The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


The clanging chimes of doom

Posted on March 29, 2018 by

There’s an interesting article on the Holyrood Magazine website today with some fascinating background details about how Scottish (and Welsh) devolution came into being almost 20 years ago, so we thought you might like to see this piece from the time, not least because we suspect it might also be the first recorded citation of the nonsensical concept of the “UK single market”.

(Click for readable size.)

It’s remarkable how seamlessly much of it, especially the last section (from the giant “D”) would still work today with the word “devolution” replaced with the word “independence”. But we find it hard to disagree with Sir John’s conclusion:

“Nor would devolution truly give more powers to the Scottish people. Only independence would do that.”

Preach, brother.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

193 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Reluctant Nationalist

Some of my best friends are Scots. No, Really. Lovely people. Salt of the earth.

heedtracker

Wow, the horror. That Bank of Scotland governor Sir Bruce’s devo would have a devastating effect on business, is pretty spectacular. As his BoS crew went on to nearly destroy the whole world economy, in less than 10 UKOK years. Toryboys eh.

Arbroath1320

I always love hearing the Britnats waffle on about how Scottish independence would cause problems for the UK single market. I have found this definition of single market on Wikipedia which, I think, makes not only perfect sense but blows holes in the Britnats love of the UK single market. 😀

link to en.wikipedia.org

For the so called UK single market to actually exist there must first of all exist a trade bloc, i.e. an intergovernmental agreement between the various governments of the UK in this case. Now for an intergovernmental agreement to exist there must first of all have been an intergovernmental series of meetings etc to agree what’s what to begin with. As we all know no such meeting has ever taken place ergo no intergovernmental agreement exists ergo no UK single market exists ergo the Britnats are all talking shite! 😀

Donald anderson

Sir Alex Douglas Hum and Head Teeth telt us tae vote no and we would get a better Devolution. Just like James Kelly would get us better anti sectarian something or other through educashun.

Nobody really wanted Devolution, neither Scots or Brit Nats. Tam the Bam said that it was (hopefully) the slippery slope to Independence and others reluctantly agreed to devolution to prevent Independence. Others hooped it would kill Independence “stone dead”.

Alex Salmond was right when he said Nobody every celebrated Devolution Day.

New Zealand actually gained Independence through devolution by gradually increasing its powers. No one in Westmincer noticed till it was too late. Then the Kiwis did not have the “Scottish” Lib Lab Dums to grass them up.

[…] Wings Over Scotland The clanging chimes of doom There’s an interesting article on the Holyrood Magazine website today with some […]

Macart

‘Their contribution to the United Kingdom…’ Huh!

Project? Partnership? Exercise?

Ken500

Every company that (publicly) supported NO have suffered economic decline. The fall in the £ and Brexit. Barr Travel had to sell out. All the other major Scottish firms suffered a fall in profits and increase debt etc. More to come with Brexit.

The Westminster uninonists have ruined the fishing industry and the Oil sector.

The single market is a fallacy used by Westminster against Scotland. It is a lie. It just allows Westminster Treasury to ruin the Scottish economy with unfair, unequal taxes. Wasting and misappropriating £Billions of Scottish revenues. Lying about it and keeping it secret under the Official Secrets Act. Lockerbie, Dunblane and Iraq hidden for 100 years. McCrone for 30+ years. Thatcher decimation of Scottish economy. ‘This must be kept secret’. No equal single market just lies and duplicity.

Recent figures (Keith Brown & others) Scottish exports £30Billion. £15Billion to the EU. 50% (£5Billion? overseas? – £10Billion to the redt of the UK) EU and oversea trade and grants far outweigh trade with the rest of the UK. EU grants, shared defence and CAP payments far outweighs any trade with the rest of the UK. Westminster Treasury has cost Scotland £Billions in the Oil sector (high taxes and mismanagement and fishing sector (total mismanagement). Scotland has lost £10Billion in Oil exports. More in the financial sector. Westminster treasury mistakes and mismanagement. Banking crash.

Trade with the rest of the UK are minimum compared to other trade, grants etc. Total mismanagement from Westminster has cost Scotland £Billions. Brexit will cost even more.

Scotland needs a Central Bank (EU membership?) for another IndyRef.

ScottieDog

“The English accept that resources should be allocated according to need…
And for that reason have been willing to provide essential services in Scotland and Wales”

Which resources does England provide Scotland?

Dave McEwan Hill

An excellent post. Devolution has now reached the stage that any more devolution is unsustainable in the framework of a unitary state. All any attempt to do so will do is provide more and more useless complications.
Time to make a move.

Another very excellent Alex Salmond show BTW this morning which is easily accessible online.

Ken500

The irony is if Scotland got better off so would the rest of the UK. Enterprise and innovation in Scotland is suppressed by Westminster unionists. Total ignorance. Ruining Scottish industry. They would rather try to depopulate Scotland. The North/South divide. London SE congestion detrimental to the overall economy.

Flights to China to/from Scotland starting in May. More enterprise. (Alex Salmond)

ScottieDog

Major used the word Resources. That word is key.
Listen to this excerpt by economist Prof Steve Keen about how the most successful economies are those with sovereign energy…
Let your no-voting pals listen too…
link to patreon.com

(You will have to subscribe to hear full version)

Ruglonian

Well John, tonight thank god it’s them instead of you 😉

As spotted by Stu we have the mention of ‘the UK single market’, as well as such other well worn tropes as ‘devolution will lead to the break up of our country’, ‘English subsidies’, ‘unemployment blackspots’ and of course the classic ‘I like and admire Scotland and the Scots’ *but I know better and I’m telling you this for your own good, so listen up, be grateful and get back in your place*

As a historical document it’s actually a belter – as a piece of advice, it’s the same old rubbish that the UK will throw at us until we’re out!

Now is the time #IndyRef2

Ken500

Scotland has only got relevant better off under Devolution. 2000. Only then did limited democrscy come to Scotland. The Unionists tried to sabotage that with D’Hondt. STV etc. Lists.

The SNP Scottish Gov has better fiscal management and policies. Even in spite of Westminster intransigence and ignorance. Standing up for Scotland.

Bob Mack

Devolution is porridge

Independence is salmon instead.

Anything else is fudge.

Arbroath1320

ScottieDog says:
29 March, 2018 at 11:08 am
“The English accept that resources should be allocated according to need…
And for that reason have been willing to provide essential services in Scotland and Wales”

Which resources does England provide Scotland?

erm … Trident? 🙂

Along with its newly acquired EXTRA £600 Million of course.

link to archive.is

Dr Jim

We’re one nation till we don’t like something then we’re *The Scots* and they say it like they spat something they didn’t want out of their mouths, but by doing so admit that we’re not one nation or *Ahh precious Yoonion*

The vast majority of English people don’t even know where Scotland is and wouldn’t care if you asked them, we’re a bit up north on a map and if their government of the day didn’t make such a ridiculous fuss about keeping Scotland most of them wouldn’t care if we were Independent either as long as they thought there was no impediment to them coming to Scotland for Hogmanay or a wee visit to a castle if they felt like it, of course Independence might make them foreigners and the English have a problem with being called names they don’t choose for themselves

How about those English folk just being *visitors?* like everybody else, instead of Absentee Landlords and self appointed owners, they can still come and play golf, I understand Scotland has many world class golf pitches and we sell the bats and everything to go with it

galamcennalath

I have always agreed with the devolution naesayers who believed it would undermine the Union. It’s a Union built on ripping off a world wide empire and when that empire was lost their Union was on a shoogly peg. Limited powers to Scotland was only ever going to encourage Scots to question – why some powers, why not more, and more, and finally all?

Also, there cannot ever be a UK Single Market. It cannot, by definition, exist without individual governments signing up to a trade agreement which would underlie it.

However, there could and should be a Atlantic Isles Single Market once we get ourselves organised into three (or perhaps eventually four) independent countries!

Macart

Teresa May’s National Unity tour of the UK starting in Scotland.

Roughly about an hour. No members of the Scottish public allowed within a country mile. One business visited. Couple of soundbites for the meeja, then it’s up, up and awaaaaay. You’ll have had your unity then Scotland. FFS!

I detest even bringing her name up, but could you imagine Thatcher doing this?

Robert J. Sutherland

Great article, and some fine btl comments already.

So many worn-out old tropes in that piece of history. Gawd, we were so foolish to ignore the advice of John Major and all those important biz-wizzes. Look at the “unwanted extra layer of bureaucracy” we have now been stuck with! =grin=

The one that rankles most with me though is this miserable thing called “The West Lothian Question”, after former Labour MP for the area and arch-Unionist Tam Dalyell. It should really be called the “Westminster Question”, because what it actually signifies is a fossilised BritNat view that WM is the centre of the entire universe and no meaningful change can ever be allowed to blow away its centuries of accumulated cobwebs.

Devolution could have been an evolutionary process that eventually lead to a complete rebalancing of the UK, giving us in Scotland room to breathe, but the BritNats never actually believed in their beloved state enough to allow it to change in any meaningful way. They have killed it with their own utter lack of faith.

Not to forget their insatiable greed to be the sole dispensers of largesse gained almost exclusively by raiding Scottish natural resources. And adding insult to injury, as Major himself did in that article, by patronising us with his English “generosity” in the process.

Graeme

“they would become again the unemployment blackspots that Conservative Governments removed over the past 18 years.”
You have got to be kidding me, right? Think I spotted a typo, its created rather then removed, that makes sense.

Abulhaq

Essentially, the Scots and Welsh couldn’t run a chipshop without mother Britannia supervising.

Arbroath1320

Macart says:
29 March, 2018 at 11:41 am
Teresa May’s National Unity tour of the UK starting in Scotland.

Roughly about an hour. No members of the Scottish public allowed within a country mile. One business visited. Couple of soundbites for the meeja, then it’s up, up and awaaaaay. You’ll have had your unity then Scotland. FFS!

I detest even bringing her name up, but could you imagine Thatcher doing this?

By all accounts Macart her “visit” to Ayrshire was quicker than it takes me to boil and egg! 😀

CameronB Brodie

Nobody does ‘rational’ paternalism quite like BritNat Tories.

Shiffrin, “Unconscionability, Paternalism, and Accommodation”

What’s wrong with paternalism? “The motive, I think, is what is central to accounting for why paternalism delivers a special sort of insult to competent, autonomous agents. Paternalistic behavior is special because it represents a positive (although often sometimes unconscious or sometimes caring) effort by another to insert her will and have it exert control merely because of its (perhaps only alleged) superiority. As such, it directly expresses insufficient respect for the underlying valuable capacities, powers, and entitlements of the autonomous agent.”

link to sophos.berkeley.edu

Archbishop of Dork

Theresa May visits her precious Scotchland for an hour and goes to a scarf factory.

Was that a subliminal show of solidarity with her fellow Britnat Richard Leonard?

Though why does he always need a scarf if he’s so….Hardy?

Dave McEwan Hill

We are in critical times, much more critical than is generally understood. The media is being used to dampen down the chaos as we stumble towards a disaster.

We had a very interesting meeting in Dunoon’s Forward Shop on Monday with Richard Drysdale introducing us to his book “A State of Emergency” which lays out a fictional scenario of what a UK state would be prepared to do tohold onto Scotland. Richard is not infected by the naivety which is shared by many. I noted somewhere a reference to the 1974 Dublin Bombings. They are all the education we need.
Here is Wikis take on some of the theories
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dublin_and_Monaghan_bombings

Luigi

Just think folks,

One day in a bright and happy future, we just might be looking at similar antiquated, dusty articles by British Nationalists harping on about how bad independence would be for Scotland, and having a right old laugh at how stupid they were. 🙂

One day not too far away now, I hope. 🙂

doug bryce

The UK is a unitary market (single state)
A true single market is something very different.

Of course we are leaving the worlds biggest single market.
Now : Only in event of the hardest, most damaging, brexit, would Scotland be prevented from trading with England. Why tie ourselves to a sinking ship ?

Macart

@Arbroath1320

And the egg has some use to a body. 🙂

Honestly Arb. That we hear endless shite thrown at us about preciousss unions is now well beyond the joke stage. Examples of just how precious this union is generally regarded by Conservatives are literally everywhere and easily found.

These …. people, consider Scots as second class citizens. Scotland a jolly useful grouse moor and its citizenry either likened to faithful dogs or whinging, grievance ridden subsidy junkies, depending on the weather.

British state and establishment. Just wow! Mindbogglingly, there are folk out there who actually like being treated this way.

cearc

Not buy from Scotland? Yeah right.

So where do they get their electricity? The lines from Fr and NL are fully used.

Oil to feed the refineries? Well maybe their Saudi mates will step in there.

Gas? Whoops, just pissed off Putin, that could be a problem.

David S. Briggs

Abulhaq is a troll. Probably the same bugger that haunts other Indy sites, particularly Craig Murray’s blog.

Archbishop of Dork

Wondering if anyone knows how many episodes there are still to go in the riveting drama David Mundell The Withdrawn Years.

Legerwood

Macart says:
29 March, 2018 at 11:41 am
Teresa May’s National Unity tour of the UK starting in Scotland.

Roughly about an hour. No members of the Scottish public allowed within a country mile. One business visited. Couple of soundbites for the meeja, then it’s up, up and awaaaaay. You’ll have had your unity then Scotland. FFS!””
………..

Did she use Prestwick Airport then? Would have been the most convenient and still available thanks to that nice SNP…oh wait …I see the problem

jfngw

Well which had the longest duration, May’s visit to Scotland or Davidson’s Russian lunch date?

Faltdubh

People in Britain (on the whole) are brainwashed. Delusions of grandeur regarding standard of living, arrogance to others from Europe, slow to adapt to change and to be stereotypical, quite thick.

Look at Brexit and all the racists who support UKIP happy to vote Brexit yet somehow when the Polish, Romanians are ‘sent home’ it’ll be Indians, Nigerians on visa-waiver programs coming in as no ‘Brits’ want to do these jobs.

Honestly, feck the fishermen too. We’re too forgiving. They’ll back the Tories to the hilt even when after Brexit (the quotas will be kept on due to an EU agreement ; it’s pardon the pun ‘small fish’for the UK and they’ll happily sell the fisher folk up the river, and very little will change from the present arrangement within the EU) Yet, I’m guessing they’ll still back the Tories cos SNP bad/they would have it even worse or some crap. Their official spokesman, Norn Iron loyalist Bertie Armstrong cannot even muster the words ‘Scotland’ or ‘Scottish Government,’

Will Scotland wake up? I don’t know. I hope so, 45% of us voted Yes and we don’t need much ; but we are a slow-moving people. Very slow to change and adapt just look at our football team. We need to get moving.

Foonurt

Bob Mack (11-24am) – ah kin swallae, ah plate ah purreech.

Bit thoan fermt-salmon, pits mae aff.

Furrit, centre oan thurr Holyrood photae, wis ah student union representative.

Ia[i]n Sweeney fae rid-tie labour, oan Radio Scoattlin thurr moarnin, sid thae wurr nummurr wan, coz thae huv ah six-pairt EU-leein plan.

Thurr yist tae bae Five Kindoms, fur awe life. No wuv six. Thit taks in thae nivurr afore seen, Jermy Ivrrae-option.

Iain

A concoction of insight, naivety, and being downright patronising.

Arbroath1320

Macart says:
29 March, 2018 at 12:37 pm
@Arbroath1320

And the egg has some use to a body. ?

Honestly Arb. That we hear endless shite thrown at us about preciousss unions is now well beyond the joke stage. Examples of just how precious this union is generally regarded by Conservatives are literally everywhere and easily found.

Of course you know why Feartie keeps going on and on about HER precious union Macart? 😉

link to youtube.com

Iain mhor

UK Single Market – the one with different tariffs for different countries. The one where you have to convert your currency before crossing borders type of single market. Where negotiating or proposing terms with a partner is viewed as unlawful type of single market.
Aye, awfy guid.

Glamaig

Radio Shortbread presenters used the phrase ‘precious union’ at least three times this morning.

Maybe if they repeat it often enough people will believe it?

link to en.wikipedia.org

Craig P

Sir Bruce Patullo. One of these days a Tory banker’s words of gloom about ordinary people exercising power will come true – and one day their promises of a better future if you vote away your power will also come true, see Alec Douglas Home promising a better form of devolution in the 1970s or the Vow more recently – but I can’t think of a single historical example when failing to exercise power against these people has worked out to the benefit of Joe Public.

Bob Mack

Theresa ( Gollum) May going on about her “Precious”
Think they made a film about that.

ahundredthidiot

‘Devolution – a halfway house to Independence’

Damn right John

I remember laughing my little socks off at the time

Lenny Hartley

Ledgerwood, re maybot using Prestwick, her plane, a bae146 landed at Prestwick last night, hope we were charging by the hour!

FTDmail

has anyone else noticed both the National and Bella Caledonia have gone down? One an error somewhere. Two of them? Hmmm

Dr Jim

We’re one nation accross the four nations of AhUK but the Scotland nation shouldn’t have more power than Lincolnshire county council which is in the England nation of AhUK, and the Northern Irish nation of AhUK is a British nation of AhUK which is run by the England nation of AhUK

The Welsh nation of AhUK hisnae got a leg tae stand on so will always be run by the England nation of AhUK

So dae as yer telt we’re a wan nation….and don’t ye just love being telt that

Breeks

Dave McEwan Hill says:
29 March, 2018 at 12:21 pm
We are in critical times, much more critical than is generally understood. The media is being used to dampen down the chaos as we stumble towards a disaster…

And social media is suffering a wholesale onslaught on its integrity too. Cambridge Analytica will carry the can as the expendable throwaway, but the Establishment has done its work, discredited the trust we have in freedom, and sat on the Information Commissioner’s warrant long enough to make good its escape and limit exposure. Winston Wolfe couldn’t have done any better.

We are running out of Orwellian metaphors to fret about them actually coming to pass. Too many are now reality. Orwell’s 1984 dystopia is all around us, everywhere, but so far it is thin, like a light wash of watercolour, but with every subtle new wash, the pigment gets steadily thicker, more durable, more permanent.

And still we do nothing…

wee bud

The UK single market where we pay more for fuel and power,selling and buying! Where half our land mass pays more for delivery’s or not at all!

@ Iain mhor
I forgot about how they don’t accept our currency!

I wish the Vikings had stayed and fully colonised these Islands.. I always fancied blonde flowing locks!

Highland Wifie

That’s a classic piece of unionist tripe.

‘At present, every area of the United Kingdom does well out of the Union.’
‘Culturally, our lives have been enriched by our shared history and identity.’

If you say so. What you mean is we do well down here out of you and you should be grateful that you’re a colony of our great UK. And your lives have been enriched by having our superior culture imposed on you and your history rewritten.
Aye well, even Sleeping Beauty woke up eventually. In her case it only took 100 years while we’ve taken 300.
Not long now.

ScottieDog

The U.K. single market where one entity controls the economic levers of it’s trading partner.
Single player monopoly anyone?

geeo

@doug bryce 12.31pm

You said this..

“Now : Only in event of the hardest, most damaging, brexit, would Scotland be prevented from trading with England”
………

On what planet do you think that will happen ?

Clue, it ain’t on planet earth. There are ZERO scenarios where Scotland and England will cease trading.

Supply and demand has never ceased because of independence, even when independence was taken by bitter civil wars.

Yet here you are, saying Indy Scotland would be different huh ?

Away wi ye.

Foonurt

Iain (1-06pm) – aye, rid-tie labour tae-ah-tee.

manandboy

link to thecanary.co

The ‘Elephant in the Room’ is no longer of concern, as in matters of Democracy, Devolution, Self-determination and so much more, the Tories have become
‘The Crocodile in the Pool’.

scottieDog

V interesting point put fwd by indycar gordon today suggesting indy scot as a solution to brexit for uk. Suggests scotland as part of efta as an interface between EU and rUk

Abulhaq

A bit of history, it was England’s embargoes on Scotland’s trading relations that in part contributed to the 1707 union. It wasn’t until George IV’s Walter Scott organised visit to Edinburgh in 1822 that Scotland began to be accepted as a compliant partner in the British Union.
May claims it as the most successful union in history. Plainly she was wearing rose tinted spex the last time she opened a history book on Scoto-English relations, assuming they have such a rarity in no.10…..

Arbroath1320

Sorry for O/T here but came across this.

As we all know every time there is a referendum or election we usually end up at some point with accusations/suggestions of vote tampering. This is, in my view, the way ahead. I have always been a believer in the use of Blockchain technology for elections. Hell if a small country like Estonia can, and has been, use this technology since around 2010 for their elections with an INCREASE in voter turnout and no problems why can’t we?

iThe related technology itself, defined by HorizonState market value today, as already having a technological worth of circa £50million, is being made available to Scotland, incredibly, without any cost being charged./i

What is there not to like?

As I mentioned Estonia uses Blockchain technology for their voting system as does the Zug region of Switzerland and Sierra Leone is also reportedly looking at using this tech for elections.

So I say COME ON SCOTLAND … don’t get left behind. WE can be one of the LEADING countries with this voting technology let’s not get left behind.

link to yesdayscotland.wordpress.com

Dr Jim

Labour complaining today if it hadn’t been for the SNP being better than them folk would still have been voting Labour

Damn SNP! They’ve no right, they’ve just no right

Oh here? does that sound like….grievance?

stewartb

Breeks @ 2:02 pm

You write: “We are running out of Orwellian metaphors to fret about them actually coming to pass. Too many are now reality. Orwell’s 1984 dystopia is all around us, everywhere, but so far it is thin, like a light wash of watercolour, but with every subtle new wash, the pigment gets steadily thicker, more durable, more permanent.

And still we do nothing…”

I agree. As Orwell’s dystopia comes into being bit by creeping bit, so many are complicit through simple disinterest and/or easy distraction, and often an overwhelming determination to avoid (at all costs?) the mental discomfort of cognitive dissonance.

With acknowledgement to Wikipedia – “Social critic Neil Postman contrasted the worlds of Nineteen Eighty-Four and Brave New World in the foreword of his 1985 book Amusing Ourselves to Death.

Postman writes: “…. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture ….”

And Postman goes on: “As Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited, the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny ‘failed to take into account man’s almost infinite appetite for distractions.“

How well the rich and powerful, and their corporate media apologists, exploit this trait!

Source: link to en.wikipedia.org

Luigi

Perhaps it’s about time that SNP politicians started countering the “precious union” guff by shouting themselves a bit more:

“This damaging union”
“This unfair union”
“This corrupt union”

Offensive (to some) but true.

Give em Brit Nats a taste of their own medicine – they won’t like it one little bit but it will resonate with a lot of people.

And please – start calling the BBC out for the fake news outfit that they are. Being nice won’t get a fair hearing, so be honest – be brutal. Stick it to them. 🙂

Scot Finlayson

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee
?

Today @CommonsCMS has published a series of documents provided by Cambridge Analytica whistle-blower, @chrisinsilico, who gave oral evidence on Tuesday. You can see the documents online here: link to bit.ly

Abulhaq

link to theguardian.com
BritState is ungood.

manandboy

Is there anyone in the UK, perhaps even in Europe, who has not heard the term ‘precious Union’. That’s how you do propaganda – a little and often, every day, every chance you get.
We still have a lot to learn.

Perhaps Blockchain will be the next lesson for the Scottish Government.

One thing’s for sure, there can be very little trust among the Scottish Electorate in the current system of voting, now that it has been infected by Tory-sponsored data harvesting and micro-targeting.

manandboy

Voting now in the UK must rank as the ultimate expression of naivety. Or brainwashing. Or both of course.

Osakisushi

Amazed the BBC are allowing comments on their “Reporting Scotland at 50” piece of fluff.

To judge by some of the blocked comments, a fair few folk have disagreed with their wonderful assessment.

Though, it was possible to write something which seemed positive at first glance.

Fred

Some budding “Borgia!” mentioned the consumption of Water Dropwort as being the likely source of the Russian Spy & his daughter’s poisoning. Russians are certainly fond of foraging for wild grub but Dropwort, which is found in ponds & ditches etc’ & leaves the victim with a sardonic grin! isnae oot yet! Daffodil’s onybody?

manandboy

With the Easter weekend almost on top of us, we can expect a deluge of BritNat propaganda, taking advantage of an unmissable opportunity in tens of millions of the population with loads of time on their hands for media gorging.

I do hope the SNP Party & Government are up for it.

Robert Peffers

@ScottieDog says: 29 March, 2018 at 11:08 am:

““The English accept that resources should be allocated according to need…””

Utter and complete pish!

The Barnett Formula has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with need and the Barnett Formula is used to figure out the Block Grants and there is no block grant for England because England is NOT funed as a country but as the entire United Kingdom.

Here’s the unvarnished truth – The block grants to only three of the counties in the United Kingdom, (a bipartite union of kingdoms), has one partner kingdom composed of three countries while the other partner is both a single country and a kingdom.

So it was a confidence trick to split the United Kingdom by country and not be kingdoms in the first place but an even bigger con-trick to leave only the country of England remaining without a parliament of the country of England.

By doing so Westminster then went even further and now claim that England is, “The United Kingdom”, and that makes Westminster the de facto parliament of the country of England, but I digress.

Returning to the Block Grants and the Barnett Formula – Westminster relegated the partner kingdom of Scotland to be a country and, NOT a kingdom, and thus treated the only partner kingdom to the kingdom of England as ONLY a country but then did the same to the Kingdom of England but did NOT treat England as a country but as the United Kingdom.

If you think they didn’t consider the facts. There is no elected as such Parliament of England just three country parliaments and The United Kingdom – but wait!

How are the devolved country parliaments funded? By a block Grant from Her Majesty’s, (Westminster), Treasury decided by the United Kingdom Government by use of The Barnett Formula but where does it come from and how is it decided? That’s the devious bit.

First of all where are they devolving the powers from? The United Kingdom’s Ministries who carried out these functions UK wide previously and the funds to run devolved functions are also devolved from those United Kingdom Ministries. You cannot devolve functions without the funding to pay for them because the tax is collected centrally by Her Majesty’s, (Westminster), Treasury.

It is supposedly a proportionate sum based upon the funding of the United Kingdom. Which is why if certain functions in the country of England, (but only certain functions), are increased or decreased there are Barnett Consequentials.

But! But! Wait a minute, isn’t the country of England now funded as, “The United Kingdom”? Isn’t there no Parliament of the Kingdom of England?

Now the picture is getting clearer.

Now here are a couple of little known facts:-

The City of London, (the financial sector), is funded as if it were a separate city state and there’s a person sitting near the speaker in the debating chamber that never gets a mention, He is known as, “The Remembrancer”:-

link to en.wikipedia.org

and:-

link to mirror.co.uk

You might ask – is there any other fiddles? and the answer is, of course there is and I don’t know all of them but I do know that the Westminster Parliament is undoubtedly now actually the unelected as such Parliament of the Country of England making laws under the English legal system and it treats itself, (when it suits it), as the parliament of the United Kingdom and as the parliament of the country of England and has blurred the lines between the two and one consequence of this is that they can class a multitude of United Kingdom functions as National, (United Kingdom), and fund them with everyone’s tax money and not just the country of England that kids on it is the United Kingdom. Like The National Museums, Art Galleries – ad infinitem.

Then there is that Remembrancer guy the always unmentioned,”Financial City’s man in Westminster”, who looks after all the moneyed guys best interests and who we don’t know what power he wields.

So there it is, The Westminster Parliament is the de facto parliament of England devolving English powers to their three dominion UK countries, fiddling the books and cheating the rest of us but overseen by the Remembrancer looking after the interests of the rich but usually NOT so famous who want to remain anonymous.

geeo

Its that time again…approaching recess, so time to dump out info on bad or failed policies in the hope nobody notices.

Why on earth would the tories wish to sneak out news that scrapping Housing Benefit for 18-21 year olds has been binned ?

A decent government would loudly proclaim they listened and decided it was not the right thing to do.

Not this mob, they ashamed of dumping policies which would cause utter misery for large amounts of people.
……….
News the government tried to bury before Easter

link to f7td5.app.goo.gl

Sent via @updayUK

heedtracker

As I mentioned Estonia uses Blockchain technology for their voting system as does the Zug region of Switzerland and Sierra Leone is also reportedly looking at using this tech for elections.”

But its seems likely that these countries or societies are not plagued by a toryboy style creep show like what teamGB is.

There’s never a day passes without some tory creep, if not caught breaking the rules, then stretching them so much, even their Electoral Commission says, now come on chaps, play nice.

The idea of putting your vote on the web in any teamGB election of referendum, in a society and culture like ours, is just not on, If only because even Blockchain is as weak and soft as Viceroy Fluffie Mundell without massed ranks of Beeb gimps covering for him because Bitcoins are regularly stolen. Our web is the happy play ground of UKOK spooks, MI6 in particular. Is that crew anywhere beyond planet toryboy fun and games?

Don’t believe the nerd hype.

Vestas

GKN just got bought by Melrose.

This is a fairly big deal and is likely (IMHO) to cause a domino-effect collapse in aerospace industry in the UK.

Airbus have already said they won’t be dealing with Melrose (the 80’s term for them was asset strippers) and with Brexit making the logistics of moving wings impossible there’s a lot of jobs about to disappear in areas the tories don’t care about.

Not least Rolls Royce in Derby – if your main customer (Airbus) is in the EU then why make their engines in England and pay tarrifs? Indeed when your second biggest customer (Boeing) & you have no trade agreements why build in England at all…

Lots of (unwelcome) chickens coming home to roost….

auld highlander

“I like and admire Scotland and the Scots. Their contribution to the uk has been immense.” What he meant was we have raped and pillaged their land for over 300 years, we can use huge tracts of their land for hunting shooting and fishing holidays, we can keep our nukes up there away from us, we can try odd ball taxes on them, we can use their young men for canon fodder when we want to start a war, they can pay taxes and we can keep our dosh in off shore tax havens and we can piss and shit on them forever, etc etc.

Aye right.

A NO voter is a TRAITOR to Scotland.

call me dave

Excellent Mr Peffers:

Worth reminding us all again and useful for newcomers.

PS:
Scot goes pop worth a read.

It’s time to get up off our knees

Artyhetty

Devolution doesn’t work when you have three political parties, whose headquarters are in London and who take their orders from those headquarters. These three political parties have virtually no autonomy in Scotland. Some of them literally laugh when it is announced that the country that they are supposedly resided in, and representing, is not doing so well economically.

Unless Scotland has political parties working in the interests of the people there, and who stand up for the country where they were awarded a very well paid status in politics, then devolution is a joke.

Scotland has one political party, the SNP who actually work for Scotland and with Scotland’s best interests at heart, against huge odds with a UK government, and their employees working against Scotland.

It’s a bizarre situation, imagine any other country where many of their politicians work against their own country? I can think of one or two and that’s because they are controlled and rewarded by their next door dodgy neighbours!

It can’t last, not with the puppets at Holyrood working for their masters in England, and not with the Britnat parties taking orders from their masters in London. It doesn’t make sense, if it ever did.

Is devolution too paradoxical in fact when we look at how it has been undermined, and hated by many because it gives Scotland status, and a level of respect on the world stage. To have a system whereby those ( British nationalists) being paid to work for Scotland, to stand up for Scotland, and to represent Scotland, but who are doing the opposite, is contrary to the health and wealth of Scotland in the 21st century, is counter to what is sensible and ethical for Scotland to progress.

Independence is the only solution to Scotland thriving and succeeding, under the current system and with any UK government power grab, Scotland risks being taken back in time.

I think most people in Scotland would rather move forwards quite frankly!

ben madigan

@ Stewartb who mentioned Huxley – people might like to view this 1958 video of Huxley warning about the future

link to eurofree3.wordpress.com

Graeme McAllan

Scotland and we Scots are regarded as the Winston Smith character in the RUK’s European 1984 Orwellian implosion – our Masters do not appreciate any type of independent thought, which must be crushed and ridiculed at every opportunity 🙁

Highland Wifie

Some really important news on the BBC website Europe page is …drum roll…
Spain police dogs to get music therapy. ???

Meindevon

Arbroath @ 3.17. That’s spooky…I was just talking to a friend down here whose son is taking some of his wages in this Blockchain thingy (to avoid repaying tuition fees I think) and neither of us knew what on earth it was!

(I’ve sent her your link as he was a supposed up and coming investigative journalist, but when talking to him about Scottish independence, he just spouted MSM headlines)

Abulhaq

During the Hitlerzeit in Germany thanks to an informant system which the Nazi state found to its surprise and delight the German public willingly enabled, individual trust was vitually extinguished. Only the Party and its Führer, the citizens were told, could be trusted.
Language was so distorted with acronyms and novel new words and novel new meanings for old ones that normal communication became fraught with potential traps that might end in arrest.
The revelations about FB’s complicity in the harvesting of data, the doublespeak of its ‘functionaries’ and the involvement of British government agencies sinisterly resurrects ghosts of that evil time.
In politics, public life we have a right to be sceptical of a system whose dysinformative, dysfunctional ‘democracy’ is being exposed.

mike cassidy

Business For Scotland have promoted the possibilities of bitcoin technology in Scotland.

link to archive.is

Wallet Services and The Scottish Government

link to archive.is

This is a long but fascinating insight into Estonia’s embrace of bitcoin technology.

link to archive.is

heedtracker

Mike that Business for Scotland Bitcoin report says,

“TM: How secure is it – are we putting all our personal information out in public?
NR: Bitcoin has never been hacked, it’s defined as ‘tamper-proof’, trusted for transacting and recording transfers worth billions. In summary, it’s remote voting technology based upon the blockchain.”

link to ccn.com

mike cassidy

Heedtracker.

My links were for info purposes only, as they say!

Although, in fairness that coincheck theft was down to lax security by the company using bitcoin technology – not the technology itself.

My own feeling is it comes too early to be of use in the next indyref

which will be a pity because central to its implementation is voting via mobile phone

and that would have been electorally significant with the younger end of the electorate.

Perhaps, down the line, the greatgrandkids will laugh at our dead-tree approach to voting!

heedtracker

C4 teatime tory news there, Jon Snow asks FM Sturgeon. did she an YES campaign hired Cambridge Analytic for indyref1 and asks nothing about who ofcourse did. Pretty good smear really, toryboy wise.

heedtracker

Perhaps, down the line, the greatgrandkids will laugh at our dead-tree approach to voting!

I agree that it works great but its open to theft, probably the most basic kind of vulnerability. In stable and open democracies
or societies that are not owned and governed by an elite, like here or Russia for example, it does make a lot of sense. But elites never play fair.

Look at how worried people were with the ballot papers and ballot boxes Scots indyref1, going to places no one expected.

Look at what happens when electoral frauds happen here, like the big one last GE with tory spends were secretly way over allowed levels. All they had to do was deny it all. C4 news gave up, BBC never reported it.

link to channel4.com

Ghillie

John Major speaks from a great fount of ignorance and contempt.

Thepnr

@heedtracker

The Titanic was “unsinkable” apparently.

Valerie

I see Yulia Skripal is no longer critical and making a remarkably fast recovery. Good luck to her.

What the hell is going on?

It was in the pub, nope.
It was brought over in her luggage, nope.
Try the cemetery.
It was delivered via the car air vents, nope.

Oh, wait, let’s check the door we have been tramping through for 3 weeks. Bingo!

It’s a weapons grade chemical agent??

Polscot

Valerie says:
It’s a weapons grade chemical agent??

Yep, just shows that that’s the best the Russkies can do. Want a war – bring it on Putin! (insert sarcastic emoji here).

geeo

@valerie.

Its beginning to look like jaggy nettle rash, not poisoning !

A wee rub wi a dock leaf could have saved a load of international shenanagins here..

ScottieDog

@Robert Peffers
Yes I know the article was quoting “pish”.
As for the city of london, read treasure Islands by Nicolas Shaxson.

Rock

Dave McEwan Hill says:
29 March, 2018 at 12:21 pm

“We had a very interesting meeting in Dunoon’s Forward Shop on Monday with Richard Drysdale introducing us to his book “A State of Emergency” which lays out a fictional scenario of what a UK state would be prepared to do tohold onto Scotland. Richard is not infected by the naivety which is shared by many. I noted somewhere a reference to the 1974 Dublin Bombings. They are all the education we need.”

Rock (8th October 2017 – “The shoogly peg”):

“I can say with 100% confidence that Saint Theresa is not going to give permission to Nicola to hold another referendum before Brexit has been completed.

I can say with 99% confidence that Nicola will not dare defy Saint Theresa.

If she does, the recent events in Catalonia will look like a picnic in comparison.

The fascist British state is far far worse than the fascist Spanish state.

The worst part of it, more than half of Scots will be on the side of the fascist British state.

After all the Irish and Scots will remain “British” until judgement day and beyond.”

ALANM

@Osakisushi 4:35pm

“Amazed the BBC are allowing comments on their “Reporting Scotland at 50” piece of fluff”

Haven’t watched since it was called “A Quick Look Round” – they must’ve changed the name 50 years ago.

Mary Marquis used to cover all the news from Scotland – now referred to as “the news where you are” – in just ten minutes!

TheBuchanLoony

Valerie…Next week they will be saying they got it off the toilet seat!

Rock

geeo says:
29 March, 2018 at 8:07 pm

“Its beginning to look like jaggy nettle rash, not poisoning !

A wee rub wi a dock leaf could have saved a load of international shenanagins here..”

Rock (16th March – “The greasy poll”):

“Nicola and the SNP made utter fools of themselves by supporting Saint Theresa, in my humble opinion.”

PictAtRandom


Graeme McAllan says:
29 March, 2018 at 5:54 pm

Scotland and we Scots are regarded as the Winston Smith character in the RUK’s European 1984 Orwellian implosion – our Masters do not appreciate any type of independent thought, which must be crushed and ridiculed at every opportunity ?

And the British Whisky-scented tears trickled down the sides of our nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. We had won the victory over ourselves.

Iain

Wasn’t John Major the man that used to have sex with Edwina Currie.
That makes him a man deserving respect.
We really should show it.

jfngw

@Iain

Not only that, he was also so worried about soiling his underwear he would tuck his shirt into his pants to protect them. He was even considerate to his laundry maid.

Thepnr

Somebody didn’t like John Major much.

Born in Brixton, London, to a mother who was a failed music-hall artist and a father who was a former circus clown and garden gnome manufacturer, John Major failed to become a ticket inspector on London buses.

He therefore entered politics and became a Conservative councilor for an inner-London borough.

Oh yes. He then got elected as a Member of Parliament, then promoted to Thatcher’s cabinet (where he was shuffled between posts so he wasn’t in any of them long enough to do lasting damage, although he did his best) and — when the Tory party finally threw the vinegar-titted Hell-witch on the bonfire — he got elected party leader because his opponents split the anti-Thatcherite party vote and therefore became Prime Minister.

Major’s major mistake as PM was to launch a moral crusade called “Back to Basics”, trying to revive a sort of daydream version of 1950s family values.

Since being sexually incontinent and compulsively adulterous is a Tory party entry-level qualification, this meant that his government was immediately involved in an endless succession of lurid and hilarious sex-scandals with MPs caught with their pants down left, right and center.

The result was that Major looked like both a hypocrite and incompetent.

No, wait, he was both a hypocrite and an incompetent, as what we weren’t told at the time was…

HE HAD BEEN SHAGGING EDWINA CURRIE!

link to encyclopediadramatica.rs

jfngw

When the issue of the shirt/pants tucking were revealed to him, being a Tory he put the problem down to the unforeseen consequence’s of bi-lateral re-organisation.

Hamish100

rock

I can say with 99% confidence that Nicola will not dare defy Saint Theresa.

If she does, the recent events in Catalonia will look like a picnic in comparison.

I call that a contradiction with 100% confidence.

Robert Peffers

@ScottieDog says: 29 March, 2018 at 8:16 pm:

“Yes I know the article was quoting “pish”.”

Nah! I wasn’t saying that you wrote a load of pish!

I was saying that it is a load of pish that Block grants were based upon, “needs”. There weren’t and aren’t. If indeed there was any, “Needs”, component it was nothing more than a small adjustment of things like delivery of health care in a largely rural Scottish country.

In Scotland much cost was added due to the service needing to provide anything had to be transported for much larger distances than in for example, central London where one large hospital was almost within walking distance for many 10s of thousands and where cheap public transport made its services lie within easy reach of millions.

These, of course, were partly offset by such things as cleaner air and much less ill health from pollution from that public transport in London. This, “Needs basis myth”, was the usual unionist neep-heed claims propagated by mainly thick headed and misinformed Scottish unionist lobby fodder and wine soaked members of the HOL. Not to mention yer usual ex-union-leader Labour types like thicky-Dicky.

Famous15

If you are quoting Rock please use quotation marks. Not doing somakes him sound sane.

Robert Peffers

Rock?

Who He?

Bill McDermott

I heard dough-heed Maurice Golden repeat the canard about the UK Single Market being four times the size of the EU Single Market and therefore it was more important to stay part of the UK. Whether it is or not is immaterial.
What Ivan McKee should have responded with is the illogicality of saying this while supporting leaving the EU Single Market, the UK’s biggest market by far compared to the US, China, India etc.
The difference between the two comparisons is similar. UK/US – 18%; Scotland/EU – 14%. I could also mention that the Scottish element of the US trade would make the difference even more inconsequential.
Remember also that bully boy Trump is in the business of re-balancing US international trade in favour of the US.

Thepnr

Regards the UK single market the implication is that Scotland would be the one to suffer. I believe this to be untrue.

Couple of examples, look at the offshore industry. Much of what id used in the N.Sea is built or manufactured in England such as in the yards in Newcastle, Hartlepool, Yarmouth or Teeside.

This is not necessary though as these structures could be built in Scotland if an Independent Scottish Government says that there must be at least 90% Scottish content just as the Norwegians do.

England’s yards in this scenario would lose out on work, it’s not just the yards of course. Much of the subsea infrastructure in manufactured in England but we have equivalent facilities in Scotland. Lose Lose for England.

Next there are more mundane things like oil, gas and electricity where the rUK really have no ther choice than taking our exports for where-else might it come from?

Truth is we have them over a barrel when it comes to trade though they want to use this single market rubbish in the same way they did with the currency issue. I hope the SG is well prepared for this and will chop the legs from under them before they even get started.

Scotland is very wealthy and will do fine, thank you very much.

Dave McEwan Hill

England of course exports as much to Scotland as goes the other way.
This whole fallacy is built on a strange notion that Scotland and England will stop trading with each other if Scotland becomes independent.

This is infantile and absolutely absurd and should be called out loudly.

Fred

Edwina claimed Major tucked his jumper into his underpants!

Robert Peffers

@Bill McDermott says: 29 March, 2018 at 9:55 pm:

“Remember also that bully boy Trump is in the business of re-balancing US international trade in favour of the US.”

Yep! And for every country he, “negotiates”, a, “favourable deal”, for the USA with he will only succeed in alienation another 10 that the USA had previously had good equitable deals with.

Trading deals need to be favourable to both parties and not biased in favour of only one party in the deal. You cannot successfully bully independent states into trade deals by making then favourable to your own.

Which is exactly why the European Union free trading zone is the biggest, and most successful, trading zone in the World.

Thepnr

@Dave McEwan Hill

Infantile is apt, trade is trade and business is business. Whether Scotland is Independent or not has nothing to do with it.

It’s just a ruse trying to scare the less knowledgeable. Can’t blame them really they have little left all the old scare stories are already debunked.

Dave McEwan Hill

Thepnr at 8.59

A bit more to John Major than that. He was manager of Standard Bank in Lagos when I was in Nigeria.

Dave McEwan Hill

Hamish100 at 9.26

Spot on. Do you think Rock and Colin Alexander are the same person or have just been given the same script?

Thepnr

@Dave McEwan Hill

“a bit more to John Major than that.”

I’m sure there is, those are not my words but I know they’re close to the truth.

Robert Peffers

@Dave McEwan Hill says: 29 March, 2018 at 10:17 pm:

“England of course exports as much to Scotland as goes the other way.”

Actually no one knows the real figures. Though it does look suspiciously like Scotland exports a great deal more into England than England exports into Scotland and there are at least three known facts that indicate this is true.

The first is, of course, that Westminster has grabbed all the oil & gas revenues from the oil & gas industry as being from United Kingdom , “Extraregio Territory”, and thus these are accounted as I indicated up-thread as United Kingdom assets but as up to 98% of the oil & gas revenues are from Scottish territorial Waters that is a huge misrepresentation.

Then there is the Electricity Grid Connection Charges that show Scotland is a net exporter of power into England and Northern Ireland that is/was factually part of the Kingdom of England long before the Treaty of Union formed a United Kingdom.

Then there is the way that Westminster does its books in regard to how it classifies Exports. Not as by where the products and produce originates but as by where it leaves the United Kingdom from. Thus such things as Scotch Whisky, that can only be produced in Scotland, is classed as an English export because, “Diageo” for example, (by far the largest exporter of Scotch), is based in London and exports from English Ports and airports. Diageo is also an Exporter of Gin and other booze and 70% of the UK’s Gin is produce of Scotland.

The same applies to much of the processed fish exports landed at Scottish ports and taken to England to process and that includes almost the entire exports of Scottish farmed Salmon. Not to mention the soft fruit and jam products of Scotland.

Also remember that much exports leave the UK via the Chunnel that is situated in England. The whole statistics on exports is a minefield of lies disguised as accountancy.

geeo

I see the resident clown has been spouting pash again.

No matter how many times you tell it, it just spouts the same repetitive gibberish.

“Going by what i have been told, it looks like the Russians did it”

THAT is what Nicola said, she AT NO POINT said SHE thinks Russia did it.

Not once.

That means, she was NOT “supportive” of TM in any way.

You would think even a low intellect like Rock would understand that huh ?

He takes being a thick troll to a new level of pash poor.

Readers will see immediately through his nonsense for the utterly desperate, worried britnat patter it is.

You can really sense unionist panic now the Continuity Bill is on the Statutes at Holyrood.

Less than one year to go. Yee-ha.

Vote for a progressive future.

Vote Yes.

Morgatron

Fred, thats not all he tucked in when having fun with Edwina. Nudge Nudge Wink Wink.
John Major on the job, what a thought.

Clootie

…people are not looking, they are not reading. All the information is set out in front of them and they remain locked into their little world.

What will it take to wake them up!

All Westminster has to do is suggest the world is a scary place without them and they fold.
The butchers apron is an unusual comfort blanket!

How do you get people to believe that as an independent nation, which led the enlightenment period and helped build almost every modern nation, can do better than the cretins at Westminster who serve an elite?

Robert Peffers

@geeo says: 29 March, 2018 at 10:48 pm:

“I see the resident clown has been spouting pash again.
No matter how many times you tell it, it just spouts the same repetitive gibberish.”

Thing is, Geeo, that whether or not it is one or more, or one or more nom de guerres, is neither here nor there.

What is may be more that, I know for sure, are some genuine Indy supporters who are being sucked into their/its game.

Now whether that is through their impatience or by just brainwashing I wouldn’t like to guess. However, these genuine indy supporting Wingers should remember the old Scots saying, “Gin ye flee wi the craws ye maun bi shot iz a craw”.

(Owersettin intil the Ingis), “If you fly with the crows you may be shot as being a crow.”

The level of Wingers setting themselves up as being better informed of the on-going political situation than the FM of Scotland & leader of the SNP. A leader who has a second to none back up of legal advisors and experts in every relevant field of politics plus teams of paid workers and researchers and much technology is breath-taking.

Why would any reasonably intelligent person believe they are better informed or can better analyse the situation is breath taking. That’s not to say Nicola is not able to make mistakes but to date, neither she or the party, has made very many.

I’d venture my opinion that any mistakes to date are more to do with Westminster underhand tactic and cheating than errors of SNP information, judgement and tactical thinking.

cearc

Fred,

I don’t see why the early leaves of the dropwort wouldn’t be up. I have the first cow parsley coming up in sheltered spots the river and pignuts (munched a few whilst weeding the other day.

Water Hemlock (dead man’s fingers) probably fits the bill better though, same neurotoxin. Maybe coincidentally but there was a warning put out recently in southern England somewhere about not eating them as the high water levels had left a lot of tasty looking roots exposed.

If they had pulled the roots, no doubt getting juice on their hands whilst doing so, taken them home and cooked them well before eating that would have made them start fitting a few hours later and be seriously ill. Cooking reduces the toxin very substantially.

When they got home the stuff on their hands would have transferred to the door handle and everything else they touched. The polis would have used the door handle transferring raw sap residue to his hands and then maybe went off to eat his pasty without washing his hands thoroughly. Just traces of raw water hemlock would have been enough to make him very ill indeed.

Of course, as soon as May heard ‘russian’ and ‘poison’ she started screaming ‘Putin’ and creating an international incident. So a bit tricky to ever admit that they poisoned themselves!

kinters

Tomorrow’s National:

link to twitter.com

Indy2

Tomorrow’s National:

link to twitter.com

ScottieDog

@Robert Peffers
Sorry for the misunderstanding Robert!

Incredible though isn’t it, the brainwashing that we are dependent upon England when all the energy and resources are up here. Yet still so many people believe this shit.

Cactus

This time next year, England could very well be on lockdown.

Aussi, what is it with this alleged nerve agent thingy… the MSM originally reported it as coming in the form of a ‘nerve GAS’. How do you get a gas to stick to a front door of a hoose, has it changed form… hmm.

And with the clanging chimes of doom came Hells Bells:
link to youtube.com

Northern Rock

Should Nicola fire the IndyRef2 starting gun OR hold her fire?

Bobp

Dr Jim 11.34am. “Visitors/immigrants . I think they like to be called ex-pats.

Northern Rock

The Transition period of up to December 2020 is just another way of saying that Article 50 will run on longer than planned.

We are NOT out of the EU next year. The extension period means we keep all existing rules and laws until Dec 2020.

Effijy

Mind Control from Major John
Stick your parties ills you ain’t no paragon
Grasp sedition and May’s Godless love untrue.

PS Don’t put anything into a Currie with Salmonella.

Still Positive

Was at ‘The National’ roadshow meeting in the Dumbuck House Hotel this evening with Paul Kavanagh and his dug as well as a councillor from Argyll and Bute and our MP Martin Docherty-Hughes.

A good night although my son wondered how useful it was as we are speaking to the converted. I said it keeps us who are converted spirits up.

Was sitting next to Patrick Harvie’s mother Rose who I recognised from the indyref count and although born in Thurso she is actually English.

cearc

Northern Rock,

No, we will be out of the EU but treated as if a member in many respects. No voting rights or veto.

The transition period only covers UK/EU relationship.

It does not cover third party agreements. ie. trade deals, open sky and many other agreements (751 according to the FT) between EU and other countries. That is entirely up to negotiations with those countries. S. Korea has already said that they would require concessions from UK to treat it as if in EU during the transition period.

Chick McGregor

Breeks and Stewartb

Softly, softly Nazi monkey.

Dr Jim

So there was this Russian man and his daughter and their next door neighbour kept shoving his bins on their drive, so the Russian man says *hey let’s cook up a batch of that nerve stuff you used to work on and kill the basket nobody will ever know, and mind and don’t get it on your gloves*…= WW111 because Brexit’s a bust and we need a diversion

Hey, it’s as much balderdash evidence as the UK has actually supplied

geeo

@robert peffers 11.23pm.

Totally agree.

The FM knows every detail, nuance etc of what is going on, and will be planning accordingly.

The troll by name of Rock, when he is not being a narcissist, quoting itself, likes to mis quote others out of context.

I respond to such action by pointing out this fact, so visitors can see what it is doing and why.

Having said that, i am pretty certain a visitor to this site, will quickly come to the same conclusion anyway before too long.

In a way, it encourages others, perhaps less convinced by indy, that the future is Scotland being run down by unionist duelling banjo players such as the troll squad on here, or independence.

Helps focus minds a tad.

Osakisushi

@robert peffers 11.23pm

On the subject of IR2, I am far from convinced NS & co quite have the feel of things on the ground.
Perhaps they are so used to the drivel, they are unaware of the very real anger at ground level on the way our country is being treated.

No-one forsaw the Berlin Wall, Cameron called it wrong on Brexit, May has provided endless entertainment. But assuming leadership understands the frustration of ‘the common man’ tends to dissapoint.

Liz g

geeo @ 2.24
Too true geeo
That quoting other’s and goading is a recognised part of the “Narcissistic Personality Disorder ” tool kit.
It’s called Gas lighting,turning the pressure up and down to provoke a reaction.
This is how the Narcissist gets their supply/fix,to make them feel important and that they have something to say that’s just going to “wow” everyone!
They are oblivious to the real reaction they cause.
More to be pitied than blamed right enough!

Nana

Links

link to news.gov.scot

link to scotgoespop.blogspot.co.uk

link to indyref2.scot

Intellectual property rights were being shared between AIQ and SCLElections 6 months before #indyref
link to twitter.com

Nana

link to france24.com

link to evolvepolitics.com

link to 21stcenturywire.com

“If you dare to question Skripal narrative you’re labelled either a Kremlin agent or Russian bot” says journalist @NeilClark66 as new UK strategy places Russian threat alongside Islamic terror.
link to twitter.com

Ken500

The ‘spy’ carry on’ is just a lie complete and simple. The idea that Putin planted chemicals on the door is just complete and utter nonsense. The imbecile Johnston and M15 are behind this evil plot. Johnston a complete psychopath is behind the mess. He has been trying to start a fight with Russia for years. In order to line his pockets getting £Milions from crooked Russia migres who stole the money from the Russian people. Most of them should be in jail. Involved in all sorts of criminality.

Johndton wanted to start another illegal war on Russian borders using the US military. Trump was not having it. Johnston, May and the Tories were left high and dry, Johnston and the Tories need a diversion from the mess of Brexit and the mismanagement of the UK economy. The spy and the ‘dirty dossier’. Lies made up about Trump.

Trump knows M15/16 and the Tories were spying in him for the CIA/FBI. Instigated illegally by Clinton and Obama. Clinton funded the ‘Dirty dossier’ with Saudi money. She paid for it and leak it. If Clinton had been elected. There would be another illegal war going by U.K./UK military on the Russian border. NATO have weapons on the Russian border threatening Russia,

Since the 1990’s Russia has given countries in the Confederation USSR, self determination and democracy. Mostly for economic reasons. The Russian Confederstion has halved. The Russia population has halved it is now 150Million. Before 1990’s it was 300Million on par with the US (320 million pop) The Russian administration has given 150Million people their self determination, democracy and freedom. There could have been a population decline for other reason. The fall in the number of children born.

Putin has halved poverty in Russia. Cut poverty by 50%. A high achievement, That could be why he is such a popular President. With rating that Western politicans can only look on and envy. Except for SNP politicans who get massive approval ratings by comparison with others. Putin was one of the only leaders that publicly supported Scottish self determination Independence and called out Cameron’s duplicity and lies. Along with the EU principles that were upheld. ECHR.

These Decisions not supported by the Westminster Gov who want to trample all over people’s rights. They make the Law and break the Law with impunity, Totally illegal. Covered up by ‘D’ notices and the Official Secrets Act. Dunblane, Lockerbie and Iraq kept hidden for 100 years. Thatcher’s ‘this must be kept secret’ reference to the decimation of the Scottish economy. Then lying about it. The industrial unrest of the 80’s 90’s. The violent protests. The appalling Thatcher legacy. Still not redressed by the Tory Gov. No apology. Just duplicity and denial. Once again trampling over people’s human rights and dignity. Warmongering pigmies.

Every word May utters is a lie. The Tories will have to increase Education/NHS spending because of the cuts brought in in 2010 by the Tories condems. The Clegg betrayal. They cut NHS spending £20Billion over five years. £4Billion a year from 2015 to 2020. They cut £6Billion from education funding (£3Bilion they will not get back). Increased fees in the rest of the UK from £3000 to £9000 a year.

The SNP Scottish Gov has had to mitigate all of this. May has to increase NHS/Educatiin funding in the rest of the UK because the NHS and the Education system in the rest of the UK are falling apart.

This does not detract from the Tory cuts to the Scottish budget. 10% a year from 2011 Budget. Now £3Billion less. While ruining the Oil and Gas sector with illegally high Tory taxes (when the price had fallen) Since Jan 2016 40%. Making exploration and production decline. Losing Scotland £Billion and 120,000 jobs. Scotland could have near in full employment without the Westminster Tory total mismanagement.

The Westminster unionists have ruined the Scottish fishing sector for years. Total mismanagement and misappropriation. The fishing industry should have been using bigger nets. Like Norway, Not disgarding and thriving back dead fish for years ruining the industry.

The Electoral scandal in the UK is appalling. People illegally influencing and buying elections for profit supported by unionist Party is absolutely illegal,behaviour. Gerrymandering on a collosal scale. Most of them should be in jail. The UK is not a democracy but an electoral cheat. The Unionists Parties illegally breaking the system for money in every opportunity and occasion.

May PR lies are just an attempt by a professional liar to defy democracy and line her pockets with embezzled public money for her and her associates, They are sanctioning people and starving them. Hinkley Point, HS2 and Trident a colossal waste of public money with no business case. There are cheaper safer alternatives. Funding which should have been used to fund public services.

The Brexit mess is unprecedented even for the Tories. Another attempt to,ruin the UK economy. So the Tories and their associates can tax evade and line their pockets with public money. An absolute disgrace. People in the UK will not vote Labour because of Corbyn. If he cared he would step aside. Not believe his own publicity. Another ego fantasist. Like many unionists.or dreniers.

May is unlikely to get her EU bill through Westminster in April. The Tory – unionists are already canvassing against Scotland and delaying more economic improvements in Scotland. Deliberately. threatening Scottish existence. Trying to take back essential powers instead of increasing them. A total power grab that Mundell describes as a ‘pinhead’.An apt description of the Tories. Mundell is using public money to try and get himself elected. That is totally illegal. He should be put in jail along with the rest of the Tory – unionists for electoral fraud.

May 3rd council elections in the rest of the UK should see the end of May and the Tories. The EU matters brought Thatcher down. Infighting rats in a sack. Completely. The damage they are doing the Scottish economy is unprecedented. The lies and complete fraud being committed by Tory – unionists at Westminster is historic abuse.

The ‘internal market lies’. Just an excuse to try and further damage the Scottish economy by the Tory – unionist liars.

Scotland exports £30Billion. £15Billion (half) to the EU (Keith Brown and others) £5Billion? overseas. £10Billion? to the rest of the UK. 1/3. Scotland benefits more from EU and overseas trade than with the rest of the UK. EU trade and grants, CAP and shared defence costs. The EU menbership far exceeds any benefit from trade with the rest of the UK. Or the damage done by Westminster – unionist useless incompetent decision on the Scottish economy, Oil, Trident etc,

Westminster policy stopped coal production in Scotland. No CCS for Longannet or Peterhead. A deprimental step. Cut funding for solar, tidal and renewables. Banned wind turbines onshore in England. Wasting £Billions on Hinkley Point with absolutely no business case. HS2 The Tory slush Fund. To embezzle £Billions of public money into Tory – unionists Party and their associates pockets. Absolutely ridiculous policies.

May, Johnston,Gove etc and fantasist lies. They are sanctioning and stsrving people. Lining their own pockets embezzling and misappropriating £Billions. The only reason they are in power. Greed and criminality.

Vote SNP/SNP. Vote for Independence. Or Scotland is finished. It will be depopulated further by the policies of politicians not elected in Scotland. A total lack of respect and democracy.

Nana

link to politics.co.uk

Barristers vote to walk out in protest at government cuts
link to archive.is

link to globaljustice.org.uk.

link to theregister.co.uk

Ken500

Thanks for the links, Nanna,

Great as usual.

Nana

Behind Culture Secretary Matt Hancock’s bold claims about making high-quality journalism sustainable is a sleazy scheme to give public money to the Mail, the Mirror and the Murdoch press

link to byline.com

link to uk.finance.yahoo.com

link to snopes.com

Have a good weekend folks, see you Monday.

Ken500

Lack of EU membership and governance will also affect overseas trade to the detriment. EU standards, regulation and co operation are recognised world wide. A good reputation. That is why so many countries want to join.

Thepnr

Just in time Nana, should keep me busy for an hour or so. Ta

Nana

Morning Ken.

@Thepnr

Here’s a couple more.

Russia bad bad Russia.

link to nilepost.co.ug

We taxpayers will have to foot the security bill for the royal wedding, 30million apparently

link to twitter.com

Bid Theresa’s quick jaunt to ‘talk’ with the voters of NI
link to twitter.com

yesindyref2

@Nana
The register seems to be getting its knickers in a twist about the derigstration of those 317,000 .eu domain names “But that doesn’t make this policy from the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology any less stupid.”.

But if the .eu rules require residence in the EU and the UK ain’t in it, then of course those resident in the UK no longer have the right to register the domains. There are countries (sensible ones) also have residence requirements. Germany is one, or used to be.

Luckily for me I never bothered with it, the .com and .co.uk are good enough for my domains.

Bit unfortunate though for companies that only have the .eu, it takes time to get known on search engines for a new one, and then there’s all those old business cards. I always use the .com version, not too fond of the co.uk for some odd reason.

Nana

One more

Cheap date with big Theresa

link to walesonline.co.uk

Capella

That is a very informative link Nana has posted on the fishing industry in Scotland. Well worth a read and it is the first of a series. Anyone connected to the coastal communities would be interested.

link to newsnet.scot

Northern Rock

Is it a coincidence that the daughter of this Russian Spy has made a Biblical like recovery?

Is it because she is still a Russian Citizen?

Will the British Secret Service sacrifice the father just to make a good world wide story? The father is now a British Citizen and so his death would not involve the Russian Embassy.

I may be miles out here but it has to be added to the mix.

Valerie

You wonder what those countries who expelled Russian diplomats are thinking about this reovery of one of the victims.

A range of outlets, here and abroad now reporting Yulia is eating and conversing.

I was going to watch Sky newspaper reviews last night, but quickly switched off as both guests kept referring to a “nerve gas”.

How bloody stupid can you be. Not a slip, they both did it repeatedly.

I sometimes feel I’m colluding with stupidity if I don’t switch off.

Valerie

@ Northern Rock

Yes, that is a point. I noticed RT were reporting UK in defiance of international law, by not great ving them requested info on a Russian citizen.

If all countries are responsible for citizen safety, that was surely incumbent on UK to pass basic info over?

Mind, Johnson put a british mother in danger in Iran, and she is still there, poor woman.

Valerie

Another thing.

Putin immediately came out after that mall fire, and stated criminal negligence. I think 5 people have been hunted down as being responsible.

Grenfell anyone?

Northern Rock

Valerie

Re, Sky News,,,They actually have made up diagrams this morning showing the way the “bad guys” made their way along paths and over fences to the front door of this Russian Spy. (And not backed up with one piece of evidence)

I also had to switch over.

It really is becoming an insult to our intellegence.

Robert Peffers

Cactus says: 30 March, 2018 at 12:00 am:

“Aussi, what is it with this alleged nerve agent thingy… the MSM originally reported it as coming in the form of a ‘nerve GAS’. How do you get a gas to stick to a front door of a hoose, has it changed form… hmm.”

I posted a brief explanation about these nerve agents right at the start of this affair but here it is again.

It isn’t a particular nerve agent. Novichok is a class of nerve agents and is actually a two part compound made from easy to obtain, safe by themselves, fairly common chemicals. The origins go back to NAZI Germany.

Hitler’s scientists were working on something that the NAZIs could make easily and with chemicals they could get their hands on because they were being pushed back into Germany by the allies and thus had no access to the more difficult chemicals and minerals.

When WWII ended the USA & USSR were racing each other to get their hands on German scientists, engineers and their developed weapons. Which was exactly how such as Von Braun became a USA rocket scientists and how the USA & USSR both began not only a nuclear weapons race but a space race too. The cold war had begun.

Anyway, while the space race and nuclear weapons race went on the USSR had not realised the importance of the scientific notes about nerve agents until around the 1970/80s and they began to develop the nerve agent – hence the name Novichok, it means,(new ones or new comers).

It is a two part agent made from common, easy to obtain, and existing, inherently safe by themselves, chemicals that do not require complex and large chemical works to produce.

Because the agents are two part they are safe to make by making each part separately and only bringing the two parts together when you want to activate them. (A bit like Araldite).

So the only reason to combine them as a gas or vapour is when they want to gas lots of people at the same time – like on a battlefield, or as a terror weapon against civilians in a city. Which makes them ideal for the war crime of genocide.

To use against one person, or selectively upon a few persons it is best to make it in a solid form, either powdered or as a paste. Thus it can be safely transported as two separate parts and only combined when needed.

As already pointed out this explanation in itself shows Theresa’s stupidity in making the claims she did.

First of all Novichok is a class of agents and the original development was way back in the 1970/80s by the USSR state – not the Russian State and it could now be made by any competent chemist without large chemical plant installations.

It wasn’t a gas and when Theresa went off at half-cock there was no time for UK experts to have identified it – so how did Theresa know it was a Novichok agent? Why did she claim it was a gas? How could she claim how and where it was administered and by whom?

Unless, of course she had insider information even before the experts made public statements. Note that the local hospital consultant stated that there were none of the suspected members of the public had any signs of being poisoned and that the three known victims had not been affected by a nerve agent of any kind.

This whole affair stinks to high heaven of UK security services involvement, (but that’s just my own personal opinion).

We may never know the truth – so what’s new about that when dealing with, “Perfidious Albion”, and that derogatory term is a well earned, title going back a very long time. They have lied to Scots since ever there were the first Anglo-Saxon, Germanic tribes, immigrants into the British Isles.

Chick McGregor

Nice juxtapositioning Nana.

Good Is Bad, Bad Is Good.

Doublespeak well and truly ensconced now.

gus1940

I am surprised that nobody has commented on the fact that given the seriousness of the Salisbury incident the victims were taken to and remain in what has been described as the local hospital instead of being moved to a specialist isolation unit.

Of course the truth may be that given its proximity to Porton Down the Salisbury Hospital contains a top secret unit to deal with any escape of the nasty substances which Porton Down plays with on a daily basis.

It really makes one wonder just what do the staff at PD actually do and how many are employed there doing precisely what.

Capella

Commenters on Craig Murray’s blog suggested some days ago that the UK might have secretly triggered Article 5 of the NATO agreement which would explain why other NATO countries felt obliged to act in solidarity. An attack on one is an attack on all etc.

Heaven only knows what the end game is. Good that Julia Skripal is recovering though. Hopefully she will be able to shed light on what has happened.
Those policemen who stood for days at the front door in ordinary police outfits have been very lucky indeed.

Bob Mack

Re Mr Skripal. Had he not asked Mr Putin to be allowed to return to Russia ? If so why would the Russians try to kill him here. Would the fact that he had asked to return to Russia not indicate that UK security services might have seen this as dangerous, or even a security breach considering what he might have learned here during his debriefing.

It actually does stink.

jfngw

My opinion has solidified, no matter what the decision over the EU now is, even if it was reversed, I want independence asap. The total contempt shown by WM during the last year has surely exposed how Scotland is regarded by them.

If the people of Scotland are willing to take this without response then I can’t think of what would stir them from their fear of standing on their own. Are they willing to swallow the MSM British Nationalist propaganda forever?

mike cassidy

OT

Talking Pictures (freeview 81)currently showing the 1949 Glasgow set film Floodtide

Jimmy Logan introducing Gordon Jackson to the delights of the Barrowland ballroom at the moment.

link to archive.is

Robert Peffers

@Northern Rock says: 30 March, 2018 at 12:02 am:

“Should Nicola fire the IndyRef2 starting gun OR hold her fire?”

That isn’t a matter for you, me, Jock Tamson’s Bairnes or Uncle Tom Cobleigh an’ all, an’all, to decide.

While we are all entitled to hold our own opinions they should, and will, continue to remain only our own opinions.

Nicola alone doesn’t decide when, or if, to call a referendum, or anything else for that matter. She is the First Minister of a government and has the advice of a great many legal and other experts to advise her and the whole machinery of that government, including the opposition, behind, or opposing anything her cabinet decides to do.

Are you perhaps attempting to push the Westminster Establishment’s propaganda line that Nicola Sturgeon is a one woman band and the evil dark forces attempting to upset the plans of, “The Empire”?

Then there is the fact that Nicola Sturgeon is also the democratically chosen leader of the Scottish NATIONAL (not the NationalIST Party, and as such has no powers to set the Scottish NATIONAL Party policies. The delegates empowered by the local branch membership do that, (usually openly shown doing so at SNP National Conference on national TV).

If and when such a decision is taken it will be by the best informed FM in the UK and based upon a great many experts of both Holyrood civil servants and the SNP’s Holyrood, Westminster, EU and local council representatives and her party membership.

Now just why are you attempting to spread the misinformation that Nicola Sturgeon is a dictator?

Are you just another, Rock sock puppet, with Rock’s hand up yer arse, or perhaps just another of his chosen nom de guerre?

Valerie

Skripals given a 1% chance of recovery, and Police hoping to talk to her today.

Wonder if they will just deport her?

Thinking on Northern Rock’s point, deportation might be handy, although Russia will obviously question her.

Albaman

I noted that J. Major said ” I like the Scotts. Their contribution to the United Kingdom ” , surely it ought to have been “Thier contribution WITHIN the United Kingdom “.
Shows the mindset eh?.

Hamish100

Valerie says:
30 March, 2018 at 9:27 am
Another thing.

Putin immediately came out after that mall fire, and stated criminal negligence. I think 5 people have been hunted down as being responsible.

Grenfell anyone?

No — thankfully Mr Putin isn’t our judge , jury or executioner. THis is an abuse of power.

That’s not to say that those responsible for Grenfell shouldn’t face judgement but I would prefer a trial in front of a jury.

Ken500

More MSM lies

Paying for legitimate ads on the internet. Within electoral spending rules. Just a means of getting out information. Like a newpaper ad. The SNP followed electoral rules implicitly. The MSM slurs are as usual diabolical

That is totally different from £Billionaires/Millionaire poltiticans etc illegal methods of over limits spending to pay to harvest people’s details by illegal methods. Breaking data regulations. Gleaning personal data by illegal means of misrepresentation. Unsolicited Surveys etc.

The MSM liars do not know the difference. More total lack of research and total ignorance. They expect people to buy into this. Murdoch, Rothermere, Barclay Bros etc. Non Dom criminal tax evaders. Illegally buying up Democracy. Black money. Campaigning against the public interest.

Northern Rock

Robert Peffers 10.08am

“Now just why are you attempting to spread the misinformation that Nicola Sturgeon is a dictator?”

What?????????????????????

Are you on the wrong drugs or something mate?

When did I call Nicola Sturgeon a dictator?

I am one of Nicola Sturgeons biggest supporters.

I asked a perfectly legitimate question. It is Nicola Sturgeon who announces such dates, so I asked Wings readers if she should go now with IndyRef2 are hold on.

Please apologise for your grossly insulting post aimed at my character Mr Peffers.

Or are you not man enough?

What a terrible attitude you have sir.

And from now on would you please ignore any posts I make and I will do likewise.

mike cassidy

The Salisbury explanation is obvious.

Skripal’s daughter works for Putin.

She comes to visit.

Poison’s her dad.

Poison’s herself slightly to make it look good.

Then its a miraculous recovery and off home for a medal.

Now is that any more implausible than any of the other scenarios?

Its actually scarily more plausible than some of them.

Andy-B

Another Tory councillor caught posting disgusting and offensive remarks about the public.

link to thenational.scot

heedtracker

Thanks for the links Nana. Have a great one:D

heedtracker

Capella says:
30 March, 2018 at 9:50 am
Commenters on Craig Murray’s blog suggested some days ago that the UK might have secretly triggered Article 5 of the NATO agreement which would explain why other NATO countries felt obliged to act in solidarity. An attack on one is an attack on all etc.”

They are obliged. NATO art 5, attack one NATO member, you’ve attacked them all.

A hot war never seems likely til it happens, the real horror behind this appalling tory creepshow’s brinkmanship with Russia.

Toryboy endgame might be nuclear holocaust, so be it. Better tory and dead.

Dorothy Devine

Nana , thank you for all your links – though you have strayed far today to the Nile Times!

Most interesting that Putin has written off so much debt – I wonder if he has debts of the West which he intends to call in , just to balance the books! China certainly does and wants the petro yuan .

As for the machinations of Mrs May and her ridiculous cohorts in Westminster , how hideously short sighted and ignorant.

Crackerjack

Wings is such a melting pot of informed opinions.

A, “Must Read”

Robert Peffers

@Osakisushi says: 30 March, 2018 at 3:13 am:

“On the subject of IR2, I am far from convinced NS & co quite have the feel of things on the ground.”

Of course you are convinced, “they have not got the feel of things on the ground”, because YOU think YOU have, “quite got the feel of things on the ground”.

Aye!
Richt!

“Perhaps they are so used to the drivel, they are unaware of the very real anger at ground level on the way our country is being treated.”

Pish! Pure pish! Sure they are used to the drivel, but which drivel? And just whose judgement is it that deduces there is real anger on the ground? I’m only assuming that there isn’t very real anger on the ground but you seem to have better information than I, or the entire SG and SNP party put together. Just on what are you basing your claims, Osakisushi?

It wouldn’t be either your own anger on the ground. your clique’s anger on the ground or perhaps the Westminster Establishments instructions to claim there is anger on the ground, would it?

I’m not angry at Nicola Sturgeon, The SNP, The SG nor aware that any friends, family or acquaintances are angry – well except for just about every Labour, Tory, LibDem , sectarian numptie, BRUKEXITeer or unionist supporter I’m acquaint with.

“No-one forsaw the Berlin Wall, Cameron called it wrong on Brexit, May has provided endless entertainment. But assuming leadership understands the frustration of ‘the common man’ tends to dissapoint.”

Assuming you have real and proper evidence of this frustration of what YOU consider is the, “Common Man”, but what of the Common Woman or the common indeterminate gendered person?

Just what is your evidence of this claimed by you anger based upon?

Do you really imagine that you alone are better placed to assess the mood of all Scotland than are the entire organisation that is the Scottish Government, their advisors and and the wider SNP local branches?

Just who is it feeding you this information you claim you have?

Let the readership of Wings know who you speak on behalf of?

I do not speak for anyone but myself but do accept that the FM does speak for not only the SNP membership and the majority of the electorate of Scotland who elected her.

Greannach

As far as I’m aware, my neighbour has failed to buy a dog licence. I’m thinking of informing Labour MP Ian “Stickers” Murray.

Andy-B

Meanwhile as the head office of Labour in London and Corbyn apologise and play down the extent of anti-semitism in the party.

The Scottish branch office Renfrewshire arm, led by Labour Provost Jim Fletcher says the problem is widespread throughout the party.

Fletcher added, we don’t believe that anti-semitism exists only in small pockets, nor is it just a matter of a few bad apples within the party.

The article goes on to say a bit more some off it controversial in my opinion, and it will surely ruffle a few feathers.

link to thenational.scot

Corbyn will be pulling his hair out after reading this.

Capella

I see from Stu’s twitter that the Minister for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has set up a review with the aim of subsidising “quality” press such as the Mail, Sun and Express with tax payers’ money. The BBC is already giving them millions in subsidy.
link to twitter.com

Peter Wright is on it, ex Mail on Sunday editor. He used to be on every Press regulatory committee including the D notice committee – now called the Defence and Security Media Advisory Committee.

D-notices are voluntary. But I bet it helps if compliance is bought with tax payers’ subsidy.
link to dsma.uk

This will push the UK further down the international table of press freedom.

Robert Peffers

@Northern Rock says: 30 March, 2018 at 9:15 am:

“Is it a coincidence that the daughter of this Russian Spy has made a Biblical like recovery?”

No! And why don’t your bunch of Britnat unionists stop attempting to stir the shit on Wings? I’m speaking for myself but I believe most genuine Indy supporters are wise to your bunch of Britnat sock puppets and their real Britnat agenda.

ScottieDog

“Commenters on Craig Murray’s blog suggested some days ago that the UK might have secretly triggered Article 5 of the NATO agreement which would explain why other NATO countries felt obliged to act in solidarity. An attack on one is an attack on all etc.

Heaven only knows what the end game is. Good that Julia Skripal is recovering though. Hopefully she will be able to shed light on what has happened.”

Most likely reason is to jab a big stick in the spokes of the brexit bus I would imagine.

Iain mhor

Holiday Musings.
Just what is going on with the Maybot’s tours, it is the most bizarre behaviour.
I’m led to believe armies of Spads, advisors, media manipulators, intelligence, MSM and the ‘establishment’ are the greatest propagandists ever. What these visits achieve and who thinks they are anything other than high farce interests me.

At some point this ‘Unit’ decides ‘Mustt visit country, must visitt country’ and throws a hissy fit, such that its handlers have to engage in damage limitation, armed only with post-it notes stuck to their Landrover visors with ‘Klaatu barada nikto’ written on them. This article then appears easily mollified, without exhibiting a degree of self- awareness and returns to its lair satisfied.
There are several common tropes dealing with such behaviour; the Feeble-minded plant, the Tinpot Dictator, the Aliens/ Robots from another galaxy etc – I may as well watch a re-run of “Duck Soup” to catch up on UK politics.

I can only conclude that A/ lunatics have taken over the asylum. B/ The real powerbrokers have lost control of their puppet to another insane faction. C/ Maybot is being set-up for a fall – There is of course the ultimate tinfoil-hattery, that she actually is being taken to remote locations to feast on free-range rodents and/or undertake data uplinks to the mothership.

Find one near you, you never know when you’ll need a handy bunker.

link to roc-heritage.co.uk

heedtracker

Most likely reason is to jab a big stick in the spokes of the brexit bus I would imagine.

War rallies the plebs to the flag, tory govs, aunty beeb for her honesty n shit.

link to bbc.co.uk

Beeb gimp zone says Cambridge Analytic’s not that big a deal, here in the UK

Don’t use this, if you’re paranoid.

link to chrome.google.com

Scot Finlayson

Everyone keeps calling the unfortunate Mr Skripal a `Russian` spy,

he was/is a British spy,

he was employed by the British `intelligence :)` services on behalf of Her Majesty`s Government,

Maclean ,Burgess and Philby (part of Cambridge 5)were termed Russian/Soviet spies because they were employed by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics,

it is misinformation to further demonise `Russia` for whatever games UK Gov/MI6 are up to.

Bill not Ben

Its a funny old world ( medical examinations )

I was just thinking lately about next year, when the scottish government has control over the medical examinations, and fewer people will need to go through the humiliation of one of these tests before getting their benefits cut as a matter of course.
Imagine when the people in england start to find out that very few scots are getting their benefits cut because we control the process, you can see what’s going to happen, there will be an outcry, why are the scots not getting their benefits cut, there seem’s to be one rule for the scots and one rule for the rest of us they will cry out, while moaning about us sponging scots again, wait for it, its coming as sure as a few goldies will pass my throat this weekend……….. Alba Gu snooker loopy!

Hamish100

OT

Met some “ex-pat” old neighbours yesterday. Asked if they were visiting family. Oh no coming back to “old blighty” for good after 25 years. Very pro- brexit. Anti- foreigners. Weird. Later chatted to someone I knew and mentioned my meeting. Och says she– xxx is back as normal for her diabetes and y need a knee operation. Free of charge. Are brexiter’s the most mixed up selfish individuals on the planet or just being tories?

Hamish100

Albaman says:
30 March, 2018 at 10:22 am
I noted that J. Major said ” I like the Scotts. Their contribution to the United Kingdom ” , surely it ought to have been “Thier contribution WITHIN the United Kingdom “.
Shows the mindset eh?

I think it should be Scots. Are you a ‘Scott’ from the borders?

Robert Peffers

@gus1940 says: 30 March, 2018 at 9:49 am:

“I am surprised that nobody has commented on the fact that given the seriousness of the Salisbury incident the victims were taken to and remain in what has been described as the local hospital instead of being moved to a specialist isolation unit.”

Then, Gus1940, I assume you missed the statement by the local hospital consultant involved in the treatment on the actual victims and the members of the public suspected of also being at risk. He stated in a press release that no members of the general public were affected by any form of poisoning and that none of the three persons who were poisoned had been poisoned by ANY form of Nerve Agent.

However, on the subject of Porton Down’s Top Secret Establishment I came across this on-line site:-

link to 21stcenturywire.com

I actually found it on You/tube but upon looking for the link that had several YouTube links to quote it again it was, inexplicable not to be found today. However, after extensive searching elsewhere on advance search engines, I found another link, (quoted above), to the same information.

Draw your own conclusions. It is also on record that the United Kingdom has a long history of using unaware members of the public and service personnel as human Guinea Pigs. I posted some time ago that due to my job I had to watch old films of nuclear, germ & chemical warfare weapons being tested upon service persons.

Valerie

@ Ken100 10.25

Who said they won’t face a jury? The Chief executive of the mall was allegedly warned a number of times by subordinates about health and safety shortcomings, and has been arrested.

They have carried out a speedy investigation based on employee and the publics testimony.

I’m all for Putin bad, where there are facts to hand.

I say again. Grenfell anyone?

Robert J. Sutherland

FFS, yet another round of airhead Russia pontificators. Can’t you take your conspiracy-theory diversionary pollution somewhere else where it won’t put ordinary people off what this website is really supposed to be about?

Nobody who has posted anything on here on that subject knows jack about about it. And it shows. Wild speculation heaped upon wild speculation. Yet somehow you imagine that airing your feverish fantasies on here does the reputation of this website for truth and objectivity a power of good?!

Think on. (If you can actually think coherently at all, that is.)

Dr Jim

A general rule of instincts

If you hear a politician say something that sounds *dodgy* to you and the media report nothing about it, then the politician and the media both are probably lying

If you hear a politician say something that sounds and feels OK to you and the media hammer away for days at it then it’s just the media who are probably lying

You’ll notice in both cases the media are probably lying

Lenny Hartley

Robert Peffers/Gus 1940
The health spokesman was a bit ambigious in what he said, probably deliberately, came across this when I was looking for the actual word. Interesting suggestion that it maybe severe food poisoning!
link to moonofalabama.org

Effijy

I wonder what kind of Tax payers money went to fund Russian Spy?

You you risk you life and a high ranking job for less than a
£1,000,000?

When he was brought over to England and give a what £350,000 house, is it in his name?
He has a nice BMW, and plenty of expenses for Bills and for wining and dining. How much does that cost tax payers?

Does he pay Income Tax and National Insurance? (Doubt It)

Will the NHS recover the standard £1,500.00 per day it costs to keep someone in a Standard Critical Care Bed.

For the Spy, have we spent over £40,000, so far as a minimum at the Hospital?

For his Russian Citizen Daughter, will we try to recover some £50,000.00 of NHS Costs from Putin?

Although all these specialist government bodies are investigating
what happened, taking samples, removing benches, there is absolutely no evidence of what actually happened to them or the Policeman.

If it was on a door knob, how did the policeman get it?
If it contaminated a restaurant and bar, why was no one else
affected?

The bill for all this must run into many £Millions by now, and growing, but as what we hear is coming from Westminster and the UK Media, I don’t believe a word of anything they say!

PS If England is spending £Millions at Porton Down, just who would these agents or gasses be used against?

The Tories would love using all these new automated devices as opposed to humans, so are they looking to develop something to wipe out the former Taxi and truck drivers who become unemployed?
Just come in for a shower before you sign on and before you know it a bad Russian must have attacked you.

They could clear out Scotland and repopulate it with Tory Lords.
No sorry, they already have most of our land.

Wouldn’t put it past them.

Valerie

This is quite a good report from a journalist as to what happened when May visited Wales.

None of it surprising to us, but just imagine it was SNP doing this. I saw an honest comment from David Torrance yesterday on Twitter, saying no matter if folk thought Salmond had a tense relationship with the Press, he was one of the most accessible and obliging politicians, always staying on for lots of questions.

link to walesonline.co.uk?

Lenny Hartley

Effijy alledgedly Mr Sergej Skripal was currently working for the Spanish Government trying to prosecute Russian Organised crime in Spain. Now some folk claim the Russian Mafia is close to Putin, i have no idea, but if true maybe that is where the UK is coming from. Or should that be thats who the UK is trying to frame. One thing that strikes me is that there is no timeline on the Skripal’s movements other than they were in a Park, a bar and a Fish Restaurant. Now the UK has more CCTV camera’s than anywhere in Europe, how come we have never seen them in any footage? Was there a third persomn with them? Was it the guy who took the photo in the previous article I linked? Is it the guy Pablo Miller who has links to M16?
Now that Yulia is consious perhaps the truth might out. (Unless off course she has a sudden fatal relapse!

Jack Murphy

THE TORY BREXIT….. Front Page of The Express England yesterday from one of Ruth Davidson’s/David Mundell’s fellow travellers:

“Our national journey out of the EU is almost over and a glorious view awaits.” 🙁

link to archive.is

CameronB Brodie

Re. the so-called UK single market. What a load of havers. A single market suggest Britain has separate national governments and a raft of legislation to harmonise trade terms across legislative boundaries. When did that happen? Anyway, I thought Britain was supposed to be One Nation. Was that bullshit, as well?

Yoons, they really are similar to cultists, frankly.

Rock

Capella,

“Good that Julia Skripal is recovering though. Hopefully she will be able to shed light on what has happened.”

As if the fascist British state would let her do that.

Nicola and the SNP made utter fools of themselves by supporting Saint Theresa, in my humble opinion.

Brian Doonthetoon

From:-
link to en.wikipedia.org

Sturgeon also tweeted her approval of a statement made by SNP Defence Spokesman Stewart McDonald who said on Twitter saying, “What the Prime Minister has just outlined is a sobering and horrifying example of the range of threats we now face – not unknown to our Baltic allies. Cool heads must prevail, but this crime cannot go unpunished.” Sturgeon called the attack sober and terrifying, and added on Twitter: “Exactly right. Cool heads certainly required but also a firm response. Russia simply cannot be allowed to launch attacks on our streets with impunity.”

Nicola was reacting to info from your “St Theresa”.

If that info proves to be a crock o’ $h!†, where will YOU stand?


  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a (mainly) Scottish political media digest and monitor, which also offers its own commentary. (More)

    Stats: 6,678 Posts, 1,204,996 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • Geri on The Wage Thief: “Where are those F16s? That pomp & ceremony was a bit of a damp Squibb eh? There was me thinking…Dec 12, 23:41
    • Geri on The Wage Thief: “Thanks Robert. I had some timeout for a bit. Hope you are keeping well?Dec 12, 23:25
    • Geri on The Wage Thief: “Oh & as Orban has found out & explains -;If you don’t do as yer told by NATO they withhold…Dec 12, 23:21
    • Jay on The Wage Thief: “Gregor, why did you not point out to Mr Hatespeech that the way he thinks is so tightly circumscrisbed that…Dec 12, 23:21
    • Geri on The Wage Thief: “Complete bollox. You propagandists really need new material. Yer Russophobia is indoctrinated bullshit. Those children are all accounted for. Removed…Dec 12, 23:04
    • Robert Matthews on Keeping the fire burning: “So you can’t put your money where your big mouth is. Cheapskate.Dec 12, 22:57
    • gregor on The Wage Thief: “Messiah: “A leader who is believed to have the power to solve the world’s problems: An ordinary priest, he was…Dec 12, 22:48
    • gregor on The Wage Thief: “Who’s the Messiah, Hatey ?Dec 12, 22:35
    • Hatey McHateface on The Wage Thief: “Poot and his cronies have already shared all the vast resources of Orcland equitably between the people that live there.…Dec 12, 22:27
    • Mark Beggan on Keeping the fire burning: “Empty Crisp packets and psychological profiling.Dec 12, 22:25
    • gregor on The Wage Thief: “PLANET7: The Return vol.1: Astronaut power remix: https://tinyurl.com/667zhx5xDec 12, 22:19
    • Hatey McHateface on The Wage Thief: “He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very natto boy. There you go, gregor, improved your post 1000% for you 🙂Dec 12, 22:11
    • McDuff on Keeping the fire burning: “Contribution made Rev money well spent. You put up with a lot of hassle.Dec 12, 22:09
    • znovak on The Wage Thief: “Thanks. Forgive me, if I am mistaken, but your premise seems to be that R and its president can do…Dec 12, 22:08
    • Hatey McHateface on The Wage Thief: “Hmmm. Scotland has been a FIFA member since 1946, so near on 80 years. Scotland is a member of UEFA,…Dec 12, 22:03
    • gregor on The Wage Thief: “Jerry Boifraind: Freedom Song: Natto Messiah: https://tinyurl.com/yepxakjs #Natto #NATOPipsqueakDec 12, 21:50
    • Campbell Clansman on The Wage Thief: “FIFA defines ‘country’ as “an independent state recognized by the international community.” Obviously, FIFA doesn’t recognise Scotland as a country.Dec 12, 21:39
    • Astonished on Keeping the fire burning: “The small amount I give you every month is money well spent.Dec 12, 21:33
    • sarah on Keeping the fire burning: “Thanks for the reminder about the Donate button, everyone. Have just used it, and must remember to do so more…Dec 12, 21:29
    • Mark Beggan on Keeping the fire burning: “This bloody spell-check!Dec 12, 21:02
    • Hatey McHateface on The Wage Thief: ““NATO is finished” Aye, Geri, nane o the weapons work, and the F16’s can’t even get aff the groond. But…Dec 12, 20:52
    • Hatey McHateface on The Wage Thief: ““Western democracy is all but dead” Sure, Ros. That’s how Labour just turfed out the Tories after 14 years. That’s…Dec 12, 20:34
    • znovak on The Wage Thief: “Thanks 🙂Dec 12, 20:31
    • Hugh Wallace on Keeping the fire burning: “On the basis that some of your subscribers have dropped off I am increasing my donation via PayPal. Whatever I…Dec 12, 20:29
    • gregor on The Wage Thief: “BBC: Nato must switch to a wartime mindset, warns secretary general: https://tinyurl.com/56yw9dv9 Sky News: Time to ‘think the unthinkable’ and…Dec 12, 19:54
    • Hatey McHateface on The Wage Thief: “Of course FIFA represents something like 200+ sovereign nations. Heck, even Scotland is in. Probably not scotland though, eh Ros?…Dec 12, 19:51
    • Carol Neill on Keeping the fire burning: “Thanks for that , would hate to have to join twatter to continue my paltry sumDec 12, 19:49
    • Hatey McHateface on The Wage Thief: ““have no doubt that trying to mess around with Wings is the Order of the Day” Really sarah? You have…Dec 12, 19:39
    • Hatey McHateface on The Wage Thief: “Fit happened to your shriveled, wee pair, twathater? Did they never drop, or did your missus take her nail scissors…Dec 12, 19:30
    • Robert Hughes on The Wage Thief: “What ” UK Covid Inquiry ” ? The one that seems to have evaporated . ( yet , somehow ,…Dec 12, 19:23
  • A tall tale



↑ Top
325
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x