The accused
This is quite something. It took 15 hours into “MemoGate” before anyone got a Scottish Government representative on air – even though they’d found time to get quotes from Willie Rennie, who isn’t the leader of a Westminster party and whose party isn’t even involved in the story. When they did, here’s what happened.
Readers can form their own opinions about the interview. But at the very end of the piece the BBC’s James Cook says “this memo does exist”. It may do, but we’re not sure what his current grounds for that statement are.
To the best of our knowledge nobody is claiming to have seen it personally except the Telegraph. The Foreign Office have denied all knowledge of any memo, the Scotland Office apparently refuses to comment, and we have no idea who allegedly wrote it.
Cook has already made, then rowed back on, some rather questionable statements in the last 24 hours. Viewers may feel it might be better if he just stuck to the facts.
Some might well find this VERY interesting indeed. 😉
Pilar Fernandez ?@pilaraymara 2 hours ago
From files: Alistair Carmichael silences his own official: link to youtu.be
Hmmmm… Carmichael bullies, cuts across and silences his own pet civil servant in the scotland office when he said something he didn’t like.
Where oh where could that bullshit memo have come from then, eh?
Having a good day Mr Carmichael? Very quiet where you are? Yeah, I don’t think it’s going to stay that way forever chum. 😀
How dare this lickspittle excuse for a journalist speak to the FM like this. Raging not the word 🙁
He also seems to be trying to spin this into a ‘Nicola accuses someone’ piece halfway through. Brass bloody neck!
BBC, unionist lackeys…As they say in Thailand, same same.
I was at the demo, and ran into Mr Cook. My mum, a gentle wee lady, gently patted his shoulder to say hello. He reacted as if a radioactive tarantula dropped on his shoulder. He looked extremely nervous.
Just reporting the facts without adding some innuendo seems to be beyond them.
Nicola was fantastic in that interview. You know, she’s better at this than Alex, and I didn’t really think that was possible. Kept to the point, kept hammering the point, didn’t allow herself to become distracted, didn’t allow any soundbite that could be spun against her.
Respect.
James Cook appears to have gone to the “if you wear a short skirt you’re asking for it” school of journalism.
It’s trending on twitter as #FrenchGate I think Stu.
Keep up the good work. Someone has to hold these establishment weevils to account.
Nicola in great form there, Cook roasted and broiled. 🙂
He’s trying to put words in our First Minister’s mouth. He’s completely unprofessional. Appalling behaviour. This guy should leave his post. There are good people out there who deserve the title of “Journalist” – this man is not one of them.
“whose party isn’t even involved in the story.” – I wouldn’t be too certain about that.
A document that ends up as front page news, full of lies with no author? Sounds familiar.
Well done Stu, keep digging, I’m sure you’ll find the answer to memogate.
Can’t wait to see what comes slithering out from under the stone.
This is going to backfire big time. Unionist seem to forget we can all dig into this type of rubbish in double quick time. Keep up the pressure folks. Out these liars.
You ain’t seen nuthin’yet.Ask Tommy Sheriden.
Oh FFS!!! I gave up after the THIRD time of Jimbo gettin telt the exact same forkin thing.
He’s probably still there askin a lampost if it accepts this story could be troo.
James James James you fud.
“One senior person.” LOL 😀 Feeble.
This biased amateur tries to pile yet more and more insinuation and second hand twaddle onto a ‘story’ that’s already collapsed under the sheer weight of fourth hand lies and bullshit.
Always remember you don’t need to pay for this propaganda unit of the westminster establishment. You can always opt out of the TV Tax and simply not watch/record live TV and save yourself hundreds of pounds by watching online.
You can find all the correct legal advice and very helpful tips right here.
link to moneysavingexpert.com
Dirty tricks written all over this, and James Cook asking what NS is “accusing” the UK Govt of is particularly perverse.
This is neither the first nor the last time we can expect “stories” like this to figure prominently in the establishment’s headlines. Indeed, the very aim of the “memo” is to replace “STURGEON OVERWHELMINGLY POPULAR IN UK” with a headline more acceptable to the British State.
These blatant liars should be sacked. No one believes anything these ‘journalists’ say. The public pays their wages. They are a disgrace. No wonder there is no Democracy in the UK anymore. These blatant liars would rather the vulnerable were starved to death, before they would tell the truth. To line their greedy pockets.
Considering she is the victim of a falsehood published in the press, Nicola did very well to keep her composure and get her perfectly reasonable points across.
James Cook seemed totally determined to make something stick. He didn’t seem to grasp the importance of having an inquiry to get to the truth and rather portrayed it as a smear/conspiracy/accusation by the First Minister against the Civil Service.
Twitter
Kenny Farquharson @KennyFarq · 8m 8 minutes ago
The reason the Foreign Office have never heard of this memo was because it was a Scotland Office memo.
Are SLAB now trying to shift the blame onto the Fib Dooms?
Craig Murray now of the view that it is MI6 rather than Scottish Office.
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk
There is no Memo.
Cook is obviously another BLBC reporter we all know this practically all from the BBC that open their mouths spew out unionst excrament…… the list
Big Bird
Honourable S Smith
Psycho Brewer
Kiss ass
Pretty shoddy from Cook. I liked him throughout the campaign as well. 🙁
He insists that “the memo does exist.” OK. Have you seen it? Civil service memos aren’t anonymous. Surely they have headers containing the department and To and From lines. How much confusion can there be? And if civil servants are free-wheeling to affect a politicial campaign, who’s taking responsibility? Shouldn’t parliament be recalled to address this disturbing corruption of democracy?
The ‘memo’ has done its job – got everyone speculating about whether the SNP want Tories to continue in power.
The truth? Doesn’t matter a whit to these snakes.
BBC Smug-o-meter timeline:
00:25 – Smooth sailing; watch this lads, gonna rip this tartan tory to pieces.
02:10 – uh oh…she’s not daft… quick, make out it’s a nat separatist-ist assault on our pure and innocent UK civil service
03:10 – abort, repeat abort; default to fabrications… ah but SNP senior members are all tory sympathisers Ms Sturgeon, no?
03:35 – Sorry, I cannot tell you the details of my private conversation, even though this entire non-interview is about a civil servant gossiping about a private conversation between Sturgeon and a French ambassador. (also I’m making it up so it’s kind of hard to offer which SNP member has said it)
03:47 – infantile, whiny “why won’t you play with us??!!” tone reaching fever pitch now…
03:58 – here Ms Sturgeon is politely re-enacting a well-known Karen Dunbar sketch involving nostrils and manure….
04:35 – Ms Sturgeon reminding the BBC that the SNP can’t do ALL of Labour’s work for them and that “the party for the working people” should not be frightened to get of their f*** arses to woo some of their own members back from the tories (if they can be bothered / care / aren’t in blatant cahoots with the blue team)
04:56 – eh… Luckily for you Nicola we’re out of time… just as well because I would have kicked your ass….heh… :/
…And they wonder why some English regions are wanting her to have a crack at PM.
Hehe, Nicola is too clever for all of them! And so are the rest of the SNP leadership. The icing on the cake will be when the SNP release figures on how many new members have joined since this false Project Fear story began.
I enjoyed watching the anti-Trident rally on Independence Live, all top-class excellent speakers … except Katy Clark who spoke mostly about herself! And got a very frosty reception from the crowd.
And I thought this couldn’t get any more amusing.
How wrong I was. 😀
Would you fucking believe it! By some bizarre coincidence a certain Simon Johnson from the Telegraph turns out to be on friendly journo terms with one Alistair Carmichael and has given him plenty of room for SNP bashing interviews in the Telegraph before.
Here’s one from during the Independence Referendum.
Mary McGonigal ?@PatricksPeople 26 minutes ago
Alistair Carmichael: SNP has built no momentum for Scottish independence | via @Telegraph link to telegraph.co.uk … By Simon Johnson
Not looking too good for the incompetent lib dem numpty, is it? 😉
Hands up all those who still trust James Cook. Is he under orders to keep this fairy tale going, in the hope that it will eventually cause some damage to our FM? It certainly looks like it to me.
Ahh James Cooke..”Scottish” Labour’s man at the Beeb.
What an absolute puddle drinker.
Let’s out this official (Trojan horse from the British Labour party).A defector no doubt about it.
Well done Glasgow for the Rally
If House stopped putting innocent people in cells or for mild misdemeanours, it would cost less money. People being ‘charged’ but the charges are dropped. They can’t come to court because of no evidence. Half of Police Scotland could get a weekend off.
If the dribbly trail of shite ends up at the Big Cardboard Cutoot’s door, I wonder what the Shetlanders will make of their ‘honourable member’?
Weevil is as weevil does. 🙁
Might be worth check out Stu:
Update: It’s been suggested to me from several quarters that the leaker may be Alistair Carmichael or someone in his office. As Secretary of State for Scotland the memorandum would definitely have crossed his desk, and it might help the 10 other Liberal Democrats trying to retain their seats in mainland Scotland.
From article in New Statesman
link to newstatesman.com
“The memo does exist” – It is easy now. I would not expect a journalist to state this as a fact unless he had seen it. If he has seen it then he knows who signed it.
It should all be done and dusted by tea time.
On the other topic of “senior SNP figures” comments. I didn’t think you could state off the record comments as fact (not that I believe for one moment that these comments were made). He goes off story and creates a new attack line and we are to take HIS word regarding a statement of policy.
The journalistic stance regarding source now appears to be “…a big boy did it and ran away”
@Ian Grays Subway Lament 2.39pm
Re the clip you referenced, just to say that the civil servant wouldn’t be answerable to Carmichael unless he’s a SpAd. The civil servant’s ultimate boss is the Perm Sec of his Department. In which case, Carmichael overstepped HIS remit – and should have been called out on it at the time.
Cook is obviously another BLBC reporter we all know this practically all from the BBC that open their mouths spew out unionist excrement…… the list He seems to be keen to impress his masters seem a careerist ars
Big Bird
Honourable S Smith
Psycho Brewer
Kiss ass Cook
Kirsty am so trendy Wark but she was a McConnell groupie
Even the likes of the lower minions Laura Bicker and the one today Catriona ? All stand there and do the BBC bidding.
It looks like the big beasts of BBC reporting are off for the weekend so this is why we have the Minos reporting to day
Just Googled leaks and whistleblowing in Whitehall.
One thing that immediately stands out is, “leaks for partisan political reasons are especially deplorable”
Jim Sillars writes to the torygraph
link to twitter.com
Cook and his whole lot at PQ should be sacked. We need renewal with Scotland in charge of it’s own media. That is the only way we will stop this stuff in the main.
Dirty tricks will abound folks, but here is the rub, the Referendum told us a whole lot of how the British State goes about things. We now recognise the signs of their interference, and they are not really all that good at it.
When you look at things closely they rarely add up, and now we see it more easily. This attack on Nicola, will just add to the SNP support. Even the English must be shaking their heads in disbelief.
I wish folk would stop referring to Cook as a journalist.
He is a spokesman for the British State propaganda unit.
The memo may well exist.
But that does not mean its contents are true or accurate.
In fact as drafted by someone on the basis of someone else’s account of a meeting the content of which is denied by all present, seems a tad unlikely to be accurate.
“That’s where we stand” says James cook. He’s spinning like pirouette crazed ballerina! I get dizzy from just listening.
@ Iain Gray’s Subway Lament:
I think you’re on the right track here, Iain.
Nick Clegg has already accused the SNP of an “unholy alliance” with the Tories, so this is clearly the official LibDem attack mode. The French Ambassador met with Carmichael.
Wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if Carmichael had put forward that exact same slur against the SNP/Sturgeon and it just somehow got mangled in the system and ended up being reported as coming directly from Sturgeon (with remarkably convenient timing, btw).
Funny that nobody has seen fit to interview Carmichael about his meeting with the French ambassador. Surely somebody in Orkney or Shetland must know where he is.
@ 3 min 11 sec into video footage at top of this article:
BBC reporter, James Cook, states very clearly:
“I have spoken to senior people (meaning more than one person) in your party who have told me…”
@ 3 min 21 sec into same video footage and under same breath as the sentence above then twists his own words to go on saying:
“in the words of one senior person within your party…”
Quite a massive difference there, is it not!
In less than 10 seconds, and under the same breath, this liar goes from inventing a conversation with “people” to quoting “one” unnamed person and very deliberately is attempting to steer Nicola away from her valid point of where the questions should now be targeted.
This is the same James Cook who spouted Slabber membership lies alongside 2 other lying BBC colleagues, Campbell & Kuenssberg.
The British Bullshit Corporation – liars with zero credibility.
btw, Taranaich, i hope your mother thoroughly disinfected her hand.
Dave Park – I think they might have, but are now finding that ordinary voters are looking at the Scotland Office and asking why they are paying gross amounts for UK Government propagandists.
Scottish taxpayers are subsidising these people to tell lies to the electorate and to defame the Scottish FM and the French Ambassador.
Why are we still paying for incompetents like these? Why are we still paying for the BBC? Why are we still paying for the House of Lords?
Why are we still paying for Trident? That would be all the NO bUT voters then.
Torygraph invent attack Sturgeon story then call her a stinking hypocrite. Confused.com here. Demented old Cochrane no doubt writing “Sturgeon, my part in her downfall” this afternoon.
“The stinking hypocrisy on the part of Nicola Sturgeon in telling a foreign diplomat something that she dare not tell the Scottish people”
I dont get how these guys get away with slander like this. Ok the law lets politicians say anything they feel like but slander by dudes like Cochrane and the Torygraph have got be a legal matter.
To everyone who is constantly amazed at how calm and composed Nicola Sturgeon always appears in these sort of situations I think we should all send a HUGE thank you out to Mr. Stugeon a.k.a. Peter Murrell. I have absolutely no doubt that he is working miracles behind the scenes to ensure that OOR Nicola is always as calm, cool and collected as she always appears to be. 😀
The Telegraph may have started this fiasco but let’s be left in no doubt who is going to finish it … OOR F.M. and finish it with a flourish and style that will just blow all the London centric MSM away! 😛
When Cook said he had been told by “One senior person.”
Nicola should have looked him straight in the face and said.
“Liar”
@Shuggy
Yeah Shuggy the line between spad and civil servant gets blurred and somewhat vague at times but Carmichael’s entire demeanour during that questioning is comically pompous, bullying and pretty damn revealing.
It’s all too clear Carmichael struts about the scotland office like he owns it. He’s a pretty nasty piece of work when it comes right down to it and I certainly wouldn’t put these kind of tabloid dirty tricks past him.
Not least because Nicola utterly humiliated the dimwitted spud during the Indyref debates and of course because this entire lying farce reeks of incompetence. Something Carmichael, Rennie and the lib dems specialise in.
“I have spoken to senior people in LibDems who think that Carmichael knows more about this than has come out, so far. ”
This journalism lark is easier than I thought !
Cook is obviously another BLBC reporter we all know this practically all from the BBC that open their mouths spew out unionist excrement…… the list
He seems to be keen to impress his masters today seems a careerist ars but I’ve no seen him for awhile so somebody must have let him out his cage today.
Big Bird
Honourable S Smith
Psycho Brewer
Kiss ass Cook
Kirsty am so trendy Wark but she was a McConnell groupie and has decided to become an Anglo. And is no allowed to get involved with Scottish affairs.
Even the likes of the lower minions Laura Bicker and the one today Catriona Renton ? All stand there and do the BBC propaganda bidding.
It looks like the big beasts of BBC reporting are off for the weekend so this is why we have the Minos reporting to day.
If this had happened on Big Birds Watch she would have been in ecstasy reporting this. The name of the guy that fills in for the honourable Sarah Smith escapes me for the moment. Anybody missed out from the list???????
To be fair, Milipants just isn’t PM material. I doubt he could put salt on a bag of chips.
The memo leak stuff is undoubtedly crap. Produce the document or stf up about it. Remember Snowden’s revelations. All communications are routinely spied on. Hostile and friendly powers alike. I would not for a second think that our FM would be candid with anyone outside a tight inner circle on anything that could be used against us.
And please everyone. Starve the beast. Do not pay your TV tax. Don’t buy unionist newspapers. Make sure you run noscript and adaware type programs to deprive unionist websites of revenue. We are in this for the longhaul.
Looking forward to the denouement in this kettle of poisson, where’e Raymond Buchanan when you need him. 🙂
Cook says he had a “private conversation’ with a high official of the SNP that this was true! Unless your willing to reveal your source or get the go ahead from said official you cannot just blurt it out national television.
My problem is, where does the honest man go to get the truth these days? There is no longer a credible outlet that looks to report the whole and nothing but the truth. The general election is starting to look like an episode of the Jeremy Kyle show. Meanwhile the bullshit, media manipulation and the false rhetoric takes centre stage and not the hopes and aspirations of the electorate.
The scummy British establishment and their media lackies would rather create and promote lies against innocent people, alongside covering up paedophile rings within that establishment, than do any sort of proper journalistic investigative reporting.
UNIONIST MEDIA, YOU SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES.
PROTECT SCOTLAND’S INTERESTS – LIBLABCONS OUT – VOTE SNP.
They are desperate to get some sort of ‘purchase’ here, James Cooke just revealed his ‘colours’. Good.
They cannot stop what is happening. This is a sure sign of the truth of that. Do they think that we don’t know ‘who’ Nicola is?
This has all been set in motion to somehow ‘dam’ the flow after the debate (on Thursday), especially in England and Wales.
They ‘picked’ the wrong woman to smear. I can tell you that for nothin’.
Let them all reveal their part in this orchestrated ‘stunt’, let us see the depths to which they will plumb, and in doing so: reveal their shallow black hearts for what they truly are.
We will not lie down. Ever. Again.
Keep our eye on the ball, keep digging Rev, we must be well past the ‘tipping’ point for them to have sunk so low this early on.
Nicola can handle herself: Scotland has her back.
@Molliblum
It’s not that I don’t think the likes of ‘scottish’ Labour aren’t capable of it, Yer McTernan and McBride are proof they obviously are so anyone trusting what the likes of them say about this bullshit is quite clearly a complete fuckwit. Via the Telegraph though? Unless they did it through Dan Hodges (who very few of them trust) I just can’t see it.
When the trail leads directly to the scotland office and Carmichael met with the French Ambassador then you don’t have to wonder too much why the Telegraph asked wee Wullie Rennie of all people instead of Carmichael himself. Carmichael tried to keep his distance but still couldn’t resist having a pop so set Rennie on them.
I also noticed Rennie was one of the VERY few stupid enough to stick their necks out and have another go today attacking Nicola over this bullshit which confirms your assessment of the yellow tory ‘strategy’, (such as it is) of hypocritically attacking the SNP as they head for electoral oblivion.
Mangled in the system though? Hmmmm.. more likely mangled in Carmichael’s turnip like heid to be honest. 😀
Thirs a richt stramash doon in Lun’on. tThon Britis Establisment is fair bowkin whilst wunnerin’ quhit tae dae next an’ hoo thir goan tae exorcise Nicola frae the minds a aw thon thole Englis fowk wha heard an’ saw her speel. I heard tell thir ha’en a lookit James Saxth’s book oan witchcraft tae see iffen thit could gie them a guide tae find some Deil’s mark oan Nicola sae they can pit her and her familiar, Salmond, tae the fire. Thits hoo much thir noo shitten thir breeks.
While the BBC, utterly predictably, slavishly, and without any apparent attempt to check the veracity of the story, lead with an item clearly designed to harm the First Minister it should be noted and filed for future attention where this came from. The Torygraph and the “Scottish” Daily Mail both led big on the tale and it is clear that neither checked with either of the principals. These are publications with a record of duplicity and mendacity second to none.
Then, like rats leaving Hamelin, come the “hellish legion” with a chorus of tweeters including Cockers, Blair MacDougall,Dame Anne Begg and Lord Foulkes of Cumnock desperate to judge before any evidence is offered.
By their deeds will you know them-proud Scotbuts one and all.
The suggestion that this may be coming from the Scotland Office brings yet another sinister new dimension. “Help me, Rona!”
The Biased Broadcasting Corp, is the MATRIX.
Set yourselves FREE.
Gary
@ Gerry Parker,
I thought that Nicola’s ‘you expect me to believe that’ comment near the end was her telling him he WAS a liar.
I said on a tweet earlier, Alistair Carmichaels seat is considered by most people to be one of the few safe seats for Unionist parties, is this story going to change all that?
Mr Carmichael…come out! come out! wherever you are!
Establishment.
There will be an army of SNP MP`s heading for London and they are not going to stop at Derby this time.
You should have let us go in September.
I think I have captured Mr Cooks line of inquiry here: –
“I have spoken to senior people in your party who have told me that they recognise from a strategic perspective, putting aside this specific allegation, that from a strategic perspective there is in the words of one senior person within your party there is an attraction in the idea of a conservative government in terms of your campaign for independence because you can continue to attack them, well eh I’m telling you that someone no, I cant cos it is a private conversation it was a private conversation but I have spoken to more than one person in your party who has said NOT THAT THEY FAVOUR IT but they recognise the attraction in strategic terms that logic… ”
I have obviously highlighted the salient part – NOT THAT ANYONE FAVOURS IT. So the story here is senior SNP members allegedly comment on possible election outcome and try to get some party benefit from a tory majority. I wonder if Mr Cook would tell us if they came up with the scenario themselves or if they just agreed with something that was put to them?
So a strategic hypothesis then becomes an operational reality and it is then used as a big stick to try to beat the FM with. The FM did not rise to the bait so poor Mr Cook then had to add his little bit about the memo actually existing. I look forward to the BBC publishing it in full but wont be holding my breath…
Conner Mcewen
Ha! Thanks for that prompt on journalistic integrity.
Just to remind everyone that Mr Andy ” give him a second chance” Coulson (convicted criminal) former Sun journalist, sacked editor of the NOTW and David Cameron’s former director of communications will be standing trial here in Scotland for perjury (lying under oath) on the 21st April.
Bet that’s a date in TS’d diary.
Won’t be surprised if that trial date slips a bit…
And there you have it folks.
The filthy Torygraph helps to create and promote this vile bile against Nicola and then we still have people on this thread, and others, posting direct links to that Unionist rag, helping it to pull in extra advertising revenues.
Talk about pissing against the wind.
I was offline last night and logged on about 2pm this afternoon. Having not a clue of ‘Nikileaks’.
It’s absolutely hilarious reading the backtracking, deleting, silence and BOLD nonsense from the so-called respected Journos of Jockland and Blighty, who are all now having to mutter up ”Ah, it looks like it was a lot of pish”
Isn’t any of this libel? Surely, so? I hope Nicola and the SNP take this further.
I can’t help but laugh at Miliband and the Labour rent a quote mob earlier coming out with ‘damming claims’ and so on, yet very silent today when these comments are turning into dust in the face of evidence. They are a horrible party, and if this so called ‘leak’ has come from the Libs, then christ, Carmicheal could well be the last Lib Dem on Yell to turn the light oot.
Now, we need to get on and return as many SNP MPs to Westminister. No point in smiling quietly to oursevles at the polls, or Nicola being a champ on Thursday night. Let’s get out and finish the job.
5 wweks to go.
BBC James Cook,
Starts by telling Nicola that he has spoken to senior SNP people who tell him that they want a Conservative victory, as it helps the cause of independence.
As Nicola begins to swat him away, and as he is under a bit of pressure, he blurts out, I’m not saying they would want this, it’s just that it would be strategically beneficial to the SNP.
So BBC James Cook was in fact lying.
He was twisting conversations that were probably responses to him asking if the Tories winning wouldn’t be strategically beneficial to the cause of independence.
He refused to say who these people were, because the conversations were off the record, so confirming the nature of the comments were just musings.
Note to every single SNP member. Do not have off the record conversations with BBC James Cook.
He is a liar.
[…] The accused […]
Seems to me that the BBC didn’t want to know the truth.
Although how that squares with their “fair and impartial” remit is difficult to see.
If this was in almost any other country, legal proceedings would already be well under way.
A lot of what’s happened got me thinking, what’s the point of all this? The timing not only follows Nicola’s fab performance on the live debate, but calls for the Tories to rule out a deal with UKIP that were featured on newspapers websites yesterday seem to have been dropped today.
Greenslade in the Guardian only shows the duplicity in the Daily Mail’s English and Scottish covers today, but the Sun’s duplicity is probably even more interesting as both its editions seem to share a common goal: damage Labour.
I’ve been starting to think this is part of a strategy to undermine Labour by having them rule out any sort of agreement with the SNP, not just a coalition. SLab are so inept and fearful for their jobs they’re only helping the Tories here.
I despise Murphy and SLab as much as anyone here, but I think Stu needs to stop pushing them on their ‘only the majority party forms the govt’ lie. They’re doing enough damage themselves already, and the only campaigning they’ve ever known, ie Vote SNP get Tories, risks becoming a self fulfilling prophecy as Tory voices push Miliband to rule out working with the SNP altogether.
A MacRitchie says
Even the likes of the lower minions Laura Bicker and the one today Catriona Renton ? All stand there and do the BBC propaganda bidding.
If memory serves right here AM Catriona Renton used to be a Labour councillor. Nuff said! 😀
Radio 6 – 4.30pm news bulletin – reported the same Ed Milliband response as earlier “news” reports since last night.
Then stated that NS and a French diplomat had “dismissed” the report (quite definitely “dismissed” and not denied).
Also had Bullingdon Boy DC welcoming the “fact” that NS supported what they had been saying about Ed Milliband for weeks.
Well done again for factual content BBC !
What’s the best way to submit a complaint about James Cook to the BBC (on-line complaint pages go around in circles – surprise, surprise) ?
Gary
Todays outcome…
The most trusted and respected leader and politician in the UK just became even more trusted and respected.
Im in Newcastle today…local paper headlines read “SNP vote may see us get quicker trains!”…even the Geordies getting onside
Oh and if anyone feels like ‘thanking’ Alistair Carmichael here’s the best way to do it. 😉
Scott ?@Sneekyboy
Help fund the SNP Orkney & Shetland campaign
link to indiegogo.com
Lets make Alistair Carmichael sweat!
The first thing a TV interviewer communicates
is whose side he/she is on.
The tone of voice, the choice of words, it’s pretty straightforward.
Cooke is so obviously not on Nicola’s side.
He shows no respect either to Nicola herself,
nor to the Office of First Minister.
If Cooke spoke like that to Ken McQuarrie or John Boothman,
he’d be out on his ear.
Panning out, in this story, the guilty men are lying low
and keeping out of the media.
They do not want to attract any attention to themselves,
and in no way do they wish to be associated
with the story in any way.
Step forward Alistair Carmichael, Sec of State for the Scottish Office –
the apparent source of the memo.
David Cameron. Does anyone think that a sting like this
would be carried out without No 10 knowing about it?
John ‘Tory’ McTernan – keeping quiet just like the others,
but this attack has his DNA all over it, not to mention his fingerprints.
This is precisely the kind of smearing that McTernan was hired to do.
The meeting in question took place in February,
but the story only appears the day after
a major success on national TV by Nicola.
Aye, right.
This episode has DESPERATION written all over it.
But like a drowning man, who waves his arms in the air,
forcing his body to sink lower in the water,
he only ensures his demise.
In the face of all that has gone on,
how can this Union possibly survive?
Vote SNP. Join SNP. File for Divorce.
Just in case anyone is worried my link at 3.52 does not take anyone to the telegraph.
The thing is, the election is a win-win affair.
Preferred outcome, a Labour government put into power by some sort of confidence and supply arrangement with the SNP (+/- other smaller parties). That will allow the SNP to put Scotland first and influence government policy in that direction.
Outcome not desired, Cameron somehow clings on to power supported by the LibDems and a couple of Ulster Unionists. Savage cuts, IDS eats more babies, more disabled and unemployed people starve and freeze to death after being sanctioned, and the SNP is powerless to do anything about this.
This is crystal clear. Nobody wants the latter situation, not in a million years. Cook finally admitted his alleged SNP contacts didn’t say they did.
But look, this is politics. Cameron might cling on. If he does, this is painful in the short term, but likely to be a boost for independence support in the long term. Just as Thatcherism stoked desire for devolution in the 1980s and 1990s.
Are we not even allowed to note the bleedin’ obvious now?
@ Stoker, I thought the exact same thing myself.
For those of you that do not know (Ian Gray’s subway lament)
The archive link below will prevent the clickbait this article is attempting to collect.
link to archive.today
Im sure the SNP has gained a few more members today thanks to this tissue of lies in the Torygraph.
I was at the opening of the Eastlothian SNP hub today,and George Kerevan told us two ladies had come to the North Berwick stall this morning.They had copies of said ‘newspaper’in their hands, and said they were so disgusted by it that they had joined the SNP!
Lots of support on the doorsteps this morning in Musselburgh too,so the MSM lie machine is not working.
The Memo is starting to sound a bit like The Vow. Bullshit promoted by gutter press in the name of the Union! No one willing to show the original. No one willing to name names. No one willing to but there hands up, do the decent thing, and admit they were responsible.
We need to see The Memo. We need answers.
I remember some months ago I said something critical about James Cook and was chastised by a number of people saying he was one of the few professional reporters at the BBC, capable of being fair and unbiassed and all that. I took that on board and apologised. I’ve seen him behaving fairly well from time to time, it’s true.
But that interview was disgraceful. Completely unwarranted attack on the FM from a partisan journalist who wanted her scalp and was wilfully ignoring the real story even as she repeatedly drew him a picture.
I won’t ever make the mistake of thinking Cook is impartial, not ever again.
It seems to me that this story is yet another dirty tactic of either the torrys or even scottish labour to discredit the SNP, i think in the coming weeks we could see more of this. Its clear that the torries and scottish labour are worried and are now trying tactics that they are well used to using.
A brilliant rebuttal of the slimy wee puddock’s insinuations. Cook reached a new low with his pathetic “someone in the SNP says they prefer the Tories”, the equivalent of ” I met a man down the pub whose sister says someone told her Elvis lives in Bathgate”.
At least Nicola gave him his nadgers back in a special souvenir-edition presentation jam-jar.
I don’t know how she keeps her composure and produces such eloquent replies.
Memo to Establishment: you won’t like her when she’s angry…
But then he changed the story to “someone in the SNP says a Conservative government wouldn’t necessarily be a political disaster for us in the long term, even though we’d prefer it didn’t happen.”
Slithy tove.
And that James Cook is why I don’t pay the TV licence.
Once again you and your colleagues seem incapable of following the BBC charter. Your consistent breaches mean that anyone can quite legally refuse to pay the TV licence.
I hope many more see the light and refuse to fund this drivel.
Well done Nicola.
Ya know, maybe Nicola made a bigger hit on Thursday than the media are letting on and this is there way to try and counter it.
Maybe the so called opinion polls of the debate have a bigger story than mills and Boone, Cameron, and garage farage neck and neck with Nicola. Maybe it was more like complete out and out clear winner was Nicola, they couldn’t come out and say that.
Let me remind everyone of the comment made by the heckler on Thursday night “there’s more of us than them, let’s show them that”. Revolution is coming
@gerry parker
I usually catch the links and archive them but didn’t spot it in time because it was a copied tweet.
I’ll be more careful next time.
If this hole they’re digging gets any deeper Australia beckons any time now.
So the FO have denied knowledge of this memo, the FM, French Consul and French Ambassador have knocked the story on the head and now no one knows anything.
What we have here is a failure to communicate. Whether the memo exists or not is near irrelevant now. What was done with the memo (real or not) is the story. In order to smear Scotland’s first minister someone instigated a story, a story involving overseas dignatories. This is what’s known as yer international incident.
Now since the bullshit smear part of the story has been dealt with quite effectively by the French and Scottish governments, its now up to HMG to track their leak (cough), or for the Telegraph to come clean on the source and their reasons for instigating the story without approaching either the First Minister or the French govt. for confirmation or denial.
Now the FM has already demanded an inquiry (quite rightly), since govt. officials have been named as the source for said memo, sooooo over to HMG and the Telegraph. Who and why? In yer own time.
Watched it a second time and Nicola really is a Panther Politician in her prime. Cooky asked for a good toeing and boy did he get it in that interview. It should be used in BBC training videoes as an example of how not to interview a politician like the First Minister.
It should go viral.
I saw BBC reporter Catriona Renton (former Labour Councillor) come out with the lie that SNP senior people wanted the Tory’s to win.
It was a clear statement by Renton to camera
This was on the BBC News channel this afternoon
Its clear now that the BBC are very much part of the attack on the SNP, not investigating the story but helping to fabricate the story
I’ve just seen this over on Twitter.
link to newsnetscotland.blogspot.co.uk
I am thinking outside ma wee box here. You know the box, theone the Better Together crowd try to push me back into on 19th September but I steadfastly refused to go back into. That box.
Could this whole “memo from a government department” thingy actually be a cover for some twat at the Telegraph trawling the internettywebby thingy for something on Nicola Sturgeon and found this story instead.?
The original story happened back in 2009 so it is old enough for most folks to perhaps have forgotten about.
link to munguinsrepublic.blogspot.co.uk
link to archive.today
Right ahm aff tae try an fund a bigger box fur masel noo! 😀
@Iain Gray’s Subway Lament
I posted that link last evening when the fundraiser was only at £35. This morning it was over £900.
I would love to see Danus kick that slabby arse Carmichael over a cliff.
An inquiry into the bullshit memo and who leaked it has now been ordered by Sir Jeremy Heywood.
NewsLine247
Sir Jeremy Heywood confirms an inquiry is to take place into how The Telegraph obtained the memo of #Sturgeon’s meet.
I know, the establishment to the rescue, as if. 😉
Still, I suspect somebody is really shitting themselves now since this whole thing was so colossally incompetent even the westmisnter establishment will struggle to put a gloss on this inept tissue of dirty tricks, lies and leaks.
Ian Gray SL
I contributed yesterday to Danus Skene’s fundraiser & just checked again-it’s now fully funded in just 2 days. That should be seen as a warning of intent to Ian Carmichael 🙂
We’re coming for you Carmichael!Be afraid, be very afraid!
I actually think James Cook does try to be balanced and impartial. But in this instance I think he’s got it wrong. A comment from some unnamed party member suggesting a Tory government might hasten the march to independence is not really relevant to this whole fake memo debacle.
I think a Tory government would be the absolute worse case scenario right now. Particularly if it involves UKIP in any way. It’s not as if there’s going to be another indyref any time soon. We need to get enough MPs in the commons to ensure we get a good deal. A Tory government would trash everything we fought for for years.
But I’ve seen James Cook argue points from our side, too, when no one else would. The RBS Treasury memo, for example.
My twitter timeline has suddenly filled up with retweets from people joining the SNP on the back of this. This nonsense is telling a lot of Scots what the UK thinks of their FM, and is making their minds up for them.
This is backfiring so badly for the unionists
Thank you Stu!
I have just spent the last seven hours catching up on your twitter feed and stories/comments on Wings. I don’t know how you do it. Bloody great stuff!
I wonder if AS still thinks James Cook is OK? Demonstrated here for all the world to see, that he isn’t one of the good guys at all.
Lesley-Anne says Right ahm aff tae try an fund a bigger box fur masel noo!
Right Lesley Anne let us know when the fundraiser begins, I have a few quid to donate.
@
Iain Gray’s Subway Lament .
Aye no worries.
It’s jist ye were gettin @Stoker wound up.
🙂
Great CND Demo today, and don’t forget the Faslane one on 13th.
Sore feet, need a bath, will be out leafleting on Monday.
Lol lets be honest here also. Cameron’s idea that he’s gonna walk into the eu and broker a good deal for the uk is now gonna be in taters if the French have anything to do with it.
Complete own goal.
This ship has now sunk
When they interviewed Nicola, they had to show the Rally.
Pretty shocking that a BBC journalist, in sticking with his story, which has been blown out of the water by senior professionals at all level of direct involvement bypasses any interest at getting to the real story, asks the victim of a hoax if she’s accusing the government of anything and goes on to… ok… all the facts aside,
surely you can see the logic of the sentiment… which I’ve heard from some of the members of your own party… this could be a way of he snp getting independence…
Not only is he twisting this story, he’s twisting the independence story.
Not since Ken Macquarrie (Director of BBC Scotland), John Boothman (Head of News and Current Affairs), Bruce Malcolm (Head of Commonwealth Games coverage) and John Mullin (Editor, Referendum Unit) all turned up at the Scottish Parliament to tarnish the observations of Professor John Robertson (media academic) has the BBC been so shameless in its efforts to plausibly justify propaganda as something that some people could construe as fair-minded news.
Cook should go along with them next time. He’s in the same class.
So, perfectly timed for maximum impact, at the weekend with no Sunday politics shows where this Establishment sleaze could have been ripped apart by the SNP.
Well it has taken everyone’s mind off nursegate and Recordgate I suppose
Just sent Mr Cook a polite email regarding his conduct towards the First Minister at the rally today.
I received a very quick reply which says,
Dear Gary, Don’t be daft, Its called doing my job, asking questions. That’s the role of journalism in society. She can look after herself I am sure.
If you wish to put in an official complaint, please do so.
So this is standard of professional journalism?
Reporting blatant lies and deceit
What a pathetic useless waste of skin.
Gary
Go To :- BBC Scotland Website
Click on Nicola Sturgeon Dirty Tricks article
Scroll down to :- Published on it’s website (in bold and underlined)
Click and read – VERY INTERESTING.
James Cook is deluded if he thinks he’s gonna be taken on the UK gravy train for doing a few favours for the establishment. Get real man. There only using you and they’ll hang Ya out to dry when the time is right
@Ken500
Good point. I doubt they would have been so keen to cover it otherwise so a win there for us.
Pretty damn hard to miss that kind of massive crowd when the rest of the westminster ‘leaders’ are campaigning with a bare handful of flunkies and helpers.
Carmichael is not standing. Retiring?
Aye House of Lords trougher.
They are all retiring because of future pension changes. They get more retiring this year.
@Croompenstein says: 4 April, 2015 at 3:05 pm:
“How dare this lickspittle excuse for a journalist speak to the FM like this. Raging not the word”
Och! Croopenstein, dinna fash! There is absolutely no way this BBC media person is doing the FM, the SNP or the independence movement any harm whatsoever.
What he has done, to date, is discredit himself in the eyes of the majority of the Scottish electorate while toadying to his already discredited BBC bosses and his ultimate failure to make anything stick while so obviously continuing attempting to implicate the obviously innocent FM in the face of all evidence will bring even more people to the cause.
Not only that but every bit of information further points to the matter being an all too obvious, cack handed, attempt to fit up an innocent person which can only result it at least great suspicion of the Scottish Office and Foreign Office Mandarins and the elected ministers, the media and the Labour, Tory and LibDem politicians.
For a starter the Scottish Office is very, very quiet ATM when an innocent Secretary of State (against) Scotland should properly be heading the queue to not only clear the FM, French Ambassador and the French Consulate but himself and his Civil Service employees. This could very well become an international diplomatic incident.
Make no mistake, Croompenstein, there will probably be heads rolling over this matter and none of them will be independence supporters.
I often wondered how numpties like Carmichael ended up in such position of ‘high esteem.’ Then the phrase gullible scapegoat sprung to mind. However, the forces that be have underestimated his stupidity.
This incident will do far more to undermine the establishment than it will do to Nicola’s popularity. The trust in the establishment is waning daily, witnessed in the continuing rise in SNP membership, and the awakening of like minded people in England.
Not to mention that they have just pissed off the French.
James Cook has tweeted that Sir Jeremy Heywood will hold and inquiry into this story.
Ah well boys, here comes the gallons of whitewash.
Patrick Roden 4.36pm
“James Cook is a liar”.
I also think that any contacts he had within the SNP/YES movement have gone for good. The little unionist shit has blown it big time.
Any politician or rep of the SNP, Greens, SSP will NEVER tell Mr Cook anything in confidence ever again. He is finished, tell him nothing.
It is “them” and “us” from now on.
My hatred of the English Establishment grows by the second.
An article on this manufactured stooshie by Jamie Maxwell over at Bella;
link to bellacaledonia.org.uk
I have not been following the full story during the day but did hear interviews with both David Cameron and Ed Milliband on the BBC Radio 4 news at 5.00pm. Both seemed to indicate that they accepted that Nicola Sturgeon had made the comments reported in the ‘memo’.
Do these two gentlemen realise that, unless they retract their comments, they are effectively calling Nicola Sturgeon, The French Ambassador and the French Consul General liars?
Could this cause a Diplomatic incident?
@CyberNiall at 3:14 pm
“A document that ends up as front page news, full of lies with no author? Sounds familiar.”
You’ve hit the nail on the head: the Britnats at the telegraph probably reckoned that, if the daily record could get away with it, they could too.
There was a time when the telegraph would have held some appeal for intellectuals: now no self-respecting chip eater would accept it as food wrapping.
Cook seems to have got himself into a horrible tangle on this one. Earlier today, I read that Cook had issued in the twitter-sphere that the French Consulate re-iterated that such a conversation never took place. So far, so good!
So why on earth is he digging himself a hole here, and continuing to dig it when there is no need to. He needs to get out of that hole, and head straight to the Telegraph and begin asking them some serious questions. Follow the trail to the source. If it’s the Telegraph behind it, then they will be heavily chastised for it! It also does the Tories no good either to be involved in a story that is becoming a scandal. If it is the Scottish Office, then where is Carmichael, and lets have it out with him.
But for Cook, who usually is one of the more decent reporters out there, is beating Nicola on something that has just been hugely disproved, and in doing so, has just made a rather large faux pas in his own little way (if you excuse the little pun).
Really disappointed with James Cook here – he’s always seemed fairly decent in the past, but his persistence here was as if he were desperate to trip Nicola up, or put words in her mouth.
It’s another example of how little the London media get Scotland. They don’t know much about Nicola so they assume we don’t either. But we’ve known her since she was a lassie and the general reaction to the headline up here has been gales of laughter. I mean, as if!
The whole thing is so obviously fabricated that I suspect, like the “vow”, the author will be too embarrassed to ever own up.
Nicola Sturgeon already has this all thought through. Good on her. She knows exactly what the Unionist Parties are up to, trying to make her the story.
Same as what they kept doing with Alex Salmond. When they could not not beat his arguments they kept attacking his person.
But it won’t work with Nicola. First, because she is more than fit for them, second because she knows how to turn their attacks away and stick to the real arguments, and third, because she’s a woman. The journalists just won’t get away with it.
Anyway, she has made it clear the enquiry to be followed up is not about her, but about a) how the inaccuracies contained in the memo got to be there in the first place; and b) exposing the truth about all the breaches of confidentiality, protocol and civil service practice that were allowed to happen in order to bring a confidential diplomatic conversation into the public domain. That is the real story, and it is a big one.
It exposes a form of corruption at the heart of British public life which is more serious than the venality that brought down Rifkind and Straw. This is a direct subversion of the democratic process. Agents of the state using confidential state papers, involving a friendly power, in order to misinform the public with a view to skewering the result of a General Election …
There might also be a diplomatic element which is worth noting. Whoever leaked this memo, and whoever knowingly colluded in that leakage, has been very cavalier with confidential information provided by France (through her official representatives here). Basic rules of diplomatic protocol seem to have been broken.
The French state surely has no desire even to seem to be influencing the outcome of a British election. It would be incandescent with rage if British diplomats tried anything like that in France. This is not what happened, but they will still be mad angry with the British state, or someone within it, for making the contents of one of their confidential conversations public, when no permission was given to do so. The diplomatic world is based on respect for confidentiality, and cannot afford breaches like this.
The fact that the confidential information from French sources was quoted inaccurately only makes it worse. I hope the French Ambassador lodges an official complaint on behalf of the French government. Even other Embassies might want her to do so. If the British government and its officials think confidences can be breached so easily, Ambassadors and Consuls to the UK will not be able to do their jobs properly any more.
During the referendum the Unionist parties got used to the idea of European officials playing their game for them. Not just end-of-career Barrusso, but others too. Maybe they got a bit too used to taking their collusion for granted. And maybe they now have another think coming.
I am confident that Nicola Sturgeon will be able to turn this concocted story back on the people who rather foolishly invented and promoted it. They will rue the day.
I have spoken to numerous people today.This is backfiring big time.Nncola is dealing with it the right way.People know what is afoot,and are very angry about it.
Leave well alone re blockading the BBC etc.This will play out in our favour soon enough.
For many it has reinforced the referendum was indeed a project of fear and lies,and they are determined not to give in this time.An angry Scot is a vengeful Scot,and dues will be paid soon enough.
Iain Gray’s Subway Lament says:
An inquiry into the bullshit memo and who leaked it has now been ordered by Sir Jeremy Heywood.
NewsLine247
Sir Jeremy Heywood confirms an inquiry is to take place into how The Telegraph obtained the memo of #Sturgeon’s meet.
I know, the establishment to the rescue, as if. 😉
Well in my view IGSL this is a start, but that is all it is … a START!
WE want so much more from his investigation than just how the Torygraph got hold of this *ahem* memo now. Most important of all is WHO wrote the memo in the first place?
We want:
a) Names
b) Dates
c) Places
d) How Torygraph got hold of the memo
e) Who in the Torygraph requested or received the memo
f) Why the memo was released
g) Who in the government knew about this memo
h) Who in the Civil Service knew about this memo
Nana Smith says:
Lesley-Anne says Right ahm aff tae try an fund a bigger box fur masel noo!
Right Lesley Anne let us know when the fundraiser begins, I have a few quid to donate.
You’re all right Nana, I won’t be doing a fundraiser 😉 everyone has MORE important fundraisers to support than the Village Idiot’s Bigger Box Fund. Any way I’ll just sneak in round the back of TESCO’s and *ahem* borrow a bigger box from them when they aren’t looking. I think that should do the trick. 😀
Even when out canvassing today at Livingston Town Center, there were a few of the general public who laughed at the suggestion that Nicola ‘likes the Tories’. Laughed …more like scoffed!
Seriously, if this has come from the Scottish Office, then they seriously don’t know the mindset of their own people.
Mr Cook States as fact there is a memo.so where is it? What does it say? And Who wrote it? Mr Cook needs to tell the people.
Great to meet fellow Wingers at the Scrap Trident Rally today in George Sq. Everyone was in good spirits and well behaved. Ronnie had us all on a short lead.
Looking forward to the next meet, 25th April Hope Over Fear Rally, George Sq. Glasgow. That one will be a biggy.
I even got presented with a special “Paula Rose” badge from Ronnie Anderson.
Mealer I just told you see my blog at 5.30
@Lesley-Anne
Even Despite Gordo saying he wouldn’t allow it to happen, Kirkcaldy Tesco is closing at 6, so you’ll better hurry.
But there’ll be free food from the leftovers
Mealer
I agree. If Cook says ‘there is a memo’, then let’s have it.
If he can’t produce it, then James Cook has just damaged his credibility; not only amongst the Nationalist movement, but even those of the Unionist persuasion. The Unionists won’t like it any better since the story looks like unravelling into a mini-scandal, and thus, it makes their ‘side’ look like a bunch of determined devious liars who are out to pervert the politics of democracy.
JLT says:
4 April, 2015 at 5:49 pm
Seriously, if this has come from the Scottish Office, then they seriously don’t know the mindset of their own people.
::::::::::::::::::::
No, they do know “their own people”.
[…] hypocrite. When they finally were able to interview Nicola Sturgeon at the anti-Trident rally, the BBC interviewer insinuated that she held these views […]
JLT see my blog at 5.30
Remember last year when Carmichael made a fool of himself in front of the nation in debate with Nicola? revenge might be at the root of this whole sorry afair.
Folks if you want to read the transcript see my blog at 5.30
In defence of James Cook it can at least be said that he did allow Nicola Sturgeon to give a frank and full answer to all the allegations and did not interupt her responses in the way that, for example, Gordon Brewer does on the Big Debate.
I do get the impression that if James Cook had been the journalist reporting the ‘memo’ in the Telegraph he would at least have done his homework and spoken to all parties mentioned before publishing anything.
However, I have no time for that scurrilous rag The Daily Telegraph and its Scottish Editor Alan cochrane. The whole episode reeks of one of his dirty tricks.
@Jimbo says: 4 April, 2015 at 3:08 pm:
“Just reporting the facts without adding some innuendo seems to be beyond them”.
You must realise, Jimbo, the poor chumps are doing just exactly as Third Reich subordinates did in WWII.
Obeying their master’s orders. they will get exactly the same reply – That is no defence for the crime – and they knows it. Hence the great nervousness.
Whoever is at the bottom of all this, and my money is on the Scottish Secretary, (who is probably also just obeying his master’s orders). Yet let’s all wait before outright accusations are made.
Is anybody there! I repeat if you want to read the memo/transcript see my blog at 5.30!!!
Sedition
“… a seditious intention is an intention to bring into hatred or contempt, or to exite disaffection against the person of His Majesty, his heirs or successors, or the government and constitution of the United Kingdom, as by law established, or either House of Parliament, or the administration of justice, or to excite His Majesty’s subjects to attempt otherwise than by lawful means, the alteration of any matter in Church or State by law established, or to incite any person to commit any crime in disturbance of the peace, or to raise discontent or disaffection amongst His Majesty’s subjects, or to promote feelings of ill-will and hostility between different classes of such subjects.
An intention to show that His Majesty has been misled or mistaken in his measures, or to point out errors or defects in the government or constitution as by law established, with a view to their reformation, or to excite His Majesty’s subjects to attempt by lawful means the alteration of any matter in Church or State by law established, or to point out, in order to secure their removal, matters which are producing, or have a tendency to produce, feelings of hatred and ill-will between classes of His Majesty’s subjects, is not a seditious intention.”
So, exactly when does a conspiracy to undermine the position and authority of Her Majesty’s loyal First Minister of Scotland, by HM own civil servants acting falsely with the media, with the aim of undermining the democratic process …. NOT constitute sedition?
James Cook – “What are you actually accusing people of here”.
What an absolute Fud.
Nicola has been smeared and he has the gall to ask her what she is accusing people of.
Please tell me no one is still paying this scumbags wages.
The suggested damage this obvious dirty tricks attempt may cause SNP will rebound ten fold on Labour & BBC clear collusion for being so stupid and not waiting for the facts.
Real people will see this for what it is a groundless smear by the establishment in response to a UK wide platform success by SNP leader (who just happens to be female).
Plenty of English folks online already crying foul.
Nicola acting like a true leader; so dignified.
Labour – clowns as always, opportunist bandwagon jumping; shoddy sleezy and lacking dignity ( Malcom Chisolm MSP apart)
@Col. Asdasd says: 4 April, 2015 at 3:10 pm:
“It’s trending on twitter as #FrenchGate I think Stu.
Keep up the good work. Someone has to hold these establishment weevils to account”.
Do not be surprised if the holding to account is done by the French Diplomatic Service. After all it is most certainly NOT diplomacy to involve, or accuse, another countries diplomatic service of being liars and continued claims after the French have denied there was any such conversation calls the French liars.
Not to mention that Cameron and Farage’s threats to leave the EU must make them seem rather unfriendly to the French.
James Cook? James Cock, mair like. What. A. Bawbag!
What a fantastic response from Nicola. I love how she kept saying that she isn’t the one doing the accusing but is simply asking for answers.
This episode will hopefully open more eyes to the outright corruption of the British establishment (including the MSM), just as the referendum did.
link to caltonjock.com
The telegraph and running a story saying “a full inquiry is being held to find out how Nicola sturgeons comments were leaked” what fuckin comments.
From twitter
New low for scottish labour as their canvas stalls adorned with Daily Mail FranceGate Slander
debbiethebruce says:
yes Debbie, I also think the SNP will have picked up a few members today.
Saw one Labour member on twitter contacting Labour to say she was so disgusted in Labours support of this smear, she had decided to join the SNP!
Saw quite a few Wingers saying they were not members of the SNP, but had now decided to join.
To my mind, James Cook seemed like a desperate junior who had received a bollocking from on high and had been told that both his job and his head were on the line if he did not “come up with the goods” on the FM pronto.
It is like a battle plan devised by an out-of-touch general which went wrong on Day 1 and now they are screaming orders at minions on Day 2 as they see the whole thing collapsing.
As James Cook came out second best in his interview with Nicola, will be interesting to see if he is relegated or demoted in some way, to back up this idea (or maybe he was just promised £££, hence the way he threw all professionialism to the wind and acted like a hysterical child).
They are so scared of us and real democracy! It is appalling, because it means we are living in a banana monarchy, but also funny in a way. Will be so wonderful when we are free of WM forever — and hopefully our English friends can rid themselves of these plague rats also and we can all live in peace on an island without nuclear weapons and assaults on the poor by the rich.
I am very proud it is we Scots who are stiking terror into the Westminster gang of thieves, doing the work of the English for the English (Russell Brand just doesn’t quite cut the mustard). It was always the case. Compare our real “communists” like John Maclean to the likes of Burgess and Philby, privileged w@nkers and alcoholics who cared nothing for the poor.
Don’t worry, English friends, we promise to free you also before we leave the union! The SNP are your friends too and only want to make your lives better, starting from May 2015 in Westminster.
British State Dirty Tricks Brigade-0
Nicola Sturgeon SNP-another 30000 members! and counting.
RESULT!
Just read – but dunno if it’s true or not (see it’s not that difficult) snp gained 2000 more members today. This needs confirmed before we go public tho ok troops.
That was easy
Nodrog,
I tried doing what you said but got nowhere.Could you post a link or give further instruction how to find this transcript,please?
Show us the memo.
(What do you mean, “What memo…”?)
Dunno if this has been posted but….
link to craigmurray.org.uk
Interesting wee related topic here folks.
One of the news paper reviewers on SKY News papers review tonight will be Christpher Hope ( @ChristopherHope ). This is from his Twitter account.
Assistant Editor and Chief Political Correspondent, The Daily Telegraph
I have just tweeted him to ask if he plans to apologise to Nicola and the people of Scotland for the Telegraph’s lies when he is on tonight. One question.
Should I hold my breath or carry on with my life cause he won’t have guts to respond?
Hmm … Damn I ask good questions these days. Think I will just get on with my life because I don’t think he respond and secondly even it he does it will be all we are telling the truth pish! 😀
bbc still at it, spreading muck and aspersions.
Surely there must come a point when bbc staff in Scotland, if they have an ounce of decency left, say no more, or is this naive of me?
Time for another peaceful demo at Pacific Quay!
British State Dirty Tricks Brigade-0
Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP-1000’S OF NEW MEMBERS!
Result!
p.s keep it up dickheads.
Sunday papers will be out soon, what black propaganda is going to spew out of those publications. Which individual are they going to try and smear this time. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.
Is there a country in the world where Crucifixion is still legal? if so we should send that little creep Cook there for sentence!
Nicola can take on the London establishment, we need to deal with that little shit Cook,
His behaviour in George Square would have seen him taken out a summarily shot in a great many countries, his behaviour towards the First Minster was absolutely disgusting and we should make it our job to make sure he loses his!
And Milliband’s faux outrage at her “comments” was the icing on the cake, an establishment stitch up if ever I saw one!
Shades of Indyref past.We can all see what is happening here,its misinformation and misdirection. It is election time, and the over a century old political carve ups are coming to an end.
I’m sure the dinosaurs didn’t want change either.
If I was running the unionist PR machine I would have one major goal –
to prevent the SNP from adding to it’s support in the country
and creating momentum.
On Thursday past, on the ‘Leaders Debate’,
that’s exactly what happened.
With five weeks to go before GE15,
McTernan and his crew, will have had an enormous fright last Thursday.
This is now a critical time for the Unionists,
hence the French memo.
One more point. This level of desperation may be an indication
that the Unionists don’t have the same grip on the ballot
as they had in Indy.
In other words, they haven’t got the same leeway to fix GE15.
There is no memo, it is a complete lie, the timing of this surely says it all. Just watched Miliband seizing on this on the news. No word yet from Whisperin Jim.
I have never been so ashamed to be British (always reluctant now disgusted and ashamed).
I am the member of the SNP who spoke to James Cook about preferences and admit all here on WOS
My real name is Elvis and I met Mr Cook down the chip shop
I Confess….
@Lesley-Anne
We might need to chuck the keys of the darkened room over to those chaps in Whitehall or the Torygraph.
I suspect they might need them more than we do very shortly. 🙂
John King
You are stupidly trying to give the creeps a second victory! THINK what you are saying and what will be made of it!
@Davie Park says:4 April, 2015 at 3:28 pm:
“The ‘memo’ has done its job – got everyone speculating about whether the SNP want Tories to continue in power.”
Nah! as everyone in Scotland knows it doesn’t matter a damn whether the Blue, Red or Yellow Tories eventually get to form a government if the SNP send down a big enough faction to Westminster their object is the same – keep them both in check for the better good of the whole of the United Kingdom.
What difference does it make if the government and main opposition party are around equal numbers? The way the Establishment works is that anyone can propose a bill and, if it is seconded it goes forward for debate and ultimate vote by the whole parliament.
It makes no real difference if it is a Government Bill, an opposition bill, or even a backbencher’s 10 Minute Bill. Here’s a cut and paste from the Westminster Parliaments own website : –
So you see, that if the SNP/Plaid/Greens et al. hold the balance between the two main parties it doesn’t matter a damn who or which way a bill is proposed it doesn’t go forward unless it gets a majority vote in the division lobby. Mostly a Government, or coalition, has an overall majority and can thus force through anything they care to get through. Like, for example the Bedroom tax – first begun by a Labour Government, then expanded by the Tory/LibDem government but supported by, or abstained by, enough Labour members to get it through parliament. Or, of course, the Austerity cuts allowed to get voted through by a large number of Labour, (including most Scottish members), absenting themselves from the vote.
So with a hung parliament the SNP/Plaid/Greens. etc. don’t give a damn who is in power for neither the government or the opposition gets anything passed they do not approve of. Needless to say they may wheel and deal to get the things passed they want passed.
Dim Jim was on the afternoon Scottish news just after the footie and only commented on the ‘bairns no bombs’ dem in Glasgow.
Was against it, naturally, and said unilateral ban -no good- joint consultation best to end it all.
Not a question about French memo was put to him and so not a comment made about it by him.
OOPS!
Just seen a tweet from someone called Jeff Dugdale, a.k.a. wee Kezia’s FATHER. 😉
Check facts before opening mouth, Kezia
OUCH!
Someone call the fire brigade … QUICK! 😀
link to youtube.com
Just saw a tweet on your Twitter page Stu and had an OMG moment.. Kazia’s Dad was my English Teacher at school in the 80’s..
And you know.. he’d say that you should always back up your argument with facts.. etc – or something along they lines.
Wonder if Gary Roberston was one of his charges.. maybe he was off the day Mr Dugdale espoused his fact checking knowledge?
Kezia should have listened to those pearls of wisdom too from her da.
@Mealer –
I tried doing what you said but got nowhere.Could you post a link or give further instruction how to find this transcript,please?
I read this earlier today, pretty sure someone posted it on another thread but here it is in all it’s bullshittering glory..
link to archive.today
MEMO
“Discussion APPEARS to have focussed mainly on the political situation.
(the important word here is APPEARS this suggests the person writing this was not there but writing about an account from someone else)
“With the FM stating she wouldn’t want a formal coalition with Labour”
We all knew that ……old news.
“that the SNP would almost certainly have a large number of seats……..
We all know that……..old news.
That she’d rather see David Cameron remain PM.
Really?
“FM did not think Ed Milliband was PM material”. We all know that……….old news.
Written by the foreign office civil servant allegedly why? who was he reporting back to????????????
Just my 2p worth but….
I agree with James.
He’s a journalist doing his job and while we are about it I think many seem have forgotten that he played a fair role in the indyref as was widely commented on at the time.
I did find his decision to appear to give the story “legs” by his comments about some within the SNP saying the unsayable a bit odd – but that’s just my bias.
Does anyone on here seriously think that there there are not people within the SNP who do not see the attraction politically of a Tory gov to “blame” for what will be – make no mistake – very difficult tax and spend decisions for any incoming government. Never mind the added bonus of a potential in/out referendum on Europe with the possibility of RUK voting out and Scotland in.
That there are some vile and mendacious journalists in the MSM there is no doubt (yes you Cochrane), but he is not – IMHO – one of them.
Like he says do you really want to live in a country where ANY government/politician is not asked probing and difficult questions by the media?
I’m sure as shoot I don’t.
Just had a call from 89 year old Tory voting Yorkshire Aunt.
‘That girl of yours is a buster, she can see them all off’
Talking about Nicola for clarity
I should have worded my previous post better, I don’t see myself as British, but part of the British State.
I really hope this backfires on them.
hehe thats our Nicola and Cook thats you told ,what are you thinking man dont you know who you are talking with pulling out but he said and she said nonsense then not backing up your so called facts dunce cap for you.
Eck is got to be laughing his head off at all this its a total political own goal and now an international incident you just dont go around calling other countries ambassadors liars its not polite very unprofessional and could cause offense.
But more importantly the bond between our old pals the French seems to still be there, they could have thrown her to the sharks if they wanted but they didnt vive la France and thank you 🙂
John King, Nicola sorted out James Cook live on TV for all to see, best left at that. No need for anything further as it would only be counter productive.
Nicola in front of anti–trident march George SQ Glasgow,good timing
,great pictures,crowd cheering her
YES flags prominent
BBC News 24 now stating that Nicola has accused WM/Civil Service of ‘dirty tricks’.
A case of, if you can’t get the excrement to stick, accuse the innocent party to deflect from your incompetence.
Macart says:
@Lesley-Anne
We might need to chuck the keys of the darkened room over to those chaps in Whitehall or the Torygraph.
I suspect they might need them more than we do very shortly. 🙂
Erm I’m no so sure about the keys to the Darkened Room Macart maybe the garbage dum,p in the far corner of the back field but I seriously don’t think I’ll be chuckiong them the keys to the Darkened Room any time soon. 😀
Another Labour member on twitter saying she will be cancelling her subs as soon as the banks open, lol.
there’s one thing labour can’t afford to lose in Scotland, and that’s it’s already tiny membership numbers.
6 weeks from now…
Hi Ed
Hi Nicola
So?
Well we cant give you Trident
Ok
Ok?
We want broadcasting!
Done!
Jim Murphy faints!!
The missing last line of above script
Am glad it looks like the rest of the UK are starting to get bored of these tricks
The WMBC are still claiming ” the document exists”
Below, a quote from 1hr ago.
Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood said a leak inquiry had been set up.
In a letter to Ms Sturgeon he said: “You have asked me to investigate issues relating to the apparent leak of a Scotland Office memo that forms the basis of this morning’s Daily Telegraph story.
“I can confirm that earlier today I instigated a Cabinet Office-led leak inquiry to establish how extracts from this document may have got into the public domain.”
So, a cabinet-led inquiry is going to tell us hee-haw because they will protect their own. They will protect who organised the writing and distribution of the memo. It cant be called a leak because there was nothing to leak, its a set up.
Macnakamura says:
4 April, 2015 at 5:56 pm
JLT says: Seriously, if this has come from the Scottish Office, then they seriously don’t know the mindset of their own people.
No, they do know “their own people”.
—-
Hi Macnakamura. to be honest, mate. I really don’t think they do. If anything, I think they have underestimated the people of Scotland. Sure, we’ll have the deniers who will say, ‘Yep, Nicola is guilty’, but I think a large proportion of Scotland will know something is not right here. But …let’s see what comes next. I think either The Telegraph state their source, or Carmichael states his if it turns out to be the Scottish Office.
—————-
Hi NODROG.
Mate, very interesting to read in the Telegraph, but once again, the same set of questions arises – where did the Telegraph get that memo? Who sent it to them? That is the key question here. Where did it come from?
The fun thing about Cook’s attempt to get a rise out of Sturgeon is how he reveals where the idea that the SNP might prefer a second term for Cameron came from.
He was “fishing” by suggesting it as a tactic if achieving independence was the objective. It’s a bit like the way Salmond was asked about Putin and the context ignored. At no point was it claimed that the alleged highly placed member of the SNP gave it as a preference over actually taking part in government or a Labour government. In other words it’s a misleading piece of bollox.
As far as the reality of the Memo goes unless Cook has seen it he can’t know if it exists or not. If it does though then it’s in the same category as the Hitler Diaries. Can you get a genuine fake?
That doesn’t excuse the set up in the Telegraph though? They start with an assertion that all meetings between foreign diplomats and the representatives of the devolved parliaments are reported as some kind of courtesy. They then try to claim that NS might not of know due to being new to her position, in other words she’s a naive wee lassie who gossips with other women. Of course by the end of the piece they’ve introduced the element of caution in the original. That’s the bit that should set alarm bells ringing before publishing.
As to why it’s a smear. It’s simply an accusation of a lie. What I love though is the graphic in the article which shows Sturgeon won the debate.
I thought that Nicola Sturgeon gave a masterful performance when dealing with James Cook. What a thoroughly retched display from the BBC man. The arrogance of the BBC never ceases to amaze me.
If that memo exists then only a handful of people could have written it. The French Consul General should pass on the name of the individual he spoke with.
So, another evaporating document, just like the Vow! Seems their bag of tricks is rather limited.
@nogrod. What we want to see is a copy of the alleged memo not a transcription which tells us nothing. There is no traceability or “fingerprints” on a transcription.
Magi Gibson, former chair of Stirling District Labour Party, has joined the SNP today “disgusted by dirty tricks.”
Irvine Welsh points out that today, when Tony Benn would have turned 90, Labour were spotted with a stall covered in copies of the “racist, sexist, homophobic Daily Mail.”
Ed Milliband still continues to repeat the story as if it were true, despite the fact that it was also designed to take a stab at him! Can you imagine this man negotiating against the likes of Putin, Clinton or Merkel? No, I can’t either. But I can picture Nicola doing so — and some!
Don’t get mad… join the SNP!
Thinking about it, perhaps it’s no bad thingies happened at this stage of the campaign, also, if this is the best they can throw at the SNP then it’s going to backfire badly.
No one will believe a word eminating from the MSM from now on. They will keep on trying of course, it’s all they know, so we can expect a barrage of bad press.
There was a time when they would be believed but Blair more than anything put paid to that.
Will be out canvassing tomorrow so will find out if public taken in. Expect to come back with usual good returns.
I’ve just spoken to a senior person who watches the BBC, I can’t say who it is because it was a private conversation. She stated that James Cook would prefer a Labour victory, for careerist reasons.
She also alluded to seeing a memo, which does exist, in which it is reported that James Cook is a wee shit, employed by a corrupt broadcaster.
I got as far as 3.35. I seriously want to punch that guy on the coupon. He says, he spoke to someone, blah, blah, blah. Unionist Bastard.
Stephen.
@ Lesley-Anne
Fair doos.
We could always crowd fund for a years supply of anti-depressants. 🙂
Send em down FAO of Alistair Koalamichael (URGENT).
James Cook is merely the messenger biased or otherwise. You only have to look at the prominence in the news it has been given on the BBC to see the intention was to smear the SNP.
It’s been on the “big” telly” for the whole UK as a lead story in BBC news, far bigger than her attendance at the Trident rally or indeed anything that the SNP election campaign has managed so far.
The piece I am willing to bet is a longer insert than any of the inserts from the SNP conference or Nicola in London the other week. Why? To cover the SNP in “controversy” and stop people talking about anything valuable such as policy. When you consider how much of a non story it is it’s a very poor attempt at smear even for the UK PLC.
Of course the BBC have reported it faithfully without thinking really how much it will come back to bite them maybe as quickly as the debate on Wednesday. If the politicians don’t bring it up I feel sure the public are bound to. The whole country has seen BBC and it’s bias for months. Of course that will be in Scotland and we can be sure that none of the debate will see the light of day on “big telly” for the network.
Labour ranting “Even if this memo untrue it shows SNP privately like the Tories”
Fuck me…there is no hope left..theyre done..game over man..game over…they were offered a new way but rejected it..quite simply…Fuck them all.
A wee add on about the Rally today.
No Voter and Labour Party candidate for Nr Ayrshire, Katy Clark, made an appearance and speech.
We were totally confused about why she turned up. We half expected her to resign from the Labour Party today but that never happened. Couldn’t take her serious and never will until she tells us she is no longer a member of the Labour Party.
Until then Katy, please just don’t bother turning up at Rallies like this. In case you forgot Katy, the Labour Party want to re-new Trident.
Get your laughing gear round this.
link to weegingerdug.wordpress.com
What’s really behind this week’s attempt to smear Nicola Sturgeon? Fear. Fear that the centre of political gravity is shifting our way.
link to commentisntfree.com
Macart says:
@ Lesley-Anne
Fair doos.
We could always crowd fund for a years supply of anti-depressants. 🙂
Send em down FAO of Alistair Koalamichael (URGENT).
Now just haud on a wee second there Macart. 😉
If I am not crowdfunding for a bigger box to crawl back into then I’m DAMNED sure I’m not crowdfunding some anti depressants for someone who drives me to DRINK!
If the Secretary of State for Portsmouth wants some anti depressants he can damned well get them himself! 😀
Je suis Nicola!
link to newsnet.scot
Cooke’s a sock puppet, nothing more, nothing less. Its the cabal of unionist placemen in Pacific Quay that pull the strings. They have the real power in Scotland and they are the shills that can stop SLabour losing control of Scotland for good. There’s a lot of very tasty jobs at stake here and they wont go without a full on fight.
Poor silly man that Cooke really is but that’s show biz James.
Its a dirty business BBC propaganda.
BBC news says Scottish Office
wont public confuse Scottish Office UK,to Scottish goverment
Was at the Demo today : Well atended. Saw “Torchial Chrtion” or what ever his name is!! there in the crowd, also talking to God No’s Who. What will he report in The “D.R.”or “Sunday Mail bet it is something contrarary to what we know is the True situation!!
un lettre francais, indeed!
pour Le Milliband nobhead.
@Lesley-Anne
LOL 😀 Oh you are awful…
… but I like you! 😀
Check oot that WGD link LA, its a hoot.
Folks, it is James Cook’s job to report stories and ask difficult questions of all politicians which I believe he does well.
Just because we don’t agree with his approach today doesn’t mean we should suddenly rush to condemn him as a human being let alone a journalist and question his integrity. I defend his right to challenge anyone including Nichola and she’s shown how to handle it with ease. Remember how he brought up the unsolicited email during the Indy tv debate.
I want him to get on the case of how this big lie was perpetrated as a free thinking journalist not a puppet on our side any more than their’s. I trust him to report the truth and I’m sure he’ll make the unionists feel really uncomfortable and hold them to account as we see them in the dock over this.
I want an independent Scotland where journalists are free to challenge and be challenged.
@MolliBlum says:4 April, 2015 at 3:57 pm:
” … Surely somebody in Orkney or Shetland must know where he is.”
Oh! Cummon! MolliBlum, most of the time Carmichael doesn’t have a clue where he is.
Tell you what, though, you are probably correct that his DNA is all over the evidence. The daft bit is that no matter which main party manages to eventually get to form a government it means they probably need not only to get support from another faction in the house but must also hope the rest of the house, including the other main party, either abstain, post as absent or vote for them.
That means the parties in between the two main ones prevent or allow any bills they choose from passing a vote of the house. What is not generally realised by outsiders is that any party, any MP any Lord or even any group or member of the public can propose a bill in parliament.
Yet Cameron, Clegg and Milliband have all jumped on this utterly stupid bandwagon. So what does that tell you about the Unionist parties?, (besides that they are all members of the Establishment and would thus rather see another Establishment party in power than what those they see as outsiders).
bookie from hell says:
BBC news says Scottish Office
wont public confuse Scottish Office UK,to Scottish goverment
That is prbably EXACTLY what the BBC are hoping for Bookie.
The Sun saying it was a phone call
on tape
no way nicola sturgeon would say such a thing over phone–then denie it
Just speaking on twitter, to a lady who has resigned from Labour because of Millibands interview about this story, she was disgusted!
I don’t think the Labour Party realise just what they have done yet, but they will.
In just a few time!
James Cook
James Crook
James Cock
He reminds me of the wee frightened office worker in Reggie Perrin.
Here he is agreeing with his boss “C.J.” Super, Great, Absolutely CJ.
link to youtube.com
“This memo exists”
Does it really?
Apart from the fact that the most basic journalistic standards were ignored when the Telegraph did not even ask Ms Sturgeon for a comment there is a further breach of those standards
It is true, as was said upthread, that there are no fingerprints on a transcript. But there are words. To issue a transcript of a real memo will certainly allow identification of the source of that memo. Aren’t journalists supposed to protect their sources?
It will not necessarily identify who leaked it: but it will narrow the field very substantially, and it seems the Telegraph don’t care about their source or the trouble they might get into. If there is a source I trust they have kept a copy of the written instruction they received to release this memo: cos this is not plausible as a “leak”: not to me
It is more than possible this is not a leak at all: not even a memo. It may be pure fabrication by the Telegraph, and if so that would not surprise me. It doesn’t look like a government document to me, for this reason. We were told this conversation was reported to the UK government in line with “protocol”. Craig Murray says there is no such protocol. I believe him because are we honestly being asked to believe that British ambassadors report the content of conversations with opposition leaders to the government of, say, Syria? Russia? What diplomatic service would accede to such a “protocol”? None, I think.
But even granting there is such a protocol, what would they report? The first part is what one might expect: what topics were discussed. The relevant part for this story is not like that: it is personal and explicit, like gossip. Is that what you would expect? Nor is it written in a formal style though any civil servant reporting to his superior on information received because of a formal requirement between diplomats of different nations must surely identify the date of the conversation, the protocol under which the information is being passed on and the parties to the conversation etc. This does not read like that
Nor do I see any reason why such a protocol would mean that the information would be passed to the Scottish office rather than FCO: Scotland, rather obviously, is not a separate country and does not have separate diplomatic arrangements. I could see the Scottish office being copied in: but not being the sole addressee. Can you?
I think the Telegraph made it up.
Sacre bleu…journalistic integrity and civil service impartiality- 2 new oxymorons to add to the dictionary.
The minimum requirements for persuasion in a public communication are fluency, sincerity,a high level of confidence and the ability to inspire trust.
MSM now typify artifice and manipulation with their puppet master hovering over their mouthpiece.
Thankfully we now have a media space that is critically appraising the language related problems of WM politics that is emergent, autonomous, dynamic and inclusive- aka Wings.
The truth will set us all free.
bookie from hell says:
BBC news says Scottish Office
wont public confuse Scottish Office UK,to Scottish government
They might …until the SNP call out Carmichael and demand answers from the UK Scottish Office that resides within Westminster and London itself. And make no bones about it, if it is the Scottish Office, then Carmichael and Co will be looking to receive their P45’s (one way or another). Once the Scottish public see him, they will begin to understand. Plus, there is enough of us now to tell the so-called 55% (aye, right …55%! We’re the 55 now …and growing) that their side has not only dropped the ball, but been caught cheating too!
Craig Murray knows…
link to craigmurray.org.uk
I see that Mr Cook is complaining that he has received abuse just for doing his job. I do not condone abuse of anyone: but I was not aware that his job entailed putting words into the mouth of his interviewee; nor using implicature to suggest that her categorical denial is hiding her true policy or the views of his anonymous, though very senior, sources. He is not aware either, because he said that “doing his job” meant “just reporting the news”. Either he is supremely unaware of the difference between news reporting and opinion pieces: or he is doing what he is paid to do and trying to make the news rather than reporting it. Either way it is a very poor performance
Cracking interview Nicola, drive it home.
Happy 4th of April day!
My money is on a Cameron-Carmichael stitch up. There is no memo, not in that form. It will never be found.
Somebody has uncovered a genuine memo of March 6th and added a paragraph to it at the end.
It can only have been via Carmichael at Cameron’s bidding.
Cameron looking might smug today when asked about it and not a cheep from Carmichael all day. SO refused to comment on leaks.
@ Saltire
Aye, and I would like to grow feathers and fly. Honest, if Auld Nick was caught some folk would get up a petition to get him released.
almannysbunnet: What we want to see is a copy of the alleged memo not a transcription which tells us nothing. There is no traceability or “fingerprints” on a transcription.
I truly hope people north and south feel as I do, a heavy sadness that Nicola’s impeachable integrity has been traduced so swiftly and with such apparent ease.
The smear has all the hallmarks of something planned well in advance, held back for the right moment, released early as soon as the culprits realised Nicola was making a tremendously positive impression on the English population.
The smear tarnishes the English too, for it was done in their name against the people of Scotland.
You could hear the anti Indy tone in that guys voice he almost started shouting at Nicola. Dunno how she kept her cool. I would have blurted out “ya fuckin wee dick!” Eck, how the hell did you think this arse was decent?
I’ve just done exactly that Macart. Now I’m having to dry my eyes tears of laughter running down my cheeks. 😀
Rev – gloves off now – whatever’s needed – gloves off
Breaking story in the Torygraph about people in Scotland putting stickers on the offending article in paper shops! Read the quote from an outraged Torygraph reader. Funny as…
Now we know it was the Scottish Office that leaked surely Carmichael has to be asked to consider his opinion? At best his department is out of control at worst he was complicit
I heard it was the Her Maj the Queen that concocted the whole story…
Then she.. wait for it.. she PURRRRRED like a satisfied kitten, when the story broke like a shit storm on twitter..
No it’s a true story. Honest.. someone on the bus heard it from someone who wasn’t there who said they never knew anyone that was there, but liked kittens and worked for the BBC.
I would have fact checked it, but since the rest of the British media don’t give a f**k, why the hell should I?
Having written all the above, it could of course be a load of auld shite!
@ caz-m (7.44pm).
Katy Clark was at the demo for one reason and one reason only.
She was there for Katy Clark.
Of course, it also has the added benefit of allowing the Slabberites within the media to print misleading statements, when writing about the anti-trident demo.
Look out for crap such as; “Scottish Labours Katy Clark was in attendance” or “Scottish Labour election hopeful Katy Clark backs the scrapping of blah blah blah.”
With not a single mention of how her head and branch offices are absolutely staunchly in favour of bombs over people.
Katy Clark is out for herself and the powers that be should never have let her anywhere near that demo as a speaker etc.
If she was genuinely against WMD she would have resigned from Slabber long ago and joined one of the anti WMD parties.
And did anyone truly believe she was going to “cross the floor”
only 2 or 3 days after helping to organise Crash Broons visit to
Ardrossan on the Ayrshire coast.
Katy Clark is as slimy as the rest of the Slabberites.
Gary-that email reply by Cook “I’m a journalist that’s my job to ask the questions” pity he didnae fuckin ask ’em 24 hours ago! Cook-Je suis un bawbag.
@Lesley-Anne says: 4 April, 2015 at 4:41 pm:
“If memory serves right here AM Catriona Renton used to be a Labour councillor. Nuff said! 😀
Well remembered, Lesley-Anne and Catriona Renton has much form as a proven BBC liar. In fact has been caught out doing so and exposed : –
link to munguinsrepublic.blogspot.co.uk
caz-m says:
“I even got presented with a special “Paula Rose” badge from Ronnie Anderson.”
You haven’t really got a Paula Rose badge until she’s given you one 😉
(@Sunniva – you just beat me to it, but I’ll post this anyway.. 😀 )
On reflection I think this smear may have been instigated by Cameron. Payback for Nicola’s stitch up last Thursday. There was a look her gave her at on point that was just pure hatred.
He will have been aided and abetted by the whole establishment machine.
While I did blow a gasket over James Cook’s reporting initially he has redeemed himself somewhat by allowing the FM to have full and uninterrupted response. Albeit 15 hours or more since the first began the propagandist smear.
I suspect James is between a rock and a hard place and doing the best he can.
That this seems to have come from the Scottish Office (anti-Scottish Office more like) would implicate Carmichael, at the bidding of Cameron. I suspect Labour were in on it too probably through McTernan and MacDougall. This is more than just election campaigning shite. This is the british state in peril and trying to destroy a threat.
Exciting times.
PS Sorry I didn’t make it to the horses arse today but hope to see some of you at the Hollyrood rally on the 18th or at the CH on the 1st. Was at the BnB today with Kevin and Live Indy 😀
The “Scottish Office” is deliberate misdirection.
It doesn’t exist. It was replaced by the “Scotland Office” in 1999.
link to en.wikipedia.org
Barstewards!. Get angry people!
Stoker 8.35pm
When Katy Clark started talking at the Rally, hundreds in attendance suddenly realised that they had shopping to finish.
Bottom line, she voted AGAINST Scottish Independence and would do it again if she could get the chance.
Wee Ginger Dug 🙂
Quote: “But here’s the real lesson to learn from this debacle. Labour had a whole load of attacks ready to launch on social media within minutes of the Telegraph breaking the story on Friday night. So clearly Labour had been well briefed in advance that the story was going to be published. Instead of it being a story about how the SNP secretly favours the Tories, it’s now a story about how Labour is – yet again – cosying up to and colluding with the Tory establishment just like they did during the referendum campaign. Labour and the Tories, twin cheeks du même cul. Plus change, plus la même chose.”
Crawl under a rock and piss off James Cook.
What an absolute tosser.
We know the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have denied all knowledge of this alleged memo being in existance within the F.C.O.
Not a peep out of the Scottish Office other than to say they do not comment on leaks.
Well there we have it folks. One department denies the existance of implcating memo and other department refuses to comment on leaks. I think we all know who the culprit is right there don’t we? 😉
In my view, had the Scottish Office played no part in this attempted smear campaign then they, like the F.C.O., would have denied any existance of the memo. The very fact that they have NOT done so tells me everything. It is the Scottish Office who are sitting fair square smack bang in the middle of this attempt to smear the First Minister.
Now if only someone knew who the Secretary of State of Scotland was and how we could get hold of him for a quote or two then we might be able to put this attempted smear to bed once and for all!
gerry parker says: @ Iain Gray’s Subway Lament .
“Aye no worries. It’s jist ye were gettin @Stoker wound up.”
🙂
Aye, right, Mr.Parker, dinny try an turn it oan me.
Am no the yin helping Unionist websites.
🙂
I watched Livestream of the Bairns Not Bombs demo & yes, Katy Clark was there to attract votes. She only talked about herself & her track record, not a word on her party’s stance on Trident.
She wasn’t applauding anyone & spent most of her time sitting at the back of the stage checking her phone-so much so that one of other livestream viewers reckoned she was playing a game on it. When Cat Boyd sat next to her after speaking, Clark backed away immediately causing a viewer to comment on her body language.
I really think she should have given it a miss today because that was the only sour note of the whole demo as she made her feelings for Cat Boyd so obvious to anyone watching.
BrianW @ 8:43pm
You’d better be careful with an imagination like that.. the BBC might offer you a job mate 😉
Although you have a bit to go to out-bullshit Mr Cook lol.
With the course the “GREAT” Brittish ship of state has chosen we are heading for choppy waters as they have just signalled via the attempted smear on NICOLA and the Scottish people.
Rev Stu you are a sharp cooky however you and wings are an obvious high value target of these knuckle draggers so please be careful. The stablishment are very frightened and like a cornered rat will try anything to survive.
A lot more sinister and nasty things are being prepared to try and instil fear in us. then THEY LOOSE.
My money is on Carmichael,in cahoots with the Unionist cabal.
I hope it all blows up in their faces.There is no limit to how low they will go to preserve their elite status.
What would we call a Bastille day, in Scotland?
Robert Peffers says:
@Lesley-Anne says: 4 April, 2015 at 4:41 pm:
“If memory serves right here AM Catriona Renton used to be a Labour councillor. Nuff said! 😀
Well remembered, Lesley-Anne and Catriona Renton has much form as a proven BBC liar. In fact has been caught out doing so and exposed : –
link to munguinsrepublic.blogspot.co.uk
So THAT is what a brain cell is supposed to be used for then Robert. I always wondered why I had one rattling about in my head. 😀
I’m thinking what you are thinking Patrick Roden after reading WGD’s piece. There is MORE to this than just a straightforward *cough* leak from Scotland, or Scottish 😉 , Office. This has a riseable stench of a certain Labour Chief of Staff all over it!
Abuse of James Cook on here really doesn’t help our cause. Criticise by all means but keep a civil tongue.
@X_Sticks
What’s a Paula Rose badge?
No, forget I asked. 🙂
Lord Ashcroft ?@LordAshcroft · 33 seconds ago
Whoever leaked the confidential French Ambassador’s alleged comments to smear @NicolaSturgeon should be outed and smacked…
Time for the SNP to withdraw from supporting the RedTories in any way in WM.
Cook sounded like junior reporter,,,what a knobhead.
From Peter Murrell just now.
Another 2022 new SNP members today- now through 105,000 barrier 🙂
Read this & weep, SLab, LieDems & Con artists & the glorious MSM. Thank you all for your idiotic antics today. Guess you weren’t really expecting this result were you 🙂
@Morag says: 4 April, 2015 at 4:48 pm:
“The thing is, the election is a win-win affair.”
Actually it is more so than you imagine, Morag. The truth, strange as it may seem, is that it doesn’t matter a damn which party actually forms a government if the two main parties are very close in the count. It only matters when the party in power has a clear majority and thus has the luxury of being able to force through anything they please by weight of numbers.
I already posted the actual rules but will sum them again here. Any party, group or member of parliament, (Commons or Lords), or even a group or individual member of the public can propose a bill in parliament.
From that point on the rules are that bill must garner enough support to continue and eventually get to a vote. So if two main parties are numerically closely equal they can each prevent the other from passing a bill ONLY with the support of other parties. If the SNP/Plaid/Green group are large enough then one of two things happen
The two main parties co-operate with each other and thus destroy each other’s traditional support. This would involve them each making concessions to the other to get anything passed the vote. The other scenario is that the parties holding the balance moderate both larger parties but wheel and deal to their own benefit.
It really doesn’t matter a damn which large party is officially in power as they cannot force anything through nor even know anything they propose will make it to a vote.
” A memo does exist ” says James Cooke.
It kinda reminds me of another stalwart of the BBC Brian Taylor, waving a bit of paper about in an effort to discredit the SNP.
Sorry Mr Cooke , your interview made you the story and showed your ill manners. If you are getting pelters on Twitter you thoroughly deserve them – they merely show the discernment of the public you wish / tried to influence.
I look forward to you informing one and all of the identity of the ” senior figure (s)”you quoted and producing the wondrous memo .
Perhaps you could also inform us when the personnel of the BBC adopted ” godlike ” status putting them above criticism and allowing them to bleat ” abuse” when it is meted out to them.
And while I am on the subject , why is it that BBC Scotland could stop comments on their site throughout the referendum campaign – the only country of the UK to so do – while continuing to play the media arm of the Labour Party?
For me , you have put the tin lid on why I avoid the BBBC and especially the insulting BBBC Scotland political and news coverage.
Les Wilson asked:
What would we call a Bastille day, in Scotland?
Answer: “Pacific Quay Day” 🙂
Nicola to Cook: “I’m not making accusations, I’m asking questions.”
So what does Cook go ahead on the BBC website? “Sturgeon makes accusations of dirty tricks”….
The BBC and James Cook in person even this evening is persisting in twisting the words of the First Minister, leader of the UK’s third largest party by membership and a member of the Privy Council. He is attacking the democratic process and, thus, the constitution. I call that very serious indeed.
I think this whole story, dreamt up by useless men scared for their tax-dodging schemes and future place in the House of Lords, is best summed up by the final words in Greg Moodie’s latest cartoon, in which Nicola, Leanne and Bennett say:
YOU HAVE YOUR TEA, BOYS, AND LEAVE THE RUNNING OF THE COUNTRY TO US!
a wee game of where’s wally (Carmichael version)?
I thought I saw him at Asda govan…….
Some here have said that this smear has McTernan’s fingerprints all over it. Whilst this is the kind of black arts that McTernan excels at, I have reason to believe that he was not the architect here–I’ll come to why in a moment. I am more of the opinion that this smear was perpetrated by the Permanent Government of the UK, by those who fear they will not be able to control the SNP if they have any influence at WM–the Permanent Secretaries of the Civil Service. In short, the Establishment.
Think about it. If this was a McTernan ploy–why now? McTernan knows full well that there is a Scottish Leaders’ Debate next week on TV. This is the kind of thing McTernan would have kept in the bag for Dim Jim to pull out of the hat live during that debate. Without doubt that is exactly what McTernan would have done if he had any incling of this.
So no–not McTernan’s fingerprints but those of the Permanent Government of the UK–the Civil Service (the ‘Establishment’) who regard the SNP as an ‘enemy of the UK unitary State’.
The mysterious ‘memo’ – It was mentioned on the BBC R4 news at 11pm last night that it was ‘a memo which has been seen by the BBC’. Oddly I havent heard that said again since then but cant claim to have heard every bulletin.
What’s this faux outrage over the abuse of Cook? So we just meekly accept it his bull and know our place? Have ye watched the clip? FFS.
The hounding of the BBC’s James Cook exposes the uglier side of Scottish nationalism
4 April 2015 21:10 Fraser Nelson
BBC Scotland’s James Cook caught up with Nicola Sturgeon today and asked her about the Telegraph‘s leaked memo. But he also told her that the story chimes with what he has been told by senior SNP figures – that it suits their wider purpose to have a Tory Prime Minister because it rallies support for independence.
His asking this question infuriated the CyberNats who rounded on him. Rarely for a BBC journalist, he commented on it:
He raises a good point. In the final weeks of the Scottish referendum campaign, the uglier side of Scottish nationalism became visible – non-believers were treated as Quislings.
That’s the problem with nationalism, it stirs these kind of sentiments: the idea that if you don’t agree with the SNP (or, even worse, rank amongst the 500,000 Tories in Scotland) you are a somehow a ("Tractor" - Ed), un-Scottish even.
Pete Wishart, a nationalist MP, once said that in Scotland, ‘we loathes the Tories’. I’m not sure what that says about his approach to the thousands of Tories in his own constituency. But this is the trap: the nationalists become so convinced that they speak for Scotland that they see their opponents as being enemies of the Scottish people.
To nationalist zealots, a BBC journalist asking challenging questions of the Dear Leader is reprehensible.
Today, even serious SNP-sympathising commentators have been demanding that the Telegraph apologises for revealing a leaked memo.
The temperature does rise during elections, but things get ugliest when nationalism is involved – as Nick Robinson found out.
So it’s worth keeping an eye on the mood in Scotland over the next few weeks. The SNP leadership are, in my experience, refreshingly open-minded, good-humoured and intelligent.
But the problem with nationalisms as a creed is that it attracts, as its followers, an angry mob – in the SNP’s case, a digital lynch mob. I suspect we’ll see a lot more of this in Scotland before the campaign is out
Aye cook is journalist and is paid to ask questions. With labour they never ask the key questions – why they voted for austerity etc. I couldn’t understand why salmond in his book complimented cook when his impartiality was at best questionable.
The bbc and rest of the MSM will drag this on and on. I feel they are only alienating more people. Just wondering what they will try next…
To nationalist zealots, a BBC journalist asking challenging questions of the Dear Leader is reprehensible.
More bollocks from Fraser Nelson uttered with his usual strangled vowels.
It had nothing to do with Cooke’s questions, everything to do with his overlong extended interrogation – straight out of a Bruce Willis movie – yet another BBC employee on the make for promotion, a wannabee Jeremy Paxman.
Fraser Nelson article obviously a Unionist. “I see nothing, I see nothing” mentality.Another biased no voter. Read hundreds of articles like that in the last year. Yawn.
The plot thickens, and while that happens an extra large load of emergency bog-roll is delivered to the Scottish Office. And surely the current Scottish Secretary will be available for comment regarding a certain “memo”.
All involved in this disgrace have to be named and shamed, though I would prefer tarred and feathered.
Pity James Cook wasnt doing his job when the abysmal Lamont was the Labour branch office manager and she called half the Scots population of being a ‘virus’. Where was Cook then..oh thats right..he has orders not to touch his beloved unionist Labour party on orders from his masters at the British biased corp. It does indeed Cook is blinded my his own British nationalism hence his shameful interview of Nicola Sturgeon. Look in the mirror man.
I wish people would stop going on about Cook. It’s Carmichael we should be focussing on. He is behind the leak, either by orchestrating it, orletting it happen under his watch. Why are we letting him off the hook?
X_Sticks 8.45pm
“You haven’t really got a Paula Rose badge until she’s given you one.”
X_Sticks, I don’t like the sound of Paula Rose “giving me one”.
Winkie thing!
If Cook is still chairing the debate through the week hopefully someone in the audience can ask him a few questions and discredit him accordingly.
Regards James Cook
Regardless how you feel about his reporting, there IS another dynamic that everyone seems to be overlooking and that is the pressure that James Cook is under, not only from his bosses in BBC Scotland, but from BBC Network News in Salford.
This by no means is making an excuse for him, but I think there has to be a better understanding of what pressure James Cook is under.
He will be getting told by BBC Scotland ‘to get the story’ perhaps with a favouring to the Labour cause (but not obvious) and then he is given by the ‘higher authority’ of BBC News
Anyway that’s my take
@Joseph Robinson says: 4 April, 2015 at 4:55 pm:
“It seems to me that this story is yet another dirty tactic of either the torrys or even scottish labour to discredit the SNP … “
I think, Joseph, that you may be missing a vital bit of evidence with that suspicion. Think on this – The claim being made has to have come via a Civil Servant in the Scottish Office.
The memo the claim is based upon is a Scottish Office Memo written by a Scottish Office Civil Servant. Current holder of the Office of Secretary of State for Scotland is The Rt Hon Alistair Carmichael of the LibDems and the Scottish Office is his Ministry.
Now the first thing is that the Scottish Secretary was not present at the meeting between Nicola and the French Ambassador. So anything claimed in the memo cannot be first hand and both of the first hand persons say no such thing took place.
Furthermore, how could a Scottish Office Memo get out of the Scottish Office and into the hands of a newspaper? Now it is feasible, or even probable, the memo was copied to the Westminster Foreign Office but they deny any knowledge of it being leaked.
Next up is the wee fact that both the Scottish Office and the Scottish Secretary have gone very, very quiet all of a sudden and the main beneficiaries of this leak, (if it were genuine), would be the 11 sitting LibDem MPs with most surveys expecting all but Carmichael to lose their seat to the SNP.
So Joseph, still think the Labour or Tories most suspect?
I have always had a lot of time for James Cook as a journalist, he’s appeared fair in much of his reporting.
Something about his bearing, reporting style & twitter feed over the last 24 hrs just doesn’t ring true.
At the very real risk of being caused of tinfoil hattery I’d say he’s been ‘talked to & reminded of his ‘responsibilities’ to the BBC’.
bookie from hell at 9:35 pm
Bookie, I’m always supportive of your posts but I don’t see the wisdom in cutting and pasting that little shite-bag Nelson’s views without at least making a comment on them.
I doubt anybody here would pay good money to read the crap he spews out in his rag (whatever it’s called), and I for one don’t want to read it for free either.
BTW, anybody else notice that Nelson’s face always has that nasty wee “I smell shite” expression about it? (Ad hominem, I know, but frankly I don’t give a fuck.)
James Cook non entity
That’s my whole point of the likes of James Cook, Jackie Bird, Sarah Smith etc. the fact that if they are ‘under pressure’ from their bosses why don’t they grow a pair and speak up. During the whole referendum campaign I think we were all just wishing one of them would find a bit of self respect and realism that they are betraying their country and countrymen to appease their corrupt organisation.
I know people will say yeah but if it’s your livelihood at stake etc. I don’t buy it, no matter what job I’ve held I have had a line I won’t cross in relation to my beliefs. If I was being a blatant ("Tractor" - Ed) to my own country then that line would be even thinner.
@ Alan fae Neilston, I also saw this Torquil Crichton at the rally, just at the kick-off, skinny lookin & scruffy, I thought “cannae be”, so it wiz!
I think the best thing we can do for Nicola sturgeon now is to remain calm and campaign all the harder. Simply say to the UK establishment “is that all you’ve got?”
To me, this sounds like an intercept (probably on all calls to the French consulate, or more frighteningly the FM’s office) has been written up by an MI* officer and reported as CX (link to sis.gov.uk) which often has some analyst opinion like as layer of butter on the report. This CX gets sent to the relevant minister and sometimes CC’d to another dept.
In this case, the Scotland Office has received the report – but because it is protectively marked as SECRET which would mean breach of the OSA if leaked to a journalist, some politically motivated individual has rewritten it as as “memo to be leaked”.
Just one of many possible explanations. (You can find out all about this process on various websites and wikileaks, don’t take my word for it).
Dorothy Devine (nice meeting you today) 9.27pm Re Godlike BBC Scotland.
Very well put Dorothy. BBC Scotland just luv giving it out and just hate it coming back at them.
Cook’s (Jackie) burd is cooked.
He will never be allowed the free reign he had before, when he could mingle freely with the YES crowd.
Those days are over James.
@Marie clark says: 4 April, 2015 at 5:39 pm:
“James Cook has tweeted that Sir Jeremy Heywood will hold and inquiry into this story. Ah well boys, here comes the gallons of whitewash.
Ach! Weel!, Marie, it will keep Heywood’s mind off the chances of his own transgressions of obvious bias coming up for examination.
Christ it’s STILL the lead story on the EBC.
Perhaps the authors of the vow were responsible.
Soon there’s going to have to be a big lost property box for “Big fat fucking lies” where fairy tales with no owners can be deposited.
Whilst I’m here, I’m shocked at the amount of folk who had any respect for ANY BBC arsehole.
Seriously folks, these guys can’t lie to themselves. They know the deal and if they don’t then they’re very shit at their job.
I’ve left jobs on principle, I don’t expect others to do the same, but you don’t expect public servants to lie straight to your face.
I look forward to all of them being unemployed.
WOW
Sunday Post
hunt for mole
Cameron memo?
@ Stevie Boy 09:01pm..
“You’d better be careful with an imagination like that.. the BBC might offer you a job mate”
Bloody hell, do you think my post will be taken as an online CV to be a BBC reporter? Christ, I best turn off the lights and close the curtains.. pretend I’m no in in case they chap the door.. Bloody paparazzi..
Firstly..aye, keep the slagging to a minimum. J Cook is an innocent career type following his departmental instincts. Using what he thinks are tough Paxmanesque techniques. Who hasn’t made a fool of themselves at work.
Secondly, Watch our backs from the real nasties in this world- the war industry will roll on..for some time yet..it wants to roll in our country, an ancient land which had learned its lessons through a history of wars even before the disaster which was the 20th century.
Finally, behave. Too easy, too lazy, to be sleary.
Nicola saw off Cook’s attempt to shoehorn a squirrel into the proceedings beautifully. I have no particular gripe over that part of the interview because it allowed Nicola to reiterate that she was the one being accused. She is too experienced to be distracted like that.
Cameron looks happy and there is lot more of Eton than Irvine in the expression “not prime minister material”. I know people think it has the hallmark of McTernan but the Tories have one of those too in Crosby. If it did come from Carmichael’s office rather than the FCO then I think it as likely that it was Carmichael that leaked it as a civil servant. The latter would face the bag for breaching purdah.
Of course it might not even be the original document.
That said Ed and Morphy seem to think a story saying their man isn’t the right stuff for the top job is brilliant news. I am not sure I even understand how their minds work any more.
Fat boab
sorry bud
fraser nelson is from telegraph
i posted just to show how demented he is
I will stop cut & paste
Joemcg says:
4 April, 2015 at 8:30 pm
Breaking story in the Torygraph about people in Scotland putting stickers on the offending article in paper shops! Read the quote from an outraged Torygraph reader. Funny as…
I was the person who placed three stickers on copies of the Daily Telegraph in Irvine on Saturday morning.
The stickers stated:
This story is a fabrication
and has been denied by
both Nicola Sturgeon and
The French Ambassador
I did this as a private individual incensed by the slur against our First Minister and the French Ambassador and Consul General. I have no regrets. What i did was to correct allegations in an article that have been denied by all parties involved.
I intend to send an e-mail to Patrick Sawyer at the Telegraph pointing out that I was responsible for the stickers and asking if he wishes to take any further action.
Tartanarse:
Yeah totally agree with u, as I just wrote, any decent human being has principles.. obviously not any BBC presenter or reporter it seams.
They deserve all they get.
BrianW:
Haha, yeah mate better close the curtains and keep your head down, they might be lining you up to replace Cook as we speak 😉
JLT says:
4 April, 2015 at 7:18 pm
Macnakamura says:
4 April, 2015 at 5:56 pm
JLT says: Seriously, if this has come from the Scottish Office, then they seriously don’t know the mindset of their own people.
No, they do know “their own people”.
—-
Hi Macnakamura. to be honest, mate. I really don’t think they do. If anything, I think they have underestimated the people of Scotland.
::::::::::::::
I may have been too subtle but I was intending to draw a distinction.
‘Their people’ not the Scottish people.
————
Nice to meet you too Caz-m!
Sadly , with him bleating and having the man with the strangled vowels writing nonsense in the Speccie not to mention that nice wee article they have from the discredited Damien McBride , all that camaraderie/bonhommie experienced today has evaporated and I am now feeling ANGRY!
I think I’ll have to re read WGD to stop me grinding my teeth in irritation!
While Katy Clark was in Glasgow, her colleagues were manning a stall in Saltcoats Main Street. They were there when we arrived (at 10.45) and they packed up at 12.40.
Got to give them some credit – in the current climate? they’re brave to even show face. But the reaction from the punters was astonishing – there might as well have been a force-field around Labour’s wallpaper table, such was the constancy of the broad body-swerve they were given.
One elderly lad (who had, apparently, just spent some time in an early-morning drinking establishment) went into fits of laughter on seeing one of our posters, loudly informing us that we ‘couldn’t fucking spell ‘socialist’ let alone understand what it means!’. When we pointed out that we were actually the SSP, he apologised profusely. As responsible citizens we felt duty-bound to inform him that the Labour stall was the next one down, whereupon he headed off and berated them for a full ten minutes, to the considerable amusement of a small crowd.
From the pitch we had today, looking down Saltcoat’s main shopping precinct, it’s possible to see the corner of the Labour Social Club, near the seafront. It’s right at the bit where telly crews always head they want dramatic shots of high waves.
It’s hard to exaggerate the contempt shown towards them today, and even a film wouldn’t convey it. It’s in the body language of folk who can’t bear to even go near them. It’s in the laughter exchanged when folk think they’re out of earshot of Clark’s campaigners.
Labour is about to be well and truly tsnunamied in North Ayrshire. And if it happens here? It can happen anywhere.
With regard to James Cook, I could not care less if the BBC have a red hot poker up his gluteus maximus, he is nothing more than a unionist lackey.
James-good on ye son! Imagine even reporting that! Desperadoes. Think the quote was something like it is against the law and an outrage! Lol gave me a belly laugh.
Sunday Herald front page:
link to twitter.com
So a senior member of the SNP was chatting to wee Jimmy here about how he/she would like to see Tories in government for tactical reasons, but wee Jimmy can’t tell Nicola whom they were as it was a “private conversation”? Seems legit.
Fk the BBC. Fk their paedos and racists. BBC Drama output is like a primary school play compared to the quality stuff coming out of the US (and Europe) today.
The DM website is now showing an unflattering picture of Nicola with the word crap above her al la the murph one with dire, i am a great believer of if something smells bad, looks bad and certainly tastes bad there’s a good chance it’s shite
WTF is Tractor-Ed? is it some new kids animated series about a shiny tractor that gets bogged down in the muddy right side of the field surrounded by enemies and covered in shit?
So, after many hours, it is starting to look like this made up memo and fake accusation is coming back to bite a few of the paid liars in the Westminster run ‘Scotland’ office.
This just hasn’t played out well for the unionists, and Labour are now looking even worse, due to their complicit and frankly rather craven behaviour today. Labour still have not learned, that if you are going to run around smearing somebody in public, you’d best make sure you are right first.
If we ever needed evidence of ALL that is so very wrong with the Westminster system, then today gives us evidence in shovelfuls.
The sooner Scotland breaks free from this dirty corrupt and corrupting Westminster system of quasi colonialism, the better.
@ X Sticks caz m cant make our Wings night out & he was dying to meet Paula Rose, so in the this case I would hope Paula Rose would forgive US Wingers who have been stroked in giving caz m a stroking badge he was stroked by several lady wingers in Paula Roses absence.
caz m also Be Knighted Crazy cat & K1 with the Curly Hairy String,young Martin cazm has the photo,s & will post then up when he stops laughing.
A good day had by all Wingers. Thanks to PeteTC & BrianDTT their badges raised money for foodbanks in Dundee & Maryhill.
A Big Hiya to all the Lurkers we met today, be a Lurcher lets hear your barks on WOS.
From Craig Murray,who knows exactly what he is talking about in these matters. Be warned.
“Timing is all. I was wondering how the security services would react to the seemingly unstoppable SNP momentum, following Nicola Sturgeon’s brilliant performance in the leaders’ debate. When I gave that talk to the SNP club, I warned that, as the main threat to the British state, we would suffer the full panoply of dirty tricks from MI5 and CIA. This would include increased penetration, communication interception, agent provocateur activities, forgeries and eventually might include false flag violence blamed on nationalists.”
Was at the anti trident rally today ,seen that torchuil crichton ass wipe there .he was looking very ill at ease,kept looking over his shoulder.what a rocket
I have a theory that this entire episode has been perfectly orchestrated by the right wing/Tory press to actually do more harm to Labour than than Nicola Sturgeon/SNP. In fact I am sure they knew that it would actually benefit the SNP.
First they publish what they must have known to be a ‘dodgy’ memo bordering on a complete lie. They knew that the inept Miliband, Murphy, Dugdale, SLAB et al would be all over it like a rash. Not sure about anyone else but I didn’t see many Tory tweets. All were Labour gleefully jumping on the so-called bandwagon.
Knowing full well that social media would quickly be on to their story the past 24 hours have turned what was a ‘shock revelation’ to a dirty tricks campaign with a civil service investigation ensuing.
This leaves Labour, especially in Scotland high and dry apart from the runny yoke from the egg on their face. To see them champion the ‘Tory-graph must have had the top brass at that paper popping the champagne corks.
Today I have lost count of the tweets etc of previously staunch Labour supporters pledging to vote for or join the SNP as a result of Labour’s behavior in the last 24 hours. I suppose if there is any good to come out of this sordid episode then that these people have finally seen Slab for they are then great
What this does is make the task of the SNP to remove SLab from the political map in Scotland that bit easier and as a result gives DC and the Tories more chance of clinging on to power in Westminster. Isn’t that what the Telegraph want?
Keep me posted. Cant watch the news anymore. Used to think that things would come out in the wash, but the stains on the British establishment are becoming permanent. Thanks to the collective memory of the people, the ease of the internet and the persistence of political/historical discussion.
Stevieat 10.23
Sorry If I repeated anything you said. I hadn’t(and still haven’t) read any of the posts, just angrily jumped straight in, but I’m glad I’m not alone.
I haven’t believed or trusted MSM for years and until Wings came along, began to wonder if I was a lone loon that just didn’t understand what was going on.
Turns out I wasn’t alone. Thank God for that!
@Harry McAye 9:13pm
“Abuse of James Cook on here really doesn’t help our cause. Criticise by all means but keep a civil tongue.”
Harry, I’m all for journo’s asking questions, holding our Elected Members to account etc, but the tone used sometimes is like a petulant child stamping his/her feet having a strop after being told they can’t have a second Curly Whirly.
Jackie done it during the referendum interviewing AS re currency on 13th Aug 2014. She replied to him “that is NOT the preferred option”, forgetting that her own employer had run a story re a survey of the preferred option of Currency Union on it’s own website link to bbc.co.uk. Her tone was shocking.
Journalists hiding behind the Hacks favourite get out of jail phrase “Press Freedom” – This is all very well sometimes. But where do you draw the line with that?
Do you really believe that Freddie Star ate someone’s hamster. It was in a paper so it must be true. Or that so and so was abducted by Aliens, probed and had an Aliens fingernail removed?
When to we get to that stage where one lie is just one lie too many and they are challenged?
Are the press allowed to be challenged? Seems to me they can get away with printing any auld pish they want to and when they are challenged they hold up their ‘It’s a Knockout’ Joker card with Press Freedom written on it.. like Keyseez, or 5-10 (or what ever other phrase you used to use for taking a wee breather from a game of Tig etc.)
P.S. No Curly Whirly’s were injured by vigerous chewing during this post (nor did I ask Cadbury if i could use the name..oops)
Lollysmum at 8.58
Cat Boyd and John Ainslie at an anti Trident meeting in the Braes in Dunoon on Wednesday night.
(Smashing venue for meetings or small conferences)
FFS WTAF
Can you just give it up with the moronic and self harming James Cook stuff.
Here is the First Minister on the matter:
For the record and IMO @BBCJamesCook is one of the best journalists in Scotland. Tough but scrupulously fair and a consummate professional
So you see those words SCRUPULOUSLY FAIR and CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONAL?
Clear enough for you?
@Marcia
Like the Murphy silhouette.
Tartanarse:
Not at all mate, I likewise was glad that other people think the same way.
If one brave Sir Galihad stood up and exposed the establishment/ Beeb for what they are and said they couldn’t go along wih peddling their lies any longer then I’m sure countless folk in Scotland would cheer them and hold them in high regard. If anything they would get a better job in an independant Scotland 😉
A few folk on here getting a bit het up at times – its worth listening to Srdja Popovic on this recording link to bbc.co.uk from about 1m30 in
where he describes the techniques for a successful and peaceful, er, whisper the word, insurgency e.g. humour. You’ll notice that the Yes movement ticked all the boxes. Thanks to the BBC for this.. I was surprised to hear them broadcast it. Be quick, they might pull it when they see this post 🙂
The notion that Nicola Sturgeon would make any such remark in a minuted meeting is absolutely absurd.
This is a very important intervention which can seriously damage our opponents.
We should concentrate on highlighting lies told in desperation. When people understand they are being lied to they very quickly change their positions
Sorry for going O/T here but just seen a Tweet from Tartan Taxis who are tweeting that they are offering FREE travel throughout Highland for all SNP MP candidates.
Every little helps. 😉
Well done Tartan Taxis. I salute you. 😀
– and sorry from me too, Bookie.
Far too snippy, far too stressed
back to business
Stoker at 8.34 Whilst Katy Clarke was posturing at George Square I was at West Kilbride SNP stall trying to get her deposed.Vote for Patricia Gibson and bollocks to Clarke walking across floor .I have chapped doors in North Ayrshire for months not for an opportunist to jump in at last minute.She had Brown las week and Owen Jones week before she is panicking that’s why she was there.
Ronnie Anderson
You done well today matey. Good day out. Cheers
Martyn will put up pics later.
Troll boy, what else do you think she would say, muppet.
@asklair says: 4 April, 2015 at 6:34 pm:
“Sunday papers will be out soon, what black propaganda is going to spew out of those publications. Which individual are they going to try and smear this time. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.
O.k. Asklair, Here we go
WE ARE NICOLA
Gee whiz callum! It may sound like and intercept but for that to be be so then not only would either the first minister, the Scottish Office, or more worryingly the French need to have their wire tapped but in addition it would actually have to be true. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink say no more.
As predicted, becoming the dirtiest General Election campaign in history.
They got plenty of practise during the Referendum.
Still, to go for something as brazen and as easily disproved as well as completely unbelievable indicates their level of fear has reached ‘critical’
Now that she has spoken directly to the entire British public they can’t represent SNP as a ‘threat’ or as some English-hating horde come to burn down parliament!
She has been very well received across England and, almost despite themselves, the printed press and even the BBC have had to acknowledge this.
This scares the established powerbase to the core. They’re too late, change is coming.
no probs fat boab
the anti trident pics glasgow cheered me up,an cheers Nicola received
Itsme at 10.49
I’m not the FM so I can call BBC fuckwits, fuckwits. I don’t expect that the FM would say the same.
So, please accept the following FM style statement.
I really admire Jim Murphy. He does a great job and loves the biggest party and has size 13 feet. He is great and so professional.
I hate to get all negative on you…
But the reason crap like this is even attempted is because the establishment think that the average voter is an utterly misinformed stooge, bereft of critical thinking skills or any ability to hold coherent logical thoughts – strung along by the nose by their own biases and emotional attachments like children, looking for the next person to lead them to that promised land of fairness, equality and ‘change’ and naively believing that the ballot box will bring that.
And they are largely correct. The people who own Britain know their herd of tax cattle. That was firmly proven in the referendum. None of us wanted to believe that our dumbf**k compatriots would buy the crap and lies but enough of them did.
Are you ready for more disappointment? You better be. The people at the top, the establishment, are smart and ruthless and the people at the bottom are dumb and complacent. Further the people at the top dont have any illusions – they know they are fighting for their privelage, their wealth, their tax breaks and cosey little business/political relationships and their family lines and they know what they have to do to keep this. In a monetary economic system they hold the only thing that counts – money. Its conflict. Its war and they know that they must continue to win. Compare this with the electorate who think in terms of ‘countries’, ‘ideals’, ‘principles’ and other technically meaningless guff. And remember that these ones are actually the minority who can get their heads out of the sport section of whatever tabloid toilet paper they insult whats left of their braincells with.
This story is merely an opening salvo. The first shot to zero in the sights. The next efforts will get increasingly subtle and be better aimed. Thats if Ms Sturgeon and the SNP are actually for real in the first place and dont have…i dont know….a Common Purpose?
Now that i have detached myself from the results im going to be amused at seeing how the establishment continue to turn this around, and im going to laugh ironically at the people (sheep) falling for the same old s**t time and time again and then wondering why they are constantly fleeced.
The really funny thing is that all these political actors are really just interior decorators on the titanic – this boat is going to f**king sink unless a course change is taken that is so drastic, so radical that most of even the academic world cant wrap their heads around it yet.
@ caz m naw Des (we awe) didid weil the day but that what Wingers do, app to Martyn for speiling his name wrang in the previous post.
BTW folks PeteTC & BrianDTT gave me £100 for Maryhill foodbank,from the badge donations.
It’s all about Trident.
Think about it – if there hadn’t been the trumping and massive defelction of this lie there would have been more in-depth coverage of Nicola at the George Square CND rally.
Expect Trident to be the 2015 “currency” issue that the unionist’s will use against us. It wouldn’t surprise me if they are praying for more trouble in Ukraine to suit their scaremongering scenarios.
We in Scotland are used to Unionist lies and I dare say it will get the SNP a few more votes. But such manipulation will be new to a lot of folk in England. How’s about a Wings over England, Rev? WOE sounds good. They could do with one before we manage to escape? And then there’s WOW and WONE.
For Labour to collude with this is shocking and stupid – taxi for the whole lot of them. The dodo party.
Just watched the 11.30pm newspaper review on Sky News. “Nickileaks” is still getting top billing on tv, but only one Sunday paper has Sturgeon on the front cover, and that’s an article about an offer to Milliband an anti-austerity agreement.
The top half of the Sun was hidden, but as things stand it looks as if NONE of the (English edition) Sunday papers has covered the story as front page news. Given the hysteria of the last 24hrs, that’s amazing. They’d never miss a chance to bash the Nats, so it points to one obvious conclusion.
@ David.
Spot on – but it’s sites like this that open up a chink of light – and once Joe Public starts asking questions then the establishment better watch out. You are right – most folk don’t care too much as long as they are all right, Jock. But nobody likes being lied to and made a fool of. Watch this space.
@Fiona,
It is common (if not mandatory) practice that when a member of a devolved administration has talks with a representative of a foreign nation state, an official of the relevant UK govt. department is also present.
The relevant department being in this case the Scotland Office…..
Personally, I’m going to call this one for the Lib Dems. It was heavy-footed and unsubtle, and that ‘memo’ was never likely to stand close examination for long. So Tories (tipped off) did well to stand clear. Labour (also tipped off) fell headlong into it, because SNP=Bad blinded their judgement.
As for Craig Murray seeing the fingerprints of MI5 all over it, I don’t believe a word. It was far, far, to unsubtle – it’s a classic product of politicians who think they are cleverer than they are.
@terry
It’s all about Trident.
That did cross my mind this morning when I realised the rally would be pushed off the front pages.
There was a labour supporter on Andrew Neil’s This Week program after the debates and when asked about Trident replied that he personally agrees with Sturgeon on getting rid of it.
Neil said something along the lines of ‘Are there any labour supporters that still support it’s renewal? and the labour guy and Portillo just laughed.
It could well be that they are terrified of the SNP and a Labour rebels (ever the optimist me!) carrying a motion against renewal.
The civil servant who leaked memo was on a zero hour contract……….no phone call/text to come into work for awhile!!!!!!!!!
@Lesley-Anne says: 4 April, 2015 at 7:47 pm:
” … If the Secretary of State for Portsmouth wants some anti depressants he can damned well get them himself!
Jings! Lesley-Anne, keep the heid, yon Knapdarloch wad jist pit the cost o thae pills oan his expenses and wi wad aa hae tae pay fir thaim.
Owersettin intil the Inglis: Good heavens, Lesley-Ann, use common sense. That upstart would just charge the cost of the pills to his expenses and thus make us all pay for them.
DARFC
Response to itsme 10.49?
Wait for the leaked memo to come out from Bute House.
Sturgeon: that James Cook is a unionist ass.
Robert Peffers says:
@Lesley-Anne says: 4 April, 2015 at 7:47 pm:
” … If the Secretary of State for Portsmouth wants some anti depressants he can damned well get them himself!
Jings! Lesley-Anne, keep the heid, yon Knapdarloch wad jist pit the cost o thae pills oan his expenses and wi wad aa hae tae pay fir thaim.
Owersettin intil the Inglis: Good heavens, Lesley-Ann, use common sense. That upstart would just charge the cost of the pills to his expenses and thus make us all pay for them.
DARFC
No he cannae. Not if we kick him oot on his earse on May 7th! 😀
Late to the James Cook commentary, but remember that tough questions allow a strong politician like Nicola to shine – the harder she is challenged the stronger and more capable she will appear
Sounds to me like James mis-spoke during a live interview in a highly charged atmosphere, but by raising the issue of SNP pro Tory whisperings with her, he also gave her the opportunity to shoot it down in flames.
The more Nicola is attacked, the bigger the anti Westminster backlash in Scotland will be – it’s all good
@James U, 10:41pm
Spot on, I agree with this 100%. The Tories have been playing Labour and especially the Scottish branch office like a violin for the last 3 years. The big question is why were no Tories tweeting this? It reads like a vindication of David Cameron for Prime Minister but by and large it was Labour who were tweeting it.
@Joemcg says: 4 April, 2015 at 9:47 pm:
”
Fraser Nelson article obviously a Unionist. “I see nothing, I see nothing” mentality. Another biased no voter. Read hundreds of articles like that in the last year. Yawn.
Joe, just ask the objectionable numptie if he knows there are two types of Nationalism – His and ours.
Ours is a simple wish to only have the right to run our own country to suit ourselves and to do no harm to any other Country. This type of nationalism is totally benign.
The other is like his – the wish of a country to dominate other countries and to prevent them the freedom to run their own countries to benefit themselves – this style of Nationalism is totally evil and a few examples of such nationalism are the Russian dominated USSR, The Republic of China and the former British Empire, and of course present United Kingdom that is in fact the de facto Parliament of the Country of England calling itself the United Kingdom while devolving England’s power to the other three United Kingdom countries.
Most of all though, is the German Third Reich under the NAZI party which initials stand for the National Socialist Party but never was either national or Socialist in its existence. It was international attempting to dominate others and exactly the opposite of socialist. Like the UK a misnomer.
Now would Mr Nelson care to tell us which of the two nationalist descriptions, that of the United Kingdom or that of the Scots, is closest to that of the NAZI Party?
larf or wot…or mibees not …A Royal Navy nuclear submarine seems to have suffered £500,000 worth of damage after hitting a lump of floating ice while tracking a Russian vessel. Are Submarines not specifically designed so they can break through ice when surfacing?. perhaps the captain needs a refresher course in sailing.The quicker they are scrapped the safer we all will be.
Hats off to Derek Bateman.
Here’s a very perceptive quote by Derek written in newsnet.scot :-
Sae nee ye ken.
@Lesley-Anne says: 5 April, 2015 at 12:27 am:
” … No he cannae. Not if we kick him oot on his earse on May 7th!”
Och! yon Secretary gadgie kin buy a muckle wheen o yon wee peels afore May. Onyway, he wad mibbie flip thaim fir ither kinds o wee helpers.
Of course, the part of the alleged memo nobody seems to be mentioning, which puts a different shade on the whole thing, is the very last sentence:
“I have to admit that I’m not sure that the FM’s tongue would be quite so loose on that kind of thing in a meeting like that, so it might well be a case of something being lost in translation.”
In other words, not even the civil servant writing up the note believes this actually happened as written.
As for the rest of the kerfuffle, this is the obvious backlash for the flawless performance in the leaders debate just hours earlier, where the rest of the UK got to see that Sturgeon is head and shoulders above what they have to put up with. A bunch of PR soundbites who’s popularity ratings combined do not match the levels of support NS has in Scotland. The Westminster parties did not like the reaction she got from large parts of middle England, and, so, we have this.
This is just the starters gun for a tide of Project Fear inspired propaganda. Have your noseguards at the ready people, you’re not going to like the stink that’s coming.
I don’t really see what James Cook has done wrong.
His interview seemed reasonable to me and the smear has been comprehensively defeated and exposed. Nicola herself tweeted in support of him.
We knew the print media is biased before this anyway. *Shock Horror Telegraph tried to stitch up the SNP* We need to be careful that we don’t get so hysterical that we give them a stick to beat us with.
Kininvie says:
4 April, 2015 at 11:51 pm
@Fiona,
It is common (if not mandatory) practice that when a member of a devolved administration has talks with a representative of a foreign nation state, an official of the relevant UK govt. department is also present.
I have not seen any claim, anywhere, that a rep of the UK govt was present when the conversation with the French diplomat took place, though
@bella
“His interview seemed reasonable to me”
I’m sorry but his interview was not reasonable. His rant half way through was ill mannered and rude to the FM. He certainly would not have used that tone of voice with the PM or Milliband. He can ask any questions he wants, that’s his job, but he should do it with respect.
Well I disagree Jim, I like it when journalists ask politicians difficult questions. Even politicians I grew with and support. That’s their job.
I think ‘we’ are in danger of language that is so brutal and a tone that is so paranoid and aggressive that we begin to look unhinged.
Hysterical as well as deluded. Very much agree with Bella; rise above the fray – just as the FM has done so eloquently. This diatribe from a predictable source – Bruce Anderson.
link to telegraph.co.uk