The end of excuses
You might not think it, readers, but even after all this time we’re still capable of a certain degree of innocent, naive trust in Scottish journalism.
When Nicola Sturgeon didn’t just issue a boilerplate condemnation at FMQs yesterday after ludicrously overblown allegations of Twitter “trolling” by an SNP candidate, but went on the counter-attack over Labour’s grotesquely abusive Ian Smart, we foolishly thought that might make both sides of the story newsworthy.
And then we opened the papers.
We don’t expect the media to be impartial. But let there today officially be an end to even the slightest pretence that it’s at least fair, professional and honest.
We exposed the truth behind Neil Hay’s “trolling” early yesterday evening (having first helpfully provided an extensive and highly-quotable list of Smart’s deeply offensive comments on a Twitter account which as we write this is still followed by the large majority of Scottish Labour MPs, MSPs and MEPs, including both Jim Murphy and Kezia Dugdale). He’d posted two links to stories on other websites, and made a single comment that some old people were a bit confused.
That seems to be the complete extent of the horror triggering the outpourings above (including the eternally hilarious sight of the aggressive, foul-mouthed Euan McColm raging with a straight face about other people’s far less unpleasant Twitter comments). Two marginally contentious links and a statement of fact, years ago. The end.
Yet without exception the Scottish media, in full knowledge of the reality, blithely repeats the extraordinary lie first penned by David Maddox in the Edinburgh Evening News that Hay had “likened” No voters to “Nazi collaborators”.
Absolutely no such thing ever happened. Hay linked to an obviously-spoof article on satire site BBC Scotlandshire about an imaginary awards ceremony for Unionist politicians. You might as well call for the sacking of anyone who ever tweets a link to The Onion or the Daily Mash, in case some imbecile takes it at face value.
As is its wont, the Scottish Daily Mail even went so far as to undermine its own case by publishing the innocuous tweets for readers to see, while devoting FOUR full pages to screaming about how they said and did things that they plainly didn’t say or do.
(Very disappointingly, even The National joined in, with a wretched piece repeating the inaccurate allegations in slightly less shrieking terms, although it was the only paper that at least included a picture of Smart alongside the couple of passing lines about him that some grudgingly included late in their articles.)
Every paper in the image above knows that candidates can’t be replaced at this stage in a general election, and Hay’s sacking would gift the Edinburgh South seat he’s contesting to Labour. (The Mail even gives the Labour candidate Ian Murray a column to attack Hay with.) Not a single one calls Kezia Dugdale out on her dishonesty and double standards at FMQs.
Not one editorial attacks Ian Smart – who actually DID, repeatedly, call his political opponents Nazis and fascists, unlike Hay – but who still, despite Dugdale’s pledge to Nicola Sturgeon yesterday, escapes any censure from his party’s leadership.
The Scottish media is a disgrace. Its death can’t come soon enough.
Nothing to add, Rev Stu. It is dismal
It’s death can’t come soon enough!….Amen.
@Rev Stu
The Scottish media is a disgrace. Its death can’t come soon enough.
In a nutshell.
missed their bold correction?
it’s a wonderful trait to expect integrity from others, and a great disappointment when it is not reciprocated.
an equal and perhaps an even greater mark of distinction is to ne’er change to benefactor the others agendas.
trying to change an org etc from within, often changes one from within.
independence, freedom come all ye.
great work rev.
Why am I not surprised.
That’s all the independence supporting parties and people are ever going to get, from the media and political opponents, smear campaigns and down right lies.
I’m a Yes/SNP Voter, I like most of what do you do Rev, but this site is becoming a vessel for narrowmindedly attacking the unionist parties or the Media with no serious scrutiny of SNP policies, tactics or behaviour. Cue the abuse…
“I’m a Yes/SNP Voter, I like most of what do you do Rev, but this site is becoming a vessel for narrowmindedly attacking the unionist parties or the Media with no serious scrutiny of SNP policies, tactics or behaviour. Cue the abuse…”
Concern troll yawn. When have we ever claimed to be for that purpose?
Perhaps the key point is that Mr Hay is standing as a candidate in the General Election and Mr Smart is not.
There is also the following quote, “.. it is the right thing that somebody who has insulted all of Scotland’s old-age pensioners can’t stand as a candidate” from one Alex Salmond.
It’s simple really, the UK is not a democracy. The end.
Grrrrrrrr……… at some point we are going to have to stop being nice to these utter fuds. It isn’t like the publicity could be any worse.
Yeah, unless they do an equally widespread attack on Ian Smart (who is, btw an absolute bastard on twitter) tomorrow, for which I would allow them the “print deadline” excuse, they are uniformly condemned.
Don’t despair Stu. I feel it just as much as everyone else does looking at these headlines.
It’s a telling point (the National exception taken) that the written media falling well short of the jobs they are SUPPOSED to do and just reporting anything for the SNP BAD standpoint.
I think this site could teach every one of them something about reporting but sadly they are just lackies.
We all knew it would follow today. The Labour party never batted an eye over threats, assault or physical harm caused by its candidates, members and supporters. The media didn’t report it much either. They are completely immoral, unprofessional and far from fair. In fact it is easy to suggest these people are not even journalists but are party propagandists for the establishment parties of their choice. As for Maddox? Not even a decent human being.
I take it that there are journalists @ The Sunday Herald who follow this Smart character on twitter, and said nothing? If so, then I will be reconsidering buying their paper in future if there is nothing on this affair this coming Sunday. It appears, that the media all know fine well all about this vile character, and are covering their own backs.
If the GE15 polls are translate to more than 50% of seats going SNP on nearly 50% of the popular vote, combined with the Party’s current standing at Holyrood (perhaps enhanced in 2016), and add a further surge at Council level 2017; you’ll have an MSM wholly unrepresentative and at ideological war with 50% or more of the electorate. I suggest that is unsustainable. Post this election I think we need to keep the media’s bigotry and absence of balance front and centre. Keep on this story Stu. It is necessary work.
Ok, I had come round to quite liking the National,but now as forecast, it appears to be stabbing the SNP in the back at a crucial point in the election campaign.
If they don’t get it sorted by Monday I’ll not be buying it again.
Who needs Wetnats when we’ve got Wings!
Honestly do you expect anything else? personally i would sue or at least report Maddox to the Press Complaints Commission.
But really you would have thought they would be pleased, since its ok to look back, The Daily Mail supported Hitler, and loved Mosley!
Bring back Tom Utley -whoever he is!
The Daily Mail makes the Record look like a quality blat
I think it’s time for the SNP to take off the velvet gloves and show the iron fist beneath. It’s time we really became the nasty party, or at least a party that stands up for itself instead of always being mister nice guy.
For too long have we, the Party of Scotland, bit our lips as halfwits gaffawed at us, people not fit to lick our soles. Thankfully, these people are dropping like flies.
But the scum that support and are supported by these people will not go down without a fight. BBC Scotland, just about all Scottish/British Newspapers, and Businesses.
Moneymen and the idiots that support them, do not give a flying f**k about the poor in society. They are the equivalent of the French Aristocracy just prior to the French Revolution. The country is economically bankrupt, the political system morally bankrupt, press virtually censored, (at least to anything anti-establishment), and a simmering resentment among the peasants. All this will result in our very own Bastille Day, (albeit bloodless), that will shake the foundations of the powerful to the core.
Jim Murphy is like Maria Antoinette, playing little Bo Peep will people go without. All he needs to say is the updated political equivalent of “Let them eat cake”, to feel the full wrath of the people.
Viva La Revolution.
Stephen.
Joseph Goebbels would identify with and be proud of the Scotsman, The Scottish Daily Mail, Daily Record, Courier and Press & Journal.
These news papers and Goebbels have so much in common.
Anyone who believes the dimwitted spin from the right-wing tabloids or puts any credence in Dugdale’s lies must be incredibly foolish, to say the least.
The facts are there for all to see and no matter how much they whine about it the red tories have said far worse things than Hay and we all know it.
For that matter the tory tabloids have been on a rampage of hatred and lies about Nicola for weeks. Yet far from condemning their lunacy ‘scottish’ Labour just joins in and poodles along with the tory lies as usual.
So it’s a complete mystery why the red tories are facing wipeout in scotland, isn’t it?
LOL
And they wonder why they are greeted with anger on the doorstep.
My friends in Norway just cannot believe how corrupt and sinister our media are. My missus could not understand why the Prime Minister of UK would go out his way to ban a TV show (Outlander).
I agree that the end for our press cannot come quick enough
Phil Robertson says:
24 April, 2015 at 1:23 pm
Perhaps the key point is that Mr Hay is standing as a candidate in the General Election and Mr Smart is not.
There is also the following quote, “.. it is the right thing that somebody who has insulted all of Scotland’s old-age pensioners can’t stand as a candidate” from one Alex Salmond.
Perhaps it isn’t the key point at all, though?
Perhaps you have not noticed that Mr Salmond’s comment is not relevant to this, since Mr Hay didn’t do that?
Let that be an end to naivety on Brit Nat hate journos.
Glenn Greenwald was most likely the zenith of journalism in Britain with his expose of US/UK Government spying through the Snowdon revelations.
Then his master class showing Kirsty Wark as an establishment propagandist when she repeated Government statements without questioning them. Putting the Government points to him as if he needed to answer them.
But he is an American, and he left the UK stating clearly he would never come back, the State, and the state of journalism was so poor.
DR, Herald, Scotsman could have been part of something important in the history of Scotland but fell, chained together; full of wretched, small-man hate.
Like politics, the MSM is full of ‘old’ men, with no understanding of why they are being left behind.
On a heartening note, it is clear that Labour and all their little media acolytes know that the only way they can win seats is for there to be no opposition.
Smears are all they have left because they certainly aren’t going to win this on political ability or policy.
And breathe …. We all knew this was coming. We all expected this kind of hate journalism. We all knew the final 2 weeks was gonna be an total barrage of hate, misquotation, smear and bullshit to benefit one side of an argument. But on the bright side – this has all been done before and 45% stood firm. There hopefully gonna stand firm again. The labour, lib, Tory vote is gonna be split in the majority of seats dispite the tactical intentions of some. We won’t get 59 MPs this time around but we are still gonna be a strong voice combined with green and plaid MPs. Let them continue destroying themselves but please folks stay away from trolling anti SNP pro unionist twitters as its only gonna get used against us. Don’t feed them
Sturgeon should have defended him. It was seriously gutless not to say outright that satire is not “vile abuse.” After all, even Alistair Darling told us that jokes are a vital part of political campaigns.
Now, I hope Hay sues. Headlines with the word “Nazi” in quotation marks are flatly wrong and are defamatory. These “journalists” HAVE to be stopped from their character assassinations. I’ll probably hit the papers for this myself, but our newspapers are enemies of truth and are doing nothing but bullying people into not speaking at all. The Daily Mail is a disgusting hate rag that should not be welcome in civilised society. Fuck them all.
It’s been dealt with let the electorate of Edinburgh South decide if Neil is fit to represent them in parliament. This witch hunt is a fucking disgrace and the lack of balance tells us all we need to know about our shite journalists
There is also the following quote, “.. it is the right thing that somebody who has insulted all of Scotland’s old-age pensioners can’t stand as a candidate” from one Alex Salmond
How the fuck does umpteen poor souls become all of Scotland’s oap’s ya dry wank
Utterly depressing- how the hell can Dugdale look to have won the day after that display?
We know only too well that if you’re on the Labour benches, you can say literally anything, and the MSM will still report it positively. So pleased there’s less and less of the population paying a blind bit of notice.
They really are in desperate straits, to blow such an innocuous tweet into a major news story is desperation indeed. Thank goodness their are now sites like yours who are disseminating this story and people are no longer just blindly believing what ever they are told, people are more likly now to go and do some independent research.
Disappointed in the National today.
Quote headline “SNP candidate sent abuse to political opponents”
The reporter sems to have accepted as gospel the Dugdale “facts” and made no attempt to follow up on what was actually tweeted, unlike Stu.
At best this was lazy journalism. Surely these guys must realise that any systems ts by Slab are totally suspect.
Thing is, the readership of Wings is probably around the same as ALL those MSM rags (Scottish Editions) combined. In short, the truth has been outed and the people can read it right here. They splashed their front pages with this “Pish” for three years during the IndyRef and still…STILL 45% of the good, brave people of Scotland told them where to ram it.
Labour will pay in May.
This fair and democratic union, AYE IN YER DREAMS! Engerland, Engerland F… The Scotch.
Labour’s campaign and timing are poor. There are two weeks to go. By voting day this nonsense will have been overtaken by far more important electoral issues some of which are emerging right now with Miliband talking about Libya and Cameron going all EVEL. Nicola has backed Neil and the attack has failed…not least because it is pathetic. The rags and hacks can scream and wail but it is drivel.
This is just too far and truly beyond disgusting from Scotland’s press.
Time for all of them to be reported to IPSO.
I would like to say what I really thought of the so called Scottish Press and Media but I might get banned. Perhaps I should since I am nota candidate and nota member of any Party so there isn’t anybody to slap down but I don’t suppose that stop the so called Scottish Press and Media having a go anyway.
‘The National’ simply MUST make a massive apology on Monday even though the story will most likely be dead by then.
McTernan, getting into his stride now with this piece of slurry spreading. It will only harden the sentiment among the electorate to render Labour dead and buried on May 7th.
This might save Murray – but then again, it probably won’t make any difference, as a glance at the picture of Douglas Alexander in today’s Guardian will testify:-
link to theguardian.com
What’s actually new today is… well nothing.
They are a defacto agency of the UK state and will act like this squealing their innocence all the way until independence.
IMO NUJ Scotland should have acted on their actions as well. No excuses, we live in a (nice fluffy version of)totalitarian state.
If they could they’d have shot us all by now, but they can’t due to our EU/CofE membership.
Know your enemy
And another two weeks to go! This is probably the least Blue in the face the papers will get.
@ Croompenstein @ 1:39 pm
Thanks for the laugh-out-loud insult I’d not heard before!
Awful stuff from the media here.
It isn’t that they are making trouble about a couple of tweets that maybe should not have been posted (though, I have to say, I am mighty tired of the idea that speaking out of turn once or twice is scandalous and should disbar one from public service, while general incompetence is in fact laudable, it would seem).
It’s the one-eyed nature of it. If it was ‘what’s good for the goose….’ and all that, fair enough. But it isn’t. One side is to be neutered out of any kind of plain speaking at all, while the other appears to be able to slur people with impunity.
And they wonder why people are sick of them.
“How the fuck does umpteen poor souls become all of Scotland’s oap’s ya dry wank”
The phrase he used was “the generation” which, in my understanding of English encompasses more that “umpteen”.
Yes.
Disappointed in The National.
Let’s move on from this.
Noteably QT was – followed by This Week – more of same. Though Natalie Bennett (who is fairly coming into her own), Swinney and Our Man in Leith (Hardeep Singh Kohli) spoke for Scotland and democracy faultlessly.
It is all very well to discuss this matter on here, but the thing to do is to email the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament and to complain that Dugdale has misled Parliament.
Stu, please lay out your findings to her, because if not it is like Poirot solving a murder case and not informing the police.*
[* I believe that happened in a couple of his cases, the one where it was a member of the House of Lords who committed a murder in Iraq, no less, the irony!]
If you have time to post on here, you also have time to email the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament.
link to scottish.parliament.uk
After FMQ’s yesterday, some of us wondered if Kezia Dugdale had been set up with this story. Now it seems that she, the Labour Party, and the whole Scottish press corps have set up the SNP.
I hope that the Scottish people can see that this is a huge smear, and will punish the Labour Party and stop buying these so called newspapers too
As you’ve speculated on Twitter, Smart must have some serious dirt on loads of people in Scottish Labour. It’s the only viable explanation as to why he’s untouchable.
He’s a solicitor I think, so maybe he handles lots of dodgy legal paperwork for the party and their ‘friends’?
It’s funny how they make the smear, repeat at every opportunity, and then get their colleagues in the media to amplify it.
The same bunch of people then criticise SNP / independence supporters of creating a divisive debate!
Is there sufficient case to complain or take legal action against the papers ?
Time I think for Nicola to go after Dugdale and Smart for that matter and bring them to the full might of the Scottish Parliment.
Time to wipe them out. That would make the argument look a bit stupid now … wouldn’t it?
@ Phil Robertson
Where did he say that? Link (with context) please
Why do we all still just shout at our gutter press and its connivance with the Labour party, Unionism, Tory party, etc. There must really be more to this if these journalists and their editors are so disinterested in facts or balance then I think we have to seriously start to wonder how they all got into the jobs they now have. This is no longer just a bias it must be being run and co-ordinated from somewhere else, maybe a big concrete bunker building somewhere by the Thames.
In the aftermath of this Election, and for some time to come, and I’m talkin’ years here, let there be no dimming of the memory of what has been done by the Unionists, especially Labour, during these years of extreme public abuse by the Labour media in Scotland in particular.
Let there be no more talk of a ‘New Scottish Labour party’. New parties there might be, but let the Labour party become the ‘dead and buried’ Labour party.
Scotland cannot possibly wish to see their likes again.
Scottish newspapers in all-out attack mode on SNP today.
It’s going to be like this for the next two weeks.
Utter panic.
Two pronged attack strategy:
1. FFA/FFR short term deficit with no accounting for high growth strategy with new powers and phased switchover, or for a future oil price recovery. It won’t even be granted anyway. No mention of the slashed Barnett formula that is on the way without meaningful new powers.
2. SNP supporters painted as a violent nasty mob, with one sided examples of twitter idiots or vandalised posters.
It would be nice to see the National with a cover story blowing a hole in this moral high ground fantasy. Just look at the Orange order / Anti-Scottish element supporting the anti-SNP tactical voting campaign.
Just imagine being in Mr Hay’s shoes, he has clearly done nothing wrong,only an innocuous comment about old people and a verbatim quote and a link to another two websites yet his career and livelihood is now in serious jeopardy caused by one person, this total wanker Maddox. Neil, I would consider suing. Absolutely sickening.
Doesn’t seem that the TV has picked up on this story; suggesting that there is a realisation that this line of unionist attack would seriously backfire where at least some balance is legally required. The press are just throwing their usual consequence free hand-grenades. If this is it then it just highlights how disciplined the SNP have been.
Thank Goodness for Wings! I had already decided not to buy the National today after reading it’s take on this on Facebook. We have been mislead by the National. When we needed one daily to stand up for us they did not. So, I’m finished with them and the Sunday Herald too.
I get my news here.
Trying to find positives and all that.
I guess if this is all they can dredge up then it shows they are struggling. Their readership is diminishing too yet seemingly intelligent people are completely taken in by it.
I notice JK’s got a new spine tingling book I wonder what it’s called? ‘Scotland’s Democracy – My Part In It’s Downfall’…
It will be spine tingling for Cochers if Mrs Flipper’s fish lasagne makes it in to the book…
Does anybody still read newspapers anyway? The only people that take newspapers seriously are pensioners and most of them are beyond reason anyway.
This is just the start, they have been planing this for some time, and i am not being paranoid saying them! we will get daily attacks, most nonsense like this, but they will be keeping the dangerous stuff til it can do most damage, then use the combined weight of shit and miss-information to try and change the course of the election, problem is timing and credibility, it has to be big and unchallenged, or they are sunk, its the only way to run a negative campaign. too late for Slab to change tactics, its a race to the gutter now.
@ David
Wouldn’t let me post a reply to you so it is linked here
link to thosebigwords.forumcommunity.net
The thing that keeps bothering me is the general public on mass likes gossip rather than facts.
Remember when Bill Clinton was having his relations with his intern, they tried to co er it up by pressing the issue of the attacks on Middle eastern forces but the public wasn’t interested in that as they wanted to hear more of the gossip concerning the president and his intern.
The press know what there doing and how this smear will hit enough of a target audience to swing votes in the direction they want it to go.
My hopes are with the 45% who stood firm during the refurendum. If that holds solid we’ll be fine.
Just looking at these nonsense stories attacking Neil Hay (who is in reality a very pleasant, peaceful person), makes me think, perhaps he would have good grounds to sue. Indeed of all the politicians to smear in this way, he is possibly one who is the most exact polar opposite of what these lying turds in the media are trying to say.
I’m not a legal person, but really this is now just beyond disgraceful, it is a wilfull and deliberate attempt by the media to manipulate the election in one constituency.
How do these so-called ‘journalists’ in Scotland sleep at night? Do they go home after their shift at these papers, proud of their disgraceful smearing of an inncoent man?
Utter, utter filth. Scotland needs these ‘jounralists’ like a freaking hole in the head.
@fireproofjim@1:44
Not lazy journalism – if they pay attention, they will know that Kez Dug never knowingly makes an accurate statement.
Let them play their wee game
We have something they don’t have
We have 110 thousand members and still rising with the Holyrood Elections coming and no money coming from Labour Central Office for them coz they’re broke in the wee pretendy Scottish Branch
How do you think that’ll work out for you Kezia and Labour Team
Social cognitive theory would probably say about this that the intemperate, emotional, offensive output of the media and those who in the past might have been called ‘our betters’ encourages us proles to do the same. When I say ‘our betters’ I’m not specifically talking about Smart, who just seems to be the bloke some in the media like to wheel out to promote labour. I’m talking about those in elected office, as Phil Robertson above states is important. We know what Ian Davidson (bayoneting) and Johann Lamont (‘virus’) said. Those who feel targeted may then think, well if they can say it …
But looking at the positives, it gives great ammunition for Rev and stops us being complacent. Personally I’d never pay money for MSM output in the UK (including the national), but others might need reminding.
@papadox @ 1:46
“This fair and democratic union” – did spellcheck get you? I think you meant “fair undemocratic Union”?
The MSM were always going to fill their pages with fear and smear at this stage of the campaign.A few fairly innocuous tweets by Neil Hay was the best they could come up with,so they tarted it up and ran with it.There’ll be more to come.I doubt if it’ll do much good though.
Croompenstein- how about ” how I gave a million big ones to help deny a foreign country it’s independence”
With the exception of the National (mostly) we don’t have a ‘Press’ in Scotland any more.
What we have is the propaganda arm of the London/Westminster establishment.
We don’t have journalists, we have political establishment spindoctors who have only one mission, stop the SNP.
The more their fear of us grows the more shrill they become and the more unbalanced the ‘reporting’.
The stench of desperation is not going un-noticed amongst the people of Scotland and their rapidly declining sales is evidence that increasingly people have had enough of them.
They will find, like the ‘Scottish’ labour party, that their lying will ultimately spell their demise and it can’t come soon enough.
Keep the heid, folks and don’t rise to their provocation. We’re winning. For once we’re going to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
The National should print a retraction and apology!
@ Mealer
Yes, it is quite telling how little they can find to denigrate the SNP in view of how hard they are looking. Where are the paedophiles? Where the expenses fraud? Where the dodgy dossiers, or the trashed economy?
Pathetic
To think, some days I even buy two copies of The National. If no retraction is forthcoming on Monday, I will stop buying it and therefore buy no newspaper at all.
Flower of Scotland,
I completely agree. The accusations have been shown to be false, yet they are repeated in ‘The National’.
Showing its true colours?
‘Scottish’ media is just a disgrace, and a threat to democracy, if this how they like to lie to people.
No coincidence, surely, that this story is released just after Ashcroft’s poll put Neil Hay into the lead in Edinburgh South over Labour, and just as postal voting gets under way. I noticed that the labour candidate played alongside Jim Murphy at a charity football match a couple of days ago. Wonder what the post-match chat was about?
Not as a knee-jerk reaction, but I have just cancelled my subscription for The National.
This is my choice, borne from frustration building up over many weeks of perceived limp journalism I have observed from their articles and editorial tone.
I had hoped that The National could offer us a high degree of fairness & honesty, whether that favours the independence message or not.
The vague reporting of the ‘alleged’ facts surrounding the issue of Neil Hay has just been a step too far for me. The National has no excuse not to investigate thoroughly and present matters accurately. Finding the torrent of extreme abuse levelled at all SNP / independence supporters from Ian Smart is out there and easy to find. What is the excuse in a well resourced business such as The National?
Last September, and the role newspapers played in swaying the opinion of (some) wavering voters is too fresh in my memory. Need I remind anyone reading WOS?
I will revert to online news gathering from various news organisations myself, and like with Stu, I’ll corroborate a story before accepting it as being anything near the truth until it has proven to be.
Wake up Richard Walker, you’re letting folks down.
@ Phil Robertson (2:00pm)
Mate, the exact tweet is displayed on the very previous article (“A serious case of hypocrisy”) on this very website.
In response to someone telling him he’s not fit to vote, he responds by asking how he can be not fit to vote when “umpteen poor souls from the elderly bracket” can’t remember their own name. A relatively poor taste reference to the electoral policy which states that mental impairment (for example, advanced dementia) does absolutely not disqualify someone from voting.
So, no, he didn’t insult every OAP voter. He made a borderline poor taste reference to those with advanced dementia still being allowed to vote.
Next?
So we know the papers are corrupt. We knew that.
We know have the veto from Cameron to thwart any Scottish influence in the Westminster parliament for the next 5 years.
Next year let’s have a referendum on “No nuclear weapons to be allowed in Scottish territory” The Scots vote for this.
Will Cameron or Milliband exercise a English Veto?
Papers will side with Westminster and not the Scots.
@ Phil Robertson (2:00pm)
He certainly didn’t use the word “generation” at all. In my English, he was quite clear to whom he was referring.
Stew,
Have you “copied ” your article to the National and Herold on Sunday?, make those two issue a correction to thier original report,also is there some enterprising lad or lassie in that Edinburgh area who could print off some “flyers” of your analysis, and do some “letter boxing”?.
I did notice, as did many others no doubt, that the dailys misinterpreted the true situation, it really, really pisses me off that we as individuals are bloody powerless against the established press!!.
It is really quite serious this.
How can democracy flourish when confronted daily by this tsunami of complete journalistic Failure?
I am thankful daily for Wings and that I gave Stu some money
Pub beckons
Posties just been with leaflets from Labour,UKIP and Howdens.Decisions,decisions.
I have believed for some time that the only way Scotland can truly achieve her potential and flourish as a country, is if the biased unionist media both print and TV is overcome.
@port jim
LOL – I like that “Dug never knowingly makes an accurate statement.”
Just reminded me of a song lyric ‘I lie even when the truth serves better’
The 4th estates in a state.
Owned and run by the wealthy. Let the status quo prevail at any cost to the people.
O/T
order-order.com/2015/04/22/cameraman-taken-down-by-labour-press-officer/#_@/GeubRvcSG6Y73Q
Ha ha its denyable he just got her way,she wiz trying to protect her dear leader from assault from a lens.
crisiscult
i was reprimanded for using the term working class and this link was posted.
link to en.wikipedia.org ,i replied, yeah that’s what i mean, working class.
Candidate posts comments on spoof satire website some time ago.
Deputy leader of a political party condones ‘fascist scum’ tweets and knowingly deceives and lies to Parliament.
I know which one I consider the big story, but, hey, I’m not part of the glorious fourth estate.
Our biased, lying, irresponsible, despicable print media have definitively proved themselves not fit for purpose.
SCUM
I have been buying a monthly subscription to the national for a while now, and I don’t expect any newspaper to slavishly take the SNP line on everything. I have to say though that the article in todays National is very weak.
It in no way counters the torrent of smears coming from the rest of the press. There is no balance at all in the Scottish msm. It is all anti SNP and today’s examples proves again that democracy is an illusion in Scotland.
Communist Eastern Europe was better served by it’s media. No wonder we didn’t win the referendum, though we actually did incredibly well against such overwhelming odds. If the National doesn’t up it’s game then I won’t be renewing my subscription.
One email off to the Presiding Officer.
Thank you Kenny for the link – and the encouragement to do that.
link to scottish.parliament.uk
Friday must be the worst day for this kind of thing to be effective. Here’s hoping anyway.
@Aceldo Atthis says:
24 April, 2015 at 2:21 pm
Does anybody still read newspapers anyway? The only people that take newspapers seriously are pensioners and most of them are beyond reason anyway.
Sales are falling, but they still have HUGE propaganda impact. Especially the cover stories which act as political billboards.
Still supporting the The National for this reason in particular. Today’s story was lazy, but overall it is fantastic to have some balance out there, and it may have played a big part in keeping the SNP high in the polls.
I always buy one, and put up a bunch of them over the paper with the most ridiculous anti-SNP story.
Usually the Daily Mail.
Agree with posters.If no retraction is forthcoming from the National on Monday I shall cancel my subscription immediately.Lazy lazy journalism
Thank goodness for Wings
” The propagandist’s purpose is to make one set of people forget that certain other sets of people,are human.”
— Aldous- Huxley.
Seems true to me!.We are living it.
“There is also the following quote, “.. it is the right thing that somebody who has insulted all of Scotland’s old-age pensioners can’t stand as a candidate” from one Alex Salmond.”
Then it’s fortunate that nobody “insulted all of Scotland’s old-age pensioners”, isn’t it?
Kenny says:
It is all very well to discuss this matter on here, but the thing to do is to email the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament and to complain that Dugdale has misled Parliament.
If you have time to post on here, you also have time to email the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament.
link to scottish.parliament.uk
Damn it Kenny why did you have to go and do this?
There I was reading your post and then BLANK! Next thing I know I’m looking at a blank e-mail page. Apparently someone or something has just used my computer to send an e-mail to someone at a place called Holyrood. Should I recognise this name for some reason?
Does anyone know who this Rt Hon Tricia Marwick MSP person is?
What does a Presiding Officer do?
Well, there you go folks, another great article by the Rev condemning the scabby Unionist media and it didn’t take too long for someone to post a direct link to a Unionist rag.
Not only does Manandboy help the Unionist media yet again, he fails to archive the article he wants you to see. Not only that, the article link has already been posted on a previous thread by Nana Smith but at least Nana archived the link.
With people helping the Unionist media in this manner don’t expect the Unionist media to improve their standards any time soon, never mind hope for the death of it.
I ask again, how many of these Unionist rags allow people to post direct links to Wings Over Scotland or any other pro Indy site?
Just noticed the Mail gave a commentary piece to Labour candidate Ian Murray.
Didn’t know I could be depressed and outraged at same time.
Aceldo Atthis asked, 24 April, “Does anybody still read newspapers anyway? The only people that take newspapers seriously are pensioners and most of them are beyond reason anyway.” Good job he supports Wings, otherwise you’d be accusing him of insulting Scottish pensioners.
I don’t see why you’re complaining, Stu. After all this squabble over tweeting is distracting attention from the rather more important issue of the SNP misleading the public over its spending plans with the supposed “anti-austerity” party planning to introduce deeper cuts than Labour and lesser public spending than the Lib Dems, so it’s a good way to bury bad news.
This rubbish seems to be confined to newspapers, Ive not heard it spoken about on the radio today.
Look people. The internet is alive with people fighting back against this rubbish.It would appear that they are no longer going to sit back and accept what they are spoon fed by the establishment. Thanks Rev.You are more important than you probably even know.
Forward the revolution.
What appears to be even stranger is the fact that these newspapers are well aware that such blatant support for the Unionist parties in Scotland damages their sales figures to an extent where their viability is threatened.
Which suggests their editorial slants are being driven from outwith Scotland, and outwith Scottish interests.
The gap between the rich and the poor in the UK is not only widening, it is the widest it has ever been.
“Britain is now the most unequal country in the Western world, an authoritative new United Nations report reveals. The gap between rich and poor is as great as in Nigeria.
Detailed statistics in the Human Development Report published last week also demonstrate that inequality has grown sharply during Conservative rule and that the poor in Britain now have to live on much the same incomes as their equivalents in Hungary and Korea.
link to independent.co.uk
The point I’d like to make is that the effects of this rapidly widening gap will play a very big part in the destabilisation of the UK in the next decade, for one simple reason – the Westminster Political Establishment are all on the other side of the money gap.
The richer our political leaders and representatives become; and they are due an increased package over 5 years of £420,000 salary (more for a minister)and £1 million+ expenses; plus whatever they can make on the side, the more they will be seen as totally unsuited to the job of representing ordinary people – nothing new in that. The point is the electorate are already close simmering with serious dissatisfaction.
The ‘destruction of our country’ ie. of the UK, over the next ten years may include the SNP, but it won’t be caused by the SNP. It will be caused by greedy Establishment politicians pushing the voters too far with austerity, men like Cameron and Osborne who should never have become politicians because they’re not cut out for it. They should have devoted themselves to being playboys. Come to think of it, that’s exactly what they are.
Just as with the daily monstering by the MSM of the Scottish National Health service, this is why Labour are in the mess they are. Neil Hay has friends. Colleagues. People in the community who know the kind of guy he is and the contribution he has made.
Some may have voted No. Some may have been soft Labour. Some may have been considering the SNP.
This is just so inept – who are they convincing here? Their own followers who are voting for them anyway and already think SNP is all things evil?
For sure negative campaigning works short term, but it is a dirty victory as the referendum proved. And it can’t be used again and again. Particularly in a country where everyone kens yer faither. The polls are proof of that.
@will P0dmore
Good of you to come on here and support the right wing press.
Typical!
Ok, I apologise for not archiving, I forgot – it’s an age thing. But, Stoker, you make it sound like murder. You really must get things into perspective. I am NOT the enemy, but if you treat me as if I was, then YOU become my enemy.
End of rant.
We do not have a Scottish Media. We have a British Media based in Scotland!
The mainstream media jumped the shark long ago.
I can’t wait for GA Ponsonby’s book exposing BBC Scotland to come out next week, I’ll be buying a copy for every no voter in my family and friends group, don’t care what it costs me. Time they knew the truth.
Looking at one or two SLab posters working themselves into faux outrage frenzy on this topic remarkable. I recall better acting on Crossroads
@ Stoker – 15:07
That’s a bit harsh mate. Maybe Manandboy doesn’t know how to archive things. I know I don’t. Maybe, like me, he’s just seething and couldn’t give a fuck about petty rules!
Either way, he’s your friend, not the enemy.
As for The National? I told you all so. Give them fuck all!
@Phil Robertson says: 24 April, 2015 at 1:23 pm
“There is also the following quote, “.. it is the right thing that somebody who has insulted all of Scotland’s old-age pensioners can’t stand as a candidate” from one Alex Salmond.”
Well done Mr Salmond, at a stroke you condemned all Establishment parties candidates in The United Kingdom from standing as a candidate. For all 3 unionist parties have gravely insulted every OAP in the entire UK for many, many years. Trust me, I’m an OAP.
You should really read the actual words Mr Robertson and not place your own interpretation upon them. BTW: All three Establishment parties have all badly insulted the poor, sick, disabled, old and workless.
Bob Mack 2:57
My thoughts exactly. No attempt at any form of investigative journalism.
A Norwegian blue parrot could do present day journalist jobs with the exception of Rev. Stuart of course.
Every single political journalist in Scotland is an agent of the British / Westminster State.
What more proof do folk need? You don’t get to become a political journalist in Scotland unless you are the ‘right’ sort of person.
If our MSM is going to play games with us, but not ‘play fair’, then maybe we should play along? Play their games, and play by their rules. Or maybe not.
Fun and games for everyone.
Will Podmore
i’m a scottish pensioner so are many on this site.
and they way WM is hacking away @ our pensions, there soon will be nothing left to fight for.
vote snp.
“So all we are left with is rage. Our rage will be the death of Labour in Scotland. Watch us, watch us kill off Labour with the laughter of the justified and the scorn of those who’ve been ignored too long. We’ve already pushed the party out of our hearts, now we stand on the edge of Labour’s precipice, waiting for the satisfying splat of crushed careers. Our rage is rational. Our rage is reasonable. Our rage is cool, calm, and considered. And such rage, directed, will change the world”.
Paul Kavanagh.
Wow, the trolls are really coming out of the woodwork today, aren’t they? Poor things, they obviously have nothing better to do.
Without over thinking/worrying about these creeps, welcome to Scotland’s news media for the foreseeable future and if we vote SNP.
Hell wont hath no fury like the teamGB media scorned May 7.
Come on Scotland. Don’t let these reprobates force their crappy UKOK on us again.
Not really surprising since the UN human rights chief is comparing the UK press to ‘Nazi’ propaganda.
“UK tabloids like the Murdoch-owned Sun that compared immigrants to ‘cockroaches’ recall the dark days of the Nazi media attacking those they sought to eliminate, according to the UN’s human rights chief.
“The Nazi media described people their masters wanted to eliminate as rats and cockroaches,” the UN high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said.
He singled out an article by former gameshow contestant turned-commentator Katie Hopkins, published by the Sun newspaper last Thursday, in which she wrote: “Make no mistake, these migrants are like cockroaches. They might look a bit ‘Bob Geldof’s Ethiopia circa 1984’, but they are built to survive a nuclear bomb. They are survivors.”
rt.com/uk/252753-tabloids-un-hopkins-migrants/
(Hope I put the link in properly)
@Andrew says: 24 April, 2015 at 1:28 pm:
… In fact it is easy to suggest these people are not even journalists but are party propagandists for the establishment parties of their choice.”
I could count on one hand’s fingers the real journalists in Scotland and, perhaps, just one or two work for the MSM or National broadcasters.
i will just leave this here
operation tiberius report
and you ask who is running things
If wee Kezia and oor Jimmy will not do anything about Ian Smart on their own then perhaps this petition may waken them up to the idea they have a smoking gun in their own cupboard that needs disposal.
link to change.org
I know why the SNP candidate said those things!
Imagine a conversation one of my work collegues had with another work colleague last night:” I am going to vote Tory, as I don’t want things to change”. She said
This was greeted by stunned silence. Until someone asked:”What do you mean!”
She then said in all seriousness:” I have a son at Uni and I don’t want him to have to pay tuition fees”.
The level of ignorance in some people is breathtaking.She voted in the referendum! How many more stupid people are there like that! Quite frightning.
Euan McColm really is a horrible and despicable individual who works in an industry which allows him almost carte blanche to expound his own biggoted and hateful views and outright lies, be they on political matters or otherwise.
Following is an excerpt from his article in today’s Daily Mail:
“Throughout last years referendum campaign, cybernats used social media to abuse and defame anyone who dared question the SNP prospectus. Defeat in September has done nothing to calm the most relentlessly aggressive Yes voters, many of whom now use the same hateful language to attack anyone who rejects the Nationalist creed.”
Now, if McColm would like to produce evidence of the abuse and defamation he claims occured pre-referendum and the “hateful language” of Yes voters at this present time, it can then be judged whether it is indeed as he claims. If he cannot (excluding real and true trolls who abuse individuals no matter who they are online on a daily basis just to ‘get off’ on it), then he, himself, can be classified as a Britnat troll. So, Mr. McColm, what say you?
(More excerpts to follow)
Steam coming out my ears and pitchfork being sharpened just to help them with their next shite which i hope nay pray is a hedgehog.
So it is now a crime not just to read or write satire but even to link to it?
Fascism is certainly alive and well in Scotland: it just goes under the name of unionism these days.
But the media here isn’t Scottish is it? It’s mostly owned by multinational media groups based in London, New York & Sydney.
Consequently, it collectively works to support the British Establishment because the elite in this club benefit from political & commercial deals that ensure that privileges are disbursed to the right people.
The SNP and anyone associated with it are viewed by them as a subversive movement that seeks to expose & dismantle this right wing, neo con, self serving, greed induced environment.
Thus any mechanism, tool or process is used to coerce the electorate to vote for the British Establishment & the status quo. And if a good dose of hypocrisy, double standards or just plain dishonesty is required, then so be it.
Welcome to 21st century Britain; minorities welcome just as long they don’t speak up too often or too loud. So, eat your cereal, join the queue at the back of the bus & shut the fuck up.
RT provide the corrective as usual!
UN human rights chief compares UK tabloids to ‘Nazi’ propaganda
link to rt.com
Who are the Nazis? This from RT “UN human rights chief compares UK tabloids to ‘Nazi’ propaganda”
link to rt.com
Lesley Anne –
Petition signed
Big jock –
The human capacity for stupidity and gullibility is infinite (though it doesn’t always necessarily win out)
Fake outrage about insulting pensioners however it’s OK to con them and frighten the shite out of them . thats OK no problems with that.
So, what else is new? This is like watching a Vine clip and I’m tired of it! Tired of politics and politicians, tired of stupidity, deceit and incompetence and tired of putting my faith in people who won’t act for fear of shooglin’ their ain wee boat.
Here’s me, an auld age pensioner stuck in the hoose, trying to raise a complaint with Police Scotland. Makes me wonder if there are any lawyers in Scotland’s hoose?
Has Ian Smart broken the law? I think he has and I’d have presented evidence at a police station and asked them to act upon it (see (4)), if I were able. For now, I’m stuck with email.
Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
1994 c. 33Part XII Harassment, alarm or distress
154 Offence of causing intentional harassment, alarm or distress.
In Part I of the M1Public Order Act 1986 (offences relating to public order), after section 4, there shall be inserted the following section—
“4A Intentional harassment, alarm or distress.
(1)A person is guilty of an offence if, with intent to cause a person harassment, alarm or distress, he—
(a)uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour, or
(b)displays any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting,thereby causing that or another person harassment, alarm or distress.
(2)An offence under this section may be committed in a public or a private place, except that no offence is committed where the words or behaviour are used, or the writing, sign or other visible representation is displayed, by a person inside a dwelling and the person who is harassed, alarmed or distressed is also inside that or another dwelling.
(3)It is a defence for the accused to prove—
(a)that he was inside a dwelling and had no reason to believe that the words or behaviour used, or the writing, sign or other visible representation displayed, would be heard or seen by a person outside that or any other dwelling, or
(b)that his conduct was reasonable.
(4)A constable may arrest without warrant anyone he reasonably suspects is committing an offence under this section.
(5)A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale or both.”.
After reading Smart’s venomous tweets re Scotland’s Jewish community, I tried to find something under the Act that deals with incitement to racial hatred but drew a blank.
Whatever the dude made some stupid comments, I’m more concerned that some twat has a fake account. Only bozos and zoomers have fake accounts. I’d sack him for having a fake account anyway on principal.
@Giving Goose says: 24 April, 2015 at 1:32 pm:
“These news papers and Goebbels have so much in common”
Ye div ken, Giving Goose, yon Goebbels gadgie’s afu deid, div ye no?
The Scotsman, Scottish Daily Mail, Daily Record, Courier an yon P&J maun jist bi aboot makin thir deid thraws.
@ R-type Grunt says:
“Maybe Manandboy doesn’t know how to archive things. I know I don’t. “
Thanks for that Grunt. Actually I did forget, but Stoker alerted me to it, but then when I went to try it, I could get the web address into the archive page, but there was no web address that I could see to put into Wings. I will try to google it first.
BTW, I am pretty stressed out with all the stuff that the papers are printing. I don’t recognise the country I’m living in any more. I mean there were lots of signs in the past, but nothing at this level of out and out lying, smearing and general abuse. The Union’s fd. there’s no making up after this. It’s going to be divorce or messy divorce. That’s the only choice I can see.
Cheers Grunt
The Scottish media are fucking disgusting.
Their agenda is clear for all to see. A couple of innocuous tweets and they’re instantly turning it into a national story. They’ll all be well aware of this Ian Smart and his offensive tweets and the fact that they don’t even mention him tells us everything we need to know about them.
I’ve got two words for these people, people who shout and scream abuse at others and try and destroy their character whilst completely ignoring the facts to suit their own agenda.
FUCKING TROLLS!
Another excerpt from Euan McColm in today’s Daily Mail:
“Miss Dugdale’s demand that Mr. Hay should be thrown out of the SNP was followed yesterday by legitimate questions from both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats about his fitness for public office.
Sir Malcolm Bruce, deputy leader of the Scottish Lib Dems, said Mr. Hay’s anonymous trolling amounted to the sort of dirty tricks which undermine faith in democracy, while a Tory spokesman suggested that voters in Edinburgh South would be shocked by the remarks.”
“legitimate questions from both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats”, eh…
‘Sir’ Malcolm Bruce said that some tweets, completely and deliberately distorted for their shock value by the Brit Establishment’s dirty tricks department, “amounted to the sort of dirty tricks which undermine faith in democracy”… Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Hi, Malkie, do hyperbole much? And that “faith in democracy” thing… you’re having a laugh, aren’t you? The UK and faith in democracy…? ROFLMAO!
“a Tory spokesman” Who was that, Mr. McColm? If you don’t name that spokesman then people might get the impression that you never did speak to a Tory and that you are just making it up – lying, in effect… and you wouldn’t want that now, would you?
So, if this Tory is real, how did he “suggest” that those voters would be “shocked by the remarks”? Was it nudge-nudge-wink-wink-know-what-I-mean? Please do let us know, won’t you?
The MSM is showing itself up to be nothing more than the press arm of the Unionist parties, but with a circulation of millions. If it wasn’t clear before it certainly is now.
Sickened by the whole lot of them. They don’t even attempt now to hide their lack of journalistic integrity.
Should hang their heads in shame.
@ Manandboy & R-type Grunt.
Youse used the term enemy, not me, and please spare me the ageist nonsense.
And i couldn’t give a rats erse if you treated me as the enemy, i’m not the one repeatedly posting direct links to Unionist rags.
OK, glad i could clear that up for you.
__________
Natasha wrote:
“Wow, the trolls are really coming out of the woodwork today, aren’t they? Poor things, they obviously have nothing better to do.”
It must be the lovely Spring weather, i think they’re breeding.
In a court of law, a lawyer can pretty much say anything, no matter how incredible and get away with it,
In the Westminster parties they assume they can say anything and will NOT be called to account for it.
The Scottish MSM were revealed as the sock puppets of the Westminster cabal during the Scottish Referendum.
Too many people, even some of those who voted Yes, still think integrity still exists in the UK media.
Wait for the result on the 8th May, perhaps we will all be pleasantly surprised!
Folks, folks folks! Two weeks to go.
This is just the beginning.
I heard that the “meek would inherite the earth”?I think Scotlands done a good line in meekness for far to long, its time to hit back.
@ Fred Blogger, also a retired member of the working class. I’ve come to depend on Will Podmore, the Capitalist Running Dog & complete stranger to the Working Jaiket, to bark on cue like Pavlov’s dugs.
These trolls, need a better name, how about rats?
@Phil Robertson says: 24 April, 2015 at 2:00 pm:
“The phrase he used was “the generation” which, in my understanding of English encompasses more that “umpteen”
As I already pointed out, about your previous post, Phil, your comprehension of your own native language seems somewhat lacking. My second language is English, Phil, but I do always check the English Dictionary for a definition of any word I do not fully understand and, doubting your understanding, I did so in this instance. Here is what I found : –
The word Umpteen is a adjective.
Umpteen = Innumerable but many.
—————————-
Generation has two definitions = a single succession in natural descent; people of the same period.
Thus normal female childbearing is between around 16 Y.O. to around 45.Y.O. or around 29/30 years.
@Ian – 4.34pm
“the meek shall inherit the earth”. I think that might have been a case of Chinese whispers in the bible – surely it must be “the geek(s) shall inherit the earth”? After all if it wasn’t for the internet and sites like this we’d have never got to 45%. The geeks open up the world of truth via computers. And I love it – they’ve taken control of information and news away from the MSM puppets. Thanks you geeks, or computer experts – you know what I mean!
Agreed – not too imressed with the National on that one. Stu, when can we see you in the National? The best journo we have by a country mile.
I am still following both Wings Over Scotland and Ian Smart on Twitter. I know it is very shaming..
Les Wilson says:
These trolls, need a better name, how about rats?
Don’t think we can do that Les.
We started off as CyberNats, or was it CyberGnats
, and recently “THEY” started calling us rats. So now we are, apparently, CyberRatNats, CyberRatGnat’s, CyberGnatRats or CyberNatRats. 
The last I heard from Police Scotland was last night at 21:41. They explained that they were unable to access this website and asked me to elaborate on the content of Ian Smart’s comments. Responding to that, I sent them text versions of his remarks on Twitter.
One of the points that I tried (perhaps poorly) to make in my previous post was that it was open to anyone to make a complaint which, if accompanied by evidence that gave reasonable cause for suspicion, might lead to the arrest without warrant of Ian Smart.
I’ve been in touch with the police and they have my personal details but, at the moment, I’m immobile and that’s deeply frustrating because, although I’m anxious to get something done, I don’t feel as if I’m taking action.
Would multiple complaints make a difference?
An informed source in Edinburgh South tells me that a few weeks ago Labour had been briefing friendly journalist to stir up trouble for Neil Hay with his employers and that numerous complaints had been made to the City Council about licences for the local Yes Cafe.
It all seems part of Labour dirty tricks and no surprise that it came out just after the Ashcroft Poll putting SNP ahead in the seat as I am sure they were going to hold on to the stuff until nearer polling day.
Having been told last night I’ve finally got a job
I thought I’d celebrate today by splashing out on the
National.
I got to page 4, read the article about Mr Hay’s tweet
and just thought ‘shouldn’t have bothered’.
I don’t expect the National to be a blindly loyal
Party newspaper but let’s be honest this ‘story’
is complete nonsense.
I was equally surprised and disappointed they ran
with this.
When we get into power (SNP) we will slap 20%VAT onto newspapers. We’ll say it is to recoup tax that hasn’t been paid to date.
2 points.
There is no ‘Scottish’ media. With the exception of the odious DC Thomson none of it is controlled from Scotland. That includes ‘The National’, which today devoted a remarkable amount of space to Labour, including a front cover which broadcast Brown’s ‘vow 2’ to the casual viewer. Cynics might be forgiven for thinking that the Herald’s sister paper did not do this accidentally.
We should all be concerned at who identified Neil Hay as the author of these anonymous tweets, and shared the information with the agents of the British establishment in Scotland, ‘Scottish’ Labour. The security services seem, to the casual observer, to be working hand in glove with Labour.
@Lesley-Anne says: 24 Apr=il, 2015 at 3:05 pm:
“What does a Presiding Officer do?”
Aiblins, Lesley-Anne, the Presiding officer micht jist preside. Mibbies she micht bi a chairperson? Sumbiddy haes tae clean the chairs ye ken. It’s afu clerty wirk, bit sambiddy haes tae dae it.
I feel really sorry for Neil Hay, he’s done virtually nothing but he’s being treated as some sort of criminal, even the SNP pretty much hung him out to dry. I can’t see him winning his seat now which is a real shame.
R Type grunt
You were spot on. I too stated my distrust of the National and the Sunday Herald. England/Scottish Sun is a great example of this type of newspaper in action.
Arseholes all. I don’t read any papers and rarely visit them online.
fred
that salivating saliva is sure a put off, it gets everywhere.
shudder!
On politicians and twitter:
Only a fucking idiot would lay IEDs in his/her own path and then forget where they put them.
Take away their toys when they enter the workplace.
Thankfully most of us no longer buy unionist gutter rags who are openly biased,their days are numbered.
Can I say, I’ve never trusted The National. It’s an excercise in fence sitting and newspaper sales. Get over it. Even the first issue was dubious, it’s a colouring-in-book for Yes voters.
Be prepared to fight for what you want.
The trolls on here are becoming as reliable as the sun rising in the morning and yes, they do seem to be multiplying,you must be doing sumfin right Rev.
Keep it up please.
That is because they’re part of the 77 crew, and that’s what they’re ordered to do and their bosses are shitting their pants.
So Wings is gonna get saturated with the fcukers-get used to it and ignore them.
My take on this twitter Sturgeon-Hay SNP smear is just that-another smear.
Don’t pay it no never mind,I don’t think their target audience of elderly vulnerable low info pensioners register what a tweet is.
So it’s an epic fail on getting the desired result.
I also believe that all folks are getting so used to this pathetic rubbish that it no longer has a great effect.
The next smear will be along soon so here we go again.
The Rev has some lovely rats.
Robert Peffers says:
@Lesley-Anne says: 24 Apr=il, 2015 at 3:05 pm:
“What does a Presiding Officer do?”
Aiblins, Lesley-Anne, the Presiding officer micht jist preside. Mibbies she micht bi a chairperson? Sumbiddy haes tae clean the chairs ye ken. It’s afu clerty wirk, bit sambiddy haes tae dae it.
Thanks fur that Robert. At least now I know the e-mail that mysteriously was sent from my computer will not cause any problems for anyone. It’s not like it will have been received by onyone of any significant importance then.
O/T.
The first signs of the ultimate disuniting of the United Kingdom just took a couple of great big steps forward.
The first is Cameron’s panic measure to hang on to the United Kingdom Parliament for the country of England while promising to lock the Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish out as full United Kingdom members. The facts are plain the Westminster Parliament is called the United Kingdom Parliament of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
That title describes a bipartite Kingdom’s united parliament. It does not describe a country, nor even a union of countries, parliament. Yet that parliament is actually the de facto parliament of the country of England yet there is no one elected a member of the parliament of the Country of England.
Yet this arrogant Englishman is now promising that he will give the people of England a right to exclude the Welsh, N. Irish and Scots from our United Kingdom’s Parliament and give the United Kingdom members from English constituency sole voting rights over any United Kingdom matters they decide are country of England matters.
However, there is no Country of England Parliament and no country of England parliament Members, no country of funding and no country of England Ministries or Ministers.
These are all, including the funding, United Kingdom things. Yet this silly man is about to set an England only income tax. The anomalies are legion.
What’s that you ask? What’s the other big step to the disuniting and end of the United Kingdom?
Oh! I thought you would have heard that for yourselves – the first sign of massive business getting ready to up stakes and remove itself from the City of London. HSBC are getting ready to go- perhaps they see what Cameron is blind to – the end of the United Kingdom at his hands.
@thomaspotter2014
Lot’s of talk of trolls recently. Any details? I can’t keep up with all the posts on Wings.
Anyone who still buys these rags and believes anything written in them doesn’t deserve to be part of the 45 rebellion anyway…if you didn’t know by now you’ll never know. The 45 within 5 years will be 55+,if it’s not already.
Paula Rose, are we not supposed to be Ranting-Rev. Rats, according to the zoomers in MSM?
Thank goodness you’re not a Pouter. What a thought! Don’t think Brechin could cope with influx.
robert
what a fudge, they sure want their cake and eat it don’t they?
the indyref finished the uk and they know it, don’t need WM anymore and that’s their problem.
no amount of spin, is going to change what we all know.
Livestream of the controversial Edinburgh South hustings:
tinyurl.com/q68kyxh
Oops, my bad – it’s actually Democracy TV that is doing the livestream
link to livestream.com
Luck for us,we have the Rev. and regular readers know that the MSM are,wait for it…..
Being well PAID to PROMOTE THESE VIEWS
Propaganda by the UK MSM is out of control,has been for a long time.
WOS continues to enlighten,(you are correct, you have not lost your marbles,as many MSM readers seem to think,pre -wings,i.e. muttering that cannot be right and similiar on a daily basis,whilst reading an offending article)and we all owe a huge debt to the Rev.for keeping us informed/sane/calm,thank you sir.
The MSM are atrocious but we all knew that.
The National has had some dubious articles, giving Murphy a lot of publicity but they got this one wrong and there should be an apology and retraction on Monday.
I will continue buying it until the 7th May as it’s the best we’ve got to get info out to people who don’t use social media. after that I’m not sure if I will bother.
Kez tried to get that info out just as the postal votes will be getting done, so she might have missed the boat.
I don’t think Nicola could have done much more about Neil Hay this close to the GE but she has left it to the voters.
Also was Kez FiFi le BonBon, does anyone have any saved tweets?
Breaking News
Ian Davidson and his new committee
Cosa Nostra
link to bbc.scotlandshire.co.uk
I have sent off a letter of complaint in regards to Kezia Dugdale’s false statements during the FMQT, if you are interested, this is what I typed
Dear Presiding Officer,
I wish to make an official complaint in regards to Kezia Dugdale’s recent comments made in the House of the Scottish Parliament as I feel what she said is a lie and she must be brought to task for making false statements.
In one comment she made, she stated that Neil Hay, SNP candidate for Edinburgh West for the upcoming General Election to Westminster, “This is a man who is categorically challenging the right of pensioners to vote, I am afraid he is, when you look at the detail of the tweet, I would encourage every backseat SNP member just to take a minute and look at what he said, he is challenging the right of pensioners to vote in the general election”.
Well I have looked at the tweet in question and I fail to see any mention of “challenging the right of pensioners to vote”. Here is the image of the tweet in question, I am sure that you will agree that Keiza’s statement is in fact false.
(won’t allow me to paste the image but you can see in the previous article “A Serious case of Hypocrisy”).
Kezia Dugdale goes on further to say “You know it’s clear that the First Minister has a problem with words, her candidate in Edinburgh calls more than half of the population is Scotland ("Tractor" - Ed)s”.
Again, I have looked the tweet in question and as you can see for yourself, the tweet clearly shows no such comment but reference to a headline from a satirical website called “Och Aye the News” and the link to the website is included in the tweet.
(Won’t allow me to post images but as above, ye ken whur ah goat it fae)
Isn’t it remarkable that in just less than 2 weeks before the public get to vote on the candidate of their choice, particularly in Edinburgh South, Keiza Dugdale saw fit to bring up an issue of tweets that were tweeted in 2012. Not only do I feel that Ms Dugdale has lied to the Scottish Parliament with her comments, I also feel that she has brought disrepute to the chambers of the Scottish Parliament.
If Keiza Dugdale is able to produce evidence contradicting my comments above, I will withdraw my complaint however in saying that, if she fails to do so, I hope that you will see fit to censure Keiza for lying to the people of Scotland and to the chamber with these allegations and that she MUST make a public apology to Neil Hay in the next First Minister Question Time and that this matter will be laid to rest.
I thank you for your time and assistance in this matter
Kindest Regards
Can anyone tell me where Neil hays’ campaign office is situated ? I want to drop off a donation for his campaign on way home from work tomorrow to show some support for him.
Everytime i go into a garage or shop with bad headlines about the snp i take another paper from the rack (national if there is one) and lay it on top
1= it saves passers by seeing the headline
2= some think that said paper is out of stock and take another reducing their sales (usually its the daily record)
3= it puts the national in a prominint postion
got into a habit and have prevented some sales and highlighted a paper in the snp camp at the same time
now if we all did this even once a week
If you do not like doing the above in front of staff just pick up 2 nationals and put one back in the wrong place
oh dear poor Neil i really hope this dirty trick doesnt cost him and that the people of Edinburgh see right through this for what it is, an attempt to make them vote for a labour candidate that is running on nothing but lies as a policy or to win the seat by default as they are scared they will lose the seat if they try to have a fair election.
what we could do with is an in depth profile of the labour candidate who would gain from this despicable smear ,so the SNP activists in Edinburgh have something to get their teeth stuck into ,well if they want to play smear i am sure we can find some dirt on them well they are labour after all and the best thing is we probably wont have to make it up.
No-one should be in any way surprised at the behaviour of the mainstream media; they and the Westminster parties are behaving like frightened, cornered animals, and as such they will lash out often and indiscriminately.
But instead of posters on here launching torrents of bitter recrimination and themselves lashing out, perhaps the cause of the SNP vote on May 7th would be better served by each and every candidate, spokesperson and official observing an iron discipline in respect of their speeches, responses, quotes, literature and above all incursions into social media.
Less than two weeks to go – giving the bastards ammunition can all be avoided if people keep the heid and keep it clear
@Geoff Huijer
Good news Geoff, glad to hear you are back in work. All you need now is 50 SNP MP’s to represent you in Westminster and all will be rosy in the garden
andy smith says:
24 April, 2015 at 8:53 pm
Neil Hay’s campaign office is at 15 Morningside Drive Edinburgh EH10 5LZ
Derek M plenty of stuff on Wings about Ian Murray on his expenses claims, lies over Trident Vote,voting with the Tories for more cuts to Scottish budget, employing staff on Zero Hours contracts, accepting staff secondments from PwC who advocate tax avoidance on an industrial scale, voted in favour of the Tory benefit cap by George Osborne on 26 March 2014, and Private Eye revealed that he refused to oppose TTIP…. that should be enough to be getting on with.
To fill in the blanks:
Fiona: Alex Salmond was talking abut Stewart Maclennan, a Labour candidate, whom the Labour party had the courage to sack for his comments.
the Penman: He did use the phrase “the generation”. There’s more than one tweet.
Robert Peffers: I’m quite aware of what the words mean. Making generalisations about people of a similar age judged on the behaviour of a few is a fairly good definition of ageism.
@Phil Robertson
the Penman: He did use the phrase “the generation”. There’s more than one tweet.
Fair enough, now prove it. You should know that by now.
Bugsbunny and others are absolutely spot on. It’s time for the SNP to take off the kid gloves and to go on the attack. NS should have brought up Smart’s comments a long time ago and forced SLAB on the defensive instead of always being caught on the back foot.
@Phil Robertson says: 24 April, 2015 at 9:42 pm:
“Robert Peffers: I’m quite aware of what the words mean.”
Well, Phil, you are aware now. That’s after I replied and posted exactly what you claimed in error and followed it with the actual definition of the word from the English Dictionary.
You claimed that the term, “Umteen”, signified a large number but the dictionary says, “Unteen is an unspecified number.
“Making generalisations about people of a similar age judged on the behaviour of a few is a fairly good definition of ageism.”
Trouble about that claim is that is not what the person you accuse said or did. I’ll quote you a similar statement about a quite different age group.
“Sadly some babies born in the local maternity hospital are born with disability”.
The point is that the main age group is not the one being categorised. It is the few who are unfortunate to be disabled within the second, smaller, group who are the subject. Furthermore, no insult or disrespect is used or implied to the smaller unfortunate group.
You accused an innocent man for stating a truth that within the larger age group there were a smaller group, (the actual subjects of his point), who were unfortunate enough to have an illness. Nowhere did he disparage either group – he stated a simple fact.
Now, by still continuing your accusations, after you have been corrected about your lack of proper comprehension of certain words that you wrongly construed and your obvious failure to comprehend the proper structure of the subject of a sentence, you continue to accuse an innocent man.
From previous thread – still catching up…
Here is an interesting article on Ian Smart by his brother, Alan, from last year.
link to bellacaledonia.org.uk
The then leader Johann Lamont did nothing to censure this dispicable man at the time.
I wonder if Jim Murphy or Kezia Dugdale will do anything now? I doubt it – but I hope Nicola will still ask her next week.
Sums up the death of SLAB really.
Strange but true…
Ian Smart went to School and used to travel to his Law course from Paisley into Glasgow Uni with his Paisley Buddy – the infamous (ex-Sir) Fred “The Shred” Goodwin.
It is a small world!
Now it,s starting. With less than 14 days to the GE the dirt and scandal will fly. There is more to come from the MSM to degrade and scandalise the SNP
Look out for “SNP supporter attacks pensioner” or “nationalist yobs run riot in city centre”
We must not get provoked by idiots (no doubt planted) when meetings or marches are taking place and trying to disrupt our peaceful events.
Sikovitol – whit dae ye yaiz yoan fur, a pain in yurr erse? Wuv mairthin anuff ah thoan fifth-coalumists, sah awaw in bile yurr heid, ya shite sturrin basturt.
X Sticks, thank you for the link to last night’s hustings for Edinburgh South =)
Was quietly impressed by the genuineness and fair answers from Neil Hay, Colin Fox and our Green candidate.
But very disappointed by the rude and disruptive behaviour of a few of the audience, interestingly only aimed at the SNP candidate. The last chap in a blazer looked so smug and pleased with himself. Not his finest moment.
I’ve met Neil Hay and I will be voting for him to represent me and Scotland in Westminster.
I don’t know if anyone has picked up on this piece of hypocrisy yet, regarding the Banff & Buchan Slabber rep being recently suspended over drink driving and other motoring offences.
As Deputy Dug waffled on in the Holyrood chamber and attempted to lecture our First Minister on how to police her own activists and colleagues etc, Slabber were suspending the aforementioned crook.
Trouble is, the offences committed by that Slabber rep took place almost a year ago (May 2014) so what took these lilly white angelic Slabber managers so long to act.
It wouldn’t have something to do with the fact that the story was about to be revealed in the mainstream media, would it, or am i just being at my cynical usual self.
Anyway, as others have already noted, his suspension from the branch office means absolutely hee fricken haw because he stood absolutely zero chance of getting anywhere near elected.
@ Stoker, I believe the Slab candidate on the driving charge was driving his Maserati at the time. Nuff said,
Robert Peffers: Now, by still continuing your accusations, after you have been corrected about your lack of proper comprehension of certain words that you wrongly construed and your obvious failure to comprehend the proper structure of the subject of a sentence, you continue to accuse an innocent man.
Interested in your definition of “innocent” given that Neil Hay himself has apologised for the tweets and they have been condemned by Nicola Sturgeon, among others.
Innocent men are innocent of the charges laid at them – I’d have thought that pretty self apparent. Neil Hay has apologised for what he said, not what has been reported as what he said, subtle difference, but let me make it easier for you…
You might say, for example, ” amongst yes supporters there are umpteen ( a number which by it’s ending is implied to be under twenty in my opinion) who are arseholes”
The papers report you as saying ” All Yes supporters are arseholes, lower than cockroaches and are dirty fascists”
You apologise to the organisation you are wanting to represent which includes Yes supporters, for suggesting some of them are arseholes, since it would appear to be counter-productive, even if true. You are not apologising for calling them fascists, or for saying all yes supporters, because, funnily enough, you didn’t say that. Hence you are innocent of those remarks.
The organisation you wish to represent condemns your poorly judged comments about some yes supporters, as it knows it’s counter productive. At the same time it points out the appalling comments made by those in opposition to it about the other folk, but as usual those comments never see the front page or otherwise of a newspaper.
Hope that helps.
Man in the jar claims that I support the right wing press (I don’t) because I criticised Alcedo for writing of pensioners “most of them are beyond reason anyway.” If he meant that the papers are beyond reason, he should have expressed himself more clearly. Which did he mean?