The infallible OBR
Posted on
March 12, 2016 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
Bottom story from today’s Financial Times, less than four months after the top one:
A forecast turned out wrong? Must be the SNP’s fault somehow.
I wonder where 45 Billion went in 4 months?
That is one hell of a turnaround in 4 months.
WTF do the OBR use? Dungeons and Dragons die?
And here was me thinking it was only Scotland that had budgetary black holes. Ah well – every day is a school day.
Black hole? Is that the same as a deficit?
Hmmmphewa Ha,ha,ha,ha,ha……….oh behave yourself…..ho,ho,ha,argh…….sorry, this is serious matter…..(grins and goes off to make lunch)
Osborne is an economic vandal. Austerity does not work and has never worked.
Austerity is a veil for stripping the Treasury and siphoning it off to his mates leaving the poor to pay it off.
Class warfare
Made me chuckle, the last couple of sentences.
Osbourne can’t even read a balance sheet. The Accounts are fraudulent when the figures are given and there is a deficit. Osbourne just adds a figure to balance as ‘growth’, which never materialise. £10-20Billion a year. That is what he did with the Budget. That is fraudent accounting. Any accountant in private/public practice would be arrested, charged and jailed for fraud.
The rest of the UK deficit is £78Billion (borrowing) + any other sum that desn’t materialse (£18Billion). = £96Billion So deficit has increased not decrease. Osbourne has totally missed his ‘targets’. He is a dismal failure. After 5 years of austerity the deficit had barely reduced and the debt is increasing. Austerity doesn’t work and the debt is increasing. The rest if the UK will not pay enough tax to cover their spending and misappropriate and mismanage the Scottish economy.
Wedtminster Unionists are lying hypocrites.
Total taxes raised in Scotland £54Billion. Total taxes raised in the UK £572. Total spending in the UK £650Billion. Take £54Billion from £572Billion = £518Billion. Divide £518 by 11 = £47Billion + £7Billion borrowed (£78 divided by 11 = £7) £54 (pro rata)
From Scotland £54Billion Scotland raises £4Billion is taken in debt repayments on money it doesn’t borrow or spend. £4Billion in Defence costs. = £8Billion taken off the £54Billion = £46Billion.
Scotland loses £10Billion to the Union a year. Plus £3Billion? in evaded taxes. For policies Scotland did not vote.
.
To put some context, they managed to apparently mis-calculate by the amount that it would cost to build 20 (Twenty!) new nuclear power stations. Wow!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7180539.stm
All very predictable that the OBR get it wrong. It’s there lack of understanding of macroeconomics and National sectoral accounting.
The govt deficit isn’t actually driven by the govt but by the propensity of the private sector to spend or save.
Leaving out the external sector (we are a net importer anyway so money disappears out of the economy), if the private sector is spending less than its income as a whole then the gap between the two is the govt deficit.
More details here..
http://neweconomicperspectives.org/2011/05/what-happens-when-government-tightens-2.html
Once the OBR actually understand the above they will find they will have a much better method of forecasting.
Most people I speak to on receipt of a tax reduction would use the extra money to pay down their mortgage faster and so the benefit to the economy is zero.
Shatters UK’s argument for Independence. Time to seek some broad shoulders. 51st State anyone?
In terms of Chris’s cartoon, this shows Osborne is veering all over the road, probably while snorting cocaine. Now there’s a cartoon.
It gives you a good picture of just huge the red/blue tory BBC bullshit was on Question Time on Thursday.
It also shows how how difficult it was for John Swinney to somehow debate that night, with the howling yoons raging away with bullshit UKOK economics, Dimbelby in particular.
“Apologise! you scumbag YESers” for what though?
David Cameron said Britain was “paying down the debt” 3 years ago. Surely it has all gone by now?
Anyone know what version of the UK long term plan we are on this week?
So … let me see if I have got this right. 😉
According to our beloved unionist fudwicks Scotland has a Black Hole of £15 Billion and is … apparently … a basket case … allegedly! 😉
Wee Ozzy the towel Folder has now created a Black Hole of £18 Billion … apparently … so am I right in thinking that there is absolutely NO problem here … because of the broad shoulders of the U.K. … allegedly? 😉
Now if you will all excuse my Village Idiot moment here I would like to ask a question … sort of. 😉
According to H.M.R.C. Scotland ran a trade SURPLUS of around £5 Billion. (I’m guessing 😉 ) I have had a quick shifty at the 2014/2015 GERS report but can not identify anything that takes this SURPLUS into account. I am therefore adding 2+2 here and coming up with the answer 42 here but surely the trade SURPLUS should be added into the mix of the GERS figures which would give Scotland a *ahem* Black Hole of around £13 Billion … wouldn’t it? 😉
Not only this but looking at the English regions would give a combined trade DEFICIT of £125 Billion. (again I’m guessing here 😉 ) Just like before adding 2+2 again resulting in the answer 42 gives me a total Black Hole for England of £143 Billion. 😉
https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/RTS/Pages/default.aspx
I’ll grab my hat and coat on the way out to the Darkened Room. 😀
When they say UK black hole is that counting Scotlands black hole coz we’re in the UK or are we a separate black hole from the UK black hole and if so why are we not a Bonny Saltire Blue Hole in order to distinguish who’s hole is worser
Or could it be the Yookay is just a Shit hole
Theirs would be a different colour then
The banks robbed our country whichever country you prefer
then the Tories blamed it on us and said we were living beyond our means and we had to pay off the banks for robbing us but it was our fault
So all you mugs must pay they said and the Yoonionists fell for it and are still arguing it’s OK to let them do it all over again says Mervyn King but it’s OK coz the Tories will make all us mugs pay for it again
De Ja Vue is coming again, or did I just say that
What?
Ever had the feeling that you are being had?
Slightly off topic but did anyone hear wee Union minion David Torrance having a go at Nicola Sturgeon FMQ perfrormance on bbc radio ScotlandintheUnionshire this morning for her ‘poor’ GERS figures?
Just awful. Chris cartoon sums it up position perfectly. Who exactly has been running UK/Scotland economy these last 300 years?
Ffs
Bit grumpy sorry
It’s too bloody tragic to laugh about what is happening, I’m seriously fretting that we NEED to get out sooner rather than later.
The only thing that comforts me is that Swinney is a genuine Finance man, as opposed to a failed towel folder, and can read what is happening in London.
Off topic
I did get a computer generated ack e-mail to my BBC complaint, so I at least know it made it through the system!
So who’ll be stumping up for the Preparation H? Silly me, it’s us plebs, obvs.
#OligarchicalCollectivism
I just love the EBC Camera angles at the party conferences
in Scotland.
I’m always eager to see what sort of turnout the parties get, and the EBC Directors get the Cameraman on his knees tight against a
small cluster of Blue Tory, Red Tory, and Lie Dems, so that you
cannot witness the mostly empty halls that hold these events.
Low and behold today a new set of camera angles have been introduced at the SNP Conference in Glasgow.
They have a wonderful turnout, by far a better turnout than all other so called Scottish parties combined, but the camera angle is no longer tight and from a low level as no matter where you look, the hall is full of supporters.
This is probably the only Scottish Party conference where begging letters and free buses haven’t been issued to supporters in England who are willing to fill a corner.
God, folk watching Nicola Sturgeon from England must be thinking, ‘F’ this, I moving to Scotland.
Listen folks. It is pointless trying to argue the toss on Treasury and HMRC massaged statistics. Really it is.
Far better to look at the much harder to fiddle macro stats for Scotland and compare to other countries. Resources like food and drink and energy per capita, how our schools and universities are doing how much of the population is educated to a high level, levels of production and manufacturing and our multi-faceted energy resource.
Go find countries with similar population size and resources and educational level and manufacturing level and see how they are doing.
Believe that before you believe anything you get out of Whitehall, HMRC,Westminster or the Treasury and you will be a lot closer to a realistic measure of how an independent Scotland would fare.
What a STONKING conference speech that was by oor Nicola! 😀
I was getting very teary eyed at points.
If I recall, yes I know she has just finished but my brain cell is oot walking the dug at the moment 🙂 , she said something aboot starting up preparations for independence 2! 😀
Here’s Nicola’s quote direct from the SNP. 🙂
NS: “I can tell you today that this summer the SNP will embark on a new initiative to build support for independence.”
Outstanding speech from Nicola…Just outstanding. So happy that we have her as our FM…roll on May.
Let’s get rid of the dross and get on wi building our country, our confidence and our future.
It would seem Conference has moved towards rent controls to protect tenants from unscrupulous land lords.
So far this is looking like a peach of a conference.
I needed a wee lift and Nicola just provided it. Super speech with a superb message at the end.
Actually felt a little tearful just then, sniff sniff
Arbroath 1320 @ 3.51
Totally agree. When she announced preparations for independence starting in the summer I got teary as well. Can’t wait!
Marvellous speech full of substance.
Should give us all hope for the future.
SNP x 2
I think her announcement about preparations for independence really did take everyone by surprise there SP.
When you look back back at what everyone has been shouting for over the past months and then Nicola comes out with this then you just know that she has most definitely been listening to what the people have been saying. 😀
I think we all know now, not that we didn’t already know 😉 , who the WORLD’S best political leader in the U.K. is … are you listening Porky? 😀
In my personal view, if the Labour, Tories and other lot were NOT demoralised before then guess what … they are so demoralised they are scurrying for the life boats now! 😀
That Nicola statement will send the yoons doolally!
Just watching the packed SNP Conference and listening to the Unionist commentators who seems to be at a different conference by holding their own anti SNP conference in front of the cameras.
Nice Daily Record UKOK henchman now explaining to nice BBC UKOK henchman, another five years of boring government in a tricky economic environment will see the end of Nic Sturgeon.
Like that “tricky” environment. We’ll be fine, five more years of blue tory austerity will have saved the economy and the union and Nic Sturgeon presumably, or maybe not. UKOK propaganda in their Scotland region never makes much sense.
Donald, cut out the middlemen:
http://www.snp.org/live
Heedtracker
The acceptance is that they are going to lose so they are just lipsticking the pig for their viewers.
Ha Ha! Prof Curtice tells future Sir Gordon Brewer that until YOU convince people that there is a chink in SNP Scots.gov armour, you’re fcuked bud.
Future Sir Gordon’s eyes display the challenge ahead, red and teary.
Chic McGregor says:
“… macro stats for Scotland and compare to other countries.”
Agree completely. Bean counting doesn’t tell you how the populations of countries are actually doing, nor what is being produced.
Scotland and her people have potential well beyond most comparable European countries. If the bean counting says otherwise, blame the bean counters!
HandandShrimp says:
12 March, 2016 at 4:30 pm
Heedtracker
The acceptance is that they are going to lose so they are just lipsticking the pig for their viewers.
Its fascinating how BBC yoonsters all to a man keep saying majority voted NO because of all kinds of SNP and YES campaigning failures yet, not one of them dare mention their historic The Vow fraud, in particular that Daily Record thug.
Funny that.
We’ll probably never know if The Vow did swing it for the yoons but we can see its all being UKOK buried deep and deeper, yoon style.
One, thing Nicola won’t be doing is the same thing over again and expecting a different result, so let’s have the conversation and create the conditions that makes the case for independence unquestionably the settled will of the vast majority of Scots.
Nicola and John are shaping the vision of Scotland, what do the opposition offer, this new unionist party, as shown on question time propaganda, this shame of Scotland? Nothing absolutely nothing,
The conservative labour liberal party, lib lab con, yes the LIB-LAB-CON. LLC.
There’s only two main political parties in Scotland, the National party of Scotland, and the Cons,
It’s now just a matter of time, and we will rid ourselves of this bastard Union.
EBC REPORT.
Clegg of the daily retard looked very depressed and sounded even more depressed. Prof Curtice was trying to keep his job at PQ anti Indy HQ with a load of drivel and gobbledygook. Sir Gordon Brewer was suitably impressed then talked his ain load o pish. EBC going for GOLD in Scotland trying to show how impartial and balanced they are. heheheheeee. REMEMBER DUNDEE!
Excellent SNP conference and tremendous speakers. The man from the national was very fair and well balanced in his views. Hope Clegg won’t be on his own tonight, he really looks in a bad way. Think the penny has dropped with him, INDEPENDENCE IS UNSTOPPABLE. SAOR ALBA!
Apparently the only thing that Nicola Sturgeon said in speech was that the SNP would start to rebuild the case for Independence. Nope not another word about any other issue.
Judging by MSM and commentators.
Aye its all the fault of the Sweaties and still they wont let us go!
Black holes,austerity doom gloom and disaster i really wish someone would take the big book of scary nonsense away from the tories.
How can a government that prints its own money be broke it cant its all a big scare the plebs and keep them scared in to thinking their only savoir is to vote tory and the status quo.
If there is a black hole its inside Osbourne’s head,this is all idealogical claptrap the plebs must never know how a currency issuing government actually works if they did then the tories and labour ideology would be obsolete.
No this is a regime starting to get scared that their little secret might be out,it doesnt matter how they try to paint it their ideology of always pumping money into the private sector is always doomed to fail,and the big question you must ask yourself is why do they chose this when they know what they have to do is boost the public sector until the private sector can recover they issue the god damn money.
Debt is deficits area a normal function of a government its when you have one that cant read the guide book of economics for dummies thats when you have a problem.
Scotland’s economy would be comparable to Germany (but better – Oil), without the Unionists interference.
Scotland would definitely be in surplus. It produces and exports. The balance of payments would be equal. The appalling way Westminster has behaved has damaged the Scottish economy for year. Thatcher secretly and illegally took Scottish resources and left Scotland in relative poverty. The McCrone Report kept hidden. The illegal wars and banking fraud. They can’t do that anymore with impunity.
Norway raises £80Billion in taxes + The massive Oil Fund.
Instead of Scotland paying £4Billion repayments a year to Westminster for money not borrowed or spent in Scotland. Westminster should be paying Scotland back compensation for the years of damage their policies have done to the Scottish economy.
Where is the Chilcot Report?
So proud of Nicola and the rest of the SNP ministers. Doing their best for Scotland.
Word is this is not just about a couple of banner waving events in George Square to convince people, it looks like she’s going to do to Cameron what he did to us by engaging big political, financial and overseas notables to speak out on the merits of Independence on Scotlands behalf
Even the Scottish media won’t be able to ignore that sort of input, especially when the big London important news puts it on and the right and left wing newspapers huff and puff about it and Cameron is forced into making comments about it whether he likes it or not
Camerons side’s gonnae be sair wae Nippy jaggin it
Ahm gettin ma woad back oot
Broad shoulders….(snigger). 🙂
I reckon shrimp hit the nail on the head D&D die.
Scotland’s economy would be comparable to Germany (but better – Oil), without the Unionists interference.
Its Scotland’s capacity for growth thats the real headline.
If Scotland had had anywhere near the infrastructure investment that England has basked in for decades now, paid for with NOT Scots oil and gas revenues and Scotland getting laden with the debt’s accrued, thanks for all that Crash Gordon, Flipper Darling, red and blue tory…well we may never know what Scotland would be like now, or how so many Scots lives would not have been destroyed by this farce union.
Polls hold in May, Westminster Scottish MP’s 56 SNP, SNP Holyrood Scots.gov, Scottish economy mere 30% controlled by Scottish government, ferocious BBC led UK media monstering everything Scotland til the end of time?
Maybe you can rein over one of your region’s like this toryboy world but for how long?
BBC vote SLabour Scotland can only do so much.
Aye too wee and too poor to leave the EU.
Who mentioned D&D? They have a couple of weeks to make some Create Gold spells before the budget. The Union will be saved on a roll of the D20 die!
Selective hearing from our very own Jeremy Beadle lookalike wankblanket…
https://twitter.com/Torcuil/status/708679347956273155
http://caltonjock.com/2015/06/20/charitable-donations-raised-in-scotland-transferred-to-london-spent-in-england-scottish-government-needs-to-close-the-door-on-the-rip-off/
Hey from the mooth of McTernan on Wings twitter feed…no clue in response to…but nevertheless I give you the description of the ‘contemporary’ Labour party, not ‘Socialists’, but Capitalists’.
Well that explains everything then doesn’t it!
Someone better send a memo to Kezia…
John McTernan ?@johnmcternan
@Saggydaddy As you well know, we are Labour not Socialist. Has a historical and a contemporary meaning. We believe in capitalism.
O/T Not sure if this interview was posted earlier..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-35763213
“SNP conference: Nicola Sturgeon answers your questions
BBC Scotland’s political editor Brian Taylor is putting your questions to SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon ahead of the party conference in Glasgow.”
She was terrific
And so the Britnat “We hate Scotland … kick Scotland out the Union” brigade begin their diatribe agaisnt Scotland … AGAIN! *YAWN* 😀
http://archive.is/Le7Ul
http://archive.is/6HOgV
Oh by the way folks all that banging you keep hearing is nothing to be worried about. The noise is only Porky’s chin and the chin of the Daily Mail editor and Daily Mirror editors bouncing off the floor. 😀
I think we now have good old Porky and co. in a right old mess. After today’s conference speech by Nicola they will be running roon like heidless chickens. They will not know whether to attack the SNP over their voting in House of Commons, the E.U. referendum, second independence referendum if England votes OUT, SNP not raising income tax, threat of second independence referendum not referenced to out vote … 😀
Well, Osborne and OBRonomics say that the way out of debt is austerity, so with a further black hole clearly the solution is black hole austerity.
Spend nothing Georgie Porgie, let us all die in peace and utter starvation!
Mmmm, here’s what the Corries think of it all:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLrDesPT14U
FMs speech posted anywhere yet? Been out all day and missed the live feed.
Macart
https://www.politicshome.com/party-politics/articles/news/nicola-sturgeons-speech-snp-conference
@Macart –
It’s on here.
http://www.facebook.com/theSNP/
Macart, my brain is fried, I’ve a horrible virus and its obvious from my last post!
Stu’s tweeted this I put a link on Thursday… unbelievable
http://wingsoverscotland.com/the-opposite-of-information/#comment-2120557
Cheers Croomp, Nana. 🙂
Shopping trip out of town and didn’t want to miss out.
@Croompenstein
Wow, I wonder if they can hear themselves. Good grief
Please Nicola stand up to this brillo heeded cringer in chief, this man has a lot to answer for when democracy comes home to Scotland. Be better prepared than Angus was..
https://twitter.com/afneil/status/708715819228930048
@Croomp
Looks like A Constance told the beeb to get gone this afternoon.
https://twitter.com/widster/status/708662853687975936?lang=en-gb
You know how well things are going when the Trolls are mobbing the SNP facebook
Absolute vitriol pouring out from mostly people who don’t live here
It’s a shame though that English folk in Scotland who support the SNP and Independence feel as if they have to say those words “I’m English but” it just goes to show these Bastirts who use the Ant English rhetoric get some traction with it
Maybe you should get the Humza Yousaf T shirt
I can’t do the linky thing but if anyone can it’s a brilliant slogan
Nicola’s speech
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R31ObvBPRm0&feature=youtu.be
The FT article is all the evidence one needs to confirm that the OBR is chronically rubbish at forecasts & therefore hopelessly unreliable. It can’t even predict what size the UK economy will be in just 13 weeks time.
Thus, by June 2016, the UK economy could be 1% smaller than it is now or 1% larger but the OBR has absolutely no idea. And since George “Towel Folder” Osborne relies on them, he might as well ask a fish or a roasted walnut.
Maybe the astrologer Russell Grant can help? Osborne needs someone used to gazing up at Uranus & not finding himself star struck.
Remember, just a few days ago, Unionists were screaming that a 1% reduction in the size of Scotland’s economy from 2014 to 2015 (an entire fiscal year by the way), was a catastrophe & was so bad that the question of independence should be put to rest forever.
Undecided voters might now wonder if the information they get from Westminster is forever highly dubious & should never be used to help them conclude how viable an independent Scotland would be.
@Dr Jim
https://twitter.com/HumzaYousaf/status/708290359038763008?lang=en-gb
@Nana,
Thanks for the link.
Perfect timing for evening viewing.
🙂
Next time any Yoonatic quotes the OBR be sure to remind them of this!
@Nana
Thanks for that, outstanding innit
@Nana – Angela was quite right they don’t share our ambition for Scotland. And Humzas t-shirts are cool like the boy himself..
I see our FM has done the old maybe ayes maybe no`s on the yoons lol absolutely brilliant.
There will be graphs and trolls out howling at the moon later i should expect.
RT on WoS but another snide UKOK henchman tweets
Andrew NeilVerified account
?@afneil
Nicola Sturgeon on Sunday Politics. Down the line from Glasgow = harder to be forensic. But better than nothing and will do our best.
I’m not one of the Ligger’s research crew but first question forensic BBC monstering style tomorrow-
“Nic Sturgeon, latest figures say Scotland’s £15bn black hole means independent Scotland would now be bankrupt and worse off than Greece, do you want to take this opportunity now to thank all the NO voters that saved Scotland from your referendum madness?”
But I’m not a BBC ligger but you dont really have to be to know exactly how the reprobates go about their UKOK business.
Good speech. Solid, steady, no rash promises or unachievable goals and as expected nothing for the bum press to grab a hold of regarding a new referendum. Having said that, the distinct impression I got, was that this does not mean nothing is happening. 🙂
Anyroads, the entire effect was one of confidence and solidity, a government with direction, belief and one that has your back.
Hoss I think you will like the speech very much!
Dr Jim The Humza t-shirt is fab, as is Humza!
I see Ruthie tank and Hothersall are getting their knickers in a twist on twitter.
Some really nasty stuff out there tonight, seems Nicola has ruffled the yoons.
If anyone is any doubt when Nicola says she will keep the Scottish NHS in public hands you have to know we have a fight while tied to UKOK. I’ll repost this as it is very important….
http://wingsoverscotland.com/the-extraordinary-untruth/#comment-2121130
@heedtracker
Wrt likely sneering by afneil, my reply would be,
“The much heralded city of London where all the big tax receipts come from was the part of the UK which was bailed out to the tune of almost £1 trillion rather than pumping much needed money into the real economy around the UK. So we know where all that deficit spending went”
Well it seems more than likely that the Brit Nat election strategy is going to be a daily tirade of Black Hole Black Hole and Black Hole again followed up by SNP BAD. In other words a repeat of the UKOK Election of last May which was stunningly successful for the Brit Nats in that three of them actually got elected!
@Croompenstein
Worth watching re NHS sell off
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CnIR2XQ3cc
FOI BBC foienquiries@bbc.co.uk
Dear FOI BBC
Following what must have been one of the most shameful episodes of Question Time in terms of bias in selecting the panel, the selection of the audience and Mr Diblebys complete divergence from the BBC charter and participation as a Unionist panelist on the show on the 10th of March last, BBC Radio Scotland announced on Friday that it had only received one complaint about the show.
Given that I know dozens of people who say they have complained, either I was the only person who got trhough to the complaints desk, or the logging of complaints is not working at the BBC.
I am therefore making an FOI on the number of complaints about this particular episode, as well as the number of complaints the show normally receives.
Cllr Cadogan Enright
Will share answer if I get one
ScottieDog says:
12 March, 2016 at 7:35 pm
@heedtracker
Wrt likely sneering by afneil, my reply would be,
I like Ligger Neil. He’s my kind of capitalist running dog lacky. You know exactly where and who he’s loyal to, you know he’s be briefed up to his wig so he know his stuff, mostly, right WoS, and you know that he’s the master in very tough questions that take huge complex answers and often don’t have any exact answers.
SO, who is actually responsible for the UKOK triumphant £15bn Scottish fiscal black hole so thank us loyal Brits BBC kicking that we got all last week, dear Ligger, probably wont come up.
Its always fun watching Ligger on his Daily Politics lunchtime and night time show as toryboy after toryboy, elected MP, lord trougher or UKOK hack, waffles an endless array of complete and utter vote tory bullshit, and Ligger just sits and smirks.
Worst advert for Blue Nun ever.
@Nana –
Get a load of the Yoondom maniacs responding to Nicola…
https://twitter.com/theSNP/status/708679361294106624
Makes you proud to be Scottish and the lunacy continues…
BBC Radio Scotland announced on Friday that it had only received one complaint about the show.
It was probably mine. First time complaint but its quick online and here’s how they say you know where you can stick etc.
Dear NumbNuts,
Thanks for contacting the BBC. This is an automated email acknowledging that we’ve received the attached complaint sent in this name. We’ve attached the case reference and text of the complaint for your records (see below).
We’ll normally include the full text of your complaint to BBC staff in the overnight reports we compile for them about the complaints and other reaction we’ve received today (with all your personal details removed). This ensures it will reach the right people quickly tomorrow morning. We’ll then aim to reply to you within 10 working days, or around 2 weeks, but it also depends on the nature of your complaint and whether the relevant people can respond to us in time.
We aim to use your licence fee as efficiently as we can, so if you complained about the same issues as others we will send our response to you and everyone. For the same reason we may not investigate or reply in great detail if a complaint doesn’t suggest a potential breach of BBC standards, or a significant issue of general importance. You can read about our full complaints procedures and how we consider issues which people raise with us at http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/handle-complaint/.
This acknowledgment is automatically generated from an unmonitored address so please don’t reply. If you think you’ve received this in error please contact us using our webform at http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints, quoting your case reference number.
Here are the details of your complaint:
Whine, whine, whine, grinch, not fair, whine.
Nana, thanks again, pour yourself a large hauf!
It was good that Nicola in her speech mentioned indyref 2 in the context that she did. I think that was a very astute move in admitting they have to play things differently next time.
There are lots of good things going on at the grassroots level with organisations like commonweal proposing reforms and policy which can be implemented right now, never mind waiting for independence. It also shows Westminster for what it is – a pseudo democratIc circus run by elites for elites.
So we should really be picking up the ball and running with it as if we were independent now.
@Cadogan EnrIght,
It is interesting that the BBC released the number of complaints raised about the Scottish Six last week ~ 600.
However, I think you will get a response exactly like this as Unionist complaints are released when the BBC wants to but nationalist complaints are never, ever released….
Freedom of Information request – RFIxxxxxxxx
Thank you for your request to the BBC of 5 December 2014, seeking the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000:
“for the BBC to publish the numbers of complaints they received for the Nick Robinson mis- reporting of the Alex Salmond interview on the 12 September BBC news (Refer to link above).
The BBC have reported the numbers of complaints (130) for the Salmond / Darling debate raised by the No side and to be consistent and impartial, in line with their charter and agreement, the BBC should release the numbers of complaints on this important issue as well.”
The information you have requested is excluded from the Act because it is held for the purposes of ‘journalism, art or literature.’ The BBC is therefore not obliged to provide this information to you and will not be doing so on this occasion.
Part VI of Schedule 1 to FOIA provides that information held by the BBC and the other public service broadcasters is only covered by the Act if it is held for ‘purposes other than those of journalism, art or literature”. The BBC is not required to supply information held for the purposes of creating the BBC’s output or information that supports and is closely associated with these creative activities1, including information relating to the subject of editorial complaints. The BBC’s independence and impartiality would be at risk through disclosure of information on editorial complaints, which is discussed in detail below.
… couple of pages of BBC impartiality waffle…
Yours sincerely,
Ian Small
Head of Public Policy & Corporate Affairs BBC Scotland
If you would like to send it to Ian Small directly then you can always cut out all the middle men.
ian(dot)smal(at)@bbc.co.uk
For some reason I got a direct response for the BBC Scotland’s main corporate man himself and not though the normal BBC system. Perhaps they were a bit overloaded in Scotland at the time?
I pushed this all the way to the BBC Trust but they also bombed it out. They will do the same with you, Cadogan,
The BBC is just not Scotland’s national broadcaster anymore.
Do not watch it.
Do not pay the licence fee.
And encourage everyone to do the same.
Both votes SNP!
“It was good that Nicola in her speech mentioned indyref 2 in the context that she did. I think that was a very astute move in admitting they have to play things differently next time.”
She has to get the GERS lies sorted out first and foremost.
Just watched the conference on the BBC and was appalled at Brewster’s constant ‘sneering'( but what’s new, there!!) – but good to see Curtice put him straight a few times! He wasn’t a happy bunny.
I thought ‘Big Brian’ was altogether much fairer, and his report on the BBC website of Nicola’s speech was very acceptable (in my opinion, of course).
Nicola Sturgeon was very smart today. Build the case for independence instead of having to defend it against hysteria and nonsense.
We know where we lost it – now we have to have answers to those questions and offer more. No short term promises of cash bonuses. Hammer home the stark reality of what will be our fate if we remain in this plight. Show real long term vision and the way we want our country to be and what we want it to offer the generations to come.
Where did this stereotype of the feckless, dependent Scot come from? Growing up in the 60s we were known as hard workers who paid our way and cared for those who could not. We have allowed our name to become tarnished and our fellow Scots to lose their self respect. We have to give that back to them and our nation.
This time it is for real.
@Cadogan EnrIght,
It is interesting that the BBC released the number of complaints raised about the Scottish Six last week ~ 600.
However, Unionist complaints are released when the BBC wants to but Nationalist complaints are never, ever released. So I think you will get a response exactly like this…
Freedom of Information request – RFIxxxxxxxx
Thank you for your request to the BBC of 5 December 2014, seeking the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000:
“for the BBC to publish the numbers of complaints they received for the Nick Robinson mis- reporting of the Alex Salmond interview on the 12 September BBC news (Refer to link above).
The BBC have reported the numbers of complaints (130) for the Salmond / Darling debate raised by the No side and to be consistent and impartial, in line with their charter and agreement, the BBC should release the numbers of complaints on this important issue as well.”
The information you have requested is excluded from the Act because it is held for the purposes of ‘journalism, art or literature.’ The BBC is therefore not obliged to provide this information to you and will not be doing so on this occasion.
Part VI of Schedule 1 to FOIA provides that information held by the BBC and the other public service broadcasters is only covered by the Act if it is held for ‘purposes other than those of journalism, art or literature”. The BBC is not required to supply information held for the purposes of creating the BBC’s output or information that supports and is closely associated with these creative activities1, including information relating to the subject of editorial complaints. The BBC’s independence and impartiality would be at risk through disclosure of information on editorial complaints, which is discussed in detail below.
… couple of pages of BBC impartiality waffle…
Yours sincerely,
Ian Small
Head of Public Policy & Corporate Affairs BBC Scotland
If you would like to send it to Ian Small directly then you can always cut out all the middle men,
ian(dot)small(at)bbc(dot)co(dot)uk.
I pushed this all the way to the BBC Trust but they also bombed it out.
They will do the same with you, Cadogan.
The BBC is just not Scotland’s national broadcaster anymore.
Do not watch it.
Do not pay the licence fee.
And encourage everyone to do the same.
Both votes SNP!
@Croompenstein
Jeez, just when I’d managed to calm down. To think some of those loony yoons are out in the community, scary!
@Fred Cheers Fred.
Scottish Psyche@8.41
I’m afraid the stereotype of the mean, feckless, dependent Scot goes back a long way. Four hundred years ago, when James IV came to London to take the English throne, the English courtiers started the sneers at the poor country cousins and it has been like that ever since.
Now if you are a politician and about to address your party as leader and FM of Scotland that is the way you do it.
No showboating decisive and straight to the job i knew there was a reason i was going to vote for her.
Some might even say others could learn a lot from the way the SNP conduct themselves but they probably wont and will go crying into the darkness SNP bad.
@Nana
They’re afraid Nana. Their world view is being rocked and they don’t like it. Their order, their system of government, the country they thought they belonged does not exist and never did. The independence movement threatens everything they thought they could believe in and rely upon. Of course they’re striking out blindly.
Their system and those who run it rely upon them for support, but its also the system that doesn’t give a shit about them and is robbing them blind. There is no way anyone could possibly convince them otherwise. They need the UK to be they way they believe it to be despite the depredations of a conservative government and the fall of Labour from grace.
Best to respond by example and not in kind. 🙂
@Fireproofjim.
Wrong James or your roman numeracy is not too hot.
James IV (4th) was father of Mary Stuart.
James VI (6th) was the one with two crowns to wear.
SNP SNP EU
@Fireproofjim
Ha! The propaganda has definitely been going for a long time. Didn’t Daniel Defoe write some scurrilous stuff way back then? I suppose it is, and always has been, when our bigger neighbour wants something we have.
Well its about time we changed it. Thankfully WoS is going some way to address the lies and distortions.
ScottishPsyche at 8.41
Good post
@Dave McEwan Hill
Thanks!
It’s simple enough to introduce a new central bank after Independence all the infrastructure is already there. Let us call it the Bank Of Alba and our new currency is called the Scottish Quid.
The Scottish Government Economic plan.
http://e1.newcastle.edu.au/mmt/
1. The Scottish government would announce that it will begin taxing exclusively in the new currency.
2. The Scottish government would announce that it will make all payments in the new currency.
3. The new currency will be freely floating, with exchange between willing buyers and sellers at market prices.
4. Announce exsisting debts will be considered on a ‘when and if’ basis with no specific payment plans.
One of the laws Scotland would pass immeadiately would be to asset limit what banks can lend for and in what currencies. The way to do that is to make all other loans *unenforceable*. You’ll quickly find then that banks will soon know who is in charge and are suddenly very keen to have local currency mortgages.
5. Existing govt contracts for goods and services will be redenominated in the new currency.
6. English £ bank deposits and £ bank loans will remain remain in place.
7. Foreign trade – Markets forces will function to adjust the trade balance to reflect foreign desires to accumulate financial assets denominated in the new currency.
8. To maintain full employment and internal price stability. The govt would fund a minimum wage job for anyone willing and able to work. For any given size government, taxes should be adjusted to ensure the labour force that works for that minimum wage be kept to a minimum.
9. The Govt will levy only a tax on real estate for the following reasons:
a. Compliance is maximized and compliance costs and related issues are minimized- if the tax isn’t paid the property can be simply sold at auction.
b. Everyone contributes as either an owner of the property or as a renter as the owner’s costs are ultimately passed through to renters.
c. Transactions taxes are eliminated, thereby removing those restrictions on transactions. Freedom to transact is the source of that substantial contribution to real wealth.
10. A zero rate policy where govt deficit spending remains as non interest bearing balances held by counter parties at the Bank of Alba, and NO govt securities/bonds are permitted.
The Government would then set up a national savings fund in the form of income bonds. Fully guarenteed by the monopoly issuer of the new currency.
Public debt markets add nothing to the UK when you look at how much they cost in real terms. A proper cost-benefit analysis would conclude that the market should be destroyed and not encouraged.
11. All bank deposits in the new currency will be fully insured by the govt.
12. Banks will be govt regulated and supervised, which will include a 15% capital requirement, govt guaranteed liquidity, and a BAN from any secondary market activity.
That’s it, job done!
The govt can now provision itself and continue to function on a sustainable basis.
Black Holes? Hmmmm! My understanding of ‘black holes’ is that if you dive into them you come out the other side in another Universe. Independence perhaps?
@ Macart
Aye and hell mend them we could have been out of this madhouse by now,i met one i know the other day he never was the brightest seemed to think we were going to ban the UJ and the Queen ,says a man with RVC on his knuckles because he cant spell.
i asked him how his drum was and if it was for independence yet ,he wasnt amused those yoons no sense of humour.
All GERS is telling you is how much the non goverment sector has saved. Or in otherwords government spending that has not been taxed yet.
Government deficits = Non goverment sector savings to the penny.
There is no getting away from this simple accounting fact.
And I am prepared to put a very hefty bet that you can find the goverment deficit in all of our pension funds. As this is where the majority of our savings end up as we put them there.
Take our national debt of £1.6 trillion for example. This again just represents the entire savings of the non govermental sector to the penny.
You can find it all here on page 2.
https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/files/37839926/2014_Pober_Angela_1042818_ethesis.pdf
Sovereign Wealth funds are centralised hoarding of foreign financial instruments. You’ve essentially swapped your real output for a financial claim on a foreign entities which it may or may not fulfil in the future. Earning numbers doesn’t help your population eat.
Generally you only want to give away real output to the extent that you need foreign goods and services. Otherwise you’re using real capacity today for no benefit to your citizens today.
A lot of these sovereign wealth funds are just ways by which the central bank injects its own money into the economy. If you ‘swap’ central bank created money for, say, US dollars it doesn’t look like you’re deficit spending. Of course you are because the population is saving your local currency and the central bank is just saving a matched foreign currency instrument and pretending those are equal.
Next week you’ll have to issue some more local currency.
The Norwegian system works like that – as Bill describes
http://bilbo.economicoutlook.net/blog/?p=28913
@robert Kerr
Yes JamesVI not James IV. Typo or fat fingers.
Anyway, his entourage of Scots was treated with contempt by the Establisment of the day. Just as Alec and his heroic MPs are treated today.
@DerekM
Yeah, could’ve been very different by now, but such folks are convinced we’d be a desert by this time.
Just wondering like. What kind of state do they think their lives would be in if not for the SG? Do they think a Scottish Labour govt. would have protected them from the recent Scotland bill? Do they believe that a conservative govt. feeding their fears on furriners whilst tearing the welfare state from their grasp and destroying the fabric of the benefits system,pensions, the NHS would give a shit for their flag waving loyalty?
No, I don’t understand it either, but we have to protect them regardless, because their own system certainly won’t.
Wouldn’t surprise me if Curtice is now a closet YES, I think he might have been a frustrated devo-maxer.
OT – rugby
Working today so I caught up with the rugby and George North had pracatically definitely passed the ball before his right foot slid in touch. Wales robbed again. Strangely though in the studio they said het might not have been out, it was close, they didn’t freeze frame it to check for sure. Ah wel, it was “the big match” after all.
Just in, child minding grandchildren, got cuffed after a few vicious games at ludo. Anyhoo!
@Nana: said
“Some really nasty stuff out there tonight, seems Nicola has ruffled the yoons”.
———————————————————-
Your right Nana they are very worried indeed.
This afternoon I settled down to see Nicola’s speech live and was joined in the kitchen by her indoors as I watched on my computer.
I thought after she made her coffee she would go as she normally won’t watch politics, but no…she listened all the way through.
To cut a long story short. She was impressed! 🙂
She said “That’s what women want to hear”
As for the SNHS % increase in funding promise each year she made it is most welcome but is a tough call. If Osborne continues to privatise the English NHS down South to cut costs there will be consequential losses to Barnett money coming North making it harder for the SG. But I expect Swinney will have that covered.
SNP x 2 🙂
———————————————————
PS:
Just heard a wee snatch of Anne Begg on radio 5 live news in the car regarding Osborne’s idea to review disabled benefits UK wide which will see hundreds of pounds removed from their present amount and equipment / aids denied.
> Half a million people affected
Here she is…wonder if she is still of a view that we are better together?
https://archive.is/lMrNd
@Macart
You are probably right. Isn’t it sad how they seem to get their ‘kicks’ from being so thoroughly obnoxious.
I honestly would not know how to respond to folk like that, anyhow I doubt they are open to reason.
At one point the Prof said the SNPs record in Government was quite remarkable and Brewers face looked like a chewed wasp
It’s going great or the Really unpleasant lot wouldn’t be trolling the Interwebby calling us names all over the place
Just read Cochrane and his rotten face must be a picture of bursting, and not just with the drink
I was thinking though just how nasty people can be, and I can’t think of any woman who I could feel badly enough about that I could descend to the kind of vile abusive name calling the FM has to put up with
For that alone she deserves a medal and Peter Murrell must have to hold on to himself at some of the stuff thrown at his wife, I know if it were me I’d have lost it with these lower order Sub Humans
+ There should be an award for Mums and Dads for their tolerance
Yoan bad swine Thatcher, wae hurr tak whit ye kin pauchle. Fuckin hoose prices, iz awe wae hear aboot. Erses stertin sentences wae “so”.
Scoatlinn billions oot ah poackitt, tae ah shoourr ah heidlines. Wull, iz Nicola Sturgeon saed, wurr gonnae mak it richt nixtum.
Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and Westminster shambolic. GERS, OBR, wae awe yoan ithurr shitey numurrs.
I live in cul-de-sac of 16 former council houses built in the 1920s mostly owned now. In the first indyref there were at least 12 of us voting Yes. There is also a couple on the edge of our street who are confirmed YES voters – having a Saltire flying where it can be seen from the main road.
We need to convert the others in our communities in whatever we we can.
Ok this was the plan
Once the referendum was over, wait. Stop, ok back up, let’s start again.
What was the reason for having a referendum, let’s start their.
Ok waiting, you really need to get with the program guy’s.
How many MP’s
How many MSP,?
Come on we were nowhere as far advanced as we are now, so back then we could have a referendum.
But now we have the vast majority of MP’s almost all, and soon all MSP but sum how we should forget about having a referendum, are they mad, have they lost all sense?, what do they want?
Oh yeah they want the Lib lab con pack back on their roll, well get over it, you lost, do you understand, are you thick,? you lost!
That’s why the settled will, is not settled, this country is Devided.
No matter what side the country is definitely split.
We can discuss what happened, we were there, we know, the liar BBC, is no longer a mach for this digital age, those who are still susceptible to that flavour of propaganda, will eventually realise what fools they were. Don’t write off the older generation, they didn’t take the bull from hitler, they won’t take the bull from Osborn, they know a cad when they see one.
At the end of the day it will always come down to this, which party, which person do you trust with your family’s future. Really can anyone truly trust the Labour Party, really is that even a question anymore? Sexy documents, shock and awe, 50 minutes from London, really, anyone still believe that shit?
So answer me, who do yo trust, who cares for you, who has dedicated their life to the benefit of the Scottish people, the las referendum was too close to call, the opposition built their case on a web of lies and on a foundation of sand, and as true as the movement of the planets and the ebb and flow of the tides, their foundation has been undermined. Soon their edifice, the edifice of lies will topple.
So let’s start, a bit controversial but fuck the pound!
Erses stertin sentences wae “so”.
When did that become a thing? It annoys the nipple ends off me. Once in a while maybe but every fucking second sentence?
yea its baffling i could never understand all that stuff, what waste a day poncing about looking like a tit being angry about some shit that happened a long time ago in another country with a flute or drum sod that i am awa fishing 🙂
Lost souls trapped in their own hate sown by those they pledge their allegiance to,quite sad really.
Foonurt & HandandShrimp
Starting sentences with ‘so’
Twists my melon,good to know I’m not the only one!:-\
It is all irrelevant, these are rounding errors compared to the unfunded liabilities coming due for pensions etc. The UK is bankrupt and we threw away the chance of leaving because a lot of people still think they will get paid in full by the Government. That is a mathematical impossibility without inflation which would mean the money was worthless anyway
So. So if toryboy world is so happy and UKOK glorious that we took their charming advice and voted NO, how come they are so bally angry?
Mr Angry yoon of 2016,17,18,19
https://archive.is/klLiS
“Had Scotland voted Yes in September 2014, we’d now be on the brink on financial catastrophe. Independence Day – 24 March, according to Scottish Government proposals – would have ushered in an era of savage cuts to public spending and tax hikes to make the eyes of even the most wilfully compassionate amongst us water. Plummeting oil revenues – predicted to be £7.9bn in the independence White Paper but heading towards £100 million for 2015-16 – hammer home the case that an independent Scotland would have been in severe difficulty from the word go.”
Could someone tell UKOK toryboy world they did actually win please.
Maybe one day one of them will realise that they did actually win and they can now stop Project Fearing the life out of Scottish democracy.
Could be UKOK propaganda’s like a super tanker that take a long time to slow down and stop.
There was an arsehole called Giddy,
Who was a bit of a diddy,
Dum de dum he is still a useless wanker.
Sorry, still raging at the dictatorship shite from the establishment.
Late night on the town ,past my bed time zzzzzzz
following NicolaSturgeon’s wee *ahem* announcement on Saturday is it too early to reprise this yet?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I2I_euwiEs
??????
Smallaxe says:
12 March, 2016 at 11:57 pm
Foonurt & HandandShrimp
Yep, the same here, you ask someone say, ‘where did you go for your birthday lunch?’. They start with, ‘so’, it drives me nuts.
So what, so? what do you mean!
I think somehow it grates because it seems to relate somehow to the ego, the me side, grr.
So,(!) must be ofskie, let’s see what the rest of the weekends news will bring eh.
‘So’ is an affectation. Imported from the US. It’s meant to sound as if you are being very logical. Annoying!
Didn’t Osborne set up the OBR when the Tories came into power in 2010.? It’s a political tool like GERS. The Treasury team won an award for their interference in Indyref, against Civil Service pretend rules. Nicholas Macpherson openly admitted he acted to save the UK.
‘So’ we’re obviously not in the UK.
Living like Norway NI. (2 million) gets £42Billion. NI gets all Scotland’s Oil fund. Gets rewarded for it’s sectarian and bigotry and votes for Unionism in Westminster. Westminster flying the flag for bigotry. NI raises £28Billion gets another £14Billion = £42Billion (2 million pop)
Same as Norway – £80Billion raised ( 5million) + Oil Fund.
The total criminal waste of public money HS2 £70Billion and £25Billion Hinkley Nuclear station – both disasters waiting to happen = the deficit in the rest of the UK = £95Billion.
Money which could be better spend. + Add in the interest. An absolute disgrace. To line Osbourne his associates, family and friends pockets with £Billions of public money in fees and consultancies and increase the Debt. The North/South divide. Absolutely scandalous.
The scandal of Wedtminster policy. £Billions spent to make rail journey’s in the UK take longer. £Billions spent on a disaster waiting to happen nuclear station. Where will the waste go? There are alternatives available. Tidal barrage and solar would be £Billions cheaper, safer and produce more fuel and energy.
Westminster total ignorance and idiocy.
The Tories have stopped coal/steel production. Stopped investment in solar. They are taxing the Scottish Oil sector at 60/80% when the price has fallen 75%, but importing Oil and Gas putting up the balance and trade deficit. They have banned onshore wind turbines in England but want to frack Gas. Fracked Gas is being imported into the UK.
https://archive.is/35qzF
Can we expect to see JK Rowling taking legal action against the Kremlin?
Robert Peffers points out that the UK is a union of two kingdoms. Scotland is an equal partner. But Westminster behaves as if Scotland is a sleeping partner. We supply the capital but play no part in the decision making.
Isn’t it time to wake up and decide how our resources should be allocated? Westminster is useless from a democratic decision making perspective.
heedtracker says:
Maybe one day one of them will realise that they did actually win and they can now stop Project Fearing the life out of Scottish democracy.
Ruby replies
It’s ‘Indy Ref Groundhog Day in Yoonsville’
Sassenach says:
12 March, 2016 at 8:37 pm
Just watched the conference on the BBC and was appalled at Brewster’s constant ‘sneering'( but what’s new, there!!) – but good to see Curtice put him straight a few times! He wasn’t a happy bunny.
Ruby replies
Can anyone help me with a link to this interview?
So?
So what?
So,so?
So, no?
So isn’t a thing, to see what we’re going to say?
So what’s the matter?
So someone says,
So,
So it could be worse,
So that’s that,
So, nipping over?
So sorry, I’m sure!
🙂
https://archive.is/35qzF
If you decide to read the above article scroll down to the bottom to read the comment made by Paul Cochrane!
Ruby – go to BBC iplayer, the complete 2 hour program ‘SNP Conference 2016’ is there.
O/T links
Dunblane’s dark politics
http://www.scottishreview.net/KennethRoy42a.html
https://www.commonspace.scot/articles/3653/victory-for-campaigners-scottish-government-will-deliver-greater-lobbying-transparency
George Osborne gets set to reveal Budget with £140billion hole in his sums
http://archive.is/vAUFJ
Why A Newspaper In Yorkshire Refused To Publish An Article By David Cameron
http://archive.is/kA4ok
O/T links
osborne-set-to-use-disabled-pip-cut-to-fund-middle-class-tax-giveaway
http://archive.is/FyyrA
http://michaelrosenblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/gove-nicked-our-schools-and-handed-them.html?m=1
http://tarffadvertiser.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/scotplod-vs-cndscot.html
http://io9.gizmodo.com/j-k-rowlings-history-of-magic-in-north-america-was-a-t-1764311530
O/T links
Noam Chomksy: “I have never seen such lunatics in the political system”
http://www.salon.com/2016/03/12/noam_chomksy_lunatics_partner/
Bra-michelle-mone-accused
http://archive.is/CiCgE
http://www.thecanary.co/2016/03/09/shameless-tory-mp-uses-money-osbornes-help-buy-personal-gain-video/
This a very long article and contains the oath made to the queen by privy councillors.
http://roguemale.org/2016/03/10/an-enquiry-concerning-the-monarchy/
Cameron and Osbourne are criminal fraudsters they should be put in jail. They are a complete and utter disgrace.
Nana,
That Michael Rosen piece is an absolute shocker. It ought to be a major scandal but I doubt that it will.
Perhaps our readers in England would like to start raising the profile of it.
I can fix Giddy’s budget for him. It’s easy, can’t understand why he hasn’t thought of it. Set Scotland free and save yourself £8, £10, £18 billion, pick a figure, a year.
Of course that will only work if we really are being subsidised by the rest of the UK, which we aren’t, so he won’t.
No harm in suggesting it down South though, just to stir the pot.
My definition of so being used at the beginning of an answer to a question?
So, listen up, I’m about to impart some truly amazing information to you, look at me, pay attention.
The truth is it usually precedes some bland bullshit of an answer.
Tossers, still it’s good to know I’m not the only one with an irrational hatred of it and you can use it to your advantage. Take it as an early warning sign that you are about to waste some more of your life by listening to some crapolla and switch off.
Derek Henry
Some fascinating posts above giving a fresh perpective on some quite difficult concepts so cheers for that.
Now that Nicola has suggested a fresh push for indy in the summer the strange anti-Scottish forums like the guardian are choc full of people who would recoil at being called racist but display all the hallmarks of a kind of british nationalist xenophobia.
The weird thing is that the very basics of some simple concepts are again and again distorted and misunderstood. Take the Barnett Formula. This notion that up here we are all pampered and being indulged and subsidised has taken hold to such a degree it is ingrained.
Imagine Barnett did not exist and funding for Scotland was simply based on a strict population parity with England: We take the funding amount for England, divide by England’s population and multiply by Scotland’s population.
Scotland has a population 5 times less dense than the rest of the UK. Scotland has a population 6 times less dense than England.
The idea that spending per person allocated to Scotland (if that is how one chooses to measure spending things that in many cases have no relationship with the population level at all) should be the same as spending per person in England is complete baloney and just displays a kind of media driven laziness of thought.
It would only work if it cost the same to educate a primary school pupil in, say, Benbecula as it does to educate a primary school pupil in, say ultra dense populated Leith Walk. Or if the miles of roads to maintain per person in country A is roughly the same as country B.
And why is our country so sparsely populated that such a thing as Barnett requires to exist? Well, the highland and lowland clearances enacted during the glorious union have played their part and in the last hundred years the flow of Scots travelling abroad to find work (because of how great the union has been for Scotland) has continued unabated.
The idea that England has been paying for Scotland for years has taken hold and is almost unshakeable down south. With no sign of any intellectual rigour being applied to the many misconceptions that have taken root down south (and clearly up here as well) and no impetus from the public broadcaster, UK government of the press I see no reason why we should stick around and endure the next century of being looked down upon as beggars.
I see now another reason, aside our resources, why Westminster was so desperate to hold on to us in 2014 and today. Imagine Scotland thrived (as I am sure she would). That would put paid to the years of propaganda and the ingrained feeling of superiority over Scotland.
It would be so difficult for any Westminster government to bear, with the public down south witnessing a strong Scottish economy rising up that every increase in the standard of living up here, every victory for our industry and every ounce of pride we would gain from having taken these bold steps into the future would be viewed with incredulity and fear.
Osbourne is a total and absolute liar. The only one overspending public money is him. A absolute ignoramous. Spending £95Bilkion + interest on a idioctic scheme HS2 + Hinkley nuclear station. The £95Billion deficit (+ interest)
Osboure is a total fraudster liar. He should be put in jail. Criminal.
Osbourne the total liar
Scotland is the country of Invention.
Incompetent ignoramous liar. Sanctioning and starving people to death. He should be put in jail.
The ignoramous taxing the Scottish Oul sector at 60/80% (deliberately costing thousands of jobs) and importing more Oil & Gas putting up the balance of payments and the debt.
@cearc
It definitely should be a major scandal. It’s one thing after another from the dodgers in government.
I think our Lollysmum if she’s about may grab that story and tweet tweet.
Spotted this earlier, made me laugh.
https://twitter.com/WeAreThe59/status/708899061324189696
and day 2 kicking off…
http://www.snp.org/live
Thats a shocker that Michael Rosen article Nana makes you glad they cant get their greedy hands on our schools.
Welcome to your education being privatized England bet you didnt vote for that did you.
So lets see thats the NHS,Education so that only leaves the social security or “welfare” which they are making an arse out of deliberately to lead to its demise and back door privatization.
We have never in my lifetime had a more anti social government running the UK and i lived through Thatcher.
Nice to see Trudeau jnr. taking up what his Pa started.
http://www.thecanary.co/2016/03/10/tories-just-received-sharp-lesson-economics-canada/
Flicking through channels waiting for the SNP Conference to come on line, when I came across a programme with lots of Scottish voices!
It’s called the Big Debate on BBC 1. So the Beeb thinks that to make amends for QT on Thurs they would show this, hoping that people wouldn’t notice (Nicky Whatshisname) saying that the LibDem conference was yesterday in a wee sentence. So it’s an OLD Big Debate.
Obviously slipped this programme in to show folk that they are totally inbiased! Do they just keep these under their hat in case they are needed at some point? It’s on just now!
They really are pooping their pants at the thought of the SNP standing for… wait for it… an independent Scotland.
Bollocks puff piece in this mornings Herald attempting to drum up some zoomery. Apparently Alex Salmond has let the cat out of the bag that there’ll be another referendum and that its timing is being planned for. 😀 LOL
Yeah, from this quote the dark plot is revealed:
However speaking in Bilbao, Salmond said it was already a political calculation for Sturgeon and she would go to the country when she felt Yes would win.
Asked about the SNP’s strategy for the “near future”, he replied: “Well, I suppose it’s onwards and upwards. My successor, Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland, who’s very well ahead in the elections, [in] the polls for the elections this year, she’ll be thinking of what’s the best time, the best time to have another referendum.
“Now, Nicola is a very intelligent lady, much more cautious than I am – it’s not a bad thing, I’m impetuous by nature – so she’ll be wanting to make sure that the next time the referendum is held, that the National cause will win. So she’ll time that very carefully, and good luck to her.”
From this the article and of course political opponents construct the fallacy that the FM lied to everyone when stating that the next, ANY next referendum will be at the request of the Scottish electorate.
Can you see what they did there?
At no time does any part of Mr Salmond’s quote actually contradict the FMs well documented statement or position and here’s the important bit, so pay attention if you read, but don’t comment.
‘However speaking in Bilbao, Salmond said it was already a political calculation for Sturgeon and she would go to the country when she felt Yes would win.’
‘…she’ll be thinking of what’s the best time, the best time to have another referendum.’
‘so she’ll be wanting to make sure that the next time the referendum is held, that the National cause will win. So she’ll time that very carefully, and good luck to her.’
Which as anyone who has been paying attention in the past eighteen months will tell you is when the SG feels there is consistently polled evidence to suggest a majority advantage or desire from the electorate for independence.
Proof, as if any were actually needed, that you should always read carefully below a headline for what was actually said. There is a big difference between what opponents would have you, or lead you to believe and what actually is there.
Nana, I’m getting error 404 on the Noam Chomsky link, is it just me or is there a problem.?
The only danger to the world is George Osbourne and the pig face sucker
@ Marie Clark @ nana
Me too. I can’t find the Salon article even with a search of the keywords.
“So” I read this instead!
http://www.salon.com/2013/08/17/chomsky_the_u_s_behaves_nothing_like_a_democracy/
The incredible thing is Tam its all nonsense if anything by holding us back they only do damage to themselves,its not like we planned to throw out every Englishman and become a communist state the exact opposite,we intend to open up our country for business and fair trade.
We will still need movement of people that comes with the modern world of private business and investment,and imagine the work it could create in N England as there would be overspill.
What the blue bloods are scared of is the English waking up to the fact their political parties are lying scumbags ,their system is rotten to the core and that the money a government is supposed to spend on us is being cut in another failed attempt to keep the private sector from going bust ,drive to the bottom politics purely ideological and completely illogical in the context of running a counties economics and can only create a wealth gap and poverty with boom and bust economic cycles.
Are the SNP the only political party that is capable in the UK at this moment of doing this job of governance yes they are,the others are a complete shambles.
BBC demands Scotland YES vote thanks England for their money, shock.
That’s Ligger Neil going nuts on Sturgeon just the now, BBC Politics. Also, Scotland cant include Scottish oil and gas reserves. Nothing new really, its still a toryboy world, shock 2.
Andrew Neil really is a horrible Cu@t who hates his Country of birth.
Andrew Neil the pathetic squealing of a man confused resorts to “We’re better than you admit it” child arguments
Nicola Sturgeon calm and collected cased him to buster his wee blood vessels “You’re Baad you really are” (slightly changed his words there) but if you haven’t seen it, do
Andrew Neil is an ignoramous liar. The alcoholic BBC liar for a vast salary. Thatcher’s henchman who colluded with the illegal and secret taking of the equivalent of £Billions from Scotland and wasted by Westminster. The McCrone Report.
Mention the 60/80% Osbourne tax
Andrew Neil ignoramous per capita spending is decided by Westminster.
If Scotland was Independent it would not spend £1Billion on Trident/illegal wars. £1Billion on ‘loss leading’ drink. Scotland would not have to pay £4Billion debt repayments money it does borrow and spend. Scotland would not have loss £4Billion in Oil Revenues since 2011 because of the Westminster 60/80% illegal Oil tax. £20Billion. HMRC not fit for purpose. Scotland loses £3Billion? a year from tax evasion. Whisky companies ax evade. £15Billion + £20Billion = £35Billion+ in five years. The so called ‘deficit’.
Andrew Neil is an alcoholic liar who should be sacked. Andrew Neil is a disgrace. Alcoholics made poor decisions without proper total abstinence counselling. On redial with the alcoholic pig faced sucker.
Now a political party broadcast for apartheid Israel. The BBC is a disgrace,
Err… that should of course have been HMRS, don’t know where HMRC came from.
I realise, the First Minister is a well-brought-up, educated lady, who would never stoop so low, but, the way “Brillo” kept ranting at her demanded a response which, as a Paisley Buddie, Neil might have understood.
This response is: “Shut up, ye’re talking pish ya bawbag”.
Marie Clark says:
13 March, 2016 at 10:58 am
Nana, I’m getting error 404 on the Noam Chomsky link, is it just me or is there a problem.?
Sassenach says:
13 March, 2016 at 8:50 am
Ruby – go to BBC iplayer, the complete 2 hour program ‘SNP Conference 2016’ is there.
Ruby replies
Thank you Sassenach
Marie Clark
Try this
http://tinyurl.com/hppktl4
heedtracker says:
” Scotland cant include Scottish oil and gas reserves.”
Yes. Tried to say Scotland without oil always had a deficit. FFS, why exclude oil? What a stupid set up line of questioning.
One of the more offence aspects was Neil having the last sarcastic word! Who the f*ck does he think he is?
He’s clearly thick as mince, a bully, and a hater of his own identity. Sad pathetic wee man.
On a wider note, I find all these attacks on Scotland worrying. It goes way beyond the politics of criticising the SG and the SNP. Running Scotland down at every opportunity to an audience who are mainly rUK is potentially dangerous. They are pushing Scots as spongers, subsidy junkies, worse thieves of English taxes. This is unnecessarily creating tensions.
Andrew Neil EBC FOGHORN. A truly nasty peace of work. Just noticed what a “large” windbag he truly is and beginning to fray around the edges. Round shouldered, hair thinning, belly drooping and mind really neads to keep up with his mouth. He is a true off cut of his old mentors and pals Rupert and Tony (Blair). Looks to me as if Dimbleby and Andrew are being used by EBC as a anti Scottish tag team. Totally disgusting
@Marie
Sorry I didn’t reply earlier, I had to pop out but I see Ruby has sorted that for you.
@Ruby
Thanks
Osborne this morning,as reported by the BBC frae Londinium:- “Chancellor George Osborne has warned the UK has to “act now rather than pay later” ahead of next week’s Budget, with further spending cuts planned. 🙁
He said the cuts would be “equivalent to 50p in every £100″ of public spending by 2020,”
Capella, Ruby and Nana, thank you very much for your assistance got the article now.
I am a Paisley buddie myself, born and brought up till I got married and moved to D&G many years ago, and I can safely say that Andrew Neil has to be one of the worst people to come from Paisley. Thank god he left, it has enough problems now without that eejit.
Anddrew Neil is no different from the rest of us in that he started out in life as a wee wriggly sperm.
That wriggly wee sperm is, metaphorically speaking, still in him somewhere. Knowing that means that if you simply imagine him and others like him as a wee sperm wriggling about on a seat you become empowered, for it reminds you that basically that is all that any of us are, even if some of us appear, like A. Neil, disgustingly fat and bloated and bad mannered.
Anything else is just noise and bluster. And that is pretty much all Andrew Neil and the rest of his gang of loud mouthed unionists are: loud mouthed sperms.
Last week McWhirter claimed that Kezia Dugdale was the best Slab leader since Donald Dewar, today it seems she’s a doughball, truly a week’s a long time in politics.
It was so telling seeing that moron Andrew Neil having to be reading off his ‘crib sheet’!!
Can he not manage a spontaneous discussion with Nicola?
Considering the fuss he made about Nicola not wanting to be interviewed by his own magnificence – he was shown up for what he really is, an overblown egotist ( not on top of his brief!).
@ Tam
Exactly !!!
Imagine how bad it would make austerity look and the neoliberal agenda.
Of course, any short term fiscal challenges faced by Osborne are not a reason why the UK should not be an independent country … unlike Scotland! Hypocrisy verging on amnesia!
http://moflomojo.blogspot.com/2016/03/echo-chamber-tourism-questions-every.html