Wings Over Scotland

THANK you. It is very important that we get round all of the lies surrounding this. The information is readily available about what is involved, and even the costs. I have FB messaged my own MP and had prompt accurate responses.

Even Patrick Harvie, last week criticised the Tories for misrepresenting the scheme, and scaremongering, and Labour for simply trying to use it to score points.

The daft thing is, if you ask people what they KNOW about it, they oftne go quiet. and when you ask for THEIR suggestions, they go quiet, or suggest “more money”, without saying for WHAT, or better still make recommendations about getting the relevant people to do the work they are paid for, or talk to each other. They never wonder why I start laughing at that point.

As someone who has been in the position of having to remove kids to a place of safety, I totally agree with the sentiments in this piece.
Nobody involved in child protection and welfare is eager to deprive kids of their families unless it is absolutely required to keep them safe.
There is no Big Brother waiting to steal your weans away. It’s guff. The system already works this way…it is merely formalising things which happen just now.
The political usage of this issue has been despicable….but the ignorance displayed by some journalists in particular is also disturbing

Wow – just wow Donna. This should be printed and shoved through every letterbox in the country. Succinct and to the point. As you say, children should not be used as a political football – they’ve suffered the real thing without adding to their misery.

Thank you for sharing your story – and if it helps to keep even one child safer, then it will have been worth it.

My every best wish to you.

Thank you Donna and shame on those politicians, journalists and editors that have tried to make political capital out of this. People should vote for what appears to be the one party that cares. #BothVotesSNP

Well said – political point scoring over an issue like this is despicable – every labour and libdem voted for it and then fuelled anger among parents and carers using misinformation and project fear. We must remember most abuse, physical, mental, sexual happens in families and with people closest to us and it happens in all areas and all income groups. If NP saves one child from abuse of any kind it will be worth it.

Very brave Donna, and thanks for speaking up for abused children. I’ve felt guilt at not doing enough, not intervening in time, fearing the consequences of speaking up. The Named Person is someone empowered to listen and take action. Let’s support any move to help frightened children.

Thank you Donna for this article.

Meddling opportunistic politicians should hand their heads in shame.

We’ll said Donna. This is exactly the kind of clear and sensible contribution that is needed.

“formalising measures already in place to try to help ensure children are protected from harm”
———-

That’s an important point. Teachers, nurses, health visitors already have a duty of care towards children.

Do most people see them as ‘government spies’? Of course not.

After seeing the legislation pass through the Scottish parliament unopposed, to now see Labour backtracking for electioneering purposes is a disgrace.

I remember the tragic case of the toddler in Paisley, where the Sheriff found that a named person could have helped prevent it:

link to bbc.co.uk

Sheriff Anderson found: “Having determined that on the balance of probabilities neglect was a contributory factor, the following defects in the system contributed to Declan’s death.

“There was no system in place whereby one of the agencies responsible for Declan’s well-being was in overall charge and there was no system whereby one named individual was responsible for coordinating all available information.

If you like this policy you can vote SNP, Green or Lib Dem. If you don’t like it you can vote UKIP or Tory.
For a confused, ever changing view on this policy there is Scottish Labour.

Donna,

We often try to bat away uncomfortable subjects on here with a bit of humour.

This peice however serves to remind us of the serious nature of what the media and the unionist usual suspects are guilty of.

That any adult can think looking after abused children is sinister clearly has something wrong with them. In fact, I would have to say that the position of the writer of that peice and his editor should be looked at.

You have done kids a great service by writing this. Hopefully others will be encouraged to endorse this from a personal point of view, althought I imagine it isn’t an easy thing to do.

Good on you.

A very timely piece of common sense and (happily) less common experience. I had a wee dig into the backgrounds of the people behind NO2NP. Suggested topic for the Rev (one of them is much quoted on the fan club website of a bankrupt football club).

Thank you Donna for your voice in this . I wish the professional voices had been louder when this was at the forefront of the election campaign . Tories , Labour and Libdems were wheeling it out at every opportunity , saying how they would change it , with hardly a voice defending it . Another child has been lost in dreadful circumstances who may have been saved if it hadn’t been for all the pussyfooting that has been going on around this proposal . Just hope these people and politicians can sleep at night .

Thank you Donna for sharing your experience which should put these “politicians” using NP as a political football to shame.

If any of them read this then I hope it will make them realise how much children in crisis need an adult who will do their best to help them.

If it were possible I would go back in time so that I could give you a hug and assure you that someone was listening and cared enough to help.xx

Yesterday’s BBC r4 PM news has a powerful report on abuse of children. 35 minutes in, starts with an American abduction victim and child protection campaigner and then moves back to England. There is no mention of the proposed “Named Person” scheme but there is a lot on why no one actually got involved in the cases discussed.

link to bbc.co.uk

Well it really is shamefull if we the public dont listen to or support Donna and her recount of her experience , after all she has experienced it first hand we are only observers , for any political organisation to exploit this sorry to say is expected , it is said politicians are not trusted with this you wonder why ,
best of luck donna .

There’s a balance between doing nothing and doing too much. It’s possible the Named Person Legislation goes in either direction. That’s up to a competent government to keep track of how it works in practice and modify as time goes on. An incompetent government will simply repeal with the avowed noble intention of introducing a different version of the same thing. A bit like the whole British Bill of Rights which seemingly requires complete abolition of our existing Human Rights laws before it can even see the light of day. In neither case do I trust the conservatives to do what they claim they will.

That’s not to say the SNP have got it right. For instance there’s some justification in those who see the current move to actually inform the public of what it’s all about as some sign of panic. However it might also be said that their main complaint is that it might actually put an end to the propaganda campaign being waged via a gross distortion of what the Named Person legislation actually consists of. It might also point out that parents still have rights and prevent abuse from over zealous public employees. Said it elsewhere, if data about your child is online you have rights to see it as the child’s guardian and also any data held about you as a parent. Data Protection legislation still applies and can be used to have it amended.

However that’s not the approach taken by those opposed to the legislation. They’d rather complain about it and use legal means to have it removed. I’ve a sneaking suspicion that if Davidson had her way she’d ride on a wave of anger that showed over 50% of Scotland’s parents were opposed to it (not electorate, parents) to invoke the “Supreme Court” and set a precedent where Holyrood’s law making is overridden from London.

To be clear though, it’s the sign of a mature and responsible government that they do reconsider their legislation and amend it if needed. If the SNP do alter the legislation then no doubt there will be some who will point at that as a weakness. The trouble with that kind of attitude is you get the kind of dogmatic intransigence that led to the crash of Sterling during the Thatcher years. Hopefully the current NP legislation is just right. If not then it’s better than doing fuck all until someone comes up with a perfect solution.

Sorry O/T Clootie and others on a previous thread regarding that BBC stitch up (what’s new?) maybe there was some sound manipulation but after the Rennie anti-democratic rant the cheer was the loudest for the whole hour. Rock star proportions. Nicola was visibly shocked and she looked at the audience in total amazement so they definitely rigged the actual audience.

Totally in favour of the Named Person Scheme……I spent a number of years as a member of the children’s panel here in Scotland and abuse and neglect spans the whole social spectrum.
I had to give it up eventually as I started “Taking it home with me” Horror stories that you wouldn’t believe.
A lot of the children I saw at meetings needed this type of intervention, Just a shame that it wasn’t there for some of those kids.

This is such a moving commentary it brings tears of pride that I know my fellow countrymen and women share the values I have regarding the welfare of children. As a teacher I’ve encountered the unfortunate victims of life and society and knowing now that there will proper formalised protection that isn’t hidden from view but held open for those who need it makes me proud of the Scottish people for choosing a government unafraid of challenging get this very British stiff upper lip attitude towards bringing up children. All Tis gung hon macho nonsense of days go with by promoted by the right wing media needs to be fought and beaten to build a better fairer society for all, especially those without the means to protect themselves.

Donna,
Many thanks for posting this.

The wife and I were out leafleting last week and my wife was approached by a very polite but obvious Yoon paper reader, and he seemed quite irate at the SNPs Named Person policy.
My wife tried her best to reassure him to actual facts of the policy.
We were out again last night, and she went out of her way with a printed copy of the policy from the Scottish Government site.
As the man was presented with the facts (rather than the BLATTANT LIES produced by the establishment),we can only hope another (all be it one citizen) has had his eyes opened to the bias from the media. All we can do is keep chipping away.
“At one time who would have thought they would see the Berlin wall coming down?”
SNPx2

One of the first things the new (hopefully SNP) Government should do is mail a printed copy of Donna’s article to EVERY newspaper that sells copies in Scotland – and not just to the independence supporting National and Sunday Herald.

Then at FMQs Nicola Sturgeon should read Donna’s article aloud, in answer to any of the Unionist party leaders who dares to attempt to use this issue of the Named Person Act as a political points scoring opportunity!

The yoons are against it because it comes from the SNP.

SNPbad! Why? Just because.

Just because people trust them and believe the SNP have our best intrests at heart.

What normal caring person would not want to protect children?

Parents are not perfect. Some parents neglect their kids. Other parents damage their kids. Kids are not able to protect themselves and need help. Any policy that protects kids is surely good.

The media are not doing their job. Paedo rings have been protected for decades possibly longer. When will this be exposed?

Hey Donna – this couldn’t have been an easy piece for you to write so you are to be commended for that. Really–well done. And, as others have already stated, it should be made compulsory reading for everyone who opposes the NP policy. When this is merely formalising what is largely already happening, I often wonder what those who shout and scream against it have to hide?

Again–well done.

Joemcg@4.29
I think its time the SNP told the EBC northern branch to go and “Do One” when they are invited to take part in “obviously rigged” debates.
The same goes to Radio Shortbread with their “Award winning quality journalists/reporters?????!!!!” WTF?
The simple solution when they are being constantly interrupted whilst trying to answer a question is, politely say, Can I answer your question? if not, then just get up and leave the programme.
Leaving egg on the faces of the presenters.
SNPx2
I still haven’t found out what the point of a Wullie Rennie is?
SNPx2

I too was abused physically, verbally, psychologically and sexually by my mother. As I look back I don’t understand how the abuse was not discerned at school. I used to stink of shit in primary school. I remember the humiliation of being taken out of class by the janitor, having my trousers and underpants taken down to examine them because of the smell. I used to sit in the class crying, but not knowing why I was crying. Other weans would tell the teacher I was crying, and she would reply, “Just leave him alone”.I remember the handle of brushes being broken across my back and umbrellas being broken across my legs while my mother screamed, “ah’ll brek yir legs” When I was ten I tried to commit suicide by drinking a bottle of lotion I had to treat psoriasis.It tasted so bad I could not drink it. My mother caught me. Her first words were, Oh my, whit’l the neebors say”. She never took me to a doctor. Shortly after that I saw a drama on tv about a mother who treated her children similarly to how my mother treated me. The children were taken into care. I realised for the first time that I was abused, though I didn’t have the word “abused” to identify it. My reaction was to say to myself, “I mustn’t tell anybody, or I’ll be taken away”. Yet I often day dreamed that I was adopted by a loving couple.

In spite of all the above, I don’t agree with the NP. The only intrusion that the government agencies should have into families should be in the interest of the family unit and the children especially. I think that teachers, leaders of social and church groups for children should be required to take training to discern abuse. I think that parents-to-be should receive training in child-care, and that they should be required to have a course on age appropriate child care every year until the child is 16. I think that spanking should be banned.

There needs to be education and training for couples, hetero and same sex, on human relationships, and the treatment of children.

Take it Revs seen the ‘Jonathan Rimmer’ Common Space broadside about WoS ?

Talk about timing ?

Some real morons getting airtime on a website that promised so
much.

Essential reading for every citizen.

I wish I’d had the courage when I was eight to tell someone that the janny used to take me into a cupboard at lunch break and kiss me. Thank god nothing worse happened but, even though my dad was a cop, I told no-one. I wish I’d had a named person at school who was on the lookout, but then again it might have been the primary seven teacher who used to feel up the girls who were lined up to go out the door. Still, better anyone than no-one, eh?

A tough thing to write Donna. Let’s hope good comes of it. We certainly need to give the NP legislation a chance.

Powerful article from Donna Babbington. Having spent 30 years in teaching I always considered myself an “unnamed” named person. I always thought it was part of my job that as well as teaching, the welfare of the pupil was paramount. Any potential issues were discussed with guidance staff, now known as pastoral care I believe. The health and wellbeing of our children should always come first.

Good article. I was brought up in a number of Scotland’s ‘care’ homes in the 1980s. Abuse of all sorts occurred frequently. One staff member was convicted of killing his wife and was known to be at it’, often there was an odd ambiance of acceptance from both children and adults and steering clear of the agressive and innapropriate adults was a ‘normal’ part of life. Whilst I did meet some truly caring adults it was often the case we were ‘looked after’ by underqualified staff in an environment of utter chaos. The memories I have are/would be shocking to many. At least seven friends of that time have since died from drugs/alcohol/murder/misadventure.

I went on to become a Social Worker and have worked with children and adolescents in a number of settings,lately I have completed research into assissting looked after children to improve their educational attainment. This is not the case for many, only around 1% take the route I have whereas the majority are failed. This legislation does tighten up on a system already in place. It lays a name on ensuring certain obligations are met. As a social worker I would have made sure I was not letting anything slip past that was my responsibility and would certainly have flagged up any failure to do so by another. It is a heavily legislated area and Social Workers/care workers and the like are bound by that law and a professional code of conduct.

There exists a huge amount of legislation and policy output around children and young people since the advent of the Scot Parliament. This is a good thing. Rights are around now that never existed in previous years and the focus has and will continue to improve things, I believe. Progress is slow though and big mistakes have been made. Not least the lack of care and attention to those children looked after whilst still being resident with their parents in houses and areas where they witness a range of negative behaviours and are subject to influence that is not geared towards their well-being.

Therefore the caveat, and it is a big one, is, that without appropriate and targetted funding for research-based community interventions, things will continue to move too slowly for many children. For example, the needs of the poor attainers are many and dictate the focus must be across the board to include all contributary factors. In a word, poverty and all that word contains. Whilst the named person will ensure there is someone responsible for the child, it is fundamental to ensure that opportunities are tailored to the needs of the each child in need, looked after or not.

I agree also the foccus on this as a political issue and the drive to spread uncertainty and fear is indicative of the sad nature of some in political and media circles in Scotland and beyond.

Round of applause Donna, amazing to tell this story and the hope that NP can bring.

Playing politics with NP is unforgivable – the policy was brought up in the aftermath of Baby P to ensure nothing like that can happen in Scotland, here’s hoping it succeeds!

Thank you for this Donna. As a teacher I’m sick of trying to explain this. I was so member of the children’s panel for 13 years and I was privy to some of the most horrendous abuse of children who were ‘lucky’ enough to be heard. However there were times when information failed to be shared appropriately. This scheme will ensure that information will come via a specific person who can pull all concerns together. Again thank you for sharing something so difficult and personal in order to demonstrate how important this is x

I commend highly your courage to write this article. It should have a much wider audience. I am so sorry you had such a horrible experience without any support.

You have also prompted comments from people on here whom I don’t think have posted before. Great to see so many of those who have been directly involved with child protection supporting the introduction of this law.

Your story about being thrown downstairs reminded me of an episode many moons ago when a teacher colleague of mine had to bring a boy home from a residential trip because of serious misconduct. As he was taking him upstairs to his front door the boy’s younger brother was flung downstairs and passed my colleague in mid-air. It was an object lesson for us. Luckily my colleague took action which helped that family but we would never have known about the awful lives these children had if he had not witnessed the scene.

Shame on the political opportunists.

Thank you Donna

Frank Mooney at 5.51 –
Are you prepared to give any sort of information about the actions of the “no brains?” Otherwise your contribution does not take the argument anywhere. Of course I don’t mean names or anything that breaches confidentiality, but “fearing the worst” without giving us an idea what you are talking about is unhelpful. Lots of us (me included) can be critical of management we have seen, but how does that, I your view, connect with this current discussion? It might be very informative. Give us your stuff, not your vague forebodings.

This was a policy that went through unopposed. It had cross party support with only the Tories abstaining.

It has earned the ire of some religious groups, which is somewhat ironic given the bad press religious groups have had in this area Subsequently a handful of journalists and a libertarian sociologist (who to be fair objects to almost all legislation) have used it as an opportunity to create an SNPbad scare story.

So much so unremarkable. What is remarkable is Kezia and others who voted for this to throw the idea under a bus for cheap political points. (I don’t count Ruth in this because I would expect nothing less from the Conservatives.) That does shock me.

After the election I can’t see Kezia saying much of anything about this apart from perhaps “we have secured amendments, we back it again”.

yesindyref2

This is not an ‘off the cuff’ piece of legislation on the part of the SNP.

It’s origins go back at least 15 years and during that time under both the Scottish Executive and the Scottish Government it has been subject to extensive consultation, reviews, research and pilot schemes.

I agree with your earlier point about guidelines and that was also referred to by Lord Pentland.

So is anyone in the mainstream media interested in what the named person act is really for. We know you journalist read this site. Has just one of you got an ounce of humanity left in you? Have any of you got the guts to print Donna’s story? It deserves to be heard by a wider audience. I won’t hold my breath.

Donna thanks, and keep on posting, you will always find people who will listen to you on this site.

Dear Donna,

Thank you for stepping in with your experience and support for NP. I imagine that took courage.

Now I feel so much more confident about defending this idea as a good one, and debunking the rotten twisted version being touted by the press just to score cheap points against the SNP.

No amount of explaination or well writen policies could be as clear as the opinion of the very people who feel they could have benefited throughout their childhood and who can see how such a policy could be a lifeline for children now.

Thank you Donna = )

The merits of the NP legislation were challenged by way of judicial review (The Christian Institute & Others -v- The Scottish Ministers [2015 CSIH 63]). There was full argument by both sides. The petitioners were wholly unsuccessful. The opinion of the current Lord President of the Court of Session, Lord Carloway (whilst he was Lord Justice Clerk) is worth repeating:-

“[68] The mere creation of a named person, available to assist a child or parent, no more confuses or diminishes the legal role, duties and responsibilities of parents in relation to their children than the provision of social services or education generally. It has no effect whatsoever on the legal, moral or social relationships within the family. The assertion to the contrary, without any supporting basis, has the appearance of hyperbole.”

For my sins I’ve been watching the BBC news. Both the six o’clock and Reporting Scotland reporting on two different child deaths. At the same time it’s gonna kind of quiet on the No2NP front.

The second one was notable for there being a report that may have prevented the death that didn’t go anywhere which it might have done if there’d been someone tasked with coordination. Same as there will be times when two or more people are needlessly duplicating efforts so whilst at first NP might seem to imply additional workload in practice it could actually result in less.

My husband and I have care of our grandsons ,although we have the support of social work ,the system is geared toward the mother who
proclaims herself as a victim ,everytime I say no to her whatever the reason ( and it is always in the best interests of the children as opposed to their mother’s best interest ) we are dragged back to court to explain ourselves to various agencies . This is quite common amongst kinship carers .we are assumed to be wrestling to take control from parents because , obviously we are so determined to become parents in our retirement years that we would deprive a mother of her children ! ( sarcasm ). I welcome a more formalised way of doing things ,we don’t have to explain ourselves over and over and would no longer have the fear that our grandchildren will slip through the net . As far as I’m concerned , there is less to fear from this arrangement than the one we currently have . I live this every day ,most of those who oppose it do so idealogically. Try walking a mile in our shoes!!

Have shared this, thank you.

For the three unionist parties to use this as a political attack on the SNP has been a disgrace. How low can they get.

It is of course the responsibility of us all to report if we are ever in doubt and have evidence of, a child, or adult at risk of harm or injury at the hands of anyone caring for them, or otherwise.
A difficult one I know, for fear of interfering but better safe than sorry.

Well done Donna. That must have been hard for you to write and brave too.

Why would anyone in their right mind be against this named person legislation. It went through our parliament in 2014 I believe, with the support of all but the tories. What’s the problem now?
Nothing but political opportunism, they ought to hang their heads in shame. What absolutely vile people to peddle all this misinformation. Absolutely pathetic.

Thank you Donna. What can I say that already hasn’t been said. Well done indeed. I like your tweets too 🙂

Thank you so much for this Donna.

I have heard a lot of badly informed nonsense concerning this issue. In future I will send any who blithely repeat the unionist line to your post.

As with previous readers I have been utterly disgusted by the other parties’ attempt to use this as a weapon for political gain.

Your fortitude puts these charlatans to shame.

Bless you.

Thanks a million, Donna, for writing this. It brought back some difficult memories…

One night as we were just gabbing away in my flat, my good mate suddenly went quiet for a bit, then started crying, then sobbing… then absolutely screaming his head off. I was completely shocked, I hadn’t a clue what was going on.

Then he turned to me and said, “I can’t take it any more! I’ve got to tell someone. You’re my good mate, so I’m going to tell you.”

He then went on to tell me the most horrendous and vile story I had ever heard. I was so gobsmacked, I just listened as he told me his horror story.

Up until the age of 12, he and his family had lived on a smallish farm well away from others. A man he knew as his ‘uncle’ would visit them every summer.

I’m not going to go into detail, but this ‘uncle’ was a dirty, fucking heinous paedophile, who would take every advantage of the farm’s hiding places to commit his acts upon my friend – at the threat of death. He was told that if he ever said anything to his parents he would come back and kill him. That went on from when he was 6, all the way to 12 when my mate’s family left the farm and moved to a town.

My friend said to me, “I wish I’d had someone I could have talked to about it. But I didn’t, only my parents and I know they wouldn’t have believed me. Anybody else. Just anybody!… And I would have told them. I would. I would’ve told them the truth! But I was stuck there, with that fucking beast every summer for 7 fucking years!”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This was one of my best mates here, telling me this… and I was the first person he had said anything to… And we were 25 years old!

My mate, my good mate, died at the age of 48. He basically drank and smoked himself to death. I used to try to warn him off the fags, and especially the booze, but he didn’t want to stop. “It helps me to forget.” he would say…

My mate was given a mentally painful, suffering death by that filthy paedophile. If he had had a Named Person to turn to, he could well have been alive today.

Oh, and the paedophile scum? He died in his sleep at a good age never having had to face any kind of justice for his crimes…

The named person scheme has been in use in the highlands for past few years, I have five kids, and havent noiced any difference and believe me with my three oldest kids having problems in the education system, the council and social work have been great, in fact they have called the school out on a few occasions in panels where school rep has been caught out lying twice, so in my book its a great thing

@East Neuker. Why should those who currently head child services suddenly become better? When you take on a Council you also take on their Legal dept. It is not easy. Give NP a go. Absolutely. Do not expect miracles as the same people will be running it. Accountability of those current incumbents is needed.

Oh dear Stu is getting absolutely crucified over on Bella FB. He’s the “Katie Hopkins of the Indy movement!!” Liked that one! Ha ha ha!

@Dal Riata

What an awful, horrendous story. More common than many would imagine, or admit to knowing about. I’m glad in a way that your friend could at least confide in you, but it must also weigh on you, but thank you for sharing.

@joemcg

Bella isn’t committed to Independence. Full stop.

Scotspine-well that’s the first ever time I’ve perused it and I have to agree. Too many posters with “agendas” vote rise, vote green,nope. Nae danger.

@Gary45% says: 3 May, 2016 at 5:10 pm:

” … I still haven’t found out what the point of a Wullie Rennie is?”

I think I told you the answer already, Garry. The point of a Wullie Rennie is the very top o his wee pointy heid.

@ Dal Riata
Your friend had a terrible experience and no help from social services. But he did have a friend he could talk to and that was a ray of comfort in an otherwise bleak life.
Would a named person have made a difference? I think so. Someone whose job it was to take responsibility and act is what’s needed.

@ Nana – many thanks for the link to the David Malone presentation on TTIP and the Death of Democracy. Excellent video. Here’s the link again for anyone who missed it.

link to youtube.com

There is only 1 way to Independence for Scotland. That’s SNP x 2.

Publications, Blogs and Newspapers promoting
Rise, Greens etc are agents of the Union.

Vote for whoever the hell you like after Independence. For now, SNP x 2.

To Donna and the other contributers who have made this such a thoughtful but painful article to read…..many thanks

O/T

Not had time yet to even LOOK at this thread but got to post this now due to time restrictions.

Apologies for some of the effin and jeffin that is coming, but I’m absolutely raging.

I’ve just been watching something on BBC iPlayer (I know, I know) but it’s got me proper angry. The programme’s called Scotland: The Promised Land, and I think it’s only ep 3 (of 3) that’s still available for just a few more days. It’s a treatment of the history of Scotland before and after the first world war.

And it’s bloody brilliant.

I’ll do so more in depth work later trying to find out who produced it, wrote it, commissioned it but it’s EXACTLY what our national broadcaster should be doing. The narration is strongly supportive of the socialist bent of our history, and it’s totally surprised me. I’m beeling that I’ve just had an education in McDiarmid’s Montrose group. Beeling that my education in Glasgow never even touched this. Somehow I know all about the fucking Bloomsbury group, about nazi-sympathizing Londoners and every little detail about the Freud family – the way our culture has been kept from us, and we’ve not even been allowed to hear our ain sang is fucking disgraceful.

This episode in deals with The Lauderisation of Scotland, Reith and the BBC – a perfect example of the way our culture has been massaged to aid the greater goal of the imperial master. It may seem to some a petty point, but it’s even wonderful to hear academic Scottish voices with fucking Scottish accents.

I’m so fucking glad to be living in the time where knowledge of this imperial management is becoming widely known, and to see people (especially the young and the under-educated) getting more and more enlightened. Scotland is NOT going back in its red-deer and tartan covered Union box.

SNPx2 to continue the awakening.

If you yearn for an independent Scotland there really at the moment is only one way to vote:

SNP X 2 and EU In

The labour party has lost its way and has only anger and resentment at its heart at the moment. Well I certainly am angry too for all the generations of people in this country who trusted in them and have been used and abused by them in their lust for power.

@Dr Jim says: 3 May, 2016 at 9:18 pm:

“1. How do you know which child needs or doesn’t need looking after,”

He doesn’t – nobody does.

I’m with you there Dr Jim.

I first started doing volunteer work around Edinburgh aged 11. I have never stopped since and I’m 79 in less than a week. During that time I was a union rep for around 15 years officially I did the job many more years unofficially while the elected steward was more interested in pushing Labour Party policies.

People tend to confide in me and it would amaze many here just how many totally unexpected people have been child abusers but yet never been convicted. Furthermore, station in life is no guide to abusers.

They are drawn from all ages, sexes and walks of life. Right across all social levels but most of all it must be born in mind that by far the greatest proportion of children are abused by other family members.

To attempt to belittle the NP legislation on the grounds of cost is disgusting. For heaven’s sake the UK is not a poor country. It is awash with hard cash. The problem is it is all in too few pockets.

Those pockets belong to the greedy bastards giving themselves multi-million pound bonuses on top of their salaries, perks and then evading paying tax on it.

Vote SNP twice to help get Scotland out of the vile UK and for our nation to become a fairer and more decent country.

Thanks so much for that, Donna. Very moving piece and absolutely had to be said. I can relate to much of what you say – I also had a very difficult childhood and spent a great deal of my adulthood trying to overcome it. I used to think I was in a minority but having read your piece and some of the comments I’m starting to realise, with a great deal of sadness, that it’s a much bigger club than any of us would wish it to be.

I think it’s blindingly obvious that we need to do more to protect and nurture our children and young people. I’m really at a loss to understand why people are against this policy. I wish to God it’d be there when I was young. No one’s going to be kicking your door in at 3am arresting you because you haven’t washed up last night’s dinner dishes or (as per The Simpsons) put the toilet roll on the holder the wrong way. This is a voluntary scheme. I can’t understand why anyone would be against anything that could help the many children (from all sorts of socio-economic backgrounds) who desperately need help and have no one to turn to.

I’ve never put a link on here before, so I hope this works. If you can see the link, and I’ve not right royally screwed it up, please read it – it’s a policy that could save a lot of lives, both literally and practically.

link to gov.scot

The bit about Hillsborough is slightly of topic. Seems in the final days of an election campaign some would like to prematurely do the equivalent of what the unionists would like to think of as turning on the brown shirts. More like a combination of panic and an attempt at claiming more credit for what will hopefully be another SNP government.

On the other hand there’s some link in all three situations. A Named Person is there to act as a contact and coordinator for the many people who share in the upbringing of a child to one extent or another. Hillsborough is partly about the insistence that only one organisation has sole responsibility for a situation. The whole suggestion about sending some to Coventry is a bid to take leadership of the eclectic anarchy that is the Yes movement.

I have deliberately restrained myself from commenting on the abuse the Rev. has received as regards his comments re the Hillborough verdict.

Of course,as the Rev made clear, the unfortunate 96 fans who died were blameless, but he is quite correct in his assertion that those Liverpool fans who arrived late and were let in free, played a part in the whole sorry mess.

I cannot believe the jury found these late-arriving fans did not contribute to the disaster. It is well known, the Liverpool fans of the time had “form” when it came to bad behaviour.

Leaving aside events at the Heysal – Liverpool fans had regularly proved extremely difficult to police. I recall, as early as 1965, when Liverpool played Celtic in the semi-final of the Cup-Winners Cup, being disturbed at the behaviour of the visiting Liverpool fans.

I was speaking,after the verdict, to a retired senior police officer, who was himself at one time Match Commander at the ground of one of our major clubs. He confirmed, Match Commanders were well aware of the extra difficulties involved in policing Liverpool games, difficulties caused by the established behaviour of a section of the Liverpool support.

Yes, South Yorkshire Police were far from blameless for what happened. Yes, many mistakes were made, but, once the shit hit the fan, the Establishment did what it always does and sought a convenient scapegoat.

Chief Superintendent Duckenfield certainly did not cover himself in glory that day. He got things wrong, but, he was not alone. I doubt if he was senior enough in the police service to orchestrate the cover-up and deceptions for instance.

He has been hung-out to dry by more-powerful shadowy figures. What about the Council who allowed the game to go-ahead at a ground without a current Safety Certificate? What about the FA, who took the game to that ground? Are they not to be brought to book for what happened?

I read this comment under an article on Common Space.

“I’ve read both articles, by Cath Sullivan and Laura Lee, and the readers’ comments that followed. All of it amounting to nothing more than the usual blah-blah-bullshit from people who talk about contracts, law, safety at ‘work’, social attitudes and ‘doing the right (or right-on) thing’.

Their cool-headed and carefully crafted observations are typical of the mountains of text that can be generated by a microgram of experience.

All are careful to omit any mention of the largest endangered group who have suffered the horrors of neglect, dirt, disease, social exclusion and every imaginable kind of abuse for generations without respite or help because, shunned by society, they had and have no voice.

So, it looks like everyone is agreed that junkies and drunks who put themselves in danger for the sake of a fix or another shot of alcohol don’t have children. If they did, we’d have to contemplate the frightening possibility that dear old Mum is the worst thing that could have happened to them. Their long list of ‘uncles’ might include a few sexual predators but who’s to know and who would care? Best not, then, to mention children at all.

My guess is that none of you has ever encountered a four-year-old girl, matted with muck and covered in sores, left alone in a single-end without heat, light or food. How about a weeping, ten-year-old boy, in similarly bleak surroundings and rigid with fear, clutching so hard at a slice of dry bread that his fingers had pierced it.

Ever been asked for help by a twelve-year-old girl whose mother lay in a drunken stupor with the limp penis of an unconscious stranger draped over her leg, close to her still steaming vagina? Would that give any of you a sleepless night? It would, I suppose, if you were twelve and shared that bed with your mother.

If you’re afraid to rock the boat, you cling to the myth of the ‘whore with the heart of gold’. The big question, we’re told, is whether or not soliciting should be a crime. I’m putting infanticide, physical violence, sexual abuse and neglect way above that on my list of evils directly attributed to the ‘work’ of good-time-girls who give a fuck for anyone but their children.

Prostitution is neither a public service nor a social necessity. It’s a filthy business that has ruined the lives of countless innocent victims. Many of those have managed to rebuild their lives, with courage and commitment that wasn’t learned at their mothers’ knees, but dark memories prevail. It would take a great deal of that courage to write an article from that perspective. That’s, probably, why I’ve never read one.”

All of the above prompted this single short response about the ‘industry’:

“Thanks for those graphic mental images but I’m afraid they don’t prove anything.
A woman who isn’t a prostitute can be a bad mother just as much as a prostitute can be a good mother. Currently it’s a filthy business because the law actively works against cleaning it up and making it safer for those involved. The oldest profession isn’t going to go away even if you do ban it. Banning it won’t make children safer, regulating it so that the people working in the industry might be able to get decent childcare might however.”

Would there be any point in suggesting to this guy that you, really, had to be there or is it, after all, just an administrative problem?

Donna thanks for sharing your experience much of which resonates with me.

I too spent more than a couple of years in childrens homes or with foster parents, in my case the abuse was deemed to be “neglect”.

Neglect, that in my view was not caused by a mother trying to raise 5 children when the father was not there who had no choice other then to live on benefits that were inadequate to feed and clothe a family properly. The necessities never mind luxuries.

If anything this neglect is on the increase, look at the rise in foodbanks as an example. It’s a disgrace.

The real neglect was that of the state, who ignore even now people in similar circumstances. People look at children now who are hungry, badly clothed and with holes in their shoes. Too easily they can blame the parent or parents for neglect.

The real culprit though of neglect in a society as rich as ours is the failure of the state to provide a safety net and to protect the most vulnerable when circumstances merit it. Maybe in my case an NP could have helped and I see this scheme as something that can only be for the betterment of disadvantaged children.

Thanks again.

Radio Shortbread asked, “does child protection mesures do more harm than good?

Why in fucks name is this even been debated along with named person?

Get a disclosure Scotland, etc, etc and whatever else it takes to prove that a child is safe in your charge then get on with it.

These checks are there to protect children, the clue is in the fucking name.

If you have to jump through hoops to protect a child from harm then get jumping or don’t volunteer and shut the fuck up.

Thank you Donna, you speak for the many unborn as yet children who will have protection in our country, this policy will ensure that safe future for them.

Kevin McKenna remains pro independence but not pro SNP

O/T

evolvepolitics.com/twitter-erupts-bbc-struggle-keep-tory-election-fraud-wraps-may-elections/

How much was spent busing canvesers up from south of the border & the Mps & Lords visit to Scotland pre Referendem ???, no holding my breath.

@ K1 thanks just came across it on F/B thought it relevent to post on Wings.

I think what stands out for me is that this act was debated long and hard, by well paid politicians. In conjunction with professional child care professionals, and at its heart was a desire to better the lives of children, especially those at risk.
And as soon as a extremist religious cult decided to take it to court the liar liberals and the incompetent labour ran for the hills.

And that tells me that they are not fit to govern a country, sometimes it is necessary to do this right thing, regardless of the cost to the party, the SNP put the country first, the rest put their little party ahead of the country.

Again and again we find only the SNP are fit to govern Scotland with commitment and with humility.
Thank god for the SNP. With out them we would be in the clutches of a hopeless shower of incompetents unfit for public office. As was demonstrated by Ruth Davidson’s utterly pathetic ranting, twisted face rage and bouncing up an down like a demented caricature puppet. Kezia labours next in line for execution, after her complete fiasco of a manifesto launch, the contents of she completely is ignorant of!

Trying to make political capital out of this issue is just about as low as you can stoop. May they get their just deserts, namely having their voters desert them, hopefully for good and all.

Is it not more likely that Kevin McKenna is just pro Kevin McKenna which would be OK if you were a postman or a mechanic but not a “Churnalist”

O/T

Just been reading a old Labour motion from the last Scottish parliament about ’10 million mission voters’.

A new method of registration was rushed in by the Westminster government due to concerns about voter fraud.

link to scottish.parliament.uk

In their motion, they say there are 230,000 voters missing from the electoral register in Scotland..

Of course the opposition to the name person act, that’s actually one small part of the act is yooon strategy

“Which is why devolving responsibility for flammable subjects matters too. Like many ostensibly clever strategies this might prove too clever for its own good. Nevertheless, it is the best theory Unionists have right now. If the SNP are to fail, they must first disappoint the people. That means creating losers as well as winners. It means making choices and wrestling with real and often difficult problems and controversies. It means, if you like, giving the Scottish government sufficient rope with which to hang itself. That’s the theory, at any rate, even if there remains the possibility the SNP government might use that rope for something else.”

After np what next? The unionists will shit their own nest rather than give credit to the SNP, and that will be their undoing!

Many thanks to Donna Babington for this excellent piece.Prior to reading it,I was comfortable with NP.Now I appreciate more fully the necessity of NP.

O/T links

link to eventbrite.co.uk

link to thecanary.co

Busted-24-tories
link to archive.is

Election expenses: Tory PCC candidate under scrutiny link to youtube.com

Heartfelt thanks for this Donna.Your voice is rare and powerful and is crying out to be heard far and wide.

The uncomfortable truth is that we all turned a blind eye.Nobody was looking out for you.Nobody was willing to intervene on your behalf.Nobody came to your rescue to prevent the suffering you endured.We let you down.The fact that you support NP speaks volumes about the need for it.

Child abuse is a a significant problem in our society.Those who seek to make political capital out of it are deeply disrespectful to the vulnerable and troubled children in our midst who are not safe.

I trust and hope that the NP is a step in the right direction.It is not a quick fix.There is no such thing.Until we all take much greater collective and individual responsibility for the safety of vulnerable children within our own community,we are unlikely to stop the tide.

Thanks again.

G.Campbell, so that is the source for the flier I received yesterday.

They can hing as they grow -I’m a wee bittie fed up of folk taking offence at the drop of hat , faux outrage really gets my goat.

Stirring article from WGD. Put me in a good mood for the day.

“Dream the dream of the unicorn and you can learn how to hope, and once you’ve learned how to hope you can never forget the lesson. The flame dances within you and lights up the darkness. You’ll always dream of the unicorn because you’ve realised that there is a better way”

Which is so true. Once you’ve seen what is possible, and got over fears, you don’t turn back.

link to weegingerdug.wordpress.com

Dave McEwan Hill says:
4 May, 2016 at 9:10 am
O/T

The cartoon in today’s Guardian is a classic

As is The National front nanner headline, nothing to do with tomorrow’s election, Kevin MacKenna’s little whisper of Slabour love, down the side, “it might be safe to vote Labour again…”

Who do you think you are kidding The National. If all these cunning stunts don’t work The National, you’re going to have some very angry RISE activists on your hands. They’re certainly roaring their heads off from their election vans this morning.

The britnat establishment and britnat media must be challenged at every opportunity. Thank god for pro-indy sites like WOS.

O/T:

You just have to wonder at BBC Scotland and that daft old bat Kate Adams.

We are on the verge of the Scottish Government elections and what is the topic of the day for Kaye?