/ 3 posters.
What more needs saying? 😀
Second Survation poll news:
Scot goes Pop.
SNP surge to 21% lead in super second Survation survey of le soir
OK, this is the one we had the sneak preview of yesterday! It’s even better than it originally looked…
SNP 47% (+2)
Labour 25% (-2)
More details to follow shortly…
The Record poll
SNP – 47% (+2)
LAB – 26% (-2)
CON – 16% (+1)
LDEM – 4% (-1)
UKIP – 3% (-)
GRN – 2% (-1)”
changes from their last poll.
Labour will be rather worried.
Ref Alex and Brian Taylor .
Watching the AS resignation live on TV .
AS leaves the lectern and walks past all Journalists and gives a seated BT a friendly tap on the shoulder .
I thought at the time we were maybe about to get a BT /AS exclusive .
It was the kinda nudge / nod you give a mate indicating , hurry up or it’ll be your round .
I have never been in AS company , but all those I know who have met him are only complimentary to wards Alex .
For those who proclaim ” I dinnae like yon Alic Samun ”
I wish I had half his sickness ! Or should it be , I wish I was half the person he is .
Thepnr
I certainly expect a degree of entryism by the secret services, to damage the SNP. The British state and Establishment has just had a very near death experience. I think it would be unemagineably negligent of HMG, not to do all they can to nip things in the bud now.
@Thepnr
Exactly.
I would go as far to say that if individuals are identified as being involved in tweets such as this, they should be reported straight to the Police for Investigation and prosecution.
1. It would identify anyone posing as SNP and shine a light
on dark practices.
2. If it is a genuine SNP supporter, then they deserve what
they get.
The front cover of Friday’s the National;
link to twitter.com
Douglas Alexander speaking shite on Scotland Tonight. Saying how great it was that the referendum had brought political debate back to village halls.
Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t Better Together spend a good part of the campaign refusing to put up speakers at many of these debates in the hope that they would then be cancelled?
Thepnr
I forgot to say sorry for being a bit nasty to you (sort of), when you were feeling a bit frustrated recently. Hope you realised I was try to gee you up, in a fashion. 😉
Put on television as background voices while I work only to see nameless dreadful brunette with an ugly mouth pompously explaining why she doesn’t need to or want to ‘pick up’ Salmon’s book.
“It’s not Alan Clarke’ is it?” she says without having read it. (She thinks that passes as spontaneous satire.)
Aye, she prefers a serial womaniser to the man who tried to give Scotland confidence in itself, and did.
Where does the BBC find these idiots?
I can answer – it’s junior researchers on short-term contracts – all hoping they will be come a producer one day – given the brief to ‘find new punditry personalities.’
Ad that, dear friends, is the extent of the standard ever after for Scottish political programmes so long as BBC London run BBC Scotland.
Jeezus! What a bunch of bastards.
Super polls. But not one vote has been cast yet.
Anyhoo!
Being mildly euphoric… I have pre-ordered the 3rd Hobbit film released on 20th April I should make it! 🙂
On the homophobic idiot – Nicola was very clear in todays parliament, saying the person had been identified, and suspended.
I think it may very well be some idiot/troll/plant who has joined the SNP. His name is Mark, and it seems confirmed he spoke to Ruth via phone and apologised, she accepted, and said she will not press charges.
I’m guessing that when it came to Nicolas attention, and the SNP logo etc., if they could not trace the owner of the account, they would have got it traced, perhaps via the Police?
In any case, I think it has been handled pretty well.
I’ve tried to say to hotheads on FB, stop giving unionists ammunition. There are some vile folk that troll Nicola, Alex and John on FB, as well as the SNP FB page.
Brilliant poll results Marcia. 10.46pm
I needed a pick me up, after watchin the wee unionist rodent Dougie Alexander on Scotland Tonight.
I had to watch him, I am building up my ammo to use against him in the GE campaign.
Out and out little BritNat. If there is any justice in this world, then surely Alexander has to lose his seat to our very own fighter for a better Scotland, Mhairi Black.
The Record poll also asked:
“Should Scotland be an Independent Country?”
YES 51%
NO 49%
The results for the second Survation poll of the night is now up on Scot goes Pop.
link to scotgoespop.blogspot.co.uk
O/t Murphy on QT next week
@CameronB
Don’t you ever worry on that score. If I overstep the line or just as bad do nothing but talk crap. I appreciate you letting me know.
There are 7 weeks to go, how many SNP MP’s will we get? Like the oil price no one can say, I like you I’m sure hope for 40 or more. I now dread only 20 or so.
Let’s get the finger out then, I swear from now until the election I will be spreading the message that Scotland can only be free with the SNP.
We will never get another opportunity like this, do it now, ALL OF YOU.
It is last chance saloon, well for me at least, others might last longer.
@ Valerie
The only reason the police would trace someone’s identity on twitter would be to Investigate and charge. I doubt very much they would do it as a favour to a Political party.
Contrary to popular belief, I understand that there would be lots of forms to fill in and a fair amount of time(likely days, if not weeks) to wait for the “trace” to be carried out by who-ever runs twitter.
I would be interested in SNP digging into “Mark’s” background. After all, there is speculation he is possibly a UKIP supporter too.
think it may very well be some idiot/troll/plant who has joined the SNP.
Nicely time to coincide with publication of Salmond’s book, and duly seized upon with glee as media’s leading story.
WTF, I have just heard that Jim Murphy, Scottish Labour leader, is on next week’s BBC Question Time, from BOLTON.
Why is Jim Murphy appearing in BOLTON?
Is this the Beeb giving the Murph another chance to increase his Party’s poll ratings.
Weird.
And with Janet Street-Porter!
Posted before as Free at 63, but as I was 64 on 20th September it is now redundant. Still read every day and still hope for indy in my lifetime.
[…] Now, I think that in the earlier examples, Labour’s branding on this is actually closest to type 2. Labour are trying to change perceptions of the party, without changing the underlying policy and structure. The reason Labour aren’t doing as well in the polls as they should with the atrocity that is the current Coalition government, is because of the right leaning tripe such as Rachel Reeves’ statement that Labour “are not the party to represent those who are out of work”, or Ed Balls who won’t reverse anything from Osbourne’s latest budget. […]
I don’t know what to think of this wee snippet of news.
Apparently, oor Jim, him of Irn Bru crate speaking engagements, will be on BBC’s Question Time next week in … BOLTON of all places!
The question on the tip of my tongue is do I watch the programme or do I adopt my usual “anything BUT Question Time!” approach. 😉 This is a real nightmare of a question to figure out I’m just glad I have a week to figure it out. 😀
@Rev
Heard Dougie Alexander in the background a little, presumably telling us we’ll be £6.6 billion (or updated to £7.6 billion) worse off with FFA, according to the IFS. But that’s deficit, we already have one at 8.1% 2013-14, estimated to be 8.0% 2015-16. It doesn’t mean devo-max will cost us one penny, one brown cent, let alone £6.6 or £7.6 billion.
Needless to say that’s not what the IFS said, they said our deficit would be twice that of the UK and in cash terms that is £7.6 billion. Which would make our GDP in 2015-16 £190 billion which, I think, is 24% higher than it was in 2013-14. Perhaps the IFS borrowed Danny Alexander’s calculator.
Could be worth an article on the real IFS, which also compares a devo-max Scotland with oil revenues, to the UK with those same oil revenues. Oops.
I’ve a mess of postings in a Herald articel (Labour and SNP clash after new report warns a devo max Scotland would be £7.6billion worse off), can’t be bothered summarising them right now.
QT: Dim Jim, do you believe the better off in the land of Eng should/could pay for the 1000 extra nurses in Scotland?
I can hardly wait to tune in…
Miliband and Balls will be crapping it!
I trust (hope) Scottish Borders Council will do the right thing,
and not before bloody time.
link to archive.today
@finnz 8.24 Hope u phoned up and complained
@cag-does-the-thinking. 8.50 Did u phone up and complain?
‘Boney-M Does Bolton’
Smashing!
Here he is, with a bolt on either side of his big brass neck:
Just had a look at the betting odds for Argyll and Bute. All the big bookies have SNP’s Brendan O’Hara at 1/10 or 1/12 with LibDem Alan Who? (whom we know as Bunty) at 10/1 or 12/1. Can’t quite get my head round that. Labour and Tory are both at 25/1.
It’s almost impossible to get a bet on the SNP in any seat at decent odds.
Serious question:
How will The Dimble introduce The Murph to the good folk of Bolton?
‘Jim Murphy is…’
Murphy in Bolton next week, this could be the return of the much missed, Comedy Gold moments that Murphy gave us during the Referendum.
It should be worth a few more percentage points to the SNP.
It goes down as a “must view”.
scotspine says:
I would be interested in SNP digging into “Mark’s” background. After all, there is speculation he is possibly a UKIP supporter too.
This appeared on Twitter earlier today SP.
link to twitter.com
The trouble is I have since had a wee *ahem* talk with someone tonight who thought the Twitter name @SprakyBhoyHH had been taken over by someone other than the original nut case who abused Ruth Davidson.
Firstly I have no idea if this is true or not.
Secondly, in my view, anyone who takes over a Twitter name that has just been found out to be an abusive Twitterer must be absolutely insane!
Thirdly, the only thing that we DO know for certain is that the individual who carried out the original abuse attack does appear to have been a member of the SNP but has now been suspended, as announced by the First Minister during FMQ’s today.
yesindyref2 at 11.59
I am getting very frustrated by this continual arguing about oil revenues. This little problem is our own fault. I can go back to a meeting at an SNP conference in the 1970s at which I argued that “It’s Scotland’s Oil” was a double edged sword as the discovery of oil would make it more difficult for us to win independence. This is the case. We have allowed or even encouraged many Scots to believe that our economy is deeply reliant on oil revenues.
Instead of arguing about oil revenues (which we don’t get anyway)we should be explaining and proving to everybody that the Scottish economy is perfectly viable without oil.
@R-type Grunt says:19 March, 2015 at 1:44 pm:
“I see a Grand Coalition on the immediate horizon.”
Nah! R-Type Grunt, I’ve been watching that Grand Coalition, on this side of the horizon, in action for quite some considerable time now.
What else would we call the Labour actions of voting with the government, abstaining from government votes or just not turning up on Friday afternoons to give the Tories a free run at anything they care to push through on a Friday Afternoon.
Ian 12.17am
That picture of the Murph isn’t too far away from the real thing.
He is a spooky guy, isn’t he. I hope the good people of Bolton get plenty of warning of what they are about to be subjected to.
@scotspine 11.46, I agree, I don’t think the police would just do a “favour” to any party.
I’m just reading guessing that at some point police action may have been mooted, because Ruth was very clear she would not be pressing charges.
It was deemed as very offensive, and not shown or read out on air, so it could be that the police were consulted about whether there was enough to charge etc. because seems odd Ruth volunteered the “not charging” bit.
I think there are clever IT folk who know how to trace an IP address, but in any case, Nicola was clear she dealt with it as an SNP member.
O/T:
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil producer, took a unilateral decision to increase production and the resulting glut brought about a significant drop in the price of a barrel of oil. At one time it was trading at less than $40 per barrel.
Other OPEC countries, not so oil rich require the selling price to be in excess of $80 per barrel and Saudi Arabia has been under pressure for some months to cut back on production allowing prices to stabilise around the higher figure.
link to caltonjock.com
Out chappin doors tonight for the first time since September, felt like getting back on a bike after a winter lay off, great!
Target area was near where I used to stay in what is now Glasgow North and I then regarded as the bad lands of the area, solid Labour voting, monkey with a red rossette, heartlands for ‘Glasgow Labour’ up to at least 15 years ago.
Since I moved away to the West End, but still in Glasgow North, it has dramatically changed. Probably things started to change in 2011 and last year’s campaign has consolidated the disaffection with Labour so now that 100% Labour area is, on our canvassing tonight, 85 to 90% SNP.
Glasgow North is being contested by Patrick Grady, SNP National Convenor, who came a distant third in 2010 behind the Lib Dems. With the expected collapse of the Lib Dem vote and a 30 to 40% transfer of previous Labour votes this is one of the most winnable Glasgow seats. Patrick’s adoption/fundraiser meeting on Tuesday night was a great night out which showed that last summer’s spirit is still alive but the way to win is to get boots on the ground and chap doors – that’s how we got a YES in Glasgow last year.
UKIP The Sun
Atkinson, 52, hosted a pre-Ukip spring conference fringe event at a restaurant in Margate, Kent, which was also attended by their new MP Mark Reckless.
The party cost £950 and the bill was paid by credit card by her chief of staff Christine Hewitt.
But 24 hours later Hewitt, 53, went back to the restaurant to ask the manager to give her an invoice for a much higher sum so she could claim the larger amount back on expenses from the EU to boost Ukip coffers.
The party took place in Margate
The party took place in Margate The Sun
She eventually accepted a new invoice for £3,150 after being filmed by an undercover reporter telling him: “The idea is we overcharge them slightly because that’s the way of repatriating (the money).”
The Sun’s damning video footage along with a series of revealing emails are bound to embarrass Nigel Farage, 50, just weeks away from the General Election.
The recordings and documents will now be investigated by EU officials.
Officers from Kent Police’s electorial fraud unit were also handed The Sun’s dossier of evidence.
And Mrs Atkinson and Ms Hewitt were summoned to Ukip’s London office for crisis talks.
Sorry for O/T here but I’m reading on Twitter that oor Jim of Murph the Smurph fame has changed his Twitter account name to @JimForScotland.
Oh dearie me. I’m guessing histerm as Branch manager is not going so well if this is what he has been reduced to to try and garner more support. 😀
Valerie
Re homophobic tweeter-other twitter members reported his abusive texts & apologised to Ruth for doing so. Basically, they were right to report it.
UKIP are a funny lot
Don’t fiddle your dinner expenses or you’re out
But racism’s OK by us
Yup! it’s great to be British
Salmonds Book
rates johann Lamont 10 x better than Murphy
@ caz m 10.15 We,re the two Ronnie’s on WOS & both of us have been around here for a long time,I do joke I have a split personality but I would’nt post under the same name,the other Ronnie is from the Northlands of Scotland.
Yours Sincerely
Ronnie Anderson.
@ Thepnr I,m wey you ( I smell shite ) sombody abuses you on Twitter, then phones your office & you speak to them & except their appoligie ( aye shite smells awe right ).
Ruthie canny be very busy.
Ruthie was quik enough to say she would,nt be reporting to the Police, (shades of Eggs Murphy).
Needs ah Wings investigation as to who he is in depth,if he is a SNP member (how long) any previous political affiliations. BBC news showed a house with a SNP poster in the window, outside Edinburgh ( is this his abode) ?
@Clootie 19 March, 2015 at 7:15 pm
You quoted Wikipedia first few lines on the Labour Party description.
Looks like they backed the wrong horse.Perhaps these statistics explain why they now have a problem. From link to londonmapper.org.uk
O/T, regarding the twitter homophobic abuse troll/not a troll.
Anyone could very easily set up sleepers in any organisation with our online world. It’s not rocket science to plan and execute something like this. They even have the 77th Brigade set up for online warfare.
Regarding whether this individual actually is a plant or just a mad dafty, let’s see. I would think that if it is a genuine SNP supporter who did indeed phone Ms Davidson and apologised (who, out of all the Unionist opposition party senior personnel, I have the most respect for), then they would come forward and make a statement publicly – therefore allowing their background to be clarified. This would be the best damage limitation course of action – if the individual is in fact a genuine SNP supporter (and let’s face it, the vast majority believe it is a homophobic, foaming at the mouth mad rabid nationalist just now), so having the decency to make a public apology would be the best damage limitation in this case.
If it is a troll/plant/COD black ops type, then they will simply disappear and nothing further will be heard of them – other than media regurgitation about SNP bad bad bad.
I would expect the frequency of such events to increase over the coming weeks. We are the biggest threat the corrupt establishment has faced for a very long time, seems only natural that they should pull out all the stops (and I mean all the stops) to deal with this. Why have a brigade if you can’t use it?
Personal security should also be in place for prominent spokespersons for free speech/truth. As should back ups of back ups of back ups for equipment. It’s not a nice world we live in (when you look deeper at the pores), so it’s best to be as well prepared as possible.
Apologies for appearing all conspiracy theorist like, but it is what it is.
Am I missing something? Osbourne announced to great applause that this govt. had reduced the national debt. When he became chancellor it sat at £800 billion, its now just over £1.5 trillion and rising by more than £5000 per second. We all pay towards the £50 billion a year interest that this elephant in the room now costs us but the papers are all wetting themselves over the oil price.
Such a noise over a nasty and indefensible tweet to Ruth Davidson, wherever it came from.
Do I hear the same noise for Ruth Davidson breaking the Law
by interfering with postal votes at the Referendum.
One law for Unionists, another for Independence supporters.
Such a noise over a nasty and indefensible tweet to Ruth Davidson, wherever it came from.
Do I hear the same noise for Ruth Davidson breaking the Law
by interfering with postal votes at the Referendum.
One law for Unionists, another for Independence supporters.
@ Wp @ 5.27 am
Hi ,
I’ve kinda switched off listening too hard to WM as they twist the facts and thanks to this site my gut feelings of years gone by are turned to truth with WOS .
On the debt , I hear them talking about ” balancing the books ” from that they are trying to get us to believe we are no longer running at an annual loss , and it is this figure they are sneakily referring to as much as poss as it’s not too much . Ie UK annual running ” debt ” is a wee bit less now than in 2010 .
The actual overall £1.5 Tril borrowed debt is seldom discussed , as as you say it continues to rise.
And so the deception goes on .
Flyer than a barra load o monkeys !
I see the Daily Record is in full anti SNP mode this morning and seem to have buried the latest Survation Poll
In case you haven’t heard, @jimforscotland Murphy, will be appearing on Question Time next week from BOLTON, yes that’s right, BOLTON.
He will no doubt be proving his Scottishness to our Southern neighbours, with his see-you-jimmy hat on and his Murphy Tartan kilt.
The only thing I am puzzled about is, what is he going to say to the people of BOLTON that will have any relevance in the up and coming General Election?
It will be interesting viewing.
I see the Daily Record is in full anti SNP mode this morning and seem to have buried the latest Survation Poll
Its not anti SNP, its anti Scotland. Just listened to proud Scot but Jim Naughty BBC R4 news grill UKOL rail and transport minister and even the concept of Scotland being part of any teamGB transport development is never mentioned.
And why would they, Scotland gets nothing but they expect to take Scottish money and if any of its threatened the proud Scot buts get very angry.
Be grateful for what you’ve been given sweaties and be proud Brits or else
@ Rigmac7 (4.57am).
You have no need to apologise for “going all conspiracy theorist” on us.
I think you make some very valid points and i’d add this into the mix:
We’ve all noticed how an apology was offered and accepted very quickly, before the shit hit the fan. The reason for this, in my opinion, was to prevent further action being taken.
If someone reported this to the police they would have to take action against the individual but now that an apology has been offered and accepted, if this happens the police would not take the matter any further, case closed with a warning to said culprit.
I think the police should be pursuing this regardless of apologies. The don’t need Ruthies blessing and all the evidence is in the public domain.
This individual, whoever he/she is, should be made an example of and the full force of the law brought down on him/her but that’s not going to happen.
This whole scenario stinks!
@caz-m
jIM SAYS “SNP BAD”
It’s the end of the world as we knew it.
Is it possible the Sun could have undercover filming of the Westminster child abusers, or is that less important?? oh silly me I forgot that is the “Establishment”
Brilliant CH…Lol 🙂
Nicola on Radio 4 at 10am
STOP PRESS… NEXT ECLIPSE… MAY 8th, 2015…TOTAL ECLIPSE OF BritLAB in SCOTLAND… BE THERE TO SEE IT…SHOULDN’T BE MISSED (it will be clearly visible to all)!
I’ve seen better eclipses
Lesley-Anne
@JimForScotland
It sounds like sponsorship by some keep fit mob, Murphy will do anything for a buck it seems!
Whether the tweeter is genuinely SNP or not, he is obviously being used against the SNP in order to try to turn the Scottish public away from them. Why, after “winning” the referendum are the unionists in their many forms trying so desperately to prevent the SNP from sending a strong body of MP’s to Westminster?
Could it be that really, they don’t believe in democracy? Or at least they believe in it only if they control it,which isn’t democracy as I understand it. Are they quite simply afraid of a large SNP contingent, once they’re in the spotlight at Westminster, telling all of Britain the truth about them?
Slainte Stoker, good points.
Cracker Cynical Highlander, just hope you haven’t caused Chris to crumple up a freshly prepared cartoon and toss it into the wastepaper bin basketball style!
@ cynicalHighlander (9.28am).
10/10
🙂
Tim…I rather think we will be the cause of it 🙂
Tattie-bogle
Surely local Labour MPs in Bolton will be screaming that this lunatic from Scotland is coming down and “cutting their grass”, they must have been wanting this primetime slot on Question Time for their own election campaigns.
Not only will Murphy drive the Red Tory vote down in Scotland, he will also lose them votes in Bolton.
Brilliant idea, gaun yer sel Jim.
This interviewer is quite ‘aggressive’ in her questioning of Nicola and is following the ‘soundbite’ msm line…it’s so ‘unfair’ for the English to have the SNP in their parliament etc..
Patronising about Alex too…
Nicola’s doing well in the face of this.
The Sun carry a picture of the guy in the RD storm as a “jobless Mark Hughes from Tranent” seen in his Celtic shirt. Thank God he wasn’t an ordinary mum or something. Oddly enough the story says that he tweeted his apology to Ruth which is at odds with the he phoned and apologised story carried yesterday.
BBC Scotland are telling us that it is International Happiness Day and asking “what would make us happy?”
Do they really want us to answer that one.
Also, have BBC Scotland EVER came up with a bad story about any Scottish Labour Party members? or is this exclusively for the SNP and the wider YES campaign?
The BBC stick up for their own side.
@C/h
That ,my friend should be a poster.
Is the interviewer Jane Garvey ? Is she not the same woman who gave away the fact that the BBC had a pro Labour bias,by revealing that when Tony Blair won the election she came to work at BBC HQ to find the place littered with champagne bottles from the celebration ?
The RD thing is odd now. Just seen his pic on line, and this report says he phoned Ruth, he’s gay, he’s 45, and he can’t remember making the comments!
Maybe it is just a case of missed meds.
SNP needs to stick to their guns regarding anti-austerity.
Labour have been very foolish to abandon their original position in the subject.
Good article from Steve Keen here about why austerity simply doesn’t work….
link to debtdeflation.com
The flat eart neo-liberal economists will balk at this but they were the ones who said you couldn’t predict the financial crisis. Well steve keen did!
Unfair for the English electorate?
And its different how from a nation partner being forced to accept conservative governments at Westminster they didn’t vote for how? Wasn’t that unfair on the Scottish electorate?
Time to cut this bullshit down to size. One treaty, two signatories. Each sends representation to a political construct to govern jointly for the whole. Who Scotland sends down to best represent its interests as part of this treaty is for the Scottish electorate alone to decide.
The SNP whilst being the most ardent advocates of independence for Scotland are also a party operating within the UK. Over eight years in government in Scotland they have proven themselves capable administrators and way more transparent and minded toward fairness and social justice than any other major party out there. Along with the greens, SSP, plaid and other progressives they have left the likes of the Conservatives, Labour and Lib Dems in their wake in terms of forward thinking, innovative policy and care for their electorate.
The track record of the three major Westminster parties over the years is a catalogue of corruption, ineptitude, economic carnage and self seeking patronage. What part of people are sick to fucking death of having the same limited piss poor choices available to them come election time do they not understand?
People are effectively being told by these pricks, you can only vote for… because that’s all there is. Doesn’t matter how shite we are, just shut up and vote for us. Well NO is the answer to that.
So long as this is even a pretend democracy in this omnishambles of a union, I’ll vote for whoever I damn well please and there are now others out there to vote for who are far more deserving of being our representatives than the self seeking right wing bigots who have done such a marvelous fucking job of tearing our society, our economy and our communities apart so far.
Having clocked more than one title lecturing the SNP over the economy over the recent past, just what makes them think they know what they’re talking about? The SNP didn’t send the UK into economic freefall. The SNP didn’t buy the most expensive and useless weapons system under the sun whilst people are queuing up at food banks to be fed. The SNP didn’t destroy the UKs manufacturing base and the SNP didn’t run up an eye watering £1.5tr of debt. The press, its commentators and the UK govt. deserve a wake up call. They’ve bloody earned it.
They created the mess, but its the electorate who will clean it up.
ScottieDog at 10.44
But austerity does work – for those who are employing it. “Austerity” illustrates the central belief of Toryism (which they disguise to win elections)of the survival of the fittest.
It is a legitimate political position to hold but thankfully more and more people recognise it is against general the public interest
Beware a renewed Tory vote in Scotland under Ruthie. The media has switched away from Murphy to Davidson to a considerable extent
So some unemployed guy from Tranent has got wee Ruth on speed dial?? Aye right.
Macart. 10.54am.
Doffs cap . well said Sam.
The MSM and their selective memory might work in the rUK but not up here. We’re at least two years ahead of them.
So the dirty tricks continue. I have to admit to enjoying this. SNP Bad …. blah blah , wibble wobble , pooh
IS THIS ALL THEY HAVE ????
Roll on May.
🙂 🙂 🙂
Heard an honest statement on R4 this morning: not sure who was speaking but he came right out with the “fact” that the welfare state as we know it is “unsustainable”.
So we know what is on offer from our neolibs: it is perfectly clear that in this “successful” economy we can’t afford to look after the people now, or ever in the future.
For those of you who continue to argue that the debt and deficit are major problems, this article from Ann Pettifor is useful reading
@Macart
Well that about sums it up! 🙂
I confess to not following the RD snipe overly close.
What struck me first is the fact that like me here ANON , but Laird Bla Bla has SNP stuff up means jack S@@t .
Nicola quickly distanced SNP from the tweeter , excellently done .
Alas Laird tweeter manages to get to speak to Ruthie on the phone , eh ? If the tweet was so vile would you take a call from someone so vile ?
Now of course the Media are all muddled over how the Mr Hughes , laird tweeter has actually apologised , if at all ?
In the words o Karen Dunbar , ” I smell S***e ! “
You don’t need to put on your dark glasses and go outside. We all know that WOS has totally eclipsed the Sun!
Fair beelin’ this morning Rick. These metro centric, self righteous, condescending, arrogant ********* require a rude awakening come May 7.
So Smurphy, Bolton eh? You’ll do anything to avoid being exposed to a Scottish audience. You think applause (if there’s any) from a Bolton audience will help SLAB? Seriously? It’s probably not going to do Labour much good south of the border either, go for it Jim.
link to primeeconomics.org
Sorry: forgot the link
@Dave McEwan Hill.
Yes I agree but I have plenty of mates who aren’t in the 1% who buy all this austerity flat earth pish. It needs explaining
I have often applauded your comments Mac both here and else where, you are on fire this morning and have said it all. Bunch of self serving w*nkers.
@Macart, great post, I can tell you are, rightly, angry.
Tackety Beets, I’m tending to agree, a very strong smell of shite emanating from Tranent area!
@ Helena and Valerie
Just hacked off ladies. They pulled exactly the same tactics of bait, fear and smear all the way through the referendum and what has it bought us?
EVEL, £30bn of austerity measures and more to follow, fracking licensing, pensions reform, Scotophobia running rampant throughout the entire media, and still in their arrogance they preach to others about fitness to govern and morals.
As Stu would say, I may need to go punch something.
Jim Murphy on Question Time next week is the last QT before Parliament goes into Purdah on 30 March and no doubt thereafter BBC has to be “impartial”.
That is why there will not be an SNP rep on the panel to counter his propaganda.
I smell another Unionist stitch up.
AS on form as usual link to bbc.co.uk
I like the way he speaks with controlled anger about the low lifes who stooped to inflict fear on pensioners during the referendum
I THINK HE HAS HIT ON A KEY IDEA HERE – if we do this every time we are discussing the referendum, especially with no voters, we could ‘switch ‘ a lot of NOs and even shift the elderly if this becomes recognised as the real truthful story behind the referendum and they get angry about this too.
[…] Labour leader Ed Miliband said Westminster’s current austerity plans will be devastating for Wales while his Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls, ruled out reversing any of them. […]