The Howling Of The Furies
It’s been quite a 24 hours for watchers of the UK media. The Sunday papers saw two of the most demented rants to have been committed to print about Scottish politics since the independence referendum.
One came from Neil Oliver in the Sunday Times – painting a blood-curdling picture of a “second hate-fest” should Scots ever choose to debate the subject again – and the other from Leo McKinstry in the Sunday Express, beside itself with unhinged rage that Scots, having voted to remain in the UK, might exercise their right as UK citizens to also vote to remain in the EU.
(As a result of which we’ve concluded that a narrow rUK vote in favour of Leave being overturned by a huge margin in Scotland for Remain would be the funniest thing that had ever happened in British politics.)
They were joined this morning by David Torrance in the Herald wailing that “Scottish nationalists and Brexiteers have much in common. Both are utterly vacuous” (which readers might feel was a bit rich coming from the unchallenged master of vacuity) and blaming the parlous state of Scottish political discourse mainly on this site and the vile cartoonist Greg Moodie – along, of course, with the ever-dastardly SNP.
Such was the onslaught, in fact, that Fraser “I’d put £1000 on Ed Miliband to win the election” Nelson of the Spectator, of all people, turned up as the voice of reason.
We exaggerate, of course. While Nelson, along with stablemate Alex Massie, is one of the very few Unionist hacks apparently able to view what’s happening in Scottish politics with just a modicum of intellectual detachment, even he’d gone a bit mad.
Most of the page 3 editorial leader on “How the Tories became addicted to negativity” is actually quite perceptive. But so all-pervasive and terrifying has the Nat Menace become to the Unionist Tory editor, its main illustration asserts that in last year’s election the SNP managed to not only sweep most of Scotland but also captured the English seats of Berwick-upon-Tweed, Hexham, Wansbeck and Blyth Valley.
(The first two were actually won by the Tories, the other two by Labour.)
Still, we can probably put that one down to a clueless London graphics editor with an over-enthusiastic Tolerance setting on the “colour fill” button. It’s in the text of the piece that Nelson really gives himself away.
Remarkably, despite the Holyrood electoral system now having been in place for 17 years, it seems nobody’s thought to explain it to Fraser Nelson.
The Scottish Parliament has 129 seats, not 73, each one with equal voting powers. The separate regional list vote which supplies the other 56 was expressly designed to redress the “distorted reality” of which he complains, and it will almost certainly do exactly that – should the Unionists achieve roughly half of the vote, they’ll get roughly half of the seats.
(Current polling suggests that pro-independence parties will in fact gather around 55% of votes, so it’s perfectly reasonable and fair that they end up in the majority. The reality of the electorate’s collective view will in fact be represented in Parliament with remarkable accuracy, compared to the democratic perversion of the Westminster so beloved of Nelson, where parties regularly win a majority on 35% of the vote.)
What links Nelson’s article to Torrance’s and McKinstry’s and Oliver’s is that all are rooted in one simple, plaintive, heartfelt plea to approximately half of the people of Scotland: “You lost! Why won’t you just get back into your box and make things the way they were again?”
Media and politicians alike understood the comforting, cosy dichotomy of Labour vs Tories (with a safe little sprinkling of Lib Dems to add superficial, inconsequential interest and theatre). But events since 2011 have shattered their entire worldview.
They expected the Yes campaign to be thrashed, not come within 5% of victory. On losing, they expected it to die, or at the very least to crawl away to lick its wounds in humiliation for decades. (And to be fair, we feared they might be right.) But it didn’t happen, and they now find themselves flapping around like drowning men desperately trying to find a piece of something they can make sense of to cling to.
As self-interested elements of the Yes movement frantically claw at each other over a few Holyrood seats that are likely to be a political irrelevance, it may be worth trying to remember just how terrified the Unionist camp remains of it. They would love nothing more than to see it tear itself apart so that their world could be returned to them.
SNP X 2
SNP X 2
Project fear did not work so get out the big guns fear+hatred+lies but don’t they realise we have got the measure of them and we will not be silenced or put back in the box. THE LION HAS ROARED
SNP X 2
SNP X 2
Just off round the doors to deliver my last batch of election leaflets. SNP x 2. Its the frothing bile from the loony yoons that keeps a spring in my step.
Great piece Rev – boy how these journalists struggle to understand the people of Scotland .
Actually , that is the problem – they don’t, they just sit on their posteriors and vomit out their own prejudices and beliefs.
I do not grace Neil Oliver with the title of journalism. He produced a foolish ,ignorant rant of which he will become utterly ashamed if he has any sense and isn’t so enthralled with himself .
Timely advice from Stuart which should be read in conjunction with this other piece of timely advice from James Kelly (Scot Goes Pop!)
link to scotgoespop.blogspot.co.uk
I will be voting SNP x 2
Oliver, that little weasel who does his braveheart bit on one
hand then rips Scotland to bits the next. The worst kind of
Britnat. Will just love when our day comes and these people
will only be remembered for their hatred of Scotland
Nelson, Oliver and Torrance etc are all britnat establishment bbc lovies. As the Rev states, they desperately want Scots to revert to being obedient little unionists with Labour and Tory parties swapping green benches every once and a while so they can all appear on the bbc, spout their rancid views and pocket their cheques. Thank god for the internet.
SNP x 2
We should have a certain amount of sympathy for diehard unionists like Oliver,Torrance and Nelson.
By nature such people are hidebound, unquestioning, deferential traditionalists. It’s painful for them to feel the old certainties slipping away and so they resort to bilious, irrational outbursts like these.
NB. I must buy a couple of prints from Greg Moodie’s online shop. He’s clearly doing sterling work for the cause.
Its even worse Stu, there is a BTL commenter in the FT quoting Tom Gallagher as an authority on Scotland. Yikes!
Lets be honest here, the bbc and the MSM are going to be throwing every bit of lying shit they can get off with at the SNP and Scotland in general until the election.
All those earse’s you have mentioned in your article still don’t get it, they don’t understand they are in the minority. No-one who matters gives a flying fuck about their articles, they have no regard for Scotland or its people and the sooner they disappear up their collect arsehole the better.
Voting SNP X 2, takes us another step closer to independence and that’s what matters.
It’s fun to watch, though, isn’t it!
“I do not grace Neil Oliver with the title of journalism (sic).” (Dorothy Devine at 11:13).
But that almost suggests, Dorothy that you do in relation to David Torrance! Once he grows up and learns that ‘journalist’ and ‘propagandist’ are two different things, then he might be worth reading.
Journalists do not try to understand the people of Scotland. They try to control them.
That little trick has reached the end of the road. Never again, and I do mean never,shall I vote for a Unionist Party.That goes for my family too. It is now a lifelong committment to see my country free.That is from a former Labour voter of over 40 years.
This whole referendum business and the aftermath has focused my view from previous indifference and acceptance.. I am at last awake to what has been going on in my country. I will never sleep through it again.That is my promise to myself and all like minded Scots.
Its our right and we are taking our country back.
There is no longer a box to get back into.
So according to Leo McKinstry of the Sunday Express, Scotland voting to keep England and Wales in the EU against their will is a “much bigger outrage” than England and Wales voting to take Scotland out of the UK against its will?
In fact the former would be a “profound affront to the peoples of England and Wales,” according to Leo who doesn’t seem to think it would be an affront to us if we get dragged out if we vote to stay.
Says it all really,
And what about Northern Ireland? Who cares, they don’t even get a mention.
Read Oliver’s rant. Seems to have taken all of Project Fear’s most hilarious and inaccurate stuff, mixed it up with his own spluttering anger and bile, then compiled it all into a piece that spewed hate about independence and, in particular, Alex Salmond. Looked and read like a schoolboy writing about a teacher he hates.
Honestly Neil, I like your programmes, I really do, but this swivel-eyed yoon pish makes me think that your hatred for an indy Scotland has unhinged you. Calm doon. It’ll be great when it comes.
Neil Oliver -who believes he is the next bit part actor from a RBL Stevenson novel such as “Kidnapped” has recognised that he needs to support the brit union to promote his career as a “celeb”.
No criticism of his view of brit world history is allowed.
He is one of those so called “patriotic” Scots who you cannot but help and despise. As for Torrance he survives by tagging onto the snp coat tails and bio’s for his anglo london readers.
Aye you better believe they are shitting it, Stu is right, their cosy world has crashed about them and Project Fear 2 will be Project aye heard that shite before 2, no wonder they are shitting it.
Please Please Please let it be an in vote for EU caused by Scotland voting in but rUK narrowly voting out.
I’d love for once our English and Welsh friend to know what it feels like to be on the end of an un-democratic democratic result.
Wee have to put up with that every 5 years and it quite frankly bollox.
Both votes SNP
Is Neil Oliver ‘Historywoman’?
Just saying…
Fraser Nelson is a right-wing lickspittle Brutish political hack,
embarrassing for the Spectator to employ someone, that gets excessively well paid, to write and inform about politics not to know how Scotland`s voting system works,
do you have to pass exams to be a journalist in Scotland,and if so who is teaching these useless hacks that infest Scotland.
Excellent appraisal of what drives pro-Union journalists in their ill informed rants.
As the Rev says, they would really really like us to get back in our box and for things to be nice and simple for them, like they used to be.
As a second best option they wish we would accept SmithLite for a decade or so.
However, they are well aware that neither seems likely to happen. In fact quite the opposite is unfolding.
And they absolutely hate it! Rational thinking gets suspended and all that left is wild ranting.
@ AndyH
Lolz
I will allow myself a wry smile if a strong Remain vote in Scotland negates a narrow Leave vote in England.
We will of course be drenched in the spittle flecked fury from the Express, Mail and ilk. I shall have an umbrella on standby duty.
I used to admire the delivery and interest that Neil Oliver put into his programs on history, but I’m afraid he has rather soiled his reputation with this ill-thought out position.
Now I cannot bring myself to watch ‘Coast’.
But it didn’t happen, and they now find themselves flapping around like drowning men desperately trying to find a piece of something they can make sense of to cling to.
So, in essence, the Union flag is their comfort blanket.
I find it really perplexing that Neil Oliver, who purports to be a historian, doesn’t get it. He either doesn’t understand, or he forces his own worldview / agenda over the indisputable facts on the ground.
Excellent article as usual. The fear is palpable and a reminder of why we should vote for who we want to win and not try to game a system based on roughly 2 million variables.
It boils down to the choice between a pro-Scottish party and an anti-Scottish party.
During the referendum, both Labour and the Tories combined to say that a currency zone would be denied by UK governments led by their parties. They made threats about pressuring Europe to deny Scotland continued membership.
At the end of the day they were prepared to HURT Scotland economically if we chose to govern ourselves.
Even now they say they would deny democracy if most Scots wanted a second referendum. What is that if not anti-Scottish?
Why on earth would any self respecting Scot reward them with control over the Scottish Parliament ??
SNPx2
If it is an SNP win on Thursday and then Scotland does hold the UK in the EU June 23, toryboy England tantrums will be a site to behold.
Equally possible, SNP lose on Thursday and Scotland’s dragged out of Europe next month too.
Either way, I voted SNP X2:D
Don’t suppose it would do much good to remind the Yoons that it was there buddies in the Red Tories and the FIB/Dems using the Jackie Baillie Idiots Guide to
Mathematics and Basic Arithmetic to design a voting system that would “ensure that the SNP – BAD never got a majority” and kept them in power for ever and a day – Oh, dearie me, what a goof, LOL
Auld Rock
Greatly saddened by Oliver’s stance during the referendum and even more so afterwards. He was after all something of a neighbor.
No matter. SNPx2 for me.
That’s the problem with selling a false bill of goods to the public. You wind up attempting to defend the indefensible.
The union isn’t in danger because of the independence movement, but because the unionist establishment and their media failed to deliver on their pledges and assurances, because the campaign they fought was one of the most negative, socially divisive and intimidating in modern electoral history.
Now? Now they live in a bubble of projection waiting for that other shoe to drop.
And it will.
You don’t treat human beings the way they did and not expect Karma to take a hand. Tick tock.
Only while we remain a force will they fear us or listen to us. The division of YES into several minor parties only benefits the union…I wish people could see that.
The Spectator’s graphic artist plainly thinks Scotland ends at Hadrian’s Wall.
It’s just another indication of much England bothers about Scotland until it’s forced to.
well the union defenders fail again they dont seem to grasp their one message rants only make a lot of people more determined .
Their sometimes valid points are lost their arguments however well founded and worthy of further debate are lost due to the bile usually attached , most normal folk block it out , the ones that agree well it just reinforces their mindset and simerly blocks out any alternative view , so no interaction of different opinions , in effect stalemate no one learns .
I wonder if that is the intended object of what looks like their mission stifle debate shut down any meaningful discussion .
Berwick-upon-Tweed, Hexham, Wansbeck and Blyth Valley honest guys i just went there for a drink i did no capturing i didnt even take my claymore lol
Seriously though if they want to hand us bits of England i think the good people of Berwick-upon-Tweed, Hexham, Wansbeck and Blyth Valley should at least get a referendum so that we know that is really what they want.
I mean i would hate us to be accused of holding anothers peoples country as our own only real wankers do that.
Yoons what are they like so it will be celeb time is it ,get your waterproofs on guys Dan Snow will be next and he doesnt half talk some pish.
Great work Rev
Neil Oliver is not a historian – he is an archeologist.
However, he is also a bigoted Britnat who has a hatred of half of his country and that is why he has been chosen by the BBC to be their go-to “historian” of choice.
Professor Tom Devine is a true Scottish historian and the leading authority on recent Scottish History. However, he is an independence supporter which is why he doesn’t present BBC Scottish history programs.
Do not fund the BBC. Please fund this instead if you have any spare cash. This is one small way to get back at them…
link to indiegogo.com
That Express article is priceless.
Or it would be if it was in any sense a rarity. Weirdly that kind of spewing nonsense is ten a penny these days.
As a current inhabitant of England I do wonder if I’ll vote ‘Leave’ just for the sake of being a Jocko trouble maker. What dae folk think?
Can’t take Oliver seriously anyway after that only an excuse piss take on him a few years ago. Loreal keeking through windows sketch.
Neil Oliver isn’t a historian, he’s an archaeologist. He fronted the BBC History of Scotland series in spite of protests and a boycott by actual Scottish historians. They complained the series was too “anglocentric” and refused to have anything to do with it. Neil happy to oblige of course.
“First, the 10-part series comes under fire over claims that it is too “anglocentric”. The failure to front it with a historian has been attacked. Academic advisers stormed out before programmes were completed.
Professor Allan Macinnes of the University of Strathclyde resigned from the series’ advisory board after its first meeting. “I thought the whole production was dreadful,” he said. “The first script I got was so anglocentric I couldn’t believe it…
Another renowned Scottish historian, Professor Tom Devine from the University of Edinburgh, has revealed he turned down the offer of a place on the board for the programme and took umbrage over the choice of presenter. “I thought it was unfortunate that they had invited an archaeologist, albeit a practised media person, to present the programme,” he said.
link to archive.is
Disappointed in Neil Oliver. I knew he was a Yoon, didnae realise he was that tone deaf about whit’s happening in Scotland. Still, he’s got a media career to try and maintain and being the attack dog for the British establishment is one of the things he just has to do to.
I liked Camley’s “May Day, May Day, May Day” cartoon in this morning’s Herald.
And, right on cue, Jim Murphy rides to the rescue – canvassing in Clarkston.
You couldn’t make this up.
I read Oliver and that idiot in the Express and this is what Im reminded of this.
link to youtube.com
we have nearly exorcised the demons!
Macart says:
“The union isn’t in danger because of the independence movement, but because the unionist establishment and their media failed to deliver on their pledges and assurances”
Very true.
It all goes back further than the immediate IndyRef events.
There has been firm desire for high levels of self determination short of full Indy for longer. The reponse from WM, and they Unionist partners within Scotland, has always been too little too late. The devolution of powers has lagged at least a decade behind what people wanted.
Calman, SmithLite, basically just bad jokes at our expense.
The likes of Neil Oliver are to me “grateful Jocks” – Scots who have had to leave Scotland to pursue their careers in England and feel they owe their new masters a debt of gratitude that they cannot bring themselves to criticise them or side with anyone who does. Kinda like Uncle Toms…
The rage in Neil Oliver’s piece is all too evident.
However from his perspective it is understandable. He doesn’t want his job as a ‘British-filtered’ Scottish historian acceptable to English TV audiences to be under threat.
British Unionism in Scotland is dying and his perspective of Scottish history as ‘British filtered’ is thus open to challenge.
In addition it’s clear that Neil sub-consciously knows that his views are on the wrong side of history – and that Scotland will be independent sooner or later.
A historian on the wrong side of history. That’s got to hurt!!
I’m laughing just at the thought of us keeping England in the EU. If it actually happens I might need medical attention. “The settled will of the Scottish people have kept you in the Union and saved you from certain bankruptcy.” Westminster would be bathed in red as Tory MP’s and peers burst blood vessels and exploded with righteous indignation. Oh joy!
It would be the ultimate irony and would surely hasten Scotland’s independence. No train loads of imperial masters heading up to lend their support to the unionists on a 2nd referendum. Surely no more Lab/Con/Libs standing shoulder to shoulder again.
Once we are parted they can have a 2nd EU referendum, 2nd referendums will be totally acceptable by then.
Neil Oliver would find out who his real friends are in Londonium and might have to emigrate to Lilliput. I’m sure he’d be a giant among historians there.
As usual, some facts and logic from the Rev demolish the ridiculous, desperate Yoonery of MSM. They can’t even read a map.
I have a hopeful vision on Friday morning of Kezia, Ruthie and Wee Willie Winkie sitting slumped against the wall of the Scottish Parliament, moaning, “Ma Weltanschauung’s pure shattered noo,
soanitis!”
I can’t remember what circle of Hell Dante had set aside for Massey Fergusons, but he clearly had experience of the likes of Torrance, Oliver or Fraser “Look at the vowels on me!” Nelson.
They really are beneath contempt.
apologies o/t warning , BBC national News still pushing indyref as the main discussion in last nights staged BBC event .
As nicola sturgeon has explained time after time in a democracy it’s down to the people whats the problem with that .
This constant rant by unionist parties is the smoke screen to cover the total lie that the VOW has been delivered as promised.
Who cares about Neil Oliver? The papers know they can wheel him out during an election for a good old foaming mouthed rant on British nationalism. Taking a partisan approach has lost him all credibility as a ‘historian’, so it’s all about keeping the BBC shilling and knowing which side his bread is buttered on.
SNPx2 to get it right up him.
Hi jdman – glad to see you back. So Oliver has at least tempted you out to post again! He has his uses after all.
I posted earlier that the pro unionists wing were on shaky ground when the say regardless of the will of the people of Scotland, they will stop even a debate on a possible referendum.
I said that the unionists have nothing but fear, my question is was the vandalism of SNP electoral material orchestrated from the top of the labour movement. Did Kezia instruct her staff to remove any hint of the name SNP, as her party has history on removing the very name Scotland, from her own publications.
Is that what the Labour Party is now, vandals, undemocratic, stupid, self serving, incompetent, fools.
Oh how far they have fallen in their quest for ennoblement in the bastard house of vermin!
Once they were warriors. A long long time ago.
Labour + Tory = zero
SNP X 2 = the future.
@galamcennalath
Pretty much.
They created the narrative of the whinging Jock, the subsidy junky, the flag waving xenophobe, the oil dependent economy, the Tartan Stalinists etc, etc, etc, etc… the list is quite a long one, but folks get the drift.
Yet condescending and now panicked politicos, meeja types and assorted hangers on DEMAND we respect what they did and how they did it? They DEMAND we get back in our shortbread tin and accept the fact they have catastrophically failed to deliver on any pledge or assurance they made to the electorate?
Mmmmmm, NAW!
No, when someone sells you on a thing, you expect it to meet the sales pitch. If it doesn’t, then the salemen shouldn’t be too surprised when a grumpy customer tramps up to them, throws the falty item back in their face and demands their cash back.
This Nelson seems to have 2 blind eyes.
He puts forward that Scotland is equally divided on independence,
and yet one camp will take away all the prizes.
Is this a complaint about the electoral system that the Unionists put in place expecting that SNP could never win with unionists around?
Is he complaining about the Minister for Scotland at Westminster is the only Tory MP out of 59?
Is he complaining about Scotland ending up with a Tory Government 2 times out of every 3 elections that we reject them en mass?
He just yet another posh tory lickspittle earning big bucks for
pulling wool over the eyes of the gullible.
link to wingsoverscotland.com
Indy media embraces a ‘democratic, open-publishing system explicitly opposed to the distortions of corporate media’.Activist journalists commit to ‘the creation of radical ,accurate, and passionate tellings of the truth’
Phelan, 2104 Neoliberalism, Media and the Political
mutatis mutandis
Neil Oliver’s price has obviously been met. I was a fan of his writings and appearances but after that diatribe of hate he’s dead to me.
I have never taken Neil Oliver seriously and prefer to take Tom Devine’s opinion of him that he is not a serious historian.
On the democracy aspect of all of this, Nicola has an unanswerable case. It is the Unionists who are anti-democrats. To say that we have had our referendum and we should not revisit it for a lifetime is to deny an identifiable change in opinion or a material change in circumstances.
Personally, I think that the Unionists made their own bed by corrupting the 2014 vote. They so obviously violated the purdah agreement and more should have been made of that by the Scottish Government.
But the essential thing is that after a successful vote for Independence, the Unionists are quite at liberty to bring forward their own campaign to re-join the UK if they want.Good luck with that.
Today, Willie Rennie will mostly be go-karting…
I never thought we would be here 18 months later having lost the referendum with ‘celebrity’ educated Britnats poster boys frothing at the moon that we are not back in our boxes. That said they are fully entitled to their opinions as is everyone else.
It really annoys me that some assume the electorate are unable to work towards a longer term goal( independence) whilst focussing on current issues (education etc). Eat your cereal etc Ruth Davidson has been particularly irratating in this respect deflecting attention away from her masters awful record in Westminster with shouts of ‘ once in a generation’. For me she has come across quite poorly in this campaign.
I am Both votes SNP. Firstly coz i trust them the most to do they best for the people of Scotland. Secondly coz i want Scotland to be a normal independant wee country.
“Coast” is Toast in my house
David Torrance, The Herald: “And when it comes to Scotland, it doesn’t matter whether David Cameron actually told Nick Clegg that he didn’t care about post-referendum events north of the border, for it had the ring of truth. And why should Mr Cameron care? What could he possibly do that would make any tangible difference? He simply delegates Scotland to Ruth Davidson while retreating further into the English nationalist politics that is the logical extension of English Votes for English Laws. The Prime Minister sacrificed Unionism for short-term expediency long ago. “
“It doesn’t matter”, “why should Mr Cameron care”, “what could he possibly do”. In other words, it’s the fault of the SNP and, to some extent, Scottish Labour before them, that David Cameron has been forced to play the English nationalist card. If only the Scots would come to their senses and, um, vote English nationalist.
Here’s what David Torrance would say if the emotional part of his brain stopped punching the much publicised rational part for a moment:
Ruth Davidson leads the Scottish branch of an English nationalist party. On Thursday, around 20% of Scots will vote for a party which puts the interests of England above the country they actually live in. How vacuous and fucked up are these people?
Point of order: David Torrance is NOT a journalist. Getting paid in return for publishing in a newspaper, extreme right-wing, fact free, puerile rants, isn’t a qualification.
His opinions & arguments therefore, are no more legitimate or indeed admissible than those of the second shift, hose operator at a slaughter house.
Neil Oliver meanwhile, surely has a book coming out or a contract with the BBC at the early stages of negotiation. What else could cause him to update his resume with a bizarre, anti-SNP diatribe in the “Sunday Times” newspaper?
Of the two, it is likely that Oliver will retain favour with his proBritnat chums in London for his academic light yet entertaining historic accounts.
Torrance on the other hand, might find work difficult to find after Scotland returns to full sovereign independence. Once The Herald newspaper collapses, who here would employ someone who spent his previous years pontificating about how shite our country is?
Neil Oliver. Sharkey in drag.
Oh the irony.
It’s the more democratic system in Scotland which will allow the tory leader a place in parliament ffs.
Just a comment on last night’s Leaders’ Debate:
I thought that Ruth Davidson came across as far too shouty, and not for the first time. I am sure that will be one of her many undoings.
Ruth, get prepared for another disappointment.
Here we go again , PROJECT FEAR MK2 . First we have Oliver feathering his own nest with the BBC , making sure he gets another series , slamming independence . Then we have an incandescent Davidson on the leaders debate going on and on about a second referendum , same as Dugdale .The better together lot are turning this into another Indy vote because they think that is where they will pick up lots of votes from the undecided , just like they did last time . Let us hope the Scottish people are not duped for a second time , that would be indefensible , SNP X 2 .
Love it when the establishment lose it,have they so easily forgotten,how we arrived here,how shallow of them……tut tut tut,their collective,sustained,abuse of power,just slipped their minds.
Let us remind them,as individuals and as a country,we carry deep,open wounds caused by their abuse of power,sustained over a long period of time…….being found out and the repercussions at the ballot box is obviously painful for them.
Why do we want Independance ?…..to begin righting the UKOK wrongs,as they are incapable of doing it themselves,the SNP,have accepted the responsibility,to begin the healing process,the corrections.
More Democracy is what we need,not less.
When I hear them howling,I remind myself,the abusers don’t like it when victims,say enough and stand their ground,they do not like to be reminded of what they did and of who they are…..they are Scotland’s Shame.
SNP x 2 Eu in
Indyref2
If England votes leave but the Scottish votes cause it to be in the EU, I guarantee you the English couldn’t wait to kick Scotland out of the Union in the next indyref.
Till then Vote SNP 2x
Neil Oliver….a wee diddy with a phoney pseudo glasgow accent and the wee gallus swagger, is as dated in his political analysis as his hairstyle.
A plankton level intellect combined with a bog roll degree does not entitle this nemotode to pass judgement on the Scottish electorate. His ambition to please his English bosses is equaled only by his bitterness towards his native land’s audacity in undermining his ("Quizmaster" - Ed) status.
History, about which he knows little, will condemn him as yet another betrayer of Scotland. This irritating cipher will end up a footnote in the roll call of rogues, parcel of.
link to twitter.com
Dr No! is funny, tragi comic.
Dr NO can say anything he likes but he is where he is, a BBC star, helping to make sure we know everything is British and that’s the way British God intended. With all that powerful BBC vote influencing gravitas and because of world renowned BBC unbiased impartial bullshit, what we all have to pay for.
You can sit in Dublin and watch all BBC channels, including their ferocious vote anyone but SNP stuff live but there’s not Dr Oliver Irish BBC equivalent raging at Dubliners for not being run by England. Although to be fair, Oliver and the BBC did go to neolithic NewGrange County Meath lately and they took a long hard piddle over it all too. Old habits…
Polls are very close for the EU referendum,
it could well be between 1,2 or 3% difference that swings it one way or the other,
really do not know how England will react if Scotland`s pro EU vote trumps England`s democratic will to leave EU,
another `English` Civil War?
You can forgive Neil Oliver a little for his folly.
After all, as an archaeologist he believes that when you’re in a hole you keep digging!
I’ve got news for all those demented churnalists yoon lickspittles, I have absolutely no intention of ever getting back in the box. Things will never, repeat never, be the way they were, and the reason for that? You clowns, Westminsters behaviour to the people of Scotland, all the lies and distortion, twisting facts to suit your laughable arguments.
These arseholes know nothing of Scotland, but think that they can still manipulate us to do as they want. On yer bike sunshine. You are the folk doing a grand job, all on your own mind, of destroying your wonderful, precious union. Wire in chaps.
As for the EU ref, well they seems to be starting to froth at the mouth at us about that too. If Engerland votes out, and we, us bad yins, vote to keep them in, they will become apoplectic. What’s the betting they will then demand that us bad jocks be thrown out of the union.
Now that would be a sight worth waiting for.They would not even wait for a referendum, get rid of the pesky jocks. Pronto. That would be good fun folks.
If you buy defective goods you have a legal right to your money back or a replacement. What these “get back in the box” yoon types don’t seem to realise, or cynically ignore, is that the people of Scotland were sold a defective product at the indyref (getting SmithLite instead of the promised “as close to federalism as possible”) and are increasingly wanting their vote back.
The Unionists desperate attempts to avoid a new referendum are just the same as a dodgy manufacturer trying to shirk responsibility for a shoddy product.
Is Neil Oliver the oh-so-sexy TV star? Or is that Thora Hird?
Thanks for that – cheered me up no end. Oliver’s is just a series of personal prejudices arranged in some kind of order to make it appear to be coherent, when in fact its no more than a series of prejudices. Torrance in the Herald this morning is the usual David – start from the biased and prejudiced conclusion and work backwards, chucking as much smelly stuff as possible as you go. There is a veneer of analysis to it, but in fact he misrepresents and distorts the evidence – such as there is – to the point of torture.
Actually the one that was most interesting was McKinstry. You think that was bad – and it was – just wait to see what happens if that is how things shake down in June. McKinstry – other than more outrage – does not make that clear, but we should be very sure that England will not accept this without a fight. The coming summer could be very interesting indeed were that outcome to come about.
Capella @12.06pm
Thank you for that archive link. Fascinating. Could we have in it a reason for Oliver’s intemperate rant?
Quite often you can perceive a sense of personal grievance in a Unionist’s hostility to independence but might not know its source. However, could the humiliation of being – in his eyes – slighted by such prominent Scottish historians, have influenced his opinions? In academic circles, being rejected by eminent historians must have sorely wrankled.
In turn, in rejecting a Scottish-centric view of the world he might be expressing a deeply-felt resentment. That deferred anger might have been displaced to the independence movement as a safe, amorphous target. Sometimes even those who protest that an opinion was arrived at entirely by intellectual means reveal a level of emotional investment which belies that stance.
Fcuk them, I’ve got the Proclaimers on full blast!
It’s interesting, intit. They hate you and don’t understand that we love you.
I read that Oliver piece and could not believe it. It’s offensive and racist. If he shows his sleekit wee face around here he’ll be sucking his goolies by the time I’m finished with him.
A wee sleekit cowerin’ beastie is he.
I saw Neil Oliver in Glasgow a few months ago walking up St Vincent Street. He was going slowly and kept glancing round like he was hoping folk would notice him but no one did, they all just walked past. Sorry Neil; the Scottish people are too busy getting on with their lives to be left star struck by you.
Never heard any whining in the good old days when the Scots voted overwhelmingly for one of the unionist parties.
J Gedd – I agree with your reasoning for Oliver’s bitterness, based on Capella’s post! I also accuse Oliver of cowardice – he made lots of nasty, but unproven comments about Scots, SNP, Alex, Nicola and basically all of us who have the audacity not to bend the knee when told. A coward who has allied himself to a bully State. Another reason why it must be SNP x 2!!!!!!
Boris posted this link in the prevoius thread.
link to caltonjock.com
Unmasked – TheTory Lord What Won the Referendum for Westminster. We didn’t Stand a Chance
it has got to be read by Wingers.
Breaking News:
English colonialists ready Posh Jocks Brigade to warn natives it doesn’t pay to rebel.
It’s the last few days and the State Broadcaster and print media are doing their level best to thwart democracy once again by employing their last tactic
The “Jock in a box” strategy where they keep digging up these “Experts” on telling us what to do, or not what to do
Even if neither of these options succeed the one they might achieve is confusion, which to them is just as good
Apathy is a desirable outcome for the Yoon, foregone conclusion they’ll say so why bother voting
Vote for somebody else and have balance they’ll say
The SNP are going to win, and win big anyway, one party state, Nicola Sturgeon empire what’s the point
Referendum Referendum do we really want to be dragged back to that again, boring they’ll say
It’s the last few days so who will be the big surprise pop up
“Jock in a box”
We know what to do, and we’ll do it twice
I spotted Neil Oliver many times in Oxford when I lived there. I’m sure he’ll impress his chums in the Lamb & Flag with his views.
Of course it would be hilarious if Brexiters who opposed independence experienced the blowback of Scottish votes keeping them in the EU.
More interestingly, the question was raised weeks ago whether the eu referendum campaign – or The Tory Civil War as it is known – would influence the Holyrood campaign.
Could the latest polls indicate that enough are not going to vote tory to give them second place.
Maybe then Ruth Davidson will learn —
In Scotland, no-one can hear a conservative scream!
The fools don’t realise what they are doing
It’s fantastic when the Yoon squad start to froth at the mouth.
Especially ‘Celebrity’ Yoons.
Those words will come back to haunt him.
@ Ronnie 1.23
Probably still checking his Scandinavian stalker is not there. In the few sites I’ve seen on this subject he is described as an historian – bet that ruffled a few feathers?
Idiot!
Anyway, roll on Thursday and then off to our wee caravan in Bettyhill for a rest and a spot of fishing. Anybody going on the rally round the north? We’ll be there to cheer you on.
Slightly OT
SNP landslide in Holyrood, Scotland’s vote keeps UK in EU and one more we potential golden opportunity I’ve not heard many folk speak of yet, If all the Tories who committed election fraud get booted The SNP could end up holding the balance of power
oh how wonderful that would be, Side splitting just at the thought of it.
Bob Mack my sentiments exactly.My life has turned out ok despite the best efforts of décades of UKOK rule. But there are probably hundreds of thousands whose lives would have been so much better had we been an independent country 30-40 years ago.People like Oliver are in the “I’m all right Jack”school of thought who dont give a toss about anyone else.I have been watching the BBC history of Scotland DVD set and thanks to his horrible little rant about his country of birth i wont be bothering to finish it.Can anyone recommend another worthwhile set?
Any defender of the ‘union’ is seen as a golden boy /girl by the Brit establishment, and ripe for rewards and promotion.
These Sooks and self servers can be called on during times like this, for orchestrated attacks on Scotland.
Oliver’s renowned for being a total prick in archeological circles…just sayin’
T really should re-read my posts before posting them…..wee
Just re read that Oliver piece. Dear god he really hates and despises his own people. What a low opinion he has of Scotland yet he promoted the tourism industry. Filthy luchre. Altogether now we will all walk in bare feet in the rain with no roofs over our heads and live at the bottom of gardens!! Fuck me. What a loony yoony.
I don’t know why so many of us are surprised by Neil Oliver’s rant. I said around eight years ago that he was a nasty wee Brit and could only be trusted to put Scotland and the Scots down.
Just look at his sour face and the constant downturn at the corners of his mouth. Really listen to his words, the way he accents some and downplays others. If you don’t believe me try and get another look at the programme he did a couple of years ago on Bannockburn. He spoke as if the words Bruce and Scots were burning his lips.
He is one of the reasons why we must get control of broadcasting in Scotland. Bigots like him will have to be given the heave-ho at the earliest opportunity.
OT sort of.
The National having spent weeks bigging up the Greens and RISE put the boot into both of them today by suggesting that Coburn could win a list seat in H&I. Well that well scuppers RISE and the Greens, probably more damaging to the Greens though. The Mendacity of the Brit Press knows no limits.
I had words with the UKIP voting holiday home owners this morning. The Yes badge in my tourie being a red rag to them. It gave me great pleasure in telling them to their faces that their whinging about foreigners and immigrants blah dee blah had no effect on me in fact that it had the opposite. I asked them when they were leaving Scotland, that didn’t amuse them. I cant think when I have had so much pleasure in telling somebody to GTF!
@ Scot Finlayson
Maybe not that far Scot but i do predict a riot and the burning down of their own gaff,well they are a bit stupid that way.
we angry burn the gaff down but its our gaff ugg ugg burn it down no time to use single brain cell to think.
If they set fire to London one more time we should declare UDI under the principle they are morons.
If you want to set fire to something England use your politicians might need lots of petrol though as i hear shite does not burn but you are in luck we have lots of petrol give you it for free if you do.
Next they will be arguing which side has more right to wave the butchers flag hehe
Neil Oliver. Windswept and interesting becomes weatherbeaten and obsolete in one single, self penned article.
Never mind Neil, the MBE’s bound to be in the post. I’m almost sure it is, and rarely was one more deserved sir.
By the way, does anybody know if John Barrowman MBE still runs around his home in Wales claiming to be Scottish? … Barrowman. John Barrowman… You do so know him…You’d know him if you saw him… For goodness sake, he was on the TV. He played Captain Spock in an episode of Dr Who… Aye, see? You do know him.
A greater misfortune than reading Neil Oliver’s Rant was watching his History of Scotland series. To have spent £2m making that apology for a history series is a scandal. Mercifully it is no longer available on the BBC but you can watch some of the many clips to get a flavour, if you really want to generate some anger for Thursday!.
link to bbc.co.uk
I think the simple explanation for his and others’ scribbles is that they are paid large sums of money to produce them. I hope it is worth it.
The National’s section on the election is a propaganda coup for the Greens there’s Three articles on the Greens with one for the SNP, plus two half page photographs for the Greens versus a small (1.5″ X 2″) photo for the SNP.
Could also say the front page is on the same theme. As the Sunday Herald’s ie vote for Nicola and you’ll get Independence.
Richard Walker, we need ya. Give Brian Soutar a call, and start up a new paper, independent of Unionist influence
Ah John King, nice to see you back, whaur hae ye been?
Katherine Hamilton @ 1.20 ” If he shows his sleekit wee face around here he’ll be sucking his goolies by the time I’m finished with him”. Oh Katherine, that made me LOL well and truly. You have some turn of phrase there. Well done, gaun yersel lass.
Hope this post gets through, already did a longer one on the Rev’s subject, but it’s disappeared into the ether seemingly and a cannae be arsed doing it again.
Always thought that Neil Oliver was a bit of a twat, nice to have it confirmed. He’s certainly got a strange understanding of all those cuddly, selfless, kindly and heroic types who built the Empire and brought it’s beneficence to the world.
He must be panicking about all those luverly BBC documentaries he won’t get to make after independence.
‘Oliver, please can we have no more’
I thought that was quite a witty Sun headline!
“It’s back with a new series which is just all the history that Neil forgot to tell us about in the last series.
This A History Of Scotland is different in some ways from the last one though.
Neil’s hair is six inches longer, he’s got a new scarf and a new over-the-shoulder manbag and he’s twice as dramatic. ”
The Sun Nov 2009
OT. Leading Tory Boris Johnson proposes moving Scottish and Welsh water to England.
“London mayor Boris Johnson has raised the idea of moving water supplies from Wales and Scotland to areas of shortage in the south and east of England.
He says the obvious solution is to use the rain from the mountains to tackle water shortages in drier UK areas.”
Did the Honourable Sarah Smith ask the Tory Leader up here last night when we turn the taps on,and what’s the going rate?
2011. BBC Wales Archived link:-
link to archive.is
Don’t panic, we have come to that stage of the campaign where electionites really starts to hit home and so called experts begin to realise how they are going to look come Friday.
As for Mr Oliver, he of course is entitled to his opinion, it’s the terminology that he uses to express that opinion that really gives the game away, perhaps he sniffs the likely hood of any future unionist honour slipping from his grasp!
‘Last year the Scottish National Party won 56 out of 59 Scottish seats in the general election while the cause of independence was defeated only by a narrow margin in the referendum.‘ LEO MCKINSTRY
Independence defeated only by a narrow margin!!!!
I have never heard a Unionist admit to that before!
Well done Leo McKinstry!
Ruth Davidson said:
Independence vote must be won ‘by a mile’
link to archive.is
link to archive.is
Darling says No campaign needs to win well to avoid ‘neverendum
Perhaps someone should remind Ruth & the Labour Party that they did not win by a mile nor did they win well.
Ofcourse they will claim that gaining 55% is an astonishing win!
Boris Johnstone wants some o’ oor water fur Engerland. Okeey doakey Boris, how much ur ye willin tae pey fur it. Oh silly me, he probably just wants to take it, is that right. Well the to that has to be Mrs Brown’s phrase, ” that’s nice”.
Jack Murphy, 2 May, 2016 at 2:46 pm
I propose twice the price of oil would be the proposed going rate but that’s only for untreated bathwater.
That way they can then predict how much water will cost in 30 years time along with accurate forecasts of how long the supply will last.
For fresh water it’ll be a higher price!
If you saw the so called report on Scottish Universities on the ten o’clock news on BBC last night (and probably earlier slots) you’ll realise the leopard hasn’t changed it’s spots.
Ensure the real news gets out by supporting the production of ‘How the BBC stole the referendum’ via this link
link to indiegogo.com
Ruby @ 2.40
Great quote. Ouch!
But is he still the ruggedly windswept Heathcliff?
Marie Clark says:
Inverclyder says:
Jack Murphy says:
Sorry you are all wrong.
Westminster will levy a tax on how far away from London the water is – so its a negative to the Scottish Economy.
I hope Neil Oliver is only a historian in some very loose sense of the term. If you can’t understand the present, what hope can you have of understanding the past?
Good read from Derek Bateman
link to derekbateman.scot
Essential there is a good turnout on Thursday, unionists dirty plans afoot
link to twitter.com
Snp x2
@ Jack Murphy 2.46 & others.
I remember when this came out the first time. My hubby’s 1st reaction was ‘Aye, after I’ve pissed in it’. And him a fisherman too!
@ Anagach 2.58
I thought of this too – but the other way around. We tell them they are too far from the grid so GTF.
Maybe the Economist just haven’t updated their digital maps since the days of Bonnie Prince Charlie?
I cannae watch Neil Oliver: I always think I’m looking at the Spanish tennis player Conchita Martinez.
One thing missing from this election is the hilarious “anti-SNP vote indicator”. You know, where you turn it to a constituency and it tells you which unionist party you should vote for so as to avoid an SNP win. It worked SO well last year! In fact, many thought it was actually a Tory ploy all along, because it was suggesting you vote Tory in some bizarre places, where the Tories actually did not even have a snowball in hell’s chance…
That History of Scotland series I got the impression he was very happy when he got to the year 1707. “Let’s dispense with this jock crap”attitude.
Rancid The Graun probably dont want you to vote SNP, in case you missed that.
UK tory dominated media pressure to vote SLab or Green or anyone but SNP is pretty incredible but has SNP Scots.gov actually done anything, anything at all in Holyrood or Westminster? No, if you’re yoonster hackdom going about your UKOK business.
Quote could be any and all yoonsters red and blue tory, in just another day at the office for Graun conartists.
link to archive.is
“With so many voters seemingly content to trust the SNP with power for another term, he insists that locally faith in the nationalists has been eroded by Michelle Thomson, his constituency’s Westminster representative, who withdrew from the SNP whip last September after being linked to possible mortgage fraud. Thomson denies any wrongdoing and a police investigation is ongoing.”
Mr Oliver might have said:
“History is just one f’n thing after another” but as long as he’s got a contract with auntie he’ll be UKOK.
Maybe he’ll want to go back in time after the 6th May and say something different. There’s a book on it.
(The Chronicles of St Mary Book 1)
PS:
I also noticed that most of my vegetables I bought this morning have ‘best before the 6th May’ … a wee bit like the labour, tory, Lib/Dem and Green alliance I’m reading about.
SNP x 2
Vronsky says:
2 May, 2016 at 2:58 pm
I hope Neil Oliver is only a historian in some very loose sense of the term. If you can’t understand the present, what hope can you have of understanding the past?
Ruby replies
The guy doesn’t need to be an historian he is just reading the ‘English history of Scotland’ script presented to him by the BBC.
He’s pretty much just like Ruth, Kezia & Willie in this respect!
It’s just an acting role! It would probably have been better if he had gone to drama school.
Liz Rannoch, Anagach, Jack Murphy etc.
They can levy a tax on it all they want. In an Independent Scotland the tax paid to Westminster is not our problem.
It’s not pi**ing in the water that would be the problem it would be the highly addictive whisky the water is laced with.
Get them all addicted to it and then raise the price of whisky depending on where the water of life goes!
I wonder what has happened to all the migrant crisis stories that were getting pumped out 24/7 across all our media? Nothing to do with a certain referendum? Surely the UK govt would not influence our MSM???
link to archive.is
Judy Murray gets a Graun mention, just dont put it in the scotland section. Its got nothing to do with the scottish types
Green unionists blocked Murray tennis plan near Dunblane, as usual, much like as ACC green yoonsters blocked stuff like Trump and a by-pass for Aberdeen, with 12+ year delays adding at least £500 million construction costs to that alone. Its their Scotland region, is why.
“There is much more than nostalgia at work here. Murray has only recently stepped down from her Federation Cup duties, and is preparing to have one last tilt at securing permission to build a Scottish tennis centre just outside Dunblane. Fizzing with ideas and ventures like Miss Hits, encouraging young girls to play the game, and Tennis on the Road, which focuses on developing interest in deprived or remote areas of Scotland, Murray is also determined.
“My main goal is to grow the game in Scotland. I did it before and we started with one small indoor centre with four courts and out of that we got four Davis Cup and Federation Cup players, and grand slam winners, and very good coaches. We can do the same again – starting small and growing from there. I am not desperate to produce another Andy. I couldn’t do that again but hopefully I can produce a workforce that can go on to do that. I want to be up here in Scotland so I can make sure there is a legacy for what Jamie and Andy have achieved.”
SNP x 2 Judy! and Scotland:D
Iain More
You could mention to the Kippers that the next king is half Greek.
King Charles Stavros
I think there may be an ongoing dispute in Berwick over where the border actually lies. Certainly the area was never officially ceded to England but rather a treaty signed that said it was subject to English jurisdiction.
This link to en.m.wikipedia.org might be the final word on that. Although it not only officially absorbs Berwick into a greater England but does the same for Wales. It notably doesn’t do that to Scotland and as Berwick could only be part of England or Scotland should make it clear that Scotland did not become a part of an expanded England renamed Great Britain in 1707.
That said such a formalisation of the boundaries between Scotland and England is of questionable validity.
Bloody hell Rev, you have a cheek. Article after article ignoring the list consequences of taking all the constituencies in a region and in this you sneer about ‘irrelevance’ but then you add the Green’s support to the SNPs to try and justify a majority for the SNP on less than a majority of the votes.
Take your grubby mathematically poor hands off the Green’s votes. You sir do not deserve to count them.
The wonderful thing is I read this and hear about all these slimy lying pro Anglo sycophants, and I wonder who on earth they are.
I stopped buying Unionist papers about 5 years ago, and none of their filth gets channeled through my eyes.
Oliver I had heard off and used to watch his programmes, but not since he made his views clear on the referendum.
We need a Balliol monument – crowdfund a granite slab and put it in a prominent place with the names engraved of all the high heid yins and slebs who have betrayed Scotland. Let their names live in infamy for the next 1,000 years.
Best placed at the end of a sewerage outlet.
Bliss.
Take your grubby mathematically poor hands off the Green’s votes. You sir do not deserve to count them.
That’s the spirit, divide and lose. Green’s are mad as fcuk.com. They live in another world of green fantasy that makes sense, only if that’s your thing.
Copy the German Greens. They really make an impact. Start small, go after our awful cycle lanes say. Once you achieve the achievable, maybe then closing down not Scottish oil fields might make sense, to enough voters, in 20 years time.
@Tinto Chiel says:
2 May, 2016 at 12:18 pm
” … Kezia, Ruthie and Wee Willie Winkie sitting slumped against the wall of the Scottish Parliament, moaning, “Ma Weltanschauung’s pure shattered noo, soanitis!” …
That had me laughing out loud.
Oliver has an MA in archaeology but I’m not sure that gives him the academic right to call himself an historian. Interesting to read here that far better qualified people than he were so enraged by his being given the programme that they refused to have any part in it. Anglocentric history has been the bedrock of history taught in schools for ever and a day – I’m ashamed to say I knew little of true Scottish history until I moved to Scotland and began educating myself on my adopted country’s past.
No wonder Oliver is held in such low esteem by academic Scotland. He likes to feel the wind rushing through his hair as he stands into the wind with his chin jutted just so: a romantic, chocolate-box purveyor of what Scotland is. He embarrasses us.
Hab briefly forgotten that Oliver was an archaeologist rather than a historian. Kind of makes it more of an insult that he was chosen to present the history of Scotland. Even more than historians archaeologists examine evidence and make up a story that fits. Not only that but it says that “Scotland” is something that no longer exists. We’re not Scots with a continuity with those who lived here before unification or abolition we’re simply Northern Britons deluding ourselves that we are.
Hello All, I am reader not normally a poster, but would like to comment
on Iain More’s post at 2.00.
I am originally from Islay and am wondering why there is support for UKIP
in the Highlands and Islands. According to the National , they could scrape
a seat with 7% of the vote. Who is voting for them and for what reason?
A visit home recently showed a lot of support for the SNP. So just curious.
Other than that I will give both votes to SNP
I remember about seven years ago when historian Tom Devine was critical re TV series ‘ History of Scotland’ . Devine couldn’t see why the BBC hadn’t appointed a proper historian to front the show and derided Neil Oliver, as ‘hapless’ speculating that he was hired for his looks rather than his academic expertise.
Oliver dismissed Devine as a ‘fool’ with a narrow knowledge of Scottish history. He suggested that it was unwise for a ‘plump old man’ to comment critically on the personal appearances of others.
It was rather a funny spat at the time!
Joemcg @ 3.30
Indeed. Its very telling what stories get flogged to death for a while then suddenly dropped and disappear without trace. Back in the days of innocence it used to puzzle me but since 2014, not so much.
Heedtracker @ 3.30
If you listen to Judy Murray you would believe that Scotland is a tennis free zone and she is, singlehandedly, going to bring tennis to all.
Nothing could be further from the truth and it is not to Ms Murray’s credit that she does not ever acknowledge the work of others in promoting and sustaining tennis in Scotland.
Tennis Scotland has an extensive outreach programme taking tennis training and equipment to schools the length and breadth of Scotland. They are also building indoor tennis facilities in various places in Scotland eg Inverness, and I think they also have something in the Gorbals to.
Ms Murray also fails to mention or acknowledge the fact that the National Tennis Centre for Scotland is located just 3 miles from where she wants to build her centre. The National Tennis Centre is on the Campus of the University of Stirling. The Centre is open to the public on a pay and play basis and runs coaching classes for children from the age of 3 upwards.
The campus also has a nine-hole golf course and 100 bedroom hotel. The golf course is open to the public and runs coaching for children from the age of 5 upwards.
But listen to Ms Murray and you would never know any of that. It also has to be said that her time as a coach was not exactly crowned with success.
As to the dig at the Green unionists, both communities have strongly and consistently objected to development of this site for 30 years or more. A fact Ms Murray should know.
Unionists planning a new act of union. They are apparently organising a national roadshow this summer.
So desperate they are to keep our resources under Westminster control with underhanded scots aiding and abetting to further their own riches.
link to constitutionreformgroup.co.uk
Urge everyone to vote snp x2
The following are quotes by Neil Oliver (apropos ‘NO’ initials, btw), in ‘The Telegraph’, last December, when he was flogging his first novel: ~
Q:Most lucrative work?
NO:I have always been quite careful when I have been approached to do a television project to have the option of writing the accompanying book. Those are good earners.
Q:What other income streams do you have?
NO:I do some public speaking & voice overs. I’ve done a lot for Visit Scotland – their radio & TV ads for the past 3 to 4 yrs.
Q:Are you more of a spender or a saver?
NO:I’d say spender but that’s just because my wife manages our finances, so I’m not that involved in that side of family life.
Whatever the opposite word of having financial acumen is, that is me. I live in a perpetual present. I don’t look back and I don’t look forward. I just live from week to week.
Q: Do you prefer to pay by debit, credit or cash?
NO:Debit and cash.I don’t own a credit card. I’m wary of the new contactless ways of paying. The idea of paying with your phone is a little worrying. I’ve lost more than one over the years.
Q: Do you have a pension or long term financial plan?
NO:No, not at all.I trust to luck.I’m planning to be a millionaire before I die but I don’t have a plan as to how that’ll happen.I’ll be doing more TV, writing more books.I’ve just published my first novel and plan to do more fiction in the future.The idea of setting up my own production company is there but so far the right project and set of circumstances hasn’t presented itself.
Q: What one thing would you change about the financial world?
NO:I honestly don’t know… I’m so financially inept I don’t have a valid answer for that question.I’ve been reading about Jeremy Corbyn’s plans for quantitative easing and I read some people who say it’s a good idea while others opine that it’s economic suicide.They don’t seem to know and I certainly don’t.
Q: What don’t you like about handling money?
NO:I’m definitely one of those people who want it all taken care of by grown-ups and fortunately I’m married to one.
Q: Does money make you happy in your opinion?
NO:Yes.It’s security that I crave and money provides security. What’s that old line about money? “Some is good, more is better and too much is just right.” *END*
I think that says all we need to know about NO. (a) Money makes him happy & (b) He wants to be a millionaire.
The best way for NO to do that, is to bash Scotland/SNP/YES to keep the dosh flowing from his pay-masters, the BBC & yoon MSM.
I think ‘Visit Scotland’ needs to seriously think about dropping this ‘hatefest’ figure as he antagonises 55% of the population of Scotland.
And dinna buy ony o his buiks!
What heartened me coming up from england for the yes2 indy march on sat, was the applause and thumbs up from the bystanders on the streets of glasgow. Great city.
The Unionists are unravelling and seem to be a wee bit unhinged.It’s as if they are still traumatised by the close call of IndyRef as well as the SNP’s landslide from last year’s G.E.They have learned nothing.They are a collective one note trumpet blowing hot air out their mooths.
We are well versed now in effectively countering their narrative and it shows.The tide is turning.Until they learn to understand the true source and nature of their difficulties…i.e.their sneering contempt for our land and people… no amount of huffing and puffing and howling will derail us on our journey to freedom.
SNP X 2
@ Orri 3.43
Funnily enough I was looking into that last week, seeking info on the maritime boundary. Remember when they nicked our water? 6000 sq mls of it!
Anyway I came across an article on the land border and Berwick (apparently it’s all connected) I skimmed it and meant to save for further reading but I must have forgotten, cos I can’t find it, damn. I’ll have another look.
# Iain More @ 200.pm
I can’t believe we might be saddled by Jabba the Hutt in the Highlands and Islands as he comes up 5th on the List allocations of seats. What a plonker.
I truly believe we have a real problem here in the Highlands with all the southern types moving north in retirement, bringing their anti-migration culture with them, not to mention the huge imposition on our NHS services. If you don’t believe me just listen to any vox pop from Inverness. I’ll guarantee you that 75% of those asked will not be Highlanders. I could describe them as something else but I don’t wish to be accused of being anti-English.
As to the dig at the Green unionists, both communities have strongly and consistently objected to development of this site for 30 years or more. A fact Ms Murray should know.
Its all been said though. Nothing much makes sense in this Scotland region.
Andy Murray’s a world sports star. That alone might be enough to justify letting them exploit that world stardom in Scotland but no, not in Scotland.
Rafa Nadal has a huge tennis academy in his home town for much the same reasons. Not sure if assorted nimby pressure like here tried to block that in Spain though.
Look at it
link to rafanadalacademy.com
All kinds of Nadal stuff, scholarships and nice athletic things, making the most of his achievement. Here in Scotland? not in my back yard, there’s more than enough of that sort of thing, I’m Green, I moved here to my Scotland region to escape all that kind of thing, I want my field up the motorway where I walk the dog left alone, etc etc vote No, vote Green.
Murray plan only runs up the side of the M9? motorway.
Its much like our tory BBC led media ongoing massive boost for far left Rise or Greens.
Just another day of WTF Scotland, or Only In Scotland under the rein of the yoons.
Scotland, the Rein of the Yoons, would make a great title for Neil Oliver Scottish history book, once we do get them out of power.
Not sure if this counts as an indication of the blindness of experts or not. Caught the end of one of the innumerable antiques programs where the presenter was showing a spoon he claimed must be a forgery because it had all the proper hallmarks for being made in Dublin save for the Britannia. Ignoring either the mundane answer of it being trimmed of by someone needing silver to make ends meet or as a political gesture or that it was a deliberate omission in the first place.
Starting to agree with rock and clydebuilt. After avidly buying the national when back home, and getting family to send it down to me. Dont like what im reading anymore in it.
@ Orri
Found it. When we do get Independence this looks like a big fight. On my wanderings that day I also came across a statement that oil that is within our boundary may still benefit rUK because it gets piped into England!
link to newsnet.scot
I kind of liked the McKinstry article – especially the bit at the end where, if Scots votes keep UK in EU, the English will have a referendum and kick us out. Sounds OK to me!
If England leaves the UK, I suppose that makes us the “successor state”, so we don’t need to apply to join. We would need to think hard about whether they could continue to use the Pound, of course.
Liz Rannoch @4.45
Apparently, Liz, they didn’t nick it, Dewar gave it away.
@Cuilean
I think ‘Visit Scotland’ needs to seriously think about dropping this ‘hatefest’ figure as he antagonises 55% of the population of Scotland.
———
Agreed. Oliver is a utter disgrace. Referring to a future democratic referendum as a ‘hate-fest’ shows total disrespect and contempt for everyday decent Scots who just want to see Scotland as a normal country in the world.
Chilean @ 4:50. Nice one! We’ll spotted.
@Elizabeth says: 2 May, 2016 at 4:22 pm:
“Devine couldn’t see why the BBC hadn’t appointed a proper historian to front the show and derided Neil Oliver, as ‘hapless’ speculating that he was hired for his looks rather than his academic expertise.”
Well he does have lots of hair but it would be better attached to a female pop-singer. I nearly said pop-star but there is nothing starry about Oliver.
Otherworldly, perhaps, but star he is not. Mind you both historians and archaeologists tend to dream up a theory to fit any evidence they may have.
Often, though, they are somewhat otherworldly and any person who lives in the real world can see far more reasonable explanations to their theories.
For example the old theory aboriginal Britons were just hunter gatherers was well exposed as wrong when such digs as those at Howick in Northumberland showed layer after layer of settlement. Hunter gatherers are wanderers. They do not settle.
My Slovene girlfriend hits the UKOK campaign trail, but its not 2014
link to archive.is
“THE angriest man in Scotland, as one NNationalist website has described him, is the very soul of reason and tranquillity today.
Adam Tomkins, the John Millar Professor of Public
Law at Glasgow University, is considered the brightest star on Ruth Davidson’s Conservative firmament.”
NNot ssure wwhy HHerald gimps are going with double NN’s but future Lord TTomkinski brightest ttoryboy star in his Scotland region is a bit premature, he’s not sneaked into Holyrood yet via a few hundred list votes.
Another day of what the fcuk is going on, in toryboy Scotland.
Heedtracker @ 5.02
The Murray plan does not ‘run up the side of the M9’. It covers an extensive area between the A9 and Allan Water.
Ms Murray has been offered alternative sites, one of which was in the Stirling area and was owned by the Council.
Furthermore there is plenty of space at the University of Stirling to extend their existing tennis facilities which include indoor and outdoor courts. So why not there? With all of the other sports available on campus the University has a well established programme of coaching and expertise in sports medicine.
Tennis Scotland has a well established outreach programme across Scotland why not join forces with them to grow the game? If that is indeed theyour stated aim.
Glasgow has lots of tennis facilities and the Elena Balchatka ( apologies if spelling is wrong) Academy.
Edinburgh has 250 tennis courts of which 90 or so are public courts.
Dunblane and Bridge of Allan both have extensive tennis and golf facilities but there are areas of Scotland crying out for them so why not join with Tennis Scotland and take the facilities to those communities.
When the LTA spent £40 million building a huge tennis centre in London, which it has now closed because it was not successful at developing young players, Judy Murray said she would rather they spent the money building 40 centres around the country. Yet she now wants to build just such a centre. What has changed?
Euro Referendum. In the event that Scotland’s votes have swung the result to a Remain -in – Europe victory whilst England had voted to leave I don’t believe that England will accept the result. But what could the Establishment do? Well a recount of Scottish votes I’d wager. Ballot boxes transported to England since ” a greater resource available to recount the vote”. Fantasy?
Yet you never hear Sturgeon with 51% of the popular vote utter such bigoted nonsense. The hardline no people want a Scotland that does not include people like us.Thei democracy is that we must be British like them, or else go live somewhere else. That’s called fascism where I come from.
To say that everyone that believes in Scottish sovereignty is a raving Warrior. Shows that the no side cannot tolerate differences. Again back to George Square. These people clutching the Butchers Apron were Torrance and Olivers bedfellows
Someone mentioned before. These people think to have a career they need to insult and denigrate their own nation. That’s the game. It’s not about anything other than appearing submissive to their English masters.
They think that simply being Scottish and saying so. Is displaying a hatred of the English. Scotland is the only nation I can think of that has such a cringe for its own existence.
You can ask a Pole,Frenchman or German living in Scotland where they originate from. Yet very few Scots will ask an Englishman in Scotland where they are from as it’s seen as sinister and agendified.
Judy Murray said she would rather they spent the money building 40 centres around the country. Yet she now wants to build just such a centre. What has changed?
You won, if you opposed it. Also why is the area covered with housing estates a mile away but there cant be a Nadal style sports development. Its all opposed by yoons, yoons that have always done their, “it’s good enough for you Scotland region, shut up, then lets build huge housing estates down the road, wink wink, tap noses.”
link to rafanadalacademy.com
All kinds of sports can grow from the Murray world brand but not in Scotland though. Its good enough as it is
link to rafanadalacademy.com
Was watching Nicola on the Marr show talk about Brexit + indyref2…
People talk about getting the currency issued sorted out, which is true (although to my mind there is nothing really to sort out, it was just Project Fear telling lies, as usual).
But what we need ABOVE ALL for indyref2 is a cast-iron promise from the EU that we will be offered EU memberships. No ifs, no buts, no barossos….
I think that will be what would swing the vote. Because even if there is a REMAIN vote (and I am sure there will be), UKOK will still continue causing loads of trouble in Europe, just to win brownie points with the UKIP/Daily Mail contingent.
I think it was Ian Brotherhood who recently supplied a link to an article by Noam Chomsky which described the sad fate of a researcher who exposed a hoax study which claimed that Palestinians had only recently come to Palestine. He was frozen out of academia and had to scrape a living doing social work. Chomsky’ s final paragraph is interesting when we consider Neil Oliver and his starry career:
“Still, in the universities or in any other institution, you can often find some dissidents hanging around in the woodwork—and they can survive in one fashion or another, particularly if they get community support. But if they become too disruptive or too obstreperous—or you know, too effective—they’re likely to be kicked out. The standard thing, though, is that they won’t make it within the institutions in the first place, particularly if they were that way when they were young—they’ll simply be weeded out somewhere along the line. So in most cases, the people who make it through the institutions and are able to remain in them have already internalized the right kinds of beliefs: it’s not a problem for them to be obedient, they already are obedient, that’s how they got there. And that’s pretty much how the ideological control system perpetuates itself in the schools—that’s the basic story of how it operates, I think.”
There is an unspoken groupthink in most Scottish academic and cultural institutions which marginalises those who are “off-message”. The study of Scottish history and literature has been badly affected by Britnattery: consider the career of Dr James Young, whose career was chequered because he was that nightmare combination, left-wing and a nationalist. Stuart McHardy has also found it very difficult to get records published which show the extent of British Army occupation in the Lowlands long after 1745 (because this indicates support for the Jacobites by people we have been taught opposed The Stuarts). These are just small examples of an established trend.
By contrast, of course, people like Oliver and Niall Ferguson get a free run to publish their meretricious stuff and become established as media tarts.
Warning: historians always have an agenda. And some, like Neil, aren’t even historians.
What will happen to the rabid ranters, vile foul-mouthed journos like Oliver, Torrance et al and those at the jester end of the unionist spectrum Cochrane and Hjul?
They have had no impact since 2015.
Do they get kept on or seen as diminishing returns for their magnates and get sacked?
We await.
Oliver’s nasty, vile and poisonous onslaught on the Sunfay Times must rank as the worst yet. What do these appalling individuals fo next?
I think everyone will agree that the three unionist bigots, are shitting themselves at the thought of indi 2.
They are also trying to take no voters away from the SNP. By turning this election into an independence vote. We know it’s not,they know it’s not and they are just desperate now.
Kenny says:
“People talk about getting the currency issued sorted out, which is true”
Yes. The mistake last time, IMO, was the complex talk of options and preferred main option.
The SNP/SG should have kept it simple … “Scotland will be using the pound until the people of Scotland decide otherwise”.
Bringing currency union into the debate just made it even more complex. The reality was no currency union = no share of debt. However, the SNP/SG trying to be nice and polite wouldn’t make that blatantly clear.
Having brought up currency union and alternative options first time just makes it difficult second time. Simplicity now would be seen as not tackling the issue. A sensible solution is needed next time.
Love the way Neil Oliver the pretendy Historian and BBC Yes man tries….and fails….to persuade readers how ‘cancerous’ a ‘second referendum’ would be.
However after reading his ranting raving hate fueled bile one concludes tis articles like his which are cancerous and the only cure is to vote SNP X 2 on Thursday.
Seriously would you want be on the same side of people like him with so so so so muuuuuch haaaate and aaaaanger…..nah, I would rather feel the love man…Neil needs to take an ample supply of chill pills because the prognosis is …..more SNP less Yoons come Thursday.
Oh ya Nut job Neil
Try keeping it real
Less o yir spiel
Yir no a big deal
Dinnae care how ya feel
Ya cog in a yoony wheel
I talk and you squeal
What a fcuking heel
Stick that wee ditty in yir history boak…ah mean book ya tube.
ps. All proceeds from the above little ditty will go to Neil’s hairdresser.
If the Rev permits, I’d like to continue posting this link
to the petition that demands a Public Inquiry into Bias at the BBC
There are now, thanks to you, over 89,000 signatures in place.
We are so close to the require 100,000 signatures that we just cannot give up on bringing the propaganda channel to book.
If everyone could post the link on their chosen form of social media too, I, and I’m sure Scotland would be eternally grateful.
If you have an Aunt in Nante, a Brother in Anstruther, or a Sister in Bicester, please ask them to sign!
link to you.38degrees.org.uk
Absolutely right the unionists are now desperately trying to turn this into a vote for Independence, anyone would think they had no real positive policies of their own, oh wait.
Out at a stall today, was handing out leaflets, ended up saying ‘protecting your NHS, protecting your pensions, no prescriptions charges, no tuition fees’, because many were turning their noses up! It was the centre of Edinburgh mind.
Howling Furies meet the Howling Bells:
link to youtube.com
Aye – and SNP BOTH VOTES.
Nae messing. Let’s get out there on Thursday and get this done.
Scotland is divided. Wherever you find a colony or anything resembling a colony, you will always find a bitterly divided society. Theres no coincidence here.
The Neil Oliver controversy is a good example. Here is a man that must know a great deal about the history of our relationship with England. He as much as anyone must know how uneven and one sided that relationship has always been. He must also know what happened to those neighbours of England who wouldn’t capitulate, Wales and Ireland, and how they were basically obliterated.
Those who know of the 1707 Treaty will know that England had been pressuring Scotland for many years into signing away its sovereign rights. And, if you require a sense of what form that pressure took, it’s worth remembering that the Glencoe massacre took place 15 years before our nobles eventually signed.
Colonialists and bullies always need local help when it comes to robbing and abusing their victims. That’s where the divisions come from. It’s dark stuff. Even in the concentration camps there were many Jews who helped the nazis, for a little food or whatever.
That’s basically how you explain the likes of Neil Oliver. You should probably pity him or something but it’s hard not to hate. The real underlying problem is structural. The SNP and the Independence movement want to address that structure, change it, heal the divisions and build a society that we can all take part in.
We might disagree now on what form our new society will take. I’m happy to go with the majority. But let’s leave that argument for now and focus on getting the bastardly boot off our neck.
SNP x 2 is the only option that makes sense.
We’re doomed again
The Saudis have decided not to keep depressing the oil price anymore so consequentially it’s rising daily and is expected to continue
Expecting a BBC program shortly with Sir Ian Wood telling us it’s a flash in the pan and will be bad for the economy in Scotland
Three bears oil
Too much, Too little, but when is it just right
It certainly won’t be enough to base the case for Independence on no matter what the price, I just wish we never had the stuff…..Ooops we don’t do we, all the money goes to the UK…see.. I forgot again
At least like Trident we get to keep the three million jobs though..Coz that’s important and the main thing intit..Phew!! Saved!!
John Edgar says:
“What will happen to the rabid ranters …and those at the jester end”
I do wonder where they see their future.
Some are, as many posters suggest, giving their London masters what they think they want to hear. That, they hope, will somehow give them an on going career.
Some others frankly, seem to have lost it. They want to wind the clock back and just blame the SNP for upsetting their cosy setup. The clock isn’t going to turn backwards, even they must know. Any likely future they can imagine just doesn’t suit them! Thus the anger and venom.
Do they even know what they want both for their country, and as individuals?
Quiet retirement await them all, perhaps earlier than they imagined.
Cuilean @ 4.50
Good post. What an arse N Oliver is right enough. Got a couple o his books as gifts and they are now going in the bin.
I think I will also email Visit Scotland and ask them to consider cancelling his contract for voice overs, who would want to come visit a raggedy arsed bunch o losers in such a hellish country anyway. What a prick
There are dozens of good Scots actors who would gladly do work for VS I’m sure. Well known or not so well known.
@ Effijy
Is it really the case that any petition with 100,000 signatures gets special treatment?
I know that official Government e-petitions must be debated in the Commons if they get that many supporters, but I’m not convinced the same would apply to a non-government petition.
I’d be delighted to be wrong, though.
Ha ha ha!
Sorry, its a country mile off topic, but Ruth Davidson did actually sit on a buffalo? I thought it was such an obvious wind up or metaphor for something else, I just went with the flow and never even checked, but I just saw the pictures. Oh Lordy, Lordy, Lordy…
It’s just not right to see a poor dumb animal demeaned and humiliated for a cheap publicity stunt, even if she is a Tory.
The unionists thought one little prick would finally burst the SNP bubble, so someone suggested Neil Oliver.
I think I know what happened to the map. Either someone asked where’s the border and the reply jokingly said Hadrian’s wall, or nobody asked and the person making the graphic really does believe that Hadrian’s wall is the border. There’s plenty dine scythe who believe it, and even a few in Scotland who love referring to the wall. I blame Game of Thrones.
I’d not mind if it was true, and depending on how big a balls up they make of the Northern Powerhouse I suspect many here may end up thinking that too.
Oliver obviously models himself on Quentin Crisp but wherea Quentin was a wit, Oliver’s a hauf-wit. More Alice than Gallus really!
O/T however , ” national news lead story” , England ” health service” ” DO NOT RESCUSITATE” .
Are you ” still breathing ” , Bird& Bradford at ” reporting Scotlab”??
Anyone planning to stay up all night to watch the results come in? It might be worth making a special effort just to saviour the reaction of the glaigit, greetin’ gang at PQ.
Mary Beard has the hippy historian approach cornered, so Oliver needs to run along.
Visit SCOT – LAND! Really Neil? Maybe you should take your own advice. Or try visiting reality at least.
Home and I can finally read Oliver’s Times piece on archive.
What a nasty, condecending, and utterly disrespectful prick he comes across as.
If you’re not sure how to vote on Thursday, then use both votes for the SNP.
Well to be fair, if it’s good enough for the Yoons…
@ Caroline Corfield 7.35
Maybe they were talking to Rory Stewart.
@ ALANM 7.47
I’ll definitely be up as long as I can. Others on this site are up all night anyway – we’re a 24/7 site!
ALANM says:
2 May, 2016 at 7:47 pm
Anyone planning to stay up all night to watch the results come in? It might be worth making a special effort just to saviour the reaction of the glaigit, greetin’ gang at PQ.
Dont count your chickens perlease.
But last May BBC Scotland GE night result coverage, Glen Campbell and Ian Murray nearly came to blows. Glen was furious at SLabour exit from Westminster, Ian wanted to stick the nut in, down the pipe, at least he’d won didn’t he.
Neoconservative
Sorry enlightened one act of union, 45 rebellion, ????
Anyway again probably inadvertently?
Your post reminds me of Flora MacDonald after the 45. Her time in American, look it up!
@Jack Murphy – that’s all the English elite have ever thought about Scotland and Wales – places to exploit for their use.
If there is a water shortage in the South, it’s because it is overpopulated
@Liz Rannoch says: 2 May, 2016 at 4:55 pm:
“Funnily enough I was looking into that last week, seeking info on the maritime boundary. Remember when they nicked our water? 6000 sq mls of it!”
Actually, Liz, there are several areas of the land border that are not clearly designated. The kind of thing is where the border is a stream or river. It is a natural thing for running waterways to, “meander”, and by doing so they naturally silt up one side of a bend and over time the river bed constantly changes.
There is also one where they built up a curve for a railway and moved the border along with the rail line. However, the main ones are just historically disputed land areas.
Aye Breeks lol
I heard the buffalo was angry after it because he was told it was someone important by his agent and thought he was getting to meet Nicola.
” Oh buffalo girls won’t you come out tonight, come out tonight, come out tonight!”
@Fred
And dance by the light of the moon.
More like howl at the full moon!
Nicky Clarke, John McBarrowman,Trinny and Susan, Eddie Izzard, that bald guy off Eastenders, Tony (Baldrick) Robinson, June Sarpong, Dan Snow, Lord Geldof of Boak. . . .
‘Presenter’ and BBC resident codpiece wrangler, Neil Oliver is just another ill-informed ‘tv celeb’ with an agenda of his own and the political gravitas of toilet tissue. He just happens to be Scottish, a Scottish . . . er, David Starkey/Katie Hopkins mash up, if you will.
Neil Oliver, the man who lost it and Leo McKinstry, the man who never got it in the first place. What a pair o’ chancers?!
SNP, Constituency, tick.
SNP, Regional List, tock!
Hi crazycat,
I couldn’t swear to know the mechanics of the petition, but no matter what, any petition with 100,000 signatures cannot be ignored, nor could the BBC fain shock that they might be biased
when such a number just underlined it.
Can you just hear Nicola at another stitched up Leader’s Debate,
saying out loud: “I can really see why 100,000 people signed that petition on BBC Bias and why the world leader on propaganda formats has detailed your anti-democratic and malevolent actions for all to see”
It is a very long journey to start another petition when we
are already more than 89,029 steps closer to the target.
Please help to hit the number any way that you can!
O/T
See wee Gun Turrets is flexing her muscles in North Korea again.
SNPx2
“You Know it makes sense”
No surprise as to what Neil Oliver’s initials spell. NO.
The fool admits he doesn’t understand finance and his wife takes care of the money. He lives day by day.
2 Qualities and 1 Idiot that Scotland don’t need!
Good shout earlier that “Visit Scotland” must dump him from their voice over adverts.
We can’t have a man with no principles and a
contempt for his country and its people making money from us.
Is this the same long haired Neil Oliver from Coast who mouthed off the yes campaign and was handing out better together literature in Ayr?
Stephen.
@ Effijy
Thanks. I signed it some time ago, even though in general I boycott 38degrees after they let Gordon Brown hijack a petition and refused to remove my name from it (or rather, didn’t reply until too late) when I didn’t want to be associated with him and his sleekitness.
NHS Scotland and SNP Vs NHS England and Tory
Scotland A & E patients seen in 4 hours- 93%
England only 87%
Scotland’s Operations cancelled approx 3,000- for good reason.
England over 100,000 and counting
Scotland’s lost days due to Doctor’s strikes “0”
England lost 4 -So far.
Scotland’s services using private companies- Less than 1%.
England’s 10% Plus.
Now what country is it that managed the Mid-Staffs Incidents?
Which country is advising medics Not to Resuscitate patients without consulting their families?
Who is it that is responsible for their Ambulance Services
that were found to be incompetent and involved in a cover up at the Hillsburgh tragedy?
Ah Yes, these intolerable incidents all took place in NHS England under the watch of various TORY Governments.
And they want you to follow them. Not on your NHS Scotland Life!
PS Labour controlled NHS Wales has A & E operating at 78% ??????
My letter to my local Lib-Dem candidate.
Mr Cole-Hamilton
I read your election leaflet deposited at my home.
What makes you think I’m keen to back a candidate who squanders his message by devoting it to a bald SNP-Bad?
You state “They [SNP] simply can’t accept the clear will of the people.”
This is untrue for two of reasons: analysis of the plebiscite vote ascertained a great many No voters want more powers for Scotland, that is, greater self-determination. We did not get them with the Smith Commission, I mean genuine powers, not the cheapo variety. Opposition parties must address that glaring issue if they want taken seriously as a potential party of government.
Secondly, Nicola Sturgeon makes plain, repeatedly, she won’t respond to calls for a second Referendum unless there is an unassailable groundswell for it. Therefore, you’re wasting energy and reader’s time trying to convince people that the SNP will call a snap IndyRef-2 if given half-the-chance.
Using the derogatory term ‘separation’ does your party no good whatsoever. We wish to retain the Union of the Crowns hence separation is not a reality. (Currently Republicans are in the minority.)
And with many hundreds of thousands of English happily at home in Scotland and Scots in England, physical separation is a fantasy.
The Liberals used to be a party with sensible policies. That soured when Jeremy Thorpe showed he was unreliable, and lost entirely when the Lib-Dems sidled into bed with the Tory party.
I think too, ‘Dems’ should be junked from the party’s title. Either you’re democrats or you are not.
Until the Liberals stop seeing Scotland through a neo-colonial lens there’s isn’t a snowballs chance in Alaska that you will see real power in Scotland secured once more. Effort to reach me 10/10 – free thinking -10.
It’s sad to see a once good political pay reduced to sniping, exaggeration, evasiveness, and blatant negative canvassing.
Yours NOT.
GB
Hi Crazycat,
I don’t say that they are my favourite organisation, and I agree
about the Brown incident, but I fully agree with the petition,
and that is all that I have put my name to.
If they contact you by e-mail to ask you to sign anything else,
you can just unsubscribe.
Thanks to all who have added 50 more signatures. Keep it going.
For the sake of unionism, disguised as “democracy”, The National will continue to promote the Greens and RISE, at the expense of the SNP, for the next few days.
From Friday, it will start sounding very “pro independence” again, to milk the more gullible independence supporters.
It has planted its lobbyists on this blog.
Don’t be duped. Don’t buy The National.
Vote SNP+SNP.
Aye thats him bugs apparantly he works down sarf telling silly English people that their empire was good and not like other empires that were bad and that we were all brits before the Romans and dinosaurs.
Mans a fud he wouldnt know history if it jumped up and bit him on the ass stick to digging holes Neil you are good at that.
Any WOS masochists on here, yer man Oliver is on BBC four now. Apt programme too. A History of Britain.
It has planted its lobbyists on this blog.
Don’t be duped. Don’t buy The National.
Who though?
They are definitely at it at the National though
link to archive.is
“It’s surprising that no one intervened to stop Nicola Sturgeon posing with a copy of The Sun on its front page in the week the Hillsborough verdict was delivered – especially after the paper had come under fire from all angles for callously relegating one of the momentous stories of recent times to the inside pages. Who will influence Nicola whenever she has a bad judgement day?”
A football disaster in Sheffield near 30 years ago has got so much to do with the future of Scotland.
Maybe they are all far left lefties at the Sunday Herald and National, like the Herald’s not stuffed with toryboy’s foaming at the mouth too:D
Re the comments on the Highlands and UKIP.
I was brought up there.
It can be a place of contradictions.
Inverness was another Yes city like Glasgow and Dundee.
So why would the Highlands return a UKIP msp?
Potentially many reasons. Here are some thoughts.
There is a strong “conservative” streak running through society and there always has been. I well remember moving to near Inverness in 1971 as a child. We came from the central belt, my father for the new created job opportunities on the Cromarty Firth and boy, were we made to feel unwelcome.
All of a sudden thousands of families from elsewhere in Scotland came together in what had been a sleepy “conservative” backwater. And social tensions it did create. If you weren’t living in a temp caravan park in Invergordon then you were living in a hastily thrown together Council estate in Alness, Tain or Dingwall. Milnafua anyone?
Imagine the class sizes at the schools!
It was a melting pot where it took 30 years for the constituent parts to actually mix IMHO.
So now some parts of that society see melting point #2 in the shape of new people from the EU come along, except this time the diversity of employment has changed and instead of Nigg and Ardersier and Invergordon smelter hoovering up the willing looking for work, it’s service industries. Call centres and shops.
I know many people who are instinctively anti-migrant, essentially anti-change, automatically anti-SNP, ex-Labour and now almost pathologically anti-SNP. They gravitate towards UKIP, which is the last bolthole for those who cling to the past in a global world. Except their world is rather small.
I understand the sentiment. It’s been present through the generations, passed on through 40 years. I don’t agree with it but none the less it is present.
What’s the answer?
F***ed if I know!
Does anyone have footage of Willie Rennie go-karting? I just need that for a full commemorative set of all the shite he’s been up to in the past weeks.
So why would the Highlands return a UKIP msp?
They gave Sir Daniel Alexander the bum’s rush last year. As did almost everyone else. But they are all in the Lords now, so that’s nice.
I have a wee treat for those of us who, like Neil Oliver are fascinated by history and the history of the union and in particular those of us like Neil Oliver and myself who were brought up in Dumfries. Please forgive the long post.
This morning I found myself in the marvellous Dumfries Museum and Camera Obscura and there is a fascinating document within that I have transcribed (as it is hard to read in places). There are words missing and a couple I have had to guess at so forgive any minor inaccuracies. The original document can be found here:
link to futuremuseum.co.uk
As the website states: “On 20th November 1706, a band of 300 armed men rode into Dumfries, built a bonfire beside the Midsteeple which was then under construction and ceremonially burnt the Articles of Union. They then fixed this broadsheet explaining their reasons to the Market Cross and disappeared into the night.”
Here is their statement which I don’t think is out of place on our forum and on this thread in particular:
“An Account of the Burning of the Articles of the Union at Dumfries
These are to Notifie to All Concerned, what are Our Reasons for, and Designs in the Burning of the Printed Articles of the Proposed Union with England, with the Names of the Scots Commissioners, Subscribers thereof, together with the Minutes of the whole Treaty, betwixt them and the English Commissioners thereanent.
We have herein no Design against Her Majesty, nor against England, or any Englishman; neither against Our present Parliament, in their Acts or Actings, for the Interests, Safety and Sovereignty of this OUR NATIVE and ANCIENT NATION. But to Testifie Our Dissent from, Discontent with, and Protestation against the Twenty five Articles of the said Union, subscribed by the foresaid Commissioners; as being Inconsistent with, and altogether prejudicial to, and utterly Destructive of this NATIONS’s Independency, Crown-Rights, and Our Constitute Laws, both Sacred and Civil.
We shall not here Condescend upon the particular Prejudices, that do, and will Redound to this Nation, if the said Union should be carried on, according to the Printed Articles: But refers the Reader to the Variety of Addresses, given in to the present Parliament, by all Ranks, from almost all Corners of this Nation, against the said Union: Only We must say, and Profess, that the Commissioners for this Nation, have been either Simple, Ignorant, or Treacherous, if not all three; when the Minutes of the Treaty betwixt the Commissioners of both Kingdoms are duely considered; and when we compare their Dastardly Yieldings unto the Demands and Proposals of the English Commissioners; who on the contrar, have Valiently acquit themselves for the Interest and Safety of their Nation.
We acknowledge it is in the Power of the present Parliament to give Remissions to the Subscribers of the foresaid Articles; and we xxxx with xxxx good Agreement amongst all the members of Parliament XX XXX XXXX to the Safety and Preservation of both CHURCH and STATE, with all the Privileges belonging therto, within the Kingdom of SCOTLAND.
But as the Subscribers of the foresaid Treaty and Union, with the Associates in Parliament, shall presume to carry on the said Union, by a Supream Power, over the Belly of the Generality of this Nation: Then and in that case, as we judge, that the Consent of the Generality of the same, can only Divest them of their Sacred and Civil Liberties, Purchased and maintained by Our ANCESTORS with their Blood.
So we Protest, whatever Ratifications of the foresaid Union may pass in Parliament, contrar to the Fundamental LAWS, LIBERTIES & PRIVILAGES, concerning Church & State, may not be binding upon the Nation, now nor at any time to come: And particularly we Protest against the Approbation of the first Article of said Union, before the Privileges of this Nation, contain’d in the other Articles had been adjusted and (secured?). And so we earnestly Require, that the Representatives in Parliament, who are for Our Nation’s Privileges, would give timeous warnings to all the Corners of the Kingdom; That we and our Posterity become not Tributary and Bond Slaves (of) our Neighbours, without acquitting our Selves, as becomes Men and (Christians?)
And we are Confident, that the Soldiers now in Martial Powers, have somuch of the Spirits of SCOTS MEN; that they are not Ambitious to be Disposed of at the pleasure of another Nation: And we hereby Declare that we have no Design against them in this matter.”
heedtracker
Someone here posted a Twitter link, yesterday I think, which proved that the Sun mocked up that picture of NS. She was actually holding up a copy of The Dandy – a far more intellectual read. So Leckie was way off beam, to say the least.
Giving Goose said:
Hmmm, interesting if somewhat troubling. If the remaining Labour vote were to implode, where would it go? It seems initially counter-intuitive that it would go further right than Tory, but you do make a plausible case for that. I suppose one might wish that on Thursday enough defect from Labour to cost them seats but not enough to see UKIP pass the 5-6% hurdle anywhere. But in the longer-term…?
My own feeling though is that the Labour vote will fall simply due to a drop in their turnout, traditional supporters unwilling to bother to go out to vote for anyone at all.
@ Heedtracker
Oi Carolyn Leckie. It was photoshopped you fuckin eejit. Keep up!
Ian Brotherhood says:
2 May, 2016 at 9:26 pm
Does anyone have footage of Willie Rennie go-karting?
If not, this is a lot better.
Bonny Scotland.
link to facebook.com
I don’t think posting a picture of Nicola holding The Dandy proves that it is the one with The Sun which was photo-shopped.
There was also one with the Daily Record’s “Vow” front page.
All that can be said for certain is that there are at least 3 images of Nicola holding a paper, on social media, and that at most one of them has not been photo-shopped.
(I did see a tweet claiming that the poster of the one with The Dandy was admitting to having altered it; it really is possible that The Sun one is the original.)
Surely after the vile language used by Oliver he and the newspaper which printed the article need to be reported to the press complaints commission?
The language used by Davidson during Referendum 1 about bayonetting the wounded was bad enough, but Oliver’s word- rant was the worst on recent memory.
Robert J. Sutherland says:
2 May, 2016 at 9:55 pm
Giving Goose said:
“I know many people who are instinctively anti-migrant, essentially anti-change, […] ex-Labour and now almost pathologically anti-SNP. They gravitate towards UKIP, which is the last bolthole for those who cling to the past in a global world. Except their world is rather small.
Hmmm, interesting if somewhat troubling. If the remaining Labour vote were to implode, where would it go? It seems initially counter-intuitive that it would go further right than Tory, but you do make a plausible case for that. I suppose one might wish that on Thursday enough defect from Labour to cost them seats but not enough to see UKIP pass the 5-6% hurdle anywhere. But in the longer-term…?
My own feeling though is that the Labour vote will fall simply due to a drop in their turnout, traditional supporters unwilling to bother to go out to vote for anyone at all.”
Well I am just back from the pub and a summary of what I heard was effin Poles this and effin Poles that. That pretty much from blokes who aren’t themselves native to Moray let alone Scotland but there you go.
My drinking mate was ironically the son of a Pole who fought for the allies in WW2. I was going to have word with them but he prevailed upon me to leave it alone. He just smiled and winked and spoke quietly
“It must really piss them off that Moray has an SNP MP and MSP!”
The bigots failed to see the irony that most of them were watching a footie match between two English Premiership teams loaded with achem – foreigners!
I know at least two of Morays diabolical Independent Councillors are closet Kippers. They are like ticks, get under your skin and it is a bugger to get them out.
Oh and my other drinking mate tonight was a Croatian who has been here for longer than most of the beer swilling bigots we had to suffer.
It does seem rather inconsistent, to say the very least, that the Unionists have this well-worn theme that we all have to “heal divisions, move on” while at the same time are serving up increasingly antagonistic outbursts such as Oliver’s incoherent and very personalised rant.
Not sure you can actually accuse ambulance crews of incompetence at Hillsborough when they were delayed at the gates and prevented from getting on the pitch by the police.
The unredacted and untampered reports were available well before the 2010 election and make it pretty clear how unprepared and untrained the poor plods inside the ground were for a disaster of that scale. This was a time before every police officer had a walky. The lack of what is now considered essential equipment led to fatal delays in the urgency of what was happening after those inside the ground realised just how bad the situation was.
Part of the censoring was removal of unfavourable opinion which would not have actually made any difference other than cause unnecessary pain to the families. However even if the disaster was completely down to missfortune the initial inquest soon became aware of the fact that the main thrust of the cover up was to protect those in charge from any responsibility. The fact that they were determined to absolve themselves of all blame meant that they were happy that no lessons might be learned even if that put at risk every other person in a crowd who might die if the circumstances were to be repeated.
Of course any good intent in hiding the attitude of some officers to save the feelings of the bereaved was shat uppon by the printing of the sickest form of diversionary bullshit in the Sun. Even if there were sick bastards looting the dead, which I don’t believe for a single minute there were, that had fuck all to do with what had killed them.
Never mind that those at the front would be those who got into the ground in plenty of time. That there was no fire safety certificate or a very dubious one for the ground. That there wasn’t enough time for everyone to get in before kick off. No barriers to contain a collapse of that nature. That similar disasters had already happened. The reason the start of the match wasn’t delayed was because it was being televised. The revelation that the most experienced officer was replaced really shouldn’t surprise.
The commercial interests of the FA meant packing them in and preventing inconvenient pitch invasions were more important than the safety of the fans. Protecting the upper echelons of the police meant if they had their way no lessons were to be learned. One thing Liverpool fans might take on board though. Their own club were just as guilty as the rest.
After that rant though you might want to ask supporters of the three unionist parties why, when the information was in the public domain, didn’t Labour or the Conservative/LibDem governments do this sooner. Is it because they were waiting till Thatcher was dead and buried or is there something waiting to be released under the 30 year rule that shows the government had more of a hand in it and this is a phased release of bad news.
@ Ian Brotherhood
I’m looking forward to Wullie Rennie trying his hand at skydiving. I’ll even volunteer to pack his parachute for him.
Have you noticed that his whole campaign, and that of Tank commanders come to think of it, are devoid of contact with the general public. Ah wonder why?
Iain More said:
Yes, all too easily forgotten by the bigots, but then an acute understanding of history is hardly one of their trademarks!
I grew up in a Scotland that had a fair scattering of people who had somehow ended up here and chosen to stay, settled and had families. By no means all of them on the Allied side, either. I still remember my dad, who fought in the war, on a walk to my maternal grandma’s, passing the time of day with a man working quietly in his garden. He was a German ex-POW. It left a deep impression on me. These people truly did know the real price of bigotry.
Having just watched the itv news from my neighbors in England, can I say I am so sorry for their troubles. English health services not resuscitating patients without discussion with their families, parents keeping their children from school, labour political high heads suspended for Nazi tweets.
Funny not one word about how much better life is across the border.
Poor England.
@Rob James –
Got to hand it to him though, he is good value, all that slapstick palaver, Carry-On Lib-Demming, girning, baring his choppers, using words like ‘aberration’ to describe the behaviour of Alistair Carmichael…
We’ll never see his like again. With any luck.
Re the impending crisis of England’s inadequate water supply. I got pelters for highlighting this on some English broadsheet during indyref. Some old school types don’t like you to point out England’s social fabric is crumbling. They shut up when I posted the document below.
Put technically, England is fucked. Is has inadequate water supply which is being further reduced by fracking. It is developing an energy dependency on Chinese built nuclear power and natural gas from Qatar (the world’s second largest financial backer of terrorism after Saudi Arabia). They have insufficient housing, inadequate land for landfill, a ludicrous pollution management strategy based on dilution and dispersal, etc.,etc., etc…..
link to gov.uk
Tam Jardine, many thanks for that information from the Queen of the South and Scotland’s cultural capital!
This is what it sounds like inside Willie Rennie’s heid on a typical day of high-profile campaigning…
For maximum effect, please close your eyes and recall the images of recent weeks…
It’s a pure hoot, so it is…
link to youtube.com
How true one of the statements above Rennie, Ruthie devoid of any contact with the public and Kez mostly in nurseries and cafes with minders-it does say everything we need to know about these unionist parties. Don’t suppose angry ruthie was in Govan today-thought not. Why are they so scared of another referendum- would it be because the know their case has been lost and the main reason was their false promises and camerons actions on 19 Sept. Glad to see investigation still going on about postal votes and electoral fraud. Ruthie’s admission on tv about ‘sampling’ all illegal but done by the tories anyway and we know how the establishment gets away with anything.
Referendum: a general vote by the electorate on a single political question which has been referred to them for a direct decision.
Struggling to see how that isn’t democratic.
Hi Robert Peffers.
You typed,
“For example the old theory aboriginal Britons were just hunter gatherers was well exposed as wrong when such digs as those at Howick in Northumberland showed layer after layer of settlement. Hunter gatherers are wanderers. They do not settle.”
You’ll probably know about this… Here’s a quote from the link at the foot of this comment.
” A mesolithic kitchen midden overlaid at a height of 8′ by a cist cemetery was discovered in 1878 on Stannergate Promontory (NO 427 310) (OS 6″ map, Forfarshire, 2nd ed., 1879) during the extension of Dundee Harbour. The midden measured at least 100′ x 60′; it produced flints, charcoal, worked bone and ‘a small finely polished celt of flinty slate’ (Mathewson 1879).”
Now, I’m no expert but it would seem to me if you’re able to create a kitchen midden, measuring “at least 100′ x 60′”, you’re not just passing through the area in the wulk season – you’re there for the duration.
DR final poll for Holyrood – special phone poll conducted yesterday/today. In the past telephone poll have overstated Labour.
Last Survation poll – done yesterday/today
Constituency
SNP 49% (-4)
LAB 21% (+2)
CON 19% (+4)
LD 7% (-1)
Other 5% (NC)
List
SNP 43% (+1)
CON 20% (+2)
LAB 19% (+3)
GRE 7% (-4)
LD 6% (-1)
UKIP 2% (-2)
Other 2%
I forgot the link:-
link to canmore.org.uk
Re;Tm Jardine@9.45
Thanks, great to read this and also be alerted to the museum which i have never visited. Have shared the page from the museum on fb and twitter.
Rancid Graun’s bigot satire also says dont vote SNP, shock.
Scotland voting SNP has certainly bettertogethered all the mighty tory press of the UK, which is something at least.
link to archive.is
I still prefer that thug’s malice dripping referendum’s advice.
link to wingsoverscotland.com
Its odd that they seemed puzzled a lot of Scots dont want to be run by them any more. Enraged sure but its their confusion that’s really weird.
Kenny
As a wee aside I can report from Dumfries that I did not see a single solitary window poster or sign in anyone’s garden that was not SNP. Not that many of course but every one I saw was SNP.
In Dumfries.
When I was growing up Hector Monro (CON) was MP for the entirity of my childhood and teens and then that bawheid Russell Brown (LAB) took over. How times have changed.
Big new hospital being built just west of the town. Shame the transport links to Edinburgh are still shit. The choice this weekend was between the bus service and a replacement bus service for the price of a train ticket to Lockerbie. Yawn.
Rennie at Softplay; Davidson astride a buffalo; Dugdale at pre-school.
“Things i wanted to do before moving on”?
Marcia
If phone polls overstate Labour then they really are in trouble. Also phone polls tend to skew towards the older generations as the youngster don’t tend to bother with land lines so it should understate the SNP.
Looking like the 50% mark for the SNP but I think activists will need to ensure the canvassed vote turns to in order to make sure.
It will be close on the majority thing.
@ Tam Jardine
Thanks for posting that eloquent repudiation of the Treaty of Union. These people knew what was going on – unlike some pretendy historians today.
thanks for the information Tam Jardine @9.45 , How many here have heard of or come across what Tam has posted ? that the Union was not accepted by a whole section of Scottish people .
growing up in the 50s not sure of the situation now ,anyway we learned the war of the roses , 1066 etc and for the most part were totally oblivious that we had our own history , this intentional disregard in the curriculum of our history borders on the criminal, a vicious act of dangerous people . is it any wonder older people cling to this Union most of them as me dont have a clear understanding of the history of their own country .
Almost Thursday, tick tock.
SNPx2
You know it makes sense.
Greens nowhere in the constituency vote. Greens 7% in the Regional ballot.
FFS!!!!!! Scotland!!!!!
The Greens do NOT have Scotland’s interests at heart. Their southern cousins voted against the SNP every amendment to the Scotland Bill at WM. They want a reerendum about having a second regerendum! WTF!111
I have some (a little) sympathy for the Greens and RISE but NOW is absolutely NOT the time. Come on FFS – SNP BOTH VOTES. ANd I am addressing Green and ROSE potential voters here. Don’t do the Colonial Media’s work for them. STAY TOGETHER. VOTE TOGETHER.
BOTH VOTES SNP
It’s the ONLY way to get the hell out of this corrupt, stinking, anachronistic effing Union.
Come on people!!! The Greens time will come once we achieve indy. NOW just isn’t the time to lend them or trust them with your Regional (list/second) vote.
Remember people. This proportional system was specifically designed by Labour and the Fib Dems to ensure that there could NEVER be a majority of any single party. It was designed, however, to ensure that there would ALWAYS be a majority of UNIONIST. The SNP BROKE the system those Unionists designed in an attempt to thwart the SNP. And people – the SNP absolutely NEED BOTH YOUR VOTES to gain a majority again and that maority is the ONLY WAY to IndyRef#2.
If you give your Regional (list/second) vote to any other party other than the SNP then, when you awake on the 6th May and the SNP has lost its majority at Holyrood, you will know who to blame.
Yourself.
Do NOT let that happen.
The Colonial Media are muddying the waters. They are promoting the idea that the SNP wil win. We hear it constantly. Labour and the Tories are merely battling for second place, they tell us.
Come on folks – read between the lines. What are they tryong to do here? They are basically trying to say it is okay fro SNP voters to stay at home because the SNP is guaranteed to win. Not only that bit if you support the Red Tories or the Blue Tories then you had better get out and vote because they are battling for second place. If you don’t get out and vote for Red or Blue Tory you might come third.
What a brilliant way to encourage the Unionist vote to get out and vote on Thursday but, at the same time, lull the SNP voter into complacency.
People – do NOT be fooled by these bastards of deception. Don;t belulled into complacensy. If you support the SNP GET OUT AND VOTE ON THURSDAY. The SNP may well win but it absolutely NEEDS A MAJORITY. And THAT is what is at stake here. Make no mistake.
THAT majority is what we are fighting for. And THAT is precisely why you MUST gove BOTH VOTES to the SNP. You simply CANNOT split your vote at this time. Regional list seats WILL MATTER.
If you believe in and desire Scotland to regain her independence, to remove this ball and chain around her neck then BOTH VOTES SNP on Thursday.
Nae messing. Let’s do it.
Scotland has indeed been independent for longer than it has been in the union. Independence is the NATURAL state of affairs and this union is as UNNATURAL as the killing of Duncan in “Macbeth”, which, I recall, led to sparrows attacking hawks and women mounting buffalos…
O/T It seems WM has also shafted Welsh farmer as much as oor ain. When oh when will Scottish farmers see the light and realise that their finances will be in a much better state if Scotland is in Europe AS AN INDEPENDENT COUNTRY!?!
Plaid Cymru MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Liz Saville Roberts has accused the UK Government of failing Welsh farmers, after it emerged they failed to argue in favour of providing state aid to farmers at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council last month.
The European Commission announced a package of measures to help farmers, which included allowing Member States to provide up to €15,000 per farmer per year without falling foul of state aid rules. However, it has come to light that the UK Government did not join other Member States in calling for further aid to help farmers in the dairy, pigmeat, fruit and vegetable sectors.
Liz Saville Roberts MP has now tabled a Parliamentary Motion calling on the UK Government to take advantage of the new support package and provide the full amount of funding to farmers across the United Kingdom.
link to partyof.wales
The best people to run a country are the people who live in it.Thats why I’m voting SNP x2
Poll: Herald:
UK voters more worried about Scottish independence than Brexit
link to archive.is
Kevin McKenna; ‘SNP will be more radical’ says Jeane Freeman
link to archive.is
@Ian
Caught Rennie go karting on STV news about teatime but not on iplayer yet. He won a medal, probably for non attendance at the hustings and avoiding the public for a week.
SNP x 2
Speak of the devil and he will surely appear.
Rennie Go Kart champion 5mins in.
link to player.stv.tv
Robert Graham;
If the people of Scotland had been told about their actual history, well, who knows what. The rich, troughing, south of england establishment have really done a class job of belittling the people of Scotland over such a long time, with many it became the norm to view their own people and land as useless.
How very strange and unique that must be.
For some reason, your comment brought the film, ‘Rabbit Proof Fence’ to mind.
Time for the people of Scotland to stand up, shake off the shackles and embrace their own country for the culture, wit, intelligence and ingenuity that she possesses.
Even we incomers can see just how Scotland has been undermined and trodden on by its parasitic neighbour, and how amazing Scotland really is, if only she knew it.
Capella & Robert Graham
The riots, the endless petitions, the addresses to parliament and resistance before during and after the act of union has been obscured.
I had no idea there was so much opposition from the Presbyterians/covenanters from South West Scotland (and elsewhere) at the same time that the Jacobites were opposing the union.
Support for Scottish Independence from people of completely different viewpoints and backgrounds is not new- nor is suffering from those different groups being unable to work together.
Re;Proud Cybernat@12.11
Absolutely correct, but we all know that here, have to get out there talking, sharing on social media. Facebook is also playing a part in this false sense of security, I am seeing this a lot and making sure to comment to counter this. Suspect false accounts as some are new and on Pro Indy sites telling people to give 2nd vote to any party but the SNP!
Night all, much to do next couple of days.
Well, I’m not as good as others on here at motivational speeches so I thought I’d look at the numbers from the latest polls and compare with the actual results from 2011.
It’s a mixed bag but all in all I think we will scrape a majority. As I’ve repeatedly said though, and it’s good to see others finally giving this emphasis, turnout is going to be critical.
If turnout is low, i.e. between 50 to 55%, I think it would be probably make it impossible for the SNP to win a majority. Turnout is zero-sum remember, if it affected everybody equally that would be fine, but it always hits working class parties the worst — that means the SNP.
Interesting that the SNP share of the constituency vote is likely to be about 5% up on 2011, whereas on the regional vote it looks down by 1 or 2 percent. I don’t understand that, there’s no obvious explanation. Surely the arguments RISE and the Greens have made for second votes don’t explain it…
If the SNP won 53 seats in the constituencies with 45.4% of the vote on 2011, it seems reasonable to suggest they will win more with 49% of the vote; I’m predicting 2 more seats here at least.
On the regional list side, I don’t even know how you’d begin to make a prediction. We need about 10 to 15 seats there which sounds easy but it isn’t. In a couple of areas it looks like the increased number of seats on the constituency side will reduce our chances of picking up seats on the list.
our election system is crap, it wastes too many votes.
We need good weather, a reasonably good turnout, and of course;
2 votes for SNP
I haven’t and will NOT read what NO said . I don’t listen to any of these Yoons. I have spent all my time convincing people that we have to vote SNP x 2. Much as though I admire Colin Fox who is out canvassing every day, like some of the Green and RISE ideas , this election is TOO important. Of course ideally the Scottish Parliament should be mas up of all different parties, and will be in the future ….. but while WM and their Britnat Unionists continue to play silly buggers there is NO other choice.
SNP x 2
Just a point. Should Wales vote to leave the EU along with Scotland & their vote with ours combined defeats the English vote, what then?
The latest survation phone poll shows those undecided or refusing to say how they will vote at 27% combined.
Every vote is needed for a majority. Take no chances.
SNPx2
Both votes SNP, ya bass! link to wp.me
We need a new Godwins law, first person to say independence is about “hating the English” tarred feathered and ridden out of town on rail!
Now who’s first?
David Torrance is an archaeologist. Surely.
Kneel Oliver’s foundation work on his knighthood well under way.
Both remind me of the bloons who phone in to Kay with an e saying they’re embarrassed to be Scottish.
This just in – it’s mutual!
Watching BBC’s breakfast programme I discover new things I never knew.
1. Leicester has just won a football championship.
2. Lots of children will be kept off school today in protest at SATS tests.
Imagine how ignorant I felt watching these news items. Until today I thought Leicester played in a different country’s league, and I never realised our 6 and 7 year olds had to sit these SATS tests. Thank you, BBC, for enlightening me. Worth every penny on the TV tax.
jdman
Good to see you back John. On the proclamation I posted up the thread the author is at pains to express how his opposition to the union is not about hatred of England or Englishness.
I guess even back then in 1706 with invasion and partial occupation within living memory and the aggressive economic warfare foremost in the mind which had doomed the expedition to form a colony- even when hatred of England as an aggressive state next door would have been the most natural thing in the world there were those who were at pains to develop a peaceful, respectful relationship.
I need to read more on it. On my wanderings around Dumfries I was reading a wee plaque about the old Greyfriars Monastery. The footprint was partly on the old Willie Lows supermarket near the top of the Vennel where my brothers had worked and which I can vaguely remember being marked by an old stone plaque in the back of the store.
The slaying of the Red Comyn was never presented simply as an act of butchery on Holy Ground (from what I can recall of being taught local history by word of mouth)- if anything it was celebrated that this pivotal moment in Scottish history which led to Bruce being crowned 7 days later and ultimately to the Declaration of Arbroath- this had happened here in Dumfries!
I still look back on it on those terms- Robert the Bruce was a hero, a local hero for Dumfries and it was a different age.
After he had slain John Comyn at the altar the legend goes that outside he told his friend Sir Roger Kirkpatrick that “I must be off, for I doubt I have slain the Red Comyn,” to which Kirkpatrick answers: “Doubt? I mak sikker” and with that returned to make sure.
Well- thats what we need to do on Thursday. The second SNP vote is to mak sikkar (see what I did there!).
Have a great day
O/T
Video- A No to Yes voter urges people to welcome No voters with a positive message
link to twitter.com
Video – Dalgety Bay clean up
link to twitter.com
Rockall-basin-set-for-oil-and-gas-exploration-bid
link to archive.is
link to lallandspeatworrier.blogspot.co.uk
O/T links
link to indyref2.scot
link to globalresearch.ca
Leaked-documents-about-ttip-could-spell-end-of-controversial-trade-deal
link to archive.is
This is just dreadful
link to sciscomedia.co.uk
@ Nana 8.05
Love your O/T posts. I kept this piece about Dalgety Bay and commented on it along the lines of ‘funny how they wait til now to agree (just before the referendum) and querying whether it would be done at all if we vote yes’.
link to thecourier.co.uk
Scary piece on the currency con – can’t wait to see the documentary and really happy about TTIP.
Yemen – horrendous, what can you say, what can you do? This should be all over the MSM wonder why it isn’t?
My own O/T – anybody got any badges yet?
O/T Carol the ” weather girl” on EBC ” breakfast” circa 0850 this morning
says ( in a weather context) , ” Scotland& Northern Ireland to join the rest of the U.K. Next week”
Has she got ” inside info on election result ? or perhaps being a Scot ? living darn souf a ” postal vote?
Neil Oliver is only a historian aye right and not a very good one, if he cant even understand and speak about / write about the very recent history he has lived through.
I like his programs but then he is just a nice front man and I don’t expect these programs are ALL HIM there will be a significant background team including scriptwriters.
Since this is (one assumes, always dangerous, and giving him the benefit of the doubt) his own words the logical conclusion one draws is that he is either deluded or a serious simpleton who does not get out in the real world.
I truly wonder why he thought that was needing said by him.
Not that I wonder why the paper wanted it published….. but then again working that backwards was this really ALL his own work?
@Liz Rannoch
Re Dalgety Bay, it’s pretty obvious labour were useless, having had Brown as their mp and PM the man did nothing for the area. How anyone still votes for that lying bunch of wasters frankly astounds me.
Radioactive particles were found somewhere near Dounreay also.
Re badges, I’ve not had mine yet but from the email I received delivery will be soon.
Don’t know about anyone else but this election has my stomach in knots.
@ Nana
Aye the man’s a buffoon right enough, had many a ‘discussion’ about him in the past (live in Dunfermline) but nobody seems to mention him now which is nice!
They’re always picking up stuff at Dounreay (we have a wee caravan in Bettyhill so are up in that area quite a bit) see:
link to pressandjournal.co.uk
but this is really scary:
link to dailyrecord.co.uk
Totally agree, guts churning, I think a big majority could be a close run thing. Going to try and stay up as long as I can. Going up to Bettyhill on Sunday for a week’s R&R – totally unplugged.
Yemen is still on my mind.
Again thanks for the O/Ts.
thanks for the links, Nana. Here is another link about the secret negotiations
link to nakedcapitalism.com
Yes, the EU regulations on environment, consumer rights, labour rights are under threat from TTIP but is the TTIP really on the rocks when you have negotiators like this?
link to journal-neo.org
@cirsium
It’s just awful what is going on, I’m at a loss to understand how on earth this is being foisted onto us by so called democratic countries. I really fear for the future whilst these people are running things, greed at any cost seems to be their mantra.
Steve Topple covers it well here…
link to consented.co.uk
France not to sign TTIP deal due to US position.
link to archive.is
Liz, I’ve seen reports about the Dounreay waste transport plans. I’m not sure it’s been highlighted enough, certainly a few people I’ve spoken to had not a clue about it. Scary how Scotland has always been used a dumping ground by Westminster.
Bettyhill sounds lovely. I think we will all be needing a rest after Thursday, and warmer weather would be nice.
@Nana – thanks for the links – the French block on TTIP looks promising. The EU Commission is certainly not going to. The EU Parliament criticised the Investor State Dispute Settlement clauses and the only response by the EU is to change the title to Investor Protection.
I found this talk on the ISDS by David Malone chilling link to youtube.com.
This is an example of an ISDS in action link to epaminternational.wordpress.com
@cirsium
Just watched the talk by David Malone, agree with you some chilling revelations. I would hope people will watch it and share. He gets emotional towards the end, I believe he is scared for the future.
I check this site regularly in case I have missed a blog post or announcement.
link to stop-ttip.org
Greg Moodie only satirizes the main actors does he not? As such, I cannot recall him ever doing David Torrance so don’t see what his major gripe is.
Oh deary me Stu.,
What has happened to poor old Sir Rantalot?
He of the windswept and uninteresting hair.
Seems Neil Oliver MBE has have flounced off in a huff.
Twitter account closed…
link to archive.is
Begone oh BBC embarrassment of Yoonery!