The Metrosplainers
Martin Kettle in the Guardian today:
That sounds like the sort of thing we like to fact-check.
CONSERVATIVE VOTE SHARE IN SCOTLAND
1974 (October), Edward Heath: 24.7%
1979, Margaret Thatcher: 31.4%
1983, Margaret Thatcher: 28.4%
1987, Margaret Thatcher: 24%
1992, John Major: 25.6%
2015, Ruth Davidson: 14.9%
2016 (Scottish Parliament), Ruth Davidson: 22%
In fact, under the “ecumenical” Ruth “NO SURRENDER” Davidson, the Tories remain less popular in Scotland than they ever were under Mrs Thatcher, or her immediate successor in “post-Thatcher anger”, or her immediate predecessor.
(Edward Heath, in fact, captured a whopping 33% of the Scottish vote in the February 1974 election, trailing Labour by just 3.7%, and a startling 38% four years earlier.)
Davidson’s 14.9% just two years ago (when she’d already been in the job for four years) in fact remains the lowest Scottish vote share ever recorded by the Tories in a UK election, lower even than during Tony Blair’s landslides. Scavenging a few points from a shambolic mess of a Labour Party – in a PR election where there’s more value in voting for candidates unlikely to win constituencies – might be regarded as a slightly premature proclamation of a Lazarus-level miracle.
Perhaps it’s time newspapers started applying some sort of disclaimer to the views of English political commentators talking about Scotland. “WARNING: OPINION LIKELY TO BE TOTAL BOLLOCKS” sounds about right.
I can’t help seeing Father Jack practicing his lines ‘that would be an ecumenical matter’ 🙂
Harrison is so angry now she is like Father Jack just shouting ‘Feck’ ‘Arse’ ‘Mandate’ ‘Democrat’
Warning, they are a bunch of fannys.
You da man!
“Harrison is so angry now she is like Father Jack just shouting ‘Feck’ ‘Arse’ ‘Mandate’ ‘Democrat’”
Yes, but without the vomit and the whisky breath.
Yet.
A woman in meltdown.
To be fair journalists know very little about anything.
If they’re ever writing about something you have more then a passing knowledge of, they’re ignorance becomes starkly apparent.
It’s almost as if they’re just there to write what their masters want them to. Oh wait.
Dunno Tinto I can see the resemblance.. 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptd_h0dF7NE
Meant to add before I pressed the Submit button: 14.9% is a wonderful statistic, Rev. Thanks for that.
Maybe someone should tell the BBC.
Lets not forget what Maggie said.
‘We English, who are a marvellous people, are really very generous to
Scotland.’
— Margaret Thatcher, 1990
I am surprised May has not come out with something the same. Oh give time.
Heeheeheehee, Croomps.
Mind you, he seems to have a larger vocabulary than The Ruthster…..
*Grues*
That 22% in the 2016 Holyrood election was achieved by playing down the fact that they were Tories, the same Tories found at WM. Election materials usually made very little mention of that actual party! It often amounted to ‘Vote for the Ruth Davidson Party’.
Now there is no hiding it. They are London Tories to the marrow. Brexit supporting, hard right, and nasty. That 22% was a temporary peak.
“Journalist”…….(Thinks) What do I want to happen?
I’ll just write that down then, Wheeeeee! crossed fingers, here’s hoping!
Sad
Tough shit the pesky Spanish have just booted Mayhem in the # Gibraltars by mentioning the non existent veto Mayhem and Co continually said they would use against Scotland, it looks like they have found another use for it , well it’s their own fault for giving them the idea, unintended consequences Mrs Mayhem, less laughter at the back now, cue the laughing policemen.
Well I’m sure we can all look forward to reading endless repetitions of THAT article again.
IIRC it goes something like this….
Let me tell you about Scotland.
Well, actually I don’t know anything about Scotland.
But I know a lot about London. Let me tell you what London thinks about Scotland.
*** Insert 6 paragraphs of total bollocks. ***
Too poor, too wee, too stupid. Those jocks, eh?
The fact that BBC Scotland is 22% Ruth’s main campaigning unit, its as good an indication as any that they are either terrible at what they do, or Scots watch them insanely trying to force us to vote Ruth D and we ain’t buying it.
He’s obviously never heard Ruth’s real street voice:
https://twitter.com/JaneyGodley/status/846803803416485888
Fucking UK media Man. What can you do?
I said out loud “thats bollocks” when I read the headline.
If you strip out the approximately 10% of Labour hardcore yoons who have deserted the dug and gone all No Surrender, then the reality is The Mooth is really on about 12%. The only way she is getting to be First Minister is if the SNP does a Sinn Fein and refuses to take their seats at Holyrood.
She is as popular as a fart in a lift. And as much use.
The EU negotiations are off to a flying start. The very first goal any negotiator should achieve when the idea is to get to a position of compromise and mutual benefit is to piss off and really aggravate the folk yer negotiating with.
Negotiation 101 page 1 Paragraph 1.
And to think Mr “Queen’s eleven” was trying to goad Ms Sturgeon on making Mrs Dismay popular in Scotland…the Conservatives just keep on giving. I cannot wait until May starts getting involved with the EU directly….Kim Jong Davidson will be the best joke up to the May council elections…Baaaaawwwwwwww.
Hope they keep pushing Ruth to the forefront on telly as it’s kind of entertaining to see her unable to keep her gob shut and stop her true, arrogant, class-conscious, aggressive, bullying nature from shining through.
Her “sit down!” bark at Nicola Sturgeon was a real eye opener, she really does think she’s part of the London Tory elite, with colonial authority over the Scottish Parliament. As for her mocking of Joan McAlpine’s accent, what a snob, does she really believe she’s superior to other MSPs just because of how she talks?
And what was that on Question Time last night? The “For God’s Sake, Love” was bad enough but I actually had to ask twitter if my ears were deceiving me when she blurted out “this bloody panel.”
Keep it up, Ruth, we’re enjoying you expose your own nasty nature to the world!
Ach, Martin Kettle has form. He was always by far the most toxic anti-indy Unionist booster on the Graun. (Much more than Labour fanbot Sevvy.)
For someone who evidently dislikes the Scots so much, you would think Kettle would actually be urging England to get rid of us.
Come on lets face it folks when you can win and overwhelming majority of seats in the Westminster Parliament with only 27% of the electorate support You can strut yer stuff all over Scotland with 22%.
You can ride Bulls drive tanks and even talk down to the First Minister.
Whos to say you cant?
radio 5 live gushed about ruth , and how she revived the tory party scotland , before QT last night
That Martin Kettle article: the comments section closed really quickly, maybe people were putting in the real information.
The Tory brand…?
Is this a two for one deal at ASDA?
Am I missing out on something here?
What exactly did the lesbian Ruth Davidson lead the Tories out of second place from – another party run by another lesbian who wants us to be ruled by the English?
Is this a really a success?
As for Davidson, let’s not forget the ‘Bowler Hat Brigade’ in the background!!!
Auld Rock
8.27 Sat morning
That’s my bid for when the 650,000th comment is recorded
Ahhh, the left-leaning [sic] Guardian being ever so ‘left-leaning once more when farting out its ignorance, lies and arrogance on Scotland.
And there’s Kartin Mettle dishing out his shitty little weasel words: “With the SNP framing every question as a choice between “Scotland” (ie the nationalists) and “The Tories” (ie “May, and perhaps the English in general)”… (bold is mine)
“perhaps”… but perhaps fucking not, eh!
Of course, his paymasters won’t allow him to put (ie May, and The Rabid Britnats? Oh, no, not at all. This is London where pseudo-journalists are under instruction to, at all times, sneer, lie and deliberately generate negativity, distrust and hatred toward Scots, from their First Minister all the way down to innocent newly-borns being denigrated for using baby-boxes.
Before I knew better, and before it went to The Dark Side during IndyRef1 campaigning, that now unadulterated full-on anti-Scottish independence rag used to be my first port of call. It sure as hell isn’t now, and never will be again.
John Moss it doesn’t matter what sexual orientation they are , it does matter what policies they have. Too often Ruth is allowed to set the agenda with the mealy mouthed media and distance herself from Tory policy.
The same Tory policy that has not only abandoned but cynically targeted the most vulnerable in our society.
Abandoned the Dubs deal for children
Sidelined nuclear disarmament talks.
The list goes on…
The list is endless and instead of one , just one journalist asking where she is placed on these matters , they allow her to decide what she wants to talk about.Hence her deflection of Corbyn and his stance on the IRA last night.
I now wonder how people in England are allowing the Tory and media to get away with all the stunts they’re pulling but then just look closer to home. Our media are doing the same PR job with Rude Davidson.
Her mantra of ‘if it was me I would…but I’m not in that position ‘ doesn’t wash. The antics of her and her backbencher has been appalling on Twitter . It’s about time someone told her she is in a privileged position and better and bigger people than her have come a cropper through hubris. She should get on with her job.
John Moss. What has their sexual preferences got to do with anything. Slag them off for being stupid, ignorant, unionists if you must, but lesbian??
Not in my name.
Like a wee ginger dug with a bone Rev.
Keep it ma man.
Will lob some loot intae the fundraiser the mora.
“Don’t post-Thatcher anger, I hear you say!”
Seriously, though, want to confuse Ruth or the any other member of the British Conservative and Unionist Party in Scotland? Ask them to name one of their policies.
As Smallaxe commented last night about the ecumenical bull-straddler:
Ruth Davidson, the only person that I know that can clench her face.
WOS archive links now over on O/T.
John Moss says:
31 March, 2017 at 8:50 pm
The Tory brand…?
Is this a two for one deal at ASDA?
Am I missing out on something here?”
Yes John, the time machine that will take you back out of the 19th century.
No one cares about sexual orientation in this one.
Is not more a case of Dugdale leading her party to third place?
Never figured them for Christians complete arseholes yes Christians no i mean it must be a conflict with all the bigotry and hate getting in the way of being kind to your fellow humans.
Think some yoon howler was pitching a tent when he wrote that.
I’m off tae play bools with Sir Walter Raleigh, and await the Spanish armada coming to deny Scottish accession to the EU.
“Since you’re here …
… we’ve got a small favour to ask. More people are reading the Guardian than ever, but far fewer are paying for it. Advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. And unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as open as we can. So you can see why we need to ask for your help. The Guardian’s independent, investigative journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we believe our perspective matters – because it might well be your perspective, too.
If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps to support it, our future would be much more secure.
Become a supporter
Make a contribution”
“Advertising revenues across the media are falling fast.”
That’s right. Yez are doomed. Tough shit, eh?!
“The Guardian’s independent, investigative journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce.”
Is that right, aye?
“But we do it because we believe our perspective matters – because it might well be your perspective, too.”
Whit, agreeing with the direction to the far right that you lot are heading in…? Ehhh, naaa, I don’t fucking think so somehow!
“If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps to support it, our future would be much more secure?.”
How about getting the Scott Trust to pay some taxes instead of hiding their loot off-shore to get away with paying next to nothing? Your fucking future might be ‘more secure’ then, huh?!
“Become a supporter” Hahahahahah…!
“Make a contribution” SUPER LOLZ!
Dear Guardian,
Go and take a fucking running jump tae yersels. No-one’s going to give yez a fucking penny. Yer media form is dying out. And though-titty. Couldne happen tae a nicer bunch. GIRFUYz!
What irks me about outraged Ruth Davidson, who was once a fervent Brexit opponent and who can find only disgust for those who continue to oppose Brexit, is that she has nothing to offer Scotland. If she could at least show that her good relations to May’s government were bringing concessions that were in some way good for Scotland, then there might be a reason to vote for her. But as things stand, she just regurgitates what has already been piped in from London. In other words, she is May’s spokesperson in Edinburgh. Beyond that she provides absolutely no added value for Scotland or for Holyrood.
Ruthie has a double:
http://i3.dailyrecord.co.uk/incoming/article10135922.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/ruth1.jpg
Hopefully Stoker will archive.
I think I know the reason as to why the Tory brand is not as toxic as it once was, at the height of post Thatcher anger.
The reason is all to do with the fish kissing, ice hockey playing, bagpipe holding, buffalo riding, tankette riding, football kicking, arrogant, self important, ignorant, disrespectful, bullying, thugish, photo opportunity seeking incompetent branch manager of the xenophobic Tory party in Scotland.
Thatcher, ‘We the English people are generous to the Scots’. To an astounded audience at the CoS Assembly on the Mound. The Sermon on the Mound.
Thatcher was secretly and illegally offshoring the Oil revenues taking the equivalent of £20Billion+ a year. Spending it in London S/E. Building Canary Wharf, Tilbury Docks. Bankers who funded the Tory Party. Loads of money bankers. Deregulation of world banking. Pyramid banking. Poverty in Scotland increased. People lost their houses because of inflation and mortgage rate rises again and again.
Shutting down every manufacturing facility in Scotland. Cutting the Scottish Block Grant to the bone. Her Ministers were sworn to secretly. Lang and Forsyth were her henchmen. Lang established Gers to fool the people. One of her Scottish Ministers resigned. Wriiten on the Official papers. This must by kept secret. In her own handwriting.
Thatcher left over three million unemployed and interest rates at fifteen percent. Inequality graphs started with Thatcher and have risen ever since. What will be Teresa May,s legacy? Even worse?
@clan Donald
I agree, Davidsons hubris is all consuming,Adam Tomkins. Murdo Fraser and Annie Wells are heading for the same hole of self importance, even the BBC will find it hard to lie to us so much with these numpties on screen, yes people are much more believable.
I don’t know if I was just young and naive but there was a time when I thought the guardian was a decent newspaper that was at least a little respectful of scotland when it bothered to mention it but that article was not only harsh, but indeed bollocks.
Arbroath 1320 9.49pm
They don’t call her “Butch” Davidson for nothing.
Ken500 says:
‘The last PM of the UK?’
‘The PM who wiped the UK off the map?’
‘The PM who turned iEngland into Europe’s only third world country?’
‘The PM who finally made the Scots chose Indy?’
caz-m says:
31 March, 2017 at 9:56 pm
Arbroath 1320 9.49pm
They don’t call her “Butch” Davidson for nothing.
I have to admit I always wondered where that catchy “nickname” came from Caz. 😀
She makes my skin crawl.
When she chortled Scots aren’t usually invited to plush events because they cause damage and steal things. What a fecking disgrace and embarrassment to Scotland she is.
Her utter contempt for the post of First Minister is equally disgraceful, coming from her, who changes her mind at the flick of a switch and wouldn’t know integrity if it bit her on the arse.
She once described herself as a shovel faced lesbian, so she obviously has issues with her self esteem, and respect for her own country. She doesn’t even respect her fellow Tories. I seem to recall her quip about the Tories doing better after they’d removed a large Johnson, referring to Boris. She looks after No1 make no mistake.
She actually reminds me of those Jolly hockeysticks Officer Training Cadets; not the professional soldier types, but the arseholes who let the power go to their head and enjoy making people miserable just because they can. They suck up to superiors who generally can’t be bothered with them. Funny as feck seeing buckle under the gentle care and attention of Para NCO.
I once saw one of them turn his weapon back up the range and start shooting live rounds at the machine gunners who were marking targets and firing over our heads from elevated positions behind us, to simulate us coming under effective enemy fire. Very stupid, and very dangerous. I could swear I heard the punch in the head he got whistle as it flee through the air. Luckily nobody died because he was a lousy shot as well as a fecking retard.
All things considered, I think Butch Ruthie Harrison is the perfect face for Abandon Hope, Scotland in Unison, or Lost Direction, or whatever the feck Better Together wants to call itself. I mean, why ruin the career of a politician? Get the Buffalo Whisperer to do it.
Hey, caz-m, you should learn how to archive.
Open 2 tabs, one for the page you want to share, and one for the home page of http://archive.is. Copy the address of the page you want to archive, then paste it into the red dialogue box at the top of the archive.is page. Click on the “save page” button and wait. A new URL will be generated for you, which means that you can now share the page without generating click revenue for rags like the daily record. The result will be something like the link below.
http://archive.is/YcuUZ
On the other hand –
if the implications of this Guardian article come true, maybe Kettle can write about how toxic English toryism is to the English.
http://archive.is/9vwLT
As I suspected some time ago the murphification of Ruth is beginning to evolve and the damage will grow. People are starting to laugh at her. There is no more damaging thing in politics.
I hope she stays there.
It always seems to me as if these journalists just get their information from other newspapers. No doubt some other journalist will repeat the above.
http://tinyurl.com/lwe57r5
Front cover of the Economist. Nicola in the audience waving the Saltire & EU flag.
Should be an interesting fight! The EU seem to have already landed a punch re Gibraltar!
Seems like Fife is good at producing snobs.
I mean wgat right does Ruth Davidson have to mock or demean anyone simply for the way they talk.
She is due for one almighty fall, and I think is going to happen in the not too distant future.
caz-m says: “Hopefully Stoker will archive.”
Aye, right, hell will freeze over before i’d even look at that rag. They helped to destroy our referendum in no small way so what makes you think i’d want to help promote them? Nah, you’re on your own.
@caz-m (9.56) –
Aye, she was giving it gallus-Alice last night for sure. It’s enough to make one suspect she may be partial to a wee drap ay the auld Green Room marching-powder, ken?
Scales will remain ower the eyes of many until she marches onto the QT set with a swagger-stick protruding from her left oxter. Either that, or she’ll have to mount Dimbleby, and I’m not sure the poor sowel can handle that type of thing these days.
Facts replaced with perception
Truth replaced with illusion
We are in a apathy doldrum within reality just now where once clever insightful professions have empty vacuous imbeciles hoping for easy fame and fortune.
Its every Justin Currie warning come to life.
Sales pirches are the new justifications!
Let’s stick to attacking Tory policies.
Not to do so just suits the Tory trolls.
Remember swaying voter the Tories attack the poor, disable and infirm. They support the racist Trump. They steal Scotland’s resources and call us greedy, they support billions on nuclear weapons but cut Conventional forces. They support the bankers and the tax evaders but call students greedy. They stop EU citizens and under 18’s the vote but promote the unelected House of Lords as our betters.
Yip let’s attack the Tory policies
@Ian Brotherhood
The only thing protecting Ruth from a true showing up /calling out is the complicit Media.
Her biggest weakness is her delusion of grandeur
I await the moment when Little Miss HuffNPuff drives herself up an street of self destruction and even a BBC Scotland punter cant save her.. it will come.. we can wait
For those of you who haven’t yet seen this, a must read.
Gcat says Yes
http://www.gcat.org.uk/blog/?p=1496
OK Stoker, you can come out from behind the couch now. LOL
I archived Ruthie and her double.
https://archive.is/YcuUZ/a842f01215e9faf3d05e4ca796eb4f5a4e25d870.jpg
Somewhere in Scotland there is a now bow legged bison muttering Gibraltar and laughing.
Ruthie and her “leetel tank” will no doubt turn up in Freedom Sq to defend the Union from peaceful celebrations.
She is what she is, and what she is , is thoroughly unpleasant.
The Tories want to press their Branding Iron on the Scottish cattle’s Rump. (You and I)
Our people exist only to feed the Rich English Tories.
For pities sake why can’t people see through these money grabbing wretches who have sold almost every national asset below value to their Millionaire Sponsors.
Look at NHS England. A & E operating at 13 points below NHS Scotland, First ever Junior Doctor’s strike, 1,800,000
patients not being seen within 4 hours, over 100,000 patients not receiving their planned operations within their agreed maximum waiting times.
In the last few days I heard of a baby dying down there through lack of facilities, a Mother sentenced to death because there wasn’t one single Critical Care Bed in any NHS Trust in the surrounding areas, and so the story get worse every single day.
More than 10% of NHS England is already privatised.
Virgin Care, Richard Branson’s latest scam for government
funding, is already working with £1 Billion of former NHS Funds and is chasing another £700 Million now.
This week NHS England announced that many more minor prescriptions will now be paid for by patients directly.
This of course includes those who are already living below the minimum wage, and those families who rely on Food Banks.
Today’s announcement that they need another 2-5 year plan to get near the A & E targets that they cannot reach with current funding.
You do know that in 5 years, they will need a little more time again while people live pain filled lives, or indeed die waiting for treatment.
You will find ever increasing NHS Services gradually privatised, as it is the only way to save money, and give some people treatment, and than Bang Privatised services are the only option available and you don’t get any treatment unless you are very rich or spend your mortgage money on a Health Insurance plan.
I read about a Hollywood Script writer, many famous and well paid movies behind him, discovered that his wife had cancer. Her treatment was covered to 85% by the private health insurance for 12 months, and then the insurance company’s get out clause allows then to stop paying for Cancer treatment.
This dear man nursed his wife and sold everything that they had for 4 years before she finally succumbed.
The guy was then bankrupt having spent over $2 Million on
treatments.
What the UK spends on Health as a portion of it GDP is 10%
lower than in France, 31% lower than Germany, and 72% lower than Switzerland.
Money comes first to the Tories, and Scots come last!
Stupid lazy people across the country wake up and fight the Tories as your life does depend on it.
Ian brotherhood
Do you think Ruthie was a bit over-hyper last night?
Maybe on the “Charlie” as the higher up ones in our society call it.
O/T
Anyone know why Bernard Ponsonby was spitting out the dummy about FM response to STV tonight ???
caz-m
The couch? I’m in fricken Resus….
😀
Hi,
My government is the Scottish Government, and they are demanding the second referendum that the people of Scotland have demanded from them.
We are a sovereign nation and we will not be dictated to by an incompetent Westminster PM that nobody voted for!
The Tories have broken each and every pledge made to the Scottish people at the last referendum and therefore the result is now null and void.
An English Vow was made to keep Scotland in Europe, if they voted No.
You stole their vote by deception and are now forcing the Scottish Nation out of Europe against their will.
This cannot, and will not be tolerated!
From: Petitions: UK Government and Parliament [mailto:no-reply@petition.parliament.uk]
Subject: Government responded to “Agree to a second referendum on Scottish Independence”
Dear ****
The Government has responded to the petition you signed – “Agree to a second referendum on Scottish Independence”.
Government responded:
The UK Government is clear that now is not the time for a second independence referendum.
The UK needs to work together, putting all our energies into ensuring we get the right deal for the UK and for Scotland in our negotiations with the EU.
In 2014, the people of Scotland decided in a legal, fair and decisive referendum to remain part of the UK. The Edinburgh Agreement of 2012 committed both the UK and Scottish Governments to respecting the outcome of the Scottish referendum. In 2016 the people of the UK voted to leave the EU. The result of both votes must be respected.
As the Prime Minister has made clear, now is not the time for another damaging and divisive referendum. All our focus should be on our negotiations with the European Union, making sure we get the best deal for the whole of the UK as we leave. And, it would be unfair to the people of Scotland to ask them to make a crucial decision without the necessary information about our future relationship with Europe. Scotland’s two governments should be working together, not pulling apart, at this crucial time.
Leaving the European Union presents us with a unique opportunity. It is this generation’s chance to shape a brighter future for our country. A chance to step back and ask ourselves what kind of country we want to be. We want this United Kingdom to emerge from this period of change stronger, fairer, more united and more outward-looking than ever.
Scotland Office
“The Bloody nerve to claim to be a Scotland Office”
So that is now another desperate tactic in the Yoon propaganda war to keep hold of the last colony and that is to sanitise the toxic British Tory Brand. Next the Yoons will be telling us that Ebola is good for us!
Tomorrow’s “National” front page:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C8Rk2-YXcAIVsFb.jpg
Defo not feeling better together in Norn Iron either. 60% !
“NIGPC have proposed Plan B for which they recently received overwhelming support from the profession. The nuclear option of leaving the NHS. When 60% of GPs sign resignation letters over the next 3-6 mths NHS Primary Care will no longer exist in NI.”
http://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/News/RuralstoryonNorthernIrelandcrisisgoesviral.aspx
“GPs in NI can only look on with envy at how the devolved governments in other parts of the UK are attempting to steady the ship.”
Quite.
What odds the ‘uk’post 2020 comprising of the City state of London & its nether regions, and the principality of Wales ?
Just watched last nights QT.
There is an old saying “any port in a storm”.
Regarding Puddock Harrison “I would rather sink my FU*KING boat.
“Swiss Perspective says:
31 March, 2017 at 9:46 pm
What irks me about outraged Ruth Davidson, who was once a fervent Brexit opponent and who can find only disgust for those who continue to oppose Brexit”
The Scottish Conservative Party’s stance on Brexit must be the only incidence in political history of a party doing a full 180 degree policy U-turn when their own constituents have voted overwhelmingly in favour of their previous policy. Then they have the front to claim they are speaking for Scotland.
@ gordoz
STV News requested to interview Sturgeon on Friday in relation to the letter.
However, this was declined by the Scottish Government, which stated we could use an interview given to BBC Scotland that was to be made available to other broadcasters.
An STV spokesman said: “STV regrets that, on such a significant news event, the Scottish Government would not make the First Minister available for interview by STV News. That decision puts our viewers at a significant disadvantage, as we are not able to scrutinise the issue in a way that is consistent with our editorial standards and our requirements for thorough reporting.”
Nicola telling them tae get tae lol , she should do that more often & put the Media in they’re place.
The Guardian and all the other Yoon propaganda sheets are exactly the same. We should ignore them and concentrate on the people we need to convert to gain our independence.
“The Mooths” party are not and never will be speaking for Scotland.
They are and always will be Thatcher’s basta*d monsters.
Some say “the mooth” is a wee bully etc. she is a fuc*ing nobody, a failed Empire TV hack and a total embarrassment to anything decent.
Yes she may be ex military SO WHAT, if “THAT” thinks it will be Scotland’s FM, Scotland is FKD.
Murdo “the queens fart” must be really proud being her bit*h.
Yes that’s the quality of the Tories.
Oh forgot to add, SLab you support these fuc*ers?
Hang your brass necks in shame.
Wullie Rennie, mmmm i’ll not bother.
For all those who have been led to believe that Scottish Independence is all about having more or less cash, here’s a few clues
as to what it’s really about:-
Q. Who would you rather live next door to in a semi? Nicola or Theresa May.
Q. What kind of England is Theresa May creating?
Nice or nasty?
Q. Does Theresa May show any real interest in helping the poor and the sick, or the disabled and the unemployed?
Q. If you were Polish, living in England, would you be happy to live in a town with high levels of support for UKIP?
Q. Scotland is a beautiful country with warm friendly people and a warm, friendly government. Do you think Scotland is suitable for a union with a nasty, xenophobic, racist country like England sometimes is?
Q. Do you think having mostly greedy, tax-avoiding rich people in a town or country, the kind who are favoured by Theresa May, makes it better?
Independence is about choosing the kind of people, in the kind of country you want to live in. Its the people who make the country.
O/t John Boothman is to head up the pro Union campaign for NewScotref.
Is anyone surprised?
@Flower of Scotland
Check date —-1st April
Ian Brotherhood@10.34
Here’s a couple of extracts from TRuthless’s own twitter account( her second or third one!).
Straight from the horse’s mouth as it were!
Ruth Davidson? @RuthDavidsonuk Mar 28
i have drunk a bottle of Buckfast this morning mybe not the best idea before the #ScotRef debate {This is the debate where she told Nicola to sit down and mocked Joan McAlpine’s accent}
Ruth Davidson? @RuthDavidsonuk Mar 22
Truth is even if all evidence pointed towards Indy as by far best option for Scotland, i would still be backing the union, #PoliticsScotland
This account is quite an eye opener!
What a thoroughly distasteful woman!
Based on Ruthie’s recent performances….And they were performances…… I can’t help thinking that she is trying to make sure that she is seen to be NOT “the right person” to lead Better Together Two.
She doesn’t want to be the Face of not only a failed campaign but a high profile failed campaign!
Westminster’s April 1st jokes: http://wp.me/p4fd9j-eUg
@ Meg merrilees
I’ve just looked at that twitter account and it describes itself as “parody, of course”.
I suppose the fact is that the Tories have always been more popular in Scotland than people tend to think. ~25% is obviously a minority but a significant one all the same.
To be fair, Thatcher had better legs.
‘re Boothman.
Is he not Donalda’s boss.
In the secrecy of the Ballot Box how many hypocrites like Murdo and Carlaw vote for Independence.
The lies about about Education continues. The unionist/green skew some aeducations which they can’t analyse properly. People who can’t count or read a balance sheet. 2 + 2 = 5. Maybe they should go back to school.
Figures teacher non from 2011 which they compare with today’s figures. Claiming there is a drop in teacher nos without relevant qualification. Ie telling lies again.
In 2011 it is likely to have bern be higher pupil nos. There is a drop in population nos (without migration) in all countries in Europe etc because people are having less children.
Today more Pupils are leaving earlier to take up apprenticeship. Lower pupil nos by comparison 2011.
The unionists at Westminster have voted for austerity measures which have meant cuts in funding for Educstion which the Scottish Gov have had to eleviate and mitigate. Instead spending taxpayers money on illegal projects ie Hinkley Point, HS2, Heathrow and quint Trident thst will nver be used. A total waste of public money £500Billion. There are more credible alternative. While Westminster unionist are illegally cutting essential services budget. NHS/Education and welfare services. Starving vulnerable people to death. Illegal wars killing and maiming peopkevworld wide. Causing anxiety and worried for people. So many can’t sleep and get ill because of Westminster destructive, illegal policies. Half the UK population are on depression tablet and many drink too much because if Westminster unionist policies. Crooked, corrupt criminal unseles politicians in Westminster destroying the world economy. People in Scotland did not vote for them. A travesty of justice, The majority in the UK did not vote for them.
The unionist/green controlled councils have cut education budgets, cut additional needs funding, and not kept class sizes down. Instead illegally spending taxpayers money (allocated to education) on non mandated projects if little value. Wasted £Million/Billions of local government funding on any nonsense grotesque projects they can find. While no funding the essential services, causing hardship,and decline.
In 2011 more taxes were being raised in the UK (Scotland). More money was being borrowed and spent. £600Billion was being raised in taxes. (More pro rata in Scotland) £120Billion being borrowed (less pro rata) in Scotland= £720
Now £533Billion in being raised in taxes and £100Billion is being borrowed =’£633Billion
A lot less. Less money for education budget.
More taxes are raised in Scotland £54Billion. More pro rata than the Ref of the UK. £46Billion.
The rest of the UK borrows and spends £100Billion more. Money is taken from Scitlsnd to pay loan repayment on rest of the UK debt. Illegal and unfair.
Labour/Unionist is Scotland we’re means tested loans on households of average earning. Students in Scotland could not get a full loan to go to University. Etc. Iain Grsy was preventing Scottish pupils from going to University because of lack of proper funding.
A lot
If Iain Gray is looking for the £Billion of local Gov funding that has been wasted. Look no further than his collegue Willy Young who has cut education funding in Aberdeen City. Borrowed and spent £Millions on groteque projects of little value getting the City in £Billion of debt. There’s the £Billion that could have been spent on Education essential services. That is missing.
Aberdeen City is 130 teachers short and now teachers are being asked if they want to take redundancy, The idiocy of the unionist/green council . £Million have been spent and wasted on a useless grotesque monstrosity. Ruining the city centre. While essential services and education have been cut from the money allocated by the Scottish Gov. £30Million has been spent on an Art Gallery closed fir five years. A total waste of taxpayers money. Aberdeen Artist have had no proper space for their annual exhibition. £5Million+ has been spent on a hub to store painting which no one ever sees. A colossal ware of public money. If they are not needed reduce the cost and sell some off. £26Miliin paying off AECC debts but they plan to build another one.?
Iain Gray should talk to his colleagues in every Coubcil in Scotland about the £Billions missing from education and other essential services. That they have illegally spent in other non mandated grotesque projects of little value. Or guess check the books at GCC for the missing £Billion in funds. Illegally squandered by Unionists.
Despite the fact Scotland still has one of the best education system in the world. There could still be improvements if the unionists/green did not squander so much public money against the majority wishes and the public interest on groteque projects of less value.
The unionists have destroyed the UK and world economy with the illegal wars, tax evasion and banking fraud. They are an international disgrace.
Boothman paid with public money. Supposed to be impart. Should not be leading any anti democratic campaign. An illegal conflict of interest. Another troughing liar.
“For less than the price of a coffee a week, you could help secure the Guardian’s future. Support our journalism for $7/€5 a month.”
I like my coffee. You lot? Not much.
“Become a supporter”
LOLZ! Aye, right. Piss off!
Ruth Davidson reminds me of a friend’s band. They got a certain amount of exposure and the lead singer started acting like he owned the world. It was the end of them.
John Moss, I cannot stand by and let your comments about Dugdale’s and Davidson’s sexuality go unchallenged. I cannot help but consider that you are a Yoon interloper.
You disgust me ,sir.
So to recap yesterday.
Theresa May gets telt by the EU. Spain gets a veto over the Gibraltar issue. Indyref letter gets delivered to Downing street. Martin Kettle makes an idiot of himself and Aberdeen win 7-0.
Awesome! 🙂
Links
Nicola “Our future should be decided by us, not for us”
Video here
https://twitter.com/Channel4News/status/847818558142730240
http://indyref2.scot/spain-gives-green-light-for-special-gibraltar-eu-deal
http://www.centreonconstitutionalchange.ac.uk/blog/more-powers-scotland-wales-and-northern-ireland-or-power-grab
https://www.commonspace.scot/articles/10689/professor-john-davis-scotgov-delivering-early-learning-and-childcare-signs-are-good
John Moss:
Did you miss the bit about inclusion? I do not agree with some people’s politics but their sexuality is none of my or your business. Get a grip or go.
Disgusted!
Podcast: Reflections on a week of gestures and symbols
http://newsnet.scot/archive/podcast-reflections-week-gestures-symbols/
https://athousandflowers.net/2017/03/30/glasgows-unsavoury-council-election-selection/
https://itisintruthnotforglory.wordpress.com/2017/03/31/dear-theresa/
http://www.ericjoyce.co.uk/2017/03/unionists-playing-dangerous-game-undermining-scottish-parliament/
http://tommyballgovan.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-underminers-strike.html?spref=tw
http://www.thecanary.co/2017/03/31/first-sturgeon-up-yours-tories-people-scotland-done-same/
A German Conservative candidate in next month’s council elections has come under fire for comparing the SNP to the Nazis.
http://archive.is/jTZ73
Antidote to populism may be hidden under the kilt: Delacourt
http://archive.is/hXxbY
http://breaking911.com/eu-britain-control-brexit-talks-not/
http://www.politics.co.uk/blogs/2017/03/31/week-in-review-a-cold-dose-of-reality-for-team-may
http://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/brexit_has_given_sinn_fein_new_grievance_to_awaken_old_cause_1_4957637
http://www.cityam.com/261901/cost-cutting-bbc-drops-international-news-agency-associated
https://www.eureporter.co/politics/2017/03/20/brexit-german-mep-accuses-theresa-may-of-pursuing-a-de-facto-coup/
https://politicalscrapbook.net/2017/03/fuked/
http://www.politico.eu/article/council-response-puts-brexit-talks-on-collision-course-hold-for-orders/
http://eulawanalysis.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-white-paper-on-great-repeal-bill.html?m=1
Nana: Good Morning,
Quack Quack, It’s raining again. Thank You for your links. Kettle’s on!
🙂
Peace Always
For those of you still wittering on about Boothman – you need a sense of humour transplant….
Did the paragraph about him being joined by Russ Abbott and Duncan Hothersall not give you the tiniest hint it might be a joke? The date perhaps is a clue too?
Good morning Smallaxe
I’m sounding like a duck this morning, sore throat ,bad cough and generally feeling yuk. Extra links to last a couple of days in case I’m not here tomorrow. Quack quack!
Former senior Labour activist, Jamie Kerr, on joining the SNP & the Labour party’s failure to stand up for Scotland’s interests.
Video here https://twitter.com/theSNP/status/847893767323475968
Brexit and Britain’s delusions of empire
http://archive.is/Rj0kJ
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/brexit-eu-negotiations-set-for-disappointment-a-1141119.html
Welsh minister gives scathing account of Brexit talks with UK Government
http://archive.is/DEduB
Brexit: Theresa May’s plan could drag Government to Supreme Court, top judge warns
http://archive.is/g94jr
Sorry about the typos/grammar
Predictive test and in a hurray, but get the gist.
Well this is such a relif to know. The woman has more confidence than two Cheshire cats and talks as if she has total approval to tell the country off.
Such a character has no credibility bar the true blue red and white unionist blind following.
Good morning Smallaxe. Quack quack, that’s me talking. Sore throat and a bad cough so giving you extra links in case I’m not here tomorrow.
Former senior Labour activist, Jamie Kerr, on joining the SNP & the Labour party’s failure to stand up for Scotland’s interests.
Video here
https://twitter.com/theSNP/status/847893767323475968
Brexit and Britain’s delusions of empire
http://archive.is/Rj0kJ
Welsh minister gives scathing account of Brexit talks with UK Government
http://archive.is/DEduB
No reason to rethink UK rating’s negative outlook: S&P
http://archive.is/0FQp1
Nana:
I’m quacking for the same reason, sore throat, head and chest.Paracetamol RULES OK.
Hope you feel better soon xx
🙂
Peace Always
@ Ken500 – I asked upthread but perhaps you missed it. Why do you accuse the Greens of running Aberdeen City council? There isn’t a single Green on the council.
Here’s the COSLA list of councils and political control.
http://www.cosla.gov.uk/councils/political-control
Here’s the Aberdeen City list of councillors and political affiliation.
http://committees.aberdeencity.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=PARTY&VW=LIST&PIC=0
Not a Green in sight. I’m curious.
Ken500 at 7.09
Teacher/pupil ratio in Scotland is 1/14. In England it is 1/28
Spot on Stu, I’ll email the PDF for this to every conservative MSP in Scotland.
As ever, thank you, Nana, for the links, and in particular ‘Welsh minister gives scathing account of Brexit talks with UK Government
http://archive.is/DEduB‘
May I note two points. The article refers to the FM as Nicole, which could be just a typo except that a & e are not next to each other on the keyboard. Black mark for the Welsh.
The article makes clear that the Prime Minister is not listening to the devolved administrations, and later calls for more flexibility.
Have the Welsh not yet understood that Mrs May, in her unelected premiership so far, has displayed only the characteristics of a dictator. And a colonial one at that.
smallaxe@9.06
Big spoon of honey, some lemon, some hot water and a big scoop of whisky, all in the one cup, num,num.
I cannot guarantee it will help the sore throat, but it works for me.
Oh aye and some Vicks vapour rub on the soles of your feet at bed time, wear some socks to stop it coming off, it works for the cold symptoms.
Lets have a whipround and buy a boat, put Mooth Davidson, Wee willie eckislike Rennie, and Abitoffa Dugstail and their silly branch parties into it
Then cast them adrift with a compass and a map of cloud cuckoo land, because that’s where they should all be living
Crazycat@2.37 am
That’s a relief – I had hoped it wasn’t legit!
Not a twitterer, so just had another look and now realise that it is obviously a parody. You learn something every day…
Perhaps, in the style of a certain national government, i could quickly backpedal to try and cover up my ridiculous mistake (on a par with forgetting about Gibraltar?), and claim it was my attempt at an April Fool?
Nevertheless, I still think she is a thoroughly obnoxious politician.
Gary45%:
Thank you, for your very kind concern and advice, I will try the Vick trick, I’m already taking the honey and lemon but I use a spoonful of butter with dark rum instead of whisky as I find that this sweats it out of me and if that doesn’t work I just take more rum until I don’t give a sh*t.
🙂
Peace Always my Friend
Jack Collatin:
Thanks, for bringing that post to our attention Jack, I missed it last night.I’m sure that the person responsible must know that we on WoS. are of all persuasions, the willful ignorance is stunning.
How many times has a poster on here stated, “We are all Jock Tamson’s bairns”. All means All!
Hope you and the Family are well, Brother.
Peace Always
If Scotland had the exact same relationship within the UK that EU members have within the EU would Scottish Brexiteers want to end the Union?
I had written my response to Martin’s post only to find that the Guardian Mods had once again taken cold feet and switched off comments.
Comment is Rare should be the Guardian’s watchwords 🙂
Let the britnats live in ignorance.
‘We English, who are a marvelous people, are really very generous to
Scotland.’
— Margaret Thatcher, 1990
Forward to
” We Scots, who are marvelous people, are really very generous to England”
– Nicola Sturgeon, 2025
First five data points cover 18 years, then there is a 23 year gap.
Surely there were elections between ’92 and ’15? Does the fact that the tories were getting results in the mid teens undermine the author’s point?
It is odd to ‘fact check’ with only limited facts presented.
Talking about sexuality how can people who are abnormal gays etc., be expected to make normal decisions ?and before all you goody goodies start I am entitled to my opinions just the same as you are it is called democracy
Gfaetheblock
Its all a Google away.
1992: 25.6%
1997: 17.5%
2001: 15.6%
2005: 15.8%
2010: 16.7%
2015: 14.9%
Does that help?
@Blair –
people who are abnormal gays etc
Really Blair???
Hop aboard the 21st century Blair it’s not sore… Holy F
Mike – thanks.
So why did the rev miss this out? Is it because that Davidson has increased support by c. 40% based on the results of the last 15 years and this does not fit with the point he was trying to make, but does fit with the guardian piece?
Gfaetheblock
Davidson has never fought a General Election as a party leader so I don’t see how you can make that statement accurate?
Mike, it’s not my point, it’s the basis for this whole article. I agree, it is comparing apple to oranages as well as frameing data to try and make a point whilst ignoring other data that is inconvenient.
What is undeniable is that the Scottish Tory support is on the rise, and I would expect them to have a good council elections.
Nana said at 8:28 this morning:-
“Former senior Labour activist, Jamie Kerr, on joining the SNP & the Labour party’s failure to stand up for Scotland’s interests.
Video here
https://twitter.com/theSNP/status/847893767323475968 ”
Thanks a lot for this 2 minute video link—I don’t follow SNP on Twitter and would have missed it.
Gfaetheblock
Maybe you think Davidson had she been party leader in 2015 would have got 22% in Scotland
Or
If Teresa May was in charge in Scotland in 2016 would have only got 14.9% ?
Gfaetheblock
On the rise from what to what? I see it fluctuating I don’t see it rising.
They are comparing the Tories to woeful Labour. The coming up with 2nd means popular. Both Labour and Tory are at the height of their unpopularity. The thing they don’t mention is that the Snp have 56 mps and they have one! The Snp got 47% of Holywood vote which is 25% more than the Tories.
@ Gfaetheblock
I presume he missed out the other elections because he was addressing an assertion by Martin Kettle that
(My emphasis)
The later figures are therefore not relevant to the comparison.
@ Meg merrilees
I don’t have a Twitter account either; some parodies are (deliberately?) unmissably outrageous, others are more subtle.
I did mean to add that I agree with you about RD’s unpleasnatness, but posted too soon.
@Gfaetheblock
During the period when the Conservatives fluctuated from the 30s to the 20s the SNP fluctuated from the 10s to the 40s.
And yet the Guardian is telling us its a Tory surge not an SNP surge.
That’s yer UK media for ye.
Smallaxe, g’day to you.
I’m going to try rubbing Vic on the soles of my feet the next time the dreaded lurgy strikes.
We must be ever vigilant on Pro Independence blogs, especially here on WoS.
Stu (and some of the rest of us) are not known for mincing our words..ahem.
To let this nasty little comment go unchallenged opens the door to accusations of ‘homophobic blog WoS’ flooding FB and Twitter, and headlining in the Mail and UKIP Express.
I recall a comedian doing a God the Creator routine, observing, ‘I’ll create 9 sexes, but tell them that there are only two.’
We must be ever watchful for signs of McTernan’s MacDougall’s and Roden’s black ops and lies.
We’re ‘younger than that now’, Bridge Builder of the South. Peace.
Blair Paterson on The Metrosplainers @12.45pm on 1st April 2017 wrote:
‘Talking about sexuality how can people who are abnormal gays etc., be expected to make normal decisions ?and before all you goody goodies start I am entitled to my opinions just the same as you are it is called democracy’
Blair?
You are, as well as being a blood and soil nationalist, also a homophobe and nasty bigoted little sneak.
Go on to the main thread Blair and make the same statement, go on?
From here on in, let me tell you right now I am going to repeatedly paste your comment every time you come onto Wings, every time I see you post until it is made clear to you that your ilk are not representative of the prevalent and progressive attitudes that our polity hold dear in Scotland.
The vast majority of people in Scotland do not hol to your archaic divisive and utterly repugnant attitudes. That’s democracy in action, we hold that majority view in this this regard.
So by all means cling to your bigotry and your narrow minded prejudices but don’t think yer getting a fee pass on here under the banner of ‘democracy’ pal.
Effigy 10.55pm
I watched that exact same programme on TV that you refer to re the GREAT US of A health insurance scam , people here are so deluded and apathetic , this man was destroyed both financially and emotionally, all to give his poor dying wife some comfort in her last days ,
FGS PEOPLE waken up to what these parasitical carpetbaggers are doing to a GREAT institution, ALL tories are only interested in GREED ,GREED ,GREED, what is in it for them , we have the chance to be a better , fairer ,more compassionate country, England is fcuked due to them continuously voting in blue , red and yellow tories ,we abhor their war on the unemployed and disabled constantly demeaned in the MSM ,
PLEASE think about the future you are forcing on your children and grandchildren ,protect the innocents and vote to gift future generations the RIGHT to determine their way through independence
Blair Paterson (12:45pm) – you and your ilk are an utter disgrace. Aye – yer entitled to your say but try washing your mouth out with three bottles of bleach first before you speak. Now eff-off.
Mark Russell says:
1 April !
“To be fair, Thatcher had better legs.”
Which pair Mark, front or back ?
Even with tail docking, you could tell. 🙂
Ecumenical? Eh?
Wtf is an ecumenical leader?
They don’t half talk shite.
It’s the way it’s starts….’you know somehin, I never thought I’d say this- but jew know who came accross really well- that Ruth Davidson’….or….’ Ama Labour guy thru ‘n thru y’aw know that right? Bit do you whit, see that Ruth Davidsin- she is actually right ‘n whit she says about them tryin’ tae brek up the Union n’that.’…..or…(Graham Spiders accent required for this one)….’I’m actually giving serious consideration to voting for Ruth Davidson the next time’
These are all just the birth pains and the first green shoots of what is going to become a major force in Scottish politics. Labour are not the enemy anymore.
Be warned.
Blair Paterson says
-===========
Yup you are entitled to your opinion just as fascists in this country are allowed to be fascists but your opinion is obnoxious and bigoted. You’re entitled to be bigoted – too many people are but in democracies it’s allowed. Also in democracies we are entitled to call you out about it.
@Ruby says: 31 March, 2017 at 10:28 pm:
“It always seems to me as if these journalists just get their information from other newspapers. No doubt some other journalist will repeat the above.
http://tinyurl.com/lwe57r5
Well no, Ruby, the truth is they have almost always copied from the several News Agencies and they used to pay a big fee to do so. Now anyone can do this for free if they have access to the Internet.
The best known News Agency, without doubt, (at least in Europe & the UK), is Reuters and you can access their UK site here :-
http://uk.reuters.com/news/uk
If you type in the first part of that web address you can get the World News.
If you have watched any of the old classic Hollywood movies with the Newspaper Editors, such as Edward G. Robinson, they would be sitting at a big roll-top desk, wearing a green eye-shade and smoking a big cigar, in their rolled-up shirt sleeves. At the corner of the desk would be a chattering, “Ticker Tape”, Machine with the local & World Wide News coming in, “Over the Wire”.
In the above scenario the, “Demon”, reporter would probably be Wee Jimmy Cagney or Humphrey Bogart or their ilk.
However, those, “Demon”, reporters would then be seen going out and doing the investigative checking up on the story and the final scene in the movie would be the Newspaper vans screeching out of the Newspaper Printers delivering the papers to the news-stands around the city and the paper sellers yelling, “Extry! Extry! Read all about it! At the top of their voices. Nowadays there are no reporters they all claim to be, “Columnists”, and are far too last to get off their rears except to go down the pub to compare notes with the other, “Columnists”.
Hey! I’ve just written the rough script for a thousand war-time Movies. Mind you only the ones with the Big Hollywood stars got to be, “A”, movies. The majority, though, were only, “B”, movies.
@Iain More says: 31 March, 2017 at 11:15 pm
” … Next the Yoons will be telling us that Ebola is good for us!”
Thing is, Iain, if Scotland is daft enough to vote against the Scottish Government again, that English Tory Government lie may indeed have some merit.
Let’s face it if May’s plan is forced upon Scotland then Ebola does have the merit of being a relatively quick way to die.
It sure as hell beats starving to death, long drawn out death from cancer without treatment, Asthma without medications or untreated liver, kidney, heart or lung disease with no medications or painkillers.
There are, even now, actually killing the poorest, sickest, old and vulnerable people and the statistics are proving it every year.
Good to see you back posting, @ Robert Peffers says at 11:46 pm
You were missed.
The media are essentially grooming the Scottish public on behalf of the Tories, now that they realise that Labour can no longer be relied upon to preserve the Union in Scotland.
Don’t underestimate how effective the media are at this. The don’t need to be correct, but with enough not so subliminal propaganda, many will start to believe that Ruth is popular and that counts folks, it in effect becomes a self fulfilling prophesy.
She’ll be given every bit of help that the media and especially the BBC can muster.
The reverse is true for Nicola Sturgeon, and it is just as effective. The media vilifies Sturgeon, they say that she is nasty and nippy, opportunistic, unreasonable, obsessed by independence, does not have her eye on the day job, out for herself etc.
Think about the things that you hear general members of the public say about her that are completely unwarranted and generally without any logical or reasoned thinking behind them either…. If all else fails its “Jimmy Krankie”
Again, rubbish though it all is, they throw enough mud and it sticks. People form opinions, not by seeing people in action or by hearing what they themselves say. They are generally not sufficiently interested and simply pick up on the mood music broadcast by the media.
To the media, the unionist politicians or unionist commentators, it does not matter if they are wrong, as long as the message gets out. They are never held to account in a way that reaches those who are influenced the most.
As we all know, on the extremely rare occasion that they are challenged and forced to make a correction it is buried away and said with such nonchalance that they might as well have not bothered.
So, a pretty pessimistic and despondent comment from myself but it highlights that we cannot afford to sit on our arses. We need to be out (away from out computers) talking to as many people as possible and referring them to Wings Over Scotland. We cannot afford to be aggressive or impatient, nor can we afford to be disrespectful. Remember that we need to win across those who voted No this time and we also need to try and keep on board those Scots who voted Yes last time, but who are not so fussed about the EU.
With regards to the latter, that is clearly one of the areas where the unionists think that they have most traction and again where they are focusing a lot of their efforts to divide the Yes camp.
I heard the other day on the BBC (the One Show) that pro-brexit support in Scotland is now 67% (a fanciful swing from 62% against brexit).
People’s loyalty (borne out of habit) to the unionist papers is astonishing. There must still be tens of thousands of Yes voters who still by the Record, the Sun, the Daily Mail and Sunday Mail, the Daily Express and Sunday Express etc. The pitiful support for the National, simply reinforces the business case for unionism and against pro-independence papers. You need more than one paper saying the same thing, otherwise it does not look credible set against the rest.
Buy the National and if you don’t have the time to read it (or indeed once you have) pass it on to someone. Ideally someone with the time to read, an older person who might be grateful for your company, something to read, something to think about and talk about with their friends and family, save the cost of their usual paper etc.
Nana, for the LOVE OF PETE could you stop posting your comments multiple times? They’re ALWAYS going to go into the moderation queue because of the number of links, there’s nothing I can do about that. They’ll be approved when I see them, as usual, and having to wade through three or four versions of every one to make sure I’m only deleting duplicates is a right pain in the arse.
@Rev Stu
Sorry Rev, had problems with posting and thought perhaps one of the links had a gremlin. As my post failed to appear I tried again by removing the link. Also wasn’t feeling very well at the time, got frustrated.
Don’t worry it won’t happen again.
fraser darling said at 12:08am today:
“…..She’ll [Ruth Davidson] be given every bit of help that the media and especially the BBC can muster…….”
Yes,she’ll be on the Telly as often as UKIP and Nigel Farage!
These folk at BBC London and Pacific Quay think people in Scotland don’t notice these things——we do.