The blunderbuss
Posted on
October 24, 2015 by
Chris Cairns
The world's most-read Scottish politics website
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A tall tale
Wee Books
Video
Probably a robbery
Transphobia
Pull the trigger, I dare you.
The Unionist modus operandi 🙂
link to archive.is
It never happened right.
Vote Wullie, Vote LibDem, vote anyone, just stop voting SNP, its for your own good, honest.
…they have pulled the trigger. EVEL will damage them and their union.
Hahaha. Genius!
I just can’t wait for them to realise what they’ve done 🙂
Another fine mess. Shooting themselves in the foot. Labour/Unionists. Do they ever learn?
link to youtube.com
Mr Cameron – how does it feel to be the last PM of the Union. I wonder how it will all be described in modern studies and what they will say say about him. Maybe he will be described as a “pig in a poke” prime minister who destroyed the union. I just feel so sorry for my English friends who have no where to turn.
Cool picture.
Now I have a couple of very easy questions for you all, 1 – what is the point of Willie Rennie ? and 2 – will the libdems pay their fucking policing bill ?
This EVEL is a richt coo’s erse of a dug’s breakfast
I think Ooe Wullie will have problems even getting ‘No’ voters to vote for him.
Great cartoon Chris, as always.
I am still of the belief that the Tories know exactly what they’re doing. On the one hand they’re trying to call out bluff so that we’ll hold a second referendum and lose again, thus taking independence off the table for a long, long time.
But they also have a Grand Plan. They see the creation of London & the South-East as a City State. Perhaps they actually want us to break away; it would certainly make their Grand Plan easier to achieve. As far as the rest of the UK is concerned I don’t believe the Tories give a stuff about it. They see money as the wealth creator, not genuine industry.
O/T worth listening to what Prof Alyson Pollock on Radio Scotland GMS @ 8.20 says on how NHS in Scotland is far better than in England
Jaqueline McDowell says
” Maybe he will be described as a “pig in a poke” prime minister ”
Or a poke in a pig even?
Well you started it. 🙂
Davy says
“Now I have a couple of very easy questions for you all, 1 – what is the point of Willie Rennie ? and 2 – will the libdems pay their fucking policing bill ?”
1 We wouldnt have anyone to laugh at if he wasnt there.
2 pass.
Did anyone hear John Redwood on the radio yesterday? He basically said he really wants Scotland to stay in the union,but on England’s terms.Which I could find little argument with given that Scotland voted No,except for the fact that the votes were cast on the basis that we were promised Devo max.Nice work Chris.
EVEL is a weapon against Scotland but it’s just as described in the cartoon. Excellent, I love the look on Hamish’s face.
PS
Well done Alison Pollock just now on radio Scotland trying to put the SNHS ‘crisis’ into perspective. Swamped by PFI contracts brought in by labour and the excessive cost of medicines by private companies mostly at the root of the trouble.
She was painting a contrasting picture of the English privitising NHS with Scotland’s limited use of agency nursing organsations but ‘Bill Whiteford’ just ran out of time, so we’ll leave it there.
🙂
I have waited before having a rant at EVEL
Waited to calm down from where is was to merely livid.
At a stroke they have shown their real colours.
We don’t matter.
We are powerless.
We will take what we are given.
I honestly don’t mind them treating us as second class.
They’re Tories….. It’s what they do.
I can honestly accept that they will denigrate and deny us our birthright if they can.
They’re Tories….. It’s what they do.
Yes we will fight against it.
Yes we will defend our corner.
Ultimately though we just don’t matter.
We are too wee.
We are not too poor
We are not too stupid.
Well 45% of us aren’t…….
We tried to create our own nation, unaffected by the policies and postures of others.
England did.
We don’t matter.
Raging….
Call Me Dave
Allyson Pollock was indeed feisty and on the nose.
What struck me more though was the chap from Reform (free market thunk tank) also said there is no crisis and people need to drop the hysterics.
It is about planning and the difference in the margins. The Reform chap obviously wants more market intervention, Alison rightly pointed out that England is already well down that route and has more issues.
Bill Whiteford’s show is one of the few remaining places on the BBC where a fair debate occurs.
John King, aye, wee wullie has his moments for sure, but he’s no the only one. James Kelly MSP is known to create paroxysms of uncontrolled laughter as well. A court jester as it were…
@headtracker
On that link to the BBC it says “In his speech, Mr Rennie is expected to say: “I recognise that many liberal-minded people have supported independence”……”He will add: “I want to make a direct plea…..”
The only way the BBC could know that in advance is that he has issued a PR handout and the BBC have just published it verbatim. No analysis, no questioning, no comment from anyone else.
The BBC are supposed to be a news organisation not a PR company.
@ John King 8.39. Both questions correct Pass is the answer to the second ?,thats Pass it on tae the Taxpayer US. I think another round of E Mails to Police Scotland are in order , & get them to act in recovering these costs,wee Wulie,s no the only wan that can play games.
Hope tae see you,s both tonight Invergowrie.
scotsbob says:
24 October, 2015 at 9:20 am
@headtracker
Its normal practice to give press and BBC their speeches etc a day or two prior to the big day. What UKOK press and BBC do with them is up for debate, to say the least.
Here was me thinking the blunderbus was thon barbie pink monstrosity aimed at us wummin last year…. 😀
Spot on Chris, as ever.
Liberal Party Conference
I see Willie cycled there
link to s0.geograph.org.uk
If you wish to see and witness the utter contempt George osbourne has for any one who is not in his club
Well watch him give evidence at the Bank of England bill in parliament tv
Truly a slimy horrible devious person
So Willie accepts that Liberal voters voted Yes and he wants to reach out to them by promising to not talk about independence?
That man is a turnip.
Dear All,
Here is a small but i think significant point I’d like to make which is symptomatic of our ongoing relationship with our superiors.
I know that some of you will also have heard an advert on classic FM where a plummy voice talks about some museum or other to do with Waterloo etc. This voice seriously talks about the Gordon High-Landers! (rather than the Gordon Highlanders). I kid you not. Listen to it for yourselves.
Suck it up serfs. Welcome to North Britain.
EVEL being briefly discussed on radio Scotland and Scottish MP Tommy Shepherd and ex Tory MP Peter Duncan at odds about it’s implication. As usual just as the debate gets started we move on to a new topic. But at least it has been mentioned on the BBC 🙂
Basically, SNP bad for voting on fox hunting bill while the Tories bad because what England may do often has implications for Scots.
English and Welsh MPs already outnumber the Scots MPs says Shepherd it’s only a contrivance to keep the Tories in the driving seat.
Not travelling through to Dunfermline today as there is high risk of traffic congestion due to the Lib/Dem conference…!!
Wullie says,
“I want to make a direct plea to supporters of independence today – if you want to fix the problems facing your local GP surgery, if you want to end industrial-scale stop and search on our streets, if you want to put the the treatment of mental ill-health on an equal footing with physical health, then try out the Liberal Democrats.
————————————————————
Aye right!
2 x SNP at the election.
That’s a beaut.
Nice one Chris. 🙂
@ Sinky , CMD , and others
Yes Alison played a blinder this morning on GMS
I have always felt Bill Whiteford to be a more neutral interviewer , he sometimes adlibs a we side question off script. These wee ditties seam to be his own thoughts, maybe its his manner which fools me into this ?
Going back a few years I remember prefering him to Derek B, sorry Derek.
Welcome back Davey, happy to help you but those questions would be best put to Wullie Rennie himself , doubt if he knows either tho’
Thank you Crhis. I laughed out loud.
That blunderbus will sure wipe the smug look off John Bull’s face.
Nice one Chris.
And let’s give Rennie credit for the ability to surprise us. Just when you think he can’t get any more cretinously pathetic he comes up trumps yet again.
Handandshimp says
“So Willie accepts that Liberal voters voted Yes and he wants to reach out to them by promising to not talk about independence?
That man is a turnip.”
What I get from that is the patronising little shite is saying “ok you’ve had you wee tantrum now shut up and dae as yer telt”!
Handandshrimp , you have just maligned turnips – they are very useful winter fodder for coos and sheep , any resemblance to Mr Rennie is therefore unacceptable.
Fresh young turnips are a tasty treat for people as well.
Sorry, forgot to say. Another great toon, Chris.
Apologies if this has been said elsewhere but I have not seen it. I have listened to a lot of hysterical hype about EVEL over the last two days which will do us no good at all. David has the power , he knows it and he will use it. But he may have made a mistake and handed us an ace. On this site and on GMS yesterday I heard the sensible voices noting that the use of EVEL could negate the 1707 treaty and this could be legally challenged , it sounded like an excellent idea. So why not crowd fund it if our legal eagles think it might be a winner.
Perhaps some of our Independence supporting Legal Eagles would take it on for free or at a reduced rate. Maybe we could take it to the European Court and win. If so we would then be able to present it to the Scottish people as a pathway to Independence on a YES or NO vote.
Could Wings organise such fund , because I am pretty sure we would have no difficulty raising the finance. Or am I just dreaming??
Is he a turnip, or a neep, or a tumshie?
Only wondering!
Now that EVEL is in place, more or less, will the post of Secretary of State for Scotland no longer be a cabinet-level post? Mr Mundell as an MP for a Scottish constituency is now in the position that he cannot vote in the Commons on policies supported by the Cabinet where presumably he has voted for them.
Or will the post of Secretary of State for Scotland now be filled by an MP from an English constituency so that he/she can vote for the policies in the Commons that they voted for in Cabinet?
Brilliant, Chris.
Our powder should be kept dry.
EVEL is a nasty piece of work, however it is subtle in what it does, limited even. English MPs can’t force through something against the will of all UK MPs. They can only throw out English laws at an additional stage. Correct me if that’s wrong.
What seems more important is the Scotland Bill and what the final offering does, or doesn’t have. Will the limited selection of powers be a wee bonus, or will they be a poisoned chalice to trap the SG into tax hikes? It has been said that the SG might even reject it if it really dire.
This could provoke a bigger constitutional crisis than EVEL.
Maybes the rebranding of the Jockenese Office to Office of the UK govt in Scotland is because
They reckon the Jockenese Office is defunct with Evel in place?
A boomerang is the other weapon of choice for the Tories. Let us help them to dismantle the union with SNP x 2 in Holyrood 2016.
Meanwhile, OT, JKR, with her gift for jumping on the wrong bandwagons, joins the fight to save poor wee Israel from those mighty Palestinians. For peace.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling leads resistance to cultural boycott of Israel link to rt.com
link to lallandspeatworrier.blogspot.co.uk
This is interesting from our learned friend. He says, cool your jets everyone, its not a big deal. As per usual with lawyers, its where you start in your case.
SO, it’s all well and good soft soaping EVEL, but why was it kept secret by vote NO or else teamGBists until the morning after your historic triumph of bettertogether last year?
Why did pig fancier Cammers NOT say to Scotland, “and if you vote NO, you’re MP’s will be in EVEL UK” Might EVEL have changed some Scottish minds perhaps?
They’re using The Vow to damage Scotland economically, thereby bringing down SNP Scots.gov. And they’re using EVEL to disenfranchise Scottish voters, pending the intellect, integrity, mood swings etc of John Bercow MP ( C ).
link to johnbercow.co.uk
John’s Experience
From 1986 to 1987, John served as National Chairman of the Federation of Conservative Students, and in 1987 he was appointed by Norman Tebbit as Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Collegiate Forum to head the campaign for student support in the run-up to the 1987 general election.
So another toryboy hardcore, mentored by the Chingford Strangler, is now the boss. Great.
Brilliant Chris, smugness and arrogance captured perfectly in John Bull’s face. I imagine Hamish is lightly tapping his foot waiting for the trigger to be pulled and peppering that smart arses coupon with shot..
This is a pointless piece of legislation as it will actually only reduce the Scots ability to influence the parliament by less than 1%.
In fact it is a direct response to to Tam Diezells “West Lothian Question”. This Claimed that there would be a democratic deficit if Scots MP’s could vote on English subjects and English could not vote on Scottish ones.
So far so good a clear case of a deficit has been made. But the challenge with the whole idea is simple… England has ten times the MP’s than Scotland.
So how in reality are these Scots creating a Political imbalance a wrong so heinous that it must be corrected.
Well that Deficit is to be exact is… 0.65% of all bills passed have been affected by the Scottish vote.
What is happening is the Parliament is responding to its own rhetoric, it plays well in the shires to have rebellious Scots to crush. But it has no basis in fact, it is pure politicking.
What is more all it serves to do is underline the Political deficit of all the home nations bar one, if the second largest of them can only influence the whole by less than one percent.
Now i do agree that we have probably been over represented in higher office and the cabinets of various governments, but that is for the various parties to deal with.
But not anymore, as a direct result of this legislation, high office in government is no longer available to the other Home Nations. Why? Because it would untenable for a home secretary or prime minister to not be able to vote on or debate their own legislation. Can you really imagine the front bench of the ruling party empty as they watch debate on the Third Runway in a drafty corridor on a second hand Ipad.
Michelle Mone of Mayfair will now have more right to legislate than an elected Scottish MP. Now many unionists might celebrate this as a victory but it sure ain’t democracy.
Interestingly there main power in this new settlement is the veto, English only MP’s can veto legislation they do not like.
They also reserved the “right” to veto all Scottish legislation originating in Westminster and Scottish legislation From Holyrood if they felt it might “unfairly” advantage Scotland.
But i think the most insidious part of the legislation is the barring of some MP’s from the “debate”. Our the Celts so dangerous that their voices cannot be heard on English matters. Yet i note that purely Scottish legislation is still theirs to debate, construct, vote on and veto.
A two class system, created by a class obsessed plutocracy.
It’s almost as if their thinking is, look you had your chance to leave, but you kacked your pants and now you’re gonna pay big time. We will now destroy Scotland.
‘Better Together’, I don’t think so.
SNP/SNP May 2016.
Fabulous Chris.
Hamish represents us perfectly, small country watching as the bigger country slowly destroys democracy.
Smart move the day you brought Hamish to life!
link to telegraph.co.uk
Also interesting, Mr Speaker Bercow mentor Norman Tebbit trying to terrify, well everyone really, with ISL into toryboy world.
Norm thinks Nic Sturgeon is a cannibal. EVEL England’s in safe toryboy hands like Bercow.
“As for Labour, the rise of the SNP will ensure that it will not gain a majority and poor Mr Milliband, if he leads the largest party, will have a struggle to evade the cannibal clutches of Ms Sturgeon.
As I said weeks ago, it is a ghastly mess precipitated by Mr Cameron’s failure to form a minority administration in 2010, which has led to the absurdity of the fixed five year Parliament and the muddle we face today.
My fear remains that it may well lead to the break-up of the United Kingdom – which would delight our enemies everywhere.”
Thanks again proudScotbuts.
Nodrog @ 10.18
I’m with you on that. EVEL renders the 1707 treaty null imo, and a legal case/challenge is needed. Crowd funding for such a case would need to be into the millions i suspect though
Surely there is some mistake. I was going to attend the Lib/Dem conference at the Vine Venue in Dunfermline today and their website is telling me that it is “Sold Out”.
link to scotlibdems.org.uk
They have got to be having a laugh.
I can’t wait to see the pictures coming in from the conference hall showing the packed galleries of The Vine Venue.
And I was only joking about turning up at that comedy fest in Dunfermline, honest.
@nodrog 10:19
I would hope the SNP would be seeking legal advice before the vote in parliament, because they knew it was coming, and since the vote.
The Act of Union in the last paragraph says it all for me.
Quote
And lastly Her Majesty enacts and declares that all Laws and Statutes in this Kingdom so far they are contrary to or inconsistent with the Terms of these Articles as above mentioned shall from and after the Union cease and become void.
Unquote
I am a black/white or a right/wrong kind of guy, and I know the law is an ass that is why I say I hope the SG/SNP is having it clarified. To me it seems straight forward. But then again who am I.
I think what’s of importance in this issue is that Cameron felt the need to do something about the WestLothian question and that Cameron has chosen this.It seems to me he hears people in England agitating for change,but knows he can’t interfere too much with the way things are because it might expose the whole rotten set up for what it is.
O/T
This has got to be the most expensive clock repair in history. But hey, it’s Big Ben, so money is NO option.
BBC website:
“Big Ben repairs ‘could cost up to £40m”
link to bbc.co.uk
@donnywho 10:44
It is not a pointless piece of legislation. This is only the start, soon there will be EVEL2, then EVEL3 etc etc.
No-one argues that the English should have a say in their own affairs. When Setting up the devolved governments they made the mistake of not setting up an English parliament/government.
The reason they didn’t do that was because that would have led to federalism which the ruling establishment did not want. As each country would hang onto all their money/wealth and just pay for mutual things like Westminster, defence and possibly foreigh policy.
Brilliant as usual Chris. One picture says so much in your work
link to blogs.new.spectator.co.uk
Looks like unionists can use google too and another toryboy says it’s same as vile separatists said 18 Sept 2014 was once in a lifetime ref, so shadap, for good.
“They will not, in any case, need to be used very often. Determining what is, and what is not, an English-only affair is in the gift of the Speaker. The present Speaker at least will, I fancy, take an inclusive approach to these matters; an approach that will please SNP members more often than it does English MPs.”
This is not democracy, anywhere. Why Bercow? Why not the Queen? Why not David Beckham? Why not Dot Cotton or Paul the Octopus, he/she was great and as long as he/she is not a sweatie from jockistan, its all a stunning triumph of Britishness.
Lib Dem Scottish conference at The Vine max capacity 550.
At least it’s not interested a phone box.
Great cartoon! ‘One Party Street’ is still my favourite.
I’ve just been reading:
EVEL HAS LANDED: ‘Blocking Scottish MPs from airport decision would be like stopping English MPs voting on Trident
which I found interesting. This EVEL doesn’t look as if it is going to go away anytime soon although I get the impression the MSM are doing their best to ignore it.
lol @ chris
should john bull not be shooting himself in the foot?
btw, English parliament, evel or regional parliaments for England….
has anyone ever carried out an opinion poll in England asking what people would prefer?
National-
OCTOBER 24TH, 2015 – 12:36 AM ANDREW LEARMONTH 2 COMMENTS
SNP MP Tommy Sheppard may have been forced off a House of Commons committee because of the Government’s new rules on English votes for English law.
Sheppard was to be part of a committee scrutinising the Government’s proposed fracking regulations.”
Its just one committee, come on its fine. Fracking’s the future, think of the future you lucky UKOK voters. Its that great British democracy in action and Lady Mone of Mayfair will be voting, forever and ever, like another awful JK Rowling magical story from lala land.
I stand to be corrected,but was not the Speaker of the House John Bercow elected as an MP by proposing a Conservative manifesto to the electorate ?
Surely there must therefore be an inate conflict of interest on his part even though he is supposed to be impartial.
Rev/WOS getting credit for raising obvious EVEL-related pitfalls – 11.15-ish on Shereen’s show. Missed the dude’s name…
Lib Dem conference is in a church, with parking for about forty cars
James it is pointless in that it addresses a problem that really does not exist. That said, it is as pernicious and small minded as it is decisive and racist.
I also take your point that they may well move to EVEL 2 and 3. But to me it is the creation and pandering to their own stereotypes that is most dangerous. We are into the realms of the “Irish question”, one the union could not and has not solved, I really hope they do not further escalate the challenges they face.
That said demonetization of all things Scottish continues apace, it is worrying.
I am confused. The implementation of EVEL signifies the death of the Union and it is a huge own goal by the Tories that will lead to Scottish Independence more quickly – or, this scurrilous piece of legislation will repress Scots for evermore. Which is it?
Yesterday morning, all the shouting and outrage was about Scottish MPs losing their right to vote on English Only laws. By the end of the day, I think most realised that was absolutely cods wallop – but without a pause for breath, the faux outrage goal posts moved.
Now, the line seems to be that this disgraceful move creates a load of second class MPs in Scotland. Not a thought is given to the 50 odd million second class citizens in England that have no right to representation in law making in Holyrood.
I read that EVEL, apparently, represents the biggest change to our constitution and democracy – ever! Really? Do you not think, for instance, that the UK Parliament voting to set up a Scottish Parliament run by Scottish MSPs making laws that non Scottish MPs have absolutely no input too – was quite a big change?
Some seem surprised to learn what EVEL is all about and the resultant outcome – when the name was writ large on the tin – English Votes For English Laws! Heaven forbid that a party should fight a General Election with a policy in their manifesto, win an election, and then implement the policy. Disgraceful behaviour.
Some seem to think that this legislation is all about doing something negative to Scots. Its not. Its about doing something positive for the English. Contrary to the rampant paranoia, we do not spend our lives, trying to wind up 1.5 million Scots.
Finally, apparently, as the paranoia goes into overdrive, many are surprised that EVEL isn’t splattered all over the front pages of the MSM and this represents evidence of a broad conspiracy to do something, I know not what, to the Scots. It couldn’t possibly be that, in reality, it is no big thing and is an absolutely reasonable thing to do and not very news worthy.
@sensibledave,
Away and put your head in a mincer.
@JamesCaithness.
I think that’s why they did it by amending standing orders, rather than by a Law or Statute.
Please be sensible and not ruin yet another WoS thread!
Bob Mack says:
24 October, 2015 at 11:33 am
I stand to be corrected,but was not the Speaker of the House John Bercow elected as an MP by proposing a Conservative manifesto to the electorate ?
It goes far beyond that. Peatwarrior uses English student fees as clear English only example for EVEL but tory UK.gov now charging English student fees has a massive impact on Scotland, not least because red and blue tory Scotland are desperate to get same English student fees introduced in Scotland.
Scottish uni’s are watching English uni’s now flush with cash, from student fees, but virtually all of it borrowed and all of it has to be paid off, by students.
Red and blue tories in Scotland now cry crocodile tears for Scottish students from deprived backgrounds, the rich Scottish students shouldn’t get free uni they wail, all of them paid nothing either and England’s almost the only EU country to charge students. I think only Holland charges 1500 euro a year.
You can do this all day. UK immigration law change means as soon as fee paying foreign students in Scotland graduate, they’re out. Before this they could stay and work.
Fundamentally, English only means jack shit.
Peat Worrier I mean, Lallands Peat Worrier, not Peat Warrior:D
Sensible is there a single thing that a UK government will do that you will not be an apologist for?
Iraq… just a wee and understandable mistake by the press/intelligence/BBC/Government and foreign office.
EVEL… nothing to see move along, makes no difference, corrects a wrong.
etc etc etc
In the face of overwhelming evidence you obfuscate, ignore and change tack.
But you are our resident troll and to be honest you are quite good at it.
Some of your constructs are quite elegant if you are fond of weird unionist conspiracy websites all wrapped up in faux responsibility.
Ian Bell has an Evel related article in the Herald today. It was hidden away in the on-line edition at first but is now more prominently displayed.
No comments are allowed on it however. Funny that.
English votes for English laws. English votes to keep nuclear weapons in Scotland. Sounds fair.
[…] Visit the post for more. […]
Good cartoon Chris gun pointed the other way old John Bull would shoot himself in the foot.
Tory Party and the Hedge Funds. Bunch of self serving fly men and women
link to caltonjock.com
Trying to get people like sensibledave to see our side of the story is like trying to get Yogi Bear to ignore a picnic basket.
He is best ignored
livestream.com/IndependenceLive/MarchForIndependence
I’ve been searching through Proquest to see which articles I could find about EVEL. So far I’ve found the following.
Deafening silence as usual suspects draw veil over Evel
Irony, which is also handy, is always in the wings in these matters. It is still striking so many people here who fought for their Union last year are not celebrating Evel as the very dab. Whatever can the matter be? It is diverting, meanwhile, to see SNP MPs fighting for the honour of a Westminster parliament they would abandon at the first opportunity. They can give that a rest fairly soon, I think.
Bell, Ian. The Herald [Glasgow (UK)] 24 Oct 2015.
Excellent piece by Ian Bell.
Warning this article from the Telegraph looks promising initially but most of it is a rant about JK Rowling & abusive cybernats. I did like the quote about the tapestry being left out in the rain great piece of visual imagery and it reminded me of the song ‘Macarthur Park’
‘The Union Jack is melting in the dark
All the sweet, red white & blue icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain’
Evel logic that is hastening the end of the UK
The claim by Evel’s champion, the Commons leader Chris Grayling, that it creates a stronger Union is clearly laughable. The opposite is true: we are watching the piecemeal erosion of the constitutional fabric of the United Kingdom, like an old tapestry left out in the rain and picked at by birds.
McCartney, Jenny. The Daily Telegraph [London (UK)] 24 Oct 2015: 27.
Bob Mack 12.13
… Trying to get some paranoid proindy Scots to understand that not everything is about them – is like trying to tell 50 odd commenters yesterday that all English Laws have to be passed by the UK Parliament (including Scottish MPS) and no matter how many times you explain it – they still believed their preconceptions.
Found some footage of sensibledave doing some backing vocals for Taylor Swift, hidden talents sensible hidden talents…
(sensible appears at 0:13 nice work sensible)
link to youtube.com
@sensibledave, 11:41,
Blethers! This legislation introduces constituency-based apartheid within Westminster by giving English MPs an additional voting session for English-only bills NOT permitted to other regions’ MPs for their region-only bills.
No other such group of MPs has any such rights. This is simple discrimination.
Westminster is the UK Parliament, where all matters presented in the House of Commons are the concern of all UK MPs. If the English electorate and their MPs are jealous of the exclusivity of Scotland’s debating chamber at Holyrood, and that is the nub of the WLQ*, then they can get their own debating chamber, set up in the same manner as Holyrood. Westminster didn’t want this because they knew that England and its MPs wouldn’t accept the sort of restrictions they imposed on the existing devolved parliaments.
*The West Lothian Question is only a pimple, not the open sore it is trumped up to be.
@bob mack 11:33
Bercowe as speaker doesn’t have anyone standing against him in his constituency. Another of those silly Parliament unspoken rules.
In 2010 Farage stood against Bercow the speaker and that was frowned upon.
Legerwood says:
24 October, 2015 at 11:59 am
Ian Bell has an Evel related article in the Herald today. It was hidden away in the on-line edition at first but is now more prominently displayed.
No comments are allowed on it however. Funny that.
Ruby replies:
Funny that right enough!
Just incase of any confusion the Iain Bell article I quote from in an earlier post has the headline
Deafening silence as usual suspects draw veil over Evel
which I presume is the headline in the print edition. The online edition of the same article has the headline
How Cameron is seeking to divide and conquer
I like the print edition headline best.
I’m going to go back and re-read the article to find out exactly who he means by the ‘usual suspects’
The sitting Speaker stands, by convention unopposed,for re-election as an independent so not on any party manifesto. However the assumption that John Bercow would be stingy in his designating bills as England only might be moot when you consider that they tried to oust him in the dying days of the last parliament.
Why don’t they change the name Bank of England to Bank of UK?
sensibledave says:
24 October, 2015 at 12:23 pm
Bob Mack 12.13
… Trying to get some paranoid proindy Scots to understand that not everything is about them – is like trying to tell 50 odd commenters yesterday that all English Laws have to be passed by the UK Parliament (including Scottish MPS) and no matter how many times you explain it – they still believed their preconceptions.
So why did toryboy world do it then sensible?
So why did BetterTogether hold off on EVEL until after Scotland had voted NO?
And why shouldn’t everything be about Scotland, on a blog like WoS?
You can do this all day with sensibledave. Never get a straight answer and why would he?
You’ll be happy to know sensibledave, neo fascist Voice of The North Press and Journal speaks no EVEL today, or hears no EVEL either, local news for local people, in London/Aberdeen, SNP bad.
What is it, see no EVEL, hear no EVEL , speak no EVEL, you’re all so self obsessed up in jockistan, shutup and stop whining up there, etc.
Anyway sensibledave, you’d love the extreme far right Fit Like Times of Aberdeen.
Great toryboy news for UKOK democracy sensibledave. Maybe we should start dumping SNP people into that Lords farce, for that grand olde UKOK democracy n shit.
link to theguardian.com
“Grabiner, a QC and master of Clare College, Cambridge, joined the Lords in 1999. He will remain a member of the Labour party but will now sit as a crossbencher.”
Love that rancid The Graun Lord Grabiner “joined” the Lords too. Wonder if I could “join” the Lords too. Id like to sit next to newly “joined” Lady Mone of Mayfair, for her business genius and fantastic boobs.
What a bunch.
So will there be a specific ‘ England only ‘ budget to implement ‘ England only laws’ ? Does anyone know ?
@orri.
Mr Bercow stood for electio this year under the speaker title,but he is and always has been a Conservative Mp
Very funny.
Ignore sensible Dave we all know he talks pure rubbish so treat him with the contempt he deserves I mean if know one answers him he will be talking to himself and we all know what that is a sign of?
I do wish there were posters who live in England posting on here telling us about what problems they have in England not about what is wrong with Scotland and how dense they think people in Scotland are.
I had a wee cybertrip to the English Democrats-The Voice of England site last night to find out what they were saying about EVEL. There was nothing there they did however have an article entitled
Do the SNP really want Scottish Independence? in which Robin Tilbrook informs his readers that SNP supporters dislike the English.
What I’m curious to know is if EVEL is such a burning issue in England why are people not voting for the English Democrats?
The part in Robin Tilbrook’s article that made me laugh was that he was miffed that England didn’t have a Fluffy. No Fluffy for England no Secretary of State for England.
I suppose this is the reason why they came to Edinburgh a couple of years ago to ask Michael Moore to help with setting up an English parliament.
I wonder if they will visit the re-branded “Empire Masters House’ and seek help from Fluffy.
The thing about Scots disliking the English really pisses me off.
The ‘UKOK Better Together Fockers’ are responsible for that little bit of hate preaching. No way will I ever join the SNP when Nicey Nicey Nicola is telling her members they have to be nicey nicey CyberniceyNats I want to be free to tell the ‘UKOK Better Together Fockers’ want I think of them.
@Molly
As far as I’m aware no, no special budget formula, no devolved powers or competencies and no England office.
‘Course any day now that’ll all be explained by a media eager to inform and educate the peoples of the UK and particularly Scots, just how this all works and just why their political hopefuls may find it difficult to aspire to high office in government.
An excellent cartoon, yet again, from Chris Cairns. I really like the detail of John Bull’s fancy cufflinks, not sure if they are English St George’s Cross or British Union flag.
Is Mr. Bull’s waistcoat on hire from Ian Murray, it’s just what he would wear…
Typical SLab, using the introduction of EVEL as another opportunity to attack the SNP instead of the Tories in London.
I’m now literally left open mouthed at their reactions to Tory policy, they just can’t see beyond their hatred of the SNP.
Right now they seem to think that because SNP MPs don’t usually vote on English-only issues that they are morally obliged to support this absurd EVEL solution or else they are hypocrites.
I don’t like the mess that is this particular EVEL deal either, I’d prefer to see a separate English parliament created, does that make me a hypocrite? No, of course not.
SLab don’t even see their own hypocrisy, voting to retain the rights of Scottish MPs to vote on English-only issues but now attacking the SNP for rejecting the Tory plans for EVEL.
Labour in Scotland will never win back the ex-Labour yessers from the SNP, they are wasting their time, especially if they think they can do it by trashing the SNP.
And while they’re busy on their SNPbad campaign they’re not noticing that they’re losing their hard-line unionist voters to the tories, who are busy luring them away with their Protect the Union message.
It won’t be a surprise to anyone if Labour become the third party in Scotland after next May. Which would be reason to celebrate apart from it’ll be the Tories who become the official opposition. Thanks a lot SLab.
I want to be free to tell the ‘UKOK Better Together Fockers’ WHAT I think of them.
Sorry about typo I was getting a bit worked up when I posted the above in an earlier post.
@mealer.
Because to do this would make things clearer to the general public and voters. Their objective is confusion, wherever this can be achieved.
Great cartoon Chris, hope John pulls the trigger.
ClanDonald says:
24 October, 2015 at 1:16 pm
Typical SLab, using the introduction of EVEL as another opportunity to attack the SNP instead of the Tories in London.
Ruby asks
What have you been reading to find this out?
@paul gerard mccormack
I heard “high landers” too. Ignorance and arrogance in equal measures!
The implementation of EVEL signifies the death of the Union and it is a huge own goal by the Tories that will lead to Scottish Independence more quickly – or, this scurrilous piece of legislation will repress Scots for evermore. Which is it?
Dave
Neither. By and large EVEL will not repress Scotland because increasingly Scotland will take charge of all domestic policy.
What will happen is that every now and then something will, for political short term gain, be classified as England only when clearly it isn’t and that will slowly chip away at the remaining foundations of the Union.
I am pretty sanguine about EVEL because I think it will backfire (if the Tories even care about it backfiring…some may not).
What I want to know is who turned the blunderbuss up? That is bloody difficult to do without crimping even a straight bore. To do it with a widening bore is expert metalwork.
Unexpected depths in Hamish?
Hi Ruby, this is a twitter thing. That Dr Scott SLab guy from Question Time fame wrote a blog claiming Pete Wishart was a hypocrite for not supporting EVEL, then the Labour MSP Neil Findlay re-tweeted it but referred to “Wete Pishart.” instead of Pete Wishart. Then Blair McDougall and the rest of the usual suspects got stuck in.
They are idiots. But they daren’t attack the tories because they think it plays into the hands of the nats, and they know that EVEL helps the nationalist cause so they have to play down it’s significance and attack SNP instead.
I feel sorry for them, having to defend the tories to stop the movement towards yes.
Or just brilliance by Chris Cairns?
Macart -thanks I haven’t heard anything about a budget and just wondered.
So say there was something specific to England such as coastal erosion ? Just as an example and they voted that it was the law to have a defence built on land to try to stop it . People then needed to be compensated for building the wall , would that money come from an ‘ England only ‘ budget or a UK environment fund ?
Molly says:
24 October, 2015 at 12:48 pm
“So will there be a specific ‘ England only ‘ budget to implement ‘ England only laws’ ? Does anyone know ?”
Well, quite. England has no defined budget. She dips into the UKOK purse for all her needs. There are therefore, by definition, NO England only matters unless they require no expenditure or, indeed, reduce expenditure.
Exactly Chris, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Hey Ruby,
I am writing in from England, though I was born and brought up in Scotland, yet I have English, Dutch and Scots heritage. What is happening here in the NE of England is that political parties like the SNP are beginning to stand in elections. Newcastle-upon-Tyne had several choices of candidate in the recent GE for pro-regional parties. However here in SE Northumberland, I did not: just my usual share of right wing (BNP, through to Labour (though to be fair I don’t think you could call Ronnie Campbell a red tory))
It’s heartening to see an awakening of national interest that isn’t tinged with far right fascist connotations, though I suspect they do attract them and it must be a constant battle to try and remain civically based for them. Still there’s UKIP for those people anyway.
It will be a long hard slog here, and the press is just as bad from the propaganda point of view. At least the proportion of Scots in the NE keeps things sane, not too many folk are going to believe the utter tripe of some of the articles when they have the evidence of their next door neighbour to show it up for the xenophobia that it is. Hence why they tend to stick to the SNP bad, mad, and one party demonisation in the likes of the Spectator. It’s much easier to believe the SNP are a minority, cruelly holding sway over the loyal Scots, than the idea that 60% of said Scots support the SNP. Especially because you quite like your Scottish neighbour and you don’t want to have to roust him from his home in a Balkanised drive to the border.
I’m married to an Englishman, he thinks the English don’t need a devolved parliament because Westminster is their parliament. He also thinks England does subsidise Scotland. I have tried. I’ve left the wee blue book, and iScot lying around. Curiously, I have better luck with his father, who votes Conservative!
Scotland has been moving towards independence since at least the 1979 referendum. England has only had to notice she’s a country in the last 10 years or so, they’re just not up to speed. Be gentle with them, they’re good people. On the whole.
Grass roots informative post, Caroline. 🙂
Thank you Caroline that is very interesting. I had no idea what was happening in England I did get the impression that England was having a bit of an identity crisis but the only info I get is from the press and from Cyber UniTrolls
I can understand how difficult it must be for journalists who live in England to write about Scotland because they don’t have a feel for whats going on on the ground.
For example until such times as I hear all the various people I come into contact with on a daily basis complaining about the NHS, the police & the education system then I will not believe any of the scare stories.
The only complaint I’ve heard lately was from my hairdresser who was very worried about her working tax credits.
Bless the English!:-) I will be gentle with them however the ‘UKOK Better Together Fockers’ will never be forgiven and any whinging Englishman who accuses me of being anti-English had better watch out same applies to the arrogant fockwits who troll Scottish forums.
@Caroline
Here’s a thing Caroline, don’t be suckered into thinking the SNP style polotics are good for the rest of the UK. You might be a Jock but the SNP might not be the best thing. I’m begining to think the other way again. They have let a lot of normal stuff slip by putting the priorty on independance. You know I’m thinking UKIP might work.
Funny that Davy, I quite clearly said I was born and brought up in Scotland. That could classify me as Scots, or Scottish. As could the result of my genetic heritage. Where do Jocks live? Aren’t they teenage, American boys who play a lot of sports?
I call myself a federalist. I believe the actions of Westminster show the only way to get a Federal British Isles is for Scotland to continue the process that Ireland started. Once all the nations have full control, then on an equal footing they can choose how to pool and share within the archipelago. If folk in little Englander mindsets don’t like that, I’m pretty sure they will be in the minority by the time such things are capable of happening.
I include UKIP in that category btw.
The pressures on London and the SE as a result of a reduction in their economic hinterland will accelerate the desire by their fellow English not to become the substitute. Plenty of people here in the NE are well aware they could fill the role that Scotland occupies, and are busy trying to get as much autonomy as is going while it’s on offer.
For example, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, despite being much smaller than you’d think, the conurbation includes Gateshead ( a separate city), North Tyneside, and parts of south east Northumberland ( nevermind the greater Tyne and Wear conurbation) has, nonetheless, been selected for additional funding if it elected a Mayor- it has done so.
The infrastructure we see being improved around us, is a direct result of Scottish devolution powers. It precipitated the National Infrastructure Report ( England’s national infrastructure report – obviously) which threw out the old rationale of economic miles, as it concluded that peripheral areas were in real danger of stagnation, and they should do what the Scottish government was already embarked upon. That is not lost of folk here.
Wavy Davy is a wind-up merchant!
Hiya Wavy Davy! How are you?
Hi Ruby
I live in SE England & work in London
People down here don’t really think about Scotland or the Scots.Everyone seems to be conditioned to picking up the Metro on the way to work but really haven’t cottoned on to the fact that it prints what was in the tabloids (Sun, Mirror, Fail & Express) yesterday so just a rehash of old news. I just carry my kindle & ignore the news as it’s only full of lies/distortions anyway.
People don’t talk to each other on trains or tube. Still seems odd to me-I come from Nottingham originally where everyone talks to everyone else on the bus/train. Sometimes it’s deafening but that is far better than 50+ people sitting in a railway carriage in absolute silence. After 12 long years of commuting I still find that silence uncomfortable.
Politically, most people I know don’t talk about politics. Apathy reigns & folk think they can’t change anything so don’t try. They’ve given up. I despair at that attitude.
Increasingly, I’m finding that I no longer recognise my fellow countrymen & women as the fair minded, underdog supporting people of just a few years ago. Now it’s immigration, immigration, immigration all the time & you just get sick of hearing such zenophobic views so stop listening.
Thoroughly depressing really. I was hoping Jeremy Corbyn would open their eyes but apart from his initial impact nothing much has changed. He seems to have been just a flash in the pan as Labour has set about changing him.
Ruby @ 11.59 am
Yes that is the article. The print edition and on-line edition have different titles. It is not the first time they have done this to Ian Belk’s articles. That and an absence of a name or photo next to the title makes them hard to find.
I think this is the first time though that any of his stuff has been closed for comments – at least it was this morning but have not checked since then.
Lollysmum says:
People don’t talk to each other on trains or tube. Still seems odd to me-I come from Nottingham originally where everyone talks to everyone else on the bus/train. Sometimes it’s deafening but that is far better than 50+ people sitting in a railway carriage in absolute silence. After 12 long years of commuting I still find that silence uncomfortable.
Ruby replies
Oh yes I remember all about London and nobody speaking to one another. It’s very weird. What you say about London doesn’t come as a surprise to me. However I am glad I lived there for several years & experienced all the good things in London although it did become pretty stressful so I’m glad now to be in Edinburgh which is just like a big village. I make the odd trip to Glasgow which I always enjoy just speaking to the people in the street is a blast.
I go swimming in Leith and there’s always talk about politics in the steam room & sauna. It’s pretty interesting because there are people there from Poland & various other parts of the EU all talking about Scottish politics.
Among my various friends & acquaintances I avoid politics. I have some very hardcore Unionist friends I even have a ‘friend’ who is very closely related to a Labour politician so mostly I just listen.
It just store it all up and let rip anonymously online or when in the suana & steam room.
@Ruby
Oh hello Ruby Dooby
Nae fitba on the day worth bothering about, that’s tomorow. I just thoght Id pop by and show my support.
Dont know how Caroline thinks she is not a Jock. All Jocks are Scottish but half the SNP are English or foreners. Never mind. I wish Jock Tamson used condoms thogh. Dont you agree Ruby.
@Lollysmum and Caroline,
Great to have your first hand account of life down souffff.
I always found it the same except for the N East.
I suppose political propaganda puts people at each others throats at times.
I like it, an other classic, thank you.
Legerwood
That is pretty strange. The only reason I knew about the Ian Bell article has because I made a search on ProQuest. I wouldn’t have know about the online article if you hadn’t mentioned it.
The only way I found the online article was to do a Google search using the first couple of lines of the article that I found on ProQuest. Had I used the headline from the printed edition I wouldn’t have found Ian Bells online article.
ProQuest is a great facility. I am able to use it with my Edinburgh Library card.
Davy says:
24 October, 2015 at 6:14 pm
@Ruby
Oh hello Ruby Dooby
Nae fitba on the day worth bothering about, that’s tomorow. I just thoght Id pop by and show my support.
Dont know how Caroline thinks she is not a Jock. All Jocks are Scottish but half the SNP are English or foreners. Never mind. I wish Jock Tamson used condoms thogh. Dont you agree Ruby.
Ruby Dooby replies
🙂 Oh ‘Wavy Davy McGravy’ you are getting very deep man! Have you been doing philosophy classes up at the Uni?
Are you serious about all Scots being Jocks? I see some fairly skinny specimens when I go to the sauna! Sure most are pretty manly and deserve to be called Jocks and there are even some pretty well toned Jockettes! But ‘Wavy Davy McGravy’ I defo think you’re stretching it quite a bit by claiming all Scots are Jocks! 🙂
@Ruby Dooby Doo
As we are strangers in the night, I’ll let you into a secret. I’ve never been to uni. Only unipart. They widnae let me in. I failed my English twice and so ended up on the scrap heap. True this. I got 7 o grades at A and 4 highers at ABAB. The highers were maths, physics and engineering science and woodwork.
All was not lost thogh. I still have my fitba.
Do you thrash yersel with twigs in the sawna.
Ruby @ 6.24 pm
I think we had a similar conversation last week – Sunday? – about disappearing re-labelled Ian Bell articles.
I get the digital editions of the Herald and Sunday Herald but always go to the on-line edition to check out the comments on the various articles, usually political, that I have noticed in the digital edition. It is always interesting to note which ones don’t make it across or do but have comments closed.
During the referendum and since many posters on the on-line edition have done a great job showing the holes in the political articles, countering the misinformation and getting the facts into the public domain.
Their contribution should not be underestimated because a lot of people read the on-line edition although not all comment but seeing the Herald constantly held to account over their content possibly makes them more sceptical of the MSM in general and more aware of how they are being manipulated as well as being better informed of the facts and counter arguments to Unionist assertions and scare tactics.
There rant over.
First thing I really am fed up of seeing all the visiting comments so please don’t feed the trolls. Hopefully with the EVEL legislation the SG will be in a better position to decline the NEW POWERS of the Scotland Bill when Westmonster deems fit to pass on the NEW SUPER DUPER powers.