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Wings Over Scotland


The last four minutes

Posted on March 30, 2016 by

In the end, we decided comment on this was superfluous.

(Good Morning Scotland, BBC Radio Scotland, 30 March 2016)
.

Michael McMahon, the Scottish Labour candidate for Uddingston & Bellshill, has been MSP for the seat (or its previous equivalent) since 1999.

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170 to “The last four minutes”

  1. bobajock
    Ignored
    says:

    Jebus christ – this is breathtaking. The hypocritical rubbish from Labour – totally disgusting.

  2. K1
    Ignored
    says:

    The Unbelievable Hypocrisy of Labour in Scotland, should that no be a film?

  3. blackhack
    Ignored
    says:

    I think the wee lassie need a responsible adult with her at all times…..

  4. Lucasaye
    Ignored
    says:

    Could labour get any worse the leader of slab doesn’t know who the candidates are in several constituencies hahaha

  5. K1
    Ignored
    says:

    Maybe a ‘Named Person’ should step in blackhack?

  6. One of the Hundred
    Ignored
    says:

    Oh my!

  7. Brian McHugh
    Ignored
    says:

    Ooft. I thought she was going to start crying at one point.

  8. Al
    Ignored
    says:

    As big an asset to the SNP as Nicola Sturgeon!

  9. Anagach
    Ignored
    says:

    Not fit for office.

  10. John Melrose
    Ignored
    says:

    Dear oh dear, utter shambles, Kaz! Fancy not knowing who you’ve agreed to be put up for regional elections, never mind having to be reminded which regions you’ve made selections for!

  11. Arbroath1320
    Ignored
    says:

    Erm I think all she wants to do is say S.N.P. BAAAD no matter what the question! So anything that comes from Ozzy the Towel Folder must be GOOD! 😀

    Tick Tock the clock is ticking and wee Kezia carries the RED BLUE flag for the Tories! 😀

  12. Lenny Hartley
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m astonished!

  13. Arbroath1320
    Ignored
    says:

    Anagach says:
    30 March, 2016 at 11:37 pm

    Not fit for office.

    Just as well she does not hold any office or is even likely to do so for quite some considerable time then Anagach. 😀

  14. CmonIndy
    Ignored
    says:

    Was that Gary Robertson interviewing? I get the sense some BBC interviewers are exiting the Labour love-in.

  15. Eppy
    Ignored
    says:

    K1

    The trouble with Kezia is that her named person for many years seems to have been George Foulkes.

  16. Iain More
    Ignored
    says:

    Sheesh! How can anybody vote for that at all ever!

  17. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Poor Gaza. It must be infuriating for the whole Pacific Quay crew trying to sell this pup, with all their SNPbad work day in day out.

  18. Papadox
    Ignored
    says:

    Is there nobody left in SLAB Who can throw the towel in and raise the white flag to save them further punishment. This is truly embarrassing.

  19. Betty Boop
    Ignored
    says:

    Nice to be appreciated by the “leader”. I guess when her head is filled with nothing but bile, it’s easy to mislay a few MSPs.

  20. Dave McEwan Hill
    Ignored
    says:

    I take it from lots of evidence in the last few days that our impartial BBC has now bought into the put Ruthie into second place scenario.

    I have no doubt that the London Establishment has decided that Labour in Scotland is dead and have moved to the Tories as the last chance to save the union.

    As has often been said “Don’t interrupt your opponents when they are making a mistake”
    In an argument which will from now on be dominated by the future constitution of Scotland the Tories v Scotland is what we pray for.

  21. Jules
    Ignored
    says:

    Feel a bit sorry for her, there, if I’m honest. Clearly rattled, and Gary Robertson just kept on going.

    Tough being a politician sometimes..!

  22. Valerie
    Ignored
    says:

    I don’t normally listen to this in the morning, so I quite enjoyed that.

    Get tore in, Gary!

  23. Arbroath1320
    Ignored
    says:

    So seriously folks is there ANYONE who is STILL surprised that Jeremy Corbyn did not attend wee Kezia’s phone box get together recently? 😀

  24. Valerie
    Ignored
    says:

    BTW. I don’t feel in the least bit sorry for this woman, she has no scruples.

    They moan about one party states, and effective opposition, so Gazza is doing her a favour.

    Secondly, I’ve just glanced at the Revs Twitter, and there is Kez, front of the Heil, shouting down the NP, that she voted for.

    Right on cue, bringing up Tank Commander’s rear.

  25. BJ
    Ignored
    says:

    Kezia sounds miserable in that clip. She must know she is toast after the election. I think the best decision she could make is to walk away. Now!

    Someone as disrespectful as she is by putting her family through all this and still stand up for a party that will drop her after May is not fit to be in government. She probably believes that it would damage the party if she leaves. It’s like a cult, party before everything, family, friends and probably her health.

    Kezia, Labour are finished in Scotland. Move on nothing to see here.

  26. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Lovely little goodnight kiss from our chums in the south, presently and desperately trying to get their Scotland to vote Dugdale.

    So glad to still be governed by UKOK delights like this charming chap

    https://archive.is/9TCSI

    Trump is awful but dont worry UK, we coped with the vile separatists in our Scotland region, so he could never happen here-

    “I have met Ukip supporters who believe that the Labour party is a vast paedophile protection racket. That is before they even get to European plans for the genetic dilution of Britain’s indigenous population.

    The Scottish independence referendum spawned a multiverse of parallel realities, featuring secret oil fields, stolen ballot boxes and collusion between the BBC, the Bank of England and Buckingham Palace to procure a false result on polling day.”

  27. Bob Mack
    Ignored
    says:

    Oh! , It gets better. Did you know Willie Rennie wrote that N East Fife has been ignored in Holyrood for the past 5 years and if he was elected he would do something about that.

    Notwithstanding the fact that he HAS been the representative for the past 5 years.

  28. Morgatron
    Ignored
    says:

    Hahahaha, such jolly japes. A total car crash. She is a third if not fourth grade politician at best and whats this with the Daphne Broon look ,is she trying to carve up the Glebe St vote? PS Fatso Baillie for president.

  29. Chitterinlicht
    Ignored
    says:

    Goodness.
    Gary Robertson on top form.
    Kezia way out her depth.

    I would just like to state that I am very proud of the fact that I planted my onions today.

    I do not, however, expect anyone to vote for me.

  30. mealer
    Ignored
    says:

    She’s going for the sympathy vote.

  31. arthur thomson
    Ignored
    says:

    I surely hope the blue Tories come second so that the SNP can get tore into them. Without the protection of the red Tories the blues would be the turkeys in a turkey shoot.

    Ruthie should be praying for third place. I wonder if she is complaining to the BBC via her big pals in London about the treatment her Kezia is getting. Not very better together behaviour chaps.

  32. ScottishPsyche
    Ignored
    says:

    Maybe someone needs to stage an intervention for her own good. The problem is there will be Slab hangers on who will be telling her she did well.

    I honestly do not have any respect for anyone who still thinks Slab are worth a vote after the past two years. I am particularly baffled that any young person would want to be associated with them.

    What they have become was summed by the sheer duplicity and ineptitude of today’s performance.

    I went to a Slab meeting about 20 years ago with a friend who was obviously trying to recruit more into the fold. I could not imagine a less welcoming or inclusive group of people – overwhelmingly stale, pale and male. Also I could not take to the idea of great troughing Union leaders and councillors calling each other ‘comrade’.

    The more I find out it seems even those people I thought had integrity either were only in it for themselves. Or were so wrapped up in process and procedure that they forgot why they were there.

  33. Valerie
    Ignored
    says:

    @Heedtracker

    That’s a particularly vile and sneery piece from Behr. All superior like.

    I suppose we must all be fantasising about the number of politicians on the Right especially, caught with their pants down, cavorting in bras, accepting bribes, fiddling expenses and just plain lying.

  34. X_Sticks
    Ignored
    says:

    That chap Darwin was definitely on to something..

  35. Ian Mackay
    Ignored
    says:

    To be fair to Kezia, most Labour MSPs are simply there on their traditional legacy of ‘weighing the votes’ and ‘electing a monkey with a red rosette’. They do little else once elected other than mouth ‘SNP Bad’ and are political non-entities simply drawing a pay-check from the Scottish people.

    Must be hard for her to remember the names of folk like Michael McMahon, never mind the area they represent.

    This election should see the end of the ‘weighing the vote’ legacy of the Labour Party.

    Perhaps Kezia didn’t remember the likes of Uddingston and Bellshill because it’s already down as a lost cause for Labour in the upcoming election.

    It must be easier for Kezia to remember Labour’s main target seats – and candidates – as most of their energy will be focussed on trying to shore up their support in those key areas.

    She rhymed off her own seat easily enough. That surely is the important one for Labour.

    The fact that Kezia is also on the list – after her previous opinions about joint list / constituency placings – then says a lot. No Labour constituency seat is now safe and the list is now the guarantee.

  36. Inverclyder
    Ignored
    says:

    That was the string band playing on the Titanic.

    Only an idiot would vote Labour.

  37. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    What a night, we’ve had David Clegg nearly in tears now Kezia on the verge, Murray the Union Flag clown answering questions with absolute verbal diarrhea George Fffffoulkes drunk again calling Scotland tonight a disgrace and forgetting David Clegg is Labour party head office central

    But I thought the best one was FFFoulksey accusing yes accusing the SNP of donating money to the STV Kids charity
    Imagine donating to charity…. Disgrace, a damn Disgrace

    It’s like being wrapped in a 14 Tog duvet when the opposition is such Shite

  38. Rock
    Ignored
    says:

    I have zero sympathy for Dugdale and Scottish Labour.

    They have been wolves in sheep’s clothing for decades.

    I hope they come as near a wipeout as possible.

    I hate Davidson and the Tories even more.

    Davidson is the most disgusting and dishonest politician in Scotland in my view.

  39. Adam Davidson
    Ignored
    says:

    At last, the Labour party getting a taste of what the SNP have had to put up with for decades.

  40. Andrew Mclean
    Ignored
    says:

    Did Kezia condemn the NP act she voted in favour of?

  41. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    I am not a fan of blood sports and this is akin to seal pup clubbing.

    (She sounds loaded with that damned bug doing the rounds – it lasts for ages).

  42. K1
    Ignored
    says:

    Yep now she’s (Dugdale) going for the NP act, this is truly cynical, they voted for it. Someone has put an apt reminder on twitter about what was said by Ian Gray (Labour) in December in relation to the Tory’s shameless politicising of this:
    ?
    Ian Gray (East Lothian) Lab

    We often begin such debates by congratulating the relevant party in bringing it forward. I cannot do this today because this is a calculatedly unhelpful debate brought by the Tories in their effort to whip up concern – even fear – amongst parents and others about the named persons policy passed by the Parliament sometime ago. The Tory motion may not do that explicitly, but Ruth Davidson’s disgraceful remarks at the weekend suggesting that the policy will lead to deaths like those of Baby P and Victoria Climbie give the game away, and the minister was right to take her to task for that.

    The Tories are shamelessly allying themselves for perceived party advantage with completely untrue and hyperbolic headlines, which have variously described named persons as state guardians, shadow parents, replacements for parents and spies on parents and talked about the politicisation of parents. The stories have suggested the named persons will invade the family home to check what television programmes the children are watching, while indoctrinating the same children with a named person sing-along, which Liz Smith referred to.

    Here’s what Kezia Dugdale has said in tomorrow’s Scottish Daily Mail exclusive interview with her on the front page:

    “It is time to pause the roll-out of the legislation and order an independent review to urgently address parents concerns”

    She has aligned herself with Ruth Davidson who is also quoted in this ‘exclusive’.

    So it’s a Unionist gang up to split the vote. The Labour party are quite literally destroying any vestiges of what remains of their party with this manoeuvre, shameless hypocrites displaying their utter contempt for our electorate in assuming we aren’t playing attention to their backtracking, sleekit machinations in an attempt to win over the hard core Tories in Scotland by essentially aligning themselves to the nut jobs who think the SNP are Stasi like snoopers…it’s just unbefuckingleivable how low they are prepared to sink to keep their jobs.

    Cause let’s be clear here, they voted for this policy…the Tories abstained…and now they are both all over it cause they smell votes from fucking lunatics who actually believe this is some sort of state intervention into family life?

    We need them wiped out of our political system. May 5th can’t come soon enough.

    This is not about NP it’s about the totally corrupt ‘ends justifying the means’ use of any headline grabbing policy they can jump on to gain votes, by a party on the edge of obliteration in Scotland. Kezia Dugdale should be utterly ashamed of herself…

    Rant over.

  43. ScottishPsyche
    Ignored
    says:

    I may be being overly cynical here but didn’t the Mail say Kezia won the debate last night?

    And here she is on the front cover giving support to their crusade to derail the NP Act.

    Is this what she had to do to get their ‘support’ since they were uncharacteristically critical of Ruthie?

  44. Brian Forrest
    Ignored
    says:

    We _really_ need an emoticon here of a wee sorrowful head shaking back and forth…

  45. Conan the Librarian™
    Ignored
    says:

    So, anyone; who are the candidates?

    Anyone…?

  46. K1
    Ignored
    says:

    Mac Biagi on twitter within the hour:

    “Kez Dugdale on named person just doesn’t read like the Kez Dugdale who co-chaired the Children & Young People CPG with me for 3 years. Sad.”

    Link:
    https://twitter.com/MarcoGBiagi/status/715317075057762304

  47. K1
    Ignored
    says:

    Marco…

  48. GrahamB
    Ignored
    says:

    Today, 30th, we had a visit from the FM to our local ice cream shop on Byres Road. Unfortunately there were too many admirers about for me to get the chance to ask her how she resisted taking the back of her hand to the Tankette’s face when she kept interrupting on Tuesday night. That horror of a person is getting too cocky and arrogant and needs a good humiliation. Perhaps the hopeless Kez can hang on to second place and put Ruthie back in her box/tank.
    Lots of work to do though to make sure the voters turn out, well our ones at least, but the impression so far round the doors is that the SNP voters are still fired up but the rest are a bit resigned to 2nd/3rd place or worse so might not be so keen to come out to vote.
    Anyway, five weeks left to get the message and the voters out, keep working and let the ‘opposition’ blunder on and do some of our work for us.

  49. Andy White
    Ignored
    says:

    It’d be vastly more democratic and entertaining, if, instead of the parties being able to prioritize their List candidates, they all went in a hat and got randomly selected every time that party gained a List MSP.

  50. Gordon Innes
    Ignored
    says:

    Andy White

    I’d like those that vote for a Party on List be allowed to rank the candidates

    Give voters power 2 remove – not parties power to install favourites

  51. Pietro_McM
    Ignored
    says:

    @heedtracker

    http://thebaffler.com/blog/primary-lessons-propaganda-pein

    All propaganda is not advertising, but all advertising is propaganda. With “sponsored content” becoming the norm, corporations hiring “reporters” to cover themselves, and media organizations hiring political operatives to deliver the news, the notion that journalism once had a meaning distinct from advertising sounds increasingly quaint and fanciful, like believing in gnomes and fairies. This process of redefinition is pretty far along, and when it is complete, the sort of critical speech once deemed essential to democracy will be shunned as deviant, conspiratorial, or even criminal.

  52. Rob James
    Ignored
    says:

    Dave McEwan Hill may be right in his assumption that they are giving up on Labour. EBC and ITV have both given them a hard time over the last couple of days. (Even the Press and Journal has had a go).

    As for those feeling sorry for Dippity – Don’t!

    She consciously lies in order to suppress her country. Her and her ilk don’t give a toss about our future, our children’s futures or anything else. They are only in it for themselves. Fcuk the lot of them. When she loses the title of branch manager in a few weeks time, I will raise a glass.

    I think the tories will take second place. Their core vote WILL turn out. Slab, however, are becoming more embarrassing by the day and I have a sneaking suspicion that much of their remaining support might not make the effort. A monkey wearing a rosette is a preferable option to the endless stream of talentless pish they offer up as politicians. Even head office think they are a waste of space.

  53. Onwards
    Ignored
    says:

    arthur thomson says:
    31 March, 2016 at 12:08 am
    I surely hope the blue Tories come second so that the SNP can get tore into them. Without the protection of the red Tories the blues would be the turkeys in a turkey shoot.
    ———

    I didn’t honestly think that could happen, but now I’m not so sure.
    Labour are an absolute shambles, and Kezia is crumbling under pressure.

    If Dugdale was in charge of the tax proposal then she deserves to get the boot. The idea of a council refund for low earners was a non-starter and would end up costing more than it was worth.
    So now Labour have to go into the election asking the lowest earners to pay the price of austerity.

    It might not amount to very much in reality, but it is the principle involved, and it hands their opponents an easy weapon.

    If Labour does end up behind the Tories in a number of seats, it hands a predicament to their remaining voters in the future. Do they then vote Tory on a tactical basis against the SNP ? It seems like unionist/nationalist politics isn’t going away anytime soon.

  54. Kevin
    Ignored
    says:

    She, like her fucking lying, prick party, is a fucking lying prick.

    Right, I promise never to use the fuck-word in print ever again.

    Oh, except perhaps for fucking lying pricks like her, and her fucking lying prick party.

    Ah – that’s better…

  55. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    Good grief! That’s grim.

    If you want a Labour party to exist at all. Vote for an independent Labour party in an independent Scotland. The day after Kezia Dugdale rules out Labour recognizing popular mandate, popular sovereignty and the claim of right, we have this display.

    Dear God, you can’t believe this person is qualified to be First Minister of Scotland. You surely can’t believe they are fit to lead the party of Hardie and Maxton?

    Come on Labour. Enough of this bollocks. Where is your self respect? Do you honestly believe London HQ gives a flying fuck about Scotland, other than as a bank for tame MPs and place people? Take a good look around yourselves. The SNP and other indy supportive parties are not the enemy here and never have been.

    That bloody irredeemable house on the Thames and everything it touches is the problem. Its not a parliament or government for the peoples of the UK. It’s not there to be ‘fixed’ or ‘improved’. It doesn’t want to ‘pool and share’ and it doesn’t do partnership or family. Its not a career path either FFS. Its a honey trap run by the establishment for the sole purpose of maintaining the establishment. Its an excuse to give thieves access to the pockets and resources of populations.

    Look at what it has done to you. Take a long, hard look and tell us this is how imagined or wanted the Scottish Labour movement to be.

  56. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    Made me think of a ‘dug’ image something like ….

    http://www.relatably.com/m/img/sad-dog-memes/l7e2fv.jpg

  57. Kevin
    Ignored
    says:

    Labour are fired.
    I now make that 3 x recent incidences of previously kid-gloves presenters who have wired-into major SLab figures;
    1. Gordon Brewer burns Jackie Baillie; Sunday Politics Scotland
    2. Bernard Ponsonby claws Kezia; #ScotDebates
    3. Gary Robertson corners Kezia in calamitous 24 hour period for her.

    They’ve all had enough. It’s like;
    “We’ve been carrying you idiots for too long and you STILL can’t sound convincing. We don’t do ‘assistance’ for Scotland’s 3rd party. You’re fired. Next”..

  58. jimnarlene
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Macart,2:42am

    Well said sir.

    @ galamcennalath, 2:50am

    Good one.

  59. geeo
    Ignored
    says:

    Loved the bit when she was informed her colleague (forgot name, sorry) was ONLY standing in the constituency and NOT the list.

    “That’s up to HER”, came the reply from dugdale…in a seriously huffy sounding voice…??

  60. Lene Kruhoffer
    Ignored
    says:

    It would be easy to feel sorry for Dugdale…maybe I’m made of stone..but I don’t. It should be easy for her to just answer the questions! It’s simple – If you want to be a brain surgeon you know about brains and stuff..and surgery. If you want to be a chef you know about food and kitchens. If you want to be an elected politician you know about your own policies – at the very least – and you answer the questions that people ask. You are honest and principled and open about what you have in mind for all of us and how it will affect people. How hard is it?! I smell shyte….

  61. scotsbob
    Ignored
    says:

    At last the BBC seem to be asking the right questions. Looks like Labour are losing friends.

  62. jdman
    Ignored
    says:

    Now that’s the Macart I know, (2.42am) can I repost that on facebook Sam?

  63. Iain
    Ignored
    says:

    It must be hard being Kezia, like being the band leader on the Titanic as it slips beneath the waves. Wee tank driver Ruth is a horrible person fighting to save her party of yoons and bigots from electoral oblivion. You could not ask for a better opposition line of candidates.
    Vote Snp,Snp and remain in May E.U.

  64. Orri
    Ignored
    says:

    Without going into the whole thing again D’Hondt is all about a recursive method of finding the minimum number of votes to get a single seat. That’s what the whole dividing by N+1 is about. It poses the question “If party x was to get this next seat how many votes per seat would that be?” As a consequence after all seats are assigned all but one of the parties will have enough votes for part of another seat.

    Where I’m going with this is that last time the SNP managed to get 11 seats in a 17 seat region on 53% of the vote. Which as a rule of thumb means there were enough other parties and enough spare votes for 4 more seats. With a favourable distribution it’s not impossible for a party to actually get 13 seats on 60% of the vote.

    This is where what the other parties do by putting all there constituency candidates on the list actually benefits democracy. As you are only allowed 12 list candidates by doing so you limit the impact of luck and regional dominance on the result. More importantly what Labour were doing was allowing themselves a chance of a majority based on dominance in of only part of the country. Some might call it greed.

  65. Socrates MacSporran
    Ignored
    says:

    I think the expression is: drowning, not waving.

  66. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Unionists have tried to ruin the Oil sector (60/80% tax when prices had fallen 75%). Now it’s the steel industry. Tories have stopped coal/steel production. Cut solar investment and CCS. Banned wind turbines in England. They plan to spend £25Billion (double it) on a nuclear station by the sea, a total waste. A disaster waiting to happen. £70Billion on HS2 which will make journeys throughout Britain longer and more expensive. It will put more cars in the congested roads and always be subsidised. = £95Billion – the deficit. £170Billion on Trident and starving people to death. A total waste.

    The transfer of public money to the private sector to benefit Osbourne/Cameron and their associates. The Royal Mail Pension transfer. The best friend/brother-in-law bankers. The father in law consultant HS2 etc. They have not protected the NHS or cut the debt,

    Scotland has lost over £20Billion in Oil tax revenues. Loses £13Billion a year to the Union, that could be better spent. Don’t give the Unionists any more money to waste. Vote SNP.

    Trident/illegal wars, tax evasion and banking fraud. Now an EU Referendum.

  67. Les Wilson
    Ignored
    says:

    Well, she is “very clearly” shambolic, and “very clearly” mirrors, her shambolic party!
    We will all be now “very clear” about that.

  68. Almannysbunnet
    Ignored
    says:

    Being a cynical old b’stard my first instinct to this sudden aggressive change by the interviewers towards Slab is “what’s going on here?” Are they trying to balance up the media watch results? Has someone noticed that the more they hammer the SNP the more people flow to the cause? Maybe some of the same hard love will help the labour vote. Then I hear Kezia’s abysmal performance, you can’t fake that.
    Clearly you can’t keep “SNP baaad” going by pushing a labour party this inept. Until I see Ruthie and Wee Willie getting the same treatment I will remain deeply suspicious of a media that has been no friend to Scotland.
    For the time being it looks like the BBC is no longer Slab’s named person. The BBC shouldn’t be the named person to ANY political party. It remains to be seen if anything has changed other than their allegiance.

  69. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    @John King

    Fire away John. The dug is back and he’s on rare form.

    https://weegingerdug.wordpress.com/2016/03/31/opportunity-is-always-knocking/#comments

  70. HaggisHunter
    Ignored
    says:

    Jings, that was embarrassing listening, she devalues Scottish politics, which probably appeals to London

  71. Dorothy Devine
    Ignored
    says:

    I only saw a clip of the STV “debate” – quite enough for me- but I watched STV news last night and thought their report was a bit of shit shovelling for the benefit of the Labour party in Scotland, much like one gets at the Tattoo after there have been horses on the esplanade.

  72. mealer
    Ignored
    says:

    You know,people are beginning to notice.Ordinary people are starting to talk about bias in the BBC.Maybe the recent,disgraceful Question Time from Dundee was a watershed moment.Maybe it has been decided that “we won’t get away with this anymore”.Or maybe enough people at the BBC have looked at a replay of that notorious programme and said “this is beyond embarrassing.We really need to hang onto some semblance of professionalism here.”

    And now she’s scrapped her tax rebate policy.Or lost the fag packet it was scribbled down on.Messers Foulkes and Smart are on the lash again,though.Maybe they can come up with something better.

  73. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    This from the Highland times

    http://archive.is/OQJsS

  74. mumsyhugs
    Ignored
    says:

    So have the BBC seen the light and become our friend? Absolutely nae chance of that ever happening!! Don’t trust them one little bit!!

  75. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T links

    Hypocrite Paul-dacre-langwell-estate received £60,000 in subsidies from EU
    http://archive.is/iKlR9

    http://lallandspeatworrier.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/ruth-davidsons-damaging-rookie-error.html

    World’s biggest bribe scandal
    http://archive.is/g5xC2

    The UK scores worst in electoral integrity in Western Europe. Here’s why:
    http://www.democraticaudit.com/?p=20682

  76. Another Union Dividend
    Ignored
    says:

    A pity The National put Labour’s Tax rebate U Turn on page 4 when Unionist media is burying this catastrophic news.

  77. bjsalba
    Ignored
    says:

    @Almannysbunnet
    Yousaid:

    Until I see Ruthie and Wee Willie getting the same treatment I will remain deeply suspicious of a media that has been no friend to Scotland.

    I agree 100%, but then I’m another cynical old b’stard.

  78. cearc
    Ignored
    says:

    Nana,

    Loved the spelling for Stac Pollaidh in the quote from Dacre’s holiday let info!

  79. Thomas William Dunlop
    Ignored
    says:

    If you launch multiple audioclips, staggered, Keza sounds very much like a bleating lamb on the overlay…

    A short career at the butchers beckons, I reckon

  80. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T links

    North of Scotland power link project boosted by £500m loan
    http://archive.is/yBl9L

    http://www.thecanary.co/2016/03/30/osborne-planted-stealth-bomb-three-years-ago-blow-britains-face/

    Sorry Rev I forgot to remove the http thingy, I’ll go sit on the naughty step!

    Watch as John Pilger and others explain the danger of TTIP TISA &TPP
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EriEOWHPqcU

    Faisal Islam /Tata steel crisis
    http://archive.is/eghFj

  81. Brian McHugh
    Ignored
    says:

    To folk on here getting mildly excited about the BBC asking tough questions of Kezia… remember, the BBC go by the mantra, rightly or wrongly, that folk don’t remember last week in politics. There are 5 weeks to go, which is ample time for the BBC to redress the ‘balance’… and site these one or two moments in support of their ‘fairness!’

  82. Ian Brotherhood
    Ignored
    says:

    Davidson on GMS, FFS.

    Utterly brazen.

  83. John Edgar
    Ignored
    says:

    It strikes me that behind Kezia’s bluster and obvious innate inability lies an “arrogance” . It comes over as do not ask me questions especially when my blethers ate riddled with inconsistencies. It stems from this sense of Slabber’s entitlement to be in power on Scotland. Kezia cannot even make sense of her own policy details. As she us asked to “account” she gets more and more shrill-like and resorts to the usual Slabber get-outs like “I am proud to to have been selected for …” followed by shouting.No wonder Corbyn, who is another one who “crashes” did not come to the Slabber conference. It would have compounded their total inadequacy.

  84. Claire McGhee
    Ignored
    says:

    The hypocrisy in the latter part of this interview wasn’t what struck me so much as the utter car crash that was the segment on APD. That she stresses several times that APD is a regressive tax which hits poor people disproportionately, and that she is adamantly against scrapping it. The topsy-turvy mindset that is Scottish Labour says the SNP are wrong to propose scrapping a regressive tax because SNPBad. Seriously,why would anyone sane,rational person put themselves through such mental contortions? It can’t be ambition, because after this election Kezia Dugdale’s career is toast.

  85. cearc
    Ignored
    says:

    re ‘steel crisis’.

    I was highly amused, yesterday when I switched on R4, to find that the UK government are running around like headless chickens having just woken up to the fact that they were about to lose their steel industry. (No mention of Scotland).

    Meanwhile, Scottish Government, been there, done it and wearing the t-shirt!

    Competence in Government, it’s a grand thing.

  86. JamesCaithness
    Ignored
    says:

    At one point Dugdale says APD would cost poor families £20 a year while it would cost a rich family £73 a year. Surely that is what she has been spouting about making the rich pay more?
    She claims that is a significant difference. But it seems to me what she talks about would see that difference reduce.

    The woman confuses me.

  87. HaggisHunter
    Ignored
    says:

    Its obvious Labour in Scotland are imploding due to incompetence at all levels, add in BBC STV spin which has reinforced peoples views that the state / establishment broadcasters are more or less part of the same organisation.

    Do they have any competent MSPs, or is Kezia the best of a bad bunch?

  88. No no no...yes
    Ignored
    says:

    Kez was close to tears in that interview and fair play to Gary Robertson for a robust interview.

    Soft Labour voters are jumping from the ship and Kaptain Kez and Bosun Baillie are sinking fast.

    Labour are in real danger of being relegated to third place and Kez will be ousted as party leader. Anyone that abandons 30% of own voters that back Indy deserves no sympathy.No doubt her mentor will look after her.
    Tick tock..

  89. Albaman
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T I know, but I knew the fund raising would reach £80,000, but did not think it would take untill the last day!.
    I said when Stew opened the fund raising, that I’d contribute when it reached £80,000, so I’ve kept my promise, —–just, but happy to do so.

  90. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    @cearc

    Ach but Muddle mundel and the Sour Soubry were shouting yesterday it was they who saved Scottish steel. I don’t recall where I read it, perhaps a tweet from one of our mps?

    anyhow Paul Mason writes
    https://medium.com/mosquito-ridge/steel-crisis-they-do-not-give-a-shit-86516750a1e0#.ualcepnt4

  91. orri
    Ignored
    says:

    Hadn’t realised that the tories are hell bent on reintroducing prescription charges. OK so at one time there was an advanced payment scheme to potentially you could limit how much you’d have to pay for a chronic condition. And there were loads of exemptions. The point however is that given you don’t get statutory sick pay for the first 3 days and your employer doesn’t have to pay you either and those days might include overtime which you now won’t get. All in all when you are ill enough to go to the doctor and get a prescription which might not actually work it’s probably at a time when you can least afford £8 or £16 or however much the medication you need to get you back on your feet back at your post and contributing to the productivity of the country. It’s a tax on being ill.

  92. Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    Ruth is gonna cry methinks. lol

  93. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    The abolishment of APD tax is designed to Increase revenues by increased economic activity ie tourism/business etc to raise enough to cover the revenues lost by the tax (now declined) and enough to mitigate the welfare cuts coming from Westminster. Eg the tax raises £? – cutting the tax will raise double the revenues to cover the loss of tax revenues and enough to mitigate the welfare cuts which are coming from Westminster. Ie cuts to housing benefits for 18-25 year old etc. The poorer will benefit by mitigating the welfare cuts.

    The Scottish Gov could mitigate the vulnerable being sanctioned and starved to death. Unionist policy which costs more. Cold, hungry, worred people do not sleep and get sick.

  94. Socrates MacSporran
    Ignored
    says:

    I cannot help but think, if the Tank Commander cannot get her shock troops past the absolute rabble which SLAB has become – she might be toast as far as her London supporters are concerned.

    The Tories will never have a better chance of finishing second than they have right now – a clueless SLAB, plus a compliant media.

  95. cearc
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T,

    This petition to the UK government is really struggling at less than 15,000 signatures in almost 2 months.

    ‘Newspaper apologies or corrections must be same size and page of original story.’

    https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/120442

  96. Mac
    Ignored
    says:

    Whenever I feel depressed and need a lift i read about the latest exploits of SLAB…comedy gold!!!

  97. Greannach
    Ignored
    says:

    Is there anyone vaguely competent left in the Branch? This poor soul (Dugdale) makes Ian Gray look like Bismark.

  98. Legerwood
    Ignored
    says:

    cearc @ 8.37 am

    CH4 news has mentioned the SG and their approach to saving steel plants a couple of times and one of the people they interviewed in Wales also mentioned it and asked why the UK government could not do the same.

    I believe Ms Soubry, MP, has also been asked about whether the UK Government would follow SG’s example but she affected not to know anything about it!

  99. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    Socrates MacSporran says:

    “the Tank Commander cannot get her shock troops past the absolute rabble which SLAB has become – she might be toast as far as her London supporters are concerned.”

    That’s a good point. Both Dugdale and Davidson will be expected to halt their parties’ demise, and both will probably be expected by their London masters to make modest gains.

    In Davidson’s case, she will be expected to become the ‘voice of the Union’ and pass chaotic SLab (as you say). Also, while Dugdale is unlikely to go far in politics, I have little doubt Davidson has ambitions. Perhaps if she can be seen to advance Tory fortunes in Scotland she can be rewarded with a ‘move up’ to a safe English seat and be ‘promoted’ to WM.

    The one with ambitions may have more to lose that other.

  100. Hugh Kirk
    Ignored
    says:

    Kezia, WTF was that? Seriously, that sucked big time. I almost felt sorry for you. Nicola must be bricking it for sure.

  101. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m getting the vibe that Kezia’s heart just isn’t in it. She reminds me of Johann Lamont in her final days as SLAB branch manager – the unhappy look of someone that sold their soul for power and the pretence of it all just got too much. Has Kezia been asked to hold the fort for Anas Sarwar? I wonder.

    You never know, maybe Kezia voted YES in 2014. 🙂

  102. The Blind Squirrel
    Ignored
    says:

    I feel sorry for her and think she has a good heart. But if ever she was in charge of Scotland – that would be total pants.

  103. gordoz
    Ignored
    says:

    Got the feeling that the GMS interview with irate Ms Davidson (Gobby Tank commander ?) was going to finish with an apoplectic ‘call to arms’ in defence of the Union.

    Sounding very, very ‘Heston like’ right wing US (NRA); which is worrying. Seems to be turning on democracy with latest rhetoric.

    Honestly wonder if she realizes where such dangerous, flippant suggestive language can lead; particularly in light of recent commemorations for our near neighbors (maybe being influenced too much by Trump effect ?)

  104. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    @Legerwood

    Muddle and soubry were on Radio 4 yesterday morn saying they saved Scottish steel.

    https://twitter.com/MrMalky/status/715191638906241024

    and Dugdale has given her reasons for having changed her empty head on NP policy

    https://twitter.com/kezdugdale/status/715449447187136513

    “lost faith” as we have with slab.

  105. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    Kevin says:

    31 March, 2016 at 2:55 am

    Labour are fired.
    I now make that 3 x recent incidences of previously kid-gloves presenters who have wired-into major SLab figures;
    1. Gordon Brewer burns Jackie Baillie; Sunday Politics Scotland
    2. Bernard Ponsonby claws Kezia; #ScotDebates
    3. Gary Robertson corners Kezia in calamitous 24 hour period for her.

    They’ve all had enough. It’s like;
    “We’ve been carrying you idiots for too long and you STILL can’t sound convincing. We don’t do ‘assistance’ for Scotland’s 3rd party. You’re fired. Next”..

    Did you notice, when these reporters took their kid-gloves off (even partially), how quickly the red tories (every single one of them) fell apart?

    It’s like shooting fish in a barrel.

    People notice. 🙂

  106. R-type Grunt
    Ignored
    says:

    I see & hear a lot of people expressing surprise that a BBC employee is giving a Labour person a hard time and wondering if this is the end of the Labour love-in. In my opinion there has never been a Labour love-in. What we’ve had is an Establishment. Unionist love-in. Up here in Scotland for decades that’s meant Labour but now, with them in freefall, it’s the Tories who will get the support. It’s Scotland against the UK, as it always has been.

    Just a thought.

  107. Giving goose
    Ignored
    says:

    Re R-type Grunt

    I think you may have a point.
    Who will the State Propaganda section choose as the vehicle against Scotland?
    Tories? LibDems?
    Or will they recommend and push for a coalition of the Unionist parties?

  108. Mark Russell
    Ignored
    says:

    Reminded me of last week’s Eubanks Jnr bout…

  109. Valerie
    Ignored
    says:

    Off topic

    Pretty clear Cameron will do nothing for steel, certainly not nationalisation. Let’s face it, they probably don’t vote Tory, as IDS reminded us, so they deserve what they get.

    They have sod all money without cancelling vanity projects, so the steel workers can rot.

    Let’s hope those south of our Border wake up.

  110. Almannysbunnet
    Ignored
    says:

    Great piece by Derek Bateman.

    http://newsnet.scot/?p=116710

  111. R-type Grunt
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Giving goose:

    They don’t care. As long as it’s a UK party in power they’ll have done their job and the imagined ermine will still be within touching distance.

    I’m with Thatcher on this one. To gain independence we need to vote in an SNP majority. We’ve done that in Westminster, now it’s time for Holyrood. Then revolution.

  112. Grouse Beater
    Ignored
    says:

    I have no sympathy for her.

    This is a person who wants to rule Scotland on behalf of the vested interests of another nation and its illegal wars. Why should I give a damn that she is shown to be an amateur and a fool?

  113. mealer
    Ignored
    says:

    Labour in Scotland aren’t finished.They still hold the support of hundreds of thousands of Scots.That support has slumped to the current situation where they are polling less than half the unionist vote,but it’s still significant.In a quasi-PR system they still pose a serious threat to the future of our country.

  114. Legerwood
    Ignored
    says:

    Nana

    Thank you for the link. I don’t listen to the radio in the morning – I hate talk etc in am.

    I had seen some comment about Soubry in a paper but it was more of an aside than a full blown interview.

  115. ScottishPsyche
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T slightly.

    Ruth Davidson frothing away this morning on GMS. She will be like that Historywoman soon – calls to arms next.

    She displayed astonishing levels of hyperbole interspersed with wee teeny attempts to claim that she is not as bad as the nasty Tories down south.

    The SNP have got to sort out this 150 000 college places nonsense. The Yoons are getting away with not having to qualify this claim every time. Also the usual rubbish about prescription charges.

  116. michael diamond
    Ignored
    says:

    How on earth can any sane person, with a modicum of intelligence , vote for this woman or her abysmal party.

  117. John
    Ignored
    says:

    Gary Robertson didn’t quiz Ruth Davidson nearly as much as Kezia Dugdale or Nicola Sturgeon , and he allowed her more answer time , let’s not think the BBC is changing it’s spots , it isn’t .

  118. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    We (on WoS) have long believed that SLab were being given an easy time by the broadcast media. In interviews SLab would be allowed their say uninterrupted, and lie unchallenged. SNP on the other hand wouldn’t be allowed to speak without continual heckling.

    Something seems to have changed!

    I can only assume the ‘unionist powers that be’ have abandoned SLab as their best defence against Scotland’s out of control democracy! Several others have just said the same.

    Question now is – are they going to begin to promote Davidson and the Tories as their establishment stalwarts?

    One strategy might be to encourage disillusioned SLab voters to switch to Con rather than not turn out, or worse switch to SNP.

    The times become ever more interesting!

  119. orri
    Ignored
    says:

    Stupid child. Read the summary of the NP legislation in the survey. Point out that it’s a distortion. Stand by the vote you and everyone except the torys cast. Play on the fact that the lack of information is systematic of an SNP high handed attitude and reluctantly volunteer to do that part of the Scottish Governments job for them. Portray yourself as being above deliberately concocted public outcry and stand on principle even if you have to explain yourself. Show the torys for the lying scum prepared to stoop as low as this they are and you might just stand a chance of keeping them in third place.

  120. Grouse Beater
    Ignored
    says:

    No holds barred rant arriving tomorrow – this for the moment: http://wp.me/p4fd9j-5R0

  121. Bill McLean
    Ignored
    says:

    When the Tory Government have finished making as many working class folk as possible unemployed, destroyed the NHS south of the border and frightened the rest of the population of England to death about foreigners – they are lesser people than us and most of them are terrorists anyway! Where will they go on holiday? Nuclear-on-Sea that’s where! I feel for the folk in England who seem not to be paying attention – but we were paying attention and yet so many voted NO!

  122. Joemcg
    Ignored
    says:

    Oh Kezia hen, you really are in the wrong job. That was the most embarrassing 4 minutes on radio in world history. Out of your depth is being kind.

  123. Joemcg
    Ignored
    says:

    …more embarrassing than Agadoo.

  124. James Christie
    Ignored
    says:

    What struck me about Dugdale’s interview was that she kept referring to APD as being a regressive tax, which was why it should be kept. She said it hits the richest harder than the poor. She either doesn’t know what regressive and progressive taxes are, or she panicked and started talking about APD being regressive when she might have meant that scrapping it would be regressive.

    If Scottish Labour’s leader genuinely doesn’t know the difference between regressive and progressive then that’s appalling. It’s not really much better if she starts getting the meaning of words exactly the wrong way round when she’s under pressure.

  125. Hugh Barclay
    Ignored
    says:

    I did take this Labour campaign video edit down but I’ve now changed my mind, I think its a better version than the original but I would say that, if you get a slight giggle…result

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVAlw9SVLNs

  126. mealer
    Ignored
    says:

    R-type grunt 10.03
    Aye,but it’s only worth the BBC risking their reputation if there’s a good chance they can help overturn the SNP majority.If they think they can’t achieve that,they’re better to keep their powder dry and preserve their credibility for a bigger battle in the future.

    The BBC is there to benefit the London establishment.It can only do that if it retains credibility.IF we come to a point,in the future,where a second referendum is called and Yes has an unassailable lead,the BBC might assume a role as a neutral observer so that it retains credibility in Scotland and is there to influence an independent Scotland for London’s benefit.

    So,if Scottish independence becomes inevitable and imminent London might become accepting,even supportive of it in order to maintain as much of its influence and power in Scotland as it can.The BBC would work to help facilitate that.This all may sound far fetched at the moment,but the London establishment isn’t in the business of flogging dead horses.Theres no profit in it.

  127. Dorothy Devine
    Ignored
    says:

    Joemcg, Shuddupayerface?!

  128. Valerie
    Ignored
    says:

    Good to see the good peeps on Revs Twitter digging out all the evidence of Kez supporting the NP.

    A good clip of her telling Brian Taylor she was happy to support.

    For those that feel sorry for her, just stop it!!!!

    She is ripping the pass, trolling her fellow countrymen/women, for her own ends. Forever party.

  129. mumsyhugs
    Ignored
    says:

    Woohoooo! The fundraiser has passed £80,000! 🙂

  130. Ian Brotherhood
    Ignored
    says:

    Can we please have a sweepstake on when Gordzilla is going to intervene and sort out SLab’s woes?

    *CONSULTS DIARY*

    Bags me Monday May 2nd. It’ll be live on all BBC North Britain television, radio, online, Twitter and F/Book from mid-day until closing-time…

    Betcha! 🙂

  131. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    mealer says:

    “London establishment isn’t in the business of flogging dead horses.Theres no profit in it.”

    You are probably right. The BBC may simply have given up on SLab. Being seen as more credible is a better tactic than continuing to show bias by promoting a no hope SLab.

    The Establish may now have given up on Holyrood 2016! They know a bigger battle is on the horizon.

    It is worth noting that everyone ‘south of the wall’ sees the EURef as the big event right now. There may also be an element of of eyes on the wrong ball.

  132. Valerie
    Ignored
    says:

    @Ian B

    I knew something was missing from this disaster movie!

    @Almannysbunnet
    Good blog by Bateman. More Titanic analogies, as we stare gape mouthed!

    More popcorn, please.

  133. Hamish100
    Ignored
    says:

    I am not cheering for that BBC interviewer. If he is attacking the Labour Party it is because his masters at Pacific Quay want the tories to come second. Do we really want that. Stronger SNP vote and parliament and weak Tory and labour suits me fine.
    Don’t think the BBC have any intention in being nice to the SNP. They are the enemy.

  134. Sledger
    Ignored
    says:

    This was a total car crash.

    I won’t go over the obvious failings, but the other stand out is the way Kezia repeatedly describes herself as living in Lochend.

    Whether it’s some sort of inverted snobbery or an attempt to connect with working class voters I don’t know. What I do know is with a statement like that her knowledge of Edinburgh is comparable to her knowledge of APD for the U16s!

  135. call me dave
    Ignored
    says:

    Ruthie is a Tory and can spit out policies in Scotland pretending to be not the branch manager as it suits her, she has free rein because darn Sarf they have written Scotland off.

    She also has a teflon covered brass neck and can happily ignore the 85% of the voters in Scotland as she spouts increased prescription charges, post graduate taxes and stirs the SNP bad spoon on NP and how dare they want another referendum without a blush.

    Gary on GMS shortbread made a half hearted attempt at flushing her out but Ruthie just rolled over him with her tank and the union jack waving proudly… 🙁

    Her aim is to overtake the hapless Deputy Deadwood who has finally gurgled her last as she slipped below the water in the last two days. As a poster noted previously Keziabreak was never waving at the electorate but drowning in a sea of incompetence.

    SNP X 2 May 5th
    ………………………………………………….

    For those who wish to read Bateman’s blog his new handle is

    http://derekbateman.scot/

  136. McDuff
    Ignored
    says:

    It’s quite staggering that Dugdale represents the cream of Labours most intelligent politicians when her whole demeanour and response to questions are that of a primary school child. Never in all my years on this planet have I encountered such a low calibre of Labour representatives.
    Scary stuff.

  137. Peter McCulloch
    Ignored
    says:

    All I can say is its complete mince from Dugdale, I take it that in her world there are no low paid workers who
    pay APD becuas they don’t scrimp and save up money go abroad on holiday.

    As for her claim that she has changed her mind about her justifying standing both as a Constituency as well as list candidate.

    Not only smacks of hypocrisy but desperation and I think Garry Robertson nailed her there the only reason she and the other Labour candidates are doing so is because that’s the only way are guaranteed to be elected.

    I also noticed that she has now come out and attacked the Scottish Government’s named person policy.

  138. Pietro_McM
    Ignored
    says:

    Clearly, with all the internal internecine Tory shitkicking over Brexit, BBC Scotlandshire has been given instructions to go easy on the Jocko-Tories and go after Scottish Labour, instead.

    They’ll be hoping for MSM-Yoon’s spinning fairy stories about the Jocko-Tories being Scotland’s second party to boost Tory moral in the rest of the Shires.

  139. Andrew Mclean
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T Question time

    I receved this email,
    Thank you for your email to Bill Matthews at the BBC Trust. I am responding as a member of the Trust Unit, which supports and advises the Chairman and Trustees.
    Where there is concern that output does not meet the required standards, the Trust has a role through the complaints process and it is the third and final part of the BBC’s complaints procedure. The Trust only considers complaints after the BBC has finished responding, and you can find further details of the http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/governance/complaints_framework/

    I await with bated breath

  140. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    It does appear to me that there is a shift in support by media away from Labour and to the Tories. I am not sure why this should be. The Tories are absolute shockers and are crashing on the rocks of IDS’ resignation, a shambles of a budget and a bust up over the EU.

    I sometimes get the feeling that the media have a thing for chasing the wounded. Things cannot be easy in Bath Street at the moment.

  141. Andrew Mclean
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T
    GMS today:

    Ruth did well on her defence of Conservative polices, and in being careful now to use less provocative words when describing NP policy, clearly hesitating to think of the best word to describe it. Put it this way if it did increase the risk of harm to children, surely to god she would have shouted it from the rooftops, but no, apart from an ideological abhorrence any increment in sate involvement she has remained quiet.

    She clearly now understands that there is no ground to made attacking the SNP, but plenty on attacking labours unanimous support, lavish complements on the NP policy, in fact statements made by Kezia as the bill passed clearly shows she understands exactly the intent of the law.

    Kezia as a legislator was empowered to put together law, if she failed in that either through incompetence or malign intent, and she is unable to stand up and explain the very law she made, she is not fit to stand as local dog warden never mind a member of our parliament.

    However it really is a dangerous position for the Conservatives, if they did think it harmed children or increased risk to children Conservative silence in the past is damming, if it isn’t given the overwhelming support amongst professionals Conservative politicking is damming them today.

    I wouldn’t be surprised if the Conservatives kept quite from now, on NP, you don’t have a dog and bark yourself!

    Garrys questioning was quite good to, let her explain without jumping in too often, but pointing out inaccuracy’s.
    Best she is given enough rope, for there is a right wing ideological monster under that rambunctious skin.

    The biggest ideological policy for Conservative apart from further education charging is prescription charges, below is what a pharmacist said ” this is not a “charge”. It is a tax. It bears no relationship to the cost of the prescription. It does not specifically support the NHS, I am a Tax Collector”

    http://archive.is/Nd3Yx

    Ms Davidson said in march 2014 should they be in power after the 2016 Scottish election, the tax would be £6.85. today she said it would be £8:40, so by her own reckoning half way through this hypothetical government the tax would be £10, every time for ever item!

    The actual cost per item to the NHS was £10.76 in 2015. so an actual abolition charge would be at least this amount today, not £8:40.

    And just to be pedantic even reinstating the tax would still result in prescriptions being part funded as dispensing contractors are paid in two different ways: for the services they provide (remuneration) and for the products they dispense (reimbursement). so in extrapolating the cost benefit from reintroducing the tax, there is the actual revenue, gained if only using the measurement of the cost of medicine that gives a artificially deflated figure as it did not include the cost of the pharmacy, as prescription tax would be at least £19:16 and that’s for every single trip to the pharmacy.

    Ms Davidson also made light in saying all the old exemptions would still be enforced, again the range of conditions and persons exempt from charges has been frequently criticised. as early as 2002, the Wanless Report – commissioned by the UK Government – condemned the system of exemptions as “illogical”. The class exemptions, the report argued, took no account of ability to pay; wealthy pensioners were exempt, but many poor families were not.

    Overall 3 out of ten, Ruth, but don’t ever as a democrat ever tell me my wish for my government, my country is to be ignored, it is not you place, you are simply a here today gone tomorrow politician, actually you are not even a politician today you are just another member of our society, until you are possibly voted in today.

    This tyrannical aspiration shown by the unionists brings me on to where I possibly break ranks?
    The additional member system is undemocratic and should not remain. I have thought long and hard about it and come to the conclusion it is as unjust as the house of lords, no different.

    Fundamentally it puts the power of the placement of legislators into the legislature as the prerogative of a political party, and in so doing, by appropriation usurping that democratic right from where it truly exists the electorate.

  142. ScottishPsyche
    Ignored
    says:

    The tax/rebate debacle has shown Kezia Dugdale’s incompetence but using the NP legislation for political capital shows real lack of integrity.

    This is probably the final nail in the coffin of Slab.

  143. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    Hamish100 says:

    ” tories to come second. Do we really want that.”

    I think yes.

    SLab are the greatest threat to Indy. Too many Scots see them as a soft and acceptable face of the Union. Their leading figures were the frontmen of BetterTogether. I have no doubt that a great many Scots felt it was safe to vote NO because they believed there would be a Labour WM government in 2015. The further down and discredited Slab become, the better.

    Conversely, the Tories only have the backing of <20%. Typically anglicised, well off, right wing, me-first, BritNats. They are a hardcore who will probably never convert to Indy. They simply don't see themselves as Scots of a form the rest of us would recognise. They might describe themselves as proud Scots BUT they are British first.

    Most importantly they are Tories and they remain totally toxic for the vast majority of Scots. Their politicians are tarred with the same brush as the posh Eton boys at WM whose policies and worldview are about as alien to Scotland as you could get.

    Having the Tories under Davidson as official opposition will focus the minds of the undecided on what the Union and Tory WM really represent. A choice between Indy and the Tories should be a no brainier, even for many NO voters!

  144. Grouse Beater
    Ignored
    says:

    Andrew: “BBC Trust – I await with bated breath”

    If you’ve not already read this: http://wp.me/p4fd9j-15z

  145. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    The ‘Carry On Kezia’ stories are a hoot!

    I can’t wait to find out what she will do tomorrow.

    ‘Carry On Kezia Is A Complete Catastrophe’

  146. Joemcg
    Ignored
    says:

    Aye Dorothy that one too! Ha ha ha!

  147. Inverclyder
    Ignored
    says:

    The shift from supporting Labour Scotland to supporting the Tories has been on the cards for a long time due to the deterioration of the Labour vote.

    This is the last stand of the Empire we’re in now and Tory 2nd place in May will confirm that.

    As that will work out as expected with Tory News from the Bird and others we should be looking at Indyref2 sooner rather than later.

    Labour are finished. No support nationally, regionally or locally. They know this from their members and free fall in memberships.

    They also know it’s finished next year as the local Councillors are already lining up jobs for themselves and planning to resume their original careers. Know this for a fact with some Glasgow Councillors.

    The game is a bogey, the party is over, the jig is up.

    Go to your local town centre on Saturday and see how many feet Labour have on the streets.

    All that’s left is the media who have now turned on them.

    They can now only turn on each other as the blame game begins and they eat the dead and dying carcass of themselves.

    Hell mend them!

  148. Rab Kay
    Ignored
    says:

    Woe Woe and thrice Woe.

  149. Papadox
    Ignored
    says:

    Re EBC backing for Kez/Ruthie SLAB/TOLLIES. The EBC backs the yoons whichever mob suites their purpose, which is to keep the populace away from INDEPENDENCE whatever the price.
    EBC is the foghorn of the state. The state uses the unionist parties to muddy the waters and confuse the uneducated (political) unionist into believing SLAB/TOLLIES/LIBS are looking after their interests. WRONG the only interests they are looking after is the ESTABLISHMENTS. Divide and control. The EBC will do what it was set up for. That is to do as it’s told by the ESTABLISHMENT and manipulate the peasants.

  150. Jack Murphy
    Ignored
    says:

    blackhack said at 11:28 pm last night:-
    “I think the wee lassie need a responsible adult with her at all times…..”

    Wrong, Kezia Dugdale is a 34 year old adult who has been involved in Labour politics since 2006,and is now the Leader of the Scottish Branch of the Labour Party.

    She is an experienced Labour Party politician.

  151. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Valerie says:
    31 March, 2016 at 12:09 am
    @Heedtracker

    That’s a particularly vile and sneery piece from Behr. All superior like.

    Ongoing UKOK Project Fear campaign pouring out of the press and the Graun in particular is very like the Trump for Prez campaign in the US and its not just the full on BetterTogether ferocity Sept 2014.

    So this clever clever The Gruan toryboy uses Trump for Prez to smear Scottish democracy and gets a biscuit.

    They do get noticed these guys, for this kind of full on monstering of vile separatists in their Scotland region . At least two of rancid The Graun’s crew now have top jobs in the BBC, Newsnight.

    I even heard BBC Scotland’s Laura Bicker down in Brazil. Fight for the BBC, BBC takes care of you.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/ariel/32437940

  152. jimnarlene
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Jack Murphy

    You forgot to add,

    …and not a very good one.

  153. Jack Collatin
    Ignored
    says:

    I have a sense that this is a case of selective memory loss here.

    Kezia knows that McMahon is MSP for North Hamilton and Bellshill, and Uddingston and Bellshill before that, all the way back to ’99. He was Shadow Secretary for Local Government since 2007, until present.

    He was Chair of the GMB and Youth Committee, and had a prominent role in attempting to abolish the Not Proven Verdict.

    Oh yes, and his wife was employed as his Parliamentary Secretary, and his daughter Siobhan as his paid researcher, before she too made it as a list MSP for the Central Scotland Region in 2011.
    BTW she also voted for Lamont and Murphy as leader..Quality.

    I know it shouldn’t be too difficult to remember the names of her 37 colleagues, but I’d imagine that Kezia didn’t want to open up the McMahon Family can of worms when Gazza the Pit Bull was after blood.

    She was completely flummoxed on APD for 16 year olds…not for the first time, she was found hopelessly wanting.
    Will she last the campaign trail?

  154. Ian Brotherhood
    Ignored
    says:

    Have just realised that we only have another 33 days worth of quality Willie Rennie soundbites to look forward to…

    🙁

    Ach well, never mind. Gazza ‘Gies Yer Baws’ Robertson will get a hold of him tomorrow morning and give the studio floor a good wipe.

  155. Proud Cybernat
    Ignored
    says:

    Kezia, do yourself a favour, hen. Resign.

  156. Andrew Mclean
    Ignored
    says:

    Proud Cybernat 1:05 pm

    Kezia, do US a favour, hen. Dont Resign

  157. MJT
    Ignored
    says:

    Pity is the bassest of coins. Feeling sorry for Kezia Dugdale is a fool’s errand. She is well paid, very well paid for her incompetences. After the election when she gets in on the list vote, she will continue to be well paid. She doesn’t need anyone’s sympathies.

    Perhaps spare a thought or a shard of pity for the folks who blindly will be voting Labour in May, who when asked, who did you vote for at the last election blankly say, Labour. Who when asked who will you vote for this election, blankly say, Labour. And when asked, do you think Scotland should be an independent country, blankly say, No, as they close the door.

    Maybe feel something for those people. They know not. They are in a place of unknowing. Their knowledge base is weak, shallow. Their sources of information, corrupt, innacurate and designed to mislead. Many of these people live in and around and under the poverty line. They’re more deserving of one’s pity, compassion and commiseration than a very well paid politician who spends her time and efforts doing all she can, with her limited means, to make this country a worse place to be.

  158. John Lowe
    Ignored
    says:

    Have they updated the list

  159. T.roz
    Ignored
    says:

    Squirm-ometer hits the red zone.

  160. John Edgar
    Ignored
    says:

    Where does Labour in Scotland go from here? After so many leaders since devolution, have they reached the end of the cul-de-sac? Where now? They sold their soul to austerity, turned their back on their natural voters and their former “big hitters”, ” big beasts” Darling and Brown ate now advising the merchant bankers to get even richer. The peddlers of the Vow, where are they now?

  161. Steven McLennan
    Ignored
    says:

    Car crash radio!!! Couldn’t be funnier!

  162. Andrew Mclean
    Ignored
    says:

    Yes and the candidate for the Argyll & Bute constituency Mick Rice has the most illuminating biography, definitely a winner!

  163. Davy
    Ignored
    says:

    I think the interview puts Kezia in exactly the same level as Jim Murphy, Johann Lamont and Iain Gray the three previous branch office leaders.

    They also had disaster interviews and were generaly as thick as mince with two short planks added to it. And lets not forget the mind blowing contributions of Jackie Baillie and Anas Sarwar to the list of really bad interviews.

    It was a dire interview, I totally enjoyed it.

  164. Roughian
    Ignored
    says:

    Surely her peg can’t have many shoogles left.

  165. Pietro_McM
    Ignored
    says:

    @Davy

    At the monet, Kezia Dugdale is like a rabbit in the headlights. She was probably expecting an easier ride.

    Bru-Crate Murphy would have been better at the spouting of the bullshit.

    Maybe an unhinged, back-stabbed, Johann Lamont would have been better for Scottish Labour. If still angry and ready to speak a little truth unto the remaining Scottish party faithful.

    Come independence, a real Scottish Labour party, not beholden to the smug NuLabor neo-libs and neo-cons, might be a good thing for democracy in Scotland.

    Right now, the tide has gone out and, under the waterline, everybody can see just how bad the damage is that the NuLabor Blairites have inflicted on ship of fools.

  166. drawdeaddave
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m fae that constituency our SNP hub is right next door to McMahons, I went out of our hub for a smoke one afternoon & he was locking up early, i said how do & nodded & he just glared at me & said nothing, maybe it was my SNP high viz or my SNP badges either way it made me laugh…

  167. Stan Free
    Ignored
    says:

    But she sounds so sincere tough, that’s what worries me the most

  168. Rory MacLennan
    Ignored
    says:

    The alarming thing, or is it the most amusing thing, or is it the saddest thing, kez is the leader!?

    Kez, Jackie and James, stretch the imagination whilst plumming the depths like no others, complete and utter wastes of space!

  169. chasanderson200
    Ignored
    says:

    When slab give Dipity the big E shortly, the main problem they have is that they have no obvious candidates to replace her – indeed there may be NO candidates!

    Perhaps they can outsource the job (using a PFI contract perhaps!!)

  170. Nicol Hands
    Ignored
    says:

    Oh, that was not good interview for her. Best do better next time.



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