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The non-political Games

Posted on July 25, 2014 by

For at least a year now long-suffering newspaper readers have had to endure dire warnings from Unionist politicians about the dastardly Nats turning the Commonwealth Games into some sort of evil referendum propaganda campaign. (It was, of course, absolutely fine to continually invoke the “Olympic spirit” in 2012 and beyond as a reason Scots should vote to stay in the UK. That’s totally different.)

cwmail

Today’s UK edition of the Daily Mail (on the left above, and somewhat different to the Scottish edition on the right) carries a story that appears in several papers about the opening ceremony, in which it transpires that the Red Arrows were forbidden by the Ministry of Defence from creating only blue-and-white vapour trails over Celtic Park.

But even after just one day, it’s far from the only example of the No campaign’s politicisation of the Friendly Games.

The Red Arrows story is an ugly piece of work in its own right. Initially portrayed as an attempt by the Scottish Government to interfere with the flypast, it turned out to have nothing to do with them, and was a request by a private contractor employed by the Glasgow 2014 organising committee.

(That didn’t stop the Mail illustrating its story with a big picture of the First Minister captioned Alex Salmond has been accused of abandoning his pledge not to use the 2014 Games to score political points”.)

The UK government then made a direct political intervention to stop the colours of the Scottish flag being used, and instead impose those of the Union Jack. The Telegraph’s report on the Red Arrows row noted that:

“A spokesman for the Red Arrows today backed the MoD, telling the Telegraph they would never trail any other colours than the red, white and blue of the Union.” 

But this turned out to be a complete lie.

arrowsmalta

Above, for example, are the Arrows trailing the colours of the Maltese flag at an airshow in Malta last year. And in 2006 they managed to create a tricky St George’s Cross to mark England’s participation in the World Cup.

arrowscross

And in 2009 at another air show they even went so far as to fly the Saltire colours.

arrowsblue

In 2012 they were sent to do Vladimir Putin’s flag at a birthday shindig near Moscow:

arrowsrussia

And most strikingly of all, the BBC website’s report of the opening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 contains the lines:

“Within minutes of the end of the official ceremony, the Red Arrows flew over the Queen and other assembled dignitaries at the Mound, trailing blue and white smoke – the colours of Scotland’s Saltire flag.”

So that seems like pretty comprehensive proof that the Red Arrows DO trail colours other than those of the Union Jack, and that they’re even prepared to do it over Scotland, and even in a political context. The “spokesman” quoted by the Telegraph is either lying or imaginary.

The “Britifying” of an event expressly and distinctly hosted by Scotland, not the UK, has continued in other ways, both official and other. Persons as yet unidentified, for example, have been handing out thousands of flags to spectators in streets near the venues, with Saltires on one side and Union Jacks on the other.

cwflags

Yet the UK flag has no legitimate presence at the games (except for on the flags of New Zealand, Australia etc). The UK is not a participating nation – Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland all compete under their own flags and with their own anthems. (England not even using “God Save The Queen” as they do at football and rugby, in order to emphasise the fact.)

An article on the BBC website contradicts itself in the space of two paragraphs over whether the Union Jack is in fact allowed within Games arenas at all:

“When the BBC asked the organisers of Glasgow 2014 if spectators could wave a standard Union Flag, they said they could. Although they added that the flag size policy would be applied.

You are not allowed, however, to bring the flag of a country not competing in the Games”

Both of those can’t be true. The Union Jack is the flag of the United Kingdom, which is not a competing nation. But in either case an earlier passage makes clear that:

“Some flags will not be allowed to fly. Political flags.

Both sides of the independence debate have agreed not to use Glasgow 2014 for political gain anyway. But even if you wanted to, well, it’s against the rules.

Glasgow 2014 Venue Regulation 6.18 states that no flags are allowed to enter a venue – or the vicinity of any Games venue – if they are normally associated with causes, affiliations or organisations.”

Just weeks from the independence referendum, a flag combining the Saltire and Union Jack is every bit as political, if not more so, that one which combined the Saltire and the flag of either Palestine or Israel.

And the UK’s non-participant flag has even been brought onto the field of competition. The England cycling team kit inexplicably includes helmets with the Union Jack, rather than the Cross of St George, on them:

flaghelmets

Cynical readers may not be astonished to learn that this “Britishness” only works one way. The Spotlight, a newsletter supporting “British Swimming athletes and events” this week ran a feature wishing good luck to the swimmers of… Team England only.

spotlight

(And lastly, the less that’s said about the Brigadoon antics of the opening ceremony, spewing out grim, clichéd stereotype images of a shortbread-and-Nessie-and-haggis Scotland like WW1 machine-gun fire from an array of conspicuously No-supporting celebrities, the better it’ll probably be for all concerned. The first 20 minutes in particular were like an interpretive-dance depiction of the cringing, twee inferiority that’s at the heart of the “Better Together” message.)

Of course, what colour of vapour an air display team flies over a sporting ceremony for a few seconds or what the tip of Sir Bradley Wiggins’ big red helmet looks like are in themselves totally trivial matters not worth getting too upset over when there’s fantastic sporting endeavour on display.

But in that case, why was the UK government sticking its nose in at all? Why weren’t the organisers of the event allowed to get on with doing as they saw fit?

The only possible answer is that it was a direct political intervention. After all, sport and showbiz don’t normally form part of the Ministry of Defence’s remit, so readers might be forgiven for wondering what they’re doing having an opinion about either one.

The No campaign is absolutely determined to impose a deeply political frame of reference around a high-profile sporting occasion. It did so with a UK event in 2012 and it’s doing so again with an ostensibly Scottish one in 2014. The only “national” anthem played on Wednesday night was that of the UK. The Queen of 17 countries was saluted with the colours of just one of them.

(In the context of the opening ceremony’s highly-commendable equality message, it might have been nice if the Red Arrows had trailed a rainbow flag instead.)

The Yes side has stuck to its pledge not to politicise the Games. The First Minister didn’t whip a Saltire out of Mrs Salmond’s handbag, and resisted the obvious temptation to slip any sly references into his speech about the number of competing nations which were once part of the UK (essentially all of them) but have since chosen to go their own way and never looked back, and which remain friends and partners just like an independent Scotland would.

There was never any chance of the Unionists doing the same.

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Bill Dunblane

Of course, had they flown with just blue and white showing, nobody would have said a word. Had the stupid hybrid flags not been produced and given out freely, nothing would have happened.

A total own goal if ever there was one.

Good!

Bugger (the Panda)

England, the unfriendly neighbour at the Friendly Games.

TheGreatBaldo

Didn’t Tessa Jowell, make some moronic comment about these not being Scotland’s games as well?

Johannah Buchan

Sigh! They are just so predictable. You can’t trust the buggers. Surely people will have the sense to see them for what they are & make the only sensible choice

HandandShrimp

I am curious as to who was handing out the mutant flags. It seems to me to be deliberate politicisation of the event.

Doug Daniel

The clamour to ensure the games weren’t politicised was, in itself, politicisation.

Ross Quinn

At the swimming last night it was ridiculous commentary, the commentators basically stopped short calling Hannah Miley to drown in support of the English swimmer. “Err on the side of Scots” my erse.

Moreida Lord

BRAVO Stu….!! Brilliant as always

G H Graham

I stopped watching the games yesterday afternoon.

It has been completely high jacked by the London worthies & feels like I’m watching an event in my home town through the lens of another country’s state broadcaster even though I live just 50 miles away.

Almost all the commentators are from outside Scotland which I find incredible. Imagine being Canadian, watching your Commonwealth Games in Ottawa for example, which is broadcast & commentated on by a South African TV crew. And the organiser was flown in from California. And almost all of your entertainers were shipped in from Australia.

The only conclusion one would reach is that your country is simply incapable of running anything without the interference of a larger neighbouring country.

And this is precisely the subliminal message the British have so far managed to insidiously propagate right into our living rooms.

Any attempt to make the games feel local is promptly quashed by a liberal dose of British gentrification: Red Arrows, God Save the Queen, Union Flags, English commentators.

Thank God the weather is in his hands. Otherwise London would have made it fucking rain too.

Big jock

It gets worse BBC breakfast managed to find the only bowling club in Scotland still called:”The North British Bowling Club” for a vist. They interviewed the guy with the sign behind him so that Scots know they are in North Britain. The BBC and Westminster are working hand in glove along with the military. Sillars was right this is Whitehall and M15 at work.

Mark J

Already put my complaint in to the bbc regarding breaking the cg rules on political flags and one of a country not competing and the English cycle sprint team using a Union flag interchangeably with a st George.

Big jock

Shrimp -It was Help For Heroes handing out the flags. They are working with better together. Someone commented that was at the event to that effect!

scaredy cat

There is a wonderful video clip going around Facebook. It shows the Scottish athletes waiting to go into the stadium. They are singing Flower of Scotland at the tops of their voices.
Unfortunately it is in my news feed without any way to share it other than through Facebook.
Can’t find it on YouTube I’m afraid but it is absolutely great.

Ian Russell

Is it not time that we started stating the facts about why the Better Together campaign is being fought so hard by the Westminster Government – They don’t want the Scottish people or even our country for that matter, even though they like to the give the impression that we are a family all they interested in is our money

Ken500

And then you win

Scotland has 10 medals. Pro rata top of table.

YES

Edward

On the subject of the mutant flags
Would suggest that anyone going to or in the vicinity of a game event location, look out for these people.

If you see them, first take a picture, like your a tourist.
Then approach them in a friendly manner and ask them what the flags are about, again keeping it in a touristy friendly smiling fashion (make sure you don’t have any badges on you to suggest that your not a friendly face)

Perhaps even , see if you can take a few ‘for your friends’ (to be dumped of course)
All the while smiley face

Capella

How petty and pathetic they are. Are we paying for the RAF? If so it will be necessary to get out of this nasty union and have our own air force because that one is certainly very foreign.
BTW Scottish Skier posted the link to what the Scottish team were really singing before emerging on Wednesday.
link to youtube.com

Dan Huil

Unionist hypocrisy. It will backfire because people in Scotland can see it as such. As for the “united” kingdom after September 18th? It’s finished, there is no going back.

Ken500

If Hoy had still been competing even more medals

scaredy cat

@Capella
That’s the one.

Marian

Of course it has to be said that the unionists would have never got away with this pro-union politicisation of the Games were it not for the complicity of the Labour run City of Glasgow Council hosts.

heedtracker

The cycle helmet Union Jack was really weird, unless the Union Jack is the England flag. Maybe they really just don’t give a shit, Bradley wiggins seems like a pretty decent bloke.

This lot of shysters really do care though
link to bbc.co.uk. You don’t have to go searching for UKOK propaganda as in this BBC tatty sack rag of a Scotland flag choice. You will vote no, you will vote no, you’re not going to vote yes etc

goldenayr

Come and read the comments here.

link to bbc.co.uk

Bitter little shits doesn’t cover it.

Colin

I want to know what that fat twat Carmichael was thinking when he warned Alex Salmond not to politicise the games.
Or what, square go in Holyrood park? I’ll be glad to see the back of that turncoat after September 18th.

Nana Smith

@scaredy cat

link to youtube.com

Lin Anderson

This is the video scaredy cat mentions

link to youtube.com

Training Day

There’s a simple rubric to apply to the Dependency campaign.

Whenever they warn Yes against committing a particular action, you can guarantee they’ll commit that action themselves.

Ross

Well they aren’t playing by the rules, why should we? I’m bringing some Yes Scotland paraphernalia to Ibrox tomorrow for the rugby sevens. Might even try smuggle my Yes saltire in.

heedtracker

Guardian Scotland wants you to know when you’re defeated Scotlandshire. We haven’t had the referendum yet, British national news paper of the year my arse

link to theguardian.com

Macsenex

Wife took two of these damn flags at Parkead and found a bin.

O/T Labour bus is due at the Pipe Band Championship in Dumbarton Tomorrow. Entry is free. The Championship is a huge event with bands from all over Scotland and beyond.

Come along and visit the YES Stall and give Jim Murphy a roasting

Castle Rock

Good article.

I don’t understand why some people didn’t get that we were being stitched up by the subtle and not too subtle “British” messages but then again some people need to take their heids out of their arses as they’re not as clever and clued up as they think.

Macart

Didn’t really see them calling truce for the games and so far they haven’t disappointed.

ronnie anderson

Big Heep pile of Britnat pish from Phillp Hammond is the

QUEEN NOT THE QUEEN OF SCOTLAND TO.rite offski this time.

scottish_skier

Seems odd that the pro-union campaign are out to generate more Yes votes. That’s the only thing britifying Scotland’s games can achieve. People are just not that stupid.

We all know what team Scotland were singing of their own accord before they emerged from the tunnel at the opening ceremony. The crowd would have been hoping to get a chance to do the same. The general silence at GSTQ said it all. Compare with the reaction to Flower of Scotland when a medal is being presented.

Scotland is now the least British in identity it has been as far back as census data goes (those born in the 1920’s). The peak of Britishness was in those born in 1944 and it’s been falling ever since (~72% Scottish only in young adults today – the least British of any generation on record). No amount of jack waving will changing anything.

Flags / national symbols can be powerful. However, they do not change national identity, only reinforce existing identities, and these change on generational scales (if at all), not from watching people perform a show one evening.

moujick

I know that there are some people who think that we are getting our knickers in a twist about all of this but really we’re not. Since the entire process was initiated I’ve been employed by 2 organisations who had input into the Games in various ways (the first one were involved in the actual bid) and I’ve sat on various groups who had a role in some of the wider legacy that was hoped to be developed. Glasgow 2014 was entirely made in Scotland. From the early bidding process, through the bid being won, through preparation, planning, funding. A chunk of delivery is via international folk who skip round the world taking up logistical posts at whaever major sporting event they can find (games junkies) but that happens everywhere.

The UK state has had next to NO involvement in funding, bidding or delivery and now what do we find? The entire public face of the games has been given a ludicrous Britwash by the BBC and the UK Establishment, utterly paranoid that the uppity Jocks gets ideas above their station. I switched on the highlights last night hoping to watch the Scottish winners get their medals with FoS being played in the background. They barely played any of it. Scottish success is subordinated wherever possible and every single aspect of coverage is subject to Britwash.

I’m really trying not to get upset about it because it was such a fantastic first day for Team Scotland but when it is as in-your-face as this it’s hard not to.

scaredy cat

Thanks everybody.
That wee clip made me smile.

Desimond

Im still smiling at last nights Newsnight.
Pat Kane has never laughed so much and so loud as he did when Brian Wilson was calling out for non politicising of the Games and the usual “people should feel scared” pish.

Honestly, try and catch it on playback, at onepoint Wilson even has to play the “I didnt hear the question” when he realises hes looking very foolish indeed. He then plays the “Nations vs States” card which really gets Pat Kanes attention.

Anyone watching must have been thinking What a Diddy watching Wilson flouder like a Kenyan Triathlete doing the breaststroke but with a 10th of the athletes dignity.

Glass Girl

They may well have shot themselves in the foot here. I think the Law of reversed effect may come into play and shoehorning Britishness into things may make people question it more than if they had left well alone.

There was a palapable sense of panic last night on sky news as they passionately declared that Alec Salmond would be hung out to dry if he tried to politicise the games and then frantically searched for reasoning behind the red arrows debacle. People know hypocrisy when they see it.

[…] « The non-political Games […]

gillie

The RAF’s Red Arrow pilots were obviously getting in bombing practice before Scotland opts for independence.

Its park of the rUK’s scorched earth policy after independence. First they take out Celtic Park, Hampden, Murrayfield, Edinburgh Airport, Glasgow Airport, Holyrood, Bute House, Stirling Castle, Wallace Monument ……… and then finally Balamory.

Celtic fans are furious that Orange Order members were dishing out those two-faced flags prior to the opening ceremony. It will take months to fumigate the place.

wingman 2020

Here are some better colours for everyone….

link to youtube.com

Edward

Desimond
I also watched the Kane v Wilson bout last night
it was funny listening to Wilson prattle on. No wonder that Pat Kane was laughing
The gem for me was that ‘sorry didn’t hear the question – I’ll answer the question’ prat fall from Wilson

The other thing to note was having the shot of the two screens almost side by side. the impression I had was of a smart tanned intelligent Pat Kane on one side and an old has been (old fart) that was Wilson on the other. Scotland’s future self versus Scotland’s cringing past

The other bit to note was that both Pat Kane and Brian Wilson were in the same building, but on different floors. Were the BBC scared that a fight would break out if they had them in the same studio?

biggpolmont

Friendly games someone should tell uk that friendship should go bath ways who does the red white and blue represent anyway last I looked england and Ireland were both red / white Scotland blue / white and wales was red green and white
Must be land of the kiwi or oz

caz-m

Like many on here, it is hard to put into words the fury that the BBC and BBC Scotland can generate within so many normally placid, level headed people.

The only good thing that can come out of this, is that normally placid undecided voters vent their anger at that the British Establishment/BBC.

They then see that they are not being listened to either.

They find that the only way to move on from this is to vote YES.

Alex

Seen this posted

The double sided flags were done by local activists – not BT or party affiliated.
I know the guy that organised it.

biggpolmont

Apologies folks it reads better below:-
Friendly games? Someone should tell UK that friendship should go both ways! Who does the red white and blue represent? The last I looked England and Ireland were both red / white Scotland blue / white and wales was red green and white
Must be for land of the kiwi or oz

SquareHaggis

Shouldn’t someone be calling the polis about these all these false flags?

Dave McEwan Hill

Scaredy cat at 11.05

And the Daily Record gives the clip big coverage and supplies a link.
I think I’ll have to go and lie down

Helena Brown

They always say that the US do not do irony, well the English and their hingers on do not understand hypocrisy.

heedtracker

@ Desimond, watched that too, even the Newsnight interviewer couldn’t stomach Dr Death. Check out Brian Wilson online and this is one serious director of British nuclear industry, and he really really wants student fees in Scotland, or at least England but presumably Scotland next, if they get back in

link to theyworkforyou.com

Voted very strongly for university tuition fees, because young people should start life with huge debts and the rich are fine with it.

Helena Brown

Alex, bet he has their undying gratitude, we certainly know how to breed them/

Defo

Rarely are these sort of things not used for political purposes. 2012 was Project Britain, writ large. 1984, Summer & Winter games. 1980, US boycott. 1936!
The Olympic movement itself, and the Commonwealth Games are underwritten with political meaning, and intent.
The whole ethos behind these events, is pure Bread & Circus’.
Let’s be honest, if we can secure 0.5% of the vote through the feel good factor of Scottish success, who would reject that ?
And, is anyone here really surprised at the shenanigans of the London establishment, and their proxy, Glesga coonsul ?
I’d be more surprised if they weren’t at it.

As revolutions go, if the worst we have to suffer is this transparent pish, we are doing well.

liheartScotland

Watching the feed here in Australia, there was a lovely piece on telly an hour ago about Hanna Milley and Ross Murdoch on the podium about to receive their medals and both getting very emotional when ‘Flower of Scotland’ was sung by the crowd. Please tell me those moments were shown by the BBC

Molly

I thought Help for Heroes was a charity ? I stopped flinging coins in their tins, when I saw a huge banner walking behind the EDL/SDL last year.

Remember their march down the ? Royal Mile at the height of the tourist season?

As they say, you cannae pick your relatives but you can pick your friends and if HFH want to be associated with that crew , I can choose to give my money elsewhere.

Besides why are service people having to rely on charity?

While I’m on the subject, Edinburgh Council – classy , the City where the marching season never ends.

Brian Powell

“Scotland has 10 medals. Pro rata top of table.”

But that will have nothing to do with Scotland, of course; it will only be because we are part of the UK.

How Australia, New Zealand and Canada, so far, manage to win medals is completely incomprehensible, as they are not part of the UK. It’s so perplexing.

gillie

Three Scottish born pilots in the Red Arrows.

Flight Lieutenant Stewart Campbell
Flight Lieutenant Joe Hourston
Flight Lieutenant Martin Pert

I wonder how these guys are feeling about being dragged into mess created by the MoD?

Holebender

It’s the complete Londonisation of the BBC’s coverage which irritates me the most. If the Games were being held in Birmingham I’d want to hear Brummie voices, or Welsh voices at a Cardiff Games, but all we get is the usual suspects from Central Casting.

No no no...yes

The British Government is not trusted.
The BBC is not trusted.
The MSM is not trusted.
The Better Together Campaign is not trusted.
Their combined antics and lack of respect for Scotland and its people is being exposed more and more everyday.This will increase the number of converts from No to Yes.

The Team Scotland performances and medal haul will generate positivity that will help the YES campaign.

It all explains the strategy of the date of the referendum.
The momemtum is increasing pace everyday, and BT et al are scared, very scared.

caz-m

Why does the desk that Gary Lineker presents the Commonwealth Games from have a big “BBC SPORT” logo right in the middle of it.

Should it not be the “Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games” logo.

Anyone who is not familiar with this might think that it is BBC London who are running these games.

It’s just another example of the drip drip effect that the British Establishment/BBC have set up.

One more trivial complaint, but add them all up and you find that their is a massive propaganda programme at work here.

Grant

I am born and bred Scot, very proud of my heritage. For the past 20 years have lived in the Netherlands, here they refer to us as being English. Why you may ask?
– the language we speak
– the dominant nation
– the dutch teach the children at primary school that the UK is called “Engeland”.

So whats my point ..
If Scotland votes NO, there is no point me arguing / defending being Scottish. The majority will have decided, we are British/English.
Me I will opt for a Dutch passport.

John Hamill

Gordon Matheson was wearing a Better Together badge on his lapel at the opening of the games.

Peter Mirtitsch

I put the following passage on my Facebook page, and have had agreement from others;

Am I the only one wondering why on the BRITISH Broadcasting Corporation and the National News, we are inundated with ENGLISH presenters, and references to medals, etc., have “we” as English, and “they” are Scottish.?Is it paranoia or over sensitivity on my part or are we paying for this nonsense?

Callum

I’m so glad that the Celtic Park crowd gave England the second biggest cheer – it was a massive welcome to our closest neighbours and showed that despite our rivalry, despite a dirty political campaign from BT, we can rise above it and make our guests feel welcome. I didn’t hear any boo’ing etc from where I was sitting.

crikey, I even stood up when the queen came in as a mark of respect for the occasion – although I did (along with a big section of the crowd) laugh at Gordon Mathieson. Says it all really.

heedtracker

2012 London Olympics had endless BBC cycle of spectating David Cameron, his wife, George Osborne, the queen, the queens husband, sons, sons’ wife, grandsons, grandsons’ wife, and back to Cameron, his wife…

Still not seen any BBC shots of Scotland’s elected MP’s yet. Holyrood MP’s probably banned by the Beeb too. At least Gideon Osborne got a right good booing at the Paralympics.opening ceremony.

Cath

The peak of Britishness was in those born in 1944 and it’s been falling ever since

I suspect this Commonwealth games will knock it down a bit more as well. It’s just too blatantly obviously London meeja-luvvies, and the bigging up England (us) while virtually ignoring Scotland (they) is a far knife in the back of Britishness than anything the Yes campaign could dream up.

Kenneth Shaw

Easy way to find the guy who was giving out the flags…..go to facebook’s ‘Shiteshirts’ page .

liheartScotland

Grant says,
Don’t be silly,after 307 years we’re still here. The fight continues.

Papadox

Papadox says:
23 July, 2014 at 10:42 pm
I have watched most of the opening ceremony and after five minutes couldn’t take any more there was something very irritating and annoying which was beginning to get to me.

Then by accident discovered the root of the problem. I turned off the sound and discovered it was those EBC accents and the pish they spew incessantly that was causing my irritation.

So have been watching the rest of it in silence and with the exception of seeing awe they f…ing
Union flags stuck at the corner of the countries flags. Don’t listen to the BBC shit and the program is watchable for the most part. I used that system during the World Cup and only missed a couple of games. 40 years ago I used to watch a lot of football. Now I know why I stopped.

It’s the EBC VERBAL DIARRHOEA Whot done it, I’m allergic.

EBC Scotland is certainly just a front for establishment control and propaganda against the scottish population.
I originally posted this on Wednesday night.

Cath

I’m so glad that the Celtic Park crowd gave England the second biggest chee

Yeah, it’s one thing to be careful of in this whole thing. The UK government and establishment, BBC included, have gone all out to politicise this and stamp their own view that Scotland isn’t a country but a region onto it.

But that’s not the fault of the English athletes, or the presenters themselves, or the audience in England which the BBC is mostly aimed at (because they’re by far the biggest constituency for the BBC). So any anger vented in that direction is unfair and would also be used against us.

Also anger isn’t really needed: it speaks for itself, or should. This is how they feel free to act towards Scotland a few weeks before the referendum. Imagine how they’ll act if we’re daft enough to vote no and legitimise their view that Scotland isn’t a real country?

itslegaltender

Yesterday, Royal Mail wished good luck to Bradley Wiggins cycle team. There simply is no distinction to a lot of people down South between England and Britain.

alexicon

Can we not quickly organise small YES saltires to be given away outside the games?

You’ll hear the unionist screaming then.

annie

Tessa Jowell was on Sky Newspaper review last night having a go at Alex Salmond and the SNP, wasn’t it she and her husband who spent a small fortune trying to ban the reporting of the fact her rugby playing son had taken drugs to enhance his playing.

Murray McCallum

I’m loving the Games so far. Glasgow looks great and there seems to be a fantastic atmosphere.

I just can’t wait for Scotland to be a normal country so we can end all this tiptoing around about flags, anthems and the general sense of pride that virtually everyone else on earth enjoys without any feeling of unease.

PRJ

The normalisation of Scottish sport as British may play into the hands of international organisations such as FIFA. Who want Britain to play as one team. Some countries also want this as they think it is unfair.

Nigel

Not surprised…the Games were always regarded by the No side with trepidation and it was determined that it would not become a total Scot-fest…but it does look petty and also not very subtle either. I don’t think anyone will be fooled by any of this.

I do wonder what the rest of the world thinks about this blatant imperialism by the UK – both at the games and the campaign generally.

Nice research on the Red Arrows smoke BTW!

link to nairnyes.wordpress.com

Quentin Quale

BT/NT: Damn, when we asked for the non-politicisation of the Games we didn’t actually think those Scots would turn it into a festival of joy. Oh well, Keep Negative and Carry On, it’s what we do so well.

Iain (orri) McCord

If you want real paranoia what about the choice of ribbon for the medals?

Brief search got me a picture of the 1994 ones at Victoria, Yellow band surrounded by Green

link to hawkesburygazette.com.au

2010, Delhi
http://www.google.co.uk/search?rlz=1C1PRFC_enGB581GB586&es_sm=122&biw=1866&bih=1070&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=commonwealth+games+medal+delhi&oq=commonwealth+games+medal+delhi&gs_l=img.3…12279.14159.0.14645.6.5.0.1.1.0.110.403.4j1.5.0….0…1c.1.49.img..3.3.190.TwK_iUqgkr8#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=fygS4synWOv4hM%253A%3BSJNINY6Bn9kQ_M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fimg190.imageshack.us%252Fimg190%252F3541%252Fcwgmedals.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.skyscrapercity.com%252Fshowthread.php%253Ft%253D1171311%3B290%3B298

2002 Manchester,

link to google.co.uk

The point being that the choice seems up to the organiser and they don’t even have to be all the same colour.

So ask yourselves, are the organisers of this particular games sleekit enough to plan that if a Scot opts not to wear the Blue, White and not quite but almost Red purple kit that if they win they’ll still end up in Red White and Blue.

You might also ask about the choice of Red for the uniforms the helpers are wearing, although that’s probably a reference to Red Clydesiders.

Grant

liheartScotland – silly maybe, sure the fight may continue.
However who is say that the next government would not pass a bill preventing a referendum ever taking place again. I seem to remember Annabel Goldie on the BBC saying something along this line.

goldenayr

Hmm..they’ve closed the comments on the Games article over at the beeb.

Di

I was watching one of the swimming competitions yesterday and the commentator said, of the English swimmer, ‘If he can win this one it will be a great triumph for Britain’ Says it all really.

Ronnie

Hybrid flags, mutant flags, double sided flags.

For me, the best description is ‘two-faced flags’.

Bunter

Its nice, as I sit here, watching the England cycling team on telly, to see the Union flag on their bunnets.

It makes it clear, Britain = England.

Should ring some alarm bells in undecided heads hopefully.

David Wardrope

BBC did have an open comments for their article for day 2 of CW, but just been closed for comments after 4 hours. I assume they didn’t like the bashing they were getting.

Jimmie

Personally I think its a disgrace that Gary Linekar was fronting the BBC’s coverage.

This is Scotland’s games it should have been a Scottish presenter not an ex England footballer.

Its obviously all part of the BBC’s unionist agenda and plan to try to use the games to promote better together and deliberately exclude Scots from the coverage, why didn’t they get an ex Scottish sportsperson to cover the games, someone like Gavin Hastings although obviously not him cos he’s a unionist.

Helena Brown

Annie, with regard to Tessa Jowell. I would believe anything of her, she was the one to conveniently to drop Husband when he was accused of corruption with regard to Berlusconi, he eventually was found guilty and sentenced to four and a half years. I cannot find anything untoward about her son. Now Dame Tessa Jowell, another fitting reward for socialism.

Defo

Which reminds me Stu, I’m having a Bells mince round for lunch. Mathieson do a nice one too !

geo

Is there a two sided flag for our English, Welsh and NI friends?

Haggis Hunter

Anything Scotland does must have Brit approval / Control / domination.
Scotland is a prisoner kept banged up with lies, deceit, manipulation and intimmidation. The BBC and the rest of the ‘Scottish’ media run from London are the main jailers.

Minty

It was Caroline Spelman’s son that got into ‘difficulties’, not Tessa Jowell. She just had to leave her husband when he got embroiled in a scandal involving Berlusconi.

westie7

@Bunter

Did you hear the commentator?
Apparently the crowd should get too disappointed when a British or English rider doesn’t do well

Maybe we should have a separate topic for
Brit-Watch?

liheartScotland

@Grant,
This is the best chance we will ever have of achieving independence in a peaceful manner. (They thought they would win easily).But the will of people will prevail,it always does.

Tam Jardine

Gordon Matheson was wearing a Better Together badge on his lapel at the opening of the games

That’s no a special enamel labour for indy ones is it?

The banning of Yes Saltires is surely something that inventive wingers can circumvent? Will be interesting to see the marathon – surely it is not outwith our Glasgow contingent to line the route with Yes Saltires and unfurl them as the race passes. It’s gotta be much harder to police than the enclosed events.

Crazy – you’d think we are criminals…. displaying our flag in public. Wonder if the word Yes can be incorporated Into our new saltire with the year 2014 just as a reminder when this is all over?

liz g

The closing ceremony will be interesting as by then they will be thinking there is nothing to lose.

I think we should follow the FM’s example and not interrupt them.

People are not that stupid and will either see for themselves what is going on,or soon will when we point it out to them.

They can’t do a thing about crowd reaction and since the crowd at Celtic park have already shown Scotland in a fantastic light any Boo.s ect will be on their own heads

thoughtsofascot

@liheartScotland

On BBC Pravda? I doubt it. Knowing them, they’ve probably redubbed the Flower of Scotland with GSTQ or just edited it out completely

Brian Powell

Tessa Jowell: “This is Glasgow’s Games not Scotland’s and the Red Arrows represent the whole of the UK not one particular Country inside it”.

I wonder what she thought the stuff about Scotland’s achievements was for.

Colin Hunter

Do what I do folks. Don’t watch any of it because it doesn’t really matter at the end of the day who can run the fastest or jump the highest…..etc….etc ad nauseam! All I ever hear about when I do switch on the “box” to watch the news is that Mo Farrah isn’t coming. So what!

Michael McCabe

Sorry for going O/T Defo have you managed to get a lift through to PQ yet ? Let me know on off topic I may be able to help. Will check off topic on the hour and get back to you if you still need a lift. Sorry again for going of topic. Vote Yes.

Jimmie

@Haggis Hunter

Exactly I couldn’t have put it better myself, Scotland and its people are prisoners enslaved by England and Westminster and the web of lies spun by them and their servants in the msm.

We aren’t free or democratic, our fate is definitely comparable to the plantations in the 19th Century.

Andy-B

Be part of union that won’t give such a small concession,such as omitting the red vapour, petty and emprical, spring to mind.

Meanwhile, how pathetic is this, Ed Milliband has sent his minor actor wife, Justine, to Scotland to implore you to stay in the union. Her reasons, poverty hardship, justice, inequality, no none of these. Her main reason is she once had a smashing holiday on the Isle of Mull.

I’ll say no more.

goldenayr
gman

Smoke story now on BBC

link to bbc.co.uk

Claiming always use red, white and blue…

magnus barelegs

it stinks of colonial arrogance and rubbing scotlands face in it, the question is if this is what they think of us then why would anyone in their right mind want to be part of a union that tries to thwart scotland aspirations at every turn. the easy thing thing to get away from these types is to vote yes. it really is as simple as that.

Big jock

Great scenes in Blythwood Square a yes bus stopped. 12 people got out with Yes banners. The tourists were all smiling. I stopped and spoke to them apparently we are already ahead. I am seeing more and more Yes stickers. Went to Tesco have never seen so many Saltires. Yet out on the street the council have not put up one Saltire or team Scotland flag. Galsgow Council are scared to be Scottish!

Jimmie

@magnus barelegs

We really need to publicise their colonial arrogance and the way they’re treating Scotland at these games, its guaranteed to ensure a massive yes vote in September.

thoughtsofascot

@Magnus Barelegs

It’s a classic case of Microaggressions. You do little things to rub your opponents face in the fact that he/she is different and lesser, but the things are so small and petty that if that person blows up over it you can then call him or her crazy or irrational.

Something the British state is all to good at. Petty antics are their speciality

dmw42

If you get the chance, have a listen to the commentary on Stphanie Inglis finals match at judo yesterday, in particular, how her surname is pronounced during the bout, and then properly when she’s interviewed.

You might also listen to the commentary on Louise Renicks gold winning performance over the Edwards lassie.

Let’s just say, none too subtle.

thoughtsofascot

@Big jock
Glasgow Council are scared to be Scottish!

Of course they are. Most of them, I suspect, came into politics through machine politics. Ermine is the goal, and they won’t let those pesky plebians get in the way of what they have spent 20, 30, 40 years working towards.

TD

Several comments above suggest that the pro-union people are shooting themselves in the foot with their political antics – in these “non-political” games. I’m not so sure.

The fact that people are reading this site means that they are far more engaged than the average voter. So we have insight that most people do not. My concern is that too many people are still not really engaged. They do not share our passion and just want to live their lives. So the subliminal effects of union flags back to back with saltires, red white and blue smoke from the red arrows, exclusively English sports commentators and all the usual BBC propaganda will have an impact – for No. None of these things really matter that much in themselves, but cumulatively they are intended to make the non-engaged feel good about the UK. They make us feel angry, but they have the desired effect on many people.

The good news is that we know that if we can get people engaged, they tend to move towards Yes. I worked on my hairdresser yesterday as he worked on me and he agreed with everything I said. He had started out saying he was leaning to No and by the time he had finished he was leaning to Yes and was going home to tell his wife what I had told him. (I’m going for weekly haircuts until Sep 18 just to make sure he doesn’t slip back)

This is how we will win – talk to people everywhere you go, wear the badges, put the stickers on your car, show the undecideds (and even the Nos) that it is respectable, intelligent, moral and plain common sense to vote Yes. Avoid offensive language (including on blogs like this and on social media). We don’t win people over that way. Occupy the moral high ground.

Let’s not get too excited about the Games coverage and the Red Arrows. If we do, we give the No campaign a feel good factor. I think we will lose some votes because of these tactics, but we can win so many more votes just by talking to people and addressing the issues. The more we do this, the less the colour of the smoke will matter.

Capella

Does anyone know which anthem the English team play when their medals are awarded? I heard “Flower of Scotland” at the Scottish medal ceremonies but can’t find a recording of any English ceremony on the BBC website.
Just curious.

gillie

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said, “Red Arrows team always used red, white and blue. I don’t think we should drag politics into this.”

Now we know, Westminster and Whitehall consider the Saltire to be a nationalist only flag, an emblem of Scottish independence.

The Saltire now only belongs to us nationalists, we are the only ones who have a legitimate claim to fly it.

liheartScotland

@Grant,
Political causes like anti apartheid didn’t just ‘disappear’ overnight at a bad opinion poll.
People fought for it. You don’t just give up, you just keep going.and going , till you win.

Iain (orri) McCord

Suspect it’s one of these,

link to ebay.co.uk

glasgowmajorevents.com/news/2014/6/people-make-glasgow-first-birthday/

Has him wearing it.

Not sure about the colour choice given Glasgow’s livery is/was green, cream and orange.

Iain

@Capella

Jerusalem I think?

Just checked, Jerusalem from 2010.

Edward

Just an aside
Not sure if anyone noticed that when the Queen was driven into the stadium, the car started to go up and down.

No nothing to do with the Queen. It was the car’s suspension compensating for the floor beneath it starting to undulate under the weight of the car.

Remember its a false deck that’s been placed across the Celtic pitch.

Hopefully the Queen didn’t get too queezy 🙂

goldenayr

Johnnie Beattie covering the UK flags at the games on Radio Scotland.

Robert Peffers

A guy spoke to me this very morning and told me he was from today a YES voter. I was going shopping and was letting the wee dog out to take her to the grass for a pee. My wee campervan has a YES sticker on it. This guy came over to tell me he had decided, that morning, to vote YES.

I asked what changed his mind and he said he had also stopped being a Daily Mail reader. Until now I’d no idea the two things were connected.

liheartScotland

Mm too much whisky.. bedtime here.

Iain (orri) McCord

Should mention that he’s wearing a red tie which is overexposed in that image and if you watch a video of it there’s a darker patch where there’s no lettering.

magnus barelegs

i am not too bothered about their antics tbh. it was predictable if nothing else, but it does give you an interesting insight into the brit state psyche. however the more they try this nonsense the more they will put the scots backs up. it actually says more about them than it does us.

Murray McCallum

Capella
England are playing Jerusalem. I don’t really know much about the hymn, but it is a lovely tune imo.

Kev

@Capella

Its Jerusalem – Alistair Darling admitted in the Sunday Mail last week that thats his favourite tune, says it all really.

Minty

Most comments being read out on Radio Scotland saying union flags politically motivated. Yikes.

goldenayr

Minty

I think John and co. are amazed at the antipathy towards these flags.

Desimond

The people complaining about the BBC sound like folk moaning about a baddie acting bad in a Pantomine. What did you expect? To be honest I reckon if the BBC had went the other way and made it very Scottish then the same folk would be complaining it was just a lovebomb.

Just think ahead to a Scottish Broadcasting Corporation 2016, any current Commonwealth Games concerns will soon disappear.

Minty

John Beattie seems a bit taken aback by the strength of the comments. Someone getting a dig in about T in the Park and Saltires.

Robert Peffers

BBC Radio Scotland have been trying like hell to excuse the use of the Butcher’s Apron at the games ever since I got back from the shops this morning. They are getting e-mailed, phoned and texted by people mainly disagreeing with them. Looks like their efforts, and that of Glesca cooncil, are backfiring upon them.

Really speaking there can be no one surprised at their usual underhand tactics and lies.

bald eagle

any bets chris hoy comes out of retirement for the next olympics

Nana Smith

Flipper doesn’t mention the dodgy funds from the dodgy Ian Taylor…lets bash the SNP again.

link to scotsman.com

chalks

I’m not so sure Mr Hoy is a no anymore.

Beattie was asking him about it and he was hoy was coy, saying anything he said got taken far too literal and people read far too much into it….i.e. his comments indicated to me, that he was a No….I’m not so sure anymore.

I know he campaigned to get more cycling things built specifically in Scotland…he recognises it’s a different nation…..

Nana Smith

and again. What a lying troughing scumbag this flipping creature is, and I’m being fairly polite.

link to heraldscotland.com

goldenayr

Just read this.

link to edinburghnews.scotsman.com

I feel soiled.

Nana Smith

Anyone wanting to comment?

link to news2.onlinenigeria.com

Kev

@Desimond

Ofcourse it was going to happen, but I had no idea it would affect my enjoyment of the games so much. Tollcross pool is 3 miles from me but I had to tolerate coverage of it from folk from another country, who were openly supporting their national team – they couldn’t even muster a single Scottish commentator to get all passionate and excited at the 2 Scottish guys winning gold and silver. They are blatantly trying to sap national passion and pride from the Scottish people and a lot of us are quite understandably fuming about it.

Quentin Quale

TD – I think you are so far from the mark saying that the No campaign will benefit from the saturation use of UJ, English commentators and so on. There are many people across Scotland engaging with the referendum and you must give people credit. Even those who aren’t speaking out for Yes will be sorely tested with the way the Games have been politicised. And by the very ones who said ‘don’t politicise’. The pieces are falling into place for a great many people.

Juteman

@nana smith.
Something in that article scares me. A quarter to a third of votes will be postal votes, according to Darling. Surely that can’t be correct?

Jimmie

‘Galsgow Council are scared to be Scottish!’

The sooner we’re rid of them and the BBC and the other anti-Scottish colonists and apologists for westminster the better.

These games should bring home to the people of Scotland just how low england and westminster regard us – they won’t even let us display our own flag and we can’t even have our own presenters at our own games – instead they force us to have to english footballer Gary Lineker.

Its sickening.

Defo

Nana, just posted this on the hootsmon article you linked.

“Flipper, “Yes camp tricks”

Does rigging the referendum with dodgy postal votes count as a trick old chap ?

“About a quarter of Scots have registered for a postal vote – rising to a third in some areas – meaning they will be casting their votes from the end of August, Mr Darling said.”

The fix is in.”

If Scottish skier is in the house, has there ever been an election where the proportion of postal votes was this high mate ?

Marcia

A video of Gary Wilson who was a BT organiser in Edinburgh but changed to Yes. His reasoning you can hear here.

link to youtube.com

Nana Smith

@Juteman

Labour have a history for vote rigging, they now have tories, libdems and any other troughing scum aiming to rig the vote. Seems pretty obvious to me.

This should concern us all.

Quentin Quale

goldenayr – if they are Alex Salmond’s Games then there will at least be plenty of space to put “his” windmills!

Nana Smith

@Defo

Well done Defo. We need to keep the pressure on them.

Flower of Scotland

Ah! J Beattie just read out the organisers rules for the games. NO political flags, but Union flags are fine. Jeez!

The British State will continue to undermind Scotland right up to the Referendum. Make no mistake about that.

It’s a consoling thought that all the Indy sites on Facebook are going mad! Scots know what’s going on!

Iain (orri) McCord

Given the shift towards yes of a lot of punters there’s no guarantee that any of those in the public eye haven’t changed their minds. Got a slight suspicion about BC for one kind of linked to the start where they did the we used to build ships skit. Not sure he wouldn’t have recognised the implications of “Freedom Come All Ye” either. The main questions is whether any of them will “cross the floor” during the campaign and, if they do, will it receive any publicity.

Nana Smith

@Defo

I recently had a reply from a lib dem to an email I sent regarding his ‘invitation’ to campaign for a No vote.
He stated luckily 60% of scots intend to vote no.

Where did he get that figure from?

I haven’t replied as yet…

Bunter

We should be alarmed when Darling accuses YES of dirty tricks. Be assured, anything they accuse us of, it is them who actually are the culprits. That’s one thing I have learned about this campaign.

Jimmie

@Nana Smith

We need to be super viligent Nana, we need to try to ensure no vote rigging from the unionists, but don’t worry if there is vote rigging it won’t stand – the people of Scotland simply aren’t going to stand for it, one way or another we will stop the rigging and punish the culprits accordingly.

Glenn

Anyone else notice that early reports on the flypast indicated that the use of blue and white only had been blocked/vetoed by UK defence minister Fallon, but later reports state that no request was made in the first place. Somethings not right there. Fallon also quoted on the BBC website that the RAs ALWAYS use RW&B. Either ignorance or lies. You choose.

And just as an aside, for those of you asking why coverage is not being led by a Scottish presenter(s)…..have you considered that the alternative could have been David Currie? 🙂

Nana Smith

@Jimmie

Oh I hope you are right. Rigging the vote is my main worry.

Sinky

Oh the irony

link to scotsman.com

Jimmie

‘The British State will continue to undermind Scotland right up to the Referendum’

They will do anything in their power to keep us subservient and colonised, but its too late anything they do – vote rigging, MI5 interference, politicising the games – its not going to be enough.

And I’ll tell you, as much as I want a yes vote to see Scotland free and a country again, I honestly can’t wait to see the look on their faces when they realise that our yes vote has ended their British state and that it won’t exist anymore!

goldenayr

Talking of postal votes.

The Electoral Commission should have monitors in old folks homes..hmm,make that the UN.

Iain (orri) McCord

Compare and contrast,

link to bbc.co.uk

Glasgow 2014 Venue Regulation 6.18 states that no flags are allowed to enter a venue – or the vicinity of any Games venue – if they are normally associated with causes, affiliations or organisations.

link to glasgow2014.com

any flags or banners larger than 1 metre x 2 metres,
or with lightweight handles longer than 1 metre, and/
or flags normally associated with (i) countries not
participating in the Games or (ii) causes, affiliations or
organisations;.

The addition of the word normally seems like a get out cause to me. Even if it’s true that it’s Help For Heroes distributing them rather than any other organisation those flags contravene the regulations. It’s sodding obvious what cause they represent through the symbolism. It’s the flag of Scotland joined to that of the UK as a whole.

Defo

Nana, If it’s 60%, then there’s no need for campaigning !

How did he get to 60% ? Wishful thinking.

As to the fix, Stu is a registered participant, and is allowed to deploy observers. I’m in for Midlothian, and I’m certain that the rest of the wingers will be doing likewise.

Use the ‘Contact’ page at the top peeps, I’m sure our ‘dear leader’ won’t mind having too many volunteers to pick from.
That includes observing the postal vote count too btw.
Correct me if i’m wrong please.

TD

Quentin Quale at 1:45 p.m.

I am sure you are right – a great many people will be annoyed, but an equally large number of people will not notice the subliminal element of these tactics. Nobody can say for sure, and I really hope I’m wrong, but I suspect that the tactics being used by UK Govt., BBC, BTNT, SLAB will help their cause. That’s why they are doing it. They are not completely stupid after all – cynical, misguided, immoral maybe but not stupid. (Well, apart from Jola of course.)

I think we should avoid giving them the satisfaction of showing our outrage – instead we should concentrate on what works. Engage people, put the arguments across, present facts. When we do this, we win.

R whittington

So….. people were forced to wave the ‘hybrid’ flags against their will? Shocking.

goldenayr

The email I sent to John Beattie(and never read out).

Weasel words from those saying the union flag is ok as it shows support for the home nations.

It’s the Commonwealth Games,why aren’t the flags of all competing nations on the reverse so we can show our support of them as well?

It’s politically motivated the same as the Red Arrows decision.

They made a St.Georges cross in the sky to show support for England when they were in the 2006 World Cup.

Anyone who says it isn’t is either lying or extremely gullible.

Now,if it’s Help for Heroes,then it is more imperative that all the Commonwealth countries are included given the high number of service personnel drawn from the Commonwealth.

Sinky

Has anyone got a link to the Brian Wilson Pat Kane TV debate?

Jimmie

We definitely can’t trust the electoral commission to oversee the voting, we need neutral international observers and our own people on the ground too.

I mean look at their list of registered participants in the referendum – the ‘English Democrats’ ffs, why should anyone outside Scotland be allowed to be a participant in OUR referendum? Anyone who doesn’t live in Scotland shouldn’t be allowed to have anything to do with it.

link to electoralcommission.org.uk

Capella

Thanks for the responses to my query about the English anthem. Jerusalem is indeed a very beautiful hymn. (Apparently David Cameron backs it too) It is odd though that there appears to be no footage of an English gold medalist being awarded their medal on the BBC sport site. Very odd.

R whittington

I can’t imagine Alex Salmond ever making a political statement from a sporting event.

Fergus

Someone obviously spent ages wording the Regulations so that a Saltire with a small Yes was banned, but a Union-Jack could be let in…

“6.18.
any flags or banners larger than 1 metre x 2 metres,
or with lightweight handles longer than 1 metre, and/
or flags normally associated with (i) countries not
participating in the Games or (ii) causes, affiliations or
organisations;.”
link to glasgow2014.com

HandandShrimp

Dick

The mutant ninja flags are a politicisation of the event. It was Darling and Carmichael that banged on about the games being politics free but immediately we have Fallon refusing to allow the Scottish colours to fly from the Red Arrows and a Better Together group dishing out flags.

The point is that the No side fired the first shots. They can’t complain if this does get political.

joe kane

I was particularly shocked at John Barrowman’s lyric’s claiming Scotland had the hairiest cows in the world. I think this blatant dig by a gay man at Scottish women spoiled the otherwise excellent pro-LGBT message the opening ceremony was giving out. And anyway, he’s obviously never visited Birmingham.

Flooplepoop

@sinky

here’s Pat and Brian, starts at 41:20 in.

link to bbc.co.uk

Edward

I’m very concerning at possible and likely vote tampering by pro unionists and possibly the state.

I even suspect that there has been ‘dry’ runs.

I hope that I’m wrong, I know from my own research that Yes are doing well

But make no mistake a combination of the establishment/Uk Government and London political parties will do everything they can to prevent democracy

heedtracker

@ R whittington, here in Aberdeen daily Press & Journal Salmond monstering headline “Salmond accused, denies asking for red and white smoke from RAF” presumably it’s just usual over excited Britnat errors but confusing their readers into vote no is one way of saving the yewkay.

So usual P&J creep show for Aberdeen, although reporter does say Scot gov deny asking for blue and white smoke, so it’s win win either way for BetterTogether.

Flooplepoop

O/T do not read if you have high blood pressure…

link to independent.co.uk

R whittington

Don’t worry people. There’s rumours that the closing ceremony will feature a giant papier mâché Alex Salmond waving a massive saltire a la Wimbledon. It’s going to be spectacular.

Colin

I am losing my posts 😉

Training Day

The British state will fix on the 60% figure mentioned above for a No vote (psychologically and presentationally they will focus on a 61-39 No). How is that to be delivered in the context of growing support for Yes and canvassing returns in key areas showing Yes significantly ahead?

– constant repetition in the MSM that Yes are well behind in the polls (this is happening now) to gear the gullible up for the ‘expected’ No vote
– Postal voting fraud with the Electoral Commission ‘unaware’ of any malpractice
– Printing 120% of ballot papers (already happened, with no satisfactory explanation why)
– accusing Yes of dirty tricks to mask the malpractice being conducted by the British state – check

Only point 2 has not yet happened.. as far as we know..

roberto

There has been so many English commentators I thought England were holding the games.Pity bbc Scotland and BBC England do not have their own Commonwealth games programmes.

Drunken Hobo

I suppose they had to run some sort of anti-Scotland article after they had to bin the pre-prepared “Nazi Nationalist Scots Boo English & Our Glorious Queen”.

Their newsroom must have been gutted when the English athletes got a warm welcome, as were many of its readers.

John H.

The British establishment, led by the BBC, are behaving as if they had already won the referendum.Showing utter contempt for the Scottish people. This is nothing compared to what we can expect if there’s a no vote.So, lets make sure that we win it, eh?

heedtracker

Press and Journal also not politicising Glasgow games by plastering them with the queen or any royals in fact and over everything athletic. Maybe wall to wall royalty isn’t politics, more religion for the union, with huge report about princess Margaret opening a statue to her Scotty dogs somewhere, could be Balmoral castle. It cost a hundred million zillion quid and sculpted by Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simon, in solid gold. Rule Britannia

Weedeochandorris

One liners and uber bashing of AS? I think I smell Grahamski.

James123

@roberto
There has been so many English commentators I thought England were holding the games.

This is what happens when we don’t take responsibility for our won affairs, it doesn’t just effect politics or the economy, it trickles down to every aspect of Scottish culture and society. This is why we end up with Gary Linekar presenting our games.

Jimmie

‘But make no mistake a combination of the establishment/Uk Government and London political parties will do everything they can to prevent democracy’

Of course they will. The opinion polls are a microcosm of what they will try to do with the real votes in September.

We all know from our own experiences and speaking to our friends and family that the yes vote is ahead, at least marginally if not by a long way – but every opinion poll still shows yes behind, because they are all rigged and fixed by the British state to show that.

Bunter

Met someone the other day, related to a family member, who works @ BBC Sco, said about 600 BBC staff were sent north, mainly from Manchester, to cover the games.

She and her family are voting YES btw. Nice to know.

bookie from hell

Kane—-Wilson newsnight

Wilson said celebrate inter nationalism twice,then said Scotland a state?

Lol

heedtracker

@. R whitiington that’s not fair, Don’t worry people. There’s rumours that the closing ceremony will feature a giant papier mâché Alex Salmond waving a massive saltire a la Wimbledon. It’s going to be spectacular.

Our masters told us not to politicise the games and then they do it themselves! Such is rule Britannia unionism. Personally I think that Scottish government have done great and hope they don’t get to too involved. Just let the people of Scotland show the world who and what we are and avoid all that desperate BBC UKOK teamGB London Olympics hysterics.

TJenny

Re the expected number of postal votes, I believe that all the polls that show a constant lead for NO will be used to back up a NO vote, won by postal voting, if we let them get away with it.

How to stop it when the only authority that can call in EU/UN observers is the very same authority (Westminster) that will be engaged in vote rigging, I don’t know but wish I had a solution. 🙁

Also, still a bit concerned about whether to use a pencil or pen to mark my cross on ballot paper. Someone on another thread stated that they were told that you had to make your cross in pencil, as the scanning machines could only recognise pencil and not pen! (When were these scanning machines invented, the beginning of the last century?). Have grave concerns that maybe any Xs made in pen may be recognised as spoiled papers, but then again, presumably any ballots the NOers can get their hands on that are YES, (ie the elderly etc’s) postal votes made in pencil, could too easily be be erased and changed to NO.

Also, just out of curiosity, and I’m looking at you now SS, how does anyone know that when a pollster says they’ve sampled 1010 people, that they didn’t actually , say 2000 people, and then cherry picked to get the result they want to portray?

I’m away to get my tin foil hat now. 🙂

Jimmie

‘The British state will fix on the 60% figure mentioned above for a No vote’

We have to be vigilent and ensure that the British state can’t get away with it.

But then after a yes vote just think how good it will be to see the look on their faces when they realise that our vote has ended their state.

And most delicious of all – they won’t even have a say, it will be us the people they’ve tried to suppress and colonise for so long who will finally get a democratic chance to end the British state and none of them will have any choice!

Jimmie

@TJenny

We have to do all we can to ensure any vote rigging by the British state is uncovered and to try to publicise as much as possible the need to be viligent and to see if we can get neutral international observers to oversee it.

But if only westminster can call in the UN etc and we can’t stop the vote rigging then we will have no alternative – we’ll have tried it democratically and been cheated out of it that way, so we will have to find other means to get our freedom.

Training Day

‘We have to be vigilent and ensure that the British state can’t get away with it.’

Indeed, Jimmie, but I confess my attention is already focussing on what happens next after a rigged No vote.

I stress I hope my misgivings are unfounded, but..

Big jock

Very worrying about the pencil votes. If MI5 are involved it would not take much persuasion for them to access one in every 10 boxes and alter the X. Why did we let the Electoral Commision run this!

BigRik

Expect dirty tricks, they have been doing it for so long, they don’t know any other way. A state that spies on the families of victims of crime is capable of anything.

Jimmie

‘I confess my attention is already focussing on what happens next after a rigged No vote’

Like I said in another post, if it comes to that and they’re allowed to get away with it then we will have no other alternative but to try to get our freedom via other means.

We’ll have tried the democratic route and been cheated out of it so we’ll have to try the route other countries have gone down when they’ve been cheated democratically or not even been able to have a democratic choice.

I’ve just read a very good book about the Algerian War of Independence against the colonial French – after being thwarted with their attempts to get independence democratically or by moderate means, they had to go down other routes and they eventually achieved independence on their terms with France caving in and agreeing to almost all their demands (including the expulsion of the French colonists the ‘pied noir’).

Hughiedoc78

Gaun yersel’ Team Malawi cyclists! 🙂

Haggis Hunter

Its an anti Scottish Britfest. Daily Mail sums everything up in one short headline.
@rseholes.

James Kay

An article in the Independent includes this information:

But a Glasgow 2014 spokeswoman said no formal request had been made. MoD sources rejected reports that it had been new Secretary of State for Defence Michael Fallon that had personally intervened to rule out the change of colours. A spokesman said: “The Red Arrows are ambassadors for the UK and fly with red white and blue.”

The change in plan was revealed by a note in the programme for the ceremony which said the flyby would be in Scots colours. However, this had been changed with a printed addendum handed out to journalists prior to the event at Celtic Park.

link to independent.co.uk

So the watchers in the stadium were expecting blue&white, because the programme said so. Journalists, including the BBC, were told beforehand that the colours would be red&white&blue. Yet the BBC commentary on the show made no mention of this last minute change.

Is this normal practice? I think that at any other event, the commentary would have included a reference to any last minute changes in the printed programme.

joe kane

By definition, using the Big British Nationalist Book of Unionist Bullshit, anything that any group or supporter of Scottish independence does is “political” and “politicising”.

For instance, when YES LGBT projected a huge rainbow YES illumination against the wall of the Russian consulate in Edinburgh, in support of persecuted LGBT people in Russia, that was denounced by an editorial staff member of the Swastika on Sunday newspaper on Twitter as “Using the persecution of gay people in Russia to further a Scottish political cause…”.

In contrast, when the British establishment projects the colours of the Union Jack above Glasgow that isn’t “political” or “politicising” given that, by definition, it doesn’t introduce division or faction but is an expression of unity and togetherness. Forget the fact the UK doesn’t have a team at the Commonwealth Games, and anybody who does is probably just another cybernat spoilsport out to ruin everybody’s fun and enjoyment by sowing their splittist malignant seeds of division and separatism.

Reference –
Projected on to Russian Embassy, Edinburgh #indyref
link to twitter.com

heedtracker

If there’s any evidence of UKOK referendum fraud, how will they prevent a second poll and a second poll with all the UN checks and observers? Electoral fraud accusations work both ways.

R whittington

Jimmie says: “we will have no other alternative but to try to get our freedom via other means.
We’ll have tried the democratic route and been cheated out of it so we’ll have to try the route other countries have gone down”
……. Jesus wept *sighs*

Big jock

And here is the problem. If a no vote comes out of this. How do we know or not know it has been rigged? We really are relying on the trust of the imperial British establishment. The Irish had to fight for their freedom only 90 years ago from this mob.

Doug D

O/t
Can someone explain the mindset of an arch-unionist like Brian Wilson? I understand mild attachment to Britain, but I really don’t get why some people feel as attached as he does.

R-type Grunt

I wouldn’t normally turn to The Hootsman for truth but in the comments under the Darling article someone states that his London home is registered as his main residence. If this is true is he actually entitled to a vote in the referendum?

Nana Smith

Latest begging letter from labour. Getting desperate when they are trying to recruit a Yesser….hahahahaha

Dear Nana Smith,

The Referendum is only 54 days away, and we need your help to put forward Scottish Labour’s case for Scotland’s future in the UK.

We have over 90 Labour campaign events across Scotland over the next week, including doorknocking, leaflet delivery, phonebanking and street stalls – you can find the event closest to you and get involved here.

But we’re not just out this weekend. Our Referendum Organisers are out every day, making sure Scottish Labour’s progressive case for our future is made on doorsteps across Scotland. So if you can’t make it this weekend you can sign up to help in the campaign here and an organiser will get in touch about how you can make sure Scotland continues to get the best of both worlds as part of the UK.

Even if you can just deliver a few leaflets in your area, please get in touch by signing up to the campaign.

This campaign will decide Scotland’s future – if you want to play your part in shaping it, we need your help.

Best wishes

Ian Price
Scottish General Secretary

Big jock

In Quebec Yes went in with a 6% lead and came out with a narrow loss. How did that happen? History is a great indicator of corruption by the state.

Choice

Votes

%

Referendum failed No 2,362,648 50.58%
Yes 2,308,360 49.42%
Valid votes 4,671,008 98.18%
Invalid or blank votes 86,501 1.82%
Total votes 4,757,509 100.00%
Registered voters/turnout 5,087,009 93.52

TJenny

heedtracker – if there is a NO vote, we’ll still be under WM rule and therefore it is only WM who could invite EU/UN in to investigate, which, of course, they wont do. (Why are these overseeing bodies only available if they are invited in, like vampires?)

This is definitely, to my mind. something that, after a YES vote, needs to be in our constitution, that the people, and not just governments have the right to have their votes in elections/referendums, overseen by outside authorities. Why should it only be the fox that gets to invite the EU/UN overseers into the hen-house?)

And, I’m sure that Mugabe allowed external overseers into his last election, though much good it did the Zimbabweans, and I can see ol’ Mugabe making great play about WM being feart to allow fairness such as he had done in his elections. (Mucho tongue in cheek there folks. :-))

R whittington

It has to be said that many of you sound as though you’ve already lost the referendum.

alastair seago

I am sure that during the womens Triathlon the female commentator said the English contestants had an advantage because they were running on home soil .

Keith Hynd

It will never be admitted by the British establishment and the British political “elite” but we all know what they are doing, conniving scumbags. And even after all of this, they still expect us to believe their lies over more devo if we vote no and not getting to use the pound if we vote YES it makes me sick to my stomach that, that Westminster and the no camp treat the Scottish people with such disdain.

heedtracker

Dear Ian Price,

BetterTogether, Labour in Scotland BBC etc, say vote No for more powers coming to Scotland.

Why not just vote Yes, so we have ALL powers coming to Scotland. Wouldn’t you like to live in a Scotland and NOT be told what Scotland can and can’t do by people we haven’t voted for in London?

Best wishes

Scotland xxx

dmw42

“……. Jesus wept *sighs*”

Hi Duncan.

MrsIhatetheBBC

LET them all rant and rave but at the end of the day 19th September we will all vote Yes except me as I live on the other side of the border just keep the faith.

Juteman

@DougD.
When you look at the amount of child molesters in the Brit establishment, how many others are there? The British State has always elevated folk with skeletons in their cupboards. They are easy to blackmail into following orders. I’m not suggesting for one minute that Wilson is one, but you get my drift. There are loads of folk that love money too.

heedtracker

@ R whittington, but Dick why is the forecast polling numbers as high as 90% Dick?

Are all these people who never vote normally, suddenly coming out to vote for the No change BetterTogether status quo Dick?

And then having saved teamGB, the Union Jack and so on, are same vote No people going to go back to never voting in UKOK or Holyrood elections Dick? Keep clutching all the fake polls you can Dick, until the 19th Sept.

How your pussy by the way Dick?

Defo

It seems the lord mayors cat has come to clog up the thread today, after edinburgh daves turn yesterday.
Remember Rule no1 re. trolls.

Dal Riata

Was it really beyond the BBC to find a team of Scottish presenters for their coverage of the Games… from Scotland? Yes, there’s the odd report from Hazel Irvine, but that’s about it. It really is beyond pathetic.

Yesterday we had Claire Balding asking her ‘co-presenters’ about the quaich that all medal winners receive, “Do you know what a quake[sic] is?” “…… Uh, nope?” “Ah, I’m hearing it’s some kind of cup… We’ll check that with some of the Scottish competitors later. Meanwhile…” FFS.

Good riddance when the time comes for you to sling yer hook out of Scotland, BBC – you won’t be missed.

heedtracker

@ TJenny, no the process of electoral fraud investigation starts with a complaint to the Police and they investigate. After that is up to the courts, ending up at Supreme Court and maybe European court of justice, although ConDem Westminster is pulling hard to out of that court for all kinds of neo con pressures.

So it’s electoral commission, polling station officer, Police, if they try and cheat. There will be fraud but there always is, localised but it’s there.

R whittington

Not trollin. Just sayin.

Conan_the_Librarian

What about a print run of Union Jacks with the YES logo superimposed?

That would really flummox them…

Conan_the_Librarian

What about a print run of Union Jacks with the YES logo superimposed?

That would really flummox them…

Big jock

I know I knew even from a distance it was a quaich. They were heard to say what is that little gift they are getting we must ask one of the natives. Disgraceful.

Conan_the_Librarian

@R whittington.

You trollin’.

We hatin’.

TJenny

Conan_the+Librarian – Hmm, and us, if it looks like the flags are saying YES to the union.

Big jock

I now think we need to win by at least 10% to make sure. Any narrow win can be altered and manipulated. A landslide yes would be harder to rig.

R whittington

Dope.

Jimmie

@R Whittington

You may not like it but what else can we do? We’ll have tried the democratic route and been cheated out of it by our ‘own’ state – the very state that pretends to be democratic and to represent all of us – we’ll have no other alternative but to try to get our freedom via other means.

[…] Wings Over Scotland has the full story. […]

Training Day

Just for clarification then, Dick. We’ll win the referendum democratically. The problem is that the British establishment now thinks that too.

a2

call me paranoid but I’d have thought if they are predicting a 60/40 split based on something we don’t know and the polls are averaging 55/45 then somewhere in there they ‘might’ be planning on swinging a 10-15%shift by ‘interesting’ means.

Well we just have to make sure the real gap is big enough to compensate so the target may have to be a 61+% yes to have the result show 51%.

fingers crossed.

North chiel

Ref. previous posts, I too am very concerned
About the possibility of ballot fraud with regards
To postal or proxy votes.With the distinct possibility
That the result could be close,perhaps 1 or 2 percent
Either way then as little as 25000 to 50000 votes
Could decide the result.this is as little as 500 to 1000
Votes per constituency (if my maths correct).
This is “very fiddable”

Iain (orri) McCord

The explanation that the red, white and blue somehow represents the queen doesn’t hold whilst she’s in Scotland. Here she’s Queen of Scots and as she said in her coronation oath she rules here under the terms of our laws. Royal colours here are red and gold

If it’s the Commonwealth then surely the colours of that flag are gold on blue.

gillie

Now unionists are burning Saltires in Belfast.

link to dailyrecord.co.uk

Juteman

Stop being defeatist ‘Jimmie’.

Viking Girl

Rev,
You didn’t really think there would be no intervention from the state that sees itself on the verge of extinction, did you?
I was stunned when I saw all the BBC commentators from down south. I had fully expected to see Jackie Bird, Phil Goodlad and John Beattie but they seem to have been sidelined to the radio.
A caller speaking to Kaye Adams yesterday morning, Thursday 24th, about the Opening Ceremony, expressed surprise that they hadn’t included Pat Kane’s song about Glasgow! That’s because it was Pat Kane’s.

R whittington

I for one am glad that you are all discussing issues that matter and that the debate hasn’t descended into farcical pettiness.

Albert Herring

@Conan_the_Librarian

Good idea. Every time I see a Union Flag I think “vote Yes”.

heedtracker

R whittington, we’ll come on Dick. Why are so many more people voting in the referendum?

It could be over 30 % more than in Holyrood and Westminster election and they are not voting for the same old same old MP trough guzzlers are they Dick?

Or maybe they are, everyone wants more and more for our MP’s plus expenses defrauding and their horrific warmongering and their Trident 1 plus 2 nukes in beautiful Argyll and their children starting working life with massive debt and their health care sold off to same big biz thats pays loads a money to the labour in Scotland fear mongering cabal and on and on it goes, Dick.

Or why is that Vitoil tax dodging Tory boy paying Fatboy Bliar so much cash, Dick?

Desimond

@gillie

The Ulster burning of the saltire was also being highlighted in the big July 12th Bonfire.

Nice juxtaposition that the coldness of our revenge in voting YES and moving to a society where such nonsense is absent will be the opposite of the heat of the bonfires

North chiel

I would wish to know the number of proxy and postal votes
Cast and the ratio of yes to no of these votes.in theory this ratio should
Surely be very close to the actual results ratio net of these votes .if not this
Should be investigated.

BigRik

Just got a.. paper?.. called referendum news.. NT obviously, it’s a good read, comedy gold. For example, a trade unionist says NO.. from the Steelworkers Union, it doesn’t say if its Ravenscraig or Gartcosh. 🙂

R whittington

By fair and unfettered you mean a yes vote?

donald anderson

Here’s how Engerland celebrates the games.

Within yards of Buckingham Palace… the day London played host to a Nazi funeral | Mail Online
The extraordinary scenes captured in 1936 show people clearly giving the Nazi salute on the balcony of the Germany Embassy.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1224976/Within-yards-Buckingham-Palace–day-London-played-host-Nazi-funeral.html

Big jock

Yes if the MSM deny the closeness and present it as 40/60%. Then on the day if they rig it to make it 55% no it wont be questioned as the polls indicated the result above. So that explains why the no side continue to pretend it’s 60% to them. They are planning something and want to dupe the public!

TJenny

Paul – Whoa, actually had to Google armalite as never heard of it and it sounds like a wee light you’d wear on your sleeve, like a hands free torch, only to find out it’s a rifle! And hand grenades as well! Heaven forfend.

I have never heard anyone on the YES side ever advocate violence, even if there were to be a NO vote. But there wont be, we will win this. 🙂

Juteman

@Paul.
Try harder Peregrine. 🙂

Minty