The fightback
Self-propelling brain vacancy Alex Cole-Hamilton might have just recorded the shortest ever reign at the top of our Thickest Politician In Scotland rankings, but you can’t keep a proper idiot down for long.
It probably goes without saying that none of the above is even a little bit true.
The accession requirements for new EU members are laid out in the Copenhagen Criteria, a surprisingly short document outlining the core principles that the EU expects member states to uphold.
There are no specific stipulations about currency, central banks or deficit rates. What the intellectually-inhibited Lib Dem MSP appears to have done is confuse the criteria for joining the EU with the criteria for joining the Euro – something which the Scottish Government has made plain it has no intention of doing, having just literally this weekend launched its latest plans for an independent currency.
As alert readers have known for years, the EU’s requirement for member states to commit to joining the Euro is purely symbolic. One third of the bloc’s current members (nine out of 28) don’t – including the most recent, Croatia, which joined in 2013 – and most have no meaningful plans to do so.
One would imagine that a member of Parliament would feel some obligation to know such basic facts before shooting their mouths off, but luckily Alex Cole-Hamilton has a foolproof plan to avoid ever accidentally learning anything and thereby impeding his never-ending flow of factual inaccuracies.
And that’s the sort of dedicated commitment to stupid that wins leagues.
Finally I have something to be thankful for, in relation to Cole-Hamilton.
“Self-propelling brain vacancy” is my new favourite insult.
” – stable institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities.”
What happens when a country (such as Spain locking up political prisoners merely for holding a democratic vote) breaks any of those core principles? Do they get chucked out?
Breathtaking. And not in a good way. Great work as ever Rev.
A.C.H Is intoxicated by his own verbosity
@Proud Cybernat
Spain (and now France) have become something of a stain on my former enthusiasm for the EU. While I’m still in general favour, I do wonder whether there will be a more robust defense of these so-called EU principles in the future. Maybe it’s a generational thing, and we will have to wait until the current crop of senior EU politicians moves on?
That having been said, iS needs to have strong relationship with the EU market, and I have to think that EFTA is looking more favorable every day.
Like Jenny Marra, Cole-Hamilton is now parroting anything that appears to show SNP bias or anything that might put folk off voting for Scottish independence, knowing fine well that it’s factually incorrect.
Exactly : Alex Cole Hamilton is confusing the entry requirement for the EU and the EURO.
Someone should ask him when Sweden or Denmark will join the EURO. The answer is never!
Just the dumbest.
ConDems £Billions cut from Education, NHS, Welfare and essential services.
£Billions spent on HS2, Hickley Point and Trident etc. A total waste of money. Killing and starving people and wasting £Billions.
The Brexit mess and shambles. The LibDem enablers. Cameron’s EU Ref shambles. The AV Ref no one was interested in.
Clegg now getting £Millions for Zuckerberg suckers. Damaging the world. They have no shame.
The whole of Spain political class is corrupt. All graft and corruption. Getting jailed for years. Not just in Catalonia. They are all part of the problem.
Belgium and Luxembourg shared a currency (money union) since 1922 before adopting the Euro. It was referred to as The Bleu.
Ignorant and proud it seems.
It’s going to be some fall.
A C Hamilton should stick to counting cars on the Queensferry crossing, he is becoming a clone of his master Wullie Rennie.
Oh Jeez! They’re back to that guff again? 😀
Deliberately misleading or dumb? Choices, choices… etc. 🙂
When you have zero ambition for Scotland, you decline morally and intelectually.
A C-H dispays these outcomes for all to see.
And the Hungarian font? Mmm mmm……
Can you imagine a Scotland ran by the likes of
This cretin, Jenny Marra, Dippy Dug, Dim Jim,
And Labour’s Dick.
They couldn’t run a bath or go out for a pint of milk.
Let us hope they would consider posts as the Village Idiot
In the South of England when Scotland becomes independent.
@Effijy
This is a major problem for Independence. How many people think that when we’re independent at some future point these numpties might actually be in charge and they vote NO out of real fear?
Hamilton is a dummy, coming out with such rubbish, and he really should know better. Saying stupid things like that make him look, well, ahem, stupid.
But, here’s the problem, the media, including most mainstream journalists repeatedly state quite incorrectly, as FACT, that indy Scotland would be forced to use the Euro. Only a month or so ago, I watched SKY’s Kay Burley interview Iain Blackford. Yet again, she stated as an absolute FACT (according to her), that indy Scotland would be FORCED to use the Euro. Of course Iain corrected her, but still the nonsense keeps on getting spouted by so-called journalists, that should and, importantly, COULD know better (thinking of you, Kay).
Their really is no excuse for this rubbish still going on. Journalists (and politicians) in Scotland and England really need to get their finger out, and stop regurgitating absolute nonsense like that.
The independence referendum was almost five years ago, and it has been REPEATEDLY pointed out by experts, politicians and the EU itself, that indy Scotland would NOT be forced to use the Euro, for the many reason explained above.
But for the cognitively challenged in both the media and politics, and as pointed out above, here’s the freaking clue. NINE current EU members do not use the Euro. The UK itself, does not use the Euro. Indy Scotland would NOT be ‘forced’ to use the Euro.
Honestly, some politicians and almost ALL so-called journalists are so thick.
Can sumbdy tell me – what’s so wrong with using the Euro anyway? If it can be used to buy things, how’s that bad exactly? I presume that having our own currency gives us more control over our own economy. Well, how much of that control would we lose if we actually decided to join the Euro?
Seems to work okay for Ireland.
Alex Cole Hamilton
He’s like the Elmer Fudd of Scottish politics
Remember all those years ago when the Liberal Democrats tried to inform and enthuse the public about the European Union.
People wonder why the public believe the EU has so many detailed, dictatorial rules about absolutely everything.
It’s not just down to disinformation specialists like Boris Johnson, but hapless idiots like Cole-Hamilton.
The next thing up will be “The Spanish Veto”
And even when member states such as Denmark are repeadedly enquiring through referenda, their nations come together in intelligent debate BASED ON FACTS ABOUT THEIR CURRENT ECONOMIC SITUATION.
I have to disagree that ACH is being dumb in this instance. (Although I do agree that in general he is a perfect example of the dim Britnat.) He is a Britnat and he lies to keep Scotland in the UK. The Libdems the party of the EU does not know the facts – really – sorry he is just lying because he is a Britnat like that other Britnat liar Libdem Carmichael.
Britnats lie and they lie all the time about nearly everything. Think I’ll now call them Britnatliars.
BRITNATLIARS – sounds right to me. It saves time as they lie all the time anyway.
Sigh. This kind of crap we suffer almost daily from the BritNats – multiply it by 100 and you can imagine what it will be like during the next indy ref or motion to dissolve the union (whatever form the battle takes).
Some BritNat politicians may be dumber than dumb, but they are also deliberate liars – we have to prepare snappy put-downs to expose this pathetic nonsense to the general public. We may poke fun at them, but it’s also important that the general public are made aware how ridiculous their claims are. Otherwise, they get away with it. They don;t care what we think. Their target, as always is the uninformed voter.
The good thing about BritNats is that they always behave in a certain way, so no excuses, we need to prepare.
@effijy @Tony Little
I understand and share your fear.
My hope is that there are capable people out there who may consider running for political office on non-SNP tickets but who choose not to at the moment due to the fact that they would not wish to be associated with those parties in their present state. The opportunity will exist in an iScotland for this new blood to step forward and hopefully usurp several of the current crop of incompetents.
[…] Wings Over Scotland The fightback Self-propelling brain vacancy Alex Cole-Hamilton might have just recorded the shortest […]
Currency is just a name. What matters is a countries assets and how the country is run. The inequality gap. The less the inequality gap the more a country is cohesive and happy. The most successful counties are capitalist but have Gov intervention for fairness. Most of the most successful, prosperous countries in the world are small countries. NZ, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, Sweden etc. Even larger successful countries are more equal.
The UK Gov fails miserably. One of the most unequal place in the world with the largest debt.
Illegal wars, tax evasion and financial fraud are ruining the UK/world economy.
Ireland used the £ (punt) until 1997. Then joined the Euro. Had some of the best growth. A thriving economy.
The EU help fund German re unification and helped 150 million people to self determination (USSR). Gorbachev, Yeltsin, Putin. Perestroika and Glasnost.
Scotland is doing quite well £42.5Billion. Plus £14Billion? (UK) pensions/benefits. £3Billion Defence. Scotland raises £60Billion+ in tax revenues. It could do better managing it’s own economy. Fishing, Oil and Farming etc. Stop discarding dead fish. High Tory Oil taxes (40%) when prices are low. Westminster taking CAP payments intended for Scottish farmers. £Millions. £147Million? The SNP Gov mitigating Westminster evil, appalling cuts.
The Brexit mess and shambles. The Tory/unionist lies.
The best time to have an Indyref is when it can be won. Scotland is going it’s own way in any case.
IR uses the Euro and the cost of living is lower. Higher pensions & welfare payments.
Effijy says:
4 March, 2019 at 11:04 am
Can you imagine a Scotland ran by the likes of
This cretin, Jenny Marra, Dippy Dug, Dim Jim,
And Labour’s Dick.
They couldn’t run a bath or go out for a pint of milk.
Let us hope they would consider posts as the Village Idiot
In the South of England when Scotland becomes independent….
They’re not the problem but the symptom.
An Indy Scotland will, I hope, have a more credible and analytical media which will expose the frailties and shortcomings of these opportunist and “patsy” types long before they ever get near an elected seat in officialdom.
I don’t have the link, but I enjoyed seeing one of Trump’s wafflers being skewered by Dutch journalists after he claimed there were no-go areas in the Netherlands and politicians being burned alive. Unlike the US, the Dutch journalists had the nerve to press for answers, not simply make do with horseshit and move on to something else.
I’ll spare all of our blushes and won’t mention where we stand with “Scottish” journalism and media.
Remove the “Union” influence and media indoctrination from the Scottish political landscape, and the whole picture changes permanently. It is difficult to imagine how or why anybody would waste their resources cultivating a phoney phenomenon like Ruth Davison, or the nail who’s missing his hammer, James Kelly.
Indy Scotland’s news and public affairs broadcasting should be introduced from scratch, not a rehashed poormans BBC. If it even thinks about adopting BBC practices, we’ll have learned nothing.
The Liberals were the EU and Home Rule and self government. What happened? They turned into self seeking psychopaths.
I take it those membership criteria came in after the UK joined.
Proud Cybernat Ref use of Euro.
Indeed, altho’ it is an area I do not fully understand, printing money Fiat , etc
However I posted here Pre Ref that perhalps a “Scottish Dollar” or simply use US$ . As you say Money per say is merely a means to transact.
My concept of US dollar is based on the use of Exchange via Import & Export.
My involvement in Imports meant that My business had to pay the supplier in India, Pakistan, China etc etc in US $ as if it is the Global Tarding Currency so could easily save a small fortune in Exchange fees.
We are all aware what happens when any attempt to change this.
Indy First tho’
Perhaps they need to self labotomise as an act of devotion to prove their unquestioning loyalty to their Union.
This would explain not only the challenged thinking but also the permanent scowl BritNats seem to have.
@ Proud Cybernat; Being in the Euro didn’t work for Greece. As you note, having our own currency provides the means to effect some control over the economy, example import/export policy. Note also the content in the McCrone report over oil and gas income and the effect on the Scottish currency.
The N Sea isn’t finished, West of Shetland there are large fields. And following independence i’d be knocking the door of 10 Downing St to negotiate our recompense for the theft of our oil and gas income over the past 40 years.
Cole-Hamilton’s dishonourable campaign strategy and behaviour towards Michelle Thompson displayed his poor grasp of integrity. His comments quoted here provide further confirmation.
Lying and misinformation is the lingua franca of so many mainstream (aka Unionist) politicians.
Indy supporters are a little more circumspect because they believe they are going to have to make good on what they say. Whereas the unionists don’t give a toss as was apparent in the run up to indyref, and as a constant stream of verbal diarrhoea ever since.
Some establishment BS is deliberately disingenuous and some is the product of a combination of degrees of stupidity and ignorance.
It’s not always obvious which you are being subjected to…….
ACH is the next leader of the Scottish branch office of the LibDems. He meets all the entry requirements. Smug, a liar, a unionist and as thick as two short planks.
He has the added advantage of being more Tory than the Tories another LibDem looking towards the HofLs.
The internet is a great leveller. Anyone can prove that a wrong claim is a wrong claim as the truth will be there on the net. What no one can do is prove that the person making the wrong claim has done so to deliberately mislead or just made an honest mistake.
This is where the great leveller comes in. If the person making the mistake continues to hold a proven error is true then they are an idiot – if they continue to hold a proven wrong fact is true after being faced by the proven truth they are a lying idiot.
> what’s so wrong with using the Euro anyway?
Good question.
Works fine for Ireland.
Could work for Scotland.
Problem is the brit-nat UK press have lead many to wrongly believe the EURO is toxic. However look at 20 year historical exchange rate via the £.
Admittedly using EURO means you lose full control of fiscal policy / interest rates. However for small countries (like Ireland, Holland or Slovenia) you gain stability from being part of something much larger.
Greece was exception to case and a fiscal basket case that, with benefit of hindsight, should have never been allowed to join Euro.
He needs to change his name to Alex Gas-Lighter.
Wee Ginger Dug recently suggested (in a reply to a comment on his blog) that, in reference to BritNats, “They’re far more likely to try and hollow out Holyrood from within”.
I’ve been pondering that comment and perhaps he may have a point, although it depends how much you are prepared to accept that BritNats are actually deliberately acting like clowns.
It would be easy to “hollow out” Holyrood by trivialising the debate and generally acting the goat but would politicians actively participate in this activity?
When you witness BritNat MSPs such as James Kelly it’s difficult to believe that someone could be a professional politician and actually be that incredibly stupid.
Maybe my expectations (regardless of which political Tory hue) are too generous and he really is as thick as mince. The same for Mr Cole-Hamilton.
It’s a bit like filibustering but instead of talking out a piece of legislation the BritNats attempt to dumb down the debate in order to weaken the profile of Holyrood among the electorate.
Another view is that politics in Scotland has so completely coalesced around the constitutional debate that for the BritNats there actually is nothing to talk about except spiking the Yes movement in any way that they can, regardless of how inane the attack is.
I guess that shows how devoid of ambition Britnats and their BritNatia really is.
I would hate to think what James Kelly thinks! lol he’ll be asking for groats
It would seem with the Scottish BritNat parties their is a cornucopia of alent when WM wants useless idiots. They may of course not be idiots (some obviously are idiots) but playing to a script, the fall guy against the Westminster straight man (women as well) but what they say and write is what is recorded for history. It is truly a dire legacy they will have left for their posterity, but I doubt they care as long as the money keeps flowing in.
Who needs cash, the first Trans Siberian Oil Pipeline was paid for in tons of wheat. Have also came across a payment method as One Locked Bag, Seagull Circle , Singapore. Never found out how that one worked but it did.
re; Republicofscotland@10.42am
Yep, that’s actually the whole point of their existence within politics in Scotland. Be in no doubt they will be attending classes on what to write, how to word their tweets, then how to ignore those who question their opinion, who question their motives and who question their integrity.
These people are paid masses of £’s to do what they are told by the Britnat estbalishment. It doesn’t matter if they come across as stupid or thick or daft, their job is to lie to the people of Scotland.
Even one voter believing their lies can pass that on to another, the people who ‘don’t have time to look at the detail’.
The Britnat establishment are gaslighting Scotland, and if we think about it have been for a very long time. These weasels, the Cole Hamilton’s, are the messengers.
I know I’ve been watching too much of ‘Arrow’ lately. It’s very good though, another story that on some levels rings true to real life politics now. The paid Britnat puppets do as they are told. They are a disgrace, how they sleep at night is a mystery.
Breeks 12.06
Here’s the skewering of the American ambassador to the Netherlands.
link to youtube.com
Nobody worth their salt will get anywhere near the top of the opposition parties, as those who are there have pulled up the ladder protecting themselves .
Alex Cole Hamilton – just another Unionist glove-puppet on Westminster’s hand. They supply whatever they want him to say as fodder for the print media and Television to then broadcast it nationwide.
It’s called propaganda and its purpose is to brainwash the gullible sections of the electorate.
Without British State Propaganda, Scotland would have been independent long ago. Think suppression, secrecy and The McCrone Report.
I suppose the next Better Together campaign could have a new project fear. A picture of Leonard, Rennie & Carlaw, if you vote Yes then one of these people could be running Scotland. It is truly a scary scenario, and the thought of James Kelly running the economy would probably make me consider the Rees-Mogg option (move your money abroad).
I think we, as a nation, really need to look at the value of this D’hont system.
I am not aware of the structure that could look at changing the voting system. I want to believe its not worth worrying about now. Indy it is.
The Rev/ Wings regularly calls out these numpties.
Clearly the current system is filling areas of our Parliament with “low grade” personel which IMHO is doing great for SNP support but in reallity is doing nothing for Holyrood or for that matter elements of policy. I ref policy from the fact that the opposition just carp what is wrong but NEVER, or hardly ever, actually help by proposing an improvement/ammendment to the policy.
The OBFA is a classic for this failings.
As I recall, JK stood in Parliament & argued that the Police had powers & that they fail to impliment them in dealing with unacceptable behaviour. JK also added he would bring forward a product/policy by 2018 that could deal directly with OB.
ACH portrays himself as this measured intellect that talks with such superior authority that could sadly sway people that he is right in everything he says. Awwight, beware he is a prize plonker, Rodney.
My 12.57
The real beauty here is that he denied he said what he said
FAKE NEWS
And then denied that he had denied he said what he said.
FAKE NEWS 2
link to archive.is
And he’s still in the job.
As ambassador.
O/T
Indylive.radio discussion on John McLean. My take is get rid of that horrendous Dewar statue in Buchanan st and replace it with a McLean statue. Wonder how Labour Party would think about that?
Out of interest, here’s a view of the OBFA from a footballer turned lawyer.
“As a man who has stood in court defending those snared by the much-criticised Offensive Behaviour at Football act – which was repealed a year ago – the answer is simple.
“I saw first-hand how some supporters end up in the dock,” he said.
“Was the legislation doing what it was meant to do? I don’t think it was. Taking one supporter out and putting them through a court, does it set an example? Yes, but does it make an impact? ”
link to archive.is
Doug_Bryce @12.31pm
Norway not in Euro works well for them. Perhaps this would be a better comparison for Scotland when it has its own currency. I would call it the oily pound.
To misquote a certain cosmetics company’s advert:
Ach – He’s not worth it.
That’s £1.6bn to England, over £1bn to NI in bribes from the Tory party to support Brexit. This of course will no doubt be classed as a UK spend and appear as Scottish overhead in GERS, even if not a penny is received by Scotland.
A statue of John Mclean on buchanan st would be more desirable instead of that clownish parody of dewar. But then again maybe some folks up there would be just as happy with one of simon cowell, or Eamonn and ruth.
I think I can see why the Lib Dem fight against Brexit was so piss poor. They don’t appear to know much about the subject. They have become an anonymous irrelevance in UK politics.
These incidents highlight what a dirty game politics is in the UK. These people just lie and lie. It’s shocking. Surely other countries have mechanisms in place to protect the public from compulsive liars.
The actions and statements from the likes of Cole Hamilton, Jenny Marra and Richard Leonard et al.
Tells you everything you need to know about those British Nationalist.
They will do everything they can to undermine the case for Scottish independence and retain Scotland as a vassal state of Westminster.
As for democracy, democracy is what the British nationalists say it is, if the electorate in England vote for Brexit, then that vote must be respected.
And if the people of England have changed their minds about Brexit then its deemed they should be allowed to have a second referendum.
However with the material change from the first Scottish independence referendum, the people of Scotland shouldn’t be allowed to have a second referendum on independence, the British Nationalist say it cannot be permitted.
You had your referendum and lost, that’s democracy British Nationalist style.
What a disgusting little canker on the bum of Scotland this little carbuncle of Brit Nat mercenaries are.
They hate Scotland, as their venal lies and threats clearly illustrate.
They are getting paid good cash to destabilise Scotland, by their |@English’ masters.
My parentheses are deliberate.
The Edinburgh and Aberdeen Branches of the Anglican Iron Heel Oligarchy are scared shitless at the prospect of an Independent Scotland.
The Great Unwashed holding the Scottish Elite to account?
That will never do.
Hence the talking Noddy Dogs like that Dick, Leonard, Jenny Mara, Willie Rennie, Jackson Carhire, and Professor WATP Two Jobs Adam Tomkins and his Bidy-In, Murdo The Queen’s Eleven Fraser, being foisted on the People of Scotland.
They are not thick; they know what they are doing.
They lie and Tom Gordon lets them away with it.
They are doing it for money.
They hate Scotland.
Even Gordon Yes But Brewer lost it with the Leader of the Red Tory Branch Office yesterday.
It is alarming that by the Law Of Diminishing Returns that we are left with dozens of not very bright wafflers fronting the Brit Nats Up Here.
James Kelly as Finance Secretary?
Miles (Who?) Briggs running our Health Service?
Yet our Dead Tree Scrolls and broadcasters let them away with it.
They have ‘taken that too far’, to quote ‘Chewin’ The Fat’.
Keep it up, Stu.
Greece should not have been in the Euro. The fraudulent US bankers made it happen. It didn’t help they were buying massive amounts of weapons they could not afford because of a perceived threat from Turkey. In the EU they still had better alliances. They were also borrowing too much from German banks. The usual they could not pay it back. The Greeks were not running their economy properly. Massive tax evasion, fraud etc.
Wonder who the Westminster crooks will blame if they ever do Brexit. Highly unlikely. They blame the migrants for the Westminster unionist total mismanagement. Nothing to do with migrants at all. Westminster policies have caused the mass migration in Europe. Illegal wars ruining the world economy. Displacing people. Yet they blame the victims. They blame the EU that has to pick up the pieces and the cost of Westminster/US total corruption. The whole Middle East situation was US/UK/France corruption. People would stay in their own countries if they were not driven out.
Now there are less people coming from the EU but more coming from the rest of the world. The Tory/unionist total shambles. What a mess. Upsetting people, causing anxiety and wasting £Billions. If any food trade deal go ahead with the US. Contaminated chicken etc. More people will become vegetarian. There is already an increase. Mad cow came from Alabama and cost £Billions. Limited UK exports for years.
“There are no specific stipulations about currency, central banks or deficit rates. What the intellectually-inhibited Lib Dem MSP appears to have done is” made guff up, on the hoof, to suit his duplicitous and deceitful agenda.
Tory tolly.
Capella
Glad you liked this.
The Spiders web. Britains second Empire
link to youtube.com
What would motivate a government, deeply involved in this scam, to give two hoots about drug and people trafficking, the wholesale theft of third world countries assets, pension fraud, so so much evil shit actually, when they and their ilk are legally raking a massive cut off of the top?
Protection racketeers and money launderers. They’re the enablers.
HMRC up to their necks in it too!
There’s some unused interview footage here. i’ve not seen it all yet.
link to youtube.com
Any replies from this man regarding his lies?
Or do they just move seamlessly on to the next lie?
Doug Bryce @ 1231;
Please, please stop calling Holland a small country. Holland is not a country but a region of the Netherlands.
Do we like being called part of Enlgand?
Jeff
And Holland is not the name of the “region”.
Because there are two Hollands.
North Holland and South Holland.
And you are correct, there is no such Country called Holland.
O/T Massive “yellow vest” protests continue for the 16th week in France. And yet barely covered, if at all by the western MSM.
Incredible…Brexit tumbleweed blows across the screen as the BBC wait for another squirrel sighting.
The mask has really come off now. We know what we are up against, and it ain’t pretty.
The arguement against the OBFA. I have heard it all before. When a drink driving and breathalyser law was brought in I heard of “poor Joe, he only had a couple of pints”. The smoking ban ” unfair to smokers who need a fag”. The mobile phone fines for use while driving etc etc
The laws changed behaviour. Very few people now drink and drive or use a mobile phone without a hands free. That makes us all safer. I can go out for a meal now without inhaling a dozen people’s smoke which is healthier and more enjoyable.
I would now like to have public spaces free of sectarian rants. If poor Joe gets fined or locked up for the night because he sang a sectarian song then good. I don’t want to hear the excuses because a Saturday bigot is no different than a Sunday to Friday bigot.
Removal of the OBFA was a green light to the bigots. Football clubs need to suffer a hit on their income and individuals need a consequence for their actions.
It is now too easy for Clubs and bigots to blame the Scottish Government. Perhaps a few empty stadium games will focus minds.
MSPs seem to ignore the fact that the public supported the OBFA.
Hi Skydiver – yeah I was too quick there. Noord and Zuid right enough. Regards.
@ defo – thx – looks interesting. I have no doubt that the people who really make the decisions are hidden in oak paneled conference rooms and live in mansions down leafy driveways out of sight of the hoi polloi.
The Unionist stooges we see on our TV are just following orders.
But the SNP and YES movement have disturbed the bland facade. Scottish independence is definitely not on their agenda. Only the internet has allowed the truth to seep out, here and there. Hence the desperate efforts to cram the lid back on. But thanks to WoS and a few others, the lid can not be made to stay on.
When they stop lying I will start listening
I hear that there is a village near Edinburgh that’s missing ‘An IDIOT’. Looks like we’ve found him!!!!
Capella
What we have is plutocracy, thinly veiled as democracy.
Everywhere, it seems.
The rake off is encapsulated in what we see made plain, as the massive, exponentially rising income disparity between the Plutocrats and their useful idiots like Broon & Blair, generally all those who enable the theft, and the rest of society.
A society which is largely programmed to accept the bread & circus’ diversionary shtick. Until now?
His best one was about the credit rating – of the central bank. Yi know, the entity that issues the currency. No the sharpest.
@Effijy says:4 March, 2019 at 11:04 am@
” … Can you imagine a Scotland ran by the likes of
This cretin, Jenny Marra, Dippy Dug, Dim Jim,
And Labour’s Dick.”
Thing is, Effijy, old people, like me who have not suffered the terrible mental trouble of memory loss, don’t need to imagine such a disastrous scenario. We have lived through such times and we cannot forget it. Sometimes we wish we could – but the horror never goes away.
We know lib Dems are deliberate liars possibly ignorant as well but probably both.
@Robert Louis says: 4 March, 2019 at 11:11 am:
” … Honestly, some politicians and almost ALL so-called journalists are so thick.”
No, Robert Louis, you make a fatal error right there. These people, in the main, are not thick – but they, correctly, know that getting on for 50% of the Scottish electorate ARE indeed thick, (and they make a damned good living by knowing that fact.)
Prof Devine has properly described the trouble at football matches as hooliganism not sectarianism. OBFA was an attempt to remedy the hooliganism but Kelly and others played the sectarianism card and by his campaigning the hooligans seem to be emboldened.
Very difficult for the police to spot a coin thrower in a crowd of 40,000, so reducing the permitted attendance to a handleable number, say 5000, would focus the minds of the administrators and the clubs. Noise management via the club’s public address system might work.Repeated playing of monotonous sounds – does Leonard, Carlaw, Rennie have broadcasting rights over their FMQ performances?
Don’t think that joining the euro would be a good idea at all.
The only country it has benefitted has been Germany which, as a huge exporter has had a massive
advantage with a weaker euro than would otherwise have been under the Deutschmark.
Conversely, some of the Southern European countries, Spain, Italy , Portugal and especially Greece have been greatly impoverished by having to trade with a euro at a higher value than would have been the case if they had still retained their original currencies.
Look at their unemployment levels.
The UK has been a winner by staying out!!
Scotland must NOT join the euro.
Fortunately, I see no sign of the SNP advocating such a policy.
Pablo Rodriguez on twitter:
“Some ideas: is it still possible to approve and ratify the WA before March 29? “No, no”. Even if May gets a “yes” an extension will be needed. “It would be called motivated, technical extension (..). If it takes two months for the procedure, it would be justified “
Ps. Michel Barnier doing the talking.
Luigi says: 4 March, 2019 at 11:40 am:
… Some BritNat politicians may be dumber than dumb, but they are also deliberate liars – we have to prepare snappy put-downs to expose this pathetic nonsense to the general public.”
Indeed we do, Luigi, but some of us have been doing so for decades. I do not miss and hit the wall with such people and there is the problem, not enough of those who know the truth have the courage to get to their feet and call these people out on the spot. If you sit in an audience and do not challenge the person making false claims you are as guilty as the liar making the claim.
You will get called names, be accused of being an old curmudgeon and much worse but that is what is needed – the courage to simply get to your feet and call out the person making the false claim and doing so armed with the truth.
Read the comments already made on this thread – several have made the correction and given proof of the truth but would they do so in a live audience or on, “Question Time”?
There is the big difference – there are plenty of unionist lackeys ready and willing to tell any lie at any time and in any circumstances to protect their preciouses union. And yes I do know the MSM and broadcasters have their backs – but a few instances of the liar being called out and demolished in public and they would not be so keen to be seen backing up the liars.
Newspaper circulations and BBC audience figures are dropping fast as it is and they d their best not to let the public know just why they are sinking so fast.
Couple of quick points.
OBFA (club sanctions)
If Scotsgov advise the SFA to hammer clubs with Sanctions, and the SFA refuse, then the Scotsgov can threaten to pass new laws, legally obligating the SFA/clubs, to Act.
Football associations can and have been, shut out of all competitive football due to political interference with the national Football Associations.
Scotsgov threaten to impose rules on football clubs for sanctioning sectarian behaviour, and UEFA and FIFA start taking an interest which never ends well for the associations.
Even the English FA warned about this in 2011: link to google.co.uk
……..
As for Cole-Hamilton: The Uk joined the EEC (later to be EU as is now) in 1973 (affirmed membership 1975) and the Euro came into being on Jan 1st 1999.
So, Mr Cole-Hamilton, go have a wee rummage in your pockets and piggy banks, and let us know how many EURO coins you find in there, and when you last used a Euro to emm….BUY SOMETHING here in the Uk.
In yer ain time champ.
The EU supports the poorer, smaller countries. They get contributions. (Subsidised) They do not pay a contribution but gets benefit. It depends on GDP or the other one. Germany as one of the largest successful countries pays the largest contribution. (Pro rata) Other countries get CAP payments to produce food. Shared EU Defence costs keep costs down. Freedom of movement etc. Lets workers go other places for work. Germany has 15% migrant workers and high employment. They have restrictions, qualification and registration for migrant workers, within the EU.
Spain etc has four months holidays. One month at Christmas, a month at Easter and two months July/August. The Police can come around and stop people working because there is no license to work in holidays. Major delays tomrenovation work. The total corruption in politics/business in Spain. Legal corruption caused higher unemployment. Especially with the house building fraud on the Costas. Holiday homes etc. Many EU citizens were defrauded. Nothing much was done about it.
The Leave campaign should have had to publish the break down of the claimed £37Billion. They should still be obliged to. It would no doubt show there would be the same expense out of the EU. Ie EU health payments for UK citizen in the EU. If they return to the UK a higher payment would have to be pay. In most cases they have pay in for these ‘benefits’ all their lives. They are healthier in a better climate and lifestyle. In Spain etc there is less aftercare and social care. Their families, friends provide it. They do have good healthcare facilities, Hospitals etc.
As others have stated, even the “worst case” that Scotland had to adopt the Euro, it really isn’t so bad. I live in Italy and can confirm that the Euro works fine. I’ve bought stuff with it n everything. Just today had a coffee and cornetto (1.5 euros) before going shopping. 4 decently full bags cost me 60 euros. I just handed them over and the person took them and put them in the till without complaint!
Fuel stations, pubs, shops, even Amazon all seem quite happy with it and have been for some time now. Also it would suit me better on visits home if I could spend the notes in my wallet when I got there without having to go through exchange rates, especially as I have to use considerably more of them to get coffee and shopping there as it is.
Seriously some do have concerns with how prices have risen following adoption of the euro, but really our prices still seem pretty good. It’s not what is printed on the wee bits of paper, it’s what you can buy with them that matters
Italy has a north/south divide. A prosperous North and a less well off south. Still has a good life style. More equal.
Greece was mismanaged. Tax evasion. Spending too much on weaponry. Borrowing too much from German banks. The economy was poorly managed.
The UK is disadvantaged by the way the £ has fallen against the Euro. 19 countries in the Eurozone. 9? are not. If the EU/Eurozone is so bad why do so many countries want to join? It suited the IR with growth.
The Eurozone has lower interest rates and have to keep stricter borrowing and spending ratios. The UK borrows more money. (Pro rata). Higher interest payments. A false economy.
Scotland can’t borrow. Has to manage on funding raised. Tax revenues etc. The EU costs Scotland nothing but brings benefits. CAP payments, loans, grants and investment in renewables etc. Shared Defence costs. Nearest biggest market. 400 million+ pop.
Westminster abuse Inquiry. More corruption.
Threatening the dominance of the $ = Euro Bad
Is there a Euro key on your keyboard?
Thought not.
Curious that the NE coast fishing lobby have been silent. Means something is going on.
Hi defo at 5:27 pm
You typed,
“Is there a Euro key on your keyboard?
Thought not.”
There’s been a € (Euro) character on Apple’s UK keyboards since the white one that was introduced in 2003. As you can see from the pic below, Apple have it on the 2 key and it is accessed by holding down the alt/option key then pressing 2.
Which leads to one of my rants about Windows. As you can also see from that pic, the other character on the 2 key is @, accessed by holding down the shift key then hitting 2.
If you look to the left of the return key, you’ll see the ‘quote comma’ key which produces a ‘ if you just press it but gives you “ if you hold down the shift key. Entirely logical.
Why did microsloth deem it entirely logical to hide the “ on the 2 key and make a shift ‘ produce @? At least they stopped making you click on the “Start” menu when you wanted to close down your machine…
@Tony Little
@Proud Cybernat
Since before the EU Referendum I have been watching and learning about the EU and how it functions. It has become obvious to me that they do not a) do confrontation nor do they b) slap down member states. They operate by negotiation, by reaching consensus, and by (if push comes to shove) making sure that member states follow the principles.
They go by the rule book, the process of law – that does not lead to a quick resolution. At times it drives me out of my mind when they appear to be doing nothing – as in the case of Catalonia. I do not know what the final resolution will be in that case, but in the long run, I do not think Spain/Madrid will come out on top. Remember that one of the key principles of the EU is subsidiarity. The Spanish format of Autonomous Regions has been shown to be deficient in respect to the power dynamics between Madrid and the regions. It is my opinion that by choosing to prosecute the Catalan rebels Madrid/Spain has put their head into a noose – whether they know it or not.
I would also suggest that you consider the UK and the relationship between the devolved governments and Westminster.
In my opinion it makes the deficiency in the Spanish system look like a mere peccadillo. It is going to be interesting to watch – even if the slowness of the process does endanger my sanity at times. At 70+ years old I do hope I get to see the denouement.
1)
Bye, bye EU Medicines Agency
link to twitter.com
2)
Honda reveals it had plans to make electric cars in Swindon before plant closure
link to archive.is
3)
And finally
For those who lived in Glasgow in 1980
link to twitter.com
But don’t tell Misreporting Scotland.
They’ll want to turn it into an SNPbad story.
For anyone interested in those Glasgow 1980 pictures.
link to google.co.uk:
Great work on Trickie Dickie interview yesterday..
link to m.facebook.com
This is a more succinct link to some of those photographs.
link to themindcircle.com
Pete@4.31pm
I do not disagree with your comments but I would add that the key point is not just having your own currency but having your own FLOATING currency.
Football Hooliganism.
After the last couple of weeks, where do we go from here.
All together now, “Has anybody here seen Kelly”?
Pete @ 4.31pm
Unemployment in Portugal has been falling steadily over the last few years. Now 6.7% which is below the Eurozone overall rate of 8%
link to tradingeconomics.com
Portugal ditched austerity around 2015 and has not looked back since.
link to nytimes.com
Greece still has the highest unemployment rate in the EU but it is falling and is now around 18%.
Hi mike cassidy.
RE: Glasgow in the 80s.
I took this pic on a work visit to Glasgow around 1984. The Govan housing office had a wee radio system and the base station was in the lift house (on the roof) of the eastmost block of the Red Road Flats. I had to go up to fix a fault.
As I drove up that road, I just had to stop and take a pic. Decades later, I got it into Photoshop and played around with it. I rather like the effect. I’ve had laminated A3 copies of this available at the Wings stall at rallies for a couple of quid.
Mike Cassidy
By 1980 most of Glasgow had been pulled down by then.
So it was the start of the rebuilding of Glasgow.
The Tories (ConDems) award Nissan £2Billion to produce electric cars in the NE of England. Did they get it? Or was it being given in instalments?
More bribes being given. Nothing for Scotland and Wales as usual. The Tories/Westminster unionists take from Scotland.
@defo says: 4 March, 2019 at 5:27 pm:
” … Threatening the dominance of the $ = Euro Bad
Is there a Euro key on your keyboard?
Thought not.
You thoght wrong, defo.
Try pressing the right ALT Key and the Number 4 key. It is marked on many keyboards as the third alternative. The number 4 key gives the number 4: Shift and number 4 gives the Dollar sign: Right Alt key and number 4 gives the Euro sign.
Yoon stream really struggling to disguise the crisis in England or ‘the country’ as they call it. Let’s go with football violence then and show photos of officers in helmets rather than flat caps, I wonder where that was taken.
And to close, the government denies falling police numbers is at fault for blah blah.
BBC Reporting Scotland
On tonight’s propaganda broadcast the first report is on offensive behaviour at football.
So for the FOURTH report on this subject by Reporting Scotland in recent days once again not one word about last years repeal of the OBF act last year. No interview with Kelly or any other of the Britnats who forced through the repeal of the law. Just more calls for something to be done.
Four times it has been ignored. There is obviously a rule in Reporting Scotland – ” thou must not criticise our friends in the British political parties”
The BBC the controversial state funded broadcaster.
The rebuilding of Glasgow had many critics. Destroying communities etc. A poor master plan.
The Glasgow grid system was followed in the US. The film industry in Scotland benefits.
Unemployment rates are gathered differently in some places. Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy have a more traditional society. They work less hours. Women still leave work when they marry and have (young) children. They are more family orientated. In the Scandinavian countries there is good nursery provision so many people with (young) children work. To compare countries the social structure has to be considered, including unemployment levels.
Many EU countries are beautiful, cohesive with good people. Poland was handed to Russian dominance after WW11 by US and Britain at Yalta settlement. It affected their economy. That is why many come here to settle/work. In Europe (without migration) most population overall are falling.
Brian Doonthetoon
Telt!
Capella. And in a serendipitous, almost uncanny turn of events, the Heir to the throne is up to his spidery neck in the web, caught accepting very dirty money.
How will they manage this out of existence?
link to bbc.co.uk
Obvs it’s aunties take on it, so the usual caveats apply.
Tory government have plans for the latest North Sea windfall, they are distributing the money to England and NI (currently under WM rule but the DUP hold their strings).
Cubby says:
4 March, 2019 at 7:16 pm
“There is obviously a rule in Reporting Scotland – ” thou must not criticise our friends in the British political parties”
The BBC the controversial state funded broadcaster.”
How good would it be to have a modern day Spitting Image ripping into our politicians and calling them out when it is required.
Watch this 1min 40sec clip and see how little has actually changed in Westminster over the decades…
link to youtube.com
It’s not printed on the keyboard Robert.
It was a daft comment anyway, meant to emphasise the US antipathy towards the € as currency rival to the petro-$
Thanks for the tip though €€€€€€
UKIO Bancas, of Vladimir Romanov fame, at the heart of Charlies pals, the Russian mobs laundering operation.
Small world.
The man who would be King.
Russian dark money donations might just blow the house of cards down.
Due diligence seems to be the get out of jail strategy for getting the Prince of Wales ‘difficulties’ sanitised.
Lying low, and media compliance got his brother out of having to account for reports of improper dalliances, on three separate continents allegedly, with a teenage trafficking victim.
Courtesy of convicted kiddy fiddler Jeffrey Epstein. Clinton and Trump were Epsteins friends,with benefits too.
OhOh. He’s back in the news too, Andy might have to face the music after all.
link to nytimes.com
@Cubby
It’s an extension of the Bain Principle to not give credit or acknowledgement of the SNP
In regards to repeal of Offensive Behaviour at Football & Threatening Communications Act @Cubby says at 7:16 pm
Also remember that “The BBC the controversial state funded broadcaster” is also culpable for the repeal of this legislation by failing to report that the majority of Scots was in favour of it.
The British Nationalist State Broadcaster assisted the BritNat Parties at Hloyrood as part of the Soft Coup propaganda to get a victory over the SNP Scottish Government.
They are as guilty as the Tories, BLiS_____d, The FibDems and The Greens for the wholly foreseeable rise in this behaviour due to the emboldening of the knuckle draggers following repeal rather than reform of the Act.
WTF
BBC Scotland are actually showing a live Scottish game of football.
mike cassidy says: 4 March, 2019 at 6:40 pm
“This is a more succinct link to some of those photographs.
link to themindcircle.com”
Remind me. Just who would be the most likely party running Glasgow when these pics were current?
Keep ‘our country’ safe, secure and prosperous with
link to sis.gov.uk
Now recruiting…..
Hi Abulhaq.
I’m old enough to not be interested in their recruitment programme.
Alex Cole-Hamilton above showing why the British Nationalists are absolutely shitting themselves about IndyRef2.
Because all they have to oppose it is LIES like the above.
Lies which are easily proven to be such.
Since the EU Ref of 2016 and the ensuing shambles of The Withdrawal Negotiations even more people have become politically aware and politically engaged.
These folks are now checking statements made by politicians since things like the whole “£350 Million a week for the NHS” was proven to be bullshit.
ACH and his fellow traveller BritNat cohort know that their shite doesn’t stand up to scrutiny (despite MSM/BBC covering their arses) and that the electorate will be fact checking using alternative media sources next time round.
It’s the Unions last stand.
I have a recurring mental image of ACH, Colonel Yadaftie, Murdo ‘TQ11’, ‘WATP’ Tomkins, Dick Leonard, Wee Wullie 1p and the rest will be standing in a circle round a tattered Union Fleg in the vain hope of seeing off the Scottish Electorate at the ballot box.
So This is what due diligence means.
“In 2013, the Prince of Wales paid a royal visit to Armenia, meeting Mr Vardanyan at the town of Dilijan where the banker and philanthropist was setting up a college.”
“An avenue of 65 sycamore trees at the college would be named Prince Charles Alley.” !
“According to Mr Vardanyan’s charities, in 2013 he and his wife were asked to gather a group of ‘sponsors’ to fund the renovation of a run-down farm building near the estate’s west entrance, to become an upmarket guest house.
The donors, who included a number of wealthy associates of Vardanyan’s, would fund the creation of 16 luxury guest rooms at one wing of the guest house, to be called Dumfries House Lodge.
In 2014, the compliment was returned. Donors were invited to a Royal reception at Dumfries House, where Prince Charles met a delegation led by Mr Vardanyan.
The renovated wing of Dumfries House Lodge, previously known as The Mains Building, would be renamed “Dilijan House”.
Neck. Up to. In it.
link to bbc.co.uk
O/T
Don’t know if the site below has been mentioned
Laundromats are complex systems for moving money that allow corrupt politicians, organized crime figures, and wealthy businessmen to secretly invest their ill-gotten millions, launder money, evade taxes, and fulfill other goals.
link to occrp.org
Jockanese Wind Talker says:
You make a very good point there. It is a big step forward that more people are becoming sceptical and mistrustful of BritNat politicians and their loyal media’s coverage.
Even if they don’t immediately make the leap to seeing Indy as a solution, several things have been achieved….
– their minds have been opened
– they see the UK isn’t so OK as perhaps they thought
– they learn just how much is lies and impossible promises
– they realise media can be very biased
– they seek information from other sources
… and all that potentially means they minds are fertile ground for planting the concept of Scottish independence as better way forward.
Perverse to see just how much the Tories have inadvertently helped the Indy cause!
@ defo 9.03 – surely it should be renamed “Due Diligence House”.
The day after independence all the rogues like ACH will be organising to be the new leaders of the new not the SNP parties.
The Tories told us devolution was a bad idea. Now they want to make Davidson FM.
Hypocrites sponging off the Scottish taxpayers.
Labour an embarrassment to the working class.
Onne policy STOP SCOTLAND.
After Brexit the companies wont have to scour the world- labour repression, tax evasion and a government steeped in bribery and corruption whilst flogging off state assets with be closer at hand.
‘Currently, in low-end supply chains, our companies scour the world for the lowest possible costs. They profit from labor repression and bear no liability for ensuing abuses (such as Rana Plaza). Without corporate accountability, we have corporate impunity.
But change is afoot. In France all large companies must reduce risks of human rights and environmental abuses in their supply chains—or else be liable. In 2018, the Swiss National Council voted for similar legislation. The German Ministry of Economic Cooperation just announced a draft law. Politicians in Finland, Germany, and Luxembourg have called for EU-wide regulation.
Corporate accountability might incentivize more scrupulous sourcing, making pro-labor reforms and inclusive prosperity more economically competitive export strategies’
link to bostonreview.net
Samsung Galaxy phone – € – easy !!
@ defo – one caveat re the Russian oligarch story – it repeats the allegation that a Russian lawyer called Magnitsky was murdered in prison. The US passed the Magnitsky law on the basis of this allegation.
I have seen a Russian made documentary alleging the opposite i.e that Magnitsky was himself involved in embezzling Russian state funds in cahoots with Bill Browder.
Bill Browder was outed by an ex MI5 officer Annie Machon in an Al Jazeera interview as being involved in ripping off Russian state assets under the Yeltsin regime. Putin put a stop to that and Mr Browder is seething with rage about it. He wants rid of Putin and a more amenable Western puppet installed in the Kremlin.
Sorry I can’t be bothered finding all the links ATM and besides, the Russian documentary disappeared from Youtube pdq. Just saying that nothing about Russian oligarchy and the city of London is straightforward. But for certain, the Russian people were taken to the cleaners by Western (Chicago school) “investors”.
Just like we have.
Capella.
Nah.
Surely – Arms Length Lodge
Ta nana. Aye, that’s Charlies pal. Steeped in blood.
Romanov must be touching cloth over this, from wherever he’s hiding.
Dead men don’t talk.As Magnitsky, of Magnitsky Act fame found out when messing with these guys. Charlies pals!
link to en.wikipedia.org
geeo Muchly thankee your post at 4.56 reminded me I had a € 50 note left over from my sojourn to sunnier climes last year now safely ensconced in my passport wallet for next weeks sojourn .
@ Defo – I see your Wiki link includes a link to the documentary I mentioned “The Magnitsky Act – Behind the Scenes” directed by Andrei Nekrasov. Presents a completely different version of events. Who is right? Who knows. Annie Machon appears to know.
Worth watching if there is is a copy available.
link to en.wikipedia.org
A BP chief had to flee from Russia or face fraud charges/jail. Trying to embezzle from the Russian state Oil company. BP responsible for the environment catastrophe in the Bay of Mexico. Halved the value of the company. Cutting corners. Responsible for many disasters in Scotland. Helicopter companies. Getting away with murder. Then selling up for £Millions. UK Health & Safety measures not being enforced. Companies not charged or proper Inquiries. Prevented by Westminster. Even though the UK Transport Committee recommended it.A Sheriff Inquiry in Scotland had to get at the facts by offering immunity from prosecution. The Oil & Gas sector mismanagement by Westminster. .
Not only are the Royal family linked to Russia but of course Saudi Arabia too. The Queen, Diana and Camilla (and maybe Kate) have all received millions of pounds of jewelry over time.
Wee perks for Tory politicians too.
………………..
‘Prince Charles: arms dealer by royal appointment to Middle East tyrants. Prince Charles lubricates the wheels of the British war machine and bestows his royal sanction on aggression.”….
…”Thanks to the Crown Proceedings Act the Royal Household is immune from arrest.”
link to stopwar.org.uk
………………….
‘Saudi Arabia has spent hundreds of thousands of pounds paying for British MPs to visit the country.’
link to channel4.com
@ronnie anderson 10.23pm
I run a 20% cut for my dubious reminder services…(lol)
Skydiver – be careful, this Scottish football match on BBC Scotland is a cunning plan to lower your suspicion.
Be careful and make sure you drink some antidote after viewing or you may begin to speak well of the BBC – Ca canny man! – you have been warned!
Capella
“I have seen a Russian made documentary alleging the opposite”
Well, they would! 😉
Who knows indeed.
It was the numbers involved in that Spiders web doc which were breathtaking for me Capella. $t’s !
The Jersey cop casually interrupting one interview, with his siren & smirk, was indicative of the character of all those in the utterly corrupt establishment web.
Royalty and all.
Heard a curious statistic early on the BBC today.
Apparently a recent survey of attitudes had shown that 50% of ‘the people of Britain’ now think that immigration is a positive thing for ‘the country’.
A few years back, pre-Brexit ref it was only 37% but now it seems we have all seen the light.
So how come so many ‘immigrants’/ ‘europeans feel unsafe here and why is UKIP growing in support and moving to the far right on an anti-islamic ticket.
Pity there won’t be a second referendum – remain might just win!
geeo Am claiming ah pensioners discount lol
deco and others re Prince Charles’ funding of Dumfries House
Don’t be silly, there’s no way that the Heir to the Throne has been involved in Money Laundering. This money was used on a house in Scotland so it must be Nicola’s fault and all part of the SNPeeee Baaad.
@Ken500,
was that Bob Dudley,now CEO of BP,
a man that has f@cked over just about every continent on the earth just to thieve their oil for Brutish Petroleum.
All this hooha about the increase in knife crime across ‘the country’ is really annoying me.
When will the news reports actually point out that knife crime is an English problem and that Scotland has gone a long way to solving this matter.
I noticed a very poorly advertised link to Scottish methods in the middle of a BBC article on their website – but there seems to be no acknowledgement at Ministerial levels within WM.
I heard T May this morning totally dismiss that there was any plausible link between a police force with 20,000 fewer officers and the rise in knife crime in ‘the country’.
Likewise, a discussion on Woman’s Hour was getting quite worked up about period poverty in ‘the country’ and how some young schoolgirls have to ask a teacher for help as they were too embarrassed to ask their ‘single’ father, or women were too poor to avoid the products and were using rags and bits of dusters.
Jane Garvey was interviewing Penny Mordaunt, the relevant minister, about it and was trying to press her hard to admit there was a problem. At no time was it mentioned that in Scotland, the SG has already acknowledged the problem and has taken radical steps to eradicate the issue by making specific sanitary products available in schools and hospitals. This comparison would have put the Minister in a really tight position.
I actually e-mailed the programme to point this out but it was never mentioned and I got a generic reply.
@ Meg
On the immigration thing, seems that new statistic is correct. However, I kinda wondered if it’s a UK survey, if the Scottish figures may have skewed it postively.
You certainly wouldn’t think attitudes have improved given the state of the media, and continuing incidents down south.
Personally as a retired teacher (2011) I think I our campus cops with a GSOH went a long way to stop knife crime in Scotland.
And talking about jewelry (and Royal homes / estates). Does anyone know if the Crown Jewels are considered to be UK assets and with Independence will we get our share?
The Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom (said to be valued at over £3 billion) consist of more than 140 objects with 23,578 precious stones in the collection, including the Cullinan I – the largest clear cut diamond in the world at 530 carats.
The most important of all the Crown Jewels, the St Edward’s Crown (Coronation Crown), is solid gold and weighs 2040g. It is decorated with 444 precious and semi-precious stones.
link to gettyimages.co.uk
…”The oldest items in the present coronation regalia date from the Restoration, when they were made for the Coronation of King Charles II (1661). The original Crown Jewels were destroyed by Oliver Cromwell following the execution of Charles I in 1649, as they were then considered to be redundant.”..
link to englishmonarchs.co.uk
……………………..
”The Scottish Crown Jewels are referred to as the Honours of Scotland. They are the oldest surviving regalia in Britain and consist of a crown, a sword and a sceptre.”…
…”The regalia were first used together at the Coronation of the infant Mary Queen of Scots in 1543. The last occasion on which they were used was the Coronation of Charles II as King of Scots, at Scone on 1st January, 1651.”….
link to englishmonarchs.co.uk
…………………………….
Articles of Union – XXIV. …
” And that the Crown, Scepter, and Sword of State, the Records of Parliament, and all other Records, Rolls and Registers whatsoever, both public and private, general and particular, and Warrants thereof, continue to be kept as they are, within that Part of the united Kingdom now called Scotland; and that they shall so remain in all Time coming, notwithstanding of the Union.”
………………………….
Aye right!
‘Queen Elizabeth Lives Like A Billionaire But Is Herself Not Quite As Rich.’
Buckie Palace alone is said to be worth over £4 billion.
..’The royal pair frequently spend their weekends at Windsor Castle, another tremendous property that is said to be the largest occupied castle in the world. But neither home belongs to her Majesty; rather they are the property of the British nation.
Other royal assets that the Queen enjoys but are owned by Britain include the Royal Art collection, the Crown Jewels and $11 billion worth of UK property held through the Crown Estate.”…
link to forbes.com
The shift in opinion on immigration is highlighted in a tweet from Peter Geoghegan from Stu’s twitter:
link to twitter.com
#Meg Merrilees @ 11.27 pm
Sky, ITV, are Channel 4 are behaving in a similar fashion.
Almost all the UK ‘national’ news broadcasts received in Scotland, that include references to the UK, Britain or ‘the country’ are on issues that only apply to England.
Until Scotland becomes independent, the solution would be to devolve broadcasting.
Scottish viewers would be alerted by a caption informing them of all the news items that do not apply to ‘their country’.
Professor Tom Devine on STV news saying the research shows there is no longer deep-seated sectarianism in Scottish so iety.
Whereas it was once possible to describe Scottish football sectarianism as the tip of an iceberg, now only the tip survives
That what we have is a mimicking of past attitudes through abusive badinage and hooliganism which the media prefer to report as if the deep-seated sectarianism still exists.
@ Meg merrilees says at 11:00 pm …. ”Heard a curious statistic early on the BBC today. Apparently a recent survey of attitudes had shown that 50% of ‘the people of Britain’ now think that immigration is a positive thing for ‘the country’.”..
……….
Oh well I see that fewer EU nationals are coming to the UK / remaining here Meg. On a par with 2009 levels. Meanwhile non-EU nationals, in particular from Asia, is on the rise and is at its highest level since 2004. Big T, liar, is not controlling immigration levels at all on a par with, in fact worse than, her Home Office record. Has anyone pointed this out to the Brexiteers, I wonder?
……………………..
…”Net migration continues to add to the population of the UK as an estimated 283,000 more people moved to the UK with an intention to stay 12 months or more than left in the year ending September 2018. Over the year, 627,000 people moved to the UK (immigration) and 345,000 people left the UK (emigration)”..
..”Non-EU net migration was the highest since 2004; this follows a gradual increase in immigration of non-EU citizens over the past five years for both work and study.”
…”the number of EU citizens coming to the UK continues to add to the population; however, EU net migration has fallen to a level last seen in 2009 due mainly to a decrease in EU immigration.”
…”Although non-EU immigration for work has remained fairly stable since 2015, available sources show that there has been an increase in Asian citizens arriving for work over the last year. IPS estimates show an increase in Asian citizens arriving with a definite job, while the most comparable Home Office visa data also show an increase in work visa grants. There was a particular increase in work visas granted to Indian nationals.”…
link to ons.gov.uk
……………………..
I see that there’s no mention of the word ”Asia” on the BBC’s article. Surprise, surprise. Next up there will be a rise in membership for Farage’s new party which has now been recognised by the Electoral Commission. He’s planning to field candidates right across UK and if we are out of the EU what will he be proposing to do next?
‘UK migration: Rise in net migration from outside EU.’
….”Net migration to the UK from countries outside the European Union has hit its highest level for 15 years, the Office for National Statistics says.”.
link to bbc.co.uk
Ronnie Anderson@11.02pm
Dammit…!!
I agreed with most of what Tom Devine had to say but I thought he missed the potential for Kelly’s calamity to regenerate a new genuine divide.
Some real food for thought here.
link to youtube.com
As knife crime rises in England it drops dramatically in Scotland.
Professor John Robertson: ‘Looking back on knife crime in Scotland.’
link to thoughtcontrolscotland.com
Delving into the Westminster paedophile coverup.
link to independent.co.uk
217,000 are students mostly from outside the EU.
15,000 are protected status asylum seekers. 8,000 asylum seekers 1000 Libyans
232,000. Take them off . 232,000 from 283,000. = 50,000.
Add in the falling population. The population in UK is probably falling.
The statistics being kept higher by including (foreign) students, who leave after they study.
In Scotland that equates to approx 5,000 people.
The Tories are trashing the economy for a small amount of people coming here. Scotland needs some people.
The Tories are keeping the figures higher by including (foreign) students to create a problem that does not exist for political purposes.
When the figure for (foreign) students is taken out, The figures are under 100,000. Half of that 50,000. Taking out a small number of asylum seekers.
The Tory shambles and mess.They want to trash the economy for nothing.They can’t count or read a balance sheet. Along with the ignorant, lying Press.
The Tory/unionists are falsifying the figures again.
Corbyn is useless he goes in for this nonsense.
Don’t we know it!
Ivan Rodgers: ‘The UK government doesn’t understand how the EU works.’
link to independent.co.uk
Links
link to gov.scot
link to thoughtcontrolscotland.com
link to themammothwhale.wordpress.com
So @MattHancock stood in for #FailingGrayling & assumed the rest of us are as stupid as the U.K. Govt. But we know that £33 million is gone forever to settle litigation brought about by their incompetence
video
link to twitter.com
link to ukclimbing.com
link to change.org
link to scotgoespop.blogspot.com
Here is yet more real world facts from an expert source comparing the grubby brexit bung Mrs May is hawking compared to what we’re about to lose. By any measure a shockingly bad exchange, shameful that the UK has got to this and shameful that anyone would give it credence.
link to twitter.com
A new Scottish pound
A new Scottish investment bank
A new Scottish Central bank
A plan to remove Trident nukes
A new constitution
A new electronic democracy
link to facebook.com
link to lgcplus.com
Man denies sending letter threatening to bomb parliament
link to archive.is
Podcast
link to lesleyriddoch.com
link to stv.tv
A friend working in Whitehall says the Civil Service is becoming increasingly perturbed by May’s obsession with getting her deal through…or falling over the cliff with a no deal brexit no matter the consequences. She is prepared to go down with the country.
link to twitter.com
link to anotherangryvoice.blogspot.com
link to elysee.fr
link to evolvepolitics.com
Theresa May ‘did not understand EU when she triggered Brexit’
link to archive.is
link to bylinetimes.com
It is the role of the Opposition to oppose and the role of the Press to hold those in power to account.
So, putting Brexit aside for once, how have they fared with regard to the Government’s attempts to tackle illegal immigration over the past five years or so?
link to sub-scribe.co.uk
link to irishtimes.com
link to irishexaminer.com
link to channel4.com
This is how much folk are charged for insulin each month in America.
link to twitter.com
Boris Johnson could appear in court after a crowdfunded legal case filed an application for a summons against him for misconduct in a public office.
link to archive.is
Brexit trade deal would allow US to ‘run riot’ with the NHS, warn campaigners
link to archive.is
Ivan Rogers: “These fantasies of release and liberation – they are fantasies.
video
link to twitter.com
link to thecanary.co
According to her legal representative, Sir James Eadie, @theresa_may was fully aware of the ‘notorious facts’: the findings of the Electoral Commission, ICO, DCMS and of the police investigations and appeals lost, yet chose to ignore these facts. (1)
Thread
link to twitter.com
In England
link to politicshome.com
Someone needs to do some digging into this allegatio
link to twitter.com
link to taxresearch.org.uk
I am at my wits end. Every single mainstream media outlet has over the last few days told the entire UK, that the entire UK has a knife crime crisis, that police numbers have been cut by 20,000, and that their is a knife crime epidemic.
AND IT IS NOT TRUE.
All the above, apply ONLY to England and Wales.
Channel 4, SKY, BBC, ITV, Guardian, Telegraph..I could go on, every last freaking one of them pig-ignorant about the UK, the separate legal system and police in Scotland, and that knife crime has fallen in Scotland.
So utterly, utterly p*ssed off with so-called ‘journalists’ right now. NOT one has stated the truth or even acknowledge that this knife crime issue relates to England and Wales.
And the real rub here, is that the one place, the only place in the entire freaking UK, that has had some success tackling knife crime, is SCOTLAND.
Even Channel 4 news is carrying on the pretence. Seriously folks, get your so-called ‘journalists’ heads our of your collective so-called ‘journalists’ a*ses.
Really, really sick of this. This is why Scotland needs its own broadcasters instead of this pseudo colonial sh**e from England.
link to thelondoneconomic.com
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
link to twitter.com
Saudis Join With US to Kill EU Effort to Create Dirty Money Blacklist
link to archive.is
It Is Time to Indict Israel: Norman Finkelstein on Growing Push For ICC to File War Crimes Charges
link to youtube.com
link to rte.ie
UK shoppers slow their spending ahead of Brexit, some stockpile
link to archive.is
Scotland and Wales debate same Brexit motion simultaneously
link to archive.is
This afternoon-EU Withdrawal Negotiations
That the Parliament reiterates its opposition to the damaging EU exit deal agreed by the UK Government; agrees that a no deal outcome to the current negotiations on EU withdrawal would be completely unacceptable on 29 March 2019 or at any time; calls on the UK Government to take immediate steps to prevent the UK leaving the EU without a deal, and agrees that the Article 50 process should be extended so that agreement can be reached on the best way forward to protect the interests of Scotland, Wales and the UK as a whole.
link to bb.parliament.scot
I see on SKY that their is a ‘national’ cervical smear campaign starting, in ENGLAND.
What is the situation in Wales??
What is the situation in N.Ireland??
What is the situation in Scotland??
UK media, by England, for England. Nobody else matters.
@Nana
Just done a quick read through of two or three links. The two Irish pieces and the New European article are good catches. 🙂
Going off in all directions, isn’t it? And no, they’re not wrong Nana, it will be just that bad. Anyone who believes otherwise is truly deluding themselves by this point. People are going to suffer because of these con merchants.
Hundreds of trainee military pilots waiting to start flying
link to archive.is
Levels of distress and illness among students in UK ‘alarmingly high’
link to archive.is
link to independent.ie
link to randompublicjournal.com
In Scotland there is Wings and the Internet,.
To call out all of the nonsense and lies. Better than the lying ‘Press’. No one believes them. especially in Scotland. Losing viewers and readers. Tanking.
The SNP Gov standing up for Scotland and at Westminster,
Basically the Tory/unionists are trashing the economy because 217,000 mostly foreign students come to the UK to study and telling total lies about migration figures. Making everyone as unhappy, depressed and anxious as they can.
Thanks for the links Nana. Great as usual.
Morning Macart
People are suffering without a doubt and it’s going to get a whole lot worse very fast.
From what I’m reading the zealots who want brexit at any cost have the loudest voice, shouting down the folk who are attempting to explain and give actual facts. There is no reasoning with the hard liners, they want out regardless of the harm it does to their fellow citizens.
The absolute worst are the cheer leading politicians egging them on, aided by a bigoted PM knowing fine well Brexit is a fraud.
MajorBloodnok says:
4 March, 2019 at 12:33 pm
He needs to change his name to Alex Gas-Lighter.
——————————————
More like Alex Cole-Gas Lighter-Hamilton the thickest
McBoxheid says:
5 March, 2019 at 8:33 am
MajorBloodnok says:
4 March, 2019 at 12:33 pm
He needs to change his name to Alex Gas-Lighter.
——————————————
More like Alex Cole-Gas Lighter-Hamilton the thixt
@Nana
Couldn’t agree more. The reality of Brexit Britain, a Tory government and continuing a political union that leaves Scots without a say.
link to twitter.com
This is happening now.
Think the big problem today in Scotland are many folk who live in our country don’t consider it to be a country or their country. Although plenty of them claim Scottish nationality for 90 or 80 minutes even singing a song with stirring words about their non country ? What a bunch of tosser’s
How do you change the hard core often sectarian anti-Scots ? Don’t think they are worth the effort, there will always be round 30% of Scottish born anti-Scots no matter what and it will take years and years of Independence before that number falls.
Heartbreaking stuff Macart, I posted the STV link with video at 7.16am.
I thought it should be highlighted but if people don’t want to give STV clicks that link from Peter Stefanovic is better.
link to theguardian.com
Arrogance and incompetence, maintained in power through the world’s most comprehensive programme of State Propaganda, aka brainwashing, and advertised as ‘democracy’.
The Westminster Establishment – making N Korea look like amateurs.
30% is not a majority.
At this point in time a reminder of the last sentence of the infamous vow.
“A no vote will deliver faster, safer, better change than separation.”
No mention of that change being leaving the EU. No mention of a possible chaotic no deal exit from the EU.
Does anyone think that this sentence has been delivered.
@defo says: 4 March, 2019 at 7:44 pm:
… It’s not printed on the keyboard Robert.”
It is printed on both my laptop’s keyboards and they are both USA company products.
It was a daft comment anyway, meant to emphasise the US antipathy towards the € as currency rival to the petro-$
I didn’t think it was daft and I did realise what it was aimed at doing but UK keyboards have shown the Euro sign for a very long time now.
In any case if your keyboard has a numeric pad on the right hand side you can type any symbol see:-
link to techadvisor.co.uk
Thing is you need to know the number of the symbol or letter for the particular font you are using.
@MikeCassidy
No longer ‘deep seated’ but still there if you can read the semiotics and a very useful divide and rule mechanism for the Unionist establishment to engage.
There is an anti-Catholic trope in England, although we don’t talk about that ‘officially’, but Catholicism is not viewed as entirely kosher ‘British’ but something more than a little foreign. Below the line comments in the press when Catholic matters crop up are illuminating in that regard. It is but a short leap from ignorantly dissing Catholicism to bashing Catholics. Btw the liberal Observer newspaper never knowingly employed Catholics until into the 1960s.
Professor Richard Dawkins has some odd perspectives on Catholicism which conform to the militant Protestant, ‘vile thing’ stereotype although he has no problem with ‘cuddly’ Anglicanism.
As an Anglican cleric once opined, the residual religion of the English is anti-Catholicism. Scotland too I suspect, if the right buttons get pressed.
As the influence of religion weakens among the masses the sectarian problem doesn’t go away it simply morphs and shape-shifts hence the issue with ‘anti-semitism’, or is it just pro-palestinianism, in the Corbyn Labour party. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink……
To be clear, Catholicism and Protestantism are the same religion. They are both Christian.
Funny how such a huge fact is completely ignored, especially in Scotland.
O/T (or is it?) Scottish Independence debate coming up on sky news now.
Old Pete
It should be stressed to these people that they are not Scots IMHO.
They are British.
British is not Scottish.
British is Brutish.
It’s nothing to be proud of.
Re Tove Macdonald the 87yr old danish grandmother who is being forced to register here in Scotland, after nearly 60yrs resident. She has 2 children and 5 grandchildren. I take it if they were’nt before, that they and many thousands like them, will now be confirmed yes voters.
The Gordon Brown playbook of scaryness:
Today the media is reporting all Scotlands children are *at risk* because of a shortage of pediatricians and I wonder if this means our children are all going to die by a week on Tuesday because apparently no other doctors in Scotland are qualified to examine children because they only know about big people medicine
When someone turns up at the medical practice with their child they see a GP, if it’s an emergency they go to A&E
We all know the difference between specialised pediatricians and GPs and what they do but it’s highly unlikely and incredibly scare mongering reporting by the *Scottish* media to suggest that overnight Scotlands children will be placed in danger or as the media have described it *at risk*
But we know why they do it don’t we
Scotland is secular. More people are non religious. The Churches are losing members.
32% Protestant. 16% Catholic. 1.8 Muslim
The football carry on should just not be happening. No wonder the terraces are empty. Peodos, racists and bigots running the Clubs. It is just unacceptable behaviour which should be stopped by Law, if necessary.
Orange marches should be banned and there should be less separate schools. In some places that is the case. There is less sectarianism.
Dr Jim says: The Gordon Brown playbook of scaryness:
Today the media is reporting all Scotlands children are *at risk* because of a shortage of pediatricians and I wonder if this means our children are all going to die by a week on Tuesday because apparently no other doctors in Scotland are qualified to examine children because they only know about big people medicine
If only Scotland had control of immigration and the hostile environment was stopped at the border.
If only qualified staff from the EU weren’t being driven out of our NHS as a resukt of Brexit.
If only the Scottish media would report accurately instead of indulging in yet another round of “Scotland shit, SNP bad”.
If only…
2014…YES or no
2019…YES or daft
that is all.
Abulhaq at 9.25
And the Glasgow Herald as well as the Observer.
But we have come along way. I belong to a generation who could see “No Catholic need apply” in job vacancy adverts – and this elicited no comment or surprise. My father’s generation of Catholics and his mother’s before that just kept their heads down. That was just fine. Sectarianism only became an remarked issue when the next generation of Catholics said “F*ck this. We are not putting up with this any longer.”
The young Glasgow born Asian community are going through the same process now.
Separate schools are not a cause of any of this. They are a result of it.
Education Act 1918 should not be sacrosanct!!
Shouldn’t we just have Community Schools with individuals having the right for religious observance if requested at certain times?
Of course lets not miss the segregation by class / wealth. The tax breaks for children with parents with money. Charitable status for the wealthy and powerful.
Looks and sounds like Cole-Hamilton could give James Kelly a run for the biggest moron in Scotland.
Too soon for OT on current thread, so will post it here.
Alan Brown has just spent half an hour filleting Chris (failing) Grayling using an emergency question about the Seaborne Ferry shambles.
Grayling on his feet now, being shot at from all sides.
@David McEwan Hill
Overt sectarianism I have encountered, maybe once or twice, in Scotland but the covert variety is still alive, well and doing the same socially divisive, subversive damage. Like antisemitism or antimuslimism times of ‘social stress’ can be a trigger. The independence struggle may be for some such a trigger. As a young orthodox Catholic of mixed mideast origin, with a fairly thick skin, I do know from family history what the overt type can be like when given an official stamp of approval. That is not today’s Scotland but we must be attentive to bias in the ‘national story’ which marginalises or redacts by design. In Unionism we have a narrative that suits its particular quasi-colonial ends, not the socio-cultural reality of a country as diverse as ours. The ‘victors’ get to write the history books.
An authentically Scottish education for all Scots, maybe Professor Devine might be seconded to contribute to its sophisticated ‘architecture’.
Btw I am not a millennial ‘snowflake’ expecting ‘acceptance’ everywhere, human society is not so perfect.
Coming into the knife crime debate late, I know, but the following confirms what my Scottish friends say as well as providing a little insight into my own country.
Yes, we Welshies and Scotties all know (and have known for some time) a lot of the English meeja use ‘the country’ when they really mean their own country and are happy through a mixture of ignorance and arrogance to conflate the UK with England. Knife crime is a problem for that hybrid entity EnglandandWales as policing and criminal justice are not devolved to Cymru whereas they are to Scotland and Northern Ireland. (Were the statistics were done on a country-by-country basis, I’m sure that Cymru would be low down the scale as well … which leads to point number 2.)
Point number 2 is that the BBC in its usual fashion of feeling the need to educate the masses about current ‘hot’ subjects, has decided on its web page to feature “Ten charts on the rise of knife crime in England and Wales”. Only it features only NINE charts.
Guess which one is missing? Yes, it’s this one:
“Regional variation in knife crime offences
Knife offences per 100,000 people by region, England and Wales, year ending March 2018”.
The ONLY one that would in fact show the distinction between differences between England and Wales (by police force) and for the more alert reader underscore what is already apparent – that knife crime is an England only problem. (The article itself mentions,
“Knife crime tends to be more prevalent in large cities, particularly in London … next highest was the West Midlands, with 72 knife offences per 100,000 population, and Yorkshire and the Humber, 79.”
Well, outside Caerdydd/Cardiff, Abertawe/Swansea and Casnewydd/Newport, Cymru does not have so many “large cities”.
Not usually given to conspiracy theories – but hey, this is the BBC, innit? Draw your own conclusions.
Yours aye,
A quick search for Welsh Sion’s missing data found the following. It seems to me to show the Welsh figure to be below the average. Though I didn’t find an average for E & W… PS Paywall…
link to statista.com
SOG, thank you!
Proves our points, dontcha think? 🙂