Sticks and stones
Posted on
August 12, 2015 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
This debate between John “Mental Mad” McTernan and Owen Jones from the BBC News channel this morning doesn’t need a lot of commentary from us, to be honest.
It’s like watching someone try to reason with voicemail.
What a nutter!!!
“Corbyn appeals to the core Labour voters”
“That’s not what we need”
“We need to appeal to Tory voters in order to form a government”
McTernan reckons Corbyn will be the death of the Labour Party. What’s the point in McTernan/Labour trying to be more Tory than the Tories?
McTernan and his ilk have already killed the Labour Party. They are now simply arguing about the corpse.
jesus h Christ…..
” the Labour Party was saved by the right before and it will be saved by the right again”
Did I actually hear that moron say that ???????
When it got to the bit about if Jeremy Corbin wins he should be removed immediately I honestly believe he is a Tory plant. A sleeper placed there to undermine anything vaguely positive. Owen Jones wiped the floor with him ……..good.
“Greatest disaster [Corbyn win] in the history of the Labour Party”.
Says the chief of staff who lost 97.5% of Labour seats in Scotland.
I wish John McTernan was on TV promoting Labour every day.
They may have had some disastrous leaders, but this idiot eclipses them all. He spreads disaster wherever he goes, he advises lunatic policies which simply ape the Tories and laughs when rational arguments are put to him by Owen Jones. More power to his elbow, keep on like this and they’ll be sunk for the next forty years, never mind twenty.
It would be better for the future, when we get independence, to have some decent opposition but this ain’t it.
Overthrow the winner if it’s Corbyn says McTernan, without a blush, so much for… “we will listen to the people and learn”.
Why is he not bounced into touch? He must know which cupboard the skeletons are in, there can be no other reason.
Better in the tent pissin out than out the tent pissing in I suppose.
Still, why should we worry, McTernan’s pals are the red tories let them be in the muddle they are in for as long as possible.
CorbynWarnings is good fun. “Corbyn Can Only Be Destroyed In The Fires Of Mount Doom, Warns MP”
Question of the day/week/month/year, has to be “why do the tv and radio keep asking him on”?
If it is to show what a prat he is…..has been successful.
Both McTernan and Owen were taking nonsense. Owen wants a return to the 70s under Corbyn and McTernan a return to the 90s under someone like Kendall. It is clear that Old Labour and New Labour have lost Scotland for good and neither will win again in England.
Loved Owen Jones’ quote at the end “first word and last word”. Ah the BBC thinks it’s being subtle.
Christ what a moron McTernan really is.
Let the likes of McTernan take over, and even if they swept into office with a hundred seat majority, what would be the point? They’re Tories in all but name.
Aah they lost because of people being scared of a Labour Government being propped up by the SNP.
That old chestnut again. Tsk, tsk, Owen; never Labour’s own fault.
Why not just grab someone randomly off the street rather than constantly asking for McTernan’s opinion? At least that way we’d get at least a 50/50 chance of some sense.
Serious question, why do they keep digging up that tosser mcT? there’s a lot more people in the Labour isn’t there?
McTernan says people who voted for other parties at the GE should not should not be allowed a vote in the Labour leadership contest.
Wasn’t Labour in Scotland encouraging tactical voting up here to beat the SNP?
Although I couldn’t care less about the travails of the Labour Party
You can’t fail to notice the complete and total disregard for what Labour voters actually want when Dummy McTernon says not to concern themselves with those who already vote Labour it’s the other voters they want to convince
They did that in Scotland and look where it got them
They told Scottish Labour voters “Your vote’s in the bank so shut up and vote for us we’ve got Red Rosettes on”
But who am I to judge
Keep on giving them advice Johnny Tory Boy your record on advice giving is second to none
Hopefully Jeremy Corbyn wins this election – and hopefully, where McTernan’s concerned, Jeremy Corbyn has a long memory.
Why would anyone want to give that loser air time? A loser that supports another loser to be Leader of the terminally ill Labour Party …. with people like him having contributed heavily to that.
And so much for democracy with comments like ”if Corbyn wins he’ll have to be removed.” EH!
Owen Jones is right in saying that McTernan that has proven to be totally destructive for the Labour Party; on record here and in Australia.
Does anyone know if McTernan is still earning a wage or now living off the proceeds of spouting the same old guff?
The truth is that if Mr Corbyn was not standing no one would be paying the leadership contest any attention at all so boring are the other contenders.
It is not Mr Corbyn who will make Labour unelectable but the numpties who devised this dog’s dinner of an electoral system which is wide open to fraud. Now if they, Labour, cannot organise a robust electoral system to elect their own leader who would back then to run a country?
Owen Jones saying (2:10) that English voters didn’t want a Labour govt “as they felt it” “propped up by the SNP” clearly hasn’t read the recent Wings academic article where they proved that categorically not true…whether the English “felt” it or not….
Also John at (6:50) about the greatest disaster in the Labour party history / and we’ve had a lot of disastrous leaders…that was surely something right out of one of Armando Iannucci’s out-takes?
John McT doesn’t seem to like the idea of democracy,does he? You can see the panic in his eyes and its no wonder he and his mates are grasping at straws. I can’t see this interview getting aired on BBC Scotland anytime soon.
I would also like to know what all the senior Scottish Labour members are thinking about both UK and Scottish leadership contests: Lords McConnell, Reid and Liddell all seem to be silent yet they were vocal during the indy ref.
Who do they want to win in Scotland, Ken or Kez?
We want to know!
Why are they so silent now?
Are they waiting until the winners are announced and proclaim undying support?
@ James Caithness @4.51.
I’m afraid logic and facts won’t get you very far when debating with Mr McT, James.
Try being delusional and irrational.
One_Scot says:
12 August, 2015 at 3:25 pm
Don’t know if anyone has seen this, but I had to wipe away the tears.
t.co/cOqWAWEZ28
This was on the previous thread, and it’s completely on topic here, plus it’s hilarious 🙂
I watched this over again and the truth is clearly visible.
The PLP (aka Westminster Red Boys Club) know what’s best for THEM. The PLP don’t want a democratic party, because the great unwashed musn’t be allowed to speak.
Sounds familiar???
Westminster know what’s best for THEM and they don’t want Scotlands voice to be heard.
They are ALL the same. Blue Tories and Red Tories.
Think about it. The Labour hierarchy are in a panic. None of them are stupid enough to go public so put Mcternan into the spotlight.
he is so vain, he will do anything to get publicity. But then, who is stupid enough to listen to him?
Labour petrified. I really cannot see a way back for them. Regardless of who they elect as a leader they will remain a party with no clearly defined direction. They cannot be all things to all people and are too obsessed with their public perception to present anything of substance to their own members let alone the electorate. They’ve not even had the leadership election yet and already they are ripping themselves apart over the result – publicly.
They are now showing the same arrogance to the entire UK electorate that they did to the scottish people by having taken them for granted. “you can’t vote that man in – you need to vote for this person instead. Because we know better than you.” The level of arrogance is as astounding as the attitude of entitlement now on display.
It’s not so much that the labour horse is before the electorate cart. It’s more that the cart has run over the horse and is now in the process of being slowly reversed over the corpse a few times just to make sure. The only remaining question is whether it will be a slow downhill freewheel to oblivion or full freefall acceleration off the cliff edge. I hope it’s the former.
Those remaining die hard scottish labour members must surely be starting to realise that there is no substance left of the party that they joined.
Having Mcternan tell them that to move (further?) to the left of the tories will in effect render them unelectable only serves to clarify to them the position that labour are now in. There is a price to be paid for the “Bliar years” and the bill just hit the doormat.
They are truly backed into a dead end.
They need to elect Houdini.
“But if the electorate wanted anti-austerity surely they would have voted for Labour in May?” – BBC person
Labour were not offering anti-austerity before the election. They were not arguing for it – they were not helping to educate the people of England on the austerity scam.
If they elect Corbyn maybe they will. Then, they could even beat the Tories but more likely they will have some sort of internal war while the Tories amongst them try to regain control.
Creepy watching an extraordinary dysfunctional disaster 12 year legacy Bliar, Broon, Flipper and co left behind.
Rancid hypocrites at The Graun do seem to like Corbyn, just from the nice photos they use of him, compared to the ghastly ones everyone SNP get treated too.
Corbyn says SLabour got wiped out by the left in Scotland but Macternan’s an English red tory and England is red and blue tory, no point in pretending otherwise. Once BBC,Mail,Sun attack machine gets Project Fearing on Corbyn in England, they’ve had it for another decade and a half at least.
Even so, BBC, rancid Graun, staggering failure Macternan, ew.
I had no veiws on the Labour leadership & why should I its irrelivant to me ,until I saw that interview ,now I hope Corbyn wins & closes that clowns revenue stream from the Labour party.
How to burn bridges, McTernans your man tae ask.
Wings unearthed evidence months ago without McTernan pretending endoring it.
He is a ‘commentator who has no influence’ – Labour would rather people voted Tory than anything left-wing, or SNP. Principles? What principles?
Power at any price.
A party of the people that despises the people.
McTernan is lethal.
But even Owen doesn’t get what Scotland is about.
They haven’t learnt a thing have they? *sigh*
Ah well, what to have for dinner-decision time 🙂
As an English ex-Labour voter this is how important the leadership is to me. TBH my problems are dealing with the problems of the here & now, the sick & disabled. What these clowns will do in 2020 or most likely 2025 will not help those who need it now & many of whom will have died long before then from hypothermia, malnutrition or even suicide. A pox on all their houses!
A perr o’ Brit Nat Labs waffling away. Don’t trust any of them. They both have form.
So Owen Jones talks about the need for British Labour to win back Scotland. Know your enemies right enough. We need to remember at all times that the only interest Labour has in Scotland is as voting fodder. For generations they exploited Scotland and given half a chance they will do it again – plus give the Scots a real kicking for having the audacity to get above their station. We need to remember too that they used Scotland just as badly when they were a party of the left.
Labour are down but they are not out. We must do everything politically possible to completely eradicate their presence in Scotland. The Scots have to reject them for the power seeking, hypocrites that they are or they will return Scotland to the place of helplessness and compliance that suits their purpose.
McTernan destroyed Labour’s chances in Australia and was widely vilified there as a consequence.
Despite that Murphy employs him here in Scotland – and Labour get annihilated.
Yet his pals in the media keep giving him uncritical air time.
At least Owen Jones called him out. So, although Owen was no pal of the Yes movement, good on him this time (and his book The Establishment in a damn good read).
The man’s failed at everything he’s attempted in politics. Why does he think he can tell people how to succeed?
Oh, I see what you mean. 😮
Rev? I think you may have understated the ‘mental mad’ bit.
There is a certain Unionist blog that does its utmost to discredit WOS, it ran into difficulties being accessed from Twitter.
I tweeted that it was because I had caught my heel in its blog logic –
Wee John Mcternan re-tweeted it with a caption that the culprit had been unmasked. This man is taken seriously?
If Corbyn wins then the Labour party need only secure 47 MPs to force a new contest.
Within the party the most serious concentration of his enemies are those within the shadow cabinet – who he would, no doubt, seek to replace. They won’t be pleased. Bring popcorn.
@Legerwood
“the numpties who devised this dog’s dinner of an electoral system which is wide open to fraud”
You could be describing the FPTP electoral system in the UK. Still better than choosing a leader behind closed doors though?
The new Labour system certainly seems far more democratic than the what’s gone before?
Forgive me for saying so, but you don’t seem to be a red hot believer in democracy.
Thank god for McTernan. I hope the SNP are paying him well.
The way things are in the Labour Party today I think if Kier Hardie was still alive he would be expelled from it
“the most ludicrous thing” John McTernan’s ever heard in his life in politics…clearly he don’ts listen to himself then?
don’ts??? Jesus. Doesn’t, perhaps?
I really don’t care about the Labour party one way or ‘tother.
I remember before the GE having a conversation with hubby about what might happen. I reckoned if Labour got gubbed, they would start fighting like ferrets in a sack. Wow was that part right.
McTernan says ” if Corbyn is elected he must be removed at once”.
Aye right enough John, that’ll be democracy in action eh!
I see now that the other three wee robots are writing a letter to HQ complaining about the leadership election. Dearie me, you could not make this up.
Get plenty of popcorn in, or jelly & ice cream if you prefer. This is going to be some ding dong.
It’s even more fun when you don’t have a horse in this race, or even care who they winner will be.
Good old Labour, never listen, never learn. Your a’ oota step except oor Jock.
I have said it before, I am convinced Mr McT is an SNP sleeper taking orders directly from Alex’s secret bunker.
What else could explain his mind numbing level of incompetence??
He is one of the biggest vote winners the SNP have got.
Dear BBC, please give him his own show.
McTerran – a tremendous asset to the Indy cause!
Sometimes you get the impression Labour are just paying at politics, while the SNP (and the Tories) treat politics as a serious business!
Is this a new comedy act about to “do” the comedy circuit? 😉
WHIT?
They are NOT a comedy act they are SERIOUS!
YOU can not be serious!
Well seeing as they are NOT a comedy act can I perhaps make a suggestion?
They really should give serious consideration to becoming the latest Great British comedy act. They would sweep the boards! 😀
To save myself frowning every time i see McTernan, i picture him 30 years from now..sad, alone and trying to fly off with his house tied to 1000000 red balloons
McTernan – ” if Corbyn is elected he must be removed at once.”
And there in a nutshell is the source of Labour’s woes. Democracy doesn’t suit the higher echelons at all in their drive to appeal to Middle Englandshire. It’s as though democracy has become a dirty 9 letter word and there’s no room for conviction politics any more. The only conviction that Labour has is their drive to try to get back into power and Gawd alone knows what they’d do in power – they haven’t got an original thought amongst them.
And of them all McTernan makes my blood run cold. A ruthless hatchet man reminiscent of the Mafia enforcer.
Lesley-Anne @6.40
Do you think it is too late to get him a gig at the Fringe?
Maybe Tommy Sheppard could squeeeze him in at the Stand.
Obviously the BBC has no researchers and never sees international or even UK news.
They keep putting McTernan on and involving him in interviews when he utterly failed in Australia and in Scotland.
John lost me at “I think …”.
McTernan’s doing a grand job, of alienating left leaning Labour supporters.
Sorry to go off topic but, it’s for a good cause.
http://marksimonfrankland.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/the-great-foodbank-siege-is-now_10.html
Help raise cash for an independent foodbank in Dumfries, and have a great read while you’re at it.
McTernan thinks that people signing up for labour to vote for Corbyn are skewing the result and making labour unelectable. But surely all those people who want a right wing labour will sign up to vote for Kendall? According to him there are far more people who want a right wing labour than a left wing labour. So what’s he worried about?
Another recommendation for the spoof video.
“McTernan…?” “Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! LOL! McTernan…! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! ROFL!! ROFLMAO!!”
Funny as! Do have a look at:
https://t.co/cOqWAWEZ28
I can hardly stop laughing at the Labour Hecht Heid Ains getting the screaming horrors at an already elected left wing MP candidate of the Labour party in the lead of a leadership poll.
The very, very obvious message being sent by the core Labour voters to the numpties, who so badly failed to inspire the public to vote for Labour in the General election, is that their core support are very much on the left of the political spectrum.
Why these feeble minded numpties fondly imagine anyone, excepting an equally brainless numptie as themselves, would choose to vote for a red pretendy Tory when they could just place their wee cross in the next box on the ballot paper and get the real Tory deal.
Has it not penetrated their thick skulls that to oppose the Tories you have to be placed upon a different part of the political spectrum? Considering there already three parties struggling to occupy that one wee place on the political spectrum it must be obvious there just isn’t room for them all on that one place.
The real owners of that bit of real estate are the real Tories – so why vote for any pretend Tories?
Comedy Gold
And best of all, both these gentlemen an the BBC are still in the dark about what’s going on.
….saved by the right……hahahaha…..talk about showing your hand!
McTermite dispensing advice on what is damaging?
And Slabber wonder where they went wrong.
Well done Owen for reminding the arrogant wee sod
how he helped lose Scotland, not once but twice.
His face and body-language was a site to savour.
It is certainly entertaining to see the right wing Blairite’s (John MacTernan’ s self definition), who have a long history of openly accepting members of the Conservative and Liberal/Lib Dem parties who cross the floor in Parliament or Council chambers up and down the country and parachuting them into constituencies over the heads of local CLP’s, jumping up and down like demented minions whinging about members of other parties infiltrating the Labour Party.
The sheer hypocrisy of these people needs to be publically called out loudly at every opportunity.
What is surprising is that this self regarding and self perpetuating group of chancers seem not to have progressed in their thinking since the day when Sidney Webb uttered the words “no one told us we could do that” after Snowden took the UK off the Gold Standard and allowed the pound to find a more reasonable market value to finally ease the currency crisis which buggered up the second Labour Government.
The point being that the constant harping of about “electability” demonstrates the same inability to to think outside the box. To these people Democracy begins and ends inside Westminster because it allows them to massage their own ego’s by telling everyone how “they” and “they alone” look after everyone and that “only they” through “the Labour Party” can do this. This is why working with anyone else is anethema to these people. Just as the USA is an exclusivist country in its own eyes and the way it acts with a sense of entitlement, so it is with the Labour Party. Like all self appointed and self important gatekeepers the position taken is that progress can only occur through them, end of.
What is also obvious, following the intervention of Blair the other week who openly declared on behalf of his faction that he would rather not win an election on a non neo liberal platform, is this group of entryists who have destroyed the Labour Party have no interest in thinking outside of the box or of arguing on the basis of evidence that does not support their narrow and failed ideological mindset.
The available evidence, some of which has appeared in posts on this blog in recent weeks, is inconvenient and therefore not valid as far as these people are concerned. The sixteen million people whose vote was either not cast or who choose to spoil our ballot paper in May are declared non valid members of the public in the same way as any of their own members and supporters who vote for the “wrong” candidate are dismissed because they would rather cater for the interests of a few Tory voters in the vainglorious, naive, and deluded belief that Tory voters are going to move from voting for the real thing in favour of Tory wannabees.
The desperation is evident when they are openly talking about an immediate coup if the “wrong” candidate is elected. The sheer self indulgence of such an act would consign the Party and these people to oblivion for more than a generation. And that is telling because what it reveals is that those like Macternan, Blair, et al would rather have that outcome than any alternative to the right wing neo liberal policies they have sold their souls to.
No wonder they are fast becoming irrelevant.
Still Positive. says:
Lesley-Anne @6.40
Do you think it is too late to get him a gig at the Fringe?
Maybe Tommy Sheppard could squeeeze him in at the Stand.
He probably could SP but would he really want to? 😀
Here’s a wee poser for those of a legal disposition out there.
I have just read that DVLA are apparently looking at prosecuting the Bin truck driver from the Glasgow Christmas crash in England or Wales for non-declaration on his LGV form.
I am thinking that this is not really a goer is it?
I say it isn’t a goer for two reasons.
1.
The driver lives in Glasgow, SCOTLAND.
2.
The offence was committed in Glasgow, SCOTLAND
As Scotland and England/Wales have different legal systems then surely DVLA can not take someone to court in England/Wales if their crime(s) were committed in Scotland and vice versa.
Surely if DVLA were to prosecute then they must do so in Scotland despite the Scottish Crown Office claiming their decision not to prosecute still stands.
Just out of curiosity, doesn’t McTernan, like, you know, have a job in SCOTLAND!!!! doing something brilliant for the self-styled Scottish Labour Party.
But he always seems to be down in London appearing on BBC being interviewed. For which, you have assume, he’s getting a nice little cheque cut compliments the Beeb.
So is he on his hols? Days off? Time off without pay? Phoned in a mental health day?
Or is he just a greasy skiver? Should Iain Grey be told?
Who is this “English” count McTernaN?
Never heard him before, well not like that. Is he from Suffolk?
There fighting like ferrets in a sack – brilliant , Bliar just said if Corbyn wins then Labour face annihilation – bring it on?
Slightly off topic but stumbled across Kezia Dugdale’s speech on education and what she thinks the Scottish Govt should do to improve. It’s a long speech – I’m hoping the breaks between sentences were to let her breathe, though her interview with Gary Robertson earlier suggests she might have been getting some voice coaching. Here’s the link anyway
http://www.keziaforleader.scot/todays-education-speech-in-full/
and apologies if I’ve put it in wrong, I seem to remember something about deleting the http bit
“There are people who should not be in the Labour Party”
Well said John.
I’ve long thought that the odious McTernan is a tory mole planted to wreck the Labour party and he’s very good at his job.
I didn’t understand Jones argument that the people in Scotland voted for a party that positioned to left of Labour but the people of England didn’t want us….yet the people of England would vote for a party that positioned itself to current left of labour
Weakest piece of SNPbad yet. However Mad John McMad is quite clear in his vision. If Jeremy wins they have to have a coup and kick him out. John is so right wing I can’t actually tell the difference between him and rank and file Tories.
@ Wulls – I’ve been thinking that too, that McTernan is a Tory plant. Look at his list of failures on behalf of the Labour Party here and in Australia. And yet Labour took him on again? Perhaps this time they just couldn’t get his fists unclamped from the gravy train once Murphy had sunk without trace, and he stayed in for the kill.
Perhaps they’re driven by some inner compulsion to self-destruct but just need that nudge to send them reeling over the cliff. Hence McTernan.
Gotit.
McTernan is vocally bilingual, London and somewhere in Scotland.
If he has a wife she and his kids need to be fluent in Mi-McTernan so they can communicate with him as he desends, they will need to learn the same p[atois.
Aw never mind, let him rest in his politica fantasy.
No matter who it is that does eventually get elected to lead the Labour party the Tories are going to be the ones to profit, at least initially.
To counter any motion or questioning of Tory policy, all the Tories have to say is, for example, ‘Are you sure that’s what the Labour party agrees on? Are all the Labour MPs in this House in agreement with this issue/motion/(whatever)? Why should we/anyone/the country agree with Labour since you can’t even agree among yourselves who your party’s leader should be – tales of mutinys, coups and putsches…!?
The Tories must be high-fiving each other in any meetings they have presently. As we speak, they’ll be writing out the scripts and one-liners to hit the Labour party with for weeks on end.
And wee nyaffman, Murray, Labour’s last redoubt in Scotland via Red-Morningside will still be on Reporting Scotland saying, ‘Yes, Jackie, it’s the SNP’s fault, because…eh…um… oh aye, SNP BAD!… ye ken, like.’
No one will ever convince me that McTernan is anything but a Tory (or maybe even CIA!) plant.
He even overeggs the pudding at times, which is what you would expect from someone trying to ensure a negative effect (most people try to be vaguely good at their jobs).
In the history of the world, I know of no precedent whereby someone so incompetent has been allowed to keep their job. What does he have to do to get sacked?
The Three Stooges from the right in the Labour Party battle are happy to send serial-loser Mcternan out into the media fray as a flimsy ‘human shield’ in the hope he will somehow distract – indded draw away flak – from their utter vacuity and lack of any moderately social-democratic policies.
@Lesley-Ann @7.34 pm
Some offences can be prosecuted in more than one jurisdiction e.g. Offences under the Communications Act, such as sending threats by text message, could be prosecuted in the place where the person committing the offence sent the messages or in the place where the victim was when they received the message.
If the sender and receiver are in Scotland and England respectively then both jurisdictions could technically prosecute.
@Lesley-Anne –
Is this a new comedy act about to “do” the comedy circuit?
Found this archive footage of them or this McTernan and Michelle?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-IU-NQ8c14
David S Briggs @ 5.53
On the contrary I am a very strong believer in democracy and nothing that I wrote above should have lked anyone to believe otherwise.
I believe that the system put in place for an election whether of a party leader, national/local election or referendum should be robustly designed so that the integrity of the process and hence the final result is not open to question.
Postal voting for example is wide open to fraud and the case in London showed that it could be postal voting fraud on an industrial scale.
In the case of the system devised by Labour the system has given rise to calls of ‘entryism’ and manipulation -£3to vote.
Already some candidates and other Labour worthies are questioning whether the result, if it is Corbyn, should stand. Even suggesting a legal challenge. Apparently the other contenders in this leadership contest have written a letter highlighting various issues.
When people take the trouble to engage in the electoral process they should be taking part in a process that is open, robust and delivers a result that is not open to question with regards to its validity. That is democracy.
It would be interesting to discover where Mad John is getting funded from. He was kicked out of Oz, fell on his arse in Scotland, and yet continues to be able to rest his feet under the tables of the MSM with out visible means of support. Every thing he says is negative and divisive. There is vested interests keeping this talking arse hole afloat surely.
Am I missing something here?
Why on earth are the media continually wheeling out McTernan?
Having him on talking about Labour’s future strategy is akin to having someone from Hibs lecturing people on how to win the Scottish Cup. The guy is a total bellend and seems to have genuinely confused Labour with the Tories. To be fair though a lot of people in Labour and the media seem to do the same.
In recent weeks a lot of air time has been given to donuts such as McTernan, Straw and Rifkind etc. The latter two having been caught touting their services have no credibility and apparently no shame. What a wonderful media we have in the UK who have no problem seeking the thoughts of parasites such as them.
O/T
Anybody had there new voting registration form in yet? I got mine yesterday and thought “what a pain”. Will register obviously but we are going to have to work to make sure all our people do.
McTernan’s problem isn’t actually Corbyn.
McTernan’s problem is that his own career, which seems to mostly comprise of sporadic sponging off the Labour Party’s coffers in return for randomly incoherent Group Think, might suddenly end, if Corbyn’s vision is made tangible.
Thus, Corbyn will likely want a team around him which better reflects his values as well as those, who Labour have deliberately chosen to neglect.
Obviously, since McTernan appeals mostly to people with pineapple chunks in syrup between their ears, he would be the first casualty in the event of a hierarchy reshuffle.
McTernan’s wrong to say that neither he nor Owen are opinion shapers. He certainly shapes my opinion, just not the way he would want to.
I hope the Labour leadership shenanigans opens the eyes of their supporters in England and Wales. It has exposed the party in its present incarnation as being nothing more than Tory-lite.
Do their English and Welsh followers know that already? If so, why not go for the full-fat version and support the Conservatives?
Or, if aware of what Labour now is, are people voting Labour so they can feel better about themselves for not directly voting Tory?
Whatever. Once a party of the left, what is now called the Labour party has the full backing of the right-wing media in the UK, a right-wing media that is doing its utmost to fear, smear and ‘Project Fear’ Jeremy Corbyn, someone who threatens to bring the Labour party and its politics back to its roots.
That is the state of “Her Majesty’s Official Opposition” today.
I do not include Scotland in the above. Labour and its Scottish branch doing the British Establishment/Westminster’s dirty work for Better Together during the referendum, plus their behaviour during the General Election campaign, and what they haven’t done for Scotland after so many years in power has exposed Labour to the Scottish electorate as the charlatans, troughers and, most importantly, Tory-lite fraudsters that they now are.
Labour in their present form are finished in Scotland. Would that the English and Welsh electorate come to their senses regarding Labour sooner rather than later.
@ Owen Jones
You’re a sleekit dick. Labour can be elected to government on purely English votes and you know it.
@ John “Mental Mad” McTernan
You’re just a dick.
HandandShrimp yes, we got ours 2 days ago, in Fife.
I was really pleased as I’m able to include our youngest who turned 14 recently in the about to be a voter section.
Unless things go “full Indy” within the next 22 months, there will then be 4 Yes voters in our house!
We’re not able to count Bold Joff’s vote as he cannot articulate a choice by any method. We asked for him to be removed from the electoral roll, as it was distressing me to be reminded of yet another thing he can’t take part in.
I want Labour to crash and burn … Totally and completely.
It is still a threat to Scottish aspiration.
So whatever it takes to further diminish Labour’s influence, as far as I am concerned.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j7d7w6wrPA
Make your own mind up Kenny.
‘In office ‘New Labour’ pursued a populist and punitive approach, happy to label benefit claimants as feckless and to regard taxation as the Victorians had done-as similar to giving to charity, something one did for the poor…The real militant tendency had come into Labour from the right, not the left (and) peddled myths that the poor were lazier than the rich…they propagated five myths
Myth1 ‘They’ are lazy and just don’t want to work
Myth2 ‘They’ are addicted to drink and drugs
Myth3 ‘They are not really poor-they just don’t manage their money properly
Myth4 ‘They’ are on the fiddle
Myth 5 ‘They’ have an easy life on benefits
The Coalition government that came to power in 2010 took this language on gladly and added a myth
Myth 6 ‘They’ caused the deficit.’
(Dorling 2014 ‘Thatcher’s Grandchildren p91)
A perpetual failure to understand the YES movement and its belief in Scotland’s right to self determination, manage its economy, social protection systems, engage with its electorate through the mechanisms of deliberative democracy by not creating ideological out groups to permanently bash in the MSM has led Labour to the sorry state it is in. Toxic rhetoric from discredited individuals and the current WM ruling elite also push the cause for independence. It’s very logical- if we vote for our party of independence then we shall arrive at that happy destination.
@ HandandShrimp
I got my form a couple of days ago. I phoned the AVJB (who will also have been responsible for sending you yours), planning to tell them that I thought a lot of people would find it confusing.
A recorded message informed me that they were “currently experiencing a very high call volume”, and that there was a mistake on the forms, so they were going to send them all out again; meanwhile I could, if I wanted, register on-line. I did this and it was quite straightforward.
Because I registered, they may not send me another letter, so I won’t know what was wrong, but there was a bit about it in one of the local papers (I forget which). The name on my form was not mine; I assumed this was just an example, to illustrate how to change it, but maybe that is the mistake. When I used the code numbers I was shown a record that did have my correct name and postal vote/open register options (which were both also wrong on the form).
“DWP minister Justin Tomlinson says the rise in unemployment is down to the “SNP-Labour anti-business agenda”.
Wasn’t so long ago Labour joined with the Tories to say everything was SNP’s fault.
Labour was warned the Tories would turn on them.
Thanks for your input Juan, that sort of goes along with the idea floating around the back of my wee solitary brain cell. 😉
In the case of the Glasgow Bin truck driver, both the alleged perp and victm(s) are all in Scotland except the DVLA. Does this mean that the DVLA are now putting themselves forward as a victim?
McTernan has the charm & personna of a jakey, this is good!
The man is a success———at failure.
Paraphrasing McT, near the end. ‘Owen and me are both commentators. We don’t mold policy.’
Liar. Or, he doesn’t even bother to think about, or listen to, the noxious slurry he’s spouting out of his own mouth. Would explain a lot.
Owen Jones may be a journalist and commentator. McTernan is supposed to be spin doctor. Molding his employers into something electable is what he’s paid for. In fact, Mr McT. is the moldiest spin doctor in the business. A disaster, not only for NuLabor’s Scottish branch office, but also for Australia’s version of Labour. Wonder how many votes he was worth to Tony Abbot?
remember the old chap who was ejected from the labour conference for heckling tory bliar, way back in the 90s. that’s what’s gonna happen to corbyn, I suspect. at the time I thought it was quite amusing, not realising what was actually going on. democracy…don’t you just love it
Legerwood says:
12 August, 2015 at 5:06 pm
The truth is that if Mr Corbyn was not standing no one would be paying the leadership contest any attention at all so boring are the other contenders.
Corby isn’t the most charismatic guy either, so he is getting 99% of the attention just for having a different view.
It looks like he is going to walk it.
I wonder how all this will play out in Scotland..
A bunch of seats might return to Labour, but he says he will work with the SNP, so maybe not too many..
And there could be an opportunity for IndyRef 2 if McTernan turns out to be right and Labour lose again.
…running out of popcorn!
@GallusEffie (8.52) –
🙂 Nice one.
I also had to add my son to the Register, and he’ll be voting next year. It is quite a thrill, and he certainly seemed quite happy about it.
The system we have may not be perfect, and the old push-me pull-you arguments over the possibility of postal fraud raised their very ugly head(s) again, right here, in the past few days, causing energy-sapping rancour.
But, flawed as it is, it’s the only ‘legitimate’ system we have, and there’s no choice but to work within it. That’s why the shameless contempt shown for democratic processes by McTernan is so despicable. Any organisation claiming to respect ‘democracy’ wouldn’t let such a character anywhere near them – it’s a sign of Labour’s utter confusion that they didn’t lob him overboard on May 8th.
The Bercow boiler says SNP good! 🙂 We knew that though.
https://archive.is/NX52C
@Clootie
I’m on the salted cashews masel’. 🙂
call me dave says:
The Bercow boiler says SNP good! 🙂 We knew that though.
https://archive.is/NX52C
So does this mean that the Famous 56 can applaud their fellow members in the House of Commons after all then? 😀
Don’t forget to stick your nappers outside tonight, if it’s cloudless, and you might see some shooting stars.
Looking not bad here in Ayrshire…for the first time in years.
Owen Jones is superb, as ever. You may not always agree with what he says but he is passionate. I never tire of listening to him.
As observed some weeks back, McTernan always manages to make himself the story, drowning the Labour message in the process. For those not seen this yet:
https://grousebeater.wordpress.com/2015/05/18/mack-the-knife/
O/T – Not sorry to promote this worthy cause for one of our own:
Fundraising to provide indy campaigner Bill ‘Boorach’ with a new live-in van for his upcoming cancer treatment and rehabilitation.
http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/billsbattlebus/
We have reached the truly shameful stage where Labour now ask, “Are you now, or have you ever been, a socialist?
Ho ho. Labour making fools of themselves in England ganging up on JC. Just like they did up here getting into bed with the Tories.
Jez seems a good un. And I think his campaign has a lot to be thankful to Nicola, the SNP -and Scotland – we showed them that such policies are what the people want. Maybe that will be the legacy of the 56- to set r UK back on the socialist path before they head back north to an Indy Scotland. It Would be great to see a nuke free British isles.
Come on Jeremy!!! You can do it!
@Grouse Beater –
Just realised – this is your nom-de-plume’s ‘special day’, right? The Glorious Twelfth? 🙂
Anyway, enjoyed your McT piece a lot – he’s a fascinating character, and will surely feature in many advanced psychology studies in years to come.
At the rate he’s going – wrecking ‘Labour’ movements across the globe – offering himself up for analysis may prove to be his sole chance of securing an income.
“Okay John, nice and relaxed now, yes? Okaaaaay…you once said, ‘there are no fires any more’. What did you mean by that John?”
Labour leadership vote is a farce right enough, seriously.
I won’t be surprised if it’s declared null and void.
PS:
Might nip along to the outskirts of the toon to a well known dark spot and have a meteor gaze in a wee while. Shake off the Mone, McTernan and Corbyn blitz.
Might meet some of my depressed labour voting acquaintances there rumoured to be having a lammas sabbat and checking recent Scottish labour registration cards by candle light naked except for their McTernan masks and Tony Blair socks. 🙁
To any new visitors to wings. A casual glance at today’s homepage may suggest that this is a Jim Henson tribute site. Not so: directly below Beaker, Piggy and Rowlf, is Mickey Mouse, who is not a muppet.
… sorry, I don’t usually do ad hominems, but sometimes it’s just too tempting 😉
John is so right wing I can’t actually tell the difference between him and rank and file Tories.
He argues its the English vote that’s red and blue tory and its the YES vote in Scotland that voted 56 SNP.
So if England is actually centre lefty, well we’ll find out if/when Corbyn wins. Snatcher Thatcher’s greatest achievement’s probably a centre right English nationalist majority and New Labour. Here in England it didn’t feel like Milliband could win and doesn’t feel like Corbyn can win either.
Ian:
This is your nom-de-plume’s ‘special day’, right? The Glorious Twelfth? 🙂
Tis so, sire. I do my best to flush out floaters and No voters to let the guns do their worst. They pay good money to see feathers fly.
Am engaged in usual lonely late night reveries composing an ode to hope, and the chance of another opportunity to knock the Unionist coconut off the fairground stand politicians call the greatest country in the world, the coconut nailed at the back so no one wins the Referendum prize, just the booby prize, a yellow plastic duck.
McTerrapin – he’s stretched the minimum of intellectual faculties and political nous a considerable length. In time it has to snap, his only alternative then to sell himself to some poverty state, like tobacco companies sell cigarettes to unsuspecting Africans who contract cancer soon enough.
(I read your post about your son voting. Nice.)
John McTernan did more to destroy the Australian Labor Party in 2 years than the LNP did in 102 years. And he worked for Labor!
FFS !
McTernans arrogance and ignorance is totally incredible. He even laughs out loud on camera .
Happy to be corrected , remember I had right-ish views, TB and 90s Labour talked a good game and I remember thinking when they won their first election ” well now let’s see how much of your spiel you will deliver ” . I was also thinking that in reality the UK needed sorting out from the Top down as opposed to what historically always seamed to happen ie start at bottom and F@@k them over !
Mcternan and his ilk are under the illusion Labour were elected on R wing policies whereas many voted a) to get Tories out b) because Labour were talking a good game like , Education Education Education etc.
I suspect the Unions accepted the “game” as they also thought the changes were needed but anticipated a gradual slide to their left .
Despite everything political in the past 10 years McTernan’s Labour are stuck in Right of Centre New Labour bubble and they can’t see the wood for the trees.
Delusional.
Why McTernan (a man who presided over the collapse of the Scottish labour party) was even sought for an opinion simply boggles the mind. Its something that Owen has already written about.
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/the-strange-death-of-labour-scotland-8430502.html
Written in 2012 its obvious that on this occasion Mr Jones was bang on the money. So when one sees the likes of McTernan sneering through Jones analysis – you ask the question: How can McTernan NOT understand how fantastically wrong he was and is.
You just know it was this clown who told Murphy to say he wouldn’t lose a single seat to the SNP. That it was him who came up with the idea of booze at the fitba! every misstep, every ridiculous claim and smear, itsy-bitsy spider was at the center of it all.
If the Scottish labour party is to die, then for fuck sake, someone put it out of its misery – there is a realignment of Scottish politics happening and it no longer follows that the party should be saved just because…reasons.
The labour party in its current form, advised by itsy-bitsy spider is a spineless, ball-less and cowardly wretch. It’ll have a go at the likes of Mr Jones, Rev-Stu or the SNP but it runs scared of Cameron and the right wing press. It thinks conceding an argument is opposition to that argument.
Mr Peat Worrier had it right. If you believe in austerity, tooth and nail, red in claw – why would you vote for a plastic tory tribute act when you can have the real deal? If you don’t believe in it and think it abhorrent, why would you put your faith in a plastic tory tribute act, trying to get you to chug down on a cold cup of sick because they put chocolate sprinkles in it?
It is said that within the number PI – there lies the complete works of Shakespeare and all that has ever been written. That means that somewhere in all that code, there must be a simple message that can finally get the labour party to stop talking bollocks. Until someone can take the time to find it, Can we not all agree that labour are fucked and that they fucked themselves? Do we really need to watch them fuck themselves to death? Can we not draw a discrete veil over it and walk away?
I think we’re reaching saturation point with regards Labours imbecility.
So in summary, Corbyn would be a great SLabour leader candidate but Macternan’s right, he’s not for England, middle England.
It is worth remembering that Tony Blair won on a lower total vote that Kinnock lost on and Blair’s vote went down each time.
What actually happened is that Labour voter’s started to walk away from Labour and not vote and soft Tories voted for Blair.
Voting percentages dropped continuously election by election over that period.
Blair (Thatcher’s final triumph) won because the Tories were unelectable and the establishment and its media did the next best thing. Helped elect a Labour Government led by what was effectively a Tory. (Tony Blair had approached the Tories first when he set out for a political career But they wanted him to do his apprenticeship in a no hope seat up north or in Scotland)
I’d like to suggest a catchy slogan that the SNP could use as background at their next conference. Something along the lines of …
BECAUSE WE’RE NOT PATHOLOGICAL FUCKING LIARS!
Not sure if the ‘BECAUSE’ bit is necessary?
Don’t have telly, but just saw WOS Twitter…
Can it possibly be true that Tony Blair is taking to the airwaves to rally the Labour ‘faithful’ against Jeremy Corbyn?
If the fucker was where he belongs – i.e. in a Secure Hospital – he wouldn’t be able to prolong this agony.
Can no-one stop these shameless public displays of masochism?
Does anyone want to?
Prof Curtis has finally produced his opinion piece on the latest opinion polls.
As M. Jackson said: It’s bad, bad…really, really bad.
The five post-general election polls of Holyrood vote intentions suggest that the new Scottish Labour leader will inherit a party that is in an even weaker state than it was when Jim Murphy took over last December.
http://blog.whatscotlandthinks.org/2015/08/the-challenge-facing-the-new-scottish-labour-leader/
PS:
Did venture out for a meteor gaze for a wee while but no sightings I’m afraid, but feel invigorated nevertheless.
David S Briggs @ 5.53
On the contrary I am a great believer in democracy and nothing I wrote in my original post suggests otherwise.
For democracy to work the process by which an election is held must be robust such that the final outcome is not open to question. This holds whether it is a local or national election, a referendum or an election for party leader.
Postal voting and the way it is open to possible fraud, on an industrial scale in some London boroughs, is an example of how results can be compromised.
When people take part in the process then those who devise the process owe it to those who vote to ensure that the process is robust to ensure that people can have confidence in the result.
Labour have devised a system which does not deliver such an outcome whatever side of the party people come from. Already there is talk of legal challenge to the result. There is talk of entryism which in turn is leading to calls for culling of those registered, or in the process of registering so that they can vote. It is also becoming clear that the system set up by Labour to elect a new leader cannot cope with the weight of numbers registering to vote.
Even before a vote is cast the outcome is tainted because of weaknesses in the system. That is not democracy.
When you ask people to vote then it is incumbent on those who put the system in place to ensure the integrity of the system. Not to do so is a negation of democracy.
Ian Brotherhood
What have you got against voyeuristic sadists? I’m a bit surprised by your narrow mindedness. 😉
Is it just me that thinks Owen Jones is a clone of Nick glegg?
Fracking: applications to be fast-tracked in England.
A spokeswoman for INEOS, which has licences to extract shale gas in Scotland, said the company welcomed the UK Government’s plan to “fast track shale gas planning applications whilst ensuring that local people continue to have a strong say on the development of shale gas exploration in their areas”.
https://archive.is/jGtTw
Does John “Morons” McTernan think for one second that all his huffing, puffing, eyerolling, sneering, petty name-calling and relentless negativity is any kind of a vote-winner? After “masterminding” Labour’s annihilation in Scotland?
(Does John “Morons” McTernan think?)
Because of the state of Scottish or UK labour, which McTernan has managed to destroy there is little to do except, as they did in Fort Zinderneuf when under seige, is to prop up the dead bodies round the parapets and hope for the best.
It never did them any good by the way 🙂
Rev’s just tweeted this: Ms Mone’s tax avoidance has come to light too, seems a lot of people ain’t too happy about her czarship, so the Herald’s digging away at this now…
https://archive.is/5EyRz
@Ian Brotherhood at 12.50 am
“Can it possibly be true that Tony Blair is taking to the airwaves to rally the Labour ‘faithful’ against Jeremy Corbyn?”
Yes, it’s possible, and… yes, it’s true! He’s baaaaack!
Tonight’s BBC 10.00 pm News reported that Warcriminal Blair is indeed back (Where does the evil cell-dodger go when he is ‘elsewhere’?) to Project Fear Corbyn *again* (Said something like, ‘If Corbyn is elected, it means Labour being unelectable for a very long time.’ Some kind of pish like that, can’t remember the exact fear-term.).
Christ, Labour’s right-wing faction must be really shitting it bringing back Warcriminal Blair to lecture their voters – and not just once, but twice!
And just to make sure any Labourite stupid enough to be thinking about putting their ‘X’ beside Corbyn’s name without fear of their life, the BBC also gave an airing to Warcriminal Blair’s ex-shystermeister-in-chief McTernan to spit more fear, smear and Project Fear in Corbyn’s direction.
Blair and McTernan, the Kray brothers of the Labour party.
Isn’t it just great to be sitting in the balcony seats and watching while Labour both implode and explode.
The in fighting is funny as feck with the likes of McTernan calling for a coup by the parliamentary MP’s if Corbyn wins a democartic election.
Even funnier is the effect this is all having on the traditional Labour supporter in E&W. Talk about a collapse, it is true the Emperor has NO CLOTHES!
The EDStone is a fitting tribute for a party near death, it but needed a single word inscribed as a message to their supporters, you’ll never hear it though.
That word must be SORRY. Fat chance, as they continue digging.
As we all analyse one wee bl**dy destructive ignoramus by the name of McTernan …. this year HISTORY is in the making. We should all make sure that our diaries are up to date especially if we want to publish a best seller at a later date … or pass information on to our grandchildren.
This year must mark the most turbulent political period in the UK for over 100 years now. Any mention of that from the MSM? No? Yes? I doubt it as they’re too busy covering up facts like the recently appointed BBC Vice Chairman is involved in the arms trade. Preparing us (brainwashing) for lying about bombing in Syria and their dirty deeds re. the Palastinians and so on no doubt.
Anyway back to Great old Britain (one and the same). The UK Libdem Party (previously Liberal) has REALLY gone right down the stank this year UK wide. Their one and only representative in Scotland is a known liar and is facing a Court Case by the electorate to ‘chuck him out’. He won’t go. How bad can it get for them? Check out their past mostly prestigious history.
The Tories faced their greatest ever defeat historically in Scotland. What has the MSM had to say about that?
The Labour Party, for over a hundred years, was seen to be the only opposition to a purely capitalistic force. This party was renowned for protecting the poor, aged and vulnerable. Well it’s gone now. Well and truly b**dy gone. We have no UK political party protecting the poor, aged or vulnerable at all. There is no opposition to the Tories not Libdem nor Labour hence it being of historical note. ‘That was the year that was’ as they say ….. 2015.
The Labour Party and many of its politicians are now seen to be suffering from psychotic conditions ranging from bi-polar to schitzophrenia. Confusion reigns to say the least. More than anything there is a dearth of anyone with a modicum of sense or sensibility seen to be representing this party, more so the people who really need them right now such as those living in abject poverty. No one has come forward with an astounding intellect, wit, bravado and more so feelings of empathy or compassion. All we see is a never ending list of people like the most wishy washy of neighbours (or relatives) you feel obliged to invite to your barbeque. The folks who hang around in the background and have nothing to say for themselves … more so for anyone else whilst others (with no real power at all) are giving their all to fight for mankind. Like the Pink Floyd song I keep asking myself now in relation to the Labour Party ”Is there anyone out there?”
And as I reflect on that (as I have been doing for years now) I thank God for the SNP as it seems to me that it’s the only thing, the only decent thing in the UK, that’s helping me to keep my sanity in this most trying of times.
We’re all looking forward to the 2016 Scottish election but let’s not forget what’s been going on in 2015. A most remarkable political year in the UK. One we should never forget.
Morning John King, I hope Irene is warming the porridge. Don’t let McTernan put you off 🙂
call me Dave@ 12.50 am.
Thanks for posting the link to Prof Plums blog.Going by the comment to be posted the Labour party in Scotland are talking amongst themselves.Complete diddy’s.
I never said a word Alex, how did you know I was here. 🙂
Oh dear, it just gets better. Seems Ms Moan has been using EBT’s to avoid tax. Same thing Rangers were doing. Herald reporting on this today.
Senior tories in Scot not happy about her appointment either. Good! Top trolling Call-me-Dave.
Is it just me or is anyone else beginning to think that the UK is one ‘effed’ up country.
fillofficer 10:50th 12 August.
The man’s name was Walter Wolfgang, a long time Labour Party member. He was heckling Jack Straw at the time and was originally processed/dealt with by the police in ejecting him under anti terrorist legislation, as we’re the demonstrators outside the Conference venue.
Jeez i feel like i have just had a frontal lobotomy after watching that car crash,what a couple of morons the tories must be pissing themselves laughing.
Nothing like doing your dirty laundry in the public eye to make you electable lol
And above is the prime example why the Labour party must split but hey why listen to the people Labour its not like you need anything from us…. oh wait yes you do our vote and so hows that working out for you ?
@John King
We can hear you breathing. 🙂
Honestly, I have had dreams that are less crazy shit than this.
Call Kaye
McTernan AGAINST free prescriptions, FOR sale of Council houses.
Says it all!!!!
Dal Raita says
“Blair and McTernan, the Kray brothers of the Labour party.”
Ooh thats a keeper!
McT’s opening salvo on Call Kaye (9.27) was to label Corbyn as an IRA sympathiser.
Keep it classy Mac!
In the past McTernan appeared on TV billed a ‘political commentator’, his connections to labour were not made clear, especially Blair and Iraq.
Basically he was given a free ride by the bbc in Scotland to rubbish political opponents, whilst appearing to be neutral.
I have yet to hear him comment on why his advice to ‘Jim’ll sort it’ lost them 41 out of 42 seats.
Long may he continue to advise labour, with one of the two Ks in charge, no doubt his stipend is assured.
Exactly! Cameron sums it up perfectly…
CameronB Brodie says:
12 August, 2015 at 8:50 pm
@ Owen Jones
You’re a sleekit dick. Labour can be elected to government on purely English votes and you know it.
@ John “Mental Mad” McTernan
You’re just a dick.
Slightly O/T
John Bercow continues to rise in my estimation. Speaking in Edinburgh he has praised the SNP for their party solidarity.
“I think the significant thing is that, whatever you think of the SNP, their parliamentary party has said something very significant by its behaviour since May about group solidarity.
“They turn up in large numbers, they turn up very regularly, they turn up to support each other and a lot of them are already proving to be very good parliamentarians.
“It’s not for me to support the SNP or oppose the SNP and I wouldn’t dream of doing so, but I’m simply saying respect where it’s due.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-33901805
Let’s all cross our fingers and hope England makes good decisions for Scotland eh
After all it is the voters of Carlisle and Stockton and places like that who’ll decide the future of the United Kingdom
“Better Together” by John McTernan in the shops now
Discounted
So McTernan says he thinks SNP are right wing…
He doesn’t really believe that, but he wants you to think it.
Criteria for choosing Labour leader similar to Vatican choosing a pope: which fool knows so little of what’s going on, or is tainted, we will stay safe?
o/t
So after Mr Bercow has said this can we now put a bill forward to allow applause in the house,i know its just a little thing but it would be nice to see our parliamentarians acting like grown ups for a change instead of all the hoohaa they shout at each other like a bunch of kids.
John Bercow continues to rise in my estimation. Speaking in Edinburgh he has praised the SNP for their party solidarity.
Been nearly a year now, a shattered YES voter says to me 19 Sept, “it’s ok though, we’re getting devo-max.”
We’re still governed by 560+ English MP’s, heading for a thousand unelected for life Lords, super rich royals that purr, a ridiculous creep show BBC, far right nutters like Osborne, spivs like Lady Mone, huckster lawyers from Kent like this https://twitter.com/proftomkins
Just dont fcuking clap in front of our imperial masters.
@ X Sticks (John Bercow) lets hope no fur Long John,we want them back in Scotland.
The most vociferous criticism of Corbyn is coming from Tony Blair, Alastair Campbell, John McTernan, and Jack Straw. Anything to do with Chilcot I wonder? It looks like they are terrified.
Labour needs to listen to its grassroots membership.
Labour needs to get rid of it’s Tory spin doctors.
McTiernan’s track record speaks for itself.
Who would want to employ a promotions manager that has such a catastrophic record? That was so far out of touch with the potential client base that they cannot possibly have anything meaningful to say to them?
GET RID OF HIM
The problem with labour, is they see a failed past system (Blairism) as the ONLY way to get reelected. They have no alternative. Corbyn is at least trying to return to the grassroots and possibly to a even ‘newer’ Labour that actually listens to it’s membership, something that it has only paid lip service to at best in the past. The trouble is that he is too old and won’t manage a term as Prime Minister, but he is what the party needs.
It doesn’t need to be left, right, centre or anything else.
Just what it’s membership democratically wants it to be.
Listen to them.
Now, there a party some where in the world that has quite a lot of success recently by doing just that. I wonder who that is?
Can’t possibly be the SNP, now can it? No, thought not, SNP BAAAAAAD, don’t even look what they’re doing right, don’t even go there, keep the blinkers on.
They consistently ignore their grassroots membership, insisting that they need to win over the tory vote, but fail to see that tories want real toryism and have a suitable party for that already, why change a winning team?
Whilst I’m quite happy to see new labour and particularly Slab continue to fail, the resulting right wing extremism that is the government of the UKOK for the foreseeable future can only lead to disaster and is against most of what is decent and human in society.
I want Scotland to be independent. However, I have no wish to see suffering and othered in the meantime.
An Indy Scotland will need effective opposition in whatever form. I hope it is well away from what we currently see in most western democracies, in that it is constructive in it’s criticism, offering effective alternative solutions, that they can work together with the government when they put forward good, workable policies, not just oppostion for the sake of it. (more SNP baaad) That is their job after all.
To be an M(S)P means you should serve the people who elected you as their political representative. You should listen to their opinions and represent the majority that elected you, but ignore the others at your peril.
The vast majority of elected MPs have forgotten that and only listen to their party leaders and whips.
They are many who are either sociopaths or sycophants and wholely unsuited to the job.
I’m not saying that the SNP are perfect, they are not, but they listen to their electorate and try to represent them as they should.
Better use of the 77th Brigade (internet warriers)might be to check out potential political appointees .Would save the Tory Gov a lot of embarressment, but whit dae ah know.
I think Bercow’s statement is very patronising
ronnie anderson says:
13 August, 2015 at 11:23 am
Better use of the 77th Brigade (internet warriers)might be to check out potential political appointees .Would save the Tory Gov a lot of embarressment, but whit dae ah know.
They use to call it vetting, but like everything else, things aren’t done properly. Why use a reliable system that is known to work, when you can invent a really and truly terrible and probably far more effective and less effective alternative? Especially it if means jobs for the boys and spying on the citizenry and even more human rights violations.
McTernan was on the Cal Kaye(with an “e”) show this morning providing a lot of innocent amusement to what must be a largely detached audience. Rather than saving the punchline to the last the presenter introduced the bold John as a “political strategist.”
40 Labour ex MPs will testify to that
Satire is not dead at the Festival.
Hope Jim Murphy was listening!
probably far more effective and less effective alternative?
Sorry, meant farmore invasive
I can’t help but feel that regardless of who gets elected Labour leader, the Tories will win the next UK election.
As much as I like Corbyn and what he stands for, I fear if he gets elected Labour will implode. If any of the other candidates gets elected no lessons will be learned and back to normal with the London bubble echo chamber mentality continued by the likes of media luvvies like Owen Jones, Polly Toynbee and Mad Dog McTernan.
If this does come true then No voters will have to come to the realisation that the only alternatives to them is either to disengage completely from politics, vote Labour and accept that they will get a Tory government or accept the principle of independence.
@Marie Clark
“Get plenty of popcorn in, or jelly & ice cream if you prefer. This is going to be some ding dong.”
Sit in front of screen eating high GI food (ALL corn products are high GI) will just make us all fat. Too fat to canvass in the Holyrood election or the next referendum.
You are a secret UKOK plant and I claim my £5 😉
These Unionist politicians just can’t make up their mind
One minute they’re bleating about the SNP letting down our schoolchildren with poor education
Next minute we’ve got Liz Smith (Tory education spokesgit) saying we need to lower the standards in Scotland to attract more teachers
Which is it, too stupid or too clever
F i g h t &%£”+!*
Why is it left wing to want better housing and wages along with the necessities of life like water and heating to be in public ownership rather than someone making a profit from these things that we all need to live surely any decent person would want these things ?
Oh damn Muscleguy, you’re on to me, failed again.Wee smiley thing.
BBC tried to pin some mud on SNP Government yesterday on school childrens clothes allowance. Clearly Local Authority responsibility.
Today head teachers and teachers vacancies. Clearly Local Authority responsibility. Look at their organisation charts and see what they have to support proper delivery (HR, execs, directors, officers). They hold off filling to save money, have deputes act up. leave vacancies open over summer etc etc.
SNP need to be smarter in responding to these manufactured FOI stories.
The question should be who is responsible for McTerminator being in his job? Ultimately the leader should have the ability to say his T’s oot. Certainly if I was in a position where someone had taken such a stand against my democratic right to lead and as much as said they’d actively undermine me and as a consequence my party they’d be out on their ear. For a start no hiding behind any kind of employment contract would stand against such a blatant attempt to damage the public perception of the employer.
The next point is the focus on attracting new voters from the opposition to such an end that it’s taken for granted that retaining existing voters is less important is almost certain to lead to disaster. The fact that turnouts are so low might hint that “none of the above” is the prefered option. It’s a bit like how companies like SKY offer the best deals to new customers. At least they have a retention department who will try to keep customers threatening to switch.
Also electing Corbyn might be worth a cynical punt on the part of Labour given they’ve 5 years to ditch him and replace him with a better candidate if their electoral prospects do plumet.
@Grouse Beater
“Grouse Beater says:
13 August, 2015 at 10:18 am
Criteria for choosing Labour leader similar to Vatican choosing”
Somebody is impersonating you and leaving vituperative anti-catholic statements in a bid to discredit you.
In the bright sunshine of political debate, John McTernan is an eclipse.
So far he has called Corbyn supporters morons, insulted the grass roots Labour activists by calling them irrelevant and is demanding Corbyn be disposed if he is democratically elected as leader.
I’m not sure that we’ve seen the worst of his madness. His best efforts are clearly still in the post. We’re almost at the summit of the bell(end) curve of ‘Peak McTernan’ though – I hope his slide to obscurity on the downward curve is turbulent and permanent.
Owen Jones was brilliant, shame he was against Scottish independence. I’ve got his book ‘The Establishment’ on my to-read-list.
“The problem with labour, is they see a failed past system (Blairism) as the ONLY way to get reelected. They have no alternative. Corbyn is at least trying to return to the grassroots and possibly to a even ‘newer’ Labour that actually listens to it’s membership, something that it has only paid lip service to at best in the past. The trouble is that he is too old and won’t manage a term as Prime Minister, but he is what the party needs.”
Middle England won’t vote Corbyn and probably won’t Labour again for three or four GE’s. It’s just going to be another Thatcher/Major dynasty and then they’ll flop out of government like they did last time. Labour had a three term chance to build a Labour majority and all they did was fail, year in year out, grovel to City rich, fiddle expenses, pile on national debt for garbage policy like there’s no tomorrow, head for the Lords. Crash Gordon wanted £12+ bn for ID cards but not social housing. Was he a maniac or a Tory?
Westminster went to war with Bliar and Brown because war is good, good for British business and good for UKOKpolitics. The Falklands war saved UKOK Thatcher world and how bad could it get in Iraq? How they all sleep at night is just one more rule Britannia mystery.
During Call Kaye’s show, a caller who cited ‘one million dead’ in Iraq was spoken-over by McTernan, who said ‘that’s a made-up figure’.
If you encounter anyone who tries to make a case for the input of Blair and the posturing of McTernan, you could do worse than refer them to the Iraq Body Count (which hasn’t yet been updated to include the approx 60 killed in a market blast earlier today).
Iraq Body Count doesn’t ‘make up’ figures.
https://www.iraqbodycount.org/database/recent/
Does the BBC pay for John McTernan and his ilk for their TV appearances?
If so—it’s a waste of precious cash by those still paying the BBC Poll Tax,and a nice little earner for McTernan—-he was on the telly again last night !!
heedtracker says:
“Been nearly a year now, a shattered YES voter says to me 19 Sept, “it’s ok though, we’re getting devo-max.” ”
For me, that seems so often to be the elephant in the room. It’s not just the vow, it’s the fact BT began completely ruling out any talk of more powers until AFTER the vote. And, as we all know, by the vote they had turned around and were offering SuperDevoFederalHomeMax.
Savvy Yes people knew they were lying but many didn’t, it seems. I am certain that BT won by putting power on the agenda. If they kept their line of no discussion on powers, they would have lost.
They lied about what they would deliver, those lies swung it, and they must not be let off the hook.
As far as I am concerned the result was only fair, when they deliver.
They won’t deliver. The result will never be fair.
Among all the other things going on, we need to get the message over 100% that DevoMax is NEVER going to be delivered. When that particular elephant has been sent packing, minds can focus on the only two choices … Tory UKOK and taking the reins ourselves.
Fiona says:
13 August, 2015 at 11:51 am
I think Bercow’s statement is very patronising
It’s low grade same day different BBC UKOK propaganda. Toryboy Speaker of the House says nice things about SNP MP’s. Meanwhile same Toryboy’s EVEL plans continue a pace. Or, Scotland’s about to become a second class region, governed complexly by England.
If you’re worried by EVEL, you’re right.
Berkow’s wife has more cred.
They talk about the Labour party being infiltrated by supporters of other parties who will vote for Corbyn as leader when the fact is that Labour was infiltrated a long time ago by Tories like Blair and his ilk.
If Yvette Cooper thinks the only way that Labour will be elected again is by mirroring Tory policy then she needs to readdress her own values then fuck off and join the Conservatives hopefully taking her supporters with her and all the other ‘infil("Tractor" - Ed)s’ who have a hard-on for Tory policies.
The UK needs a strong opposition party and Corbyn and his followers are the only ones that will provide that opposition.
If the red Tories win the leadership contest then there will be no opposition to Conservative policies, only decades of capitulation, fuck them, that is not democaracy.
So in EVEL summary;D
That nice Speaker Berkow and his red and blue Tory chums are about to make Scotland an offer they hope proud Scot buts and cringers won’t refuse, accept Scotland is a mere vote less canton in the UK and shut the f up.
Still, BBC lie machine will keep telling you, Holyrood’s the most powerful devolved government in the world, whatever that is.
Wings Over Scotland blog on MMone just mentioned on BBC Radio Scot.
Scathing about Mones appointment.
Lots of coffee expressed through noses in BBC management departments.
Hahaha.
Middle England is not the whole of England and neither is it a static constituency.
Previous posts on this blog by the Rev have demonstrated the actual on the ground realty with reputable facts that what Macternan refers to as the right wing of the Labour Party, be it Blairite or its predecessors, is chasing electorial shadows in this regard. Moreover, as neo libralism unravels before our eyes that Middle England constituency is getting smaller.
Which begs the question about the deliberate disregard of the biggest block of voters there is,the none of the above (a mixture not just of non voters but also voters who turned out and spoiled our ballot papers (4 in this household alone)). The only reasonable and logical explanation being that those campaigning to oust Corbyn should he win the leadership election are not campaigning against Corbyn per se but against any alternative to the neo liberal consenus.
The fact that the electorate would, regardless of party affiliation or otherwise, heave a collective cry of WTF at any coup and decide on mass to avoid the Labour Party like the plague for several generations on the grounds that they can no be trusted with democracy does not escape these people.
They would rather this outcome than allow anything other than the neo liberalism they have committed themselves to
@ Grouse Beater:
at 10:18 am
Criteria for choosing Labour leader similar to Vatican choosing a pope: which fool knows so little of what’s going on, or is tainted, we will stay safe?
Don’t you just love the abiding presence of Scottish sectarian humour?
Scotland remains riddled with the cancer that is sectarianism. Any society with such a condition could hardly be considered in good health, nor indeed capable of living independently for too long. Let’s hope enough Scots will stand against sectarianism as much as against Tory rule.
If Scotland had more leaders of the calibre of Francis, then Independence would be that bit more secure.
Shuggie Curtains: Somebody is impersonating you and leaving vituperative anti-catholic statements in a bid to discredit you.
Erm, no. And the adjective is, acerbic not ‘vituperative’, although I’ll accept ‘sardonic’.
On the 19th September 2014, Scottish Labour signed up too:
All Tory austerity programmes
Tory policies on fracking, TTIP, business as usual for business
David Mundell as Governor of Scotland
Continuing the House of Lords
Continuing Trident
Bombing other countries as a policy not for defence
They ‘signed up’ to it because they had a chance to do it differently but, with malice and aforethought, didn’t.
No matter what Corbyn may or may not do, remember this, because the Tories will always be there and can reverse whatever changes are made in Westminster.
They would rather this outcome than allow anything other than the neo liberalism they have committed themselves to
What does neoliberalism mean to voters though?
The fact is the UK gets wealthier the further south you get from Scotland. By the time you get past the Midlands, all wealth maps show its good to be Middle English in middle England and they vote and they. One blue or red Tory.
Socio economically, English people vote Blue Tory as an aspiration, you climb the class ladder in England when you can vote Tory. Macternan knows all that but his chronic dishonesty is the red Tory pretence that England is not like this. Ofcourse it is.
Bliar, Broon and Fliipper all had a chance to build a Labour base majority but that would have meant all kinds of Leftie bullshit, building social housing, a living wage not a slave wage, less war spend, scrapping the Lords, city bankster regs, tax evasion stopping of but no. So here we are. You’re English and posh you vote Tory, end of. Hey look at the sheer thrill of being a house owner in England as rancid the Graun breathlessly reports today. It’s two different countries and the one is not going to give up control of the other, fairly or squarely.
Re “made up figures” wonder if McTernan would ever say the holocaust numbers were made up?
Pnr: If Scotland had more leaders of the calibre of Francis, then Independence would be that bit more secure.
He seems to be keeping his doctrine of ‘a church for the poor’ in full sight, plus the Vatican’s flaky bank.
On McTernan: BBC Scotland have a serious dilemma – how does it achieve a balance in political discussion when all they can do is invite the same few in opposition for interview, though a ‘balance’ in reality is comprehensively rejected by the electorate?
It’s a lot of fun watching the Labour Party kill each other
then after it’s over, Amazingly, they’ll all be of one mind and supporting each other for the good of the party for which they have the utmost respect
Because after all the Labour Party is about winning and “Not” God forbid, about the electorate, For they,(the electorate) must be shown the right way forward which is about “Opposition” until the Tories have destroyed all human kind
Then and only then should Labour sweep to victory in a wave of Euphoria as Saviours and proceed to do exactly the same as the Tories did but with a different name
“Labour Does Democracy”
They could carve it in stone and that would make it
A Fact A Pledge A Promise A Commitment A Vow….Oops
McTernan, much like most of the Blairite types, makes a real distinction between being electable and actually being of service to the public. Or to be even more specific, of service to the people Labour are meant to represent, those whose need created the Labour movement. At some point folk like McTernan decided that electability was the be all and end all of politics. Not representation or being representative, but merely getting your stickies on the big chair, access to all that power and wealth.
A party is a voice based on a need and an ideology. Its purpose is to give voice to those who require it, act and speak on their behalf. If this ideology is popular and the opportunity to lead all of your people comes along, then ‘BONUS’, but what are you if you are not representative of those who created you in the first place?
I’m not much for ‘ists and isms’. Couldn’t tell your average socialist from a marxist and political ideologies and dogmas may as well be written in Sanskrit where I’m concerned. I’d probably slap anyone silly who even thought of pigeonholing me. I just am, who I am. How and ever I do know a rat when I see one . I can tell when someone cares about people and when someone’s only care is what people can do for them. When they wear the coat of some ‘ism’ and really couldn’t give a flying f**k. Its a career move, a vehicle, a career. Too many of them infest the Labour movement. Hell, they destroyed the Labour movement.
Labour need to lose the idea of winning elections and start from scratch. Start from the place where they give someone a voice who needs it.
O/T
http://caltonjock.com/2015/08/13/crime-sex-orgies-politics-the-forces-that-drive-westminster-part1-fever-club-orgies/
“I’m not much for ‘ists and isms’. Couldn’t tell your average socialist from a marxist and political ideologies and dogmas may as well be written in Sanskrit where I’m concerned.”
It’s not hard to ID Tory boys, red or blue.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29335028
Rule Britannia purr purr.
@ Macart,
Excellent point, finely put. Hear, hear! (or applause if its permitted…)
O/T
Still got 15 mins left for folk to send in a donation for BOORACH’s “Battle Bus”…!
It’s a worthy cause:
http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/billsbattlebus/
This needs to be repeated, so that people can understand how a professional LIAR can actually believe in the bile he spouts.
Paraphrasing John McTernan..
” SNP are right-wing because not allowing working class families to buy council / social houses denies them a path to riches..”
….hilarious? Or scary?
The lie being, that he knows that tax/council funded housing should not be used to lower the property ladder below a level of easy payment.
Those houses belong to their communities, so that the working poor, or unemployed or just plain destitute, can BUILD LIVES NOT DEBT…
Speaking as an English Labour member, I am incredibly enraged by the sheer arrogance of McTernan here.
I think there is something entirely rotten at the heart of Scottish Labour. I had always assumed that the party in Scotland was to the left of the party down here, but that assumption was shattered as they came into my line of sight during the Scottish referendum and subsequent fallout.
Johann Lamont did not inspire great confidence, and I’ve never particularly agreed with Murphy’s politics. But the latest display of cluelessness has shocked me: I am talking about Dugdale’s rejection of Corbyn.
I would have thought that, having been outflanked on the left so decisively by the SNP in the General Election, the likely Scottish Labour leader would be only too delighted by the suddenly very real prospect of a UK leader well to the left of Sturgeon and co. But now it’s apparent that they’re centrists by instinct, rather than the constraint of the wider party.
It seems to me that a Corbyn victory is the best possible outcome for Scottish Labour. But we would need to have a good old clear-out of all the numpties like Dugdale and McTernan, and a replace them a new left leadership: my favoured candidate would be Katy Clark, a professed and unapologetic socialist, and very likeable to boot. All we’d then need is Blair in the dock at the Hague, and the renewal of our party would be complete.
Under such circumstances, I think, the SNP would be looking over their shoulders. Perhaps they already are: Angus MacNeil admitted that Corbyn would be the candidate they would most fear, back when nobobdy thought he had a chance. And tomorrow’s Corbyn rally in Glasgow was sold out before being properly organised, moved to a bigger venue, and very possibly sold out again.
I wonder, will those such as Mhairi Black, who claims to be an Old Labour soul left behind by the party (and claiming Tony Benn as her political inspiration!) be coming back to us, or will such pronouncements be exposed for the hollow rhetoric they always were? I think the screams of ‘red tories’ will be ringing very hollow indeed in the near future!
OT Chillcot families threatening to go to court to force the Report to be released. It shouldn’t have reached this stage!
What is the excuse for not publishing?
We need answers!
“How Labour’s coup against Jeremy Corbyn could go down
With the radical Leftist poised to win the leadership, some party veterans are openly discussing a coup d’etat. Here’s how it might happen”
Another Rupert of the Torygraph plots Corbyn coup. Why this Rupert’s employing “could go down” is another teamGB mystery. Torygraph lying fraudsters can hardly grinch and plot now, having excitedly encouraged their idiot readers to join Lab and vote Corbyn.
We’re ruled by upper class twits.
1216 David Agnew says: “Can we not all agree that labour are fucked and that they fucked themselves? Do we really need to watch them fuck themselves to death? Can we not draw a discrete veil over it and walk away?”
Naw.
Ahm tapin’ it.
heedtracker
As Bertrand Russell pointed out, one of the primary responsibility of government is the limitation and management of the public’s expectations, through the control of education and propaganda.
Mind now, as proud UKOKers, we’re subjects not citizens.
No doubt the “Chilcot report ” is being “edited” prior to publication using the
usual cover of ” national security” .the Middle East foreign
Policy “disaster” under UK andUS “rolls on ” unabated.No doubt
We are going to be “softened up ” via the media over the next
Few months for UK ground forces to be sent to Libya and/or
Syria.
In all probability Cameron will “announce” when “Westminster” reconvenes
That “special forces” have been operating there for months etc etc .I am
also willing to bet that “Scottish personnel” will be back in the front line again
following the “better together” vote.
How many other “wingers” noticed that ” Scots troops” were “completely absent ” from
“Front line ” duties for the 2 year referendum campaign .
OT but only in the specific sense.
IMO, Jello Biafra was almost correct when he states that “religion and chemicals are the key to the future”. I would add infomatics and Biosemiotics in particular. I see bioethics playing an increasingly important role in determining the future balance of society. As such, ‘mon the microbs. 🙂
Muscleguy
Have you come into contact with Biosemiotics? Got an opinion?
P.S. “The weasels have it down man, it’s a whole new age”.
Can I suggest the people use a simple text editor that doesn’t insert line breaks, to compose posts off-page, rather than a word processor (Word?) that does?
The line breaks in inappropriate places on this page make it hard on the eyes.
This Proud Pedant will now get his coat…
@ Brian DTT your jist efter wan o they Proud Cybernat badges,we,ll decide if you qualify ( later rather than sooner)lol.
P.P.S. By infomatics, I was referring to “the study of the structure, the behaviour, and the interactions of natural and engineered computational systems” and not the Irish hip hop musical ensemble from Dublin. 😉
http://www.ed.ac.uk/informatics
….and not….
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infomatics
Have I just discovered a dastardly plot? 🙂
I already have one Ronnie!
8=)
P.P.P.S. I’ve just noticed I overlooked an ‘r’. You can relax, there’s no plot. My mistake. 😉