The list of demands
As life’s cruel weight bears increasingly down on your weary and creaking shoulders, readers – and it will, if it hasn’t already – you may find that you become decreasingly tolerant of those who waste your remaining time on Earth.
Certainly, this editor has rather less patience than he did in his youth, and engaged in a debate is often seen attempting to short-cut people’s outpourings of heartfelt rhetoric and hurry them along to their point, pleading “Yes, yes, all those awful things are awful but what is it you want to be actually done? What is your list of demands?”
It’s a phrase we’ve found in our minds a lot recently.
Today’s edition of the Herald has a bizarre piece by Magnus Gardham about a house in London owned by SNP MP John Nicolson. Bought as a wreck 20 years ago when he was a BBC and ITN journalist and restored by his own hand, the large townhouse now sits in a newly-fashionable area and is valued in the vicinity of £3m.
Nicolson lives in the property himself when he’s on Parliamentary business, and at other times occasionally rents it out for overnight stays or fashion shoots, earning a few hundred pounds a time. We’re told there’s been a single such engagement in 2015 so far, earning the MP £320.
In the print edition of the paper, the article ends rather snidely on a quote from the East Dunbartonshire MP’s colleague Pete Wishart about members not having outside interests. But on the Herald’s website there’s an extra sentence tacked onto the end from a Scottish Labour spokesman:
“In a debate on MPs second jobs earlier this year, Mr Wishart told the Commons: ‘There should be no second jobs, no paid directorships, no outside interests with a financial return.’
Referring to his comments, a Scottish Labour spokesman said yesterday: ‘Clearly his fellow SNP MP John Nicolson didn’t get the memo.'”
Zing, ooft, etc. We suspect Wishart already rues the lack of nuance in that line, and will continue to do so for some time. But readers may find themselves pondering what course of action the unnamed Labour representative is implicitly calling for.
Presumably they would have Nicolson sell up, pocketing millions of pounds, and then bill the taxpayer for his accommodation expenses when he’s in the capital. The standard budget allowed by IPSA for MPs renting a London home is £20,600 per annum, or £150 a night for hotels.
(Parliament sat for 133 days in the 2014-15 session, which would come to £19,950.)
So rather than have him earn £320 from outside interests, Labour would have Mr Nicolson enrich himself from the bloated London property market and then suck over £100,000 from the public pocket over the course of a Parliamentary term.
We suspect that tells you rather more about Labour’s mindset than it was meant to.
But it’s an attitude that’s undercut a lot of news stories in recent weeks. The media storm around Michelle Thomson’s “£1.7m property empire” (or put another way, about half of John Nicolson’s house) continues unabated in the press this morning, with the Herald devoting its front page to another piece on the now-independent MP.
The implication of a number of fatuous comments from Labour spokespeople, most recently Jackie Baillie, is that Thomson – whose property dealings preceded her election as an MP by years – should have immediately divested herself of her portfolio on winning her seat.
A couple of weeks ago the Daily Mail dedicated a splash to shock-horror revelations about 15 other SNP MPs’ second incomes – most hilariously that of John McNally, member for Falkirk, who coins in a sickening fortune by, er, cutting hair in his barber’s shop on Saturday mornings, obviously putting him firmly in the pocket of the powerful squirt-of-mousse lobby.
Again, we must assume that the demand – this time voiced by rentaquote Tory MSP Alex Johnstone and Eben Wilson, the sole known member of “Taxpayer Scotland” – is that Mr McNally immediately renounce this lucrative, integrity-prejudicing sideline. We hope for his sake he’s meticulous about declaring any tips.
The serious side to all this desperate straw-clutching (also including the Scotsman and Herald’s innuedo-laden “revelations” yesterday that SNP candidate Ivan McKee had done a small amount of entirely legitimate business with Michelle Thomson’s company in 2013 and 2014 – or as the papers put it, had been “dragged into” and “embroiled in” the “row” surrounding her) is that the witch-hunt becomes so hysterical that it (a) loses all journalistic credibility and (b) risks prejudicing any potential court case so badly that it becomes impossible.
(It’s difficult to assert that someone will get a fair trial when the country’s best-selling Sunday newspaper has already run a massive front-page splash with a picture of her face and a headline screaming “HOW CAN YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT?”)
But when the allied forces of bitter defeated Unionist politicians and furious hacks who’ve just lost their entire Westminster contact book decide to go on the SNP BAD warpath, serious journalism is always the loser.
“Best selling Sunday newspaper”……. Yes, at present .
At some stage these august journals will reap what they have been sewing for a very long time.
If integrity was calories these arseholes would be clipped onto a charm bracelet
That Magnus Gardham article really is bizarre. I can’t even figure out what Nicolson is supposed to have done wrong, other than winning a seat for the SNP. The very existence of it tells you far more about Magnus Gardham and the Herald than it does about John Nicolson (other than he has a fabulous eye for detail).
And the thing is, I can’t imagine anyone but the most rabid SNPouter finding anything wrong in it either. So it doesn’t even do what it’s meant to do, ie put people off the SNP.
The only conclusion I can come to from all this is that nobody in the Scottish media has ever heard the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf.
One can imagine, each morning, sat around the desk of Herald political editor, Magnus Gardham, his crack team of ‘copy and pasters’ (journalists), slavvering at how they could smear the SNP. Each and every one of them within their wee parochial Herald world, convinced the public give a flying you know what about their smear stories. ‘Ho, ho we really have them on the ropes now’ says one of them, ‘ho, ho, say the others’*.
Meanwhile, in the real world, based upon what I have seen and heard from both YES and NO voters, nobody gives a provervial flying ****.
Fact is, the kind of ridiculous non-reporting we have been subjected to by the corporate media in Scotland this week, has little impact. Other people have much more important things to think about each day. To political anoraks (self confessed) it is interesting.
The REAL damage however, is that the wholly evil and mendacious Tory Government, which this week has been verging on fascism, literally destroying peoples lives day by day and hour by hour has escaped serious critique. For that, those in the so called media in Scotland need to hang their heads in shame.
Scotland has been let down by the corporate media in Scotland, and it is hard to fathom the stupidity involved at all editorial levels. This website, is the ONLY rational source of political discourse on these matters, and it is indeed a terrible indictement of so-called Scottish ‘journalists’ that that is the case.
(* Apologies to Haruki Murakami)
I despair at the evil vindictiveness of the unionists and their propaganda machine. I expect those voted into a position of trust (and power) to use that for the betterment of the country, not for themselves. They disappoint me at every turn.
The list of side-jobs, directorships, management, partnerships, consultants etc. in the Labour or Tory MP/MSP ranks will probably burst any propaganda bubble that’s been spewed out over the last (fill in as appropriate) years.
Hypocrites one and all.
I’m bored repeating myself. And I’m sure others are equally as bored reading my repetitive announcements:-
There remains only two effective responses to this infantile standard of so called, “newspaper journalism”.
1. Stop buying their print copies
2. Resist visiting their websites
Those who choose to continue to fund their puerile gossip should not then moan about their content.
It’s no different from returning to the same crappy restaurant over & over, hoping that one day, someone in the kitchen will figure out how to serve home made lobster bisque instead of offering up a facsimile using a tepid can of Campbell’s tomato soup.
Isn’t John Nicolson the guy who doesn’t take his salary as well? Takes average wage or something?
@ Doug Daniel…. I am utterly convinced that the entire Scottish media are so blinded by SNP bad direction from editors and content managers that have forgotten the basic tenants of journalism.
Get proof was the mantra when I worked in a local newspaper.
Nothing goes into print unless you have researched to thoroughly and that includes the TV listings.
These days are gone.
Another great article Stu. But do you know what? I am sick of these people trying to discredit the SNP. It seems every day there is another smear story by the press or some disgruntled MP.
I am sure there is an awful lot of people with the same view. But there will come a time when we will be so fed up hearing and reading this nonsense that we will become immune to them,so that if there comes a time when a story has a grain of truth to it we will just shrug our shoulders and go straight to the crossword page
These shit stirrers would do well to read this warning very, very carefully, “Those who choose to sow the wind will quickly find themselves reaping a whirlwind”.
Adapted from Arthur ‘Bomber’Harris.
Auld Rock
Rev Stu,
I feel sorry for you having to dredge through all that pathetic propaganda.
I never read the newspapers anymore apart from the occasional National and Sunday Herald and never watch the TV news and political programs at all. I feel a lot calmer for it. 🙂
It is a amazing that the papers still believe that they have major power over the Scottish people. More and more people are turning away from the MSM and I hope this continues and these papers and the Unionist parties they represent are consigned to history.
@Doug Daniel
The only conclusion I can come to from all this is that nobody in the Scottish media has ever heard the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf.
Nail on head. Incidentally, while the corporate media in Scotland are whipping themselves up into a frenzy over the Thompson story, I wonder if they will mention this story on the Guardian website:
link to theguardian.com
MPs, a lord chief justice, a member of the royal family and public school headmasters all intervened to stop a bishop being prosecuted for sexual abuse 22 years ago, the Old Bailey has heard.
Hilarious journalism. Alex Salmond writes newspaper columns and books. John Nicholson lives in a house he owns. Ivan McKee bought some Edinburgh property to let out – clue, he’s a businessman. John McNally cuts hair, Tommy Sheppard owns a comedy club. Shocking.
Strangely, The Telegraph’s pen portrait of the “maverick” MPs elected in May failed to spot Michelle Thomson among them.
link to archive.is
[…] The list of demands […]
I don’t know about anyone else but I’m finding all this press hysteria a bit mental. It’s extraordinary, this level of frenzy is usually reserved for murder accusations and beautiful princesses. I really don’t think they’re doing themselves any favours. Then they whine that no-one is listening to them any more.
They’re driven by fear. It’s clear that they’re doing their best to prevent an SNP majority at Holyrood next year as it’s the only way they can now prevent an indyref2 and the certain end of Britain. That’s what their ‘list of demands” is, a panic-stricken battle for a unionist majority in the Scottish Parliament or it’s game over.
As for the Michelle Thomson smears, I reckon the media are creating such a hysterical hype out of the “vulnerable seller” angle because they know it’s a load of bollocks and she’ll never face any charges related to this; if she does end up in court it would probably be for the back to back selling and mortgage side of things which they are keeping quiet on.
“Those who choose to sow the wind will quickly find themselves reaping a whirlwind”.
Or MUCH better:
“Those who choose to sow the wind will quickly find themselves reduced to being little farts”.
It’s been a long game strategy for a while now; separate the SNP, in the minds of the people, from the idea that they represent the people. It’s a form of propaganda, and has been dripping non stop since they actually have become the voice of the Scottish electorate. This wind, cant and pish wont end til independence.
What is so disappointing is that the consequences of all the muck-raking will be that fewer and fewer people (maybe especially women) will put themselves forward for election.
The 2015 candidates included a lot of Yessers who had no previous background in politics, and have proved themselves in Westminster to be an articulate and interesting bunch of people.
But after seeing this kind of monstering going on and ‘dragging in’ people like John Nicholson for doing nothing other than having good taste, who on Earth will want to stand as a candidate in future – other than the usual clones, spads and the terminally ambitious?
The MSM does everyone (and themselves) a disservice by resorting to the Jeremy Kyle formula of melodrama, false emotion, and allegation, in an effort to prop up sales.
I stopped buying the Herald a few months ago because my digital National was doing the job for me. However this morning over a M&S scone and coffee I treated myself … haha! … to a Herald and read this incredibly nonsensical article. It’s as though the editor has told his staff to balance the sister paper by taking a negative view even when there isn’t one to find. Terrible piece of drivel. And yet a couple of pages/ a few feet of office space away there is the great Ian Bell! Very very odd.
possibly the greatest ever opening sentence to an article I’ve ever read.
Despite all their lies and halve truths the papers can’t hide the fact that the Scottish people know that the S.N.P. Are the best people to rule Scotland and no amount of lies will change that
There is a lot of info on positive versus negative campaigning online.
Negative can work, particularly with a specific attack at a critical moment.
The problem with negative campaigning is it can easily backfire. The more you do it, the greater the chance of it going wrong.
I am still of the opinion that if the SNP stay with a firm positive message, and don’t rise to the bait, then they will fare better than the Unionists relentless negativity.
One thing to bear in mind is that the Unionists have no choice but to go negative. There is no positive case for them to promote.
The SNP had/have a choice. They choose to stay positive.
Do the Unionist plan seven months for of this? I sense it is going to go really badly for them. This Unionist dross, day after day, will inevitably show them up for what they are – Nasty grubby Naesayers with nae message and nae ideas.
The Media-Unionist Axis serves the purpose of putting us Jocks in our place. To them we are a nation of cultural pygmies scared even of our shadow if we dare to step out in the sun
ClanDonald says:
“It’s clear that they’re doing their best to prevent an SNP majority at Holyrood next year as it’s the only way they can now prevent an indyref2 and the certain end of Britain.”
Just beat me to it CD.
I suspect the concerted attack on all things SNP is being co-ordinated by MI5. They are still No1 threat to the state and must be eliminated. We’ll need to watch the voting in May. I don’t trust them at all.
Desperation stakes now for the unionists and unionist media, the hysteria and panic from them is becoming loud and incoherent and ever more pathetic with each passing day. Is it because polls show that the majority ie over 50% now favour Independence? What will the story be tomorrow SNP man ate my hamster?
Dear Westminster
Can we appoint Lord Watson to oversee an investigation?
The Shark has now been jumped so often the crowd aren’t even saluting Fonzie anymore
On the subject of property deals, a small item tucked away in The Herald on Monday of this week: Tom Continued, the actor, is selling his London home. He bought it 30 years ago for £700,000 and it is up for sale at £15 million. Good for him.
Even 30 years ago £700k was a lot of money and like most people in professions such as acting, journalism etc where income fluctuates buying property as an investment to ensure a pension income is not unusual. So what this MP did long before he became an MP was, and is, in no way unusual.
The Herald has been roundly and rightly derided for their story about this MP in the on-line comments section of the newspaper.
Also noticed an article in the Stirling Observer on the MT case. Apparently Mr Frank Gilbride has applied to Stirling Council for a taxi driver’s licence.
” serious journalism is always the loser.”
I cannot think of any serious journalism in the last three decades, as a whole. Take the expenses scandal, one newspaper turned it down, the newpaper that published it did do any digging the person handed the evidence to it. If we had to depend on journalists, doing the investigations, to bring wrongdoers to account we would still be in the dark.
I meant to say the newspaper didn’t do any digging.
Like first world generals who only had one answer for everything. All over the top for on an onslaught to try and smash the “hun”. Did not work then and won’t work now they have managed to switch off 45 % of the population, or should I say switch on folk to a whole new world of possibilities.
It is obvious that they is a concerted effort going on to knock a dent in the SNP to stop them at any cost of getting a majority again at Holyrood next year. I wonder how long it will take to come out of the bunkers, or for them to find out they have just lost afew more thousand No voters in the process
Honestly at the end of the day, does anyone really believe the bullshit the unionist press prints. They can put any type of spin on it they want but it is very badly written or broadcasted.
Myself and the wife have watched both the STV and the BBC’s versions of the poor abused couple who sold their house and made a profit. But now resent Michelle Thomsons company for making a profit as well but only five years later.
Come on, you would have to be a numpty the size of Jackie Ballie to believe that shite. Are you sure the wifey wasn’t reading from one Kezia’s scripts or was it the interviewers.
Just give them all enough rope and they will hang themselves, I hope they all have lawyers, I reckon their going to need them.
Ronald Russell @ 12.33.
Better still, don’t buy the fuckin’ rubbish.
So rather than have him earn £320 from outside interests, Labour would have Mr Nicolson enrich himself from the bloated London property market and then suck over £100,000 from the public pocket over the course of a Parliamentary term.
We suspect that tells you rather more about Labour’s mindset than it was meant to.
I think the real target of the Wishart comments was the 10k+ income he earns from the Tower Hamlets property, mentioned VERY briefly in the article.
Based on that line from the Wishart speech(but not the entire speech, which is mainly focussed on work that takes time away from being an MP), its probably a valid news item, but the article is ridiculously framed – most likely to try and create a connection in peoples minds with MT, property etc. Meh. Spin.
Expect Iain Blackford will be next – directorships, property, the lot. Not ideal. The SNP need to just own this now, or every single member with an outside interest will be a target – all due a terrible line in what was a very good Wishart speech.
AS for the media, i’m minded of a quote I read from Peter Mandelson when he entered government.
“Of course we want to use the media, but the media will be our tools, our servants; we are no longer content to let them be our persecutors.”
Seems the media bought it entirely, and haven’t stopped.
There’s a rumour going around that Gardham has been tipped off that there may have been a ‘financial transaction’ between the SNP and the venue the former has hired for its conference.
Watch this space..
As has been said these co-ordinated attacks more than likely have the brit stasi aka M15/GCHQ filthy fingerprints all over them. We need to be vigilant and watch for any suspicious activity when it comes to voting during the Holyrood elections.
@Wulls (07/10/15 – 12:33pm)
“Get proof was the mantra when I worked in a local newspaper.”
Somewhat akin to advice I was given for essay writing. Whenever you write anything, ask yourself:
“So what?” – i.e. is the point the writer is making valid to the point of the subject?
and
“Who says?” – attributable sources
Very simple mantras, ensuring a degree of veracity. Modern journalism seems to be based more on:
1. “Will it make money?”
2. “Does it follow the newspaper owners’ political allegiences?”
3. If 1 & 2 are satisfied, find a way to make it true.
So! It would appear that to become an SNP member of Parliament,you should have;
1. Had an unsuccessful career.
2. Had a poorly paid employment.
3. Lived with your mum and dad instead of buying a house.
4. Kept no savings of any description.
5. Be indifferent to any assets prior to becoming an MP.
6. Do not make sure you have sufficient for retirement.
7. Be prepared to live in a tented village whilst in London.
Bejesus, Glad I am not applying to represent Scotland in Parliament.
I can reveal to Magnus Gardham that following his article today The Herald has lost another customer. I never thought that I would see anything like this from The Herald.
Has Michelle Mone been asked for comment?, or supplied one regardless?
Recent BBC findings (cant archive): link to bbc.co.uk
From Guardian 2013
Analysis by the Guardian reveals 20 MPs made more money from their outside jobs than they did from their Parliamentary salary, with some spending more than 1,000 hours engaging in outside employment. Of those, 17 declared more than £100,000 in income …
In total, Conservative MPs declared more than £4.3m in earnings from outside directorships or jobs, versus £2.4m (including Gordon Brown’s £1.36m) for Labour. More than 50 MPs had directorships of at least one company, while 295 declared at least some kind of minimal earnings from outside work. >/I>
It’s pretty much just white noise now: Someone in the SNP has maybe done something mildly immoral and you should all be outraged about it.
It’s become so tiresome now that I’m not even listening anymore.
The Herald is Magnus Gardham’s plaything. With a little help from his apprentice Daniel Sanderson. Out a sizeable staff of political journalists only one hails from Scotland, Robin Dinwoodie, not that should matter, just an observation. One thing I don’t get is, what is the attraction for journalilsts to come up here to work in a failing sector of their industry.
Reminiscent of ‘Nicola Sturgeon has a better coffee maker than her constituents’! What drivel, not even worthy of becoming chip paper.
So will it now be illegal for politicians to write (paid) articles/columns for papers or appear on QT?
There’s a rumour going around that Gardham has been tipped off that there may have been a ‘financial transaction’ between the SNP and the venue the former has hired for its conference.
Watch this space..
Would this be news? Aberdeen is building a new Conference Centre. The Labour council made a total arse of it and threatened to kill the deal if ScotGov didn’t help. Scottish Enterprise got involved and supplied (I believe), £10 million.
Richard Baker MSP (Labour) quoted in the local rag…
“It is vital that the government gets behind this vital project for the future of Aberdeen”
“In the past ministers have ensured Scottish Enterprise has funds to support the venues in Edinburgh and Glasgow and so it is only right they support the new centre in Aberdeen as well.
A total of £25million was provided by Scottish Enterprise for the new Hydro in Glasgow so it would simply be unfair if Aberdeen did not receive similar support for the new AECC.”
The venue is also council owned, so it would be a financial transaction between the Scottish Government/Scottish Enterprise and Aberdeen City Council.
I can’t see the Labour led ACC keeping quiet if the SNP was quietly throwing it money that it shouldnt…
This could be interesting!
Oh for **** sake!
Do these pricks no have flies in need of having their wings removed somewhere they can bother with?
Simply dire from both opposition parties and the press.
This tabloidisation of the Herald has to be a gamble, probably the final nail in it’s coffin. If he keeps on this track, before long Gardham will have the death of the Herald on his CV. But not his conscience.
You know what? I LIKE the fact that it is possible to see one’s MP in an ordinary setting doing ordinary things, like cutting hair or attending a book launch. It might stop them becoming completely cut off in the WM bubble.
I don’t feel the same about them sitting on the boards of big corporations, though. Cos that is not out where I can see what they are up to. That, though, is perfectly acceptable, and, indeed, often defended on grounds that it keeps MP’s in touch.
Funny, isn’t it?
Reminds me of the Carmicheal affair when it was front page for days with quotes from the Loyalist party/s including wee Willie Rennie who all then found that they had been had and were left with egg on their faces.
As far as I can see there’s very little in this story except SNPBad and “look over there” “don’t look at the conservatives party conference where the cruel and evil people are meeting”
Well that’s tomorrow’s Press and Journal headlines sorted anyway. Neo fascist Voice of the North goes massive today with a scoop on a ferociously corrupt SNP MP called Thompson and “Inquiry into fraud claims involving SNP MP to widen”
Makes a change from P&J creeps waiting outside Aberdeen Sheriff court for convicted benefits fraudsters, to expose, shame, monster, sell ad space on their disgusting outfit.
SNP taking the best line, stand back say nothing, let them get on with it, nothing to do with us guv. You invented it.
Meanwhile Tory conference rumbles on in all its vileness safe in the knowledge that the press has better things to be getting on with like assisting them {tories} in their attacks against the NHS and Welfare state.
Leave the papers on the shelves.
The BBC should not be allowed to use time for newspaper reviews of right and far right wing newspapers.
Why should Barclay brothers et al get free coverage of their Edvertorials and their newspapers name checked every night and every morning?
This is the BBC news… What Crazy Cockers says really, we can’t be arsed.
My goodness the Tory Party and I seem to remember that they have a small majority are having a conference and all the “ahem” Papers can discuss is salacious gossip. Perhaps they should be classed as a poor person’s Hello.
Seem to remember that in September 2014 Scotland gave the “Okay” for whosoever is in power at Westminster to actually issue pocket money to Scotland and those who managed the Country were just about allowed to spend it. Of course they forgot we might just vote in a whole lot of SNP MP’s and this has got up their hump.
Aye, they are fast running out of inspiration.What next?
SNP MP’s shoe size is too small/ to big to be an MP?
It’s the sound of barrels being scrapped very hard.
With McNally in particular, this will backfire badly. He is embedded into his community. He served as a local councillor on Falkirk Council, and had a solid reputation as a local crafter.
As I said on a previous thread, I’m sure they were warned that their back story would be turned inside out. I wouldn’t be surprised if they rehearsed a scandal the way MT gave up the whip.
And we have to crowdfund legal action on a proven self confessed liar, that has no shame. The latest on that seems to be a refusal by Fluffy to release memos – quelle surprise.
Do not remove your seatbelts.
I do wonder what else is coming down the pipeline.
It really is silly season.
The only answer to all this is SNP/SNP in May, since The Establishment needs to stall the momentum for independence.
The mud-slinging has become so hysterical that people just switch off. That’s why we got 56 seats last May: the law of diminishing returns will continue to take effect.
I now want to know who the quarter of Tory mp”s ,the 12% Lab & the 15% Lib dems ,that all own houses to let ,are, and how they can whinge and greet about this.His ONLY crime was to be elected ,in fact all SNP MPs ,are because of election ,banned from even trying to do anything that is openly A-OK for the establishment.
I cannot say enough how bitterly disappointed I am at still having anything to do with this British system ,and being vilified for having the cheek to elect ,the ppl we wanted ,all this is “punishment” because,we democratically sent the SNP to the hallowed walls of a stinking corrupt building ,that now looking at Guy Fawkes in a different light,fervently wish he had succeded
Well I suppose the realistic title for the piece “S.N.P. lives in London house he has owned for over 20 years and is saving the taxpayer £100,000 over the next five years.” just doesn’t cut it these days does it? 😀
Why does the Herald not just go the whole hog and change their name to something like “We hate the S.N.P. Daily.” I mean WE all know they hate the S.N.P. why do they continue with their cowardly ways of pretending to be anything other than a S.N.P. hating collection of dead wood? 😉
I agree with others, all this SNP bad stuff from the Corporate Media, is now winging itself over our heads.
Our folk, of all ilk’s, cannot fail to see the Unionist agenda to unsettle the position of the SNP, and it’s many supporters.
It is of course an attack on Scottish democracy, they are saying we cannot have it. We are saying, we will take it.
Watched a little bit of Cameron’s speech today, what I see now is a man who is now bloated with arrogance. He had god like rapture from the audience and his ego is now ballooning to great heights.
He looks like and sounds like a person who can do what he wants, and what he wants goes. We will wait and see how that turns out.
What I do think, and borne out by recent events, the SNP are on his death wish list. We really need much more security over the votes in May. If not we are certainly going to be screwed out of it being a success.
We really need to be more aware of what is happening. I suspect MI5 will already have it’s instructions and will be given all authority to do what it needs to, to defeat our democratic rights.
RE The Mail on Sunday. It states he has a second job as a MSP.
Doesn’t Alex donate one of his political salaries to charity? I’m sure I read that somewhere (not sure which one though). I know he did it in the past when he was a Westminster MP and MSP at the same time. So I’m guessing he does it now.
People believe want they want to believe. And these newspapers give the sanctimonious anti SNP factions the opportunity to take the moral high ground. It’s clearly a sign that the propaganda war is being ramped up already, 7 months before the Scottish Parl Election.
Michelle Thomson, Police Scotland, GM Crops, Bed Blocking Stats…all “crises” that make a quick&dirty anti SNP Govt headline (esp on Reporting Scotland).
It’ll just get worse now.
“Taxpayer Scotland”!!!
Whoohahahahahaha
Scraping the barrel of the gutter, these ‘news’papers.
Their ‘friends’ in the Labour Party in Scotland will say anything, do anything to slur the SNP.
They will rue the day they stooped too low, which was probably a week last Tuesday.
We’ll never know exactly which lie broke the camels back, because the lies are so thick we’re losing track of time, never mind weight.
The Scotland section of BBC online has NO coverage of Tory conference or Cameron’s speech in front page stories.
Are we not better together any more? Can we not see what our PM is saying and what that means for us on our own regional page?
Squirrel! Property! SNP BAD!
Why does the Herald hate Scotland so? They take every opportunity to trash us, anyone associated with us and play down any legitimate issues we might have with Westminster et al. What is their problem?
Me, I’m totally scunnered with them! They are what the word was invented for.
Until today, the herald was my second choice daily, if the National was sold out ( frequently ). Not now. That may not lead to mass instances of falling on own letter openers, but there will be more like me. We can take fair criticism of our politicians, but this stuff’s getting out of hand.
The media have almost managed to whip up a slight foam; I trust MI5 have something major to end this with. I may go bald scratching my head trying to work out why anyone would waste resources in this way.
Its open season on the SNP by the despicable Britain First media.
After giving up on The Scotsman I started to buy The Herald many years ago but gave it up last month as it was getting just as bad.
I will continue to buy The National and the Sunday Herald, much to the chagrin of the fundamentalists on this forum, as they deserve to be supported by all of us ..warts and all.
When I was a part time journalist many moons ago we, from different papers, used to discuss what line to take on any issue.
Thanks to all the cut backs, journalists are under a lot of pressure but that’s no excuse for ill informed witch hunts particularly as they now have easy internet sources to check facts.
Moodie Vision reminds us of who is who in the rich zoo!
Very timely!
link to bellacaledonia.org.uk
If Thomson is brought down by this then the pack will move onto their next target. Any snp MP/MSP will do. Hopefully by next May there will be grave doubts about the SNP. A comment above mentions MI5 being involved. Like the vile cybernat attacks on national treasures such as JK Rowling their shadowy presence cannot be dismissed. Didn’t the press, labour, tories look into Mrs & Mr Wrights complaint against Michelle Thomson & think they’re a pair of stooges?
Does anyone know if The Vice-Regal Governor and Chief Numpty to Her Majesties Colony Of Scotchland The Right Horrible Fluffy Mundell has spoken his tupence worth at The Nuremberg Rally in Manchester yet.
And finally come to think of it
Why does the BBC or Sky TV evening newspaper reviews never include the front page of The National?
I am going to complain … join me
7 months before the Scottish Parl Election.
Michelle Thomson, Police Scotland, GM Crops, Bed Blocking Stats…all “crises” that make a quick&dirty anti SNP Govt headline (esp on Reporting Scotland).
It’ll just get worse now.
BBC are not mad, so it’s going to come in waves of SNP attack. Background BBC sez vote SLab, Holyrood bad noise, with cyclical Thompson style monstering hysteria every two weeks,
UKOK Union Jack drape tirumphalist Trident 2 makes you rule Britannia safe, great British bake off style BBC Toryboy nationalism. By next April and May, full on assault on everything Scottish SNP. BBC sez Scottish cops, medics, teachers etc are completely terrible but they will be pretty dead to it all by then, possibly.
Just a smokescreen to distract attention away from the issue of house prices. A town house worth 3m? How did that happen? It appears that money laundering has played a significant part. How about more attention payed to this instead of bogus anti SNP propaganda. See link to independent.co.uk
I have to say, and this may well not be popular, but from day one I was sceptical about promoting the Sunday Herald and later The National. Regardless of people telling us how independent they are from the daily Herald, it’s still the same company. Funding one is merely keeping the other afloat
I’d much rather give my money to WoS and iScot and the likes, than prop up yet another MSM propaganda tool
I’m done with it. Let the true independent seeking media outlets push through rather than the ones with feet in both camps
I must say like everybody else I was finding this Witch hunting of SNP MPs distressingly sickening up until yesterday
when it began to take on a new and strange turn
In their eagerness to portray the SNP as not whiter than white or the guardians of truth and justice, they, to coin a phrase “Huv went too far” and the whole exercise has now descended into hilarity
The BBC and print media have just proved beyond any reasonable doubt how anti SNP they are, even to the moderate NO voters and for the YES side this has merely served to harden and firm up the SNP vote share which looks like being massive now
Last night STV with “JOHN McKAY” attempted to rescue themselves by presenting a fairer look at this whole non news story but even for them this still may have been a bit tardy and it would serve STV well if they were to extricate themselves from this ranting pack PDQ although the di is cast on the vote they might regain some credibility with some viewers
Tonight I believe Mis reporting Scotland will dive back into SNP Baad on health with their resident attack dog on these matters, everybody’s favourite Eleanor Bradford with Shona Robison defending for the SNP
The piece will be prerecorded to facilitate editing with overdubbing in all the right places
It would seem last year taught them nothing, no matter how much they try the SNP vote share goes up…. so
Thanks for that
RIGHT!
THAT’S IT!
link to youtube.com
You are right Alex he does donate one of his salaries to charity. Like you though I can’t remember which one it is. 😀
crisiscult @ 12.59
Seconded!
I’ve met some SNP MPs I admit it, but I’m not sorry and I’d do it again
I’ll accept my punishment now
This politically motivated (‘look at what they’re doing, we know it’s not that news worthy and is pathetically trivial, but as long as you’re not looking at what we’re doing’) strategy used by the Establishment has a very similar feel to the use of programmes like ‘Benefit Street’ and ‘On benefits and Proud’.
It’s funny how they never show you ‘Bankers Bonus Street’ or ‘Millionaire Tax avoidance Lane’.
At the end of the day it is going to get a lot worse. One of two things will happen, they will ether destroy us, or we will refuse to die. I know where I am.
@Macart
Blood pressure!!!!!!!!
Don’t talk to me about the Herald. The Scotsman is in full “SNP bad” mood today, with five stories with an anti-SNP twist spread over six pages, including two on the front page.
Never mind. They are a shrunken and biased relic of a once great paper, losing more readers every day, and soon to disappear.
I know some of you are saying the Herald has lost another customer today but apparently this article was the top rated story on their website today. This means they’re getting an awful lot of clicks and therefore revenue, probably from all of us.
The more they wind us up the more money they make, don’t fall for it.
I mentioned the MT and smear business to my wife, the fount of all knowledge and wisdom, and she said “but they’ve always done that”.
Well, yes they have, but only really in the old days the tabloids, those with a high circulation, onsite legal department, and an accountant who would decide if it was worth the £200,000 in damages for the increased circulation meanwhile.
What’s happened is that the Quality papers like, errr, the Scotman and the Herald, are following suit, as are ones down south as well. But they don’t have decades of experience of doing it, their legal team who also makes the tea has no specialisation in this, and their accountant is using Danny Alexander’s calculator.
In short, they’re bumbling amateurs in a genre they know not of. If they keep it up they’ll become part of history, and the sooner the better.
I started buying The Herald again six months ago.
After the pish about John Nicolson they can GTF.
Gardham of course is a complete shit, haven’t bought the Herald for over a year now although I was a customer for the previous thirtyfive.
Well I for one am simply staggered and appalled.
Folk on here were still buying The Herald!!!
@Nana
Grrrrrrrrrrrr!
Sick of the lot of them.
Hundreds of subscriptions cancelled, thousands of newspapers unsold on stands, now talk of possible further redundancies if this trend was to continue. The Herald has certainly shot itself in both feet.
@galamcennalath
Yes, I think it’s vital the SNP keep a steady head and let it all wash off them. The tabloids, and they’re all tabloids now, will self-destruct in 10 seconds, as will their mission.
In many ways the state of the press and tv in Scotland mirror the decline of the union. They like the union are moribund and utterly redundant and offer nothing but negativity day in day out! And like the union are basically finished!
Quite a few second rate unionist, royal arse-licking editors consider themselves to be Citizen Kane, I reckon. Well, sorry to burst their bubble, but the only people who believe their guff anymore are those that still want to believe it.
You know what really pisses them off? The fact that popular SNP politicians, in government for eight years, can still walk the streets, spontaneously surrounded by grateful admirers and well-wishers, whilst their tory chums, if they stepped away from the security screens, the police guards and the sniper cover for one minute, would be set upon immediately by angry crowds.
link to bbc.co.uk
Its interesting watching BBC Scotland propaganda sometimes trying to get away with their two nations in union pretence because there’s nothing about pig fancier Cammer’s assault on poverty speech triumph, joy, glory actually online BBC Scotland.
How odd.
BBC says Red Tory Scotland region, blue Tory England/UK. Purr purr.
@Training Day
Ah, I can see the headline now:
“SNP offer financial inducement to hall to host their conference for free. Bad SNP!”
@Macart
Me too. I saw someone on twitter took their copy back to the shop and told them to cancel his sub. Let’s hope lots of folk follow suit.
Stopped reading the herald a long time ago, never go there so never link to any of their rubbish. Not even good enough to wrap chips in.
Nation Libre @ 2.12
Hear! Hear! Quite why people are so blind to the obvious regarding this, I do not know?
“As far as I can see there’s very little in this story except SNPBad and “look over there” “don’t look at the conservatives party conference where the cruel and evil people are meeting””
That would be cruel and evil people we told you you’d be BetterTogether with.
@Jim Finlayson
I’ve been posting in the Herald for 2 years. Spent not one peeny in digital subscription, and I don’t think I’ve bought the paper. Sunday Herald yes at times but not any more, and National, yes at times.
I’ve never clicked (bar once) on their ads either, annoying slow jerky things they are, and the one time I did click on something proclaiming funny stuff on Disney, I got contaminated by a popup malware that directs you to a spam site saying you’ve won a car or money or something, I checked online and that turned out to be a scam where you have to pay for your prize which you don’t get. Herald has debilitating terminalitis.
Folks, don’t mention this to the unionist, corporate media (after all, why interrupt your enemy………?), but I think they have royally screwed up this time. Think about this:
Many soft NO voters voted SNP in May.
Many soft NO voters actually like the SNP.
SNP voters have been offended by the behaviour of the corporate media.
Many soft NO voters who voted SNP have been offended by the behaviour of the corporate media.
Low hanging fruit for IndyRef 2, methinks. 🙂
From red tory The Graun
Addressing the Conservative party conference in Manchester, Cameron said of Corbyn:
You only really need to know one thing: he thinks the death of Osama bin Laden was a “tragedy”.
No. A tragedy is nearly 3,000 people murdered one morning in New York. A tragedy is the mums and dads who never came home from work that day. A tragedy is people jumping from the towers after the planes hit.
My friends – we cannot let that man inflict his security-threatening, terrorist-sympathising, Britain-hating ideology on the country we love.”
All wrapped up in non jingoistic giant union jacks. Pig fancier Cammers learnt a great from Project Fear. No doubt Bliar MacBloater is very proud of himself.
gillie
I think it is more, the Herald put it’s foot in its mouth, then shot it.
They’ve been spreading the hate agenda for decades, its now having the opposite affect.
Hmmm, if I were to do a piece on Edinburgh West SNP, I would look at the deselection of Colin Keir, not MT’s business past!
But I don’t think that Colin Keir stories sell newspapers, nor do I think it equates with SNP bad.
Who knows, in time I might even join the SNP!
Vote Cole-Hamilton (Lib Dem): no chance. Well done MSM!
Clap hands, be happy, Ruthies here to save the union, with a terrific Ruth photo too, aren’t BBC Scotland lovely to the toryboys and girls.
link to bbc.co.uk
Good old Holyrood list vote n stuff.
After some ahem, unpleasantness business wise the last tory leader and his ahem resignation for well usual stuff teamGB media brush under that giant carpet of UKOK shysters, war mongers, paedos, drunks, junkies, house flippers…
Vote NO wikipedia says
“Subsequently Davidson, although coming a distant fourth in Glasgow Kelvin, was elected to the Scottish Parliament on the Glasgow region list.[18] After the election, she was appointed by Goldie as the Conservative spokesperson for Culture, Europe and External Relations.[3]”
From a distant four in her constituency, to saviour of the NO.
The coordinated media witch hunt against the SNP continues.
There is only one thing the public can do to stop this: vote in large numbers for any SNP politician who is attacked by the media.
This has two effects: you get a representative in parliament and you stick two fingers up to propagandists posing as journalists. Seems like a good deal.
The answer is simple, but hard to stick to. Deprive the Herald of sensible comments, and leave behind the hysteria. I think its digital edition subsidises the paper version.
Most days I wake up, read stories such as the one above (and all the MT rubbish) and think that I must be living in some kind of parallel universe, some altered reality. And I ask myself–who is it that is creating this distortion of truth, this altered reality? It is, of course, the BritNat Corporate Media, aided by a very compliant and powerful State-sponsored Broadcaster. These are the rabid BritNats who are creating this altered reality, this assault on truth.
They are the ‘AlterNats‘. They include all Unionist politicians, newspapers and broadcasters.
These ‘AlterNats‘ are your worst kind of nationalist–the rabid, frothing BritNat who resorts to altering and distorting truth to suit their own narrow, self-serving, imperialist agenda.
We are in the midst of a major propaganda war, folks–it is a ‘war’ between CyberNats using mainly Social Media to get its message through and the AlterNats who deploy Corporate Media and the State-Sponsored Broadcaster to distort the truth.
Cybernats may well use the inernet to get its message across but it is a message backed up by unaltered facts. Never trust an AlterNat.
A pen picture of the infamous Jackie baillie
link to caltonjock.com
[…] As life’s cruel weight bears increasingly down on your weary and creaking shoulders, readers – and it will, if it hasn’t already – you may find that you become decreasingly tolerant of those who waste your remaining time on Earth. […]
According to Guido’s twitterati chums ActionKrankie went down a storm in the hall earlier and is the natural successor to the pig-fucker. Should we tell them?
I suppose the ‘big distraction’ it provides to ‘readers and viewers’ in Scotland is specifically to take the Tory party conference off the top spot in Scotland.
They do know that Tory policies in Scotland really don’t go down well by a staggering majority and by dumbing down the ‘news’ to this degree whilst aiming their guns at the SNP they form a kind of propaganda ‘pincer’ movement.
Take the ‘real’ culprits off the air and replace with ‘phoney’ culprits…’they’re all as bad as each other’. Feed low level disinformation to ‘drown out’ the true extent of how far the Tories are going to go in quite literally destroying the foundation of our ‘society’.
If the Tory conference had been reported on this week in Scotland in the manner of informing citizens of what their government’s plans are, I believe that even No voters would be reconsidering their positions regarding Scotland’s place in this union. Recall it took more than the 45% to get the May result.
So bombard Scotland with pish whilst the real horror takes place in Manchester. They are doing this to ‘keep’ the ‘low information’ No voters on board.
The ukok second front started after the coronation of man of peace Corbyn , we all have learned his views on the SNP , same as SLAB with bells on, all live interviews with the SNP should be hijacked and used to highlight the lies the media are promoting on behalf of SLAB don’t answer their questions, just keep interrupting as they do constantly, the SNP have nothing to loose doing this as all the media are SNP bad they will never give the SNP a fair shake so f/ them
Keep in mind, people, that in a war it is always useful to know as much as possible about your enemy.
Or to put it another way, we can’t expect the rev to do all the sewer crawling for us.
Steve says
“The venue is also council owned, so it would be a financial transaction between the Scottish Government/Scottish Enterprise and Aberdeen City Council.”
I think it would be just peachy if Alex Salmond cut the ribbon dont you?
If you want to stick two fingers up to the media propagandists just another £600 is needed to help the campaign to oust Carmichael to hit £100,000.
link to indiegogo.com
DON’T PANIC!
We have been saved from our wretched selves folks.
No honest it is TRUE!
It must be true cause wee Ruthie told me it was so. Well she didn’t exactly tell me personally you understand. 😉
Wee Ruthie has a master plan to save the union, no honestly she does. Next May she wants all Labour and Lib Dem voters to … erm … vote … erm TORY! 😀
link to thenational.scot
We’re doomed … all doomed! 😀
I hope John McNally MP is not cutting hair any longer
So, will anyone who ‘knowingly’ votes Conservative next year who has formally/informally twittered/facebooked/declared in any way shape or form allegiance to the Labour party be excommunicated if they vote Tory in 2016 elections? Ruth’s cunning plan to help us wipe Labour from Scotland…excellent.
‘Cause it’s a well kent fact that shy tories are renowned for hiding in the wilderness of the North country.
The National seems to be getting better every day.
I look forward to my daily coffee routine – I got to read yesterday’s as well as I had been working in Belfast till late yesterday
Such a great tonic
I suspect that from reading many of the articles, the Rev willingly or not, has been co-opted onto their editorial team, or they must have Wingers working for them
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK IF YOU ARE READING THIS
Did Magnus Gardham jump from the DR or was he pushed due to the falling sales. He reminds me of Prof what’s his name from pro union Glesga Uni, po faced, unhappy at being a Brit nat and nobody is listening to his constant drivel and anti snp vitriol.
I have to say he is consistent. So am I. I stopped reading the record and I have stopped reading the Herald.
Maybe wings in cooperation with other pro Indy news sites could do a who’s who of the Scottish press ( North of the powerhouse North?). Should be interesting. Who is this torquil guy!?
Arabs…that’s a bit cutting.
(coat oan)
‘you become increasingly tolerant of those who waste your remaining time on earth’
Indeed,and as I have been dealing with bereavement,and the funeral of a loved one yesterday, I will always be eternally grateful to Wings for saving me time in trying to avail myself of arguments for exploding all the unionist lies and myths.
I can assure Rev Stuart and Wings team,their time spent slaying unionist propaganda in all it’s guises is not wasted.
Martyrs one and all 🙂
Would you wear Union Jack undercrackers?
No, you wouldn’t.
And just as you wouldn’t allow the UJ anywhere near a good, clean Scottish BumHole, you’re hardly going to be wiping said orifice with a dirty rag like the Scotsman or Herald. I wouldn’t wipe the dog’s arse with the Herald and Gardham’s not worthy of being covered in my dog’s shit.
So send Gardham and co a message.
Don’t wipe the dog’s arse with the Herald, cause the dog’s arse is more deserving.
David McDowell says:
You are right David, a huge SNP vote would nullify all their rubbish.
OK how about checking out who the advertisers are using these papers (not newspapers BTW) and writing to them to say why we will not buy their products if they continue, and that they could always advertise in the National instead ?
Que SNP witch hunt reported in same papers probably but it’s about time to hit them hard I think.
No one should be fooled this is all about divide and conquer.
The Unionist and msm want SNP supporters to react to the misleading info and blatant lies as part of their strategy to prevent a majority SNP government and second indy ref.
It serves their purpose and would delight them if angry SNP supporters abused correspondents and unionist supporters on social media so they can run with their cybernat stories.
Can just see the headline, vile cybernats send abusive messages to the family who claim they were duped into selling their house for cut down price.
SP doing the right thing saying nothing. Stay calm and it’ll all fade away.
The Ukokist twitterati are convinced the nice decor story is an attempt by the Herald to distract people from the MT scandal – I kid you not!
Arabs for Independence
Ah but what fringe benefits is he getting? 🙂
Unionist & their MSM tribunes everywhere ” I See smoke, must be fire (nudge, nudge, wink, wink. SNP bad”
-Everybody else “Thats no smoke. that steam coming off the big pile of shite you’ve just dumped. Now go wipe your arse and wash your breeks”
Aye lets distract the plebs while this is happening…
Real establishment cover-up being revealed at Old Bailey: Judges, MPs, royals tried to stop 1993 prosecution of Bishop Ball for sex offences
filthy b——-
I happen to know on a personal level a Labour MSP who shall remain nameless. This Labour MSP an ongoing business that continues to run while they are an MSP (as any normal person would expect since I wouldn’t expect it to be shut down, making others unemployed just for the sake of entering politics).
Furthermore, they have a small property empire too although I could only guess it’s not in the millions, but does include at least one property in another country.
Will we now be expecting all Labour politicians to divest of any businesses and property now that the SNP are being criticised for doing the same?
@Arabs for Independence
Well one thing is certain … he is a cut above the rest! 😀
Arabs…
He may even be cutting it shorter!
Bet he finds out more about events in his constituency in his barber’s shop than anywhere else.
Here’s a link to the story in the Guardian Nana. 😉
link to archive.is
Isn’t it wonderful. Yet another excellent example of the elite class rallying around to *ahem* protect one of their own and to hell with the victims!
The important question about all this is “Will the Scottish electorate be taken in by all the faux outrage?” I suspect some will – my Daily Mail reading neighbour has already informed me that “one of your MPs has been done for corruption”. When I point out that this is absolutely not the case, he retorts “Where there’s smoke there’s fire”. He doesn’t want to know that there does not even appear to be any smoke.
We may, however, be reaching a tipping point where ordinary fair-minded people are so scunnered with the antics of the media and unionist politicians that the level of revulsion leads to voters flocking in even greater numbers to the SNP. Disempowerment of our corrupt media (i.e. when people do not take their lead from the media and go the opposite way instead) would be a major success for the independence movement. Ms Thomson may find that she has contributed to the cause in a more profound way than she could ever have imagined.
Project fear continued – or as it sounds now, project petty and vindictive – They must be bottling it about another indyref
Toryboy Toby Young, last seen on tv explaining why sex with decapitated pigs heads was all just a bit of a lark or something-
“On Tuesday, as I made my way through the streets of Manchester to the central convention complex, I came up with a brainwave. Instead of just walking through the police barriers as quickly as possible, eyes glued to the ground, I would stop and try and convince one of the protestors to have lunch with me.
My plan was to persuade them that I wasn’t an evil scumbag, determined to privatise the NHS, demonise people on benefits and enrich the 1 per cent, but someone who shared many of the same values as them.
I wanted to show them that it was possible to be a Tory and, at the same time, care about the poor and the dispossessed. If I could get this person to understand that we’re motivated by much the same things, but simply disagree about how best to achieve them, perhaps they’d stop referring to all Conservatives as ‘scum’. It would be a small victory in an otherwise unsettling few days.”
link to mirror.co.uk
Near 10,000 of the most vulnerable among us gone, with the rise and rise of the caring blue toryboys. St Thatcher must be laughing like a drain in hell. But if you’re a toryboy 10,000 dead benefit scroungers means 10,000 less freeloaders, and that’s what its all about.
If you google that mirror story, nothing comes up anywhere BBC online news, in their Scotland region, its the SNP they’re really after.
That’d be funny if the Herald’s circulation figure dropped to 1, and that was the Rev getting it to make mince of it.
Just read some of the comments so far, and we are all aware of the propaganda being stepped up, but why now? Well, chances are it is due to the tory near fascist speak, being played down. With the SNP being used as a distraction and scapegoat. It is also an attempt to further brainwash the masses down south and some north of the border. It will be being seen as gospel by the idiots that believe the corporate media lies.
Thankfully plenty of people in Scotland have become immune to the corporate media lies, and they are not switching off either. We are armed and ready, it is only a wee while since we were subjected to the hate filled crap coming from the establishment, our resolve is still strong.
Alert, my son just told me that they have found explosives on the Forth Road bridge!
Thanks Lesley Anne I can no longer bring myself to go look at the guardian, herald or Scotsman.
Can not say on a public forum what I think of these establishment scum.
Still monstering Thompson and looks like hammer of the Scots JK Rowling’s about to make another important UKOK intervention/ free advertising for her garbage/ can never take enough money from kids,
link to bbc.co.uk
@ArtyHetty
link to scotland.police.uk
Giving Goose says:
“I wouldn’t wipe the dog’s arse with the Herald and Gardham’s not worthy of being covered in my dog’s shit.
Don’t wipe the dog’s arse with the Herald, cause the dog’s arse is more deserving.”
I never knew wiping dogs arses was even a ‘thing’…….with a Herald or otherwise. Not too sure I’ll be doing it any time soon but “Do as you do, Boo-Boo” as they say
MSM.Pathetic.They’ve got nothing good to say about anything or anyone.Certainly nothing positive about Scotland.Their readership is dwindling away.Little wonder.Scotland doesn’t need them.We’re moving on with out them.
Think there is going to be some traffic ‘chaos’ this evening in Central Scotland.
Scot Rail trains, loads cancelled due to ‘cable theft’ and Forth Bridge plus all approaches closed for at least 2 hours during rush hour.
So tomorrow’s headline anyone……….
Thanks Nana Smith, just read a bit more on fb.
O/T
Porky has just announced more nuke subs on order. Feeling so much safer now, thanks no voters.
Nana Smith says:
7 October, 2015 at 4:18 pm
Thanks Lesley Anne I can no longer bring myself to go look at the guardian, herald or Scotsman.
Can not say on a public forum what I think of these establishment scum.
I wouldn’t worry too much about saying how you feel about the comic strips a.k.a. “serious” newspapers Nana I think we all, or at least most of us, feel the same. 😉
As for the Paedophile Protection Group (P.P.G.) well what can I say other than we all feel your pain in being unable to put down your true feelings Nana. 😀
Teresa May has just made none of the most vindictive, nasty, xenophobic speeches ever heard at a toy conference (and that is quite something), and yet, all BBC Labour seem to be concerned about are a few pathetic red herring stories about how bad the SNP are.
I can understand the tory press needing a spoiler, but Labour? Whose side are they on?
It’s a funny world. 🙁
Tomorrows headline.
Separatist explosive cache found !
liz says:
7 October, 2015 at 4:26 pm
So tomorrow’s headline anyone……….
SNP cause traffic chaos. Transport minister must resign.
@liz
Thomson ‘link’ to traffic mayhem..
As everyone will recall there were calls, later described as a joke … allegedly, by the Tax Payers Alliance at a fringe meeting in the Tory conference for the Tories to cut benefits to Pensioners now.
link to rt.com
Now we all know that one of the biggest, if not THE biggest, gripes everyone has with the Tories over tax is their lack of action over tax avoidance. I believe there is somerwhere in the region of £120 Billion in uncollected, unpaid tax. Well my fellow Wingers, remember the Tax Payers Alliance I mentioned above?
Guess what folks?
One of the directors of the T.P.A. does NOT pay any tax in the U.K.!!!
The Taxpayers’ Alliance, a campaign group that calls for tax and spending cuts and claims to represent the interests of taxpayers, has admitted one of its directors does not pay British tax.
link to archive.is
Don’t we all just love how the other half live eh? 😀
@liz
SNP Government false economy uses rail cable to mend ailing Forth Bridge
25 million S**** were left stranded in Central S******* and Fife today, as the SNP admitted it had used the electric cable from the rail network all over S******* to repair the suspension cables holding up the Forth Bridge. John McBitter explained that the SNP had let down S******* since they came into power in 1991, and had caused the bank crash by buying up London mansions for maliciious purposes.
The traffic chaos is expected to cost the UK Treasury £33.2 billion, in extra handouts for the welfare scrounging subsidy junkies in North Britain.
Note for editors: Jockland is a one-party fascist state.
Ian Blackfords wife does most of the work on the croft, Ian himself does constituency work when not on Westmister duty, Crapham is picking at the bones now with this story, its just SNPBAD from the UNIONIST media, but it will back fire on them yet as those who actually vote for them see the work they do, most have facebook pages (Ian certainly does) which shows what they are upto, the cabal need to get their heads out of the clouds and give it up as a lost cause
The State propaganda has decided to influence the Holyrood elections by smearing the SNP. Were there nothing whatsoever to find fault with and flood the media with it, the people running No 10’s smear unit would have invented a whole series of stories to serve their malicious purposes. It’s not MT’s fault any more than Memogate was Nicola’s fault. And btw, that was Nicola’s mistake when confronted by the media about MT – she failed to recognise there was no difference between the two media attacks.
Keep in mind, no Unionist media outlet is acting independently. They are all taking daily instructions from the Prime Minister’s Office. Magnus Gardham, editor of the Herald, is merely obeying orders from Union HQ in Downing St.
But these are the panicking actions of a desperate Establishment who can’t shake off the smell of fear in their nostrils. That fear increases every day as the see the once invincible power of State propaganda diminish almost by the hour.
And after propaganda, all they have left is the military, but at that stage all will be truly lost for the Establishment.
@Doug Daniel says: 7 October, 2015 at 12:22 pm:
” … The only conclusion I can come to from all this is that nobody in the Scottish media has ever heard the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf.”
Well, Doug, that little story about, “The Boy who cried wolf”, is just a press distortion of the real truth.
As it happens I do know the true story.
I got it from a neutral by-standers at the scene.
“One day when the boy felt like having a laugh so he ran towards the village crying, “Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!” \|/
\|/
…
…
…
…
and a Grizzly Bear killed him and ate him.
HaHa Thanks wingers, I knew you wouldn’t let me down. 🙂
O/T Apologies –
If any body else is fed up paying for the BBC Blighty found this
‘Watch TV without a license’ –
link to telegraph.co.uk
Can anyone confirm – does this suffice for Scots law also ?
Is it this simple ?
Herald Thu Oct 8, 00.24 am “ANGUS ROBERTSON seen smiling at MICHELLE THOMSON”
Angus Robertson, leader of the SNP rabble at Westminster smiled at Michelle Thomson as she entered the hallowed chambers at Westminster on June 21st this year. There were allegations that she had a dating website. Your investigative reporter was eating a bowl of jellied eels and saw them together only 25 feet apart.
Good grief I’ve run out of absurdity, I’ll need to top up by looking at the Herald.
Manandboy
Actually some of these reporters should stick to the ‘ a cat stuck up a tree’ stories. They just come across as big fearties.
Tackle the big boys ?
Question Westminster?
Maybe they’re scared they’ll get a showing up, if ‘ proper’ journalists challenge ‘ their information’ . It didn’t seem to bother them , in the last few weeks of the Referendum, when they allowed themselves to be reduced to , the supporting cast.
At least with the likes of Iain Mcwhirter or Ian Bell, you might not always agree with them but they are outward looking and encourage intelligent debate.
Why should we pay for a paper handout of Westminster PR, calling itself The Herald or The Daily Record,when we have the BBC already churning it out ?
muttley79 says:
I saw a letter in Viz magazine that said ‘Operation Yewtree detectives: simplify your investigations by arresting anyone from a 1970s Radio Times’.
It seems that ‘a 1970s Radio Times’ could be replaced with ‘a friend of Prince Charles’ and the joke would still work.
@ Clydebuilt, 1:33pm
Low house prices perhaps?
Maybe they’ve sold houses at huge profit somewhere south of the border or simply profited from the lower prices here… Just a thought given the current furore.
Or, maybe they just don’t cut the mustard elsewhere… Given the tosh printed elsewhere in the UK, though, we should despair for the “profession” anyway.
Clydebuilt says:
Perhaps the glory of serving the UK state in its propaganda wars is sufficient draw?
@Auld Rock says: 7 October, 2015 at 12:35 pm:
“Those who choose to sow the wind will quickly find themselves reaping a whirlwind”.
Adapted from Arthur ‘Bomber’Harris.
Mibbies Harris plagerised work of fiction – The Bible!
Shite, shite and more shite.
Forth Road Bridge is now back open but heavy traffic both ways folks.
With regard to Ivan McKee, one of the thoughts which occurred to me when the papers started their rabid witterings about Michelle Thomson was that, along with the SNP in general, the next target might be Ivan in consideration of next year’s SG elections.
I think corpmedia and Westminster are too used to run of the mill career politicians, they fear so many with hands on business backgrounds.
@ morag Towndrow, 12:58pm
That is one of the few reasons I regret no longer being able to tolerate The Herald; Ian Bell, still trying to inject some integrity into that publication.
If the gutter press want mp scandal they could have a look at the list of MP’s and peers who have connections with private healthcare companies and despite the obvious conflict of interest make statements and speeches congratulating the government for privatising the NHS and then vote on the legislation.
“(It’s difficult to assert that someone will get a fair trial when the country’s best-selling Sunday newspaper has already run a massive front-page splash with a picture of her face and a headline screaming “HOW CAN YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT?”)”
Perhaps that’s the plan, Stu. If charges are never brought because it is deemed MT could never get a fair trial (after such biased Corporate Media headlines) then this mud will surely stick as MT will never have the opportunity to clear her name before a jury of her peers.
The Corporate Media would probably much prefer that there is never any official charges brought forward against MT. That way they can continue with their inuendo and MT will never again be able to return to the SNP and to her business portfolio.
There is (ill) method in their UKOK madness.
SNP fail to destroy Forth Rail Bridge!
Mmm, comparison of just any news, about the bridge and explosives.
Herald: “The road is due to close from 4.45pm until 6pm for at least two hours. “
Record: “The M90 and the Forth Road Bridge were due to be closed for at least two hours from 4pm, but police later announced that it would take place after 6pm.”
BBC Scotland: “The Forth road and rail bridges have reopened after being briefly closed while a controlled explosion was carried out in the area.
The closure happened shortly before 17:00 after demolition materials were found at the site of the new Queensferry Crossing.
The bridges reopened about 20 minutes later.”
I wonder what happened / is actually happening?
I thought the Herald came out (Last minute right enough)and supported Independence.
Could do without “support” like that.
“I thought the Herald came out (Last minute right enough)and supported Independence.
Could do without “support” like that.”
No, it didn’t.
@gordonbrownstuff says: 7 October, 2015 at 1:06 pm:
” … the hysteria and panic from them is becoming loud and incoherent and ever more pathetic with each passing day.”
This present unionist behaviour reminds me of what my old Granny described as, “The Spielt Wean Syndrome”, and mirrored that character described by Richmal Crompton in the series of books begun by the story of, “Just William”.
The described behaviour was ascribed to the character, “Violet Elizabeth Bott”, who, in her selfish Spoiled Child strops, was wont to scream, rather hysterically, “I’ll sweam and I’ll sweam until I make mythelf thick”.
Such tactics usually result in the, “Sweamer”, Sweaming ever louder if ignored until such times as they did in fact throw up.
There is only one sure cure for this strange syndrome – totally ignore the spoiled little buggers, (this may require ear plugs and very firm determination).
OT, (very) again, just to comment on Catalonia (anyone else got views?), specifically on Alex Salmond’s recent interview on Catalan TV, when he told the Catalans to “Keep Calm and Carry On”, that they have no remit to declar independence, but must negotiate a legal referendum with Spain, that it took Scotland 60 years to get theirs, and that we must get European support.
I’ve always been a Salmond-ite, never been on the receiving end of Salmond-ism, but he has certainly raised hackles in Catalonia including mine. Suddenly his much-mentioned qualities of shallowness, arrogance, ignorance, condescension, etc. etc. float to the surface. Not to mention Nicola’s offer to be middle-man in any hypothetical negotiations, which I haven’t really quantified.
The idea that his equivalent, Artur Mas, is to be questioned in court about running a popular consultation, on the 75th anniversary of the execution by firing squad of the last pre-civil war president of Catalonia, never mentioned by the state, and is facing charges including imprisonment does not seem to give him a clue that Catalonia really does not have the same choices as Scotland.
Sometimes it helps to see things from another perspective to really feel what your opponents are up against.
@Proud Cybernat 5:40pm
Just a thought, suppose MT has to resort to a civil case for defamation, against the media and, let’s assume she wins, would that be classed as secondary income?
Poor woman can’t win.
This constant barrage from the gutter press(that’s all of them by the way) is very wearing and begins to affect your morale.However, every time I get down about things I just focus on the fact that the SNP is continuing to win elections, and in my local SNP shop we are still signing up new members.
It all seems to be having no effect.Possibly because the folk who are buying these papers are the folk who don’t vote SNP anyway.
I never listen now to the garbage rugby commentators in their little box but I expect they were talking about the eyes of the world being on the England match coming soon against some foreign team, to see if England could regain its world cup winning form. Over the the England dressing room, oh there’s nobody there, never mind we’ll just talk aout them anyway. Meanwhile in other rugby news there are some other foreign teams playing each other in some minor matches but really wishing they were playing England. Now about Cole …
I need to get a life and go back to watching the rugby, it’s kind of important to S*******’s chances.
@yesindyref2 5:45pm
the radio Forth news has this:
link to forth1.com
It would be very interesting to know how much revenue online newspaper generate from advertising and if that is increased by the number of visitors to their site. Looking at the number of comments articles on the Scotsman and Herald get when they print an ‘SNP Bad’ stories then I would say ‘SNP Bad’ is the way to generate revenue if the more comments = more money. The more outrageous the article the better!
The article about John Nicolson currently has 279 comments whereas the article about Kezia has 2 comments. I’ve noticed this pattern regularly on ‘The Scotsman’ SNP Bad stories get 1000 comments any story about Unionist parties are lucky if they get 10 comments. Although it would seem The Herald have managed to attract the Scotsman’s regulars so ‘SNP Bad stories on The Scotsman might have fewer comments in future.
I would imagine if generating online advertising revenue is important to Herald then they have probably analysed what was happening on The Scotsman and decided to follow suit.
I have noticed that posts by SNP/Yes Supporters on the Herald & Scotsman serve only to stimulate further Unionist posts mostly of the snide variety.
I would agree not posting on The Scotsman or Herald is a very good idea. What is the point of posting on ‘The Herald’ or ‘The Scotsman’?
Why are there so few comments on The National?
Is it true that wee Davy Hambone sometimes goes under the pseudonym Joseph Gallacher? 😉
link to youtube.com
@Bob Mack
Naw they didnae find onythin it’s a well guarded and in different locations
The Tanks are much harder tae hide but we manage
although there’s been an increase in sales o beans in the highlands since trainin stertit
For those on this thread needing to lower their blood pressure after contracting msmitis
link to munguinsrepublic.blogspot.co.uk
There is surely a fizzy-ruth poster to be made out of that by those with the relevant IT skills.
I’ve been watching all this pathetic hysterical nonsense for what seems like forever. It is getting a bit wearing, and I keep asking what are they trying to deflect us from. Many answers to that question I fear.
I too know quite a few folk who have totally blanked out the whole shitstorm. I know it goes right over my head, I just don’t listen any more.
As for The Herald, I stopped buying it about a year ago after buying it every day for years. I can tell you why I stopped in two words. Magnus Gardham.
I’m surprised some folk on here still buy it. The best way to hit all of the corporate media is just keep your pennies in your pocket. Leave their crappy comics on the shelf. The sooner they all disappear the better.
Nation Libre,
“I have to say, and this may well not be popular, but from day one I was sceptical about promoting the Sunday Herald and later The National. Regardless of people telling us how independent they are from the daily Herald, it’s still the same company. Funding one is merely keeping the other afloat”
Some of us are less gullible than others.
The Rev. Stuart Campbell should send this article to The National and dare them to publish it.
S N P Baaad .Snp spokeperson announced today the Snp Goverment will remove the extra Rivets on the Forth Rail Bridge there,s just to many Rivets rivets rivets.
link to youtube.com
Is that the sound of the British Meeja ah hear.
Enjoying your comments folks, but don’t drop your guard or resolve.
Herald journalists from “South Britain” incentivised perhaps, and by whom?
And the evil Tories continue to buzz in their Manchester nest, consider:-
Retirement at 66, or is it 67? By about 60 yrs of age, either by physical manual work, or mental concentration effort, most of you will have diminished performance. Through seniority lets say a 60 year old earns 30K pa. A colleague,aged say 40 yrs, more energetic and mentally alert, equally well qualified academically earns 25K. Do you really think your employer is going to keep you on ’till your 66/67yrs old at a 5K pa extra cost? Note comments on Corbyn being too old to be PM. Plan for early retirement folks.
The flaw in this scenario is that the 60yrs old have loads of experience, lost with early retirement. Solution would be part-time semi-retirement. reduced hours – for grand weans support, and the allotment, reduced earnings as your mortgage is paid off. The UK establishment is too unimaginative to run with such a strategy.
Retirement? Best job I ever had, but then I planned for it. i’m not being smug, just offering comment on what is in store without independent social decision- making available to Scotland. Independence is an essential.
Maybe W O S can start publishing articles detailing the business interests and fortunes of the unionist MPs, one MP at a time.
Let us beat them at their own game.
o/t
I sat in my employers restaurant watching TV when Sky news showed (in graphic detail) the family of the PC run down and killed visiting the scene of his death, and sat in stunned silence as I watched the sky news cameras home in with a ruthless lack of compassion on a small child weeping for her lost daddy,
it was a toe curling display by a sensationalist soulless media,
I turned away feeling like a voyeur peering in on the grief of a young family’s devastating loss,
I felt unclean!
GOD HAVE MERCY ON US ALL.
Rock @6.10
So the 20,000 independence supporters who buy the National every day are “gullible” according to you. Let’s destroy the only Independence supporting paper!
Let’s shoot ourselves in the foot while we are at it.
I dont want us to sink to their level,but I really hope we are just keeping our powder dry to really get it right up them in the not too distant future.
There must be lots of skeletons in lots of cupboards just waiting to come out and when they do it must be pursued relentlessly.
Tomorrows shocker of a headline. Scot Nat’s still buying Britain First Dead Wood papers. I gave them all up years ago. Just like I gave up paying the Britannia First TV Tax.
The
They get away with so much crap.
Insult, demean and ignore.
The latest, of course, being that the conference season is now ‘over’ and parliament will return to work next week.
Fireproofjim,
” So the 20,000 independence supporters who buy the National every day are “gullible” according to you. Let’s destroy the only Independence supporting paper!”
How many of those 20,000 started supporting independence because of The National?
How many of those 20,000 will stop supporting independence if The National stops publishing?
The National generates cash from the gullible like yourself, which it uses to keep the venomous Herald alive.
The National makes you feel good at your expense – it does not advance the independence cause one bit.
Why don’t you send this WOS article to The National and dare it to publish it if it is “independent” of The Herald?
OT. Speaking of the Herald. There has been no article by Ian Bell since 30 August. Anyone know why?
Fireproof jim
Agree with you. Always been the Scots way. Don’t need the E*****h to divide and rule. We’ve always been pretty good at dividing ourselves. Without external interference.
The only title that consistently prints our side of the story, yet some want to shoot it down in flames on some trumped up pretext.
Everyone of an independence persuasion should be buying it and ensure as many as possible get the chance to read your copy.
@ Rock,
Taranaich was doing something like this on his blog, he may still be.
link to wildernessofpeace.wordpress.com
Westminster only work 133 days a year. What farce. The sooner Scotland votes for Independence and ends this useless farce, the better. A total waste of Scottish money. Scotland could govern itself better from Holyrood, quite easily.
@K1
Absolutely, the lack of coverage of the Tory conference by Scottish papers other than the National is staggering.
One thing I thought most telling this week was that while the Mirror was justifiably outraged on its front page about Jeremy Hunt ‘have people work like the Chinese’ comment, the DR was leading about a story about a Scot who got attacked in Ibiza. No political content on its front page whatsoever.
Really bizarre stuff from the Herald today indeed. I dread to think what the papers will be like in April next year.
Fireproofjim
I wouldn’t have used the word gullible but why fund one division of a company when it’s sister company is using every smear trick in the book against you?
Would you fund the SNP if they gave half there income to the Labour Party?
I’ll give my money (such as it is) to truly independent minded publications, WoS, iScot, etc, etc. I have just recently had the opportunity to advise the BBC licensing board that I will not be funding their state propaganda, I’m not going to assist in someone else’s
20,000 (your figures) at 50p a time is taking £10k DAILY from out and out pro independence causes. What could The Rev do with that kind of funding?
‘Planet Oil’ BBC 4 – 9pm
Well how wrong was I Misreporting Scotland was positively civilised to Shona Robison
I’ve never seen the like, in fact it’s left me quite mystified, I’ll need a sit down
The unionist media in Scotland, especially the “newspapers”, is getting more and more hysterical with every passing day. It’s a sign of weakness and fear on their part.
@Dr Jim
Simples. Minimise and avoid coverage of the barking Rule Britania, giant butchers apron draped, Corbyn bashing, Scotland ignoring Toryfest for Manchester at any cost by BBC Scotland Labour. Where was the Brian Taylor analysis of the benefits of a rabid Tory government ruling Scotland and us being better together.
“Crisis” meeting at the Herald.
First we have Lesley-Anne and her
Oh dear, how sad, never mind,
Then we have Macart with his Basil Faulty beating his car to death, then we get Ronnie and his ( I have to say it) hilarious rivet rivet rivet
my work here is done!
Im going now,…sniff
link to youtube.com
BBC Editor
Jeez how can we minimise coverage of the Tory conference cos that will really piss them off in Scotland.
Let’s GO LIVE to NHS special that will take loads of airtime.
Brilliant! SQUIRREL!
gerry parker,
“Taranaich was doing something like this on his blog, he may still be.”
The widely read WOS would spread the information much further.
I’m getting sick fed up with this softly, softly approach. When will the gloves come off?
Arabs for Independence says:
I hope John McNally MP is not cutting hair any longer
Naw, the speaker’d have a fit
mind you the last time I saw Tarzan…
I gather somebody tried to steal some more copper wire from Network Rail or was it Scot Rail, I am not sure which. Did Disporting Jackie try and weave an SNP Bad story out of it?
@John King
Get back here, you are going nowhere young man.
New name, media and Unionist politicians.
Try Muppets.
Nation Libre,
“20,000 (your figures) at 50p a time is taking £10k DAILY from out and out pro independence causes.”
Hand over £10,000 daily to The Herald and then complain about its anti-SNP, anti-independence venom!
You wouldn’t have used the word “gullible” but that is exactly what those who sing the praises of The National are!
Rock – you or I have no way of knowing the demographics of the National sales but having it on the newsstand is surely a huge plus.
Take today, you could plump for the human interest angle that the Record regularly takes, usually a depressing story like today or a showbiz angle for the brain dead that The Sun usually plump for or fund pornographers and buy The Express or fund batshit mental far right loons and buy The Daily Mail etc etc or maybe you see a front page like todays National, and it pricks your interest and you think, well, maybe here is newspaper that treats it’s readers like thinking adults and deals with issues that actually matter to me. We need it and should support it.
I am not averse to sending them critical letters or e-mails if I feel they have got something wrong – their stance on Neil Hay was deplorable and did not differ from the others – but mistakes like that are few and far between, though their sports coverage is still pretty dreadful.
Trying to rationalize these stories but it is impossible, however took great satisfaction in cancelling Herald subscription half hour ago.
You are lucky JK that it was my “Oh dear … how sad … never mind” clip that you are referring to. It could have been worse … or better … take your pick! 😉
link to youtube.com
K1
“I suppose the ‘big distraction’ it provides to ‘readers and viewers’ in Scotland is specifically to take the Tory party conference off the top spot in Scotland.”
Exactly. The Desire of the tories to lock us all into a Chinese style economy of low wages, reduced freedoms, recriminations for the disabled, unemployed and a future of reduced support for the elderly has been relegated to a side issue.
I am astonished to read so many folk having bought their last copy of the herald. Why in God’s name have you been propping it up for the last few years?
Without support from Wingers, SNP voters and the wider yes community the herald would fold or be forced to change.
I can’t read the gardham piece when I click on it so stupidly click on the link instead like an arse only to hit the paywall and give the herald a wee boost for its advertising revenues. Unbelievable.
The problem here is that after years of this we still consider this to be journalism, worthy of critique. I don’t go and seek a slab or Tory activist and thrust £1.40 into their hands for a leaflet, so why are so many of us doing so?
It’s not the unionists who are propping up the herald and the record and the scotsman. Without pro indy support these newspapers die.
I wring my hands and gnash my teeth at pro indy journalists still working for them.
No more angst. No more ‘if they don’t change…’ No more interviews or engagement.
Some say MSM, some say corpmedia. I like media corpse – let’s make it so.
As for the article in question, are any of us surprised? Perhaps at how vacuous, spiteful and partisan a journalist can be? I wouldn’t be surprised if gardham started commenting on the messages SNP MPs get in their weekly shop. What a complete bawbag.
Why are the media behaving like this? Because the ruling monobloc party has an effective way of punting it’s message and the referendum proved it was effective and it enables them to dictate the field of battle.
Wake the fuck up or we’ll be ‘reading SNP councillor/MSP/MP in (insert innocuous subject matter) controversy’ forever.
Just spotted on twitter, anyone heard about this
South Lanarkshire Council Lab election agent suspended over £200,000 temporary contract fraud. Not reported by BBC or STV
@Marcia says: 7 October, 2015 at 3:49 pm:
” … Ah but what fringe benefits is he getting? “
Ach! Kin wi no cut this hair thing short?
Harry McAye,
“or maybe you see a front page like todays National, and it pricks your interest and you think, well, maybe here is newspaper that treats it’s readers like thinking adults and deals with issues that actually matter to me. We need it and should support it.”
It certainly hasn’t pricked the interest of more than the 20,000 buyers who were already supporting independence and would support independence without The National existing.
My prediction is as soon as another independence referendum is called, The National will make its excuses and close.
An independent Scotland is the last thing the publishers of The National and The Sunday Herald want.
Why don’t you gullible lot challenge The National to start publishing WOS articles, starting with this one?
Maybe one day you will realise that The National was milking the already converted!
@Lesley-Anne says: 7 October, 2015 at 4:04 pm:
“Well one thing is certain … he is a cut above the rest”
Aye! But it was by a close shave.
The Herald must be losing money hand over fist with their Dead Tree Version so probably try to balance up with click bait, as Ruby has suggested. It has become, with the honourable exception of Ian Bell, a version of The Daily Record with big words. I gave it up a year past in July after one of Ian Woods’ front page exclusives where he told his usual lies about oil and I was then directed here by my more savvy daughter. My TV licence went last September, and was so good for my blood pressure: I don’t know how The Rev stands it. I hope the figure of a £150 million shortfall is true because it implies a million lapsed payers in the UK (and how many in S_______d?).
This is High Noon for the Establishment Press. If they can deny us an increase in seats next year it will see Indyref2 delayed. The stakes are high and they are desperate: I’m sure they feel the earth is moving under their feet but they have no plan B.
I simply feel we’re going to win this one but it will require a massive canvassing effort to offset the Establishment’s lies.
But the party can deliver that.
Harry McAye,
“Rock – you or I have no way of knowing the demographics of the National sales”
It is not rocket science to conclude that if 45% voted for independence and only 20,000 are buying The National, the vast majority of them would be those already converted to the cause.
Nana Smith says:
7 October, 2015 at 7:42 pm
Just spotted on twitter, anyone heard about this
South Lanarkshire Council Lab election agent suspended over £200,000 temporary contract fraud. Not reported by BBC or STV
Surely you jest Nana. This must surely be the top story on both channels. Maybe you just blinked and missed it. Never mind I’m sure you’ll hear all about this story on their next news broadcast. 😀
Shame on this fellow’s local party and constituents for electing a millionaire as their MP. How can such a person possibly understand the daily struggles of ordinary people? Might as well just vote Tory and be done with it.
I thought the SNP was supposed to represent ‘us’ not ‘them’. Naive, I know, in the end whoever ends up on top of the pile is going to piss down on the rest of us.
I do not consider it essential the National backs independence or not.
What I do consider essential is that it gives a balanced view so that I can make up my own mind.
I do not get that from any other publication.and I refuse to be led by the nose to believe everything printed in newspapers.
I love the idea of a Who’s Who In The Scottish Media – it would be great if we were to be supplied with their e-mail addresses.
Another exercise which may prove productive would be if somebody with a little time to spare could dig out the wills and value of the estates of all former Labour politicians who died say in the last 30years and compare the value with the career histories – it might come up with some interesting details like – given their career details how the hell did they amass such wealth? .
On the subject of click bait is it not the case that the papers only receive income when people actually click on adverts and not on news item or commenting? Who pays them if I click on a story and then submit a comment?
Macandroid says:
7 October, 2015 at 3:48 pm
OK how about checking out who the advertisers are using these papers (not newspapers BTW) and writing to them to say why we will not buy their products if they continue, and that they could always advertise in the National instead ?
Que SNP witch hunt reported in same papers probably but it’s about time to hit them hard I think.
BEST COMMENT OF THE THREAD SO FAR! EXCELLENT IDEA!
Aye Lesley-Anne I’m laughing my socks off. Right sitting back awaiting the next breaking news bulletin…any second now…hello Bbc,Stv anybody there, hello helloooooooo
link to taxi-driver.co.uk
L/A laughings cool but sometimes you just want to scweam and scweam a scweam until you make yourthelf thick!
apropo Robert
link to youtube.com
@KA Mylchreest,
Being a millionaire is no bar to having a sense of morality.
Mr @Mrs Weir have done wonderful things with their fortune,
and have helped numerous good causes,from individuals to organisations.
What does matter is that you appreciate that money is but tool to use wisely or imprudently.
I have a friend who is a millionaire a few times over,and a more down to earth person you could not meet.
It is about the person,not the assets.
Nana Smith says:
7 October, 2015 at 7:42 pm
Just spotted on twitter, anyone heard about this
South Lanarkshire Council Lab election agent suspended over £200,000 temporary contract fraud. Not reported by BBC or STV
I wonder if the tweet you saw relates to this story Nana? 😉
Sorry folks I tried to archive the link but came up with a blank page. ;(
link to heraldscotland.com
“The widely read WOS would spread the information much further.”
And we read it for Stu’s excellent forensic analysis of current MSN output.
I’m sure he will consider your advice, but if he took that route then the Corporate Media would then just say he was muck – raking.
Iain More
Today I was 2 hours late for a meeting in Glasgow as a result of this – train cancelled then forced to take the pony express through. Scotrail wifi non existent. A total shambles. I don’t see it as SNP bad as the network has been starved of investment for decades.
It needs addressed. Shit happens but the rail network in Scotland needs major investment and upgrading – SNP can’t nationalise it but they can push to have the power to do so.
There are issues of the day that are pressing and need action and if we were a normal country and not in the pre independence zone they would be front and centre. Instead it’s ‘SNP MP uses a loofah in the bath while constituents go hungry’ MRM bullshit.
And no, i dont mean MSM, I mean MRM, mechanically recovered meat. The pure shite left over from the carcass of truth blasted with high pressure jets to recover some dubious remains to be congealed and repackaged for consumption of the public
I renewed my subscription to the National today ! anyone know where the refund button is ? what a waste of f/n money i expected news of the fight back, some in depth analysis of the current media storm , what do i get loads of guff about the torys and wee ruthies plea to labour & lidem voters get a bloody grip is this the best they can do ? christ we are on our own chaps prepare for a long winter with the shite shifters
The herald from North Britain has another hatchet the snp job just online. Prof Burnell of Northern Ireland , York and greatly awarded in all the British finery is saying snp bad for university’s. Now the person is obviously very clever but as for politics she is a novice ingrained with ideals of Britishness so ennobled by the loyalist North Irish. Red white and blue all the way.
Maybe she can nip back over the water and sort out the current debacle over Stormont. We don’t need her advice here thanks.
Quote from National Taxi Association
“A senior employee in one of Scotland’s largest local authorities has been suspended amid a probe into taxi contracts worth more than £200,000 awarded to his relative.
Peter Henry is off work at South Lanarkshire council while internal auditors examine payments totalling nearly £210,000 to his nephew for taking children with assisted support needs to school.
Henry is also the election agent to Labour’s local Holyrood candidate and deputy council leader Jackie Burns.”
While waiting for the trains to restart to Fife this evening I was reminded of Douglas Hurd’s (yes that one) 1968 novel Scotch on the Rocks.
In it the FRB is closed because of a bomb scare. The Bomb Disposal Squad turns up, bravely drives onto the bridge and blows up a toll booth before disappearing north.
The ‘squad’ turned out to be the Scottish Liberation Army.
It made me wonder.