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Quoted For Truth Extra 277

Posted on May 10, 2014 by

Better Together co-ordinator defects to Labour For Independence

With just over four months to go until the referendum, a disillusioned Better Together campaign co-ordinator has defected to Labour For Independence and declared his support for a Yes vote on September 18th.

lfi

Gary Wilson, a Labour Party member, was for six months the local “Better Together” co-ordinator within the Edinburgh East Labour Party.

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Category scottish politics

Quoted for truth #51 76

Posted on May 08, 2014 by

Owen Jones in the Guardian, 8 May 2014:

“Despite being occasionally portrayed as the second coming of Vladimir Lenin, Labour’s key policies are a mixture of backing Tory spending plans for a year, real-term cuts to public sector pay, restoring the 50p tax (apparently temporarily), a short-term energy bill freeze and more secure private-sector tenancy agreements.”

A real revolution to rally behind there, eh viewers?

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Category comment, uk politics

Quoted for wait what now? 100

Posted on May 02, 2014 by

David Cameron, Prime Minister’s Questions, 30 April 2014:

“I think that what Alex Salmond said [about Vladimir Putin] was a major error of judgment and that all of us in this House should be supporting the Ukrainian desire to be a sovereign, independent country and to have the respect of the international community and party leaders for that ambition.”

(Our emphasis.) It’s not only us finding that just the tiniest bit hypocritical, is it?

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Category comment, scottish politics, uk politics, world

The good old days 130

Posted on April 18, 2014 by

Andrew Rawnsley in the Observer, 8 April 2007:

“With fewer than 30 days until the elections, Labour is displaying its nerves by sounding increasingly hysterical about the prospect of an SNP government. When they did their rather grim double-act in Glasgow, the Prime Minister and Chancellor came laden with apocalyptic predictions about the consequences of a nationalist victory.

Labour screams that an independent Scotland would suffer all manner of horrors, from economic cataclysm to a heightened terrorist risk to family breakdown to a plague of locusts and a rash of boils.

Watching the Prime Minister and his heir-presumptive issue dire warnings about tax bombshells and the Union in danger is to witness one of those bizarre transmogrifications that can happen in politics. Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are turning into John Major.”

Imagine if they were still trying that stuff seven years later, eh readers?

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Category history, scottish politics

Quoted for truth #49 136

Posted on April 15, 2014 by

Matthew Norman in the Independent, 15 April 2014:

“In the entire global history of the political campaign, has any been more misconceived, wretchedly executed and potentially self-defeating than the one designed to keep Scotland within the United Kingdom?

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Category comment, media, scottish politics

Quoted for truth #48 49

Posted on March 31, 2014 by

David Mitchell in the Guardian, 30 March 2014:

“There’s always a chance that people will decide who to vote for according to policy – and by ‘people’, I mean the people that matter: the indecisive minority who change which party they vote for from election to election according to whim, and consequently determine every result.

But it doesn’t seem likely to me that policy is what’s going to swing the swingers this time – although I may only think that because the Labour Party’s policies are still largely secret.”

People only vote for change if they think there’ll actually be some.

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Category comment, uk politics

As other selves see us 56

Posted on March 01, 2014 by

Will Self in the New Statesman, 28 February 2014:

“As someone who for the past two decades has visited Scotland at least three or four times a year, and spent a great deal of those visits in and around the former steel town of Motherwell, I cherish few illusions about the country.

On the whole, I’ve considered independence to be something of a no-brainer: if ever there was a small, potentially socialistic state that could do with being detached from its deluded imperialist neighbour, it’s Scotland.”

Despite our misgivings about the shortbread, bagpipes, sporrans, whisky, Nessie and deep-fried Mars bar cover, the magazine’s special “Scotland” issue isn’t bad at all. Of course, as Scots we’re all far too mean to pay £3.95 – £3.95! – for a copy, but do go and browse it on your local newsagent’s shelves.

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Quoted for reality check 39

Posted on February 11, 2014 by

Labour Uncut, 11 February 2014:

“In the main race between Labour and the Tories, these figures mean the Tories have a higher core vote than Labour.

Applying the defection rate to the Tories 2010 total gives a core vote of 23%, 1.5% ahead of Labour. It could well be that the generational churn identified by the Fabians evens out this Tory advantage, but in terms of actual voters who participated at the last election, YouGov’s analysis shows us that the Tories have a clear core vote lead.”

It may be worth remembering that these figures also don’t, as far as we can ascertain, factor in those UKIP voters likely to return to the Conservatives when it comes to the crunch of a UK election that might install Ed Miliband as Prime Minister rather than a Tory leader promising to hold a referendum on EU membership.

Don’t come crying to us in May 2015, No voters. We keep telling you what’s coming.

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Category stats, uk politics

Coming to you live from 2019 139

Posted on February 06, 2014 by

Peter Arnott in The Global Dispatches, 29 January 2014:

“We have been tempted to believe in Scotland that our tactical pattern of voting one way in a Westminster elections and another in Holyrood elections would continue to shelter us from the worst neo-liberal excesses of Westminster – our parliament after all came into existence as a retroactive shelter from what was inflicted on us (and everyone else in non-Tory Britain) the last time the Conservatives were in power. 

We are still behaving as if this is the case even while history is whisking that carpet from underneath our feet.”

And that, readers, is why it matters that I live in England.

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Category comment, scottish politics, uk politics

When it’s horrible being right 59

Posted on January 20, 2014 by

Me, writing in April 2010, before there was a Wings Over Scotland:

“Brown doesn’t have a pig in a sausage factory’s chance of still being PM in a month’s time. So all he’s doing with this disgusting, desperate attempt to grab a few Mail-reader votes in marginals is setting a tone of contempt for the poor that the Tories will seize on, and thereby triangulate their own position to somewhere even more loathsome. God help the poor if Cameron gets in.”

Once in a while it’d be nice to get it completely wrong.

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Category uk politics

Down on Baker Street 31

Posted on January 14, 2014 by

John Crace, the Guardian, 14 Jan 2014:

“Is it conceivable that [Sherlock] Holmes might have been a Labour voter now? Possibly. New Labour changed the rules of political engagement. What the Daily Mail still doesn’t quite get is that voting Labour is no longer a challenge to the establishment, it’s a part of it. There is no major redistribution of wealth and power for the right to fear.”

British politics: elementary.

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Category comment, uk politics

Quoted for truth #42 49

Posted on January 13, 2014 by

“Herald View”, the Sunday Herald, 12 Jan 2014:

“The Deputy First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, is to be commended for refusing to participate in the victimisation of the ‘undeserving poor’. She promises to scrap the bedroom tax, keep housing benefits and reject the forthcoming Universal Credit, which amalgamates a whole range of benefits into one payment. The Nationalists say they will increase social security benefits and the minimum wage annually by the rate of inflation.

However, they cannot secure these protections under the current constitutional arrangements.”

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Category comment, scottish politics

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  • Recent Comments

    • twathater on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “Northy you explain it very well Liebour and the Daily Redcoat’s NEW VOW” Sep 1, 03:15
    • Big Jock on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “The UK is a trap. They are openly admitting it. A normal government would go to the UN , as…” Sep 1, 00:52
    • Young Lochinvar on The Shortest Day: “SB I don’t knock hot pot, or food from the slow cooker. Tasty, and be honest now; it’s not really…” Sep 1, 00:44
    • Saffron Robe on The Shortest Day: “A forced marriage is, by its very nature, illegitimate, because it is entered into without the free consent of one…” Sep 1, 00:30
    • Young Lochinvar on The Shortest Day: “HMcH Aye Hatey, it’s being so cheery that keeps ye going isn’t it? One baleful benediction after another tonight, and…” Sep 1, 00:30
    • Mark Beggan on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “In short; Carrots!” Aug 31, 23:51
    • Young Lochinvar on The Shortest Day: “Chas There’s no guarantees in this life. Even sitting on your hands scared and so holding with the status quo…” Aug 31, 23:44
    • Aidan on The Shortest Day: “Yes, no it isn’t James. Alcohol duty is not levied on exports, so there isn’t a specific duty to accrue…” Aug 31, 23:35
    • Northcode on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “The Record doesn’t even come close to making a valid point… or any point at all. This is the Record’s…” Aug 31, 23:35
    • Young Lochinvar on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “100% Yup. Why not 70%, 80, 90 or any of the above over who knows how many years before we…” Aug 31, 23:23
    • Hatey McHateface on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: ““After years of simply stalling on the pursuit of independence, the SNP now appears to be in full headlong retreat,…” Aug 31, 23:07
    • Young Lochinvar on The Shortest Day: “LC Very good! However you forgot to mention the bribery, offers of position and rank and overall subterfuge with a…” Aug 31, 22:58
    • Hatey McHateface on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “A disappointing but perhaps not unexpected reversion to type, Northy. The Record View makes a valid point, not that any…” Aug 31, 22:49
    • duncanio on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “The Daily Record’s ‘suggestion’ is merely an effort to make British Labour relevant again in Scotland so that they can…” Aug 31, 22:46
    • Spartan 117 on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “Well, quite. Lard Foolkes and his ilk would happily do away with elections permanently, makes things much easier for them…” Aug 31, 22:41
    • Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: “Naw, Spartan. Exhibit W.” Aug 31, 22:35
    • Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: “That’s the Spandau gonna be well and truly cocked now!” Aug 31, 22:33
    • Spartan 117 on The Shortest Day: “QED, Exhibit A.” Aug 31, 22:18
    • Northcode on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “By George Foulkes, Baron Foulkes of Cumnock’s – Born in Shropshire and educated privately at The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School…” Aug 31, 22:14
    • Mark Beggan on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “Anyone for a carrot! It’s feeding time at the zoo.” Aug 31, 22:02
    • James on The Shortest Day: “So say the English Nationalists. Fuck off.” Aug 31, 21:57
    • James on The Shortest Day: “Ah. “…Naw it isnae….” The usual. Dan kindly provided the relevant liknk. https://wingsoverscotland.com/true-faith/ Read it, and weep, Yoon.” Aug 31, 21:54
    • Effijy on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “With all financial levers controlled by Westminster these 300 years and debt spiralling up to £3 Trillion and the first…” Aug 31, 21:44
    • 100%Yes on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “The reality is the more and more people voice that Independence is their preferred option to the union. The more…” Aug 31, 21:40
    • Alf Baird on The Shortest Day: ““Maybe you could start one of the ‘democratic legitimacy’ processes yourself!” 20,000 sovereign Scots already have: https://liberation.scot/” Aug 31, 21:37
    • 100%Yes on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “This is all because the SNP membership has grown a back bone and got upset about not being being able…” Aug 31, 21:29
    • Mike Fenwick on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “For info, my contribution in The National today. Tommy Sheppard writes in The National as to ” Why a de…” Aug 31, 21:28
    • Cuphook on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “Not that we’re going to get one due to our current political emasculation, but we’d lose another referendum unless the…” Aug 31, 21:26
    • 100%Yes on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “The simplest solution is for Westminster to transfer the Constitutional authority to Holyrood for good and allow the Scots to…” Aug 31, 21:19
    • Spartan 117 on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “Interesting indeed.” Aug 31, 21:14

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