The National Enquirers
The data in this Scottish Government reply to an alert reader this week pretty much speaks for itself, so we’re not going to add too much to it.
The number of FOI requests submitted to the Scottish Government by the BBC in the past three years (112) is more than 25% higher than the total number submitted in the previous seven years (89).
The number submitted by Labour in 2017 was more than TEN TIMES as many as it submitted in 2008, and twice as many as any other year.
The number submitted by the Tories in 2017 was a third more than the total number submitted in the previous NINE years (92). They’ve also exceeded that total in the first seven months of this year alone.
And as the highlighted passage notes, the true numbers are considerably higher.
The response noted, for example, an interesting trivia fact:
That means that in 2017, out of a total of 3,046 FOIs sent to the Scottish Government, over 1,000 came from the two main opposition parties or the BBC.
That total represents a dramatic increase in workload:
A further 159 were submitted by newspapers in the first eight months of the year. (The most recent full-year total for newspapers is 216 for 2016.)
Despite this avalanche the number answered within the 20-day target has increased from 61% in 2007 to 83% in 2017, even though the volume has almost quadrupled.
All we’d say is that it’s perhaps worth keeping these figures in mind the next time you hear either (a) newspapers howling blue murder about a “culture of secrecy”, or (b) opposition politicians screaming at the government to “get on with the day job”.
Keep it up comrades.. What a spew!
Dirt digging.
How many has the BBC received and answered?
That was rhetorical, btw.
Bbc & co also burden local authorities with multi-requests . Must cost local government millions. Less care workers and the like. Bbc call it investigatve journalism
What these enquiries represent is a lot of money that could more usefully on services that are badly needed.
If lots of people are tied up (and it is lots of people) answering FOIs, they are not doing something productive for the country.
I wish someone would point out the enormous waste of money being caused by these FOIs.
Then there’s the NHS in Scotland. Newsnet had an article in 2013 saying that since the SNP became the Government, NHS FOI requests had increased c 800%. Ms Bradford from the BBC.
link to newsnet.scot
Hey Rev, how about firing one off to the BritNat Brainwashing Channel regards their ‘policy’ of giving a heads-up to elected officials who may have transgressed their copyright on YouTube, but not extending the same courtesy to others?
Surely the MSPs who employ the three researchers who submitted 300 FOI requests should be identified.
Also how many FOI requests do the BBC and other political parties respond to within 20 days .. if at all.
Meanwhile great NEW article on GERS shortcomings from Business for Scotland
link to businessforscotland.com
It is simple fishing.
Keep asking for data and when you find one with a downward trend….Yahoo! Another SNPbad story.
The ambulance response times are a perfect example. Saving more lives by prioritising cases was a good thing but key for Labour was the headline “average times up”
I will guarantee one thing without having any data – if, and I mean IF, Labour gets into power any FOI stories will be ignored by the media.
We have one tag team – the unionists. A “researcher” / “think tank” / “concerned citizen” etc etc obtains data through a FOI. The newspapers grab it. The BBC quotes the papers and Richard, Ruthie, Jackie, Wullie will be screaming it at FMQ…this is our Scotland!
All these FOI requests to the SG. Since very few of the SNPBaaad stories from the opposition parties and their msm appear to be triggered by FOI responses, whatever the BritNats are fishing for, they ain’t finding it!
Most of their propaganda originates from partial/selective interpretation of third party research and/or openly published data. A recent example being the ambulance performance data.
Someone should ask labour in Scotland how many members it has through FOI and see how long it takes them to answer/if they answer and then ask for the evidence.
Then ask the BBC any question and wait indefinitely for the answer FOI or not it won’t make any difference.
Then ask the tories through FOI about dark money and see where that gets you.
Don’t bother with the lib dems we know they are proven liars.
Got the picture? The snp not only have to govern superbly but prove it day in and day out.
I asked the BBC for details of contacts between them and youtube in the last year re takedowns from YT channels. They didn’t respond with the actual detail because it would have exceeded £450 to do so, but they did state that their intelectual property dept contacted YT 508 times in the last year.
Actually less than I thought. If you want a copy of it sent just let me know what email you want it to.
Oh Lordy! That’s breathtaking. The Britnat political class and their meeja really are quite the shower of appalling hypocrites. Trying to get doodly out of them is like trying to draw blood from a stone.
This is one McBot whose vote they’ll never see. Also? Mrs McBot and both (now voting age) McBotlets.
As someone who has to process FOI requests I’d like to point out how time consuming it is. I believe in the principle behind FOI but depending on the information requested it doesn’t always reveal the whole truth.
Personally I don’t mind responding to requests but you can see when there’s an agenda. I do resent the time it takes to do the work under those circumstances. We are stretched enough already.
Wee anti-French rant on the yoon stream there. To spoil Big Mike’s visit to Paris no doubt.
@Capella only issue I take with the newsnet article is that it doesn’t explicitly describe the BBC as a unionist organisation – which by its charter it undeniably is.
‘FoI requests from unionist organisations like SLAB & the BBC have ballooned since the SNP came to power …’ sort of thing. Let them whine.
Its long past time for us to call this out. Something many of us have been vocally concerned about since before 2014.
@ Jock McDonnell – the clause in the BBC charter which obliges them to promote the Union was added by the Tories recently during the charter renewal negotiations. That duty wouldn’t have been explicit in 2013..
However, we all know that the BBC is the propaganda arm of Westminster so we can expect it to ignore Scotland (apart from conning the £320m TV tax which is then largely spent in England).
It reinforces the view that Scotland isn’t actually in “Britain”. Britain = England.
Pity we cant ask the media what information they hold on their so called journalists contacts with labour, tory, libdum politicians or their expenses or their meeting places and the like (all of which is in the public interest) we could have them so tied down for so long that it might just bring it home to them to do a proper days work or be bogged down doing work for no real reason.
Time there was a charge to offset the cost of this!
To put it into perspective does anyone know how many FOI requests were made by the BBC in England?
O/T
Nicola on STV Festival Show at 7.30. Salmond affair on STV Scotland Tonight at 10.30
The journalists and Mps now spend the majority of their time devoted to finding things to get mock outraged about. What sad fuckwits these people are.
i think this is mirrored to a certain extent in local government where i work. it irks to see BBC stories using the words our “research has found”, when all they did was submit a FOI.
I agree with Derek Bateman that all data should be available online and then journalists & political parties can wade through the data themselves.
The added advantage would be anyone could check the information just incase journalist/political parties are not giving the public accurate information.
The unionists and their media buddies are desperately digging for no existant dirt, and are actually wasting public finances and diverting staff from more important duties.
They’re a disgrace to Scotland.
A few years back there was a story about a Labour Researcher who made the highest number of Freedom of Information requests but he himself wished to remain anonymous!
Anyone remember this story?
@Dave Mc – has she been on – cos now they have ‘technical difficulties’
I suppose the likes of the Daily Record, Herald & Scotsman have no need to make FOI requests as Labour and the Tories are making the requests on their behalf and even writing the stories for them.
OT but interesting ICYMI – Hoss Mackintosh tweeted a map illustrating all the landings of fish in the UK. The vast majority in Scotland and most in Peterhead.:
link to twitter.com
Off now to delete my Facebook account (which I never use anyway) in protest at their blatant censorship. See Craig Murray’s latest post
@Capella
I deleted my facebook a couple of months back after the Cambridge Analytica scandal over revealing/selling private data and targetted ads.
Like you I used it rarely and haven’t even noticed now that it’s gone, they won’t be making any money out of my data.
Re. Paul Hutcheon… my view of him took a very sharp downturn a few years ago when I read an article he had written about a subject that I know very well. At the time I thought it was just sloppy work. Not convinced now. I just cannot trust anything he writes about subjects that I know little about. .
I’ve just googled – how to delete (facebook came out tops before I typed f.)
@Capella says: 28 August, 2018 at 8:03 pm:
” … Off now to delete my Facebook account (which I never use anyway) in protest at their blatant censorship. See Craig Murray’s latest post.”
Getting shot of FB is a great move, Capella. One more thing that Yessers need to do.
I subscribe to Gordon Ross on YouTube and today his broadcast:-
link to youtube.com
contains the fact that Facebook has begun to threaten him with a ban – but not told him what he is accused of doing wrong or who, if anyone, has complained., (Shades of the Alex Salmond Treatment there it seems).
Anyhow, Gordon Ross IndyCar has been gaining viewers and Gordon is looking for changing things in view of the FB censoring. It wouldn’t hurt the YES movement if a few more of us were to actually subscribe to his YouTube Channel and it would give FB cause to think again about its policy that is directly anti-Scottish Indy.
Gordon also claims that recent polls show that, if the 17 year olds are included, indy is ahead at about 54% and that may be the real reason for the present apparent panic among the Yoonatics.
BBC LabServativeDem and M15 royal unionist party
When I’m on ScotlandsPeople looking for online info’ there’s a charge for this info’, you have to buy credits, the service is not free. Searches old-style used to be free at the Register House but even then you were restricted as to the number of look-ups in a session.
Facebook – you can’t actually delete right away. You get it suspended for two weeks but if you don’t then sign in it is deleted (so they say).
A lot of people use Instagram and Whattspp instead. But I see from a tweet on Stu’s twitter that Facebook bought up those some time ago. Tentacles.
link to twitter.com
@ Roberet Peffers @ Thepnr – I won’t notice any difference as I didn’t use it anyway. Just thought I MIGHT want to use it. But I was always paranoid about the lack of any real privacy. Cambridge Analytica will have a category for me!
That’s good news about the 17 year olds tipping the balance to YES. The Unionists are sure in one frothing frenzy at the moment.
Robert Peffers
Just subscribed to Gordon’s IndyCar channel.
Very interesting that 54% figure. If that is indeed true it suggests that the log jam is broken. No wonder the regime is ramping it up
Not that I am in the same league as true Scottish Yessers on here (how could I be?) but I can tell you that I’ve been thrown off Facebook on two separate occasions – with no reason given by “the powers that be”.
True, I made a habit of frequenting indy sites (even Adminning a few) in my time, and making the odd dry, humorous remark (never vulgar) about yoons in general and their politics. I may even have contributed a song or fable or two to the cause and helped learners of my mother tongue get better proficiency on Welsh language students’ pages.
Like others here, following the Cambridge Analytica furore, I didn’t think it worth my while to re-apply. And other than the good Scottish indy folk I “met” on Facebook during my time there (and subsequently quite a few others on rallies and in SNP Conferences) I don’t really miss it.
(Hope you don’t mind me popping up here now and again, at Stu’s discretion, though.)
Deleted fb a while back, due to abuse from Hitler saluting unionists.
Rangers used to be a fine club, before Murray’s time, if they could self police the sizeable minority of sectarian bigots, they might start to regain a bit of respect, but the Brit state is feeding plenty propaganda to their (shit for) brains.
@Welsh Sion
I for one have always welcomed your contribution here. More the merrier, invite some pals 🙂
Hi Thepnr.
In the same vein, I’ve always appreciated Lumilumi’s(?) contributions from the far end of The Baltic.
‘Wirrah Jock Tamson’s bairns…’
Appears Mundells Staff increases are Bearing Fruit (Rotten mind you) For the Union Parties and Media
Desperate for SNP Bad news is the motive for these requests, surprising though how much it has ramped up after the referendum. They must have scraped the bottom of the barrel clean with their FOI’s by 2014 I guess.
Next up FOI’s to the individual parties and the BBC asking how many FOI requests they or their researchers have submitted to the Scottish government since 2007.
That should round it all up nicely 🙂
Just kidding and a good job by you alert reader.
Final Facebook post – I saw the film “Social Network” when it came out and thought then that it was a complete scam. Ditto for a biopic I once saw about Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.
Basically, they take the results of years of publically funded research into IT, patent it, then sell it to the public for vastly inflated profits with minimum taxation.
We need open source networks and apps. And banks of servers in a neutral jurisdiction – maybe Iceland? Or Scotland once we are independent.
I’d subscribe to that.
PS I heard that Microsoft are sinking servers in the Pentland Firth as it keeps them cool. Gosh we have everything, including cold water!
Scottish independence is coming – its just a matter of when not if. We are at the dirty fag end of the Union.
The Union will be joining the British Empire in the history books and the media in Scotland will not be gaining entry to Scotlands Independence Hall of Fame.
Perhaps a Hall of Shame for Leask, Hutcheon, Gordon, Massie, Daisley,Torrance, Davidson, Murphy, Lamont, Bird, Rowling, batshit Jill etc etc.
Dissolve the union now.
RE: young voters.
I saw a pole a few months ago, showing that teenagers had switched to Yes in dramatic numbers, because of Brexit.
This may explain the tangible panicked desperation we have all seen, especially the behaviour of the BBC trying to ban Revs YouTube channel, and now the sudden reporting by two women, who (with no prompting whatsoever governor) individually decided to report Alex Salmond sexually harassed them, after a five years gap.
The fact that these allegations were then immediately leaked to the Daily Record, should in no way raise suspicion, and like the rest of you, I am sure a full and thorough investigation will be carried out into who leaked the information and the person responsible held to account.
If anyone is selling any famous bridges, I am keen to buy one!
BTW…
Anyone else noticed that A. Haggerty is no longer a columnist with either of The Heralds?
link to twitter.com
Cubby says:
Yup. BritNats must know it, even if they won’t admit it. Demographics alone dictate its inevitability,
With their desperate and increasingly ridiculous propaganda, they can’t possibly believe they will turn the tide. The best they can hope for is delaying Indy.
As you say “when”. The only question is how long the delay will be.
The Scottish government should put all requests received and all answers given online for the public to see exactly what is going on.
All information released in response to Freedom of Information requests made to the Scottish Government.
link to beta.gov.scot
If the Heralds have dispensed with Haggerty I wonder which market they are planning to pitch to. The Conservative one? That really didn’t work for the Hootsmon.
Fred says:
28 August, 2018 at 9:16 pm
“”When I’m on ScotlandsPeople looking for online info’ there’s a charge for this info’, you have to buy credits, the service is not free. Searches old-style used to be free at the Register House but even then you were restricted as to the number of look-ups in a session.””
………..
I used to go quite regularly to Register House in the 1990s and it was not free quite pricey in fact. Then I discovered that Edinburgh Central Library held copies of all the records – births etc and census records – for most of Scotland and it was free so I would spend the whole day there trawling through the records.
When Scotland’s People first started there was a short expiry time on the credits that you bought but they eventually lengthened the time limit quite substantially but held the price at the original level.
It cost quite a bit to digitised all the records and to maintain the original records so charging for access seems fair if it helps offset costs.
Wings in the palace with the feet up tweeting. There is a hoover. Henry the hoover. Don’t tell Leasky. He will think he has a scoop. A hoover bot. Imagine if there was one that was automatic hoovering up. They would have a field day. Wings has got a bot. Wings has got a bot.
Did a Russian botty dump the ‘journalist’. The public should be told. In the interest of truth and reconcilliation. How will the Herald be able to stand it when Scotland votes YES. Melt down. Will they come over all ‘Independence all along’ – ‘told you so’ or head for the hills or the borders. With their visa application. If you go out you don’t get back for six months. Happens the world over. Curtailing movement. People do not know how it will happen. Naive at best, ignorant at worst.
Edinburgh Airport staff are not telling non EU citizens they need to get their boarding passes stamped. Ryanair. People are missing their flights. It is giving Scotland tourism a bad reputation.
Really getting fed up with Leask. Bored. Away and file some false FOI request which take six months. Gie’s peace.
As others have said the 16/17 year-olds are on board with indy. I was 17 when I embraced indy and I am now pushing 68 next month.
You just have to look at SNP Conferences and, more recently the Keith Brown meetings, to see the grey heeds there.
Many of us have been voting SNP for many years.
@Welsh Sion
British Labour in Scotland are a bunch of corrupt crooks,liars and self serving vermin,
British Labour in Wales sound even worse,
the stronger Plaid Cymru get the more British Labour in Wales and their media accomplices will try every low trick to attack PC and Leanne.
anyhoo
My all time favourite thing to listen to is Richard Burton reciting Dylan Thomas`s Under Milk Wood,
link to tinyurl.com
Capella @ 8.03pm
Re Peterhead boats…
it would seem that a Scallop war has broken out in the Channel. French boats have massed to chase away ‘British boats’ … one from Peterhead has been damaged all because , for some reason, British boats can fish for Scallops off Normandy all year round but French boats can only fish from October for a few months and they are p…ed off.
Looks quite serious and dangerous. Footage on the BBC website.
Thing is the accusation against Salmond goes beyond simple harassment and into the realms of assault just shy of rape.
A complaint of that kind is not what any rational person would consider an internal inquiry would cover. Perhaps it’s worth considering whether there’s any official confirmation that the alleged leaks are genuine.
Remember how they strung out the Frenchgate pish.
Anyway I’m sure I’ve seen this in TV dramas where some mug is conned into confessing to a far worse crime than he thinks he is being accused of.
@ Meg merrilees – I heard a report about the fishing boat standoff on the radio. Seems that there is a gap after one agreement ended but nothing has been put in place, possibly a BREXIT related issue?
Personally, I wouldn’t mess with a Blue Tooner (Peterheeder).
Scot Finlayson @ 11.38
Loved the video.
totally agree with
Brian doon the town and Thepnr who said to
@Welsh Sion
“I for one have always welcomed your contribution here. More the merrier, invite some pals”
Please all Wingbots remember the three cardinal rules or Stu will kill you with spanners,
A Wingbot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
A Wingbot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
A Wingbot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
@Scot Finlayson
Is that nicked from Aye Bot?
@Welsh Sion says: 28 August, 2018 at 9:52 pm:
” … Not that I am in the same league as true Scottish Yessers on here (how could I be?)
Why ever not, Welsh Sion? To me you are a valued supporter of Indy and in many respects both Wales and N.I. share the same problems as does Scotland and for the same reasons.
There really are only differences in the legal cases of each of the United Kingdom countries. i.e. how they became under the rule of Westminster.
The invited immigration of Germanic Tribes that began with the Angles, Jutes and Saxons who then took over the South of Britain and the other Germanic influxes including the Normans gave birth to AngleLand and their never ending urge to enslave the World spans a very long time of Britain’s history and many, many changes in the laws until today.
The unfortunate truth is that Wales was first to fall under English Rule when even Scotland had The Divine Right of Kings as the common Rule of Law. Ireland fell during the Norman Conquest of Ireland but Scotland was the anomaly by the change of Rule of Law by the Declaration of Arbroath of 1320.
That changes little except the legal route out of the United Kingdom for legally Scotland is the only actual kingdom partner with the Kingdom of England in the United Kingdom and as such we have the legal powers, given a majority of the people of Scotland want it, to end the United Kingdom.
That leaves behind the three country Kingdom of England and the opportunity for both Wales & N.I to then take on a much weakened Kingdom of England for the undeniable distinct countries of Wales and N.I. to make their separate cases that modern International Human Rights Law supports for claims of Self Determination.
I’m sure that the EU, United Nations and the newly free Kingdom of Scotland are duty bound to support both Wales & N.I. in that claim. It is after all written into their respective laws and supported by the, “World Court”, (a.k.a. The International Court of Justice).
After the
BRUKExit caper I cannot see the Kingdom of England retaining much support in the International Community. Their only supporters I can think of are The USA and perhaps Israel but these too are rapidly losing their influence throughout the World.@Robert Peffers
Just subscribed to Indycar Gordon’s YouTube channel. Thanks for the link.
It was one of the few things I use FB for, along with keeping up with local Yes groups.
I must say Scot, I’m of a mind to rename a ‘Wingbot’…more simply a ‘Scotbot’ 😉
Hey, FoI should stand for… Freedom of Independence.
Just like WOS stands for Wings Over Scotland.
(it’s not ‘WoS’ btw… that would stand for Wings of Scotland.)
Interesting one on yer twitter about Easyjey who have now removed all union flag branding from their aircraft and are now registered and flying with the Austrian and EU flags on their entire fleet.
Makes ye wonder if British Airways (BA) may do the same, ahem.
In light of the response to independence supporters’ twitter accounts being cited as ‘bots’ by the jenniferwhatever character in her Herald article and her subsequent response to those asking her to remove their twitter accounts from her screen shots:
link to mobile.twitter.com
Is there a case here for all accused of being ‘bots’, now taking legal action against this ‘defamation’ of character?
Could it become a ‘class action’ as there does seem to be overwhelming evidence that she is persistently refusing to accept that she is falsely accusing a fair number of people with genuine twitter accounts of being ‘fake’. This could potentially lead to their accounts being subject to ‘investigation’ by twitter and suspended on the ‘word’ of an ‘academic’ who has published these accounts as being ‘bots’.
Can no one else see the ‘potential’ consequences of what this article is attempting to achieve with this kind of smearing?
It’s nothing short of ‘listing undesirables’. An attempt to silence independence supporters no less.
It’s not on, at all.
It is disgusting 3 shit stirring troll factories.
I am encouraging the SNP it get leaflet 144 things SNP has done out everywhere and how.
Independistas are described as bots. Yet Jones claims the same tactics are being used against Independence supporting women. Made up. Weird. An agenda.
British Airways is a Spanish company. It retains a priority, subsidised (UK gov) slotted place at Heathrow.Terminal 5.
£ now lower than the Euro. How low can they go.
With the story in The National this morning that a couple have been asked by fearty ‘anonymous’ neighbours to remove a saltire from their window (as it apparently lowers the tone of the street), might I suggest we ALL ensure we put a saltire in our windows.
Truly hard to believe just how utterly pathetic some Scots still are.
Link link to thenational.scot
If it were me, i’d be getting a flag pole put up in the garden and the biggest saltire you ever did see.
Meanwhile, the brexit nightmare clock keeps ticking, and Scotland is still on course to be dragged out of the EU against its wishes in a few months, simply because England says so.
Links
link to beta.gov.scot
link to thoughtcontrolscotland.com
link to businessforscotland.com
link to indyref2.scot
link to anotherangryvoice.blogspot.com
Scotland at 7 is a new regular nightly news and current affairs programme for Scotland.
link to broadcastingscotland.scot
Signal the Bombardment, Nicola !
link to barrheadboy.com
link to thistleandsaltire.wordpress.com
link to yesdayscotland.wordpress.com
link to thoughtcontrolscotland.com
link to holyrood.com
36 Tory MPs and top Aides were alleged to have sexually harassed their female and male subordinates in a dirty dossier Now that dossier, handed to the committee for standards and privileges has “disappeared” mysteriously
link to facebook.com
link to taxresearch.org.uk
Boston Consulting, the leading consultancy advising the UK Govt on #Brexit at #DExEU is now simultaneously advising its Private Equity clients that the British Aerospace industry would “be amenable to asset break up” as “the sector is hit by brexit”.
link to twitter.com
link to markpack.org.uk
Number 10 refuses to say if MPs will be told of risks of ‘no deal’ Brexit before they vote on the final deal
link to archive.is
link to newscotblog.wordpress.com
@Theresa_May is questioned by @MichaelLCrick about her stance on apartheid ahead of her visit to Robben Island, where Mandela was imprisoned.
link to twitter.com
Irish border question must be solved by UK, not EU, says Sweden
link to archive.is
link to skwawkbox.org
link to politics.co.uk
‘Given that we know what Brexit will look like, would you vote for Brexit now?’ Prime Minister Theresa May refuses to say whether she thinks the UK will be better or worse off outside the EU when pressed by
link to twitter.com
link to newshoundsnewsround.wordpress.com
A public consultation on future funding of journalism closes on 14 September. It’s a government device to give taxpayers’ money to their press friends. Please let them know you object
link to byline.com
Brexit: narrowing down the options
link to eureferendum.com
link to politico.eu
link to buzzfeednews.com
@ Robert at 8:59pm ……. “IndycarRoss”
Thanks for the link to Gordon Ross’s site Robert.
Does anyone have any idea of the recent poll he’s referring to that highlights that support for independence is standing at 51%, that is excluding 16 and 17 year olds?
Johnston Press (Scotsman)shares not worth the paper they are printed on,
bit like the Scotsman editorial.
@ Nana – that link to the byline article on the public consultation on journalism is a good read. Westminster is clearly plnning to donate huge sums to the vile press so they can continue to smear and lie.
It has an interesting link to this Hacked Off article “The sorry betrayal of the victims of press abuse – Natalie Fenton”.
She tells the history of Westminster’s failure to regulate the press up to the latest betrayal of the Leveson inquiry. What a shockingly corrupt state the UK really is. No wonder they are approx 47 on a world ranking of trust in the press.
link to hackinginquiry.org
@Nana
Wooft! Put in quite a shift there Nana.
Yeah, clocked Mr Jenkin’s nonsense yesterday and yes he’s everything you’d expect of the type. Arrogant, ignorant, dismissive. An empathy free void. Y’know…. a Conservative MP.
Mr Robertson’s piece tickled the right funny bone and the New Scot blog piece was right on the money.
A good crop.
Petra @ 7.49. Gordon Ross said on one of his shows, I think it was the one on the 27/8 that the most recent survation poll showed independence was at 51.2%, if 16 and 17 year olds were included it would be 53/53% for independence.
I haven’t seen this poll and I don’t know where Gordon Ross got his information, but it would explain why the pressure is being ramped up. Maybe the Rev or Scot Goes Pop have heard something about it. It sure is being kept very quiet.
Sorry folks should read if 16 and 17 year olds were included it would be 53/54%.
Post wheeched away afore a could correct it.
Re the developing scallop fishing incident.
Please note the bigger blue and white PD registered boat, which the two other boats are illegally passing ahead off.
is possibly lying at anchor (doubtful due to wake) or probably under tow. I do not know of any boat that is capable of pushing a rope. Check the video for the line passing directly over the bow through the fairlead. Which both of the other boats pass over. My view is that they appear to be trying to part a tow line. Which is criminal and possible an act of piracy is an accurate description.
The separation of the tow places the Crew and boat in harms way.
I cannot say why anyone would want to stir argument/ trouble btween Scottish/French fishermen.
Je suis tou sour Charli
Et je suis tou sour LA
O/T Hi all, I have only been following WOS since the BBC/YT debacle, but as an Aberdonian living in Central Bedfordshire since 1990, it is refreshing to hear from people who share my values and views. I feel like a stranger in a strange land here and although I am an active union member almost everyone I encounter seems extremely right wing. I hope to retire to Glasgow in a few years time, hopefully an indy Scotland by then! Thanks for the lifeline and keep up the good fight.
Brilliant links Nana and as I’ve said before if every Scot had access to them we’d be Independent in a heartbeat.
Business for Scotland “GERS” is well worth a read, a real eyeopener, Another angry voice’s resume of T May’s “underachievements” and there’s a Covenant to sign folks at YesdaysScotland.
Amazing don’t you think that the dirty Westminster Tory dossier (another one) has just disappeared (Gordon Ross). No mention either of Westminster Labour and Libdem dossiers although I would imagine that they exist. And of course here in Scotland the Aamer Anwar “catalogue of sexual harassment complaints in relation to members of ALL Holyrood political parties” hasn’t emerged at all. Alex Salmond must be feeling victimised and discriminated against in more ways than one.
Interesting too that the Scottish (Westminster) Civil Service is denying any breach of confidentiality and yet the BBC and the Sun newspaper are reporting that it was two Civil Servants that reported Alex. Not political colleagues, cleaners, admin staff, interns etc. Strange one taking into account that Alex has had an unblemished record throughout his 31 years as a politician.
And finally what a brilliant interview by Michael Crick. I watched it last night on Channel 4 and reckoned we should request he comes to Scotland to interview Dark Money Davidson. Then again she seems to suffer from the notorious Tory “disappearing act.” No doubt hiding in some vault in London amongst the massive pile of dirty dossiers (and proof that Scotland is / has been subsidising England).
Scot Finlayson says:
29 August, 2018 at 12:53 am
Please all Wingbots remember the three cardinal rules or Stu will kill you with spanners,
A Wingbot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
A Wingbot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
A Wingbot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
Don’t you just love Asimov’s Three Laws of ‘Wingbotics’! 🙂
O/T Russian intelligence sources indicating another staged, false flag chemical attack is imminent. Syrian government about to take the last remaining “rebel” stronghold and some people are not happy about it. US warships ready with missiles and the UK-sponsored white helmets (ahem) will be in there first to report another “Assad-BAD” fabrication.
I appreciate the USA and its UK poodle are unhappy that Putin has check-mated them in Syria, but do they think we all button-up at the back?
Nana, I really enjoyed this particular article:
link to newscotblog.wordpress.com
This “lass” has plenty of others on her articulate blog which would make even “House Scots” wake up.
Strange how, in all its political voxpops, the BBC has never interviewed the many English Yessers you hear on the marches.
For the Paisley couple having neighbour problems, I believe 7 metre flagpoles are freely available on the interwebthingy.
@ Marie at 9:01am ….. 51/53/54%
What a boost this would give us Marie if we find out that it’s correct.
…………..
Craig Murray: Two blogs well worth reading.
‘Facebook Censorship and the Skripals / BBC.’
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk
Prof Robertson ‘Talking up Scotland’ has a good link concerning the Bot nonsense. Good SNHS piece
Re Scallop Wars – a recent edition of Coast covering France had an excellent fair account of this dispute which certainly left me with the impression that the French fishermen had a genuine grievance against the UK boats.
@Capella, always worth looking for links within links and that Hacking inquiry one is worth a read.
@Macart
I didn’t realise there were so many links until I posted, I must learn to ration better 🙂
@Luigi
I meant to post this yesterday
link to rt.com
@Tinto
I only came across the ‘Notes from a new Scot’ blog yesterday and my it’s a good one.
Last links for now
link to randompublicjournal.com
link to thenational.scot
Nana
How do you do it?
Such a great selection of news every day.
With the Rev. Stuart you are some team.
Tinto Chiel says:
Indeed. A proper flagpole is the way to go.
I bought a six metre one which came in two sections about five years ago. It also came with a plastic sleeve which you stick it a hole and surround with just-add-water post concrete.
1.5 m Saltire hoisted on the cord.
Never had a negative comment.
The UK boats are in French waters. The French are not allowed to fish. There is no agreement because of Brexit. Agreements has not been continued because of Brexit.
The lies being told about fishing. They have been throwing dead fish back for years. They should have been using bigger nets like Norway for conservation. Working conditions and remuneration are poor. It is hard and dangerous work.
Under EU rules ports have an exclusive 12 mile fishing and landing limit. Boats from other ports can’t land fish. There are no foreign boats in the NE. (80% of UK fishing?) . Migrant labour keeps the fishing industry going. The nearest biggest markets are the EU. EU grants are available. To change nets size and improve fish markets. Invest in expansion. Peterhead fish market size is being doubled with EU funds. The NE has always had low unemployment. People work in the Oil & Gas sector for better pay and conditions. Their choice. The fishing millionaires (£16Million) overfished the sea and landed black fish.
@galamcennalath: your model sounds big enough for a Saltire, a Scottish maritime flag and an Estelada.
Imagine the seethe in yon Paisley street 😛
Time to remind people once more, that support for independence, when asked a straight Yes or No type question stood at around 54% from the inception of devolution until the banking crisis.
These poll results were effectively buried and instead a much lower reported level of support for independence in Europe as one option of multi-option polling was reported and hyped.
See graphic below. It was produced in 2006. Several subsequent polls up to the banking crisis in 2007/8 showed similar results.
The successful portrayal of the banking crisis as ‘Bad Scottish banks’ by Darling and Brown, despite the fact that the ‘Good English bank’ Barclays, clandestinely received a bigger bail out than HBOS and RBS put together did have a real effect on level of support.
It is only now getting back to the pre banking crisis level.
Thepnr says:
28 August, 2018 at 11:23 pm
All information released in response to Freedom of Information requests made to the Scottish Government.
link to beta.gov.scot
4 down in the list is a list of FOI requests from named journalists or news agencies. Check out the number from the (independence supporting) Sunday Herald.
@Iain Hamilton
Well spotted Iain, can’t believe I missed that last night when it was staring me in the face. Think I might go and look at through them in case there are any more goodies 🙂
Cheers
Nana , links much appreciated. I did try to send an e-mail explaining in words of one syllable ,my objections to funding newspapers.
It was quite lengthy but not inordinately so , however each time I have sent it I get ‘there was an error sending your e-mail’. I was wondering if anyone else had the same response.
The draft has vanished into the ether and I am unlikely to attempt further communication.
Having problems here too Dorothy. I can’t even access the link Iain posted above. Wonder if this will go?
@Petra
If your talking about the link Iain posted at 10:28 and specifically the number of FOI’s made by various media in Scotland. Try this direct link, quite an interesting table contained there.
link to beta.gov.scot
Why don’t you organise peeps to return the favour? Start sending hunners of FoI requests to the BBC, Slab and Tories, focussing on as many awkward topics as possible?
I, like most people, wouldn’t know where to start, but would happily send off a few of I knew where and what to write.
@Dorothy
I don’t know how to address the issues you are having. I’ve had a quick look around and don’t see anyone on threads relating to the Byline story having difficulty responding to the consultation. If I find anything I’ll let you know.
Re the Byline article, came across a few more
link to medium.com
Murdoch is a ‘cancer on Australian democracy’
link to thenewdaily.com.au
link to thenewdaily.com.au
On the Muslim targeting by newspapers and editors, see below
link to zelo-street.blogspot.com
@Dorothy @Petra
I’ve just written and sent email response using the link. When you get to Byline.com there’s a link half way down to the consultation info. When you choose word or pdf version of the info there’s an email link right at the bottom of the consultation questions.
Hope this helps.
Here’s the thing,
This attack is meant to tie the part of the UK’s civil service designated or allocated to the “Scottish Government” impacting their performance in the hopes that damage will be done that will reflect badly on Holyrood.
I’ve read somewhere, perhaps here, that generally the problem is large organisations have trouble with tracking down information. So the fact that the Scottish Government has gotten faster at doing so could mean several things…
They’ve started making things up.
There’s a coordinated effort which results in the same stupid question being asked multiple times. Hence after the first time there’s a near instant reply.
They’ve started being pedantic about exactly what the information request is and less voluble in their responses.
The chances are though that instead of gumming up the works as intended what’s happened is that the Scottish Government has become far more efficient at retrieving and compiling information and on it’s toes which has a knock on effect of making it better coordinated and able to do it’s day job.
Really, the past few weeks have been an unending and unedifying display of just why both the political union and the media are failing. In over four years they haven’t changed a jot. They’ve simply become more shrill and aggressive in their animosity. They reckon that continually pursuing the same tactics of fear and intimidation, insult and innuendo, will have the same effect. They seem to believe that continually insulting and punishing people will have no repercussion. No. No they’ve not changed, but I’d say we have over the past few years.
We’re very different.
They’ve spent the last four years relentlessly antagonising and alienating, not just the YES movement, but Scotland’s wider citizenry. Setting to one side the broken pledges and assurances of HMG and Better Together. They had the vote won. Narrowly, but won. All they had to do was win the aftermath. Keep a few pledges. Win a few friends. Build some bridges. Show some simple humanity and good will. They didn’t do that.
No, the British Nationalists indulged themselves in punishment exercises for the YES movement and Scottish Government. Their political class not only dumped any pretense at honouring their word, they made great public show of smearing, insulting and belittling SNP representation in both parliaments. Their media felt it was open season on all things self determination and set about a systematic campaign of denigration and trolling of Scottish representation and the indy minded.
Smith Commission, EVEL, austerity legislation and finally Brexit. Lives and life chances of Scotland’s and the wider UK population, laid waste. New Scots facing an appalling and uncertain future, their lives, jobs, even businesses left in tatters. People who had invested themselves and their lives in the communities and country they chose to call home.
The ‘unionist’ (laughs) calls for unity and one nation without understanding the concepts. They demand your loyalty and only under their conditions. They demand your vote whilst detesting the fact you have one to give. They’d rather you just thanked them for honouring you with their attention for five minutes, vote the right way, then went back to your misery for another five years. Back to your box and don’t forget to shut the lid.
They’re about to find out that’s not us anymore. The box is now matchwood and we don’t feel like thanking them for anything. We don’t agree with their definition of nationhood. We certainly don’t agree with their idea of conditional unity. We also won’t stand meekly by and watch a shower of self entitled clown shoed buffoons destroy our economy, our democracy, our rights and our lives.
Feck that!
Not when we CAN do something about it. And WE CAN!
Next ballot opportunity? You know how to thank them for the past four years appropriately.
Thanks Thepnr and Highland Wifie. I’ve managed to get into it now.
And Orri when they’ve got the information that they’re seeking they can cherrypick what they want to release.
@ Macart, very good post kid!
@Macart 1.30: worth reposting on the new thread, Sam, I feel.
…and then the journos make a story out of someone sending 2,000 letters in Freepost to some hapless LibDem MSP.
In computing terms, flooding the capacity of a service is called DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) and is a crime under the Computer Misuse Act.
Simple remedy: legislate so that the restrictions that apply to GDPR requests apply to FOI requests.
If a request is deemed excessively complicated to answer, it can be rejected outright.
If it’s not trivial, it must be paid for.
If it’s an acceptable framework for GDPR it’s acceptable for FOI.
Make the feckers pay.
gus1940 says:
29 August, 2018 at 9:49 am
Re Scallop Wars – a recent edition of Coast covering France had an excellent fair account of this dispute which certainly left me with the impression that the French fishermen had a genuine grievance against the UK boats.
France for the French and all that — but here’s hoping you’ll be on our side at the Battle of Scallop Flow?
I am surprised that there has not been a outcry against the government’s scheme to subsidise ‘newspapers’with taxpayers’money.
Is it too late to scupper their devious plans?
@Macart
Agree with others, a very good post. One question, how have “we” changed? Not trying to put you on the spot as I too believe “we” have changed quite a lot actually.
I think we’ve gotten better at sorting the wheat from the chaff and in articulating that. Our arguments in favour of Independence are better and we’re all a great deal more knowledgeable.
My ignorance in 2013 was monumental compared to what it is now, mainly just by reading Wings but also gaining a thirst for knowledge on all kinds of other important topics i.e. Brexit.
What if the Freepost shock-horror story was self-inflicted, cheap publicity!
Assuming the SNP fail to form a majority, coalition, or even a minority administration at Holyrood next time, you can bed your last bawb that the shower that does form the new SG will revisit rules regarding FoI requests in short time, and the ever sympathetic Yoon press will say hee-haw about it.
Agreed Sam and well said,
I have said elsewhere there was a time when I thought that the Scots would not wake up to the unfairness and madness of the so called union.
People are turning to yes with the exception of the wasp chewing folk and the angry old people.
Reasonable intelligent people are now getting the message that the English Nationalist government are spewing propaganda and lies supported of course by the broadcasters and all the press bar one paper.
Brexit has got the attention of non political types but not just Brexit more important is the stark level of desperation and incompetence displayed not only by the Tories but also Labour.
The frequent attacks on the rather well run Scottish government underlines the desperate panic coming from the centre, problem is people now realise whats going on, the game is up on the propaganda front.
Independence is coming not sure when but its coming.
@Thepnr
I’d agree with that. We are more knowledgeable, less naive. Not cynical mind you, but a lot less naive.
No one. NO ONE, goes through the heartache of having their identity and worldview torn apart and then go through several years of constant alienation as the YES movement has without significant change.
Yer meeja types and their chain tuggers hoped that change would be defeatist in nature. That they would cow their opponents and detractors through constant denigration and intimidation.
They forgot that there’s most definitely another reaction to such abuse. Their mistake. They went too far.
As well as the points you raise, I’ve noted a strength of character, a determination, a resolve to get things done. A real ‘take no shit’ and ‘don’t let the wossinames grind you down’ attitude running through many threads over the period. Better than that is that folk have realised respect and consideration is earned, not demanded. The days of the political establishment and the meeja ‘demanding’ anything are pretty much done so far as the YES movement are concerned.
Not entirely sure Ruth, Richard and thingy’s parties have realised their mistake yet right enough. But perhaps after the next ballot…? They’ll grasp the concept.
“Anyone else noticed that A. Haggerty is no longer a columnist with either of The Heralds?” @Brian Doonthetoon says 28 August, 2018 at 10:58 pm
I suspect a wee spell out of the spotlight before reappearing as a Corybnista British Labour in Scotland candidate in the next ‘snap’ GE.
@Haggishunter says:
28 August, 2018 at 9:53 pm
Rangers used to be a fine club, before Murray’s time,
=================================
That fine club discriminated against Catholics and was back in the day a focus for hate, just as today. It’s just that in these days it was accepted as “bad behaviour” was seen as part of football.
Murray, crook and tax dodger that he was, actually made the most recent moves to stop the worst of the “songbook” at Ibrox – not out of decency but because his unlawfully funded team had a chance of doing well in Europe and he feared UEFA might ban them if it got out of hand. Nevertheless he was responsible for a brief period of decency at Ibrox (including under his watch the first high-profile Catholic to play for Rangers, Mo Johnson).
Sorry to make football related post but I couldn’t see the above statement going unchallenged.
AMAZING DOUBLE STANDARDS AND CERSORSHIP
I’ve complained to the BBC before on several occasions, with the usual dismissive response. Instead of going through that futile exercise again, I’m giving the details here (please forgive the long post).
I was struck with the difference between the content of two programmes on consecutive days, one on Radio Scotland, and the other on Radio 4, one giving free reign to a guest, the other insisting on the right to reply.
In WHAT way is this difference in standards from a National Broadcaster an indication of a “United Kingdom”?
The first example is from Radio Scotland:
Source: link to bbc.co.uk
Programme: John Beattie, broadcast on 24th July 2018, at 12:00 (thirteen minutes and twelve seconds into the programme):
John Beattie: Now the UK’s three largest rail unions made a renewed bid to stop the merger between the British Transport Police and Police Scotland, the RMT TSSA and the ASLEF unions are being supported by Labour, the merger was due to take place next April, but the timetable has been delayed, a report setting out recommendations for a new date is expected next month, Mick Hogg, is Scotland Organiser for the RMT union, he’s been telling my why they oppose the move.
Mick Hogg: Its not safe in the sense that we believe strongly that we need to retain the knowledge and the skills of the British Transport Police, and our view Police Scotland do not have the resources in order to police our communities never mind police our railways.
JB: Tell me about the safety, why is it not safe?
MH: Well its not safe in the sense that we’ve actually seen a marked increase in antisocial way behaviour and assaults on staff and passengers. And the last thing we actually need this moment in time … the nonsense of merging the British Transport Police with Police Scotland.
JB: Expand on that. I mean, I think the Scottish Government says that the Devolution of British Transport Police was recommended by the Smith Commission, and it was reached through cross-party agreement so aren’t they justified in going ahead with it?
MH: Absolutely not. Absolutely not, and as far as the four railway unions are concerned, including the Scotrail, the decision to merge British Transport Police with Police Scotland is the wrong decision. Now the difference between the British Transport Police and Police Scotland, British Transport Police officers are safety critical trained. The Police Scotland officers are not, so the police officers, Police Scotland would not have the automatic access to the railway. They would actually have to wait until the professionals arrived in order to get access to the railway, so its a wrong decision, and the quicker Michael Matheson sees sense and backs off from this madness, the better.
JB: Is this political, do you think?
MH: Well, some people, John, would say its political. I certainly believe there’s an ideological obsession by the Scottish Government to remove the British Transport Police and replace them with the wording Police Scotland. Now it remains to be seen whether the Scottish Government are going to save money, and if you take the merger of the Police Authority’s in Scotland, seven forces into one, its not working, we can’t even police our communities, never mind actually suggesting that we should actually merge the British Transport Police with Police Scotland … its a recipe for disaster, and we’re certainly appealing to the Scottish Government to back off and think again.
JB: Mick, surely if you just merge two things, it doesn’t mean the expertise goes, does it?
MH: Well it will. You see, we will loose, John, the expertise, that’s the danger, and that’s the concern that we actually have, that the knowledge, the expertise will be lost, as I’ve said already, John, we have actually seen a marked increase in the antisocial behaviour, its an absolute madness, our railways, its an absolute magnet for antisocial behaviour, and its on the increase.
JB: Give some examples then, of where, of situations of where policing would be different after a merger.
MH: Well we certainly believe that if the merger does go ahead and there’s an incident, lets take Edinburgh for example, if there’s an incident on Princes Street, we certainly believe that that the officers who should be policing the railway, will be used in order to deal with that incident in Princes Street, therefore like say, abandoning the Railway, and we certainly believe that once the antisocial people who are responsible for antisocial behaviour activities, realise that the railways is a safe heaven in order to take forward their antisocial behaviour activities by dodging the fares and causing absolute havoc in the railways, its a magnet for those people to actually go full steam ahead.
JB: Mick Hogg, Scotland organiser for the RMT union.
The second example is from Radio Four:
Source: link to bbc.co.uk
Programme: Moral Maze (discussing lack of diversity on Love Island), broadcast on 25th July 2018, at 20:00 (seven minutes and forty two seconds into the programme):
Simon Albury: …but I do know, and the recent BBC report that was headed by Tim Davie, just been published so they’re very – BAME people are very severely underrepresented in creative areas
Michael Buerk: Uh, Uh! There’s no-one here from the BBC to answer your specific queries
SA: Well I’ve got
MB: No I don’t want to, I certainly don’t want to go there with nobody to answer your
SA: Can I just tell you what Tim Davie said
MB: No you cant
SA: (talking fast) Tim Davie said figures in the nation of regions BAME are very low, and in the cities and even the towns with a high BAME populous, number of BAME employees in the creative areas are also low, that is a member of the BBC board is saying that.
Then later ten minutes and seventeen seconds into the programme:
Claire Fox: No my concern about the diversity industry is that all it does is see people through the colour of their skin. Are you worried you are doing that?
SA: No because BBC recruitment has discriminated against people on the basis of the colour of their skin. People have been recruited…
MB: Oh, Now, Hang on a moment.
SA: Can I give you an example.
CF: No.
MB: (talking at the same time as CF): No you cant.
SA: Now if I cant give you an example of then I might as well leave. If you cant deal with facts
MB: I keep repeating, we haven’t got somebody here from the BBC to answer that thing.
SA: But the BBC know what I’m going to say.
MB: You’ve made your point.
SA: No, but this is what I … but … unaccept… I am giving you examples and you are refusing to hear them.