The old hand
If we’re honest, readers, we almost never bother with BBC Scotland’s televised political coverage any more. We suspect the viewing figures for Scotland 2015 are down to fingers-and-toes territory now, and if last night’s edition – which we gritted our teeth and watched after noting the incredulous response on social media – is anything to go by, the state broadcaster is now using it to try out work-experience kids.
But we can cut fresh-faced new boy David Henderson (who suffered the indignity of being billed as Sarah Smith) a bit of slack for being outmanoeuvred by an experienced operator like Jim Murphy, who at one point in the show was actually interrogating the presenter rather than the other way round.
Kirsty Wark, regular anchor on the Corporation’s current-affairs flagship Newsnight, on the other hand, has no such excuses whatsoever.
It defies belief or understanding that the clip above was allowed to happen by one of the BBC’s most senior interviewers. The subject of whether the biggest party gets to form the government in the event of a hung parliament has been in the news for weeks now, and even dogs in the street know the answer – it doesn’t.
Yet Wark allows Murphy to make the claim unchallenged over and over again. The Scottish Labour branch manager repeatedly says things that both Murphy and Wark know for a fact are lies, but which meet with no contest whatsoever. Murphy isn’t questioned, he’s fed set-up lines, because Wark knows that a lot more people watch Newsnight than Scotland 2015, and so anything Murphy is allowed to say on it will have more chance of sinking in with voters.
We’ve been doing this job for over three years now and we don’t think we’ve seen a worse dereliction of professional duty. The “biggest party” lie has been shot down time and again, by all manner of independent, impartial sources, as well as the UK government’s own Cabinet Manual and by the country’s highest-ranked civil servant.
And of course, we know it directly from Jim Murphy’s own mouth too:
It would be utterly farcical to suggest that Kirsty Wark doesn’t know all this. She’s not a drooling simpleton, nor would her career have reached its current level if she were simply an epically incompetent journalist. And she’s far too long in the tooth to be flustered or intimidated by the likes of Jim Murphy.
The only possible rational conclusion, then, is that she allowed him to lie on purpose. We’ll leave readers to reach whatever conclusion from that that they want.
He reminds me of one of those talking dolls: they have a few phrases and repeat them over and over. I think the reason Ms Wark had little to say was that she was too busy pushing a button in his tummy
I actually had to stop watching that clip. Utterly appalling, even for a state broadcaster!
Ms Wark was part of the West End trendy Labour luvvies scene in Glasgow. She lived next door to Donald Dewar and was chums with many of the top SLABS.
I thought she pressed him quite well on whether he would really not work with the SNP in the event of a hung parliament. And let the Tories form the government instead. His cool was ruffled. His hands started jumping about. He wasn’t best pleased.
Well what do you know it was Murph the Smurph night in T.V.
First he apparently turned up on Scotland Tonight then a wee hop, skip and a jump and he is on Scotland 2015 then finally he is on Newsnight. Three programmes and THREE opportunities to repeat, repeat and repeat again the same old, tired old LIES that no one in the whole of British media, be they print or audio visual, seems capable of picking up on.
It would appear that oor wee Smurph has absolutely nothing to say these days so he just appears on programmes to prove to his family that he is still alve!
Let’s face it if he had anything useful to say he would not keep going on and on about *ahem* “the largest party” s***e!
Has Ed Miliband ever said that the largest party forms the government?
I REALLY want this lie Murphy keeps peddling nailed. Am sorely tempted to have him investigated by the police for Malfeasance By A Public Official. About time lying politicians were had up in court for this.
Every time I see TV it’s this Murphy guy lying in a creepy voice. Can’t the BBC do something about the number of repeats they show?
it seems to me that he concedes the point at the end of that clip. After all the “biggest party gets to form the government” he goes on to say that if they are a minority government then other parties have choices to make: and admits that they cannot get their policies through without support from other parties. In which case they are not really able to govern, surely?
He is back to confidence and supply, or a case by case arrangement.
Of course given that the labour party is not really distinguishable from the tories on most issues those votes may come from the conservatives more often than not.
Wonder what labour supporters will think of that?
And they do it without a hint of shame.
In the years to come, when we have full fiscal autonomy and devolved broadcasting (better still, independence), they should be held to account for lying to a nation on behalf of a hostile state.
They’ll keep repeating this lie simply because people will end up believing them. That’s how they get their votes. We’re gonna have to sticker every lamppost in Scotland to point out the contrary.
An old hand indeed. Wark was one of the founding members of the SLab / BBC cartell or should that be gang? I mean She goes back to the John Smith era I am sure many of us will remember her holidaying with Jock McConnell and his family. Like a stick of rock cut her in half and she is labour through and through.
Ms Wark is a Labour Party stooge, plain and simple. Who has she been on holiday with this year?
@ Mark Coburn
They’ll keep repeating this lie simply because people will end up believing them.
I think that is what they believe. I also think that the evidence is against that now. Not only in Scotland but all over the UK people are fed up with being lied to and are turning away from the main parties wherever they find an alternative which sounds as if it might be telling the truth, or at least engaging in debate rather than scripted monologues.
Those alternatives are not always good: but that is not really the point. The point is that this kind of advertising approach has sickened folk.
Could it be that Tories Blue and Red have already agreed in secret meetings that in the event of a hung parliament there will be a blue/red coalition?
So they already know that in fact the one with the most seats is going to form the government. Otherwise why keep repeating it?
Just Asking?
Jim’s coming up soon on the Devo Files, I can tell you that.
Didn’t Wark get punted down to London never to return after an absolutely disgraceful attack on Alex Salmond on Newsnight Scotland not even attempting to conceal her utter contempt for the First Minister. I`d love to see a clip of that. Anyone?
So let me get this straight … Jim Murphy says that the largest party gets to form the government (likely in practice) … along comes Wings, aha! The rules actually say it isn’t the biggest party but the incumbent party, gotcha! Which is … also the Tories (&LDs)… back to the drawing board, Rev!
Did Kirsty Wark not take her holidays with wee Union Jack McConnell?
They squeezed into the same rubber ring down at Saltcoats.
I think Jack paid for that holiday, that was the year he had a spare £1.5 Billion pound to play with.
They are a very close knit community. BBC Scotland and Scottish Labour, aided by the Daily Record.
The latter has another “VOW” headline for their rag tomorrow.
Insufferable BBC:
http://wp.me/p4fd9j-15z
Kirsty Wark a journalist? I think frankieboy nailed it on the head when he informed us that she lived next door to Donald Dewar. That seems to be about the only criteria required to anchor a ‘poltical’ platform such as Newsnight these days. Bring back Jeremy Paxman ffs. I’m sure Murphy would have been nailed by now.
Hootsmon, Feb, 2006
“LEADING TV presenter Kirsty Wark was placed on probation by worried BBC chiefs a year ago as a direct result of her controversial holiday with Jack McConnell and will continue to be closely monitored.”
My conclusion, Rev. – she is just long in the tooth.
Kirsty Wark has been part of the Establishment for a while now. I am surprised she has not been made a dame yet. Cant wait to we get rid of all these Troughers and there Lackeys. Roll on Independence. Aye till I die.
Wee repost from earlier, for the lads and lassies on the night shift this fine evening.
Miliband has ruled out a coalition with the SNP. All the “main parties” have now. This is a denial of reality that is hard to fathom. Whether they like it or not, the “rag tag mob” are holding all the cards here …
http://www.commentisntfree.com/the-rag-tag-mob/
Apart from the dead-man talking delivery whoppers and monotone repetition – does Mr Murphy think that his simpering schtick is attractive to voters? Lifeless, charmless, hopeless and thought-less.
Has he had botox – his lack of facial expression is becoming rather peculiar but without the pecu.
I’ve been wondering if your repeated frustration was simply splitting hairs and have just realised why it’s not. IF there was a benefit of doubt to be given, it might be based on the mistake I too have been making.
I’ve always understood ‘the biggest party wins’ to mean ‘if they’ve got less than 50% of the vote, they get first shot at a coalition etc’. Kirsty W (and im not a fan!) and others do allude to this.
Where we’re wrong and why I now (at last) understand why Rev’s so concerned is that a lot of folk might not know that. They might be taken in by the -obviously misleading – impression that all that’s needed is to win the most votes, regardless of being less than 50%.
So, unless it is always made clear that the biggest party may need SNP supoort to get past the winning post of +50%, voters may think it’s better to vote Labour so that they get more votes/seats and therefore beat the Tories (with less than 50%).
The reason this explanation is so very important in this election is because, so much more than usually, it’s not a 2-horse race.
If I, as an intelligent but far too trusting idiot, miss that point then surely others must too – which Labour of course realise. It’s actually a very clever twist aimed at the less well-informed, die hard don’t-like-change Labour voter.
It sounds so plausible too. The problem is, the pundits and geeks hear ‘the biggest party’ in the context that ‘they need 50%’. SO, to avoid the idiots like me making that assumption, the pundits need to keep emphasising the 50% rule. Which they don’t (cos it’s obvious – to THEM).
I shall from now on be ‘doing a Rev’ each time this ‘biggest party wins’ half-truth is peddled by the Labour branch office desperados!!
So Labour are trying to appeal to the older voters now. It hasn’t worked so well for the Tories, and it won’t work well for Labour.
The pink rinse brigade? In ten years where will Labour be?
that was a damn disgrace. he *specifically mentions* elderly voters who are viewing the programme as part of that repetitive nonsense, and he states the lie unchallenged on four separate occasions.
the bbc team needs to be having a long hard look at another of its presenters.
Given, as you say Stu, kirsty Wark is supposed to be a competent professional there’s very little room to doubt that she experienced a “Brain Fade”
That leads to only one conclusion on the part of the viewer
Kirsty Wark is a big fat liar to the public on behalf of the BBC
David (jackanory) Henderson on the other hand is little more than the level of a childrens storytime entertainer
although without doubt this viewer saw him as complicit in Murphys jibber jabber
Having said that, the Murphy approach to an interview by now, surely must be clear, even to the most ardent of his “Supporter” in that the constant repetitive drawl of drivel
followed by his most oft used phrase of “aw come on now you know” then an immediate phlegm like substance emits from his maw to ooze like overcooked porridge slowly from the pot… Aah I wish i was dead
Interview over……Oh thank God.. Thank you God
Oh….
Three times Jim Murphy appears on BBC
in separate shows on the same night,
just to parrot Labours’ big lie –
‘the biggest party gets to form the government’.
I wonder what Jim is giving up during Lent this year?
It certainly isn’t lying.
But I think perhaps it should be.
As for Kirsty Wark, her chat with Jim,
who is her Leader in Scotland,
was the least she could do, seeing as how she is
a member of Labour’s media friends group.
It’s almost like he already had his responses ready, he didn’t need much time to collect his thoughts. He was not prepared to answer the question directly asked, which we know most politicians do, but here he seems to have it down to an artform.
He continues to talk over and through Wark, and to my mind got the better of her by using some verbal bullying, pulverising Wark with his relentless pre-scripted mantra.
I don’t think Wark was in on it. Lenient? Perhaps. I think what it demonstrated was not Murphy the ‘able’ politician, but Murphy the manipulator, the sociopath.
Thanks Ronnie for taking the time to answer on the last thread.
Nothing happened though so still no bloody app.
Help us techno dunces out here Rev.
Please????
BBC Scotland can not be trusted to be impartial let alone present the case for Scotland’s self-governance.
They are a branch of the UK government. They are in a state of war with Scotland.
BBC Scotland’s bluebottle of a director, Ken MacQuarrie, is a dunce employed as a door stop.
He has presided over the serious contraction of BBC Scotland’s output at BBC London’s behest, failed to create a thriving drama department that expresses adult issues, rejected a considered report on blatant BBC bias during the Referendum debate, sniffed around the arse end that was Savile abuse, and lately been sent to look into the Clarkson punch up.
Try and imagine MacQuarrie facing up to Jeremy Clarkson, the short ‘n squat bluebottle looks a bear in the eye! Clarkson is a freelance, not employed by the BBC. He is not obliged to shake MacQuarrie’s sticky fingers.
Feel like complaining?
‘How BBC Erases Complaints’
Boy, am I angry.
http://wp.me/p4fd9j-15z
I know it’s a waste of time but was so bloody furious at this that have emailed a complaint to the BBC.
This one I will pursue beyond the 1st response as I cannot abide Wark.
She is a Jock on the make and makes my blood boil
Stu., l am the last one to give lawyers money erroneously, but might it be an idea for WoS to take some legal advice on NAILING THIS LYING PUBLIC OFFICIAL? If nothing else, such a high profile interview by Police Scotland of Murphy blatantly and culpably lying to gerrymander an election result would HAVE to be reported in MSM.
My concern is SLAB tactic that peddling this lie to Bend Over BBC Trumpet will help SLAB illegitimately claw back 5% of GE2015 vote and result in SLAB lies reducing 45 SNP MPs to 20 SNP MPs such is the dreadfully sensitive dynamic of the FPTP electoral system on each per cent this WILFULL LIAR steals.
Personally I have never understood the point in having supporters of a political party interview that party. Wark is clear of a Labour Supporter as they come. likewise for Sarah Smith.
Its incompetancy at its finest. And a sign of the shocking lack of talent at the BBC and a sign for why the organisation must be allowed to kick the bucket.
Clarinda @ 1:35
“Has he had botox?”
No, it’s the glue. Hopefully his mouth will set in the very near future.
Dr Jim at 1.44am, that was a particularly vivid and ugly description of the Branch Manager, or was it Nosferatu, to which you refer?
Stu,
Place an add in in the Herald , Scotsman or Record with Jim Murphy is a
Ire with explanation and lets see if they print it. If even a small ad got printed would generate interest on social media. If rejected again it could also generate lots of traffic.
Al
I knew I had seen that Jim Murphy before. He appears in this Video a Minute in. The Lyrics are apt as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=F8O1E-2jfpE
Apologies. My last post should have been placed in Off/Topic. Worth a watch though. Aye till I die. Goodnight Folks.
This lying by Murphy and collusion of the BBC interviewer is infuriating. When the SNP makes a Party Political Broadcast, or is in a televised debate they must refute this.
I do not know where to start with this,sorry, I do,the McCrone report,Denis Healey burying the facts, the 34 Labour MP,s in 1979 bringing down their party etc.etc.etc.
The lack of integrity at the BBC,clear bias against the SNP,(it is the lack of accountability that is most shocking).
Once these things,among many,many others,have been seen,they cannot be unseen,once said cannot be unsaid (?),the behaviour of Murphy,Wark, etc. etc. is no suprise anymore,it is the norm.
Both the BBC and the Labour Party must know the people,(not all nationalists)merely seek the facts/truths,even if,it is ugly at times.
In truth we reject both the BBC and Labour Party as pedlars of fiction,half truths and lies,the SNP may not be perfect, far from it,but most ordinary people,like me,will vote for them come May.
Straight to the point Rev. I like it. Wark allows this to happen so she is complicit in the lie. Wark is a liar.
Who knew?
BBC (Scotland) News?
I smell sh*te!
You hear me MacQuarrie?
Oh, sorry, I forgot. You’re rather busy elsewhere just now, aren’t you. And on that bombshell…
It may be a downright lie, but it’s getting a hell of a lot of airtime. If they keep this narrative going for another month (and they certainly will), it will slowly gain some traction. Older, misinformed and uninformed voters will buy it, and as previously mentioned by a fellow poster, it could swing a few percent, just enough on FPTP to save 20 odd seats for the red tories, giving JM is great victory.
The SNP need to find a way of countering this, and reaching those older, misinformed and uninformed voters that JM is obviously targeting. The MSM will resist any attempts to clarify this, but the SNP need to come up with something – fast.
kirsty did well financially all those years ago making documentaries about the (then) new Scottish parliament ( I was even briefly in one ) but of course that was in the days when it was a sop to the scots under tight labour control – was expected to stay that way and present no challenge to WM.
Maybe time for a new documentary Kirsty ?
Do you know what ” I don’t think Labour want to win they would rather draw a wage, money for nothing with no responsibility whatsoever. hence the we weren’t the biggest party so we couldn’t form a government “
Wark has Labour to thank for her career – its only natural they expect pay back.
Apparently Wark is working on a new project with her company – its called ‘Come Lie Wie Me’ in which ‘also ran’ politicians invite each other intae their hoose and tell whoppers – the biggest whopper wins a 1-hour BBC propaganda special showcasing their great achievements on behalf of and for the people they ‘represent’. Second prize – a holiday wie Joke McConnell and family
You have to wonder what service, if any, people like these broadcasters think they provide the electorate? I mean what gives them the right to allow others to mislead the public? What sort of human being does this to another?
TBH, I hope I never understand.
The BBC showing once again that they are untouchable.
They can be as biased as they like and get away with
it. Complain & you get a dismissive ‘wave of the hand’.
Take it further and get a ‘wave of the hand’ from the BBC Trust.
Their reaction to Professor Robertson’s work was eye-opening.
They are a disgrace.
Jim Murphy goes a huntin!
Spud was excited about his new rifle and decided to try bear hunting. He traveled up to Alaska , spotted a small brown bear and shot it.
Soon after there was a tap on his shoulder, and he turned around to see a big black bear.
The black bear said,
That was a very bad mistake. That was my cousin. I ‘m going to give you two choices: Either I maul you to death or we have sex. After considering briefly, Spud decided to accept the latter alternative.
So the black bear had his way with Spud. Even though he felt sore for two weeks, Spud soon recovered and vowed revenge.
He headed out on another trip to Alaska where he found the black bear and shot it dead.
Right after, there was another tap on his shoulder.
This time a huge grizzly bear stood right next to him.
The grizzly said, ‘ That was a big mistake, Spud. That was my cousin and you ‘ve got two choices: either I maul you to death or we have ‘rough sex. ‘
Again, Spud thought it was better to cooperate with the grizzly bear than be mauled to death. So the grizzly had his way with Spud.
Although he survived, it took several months before he fully recovered.
Now Spud was completely outraged, so he headed back to Alaska and managed to track down the grizzly bear and shot it.
He felt sweet revenge, but then, moments later, there was a tap on is shoulder. He turned around to find a giant polar bear standing there.
The polar bear looked at him and said,
‘Admit it Spud, you don’t come here for the hunting, do you? ‘
Calum MacLean says @ 1.05 am
“Am sorely tempted to have him investigated by the police for Malfeasance By A Public Official. ”
I’ve said that all along,
While Rev quite rightly says that a party can lie all it wants and we can do diddly squat about it, if on the other hand an individual politician can be charged with lying in public office for personal gain (which by virtue of the fact that person will make personal gain by being employed as a state official) well that’s something he/she can be charged for and if malfeasance can be proved it carry’s a jail sentence up to and including life!
http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/l_to_o/misconduct_in_public_office/#a01
______
ps
The description Public office” could equally apply to such people as Wark Adams,Smith, BBC executives, et al,
We just need one successful prosecution to close the whole lot down!
______________________________________________________
Scotspine @ 1.11am
see above.
____________________________________________________________
Clarinda says @ 1.35am
“Has he had botox – his lack of facial expression is becoming rather peculiar but without the pecu.”
What?
Like this you mean?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_o6Rtdg6rU
___________________________________________________
Scotland has lost £16Billion in Oil revenues in the last 4 years because of the ConDem 10%
(£2Billion) a year increase in Oil tax revenues. People are now losing their jobs. Scotland could save £1Billion a year with a tax on ‘loss leading’ drink. Save £1Billion a year getting rid of Trident/illegal wars. Save £4Billion on interest payments on debt Scotland didn’t borrow or spend. In the last 4 years Scotland has lost £40Billion (£10Billion a year) to Westminster policies. Enough to eradicate poverty in Scotland. Westminster doesn’t do democracy. Westminster is a disgrace.
Illegal Wars, tax evasion, Trident and Westminster lies. Thatcher and the McCrone Report, Westminster secretly stole and wasted Scottish resources and left Scotland in poverty. Westminster are the biggest crooks on the planet. Westminster Politicans get away with child abuse and murder. Most of them should be in jail. The Official Secrets Act and unelected civil servants hide all their crimes. Vote SNP and give Scotland back it’s self respect. Get rid of the gutter press.
Stopped watching it 2 weeks before the referendum, unionist propaganda show.
Wark, Murphy and Smith are millionaires protecting their fortunes. Thry do not give a damn for those in poverty. People are being sanctioned and starved. The foreign policies are bring death, destruction and starvation to the world. Westminster are a bunch of crooked liars. Lining their pockets on people’s misery. The BBC is Westminster’s biased mouthpiece.
Watching that video, Murphy looks like death warmed up.
Murphy can say and do what he wants because he has no future in politics.
In his role as Labour North British accounting unit he is going to fail miserably in May. I cannot see how he could continue in that job.
He may remain an MP (though I hope not), but having failed in his current role will he ever be offered a ministerial role? I doubt it.
O/T An audio podcast of Nicola at the LSE, is now available to hear/download at the following link:
http://www.lse.ac.uk/newsAndMedia/videoAndAudio/channels/publicLecturesAndEvents/player.aspx?id=2979
I never watch anything after 9pm. I want to go to bed in a reasonable mood; not in one where I just lie there and seethe as I replay the nonsense in my head as I try to sleep.
I believe that ultimately the problem is deeper than Ms Wark. It has become institutional. The B.B.C.are very aware of their unpopularity with large sections of the Scottish public now,and as a consequence to preserve their franchise north of the border,they havecto make a choice.
Do they adopt a cocilliatary approach hoping all will be forgiven ? Or do they as I suspect go all out to disenfranchise the political arm of this peoples movement in order to nullify any future potential fall out to their existence ?
The conclusion .as highlited by recent broadcasts is inescapable.We are now in a struggle to the desth so to speak with a National broadcaster openly colluding against a democratic process.
This is a battle we must win, even just for the sake of open honest ,future debate post independance..
@John King 06:04am
Then surely both Murphy and Wark, who are paid from public funds, can be classified as in “public office”?
What also annoys the he’ll out of me is that no interviewer seems to call him out when he proclaims that his party are anti – austerity.
How long are we going to continue accepting BBC attacking democracy?
If this election is skewed like the referendum was and we do nothing, we deserve a perpetual democratic deficit.
Complaints to the BBC are dismissed and all we do is whinge.
We must look at legal action of some sort.
Wretched.
OK, so Jim Murphy’s main plank is to get out there and TELL EVERYONE A SIMPLE BIG LIE OVER AND OVER AGAIN. QUESTION. WHAT ARE THE SNP DOING TO COUNTER THIS PROPAGANDA?
Sorry for shouting, but this happened in the referendum – blatant simple electioneering up against a sophisticated message and i believe that the sophisticated message got a bit lost against the bulldozer of a message, lies and all.
sorry, but I want to have 50 SNP mps not 40 or 35.
When the press fails to challenge politicians democracy dies.
Time to up the pressure on the BBC?
Ian Duncan Smith, the mass murderer now refuses to hand over welfare responsibility (Smith commission) to the Scottish Gov as per the Agreement. Hague covered up the Westminster child abuse and murder dossier. Destroyed the Documents. The Official Secret’s Act was used by unelected civil servants to cover up the crimes.
Hammond the Trident liar and Warmonger (no doubt lying his pockets with Defence contracts) tried illegally to stop the Devolution process,
If the SNP get balance of power at Westminster I hope the first thing they demand is devolution of Broadcasting. It will be game over.
Scotspine @ 7.33
Thats the way I see it.
The B.B.C. are only too well aware of how elections are won. I remember the programme by Nick Robinson “Five days that changed Britain “,where he examines the outcome of the 2010 General Election,and the permutations that arose from the result.The Tories had 308 seats,Labour had 258, and the Lib Dems 57.Discussiond went on for three days between the three contenders ,and as Robinson states ,could have had a very different outcome, if Labour had agreed to Lib Dem demands.
Therefore ,for any dubiety to exist re this issue is frankly implausable for any B.B.C, professional journalist.
Murphy getting free reign by BBC when no SNP rep present to contradict him or asked to comment on his lies and no BBC journalist has done any homework on Murphy’s pleas in 2010 that Gordon Brown had the moral and constitutional right to form the government.
Last night’s BBC pro Labour stance was compounded when in 11.30 News Review “Daily Record” hack Torquil Chrichton was given free reign to attack the SNP and comment on this morning’s Daily Record front page on a new vow.
Kezia Dugdale getting last word on the subject shortly on Radio Scotland
Properly dangerous stuff, and Murphy seriously needs pulled up about it, but this shows just how much boot licking BBC Scotchland is willing to indulge in.
Just had someone at work tell me in no uncertain terms that “the largest party forms the government”. Not only that, but also: “if it’s a draw between the Tories and Labour then the Tories get back in by default”. I wonder where that one’s coming from.
The part when Wark says, “if you’re in a position where you nay be able to form a government, *inaudible mumble that sounded remarkably like the word maybe * as the largest party…” Tells me she knows the score.
Kirsty and Labour have form. http://www.scotsman.com/kirsty-wark-jack-mcconnell-1-1811839
Yes, Murphy doesn’t practice actually answering questions, just that thing where he raises his voice just enough (never to outright shouting, though) that it blocks out the question or criticism of what he’s saying by any interviewer diligent enough to voice any.
What do you expect when a trout interviews a goldfish?
There’s a reason for everything.
Last night’s Newsnight didn’t just happen.
Before every programme on TV, the producer/director meets
with those taking part and goes over everything that
should be said and done during the show to achieve
the desired impact on the viewer.
It’s like making a cake. A Recipe is followed every time
to ensure success every time.
The image of Britain as a bastion of justice and democracy,
has faded almost completely.
And yet millions of British citizens cling on to the myth.
Wark & Murphy gave us a demonstration last night
of what Britain has become viz. corrupt.
Sterling is no longer the common currency of the UK.
It has been replaced by lies and theft.
Vote SNP. It is our only hope.
Warks’ a classic BBC shill, they all are. Thats why they are there to start with. Even if their mindset tells them they’re corrupt, or that people plead for less BBC bias, so what. Prisons are full of chancers that think they can do anything they like.
Their real problem is that polls all show Scots just do not want a SLabour MP “representing” them at the trough. Maybe lying SLab thugs like creepy Murphy, bullyboy BBC and the UKOK media can all browbeat Scots into voting one more time for this Lab conman but its going to incredible to watch.
Scotland really does seem to have had enough of the lot of them.
Forgive me , not had time to read the thread today .
I’m sure others will have said , if so I apologise .
Following the ” Biggest party ….. S%%e ”
For any interviewer , the next question is easy .
“Ok so polls have Cons @ 275 , and let say SLAB defy the polls and reclaim some Scottish MPS and have a total of 280 , that makes them the biggest party , to command a majority we all know they need 326 . can you explain to the viewers how they then bwecome the GVT ? ”
Yip , complete deliberate ignorance and complicity by MSM
As above I would happily fund to raise an action .
After reading through the usual assortment of comments on this thread i was forced to listen to that master manipulator (i’m being very kind giving him that title) and have come to the conclusion that:
(1) – Sorry, Fiona, i can’t see where he concedes the point.
(2) – Kirsty Wark is still very much a Labour Party stooge.
(3) – The BBC credibility levels are still non-existent.
(4) – Dim Jim is still a compulsive lying London gopher.
(5) – I am convinced even further that something has to be done legally to put a stop to politicians in Scotland blatantly lying to and deceiving the Scottish electorate. We need to introduce a very hard hitting law which will severely punish those who deliberately lie to and mislead the Scottish electorate.
Please, SNP, do something about these liars.
Fucks sake!!!
They are at it again!
The BBC allow Dugdale to spout the biggest party lie unchallenged.
She is allowed a diatribe without interjection.
We have to do something!
To clarify, it was Gary Robertson at 0840 on GMS.
I may have missed on previous threads .
If SNP are required to support in any form do they still have an opportunity to scrutinise ” the Accounts” so they can make a proper judgement on matters knowing the true figures ?
Or is it that only if they were in ” Coalition” and hence part of GVT could they view the figures properly ?
Kezia has just come out with the lie again on an interview with Gary (Robertsob) at 8.40 on BBC Scotland on the radio
Scotspine …you talk about taking legal action. I agree that the time has come but what form would this take and who would take such a case forward. Not least, how much would this cost?
I have complained to the BBC about various matters in the past but it’s almost impossible to get them to respond. They are totally biased, spend our money on English news, sport and comedy and don’t seem to care whether we demonstrate against them or not.
What else can we do to get them to take notice? Perhaps a mass campaign of non payment similar to the Poll Tax?
BBC disgrace!
Kezia Dugdale allowed to make a party political broadcast by a very experienced BBC interviewer.At one moment he raised Ball’s confirmation that Labour would continue Tory austerity but allowed that as a lead in on nonsense that the SNP is not progressive and Labour have the Mansion Tax etc.
How much will a Mansion Tax raise for Scotland.? Now it will be repeated on call Kaye! Grrrr.
Call Kaye says its “baffling” can someone explain in simple terms how the UK constitution works
BBC RADIO SCOTLAND MORNING CALL
Call 0500 92 95 00. Text 80295.
Email morningcallscotland@bbc.co.uk
Kezia Dugdale on GMS @ 8.35 says Labour voted against austerity last week whilst SNP failed to turn up. Anyone know if this is true?
Having spent last week monitoring Hansard, I’m sure something like this would not have slipped by.
Kirsty Wark is compliant in letting him spread this lie.
TWICE he says something along the lines of:
“you know as well as I do..”
Completely disgraceful. If she genuinely doesn’t know one of the biggest issues in Scottish politics she shouldn’t be doing that job.
In the film ‘The Shawshank Redemption’, the hero, Andy,
in making his escape from unlawful incarceration,
has to crawl on his belly for 400 yards along a sewage pipe.
There is, I believe, a similarity between that journey
through the sewer and Scotlands’ struggle to be free.
People like Murphy, and even Wark, are just part of the sewage.
So we ought to be prepared to be disgusted every day.
And for a lot longer than Andy endured.
The good news is that eventually,
we will vomit Unionist politics out of Scotland.
Perhaps then, we will be able to wash away
the stench of English political corruption,
and breathe the fresh air of an Independent Scotland.
Vote SNP and keep crawling.
`Favourite Murphy line to the interviewer is,
“Now you know it’s the Party with the most MPs that gets to form the next Government.”
This throws the interviewer for a second, while Murphy quickly moves on to his next lie.
Any investigative journalist would go back and pull Murphy (or any other Scottish Labour MP) up for that, but this is Scottish journalism we are talking about here.
@ Dave McIntyre
I’m sure that many are withholding the License fee, but the BBC will just tuff it out until they bring in the universal levy for every household that has been talked about.
I think that a proper legal challenge is the way ahead. The only issue there of course is that the upper echelon’s of the legal establishment are just that…part of the establishment.
I’m not sure what it would cost, or who could be trusted to do the job without being nobbled, or even whether something could be brought by the European Courts?.
One thing for sure though, if we meekly accept being bent over and repeatedly buggered in this way, we don’t deserve an impartial media. We can just continue to scream in the vacuum.
Other countries who have achieved Independence must be looking on with utter disbelief and contempt.
Couldn’t Labour and the country not save a great deal of money
By training a Parrot to spout that same largest Part bull sh#t?
Does Kirsty Wark have a Facebook or Twitter
Account where can enquire why she doesn’t know the
Basics on how a government can be formed.
She looks like yet another of the I’m quite happy to
Lie and mislead as I’m making £millions as things stand.
I don’t expect to see that woman on an Independent
Channel was just deserts are dolled out!
Scots Labour Unionists – the neighbours from hell.
Kaye Adams.
We don’t want her
We don’t need her
We’re not planning to have her in an independent Scottish media.
I reckon anyone who watches these political programmes have an interest politics and can think for themselves. The type of people Murphy seems to be targeting (drunk football supporters?) will not be watching this.
I don’t let Murphy and Co get to me now. They are still living in the world of TV and media control. The “product placement” the branch office used to win seats is now ineffective.
Very few people now watch political programmes. However they do read blogs, twitter, facebook etc.
Murphy is a liar and people are now realising that if he will lie on a clear cut factual Westminster procedure then he will lie about anything.
Keep telling friends about the 2010 post election period when Labour tried to hang on to power. They even dumped Brown in an attempt to do a deal with the LibDems.
Stu is on Call Kaye!! Yeahhhhhh!
This, and many other recent Slaborite broadcasts, shows exactly why it is wrong to force people to finance that organisation (The BBC). Utterly unacceptable. Anything but balanced.
Would this not be a good time, and reason, for someone on here with the knowhow to put the Scottish Government petition system to the test and get a carefully worded Scottish Government petition on the go?
I’m sure we could gather-in a fair amount of signatures and hopefully get WOS to positively influence politics in our country rather than letting negative liars such as Dim Jim influence the electorate.
G4jeepers says:
17 March, 2015 at 8:56 am
Watch last weeks FMQ’s. Nicola nailed Kezia by reading out the full amendment motion.
Gooooaaaal
Well done Rev on KayE. Putting them straight, excellent
Kirsty Wark has a specific job roll;
To Assist in the Preservation of the Union.
To Assist in the Preservation of the London Establishment’s pre-eminent position within the Union.
To preserve her own position and career within the London Establishment.
The fact that she is a dyed in the wool Labour supporter is neither here nor there. Support for Labour is just a methodology or tactic used by Kirsty Wark to ensure the preservation of the Union.
Kisrty Wark earned another Gold Star for meritorious service to The Union last night.
For those who may have missed it:
Why the BBC is unfit to investigate complaints.
http://wp.me/p4fd9j-15z
Well done Stu, you got under Kaye’s skin. We need more of this.
I hope he continues. The longer he peddles the lie the more foolish he looks.
A child in primary 4 can tell you that if there is a cake with 10 slices and you take away 6 slices that is more than half.
As we all know you need over half to command a majority.
So the Tories could form a party but get nothing through. It’s who ever can get more than half that wins.
Mr Murphy needs to learn that, but most people can work it out for them selves and think….. Is he really that thick! As for the bbc it makes them look like fools as well.
Long my it continue.
Didn’t like that did she?
Re the app. I just went to Play Store and searched for Wings Over Scotland the downloaded it no problem.
Sorry I dont remember who was asking up the thread.
@G4jeepers – from last week’s FMQ’s, Nicola Sturgeon’s response to Deputy Dug’s charge that SNP voted against Labour’s motion on austerity:
“Kezia Dugdale referred to the motion that Labour tabled and voted for in the House of Commons last week. Luckily, I brought a copy of that motion with me today. I will read it to Kezia Dugdale. It calls on the Government to take an approach that involves “reductions in public spending”. In other words, in the House of Commons last week Labour voted for further cuts to be imposed on Scotland. It is because the SNP does not propose cuts that we did not vote for Labour’s austerity motion in the House of Commons.”
Mark Coburn says:
They’ll keep repeating this lie simply because people will end up believing them. That’s how they get their votes. We’re gonna have to sticker every lamppost in Scotland to point out the contrary.
I think this issue needs an SNP flyer to every doorstep on this SINGLE issue. Perhaps the no ‘official coalition’ bluff also.
“DON’T LET LABOUR FOOL YOU.”
With a simple little bar graph showing a majority line, and how deals NEED to be done in a hung parliament to form an effective government.
The largest party DOES NOT get to form a government – it needs a majority.
And the reason they don’t want to have to deal with the SNP is because they don’t want to give Scotland any more powers.
It’s no good only for people that visit political websites to be aware of.
The National needs to expose this on its front cover also.
This NEEDS to be general knowledge.
Otherwise we are going to lose.
Every other campaigning issue comes secondary if people start to believe an SNP vote doesn’t count.
Nice one Stu, boy did Kaye not like the truth being stated on her terrible show!
Was laughing my head off as she tried to play dumb that she had no idea the biggest party doesn`t automatically form the next government and then she clearly sounded annoyed that the BBC were being called into question for letting the Labour party lie repeatedly on their political program`s.
Doubt you will be back on after this morning haha.
Rev Stu on Call Kaye, well done there, you couldn’t have made it any clearer Stu, they are all complicate in this lie about “the Party with the most votes wins.”
Yea like a few have mentioned on here am getting a bit tired of watching all this free lies being broadcast over and over again without as much as a counter from SNP.
I seen it happen during the referendum and it was frustrating but I was under the impression we had learnt from our mistakes.
if anyone on here from SNP head office is reading this could yous please explain what’s going on.
I have stopped judging the political sentiment of the nation based on here as we are already supporting the SNP’s bid to return 50+ mp’s but is the word on the street?
Is our message getting out there. I really hope it is. I can’t do another referendum let down.
@ Carol (9.12am).
Correct, but if you listen to that footage Dim Jim actually addresses “older voters”, he knows exactly what his target audience will be for that programme. And quite a few of them will not have access to WOS, Newsnet, Bella, etc etc etc.
____
On a different note, has anyone else noticed that more and more Dim Jim is appearing on “interviews” from behind a camera/screen rather than in the same studio as the “interviewer”?
I think there are 2 main reasons for this:
(1) – It enables him maximum coverage without the exhausting and time consuming inconvenience of travel.
(2) – It disguises a lot of negative body language and forces the majority of folk to zoom in on his message, rather than be distracted by the bigger picture so to speak.
Slightly OT. I saw a piece of graffitti yesterday which read
“Jim Murphy’s mouth is issuing cheques which his arse can’ cash”
To be honest David Henderson would struggle being a Bingo caller. His delivery is so slow and deliberate it’s like he is taking to an audience of three year olds.
Where do the BBC find these people?
Why are there no plans for another protest outside of the the BBC Scotland HQ? Sorry if there is and I just don`t know about it.
It`s not just about their bias either, the quality of programs is just crap.
No Westminster party will share government roles with the SNP.
The SNP would be privy to statistics proving how much and for how long Scotland was shafted.
Great stuff by Stu on Morning Call fairly got under Call Kaye’s fragile skin.
Simon Pia saying its a choice between two kitchen’s Cameron or two kichen’s Miliband. Tweedledee and tweedledum
Have we not long gone past the stage where we expect anything other than open collusion between BBC (and STV) ‘journalists’ and the British establishment?
Collusion isn’t even the right word. The ‘journalists’ ARE the British establishment.
‘Do you have any feeling for Britain?’, Nicola Sturgeon was asked by an indignant Allegra Stratton on the same programme last night. That is as concise a summary as you’ll get of the parlous – and partial – state of mainstream journalism in the UK.
FFS, missed The Rev on the radio, now have to wait for it on iplayer.
🙁
a wee bit O/T, sorry but this is starting to bug me and Im wondering if this is just my imagination – the sound quality of BBC radio audio clips is variable and may not be random.
I first noticed it on a program on R4 a few weeks ago about the post ref scene, I had to keep turning the volume up to hear what the Yes folks were saying but the No voices were crystal clear.
Anybody else noticing this? Do SLAB have free passes into Pacific Quay studios and better sound quality but SNP etc are always on the end of a phone?
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/kirsty-wark-on-the-front-line-of-election-coverage.120679623
“BBC Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark has said she has a responsibility to be tough on candidates in General Election coverage because voters are so confused.
Her tenacious pursuit of answers will put Wark in the frontline of political coverage in the two months leading up to the vote.
..
When it comes to questioning politicians, Wark prefers what she refers to as a “one-two”: a question that requires a second clarification.”
What an absolute joke.
She allowed him to walk all over her, spreading his lie multiple times unchallenged.
Stoker, I think your right in as much the only organisation big enough to demand an enquiry, or to insist a review of procedure within B.B.C. Scotland, is the S.N.P., and they must come out and demand “the right of reply” to murph,s claims.
Rev, how would it work if we had an on-line petition, pointing out the lies and distortions , and see how many signatures we could amass?.
Well done Rev. Point well made and Kaye suitably rubbed up about your assertion re BBC complicity. I think her immediate jump to the defence was telling.
The point has just been reinforced by someone email in to back up your statement. (surprised it was read out frankly).
A good mornings work. Take the rest of the day off 😉
O/T Apologies Stu.
There is a key fundamental difference between
Holyrood and Westminster which I suspect
is often overlooked.
Holyrood spends only Scotlands’ money,
While Westminster also spends a bundle of Scotland’s money.
Now, everyone knows that when spending your own money,
care is usually exercised at all times.
Spending someone else’s money, however,
especially without any accountability,
is usually done in a more carefree manner.
The point is attitude. Specifically the attitude of
Westminster to spending in general,
and Scotland’s money in particular,
in a situation whereby ‘free’ money i.e. someone else’s,
is always available, but no one knows how much,
except the spender.
This difference is of value because it affects
every economic and financial report produced in the UK.
The net difference is that reports sourced in Westminster
are not worth the paper they are printed on,
because they never add in the ‘carefree factor’.
Take for example, HS2 to Birmingham and Leeds.
These hugely expensive projects are entered into
in a time of galactic debt and crippling austerity,
as if they cost a pittance.
Osborne & Cameron give the impression of a ‘money’s no object’ approach.
Hence the reason why George Osborne’s report card is so abysmal.
For five years, Osborne has failed to exercise
any real fiscal care whatsoever.
He has been carefree – because he had all of Scotland’s
revenues to spend as well.
Have an Oil Fund did you say? Not when you’re spending
someone else’s cash mate.
Vote for someone who is going to take good care
of Scotland’s money.
Vote SNP.
I don’t know anyone watch Scotland 2015 and noticed Jim Murphy not once but twice said labour and the SNP have different views on a referendum, so SNP are already put the case for Scotland and another referendum this Time with Devo-Max on the ballot paper along with stay in the Union and Independence.
O/T
Capella
The full vid of Richard Murphy event is here:
youtu.be/Nwx6IqckkDQ
courtesy of Independence Live. Thanks Gerry
I live in Katy Clark’s constituency and am staggered that many labourites in poverty locally voted for No and still seem to support her. She voted or abstained against labour policy such as fracking, austerity and trident renewal…so therefore has aligned herself more closely with SNP.
If they love labour so much why vote her in? If they love her anti-party line then why vote Labour?
The answer is that many people like to believe they know more than they do, they think they already know the facts, they cling onto learned past behaviours, they are politically illiterate.
Murphy preys on this.
Stuart – fantastic contribution towards exploding Labour’s election cornerstone argument of ‘the largest party bla. bla. bla” on Kaye’s programme this morning. Well done!
Kaye Adams makes clear she does not even know how many Westminster seats Scotland has but BBC allows her to lead a major political programme.
A DISGRACE!
The ignorance of Kaye and her BBC staff is appalling as they don’t even know how many MPs are in Scotland.
Why should these people be allowed anywhere near a programme that deals with politics.
Stuart is my hero.
Perhaps Kaye with an ‘E’ will stop propagating the ‘biggest party gets to form the government’ lie.
Kezia next, then Murphy, etc etc etc
The important thing about the Rev’s call to Kaye is that she can no longer claim that she doesn’t know that the biggest party doesn’t necessarily form the government.
Now if she repeats the lie there is evidence to prove that she knows it’s a lie and we can therefore expose her all over social media as a liar.
Go on, Kaye. repeat the lie, I dare you!
BBC Radio Scotland have again broadcast Kezia Dugdale’s party political broadcast from GMS at 0840 today on the Scottish News (this time minus “the biggest party” lie).
No similar allowance is given to SNP.
We are getting butt fucked repeatedly with impunity everyone.
They don’t like it up ’em, Captain Manwaring!
So wingers – when are we gonna stop just posting comments (stating the bloody obvious) and start getting our message out to folk on the street.
I am constantly in my travels all over scotland passing on this message to visit here. Infact the majority of my family and friends (all labour) refuse to even talk to me now about it.
This is getting really frustrating and boring.
Heard Stu on call Kaye. Excellent use of the few minutes he was given – anybody listening could be in no doubt that SLAB are lying about the “largest party forms the government” point. And Kaye’s faux outrage at being accused of not doing her job properly was cringe-inducing. Stu made it absolutely clear that his comments referred to the BBC as a whole and not her personally, but closing down the conversation on the basis of an alleged “personal attack” was just a way to deflect attention from Stu’s very cogent argument.
The BBC are no longer even maintaining a pretence of balance. They got away with it during the referendum and they are now emboldened – so they take it a step further. How long before we see SLAB election leaflets with “Endorsed by the BBC” on them?
100% agree scotspine. Why isn’t someone standing up and getting pissed about this – it’s now went far too far.
Was just about to switch the radio off after the ‘news’ when that awful woman announced she was going to speak to Stuart from Wings so kept listening. She obviously got a rapid instruction in her ear to cut you off but I found it extremely suspicious that they had Simon ‘pished’ Pia all cued up in the wings.
Glamaig, very possibly a bit like the “technical hitches “that haunted any Alex Salmond interview.
How the Scottish folk in the BBBC sleep of a night puzzles me.
I’m inclined to think that a simple A5 size flyer through doors is a good way to communicate with people who don’t go online and who only read the tabloids and watch the TV for their information.
One message per flyer, in this case the obvious one that we’re all agreed with here. Anyone who says that the biggest party forms the Government is lying, with a simple image and basic figures to demonstrate this.
It only takes a few moments to absorb this simple message, even if it’s on the way to the recycling bag.
Distributing leaflets is good exercise, and gets you away from the screen, and if enough of us do it, then the message will spread.
The leaflet can be apolitical – it should state that you should vote for the party who you think will do the best for Scotland at Westminster, and leave it at that.
If Stu were to knock up such a beastie using his consummate communications skills and make it available from here, we can all print and distribute it around our neighbours.
Getting it printed costs very little in bulk too: your local printer will do you a good deal, I’m sure.
And printing the Wings logo and website address might annoy enough people that the press will create a storm!
@Silverfox says: 17 March, 2015 at 1:37 am:
” … It’s actually a very clever twist aimed at the less well-informed, die hard don’t-like-change Labour voter … “
I had to have a wee smile at your description of, “yer actual Labour supporter”, Silverfox. A dictionary definition of, “die hard don’t-like-change”, can be resolved to just one single English word and that word is, “conservative”.
Dear God , who is the twit from OZ on the Wright Stuff?
A nice we plug for Miliband – honesty? Integrity ? over his announcement of ” No coalition with the SNP” a statement of something NEVER going to happen is lauded as Honesty ? Really?
Hope someone posts an excerpt of the Rev. from the radio show smackdown. Mind, hardly a fair match of intellects!
Good grief, Jim Murphy is like a robot whose sound function is caught in a perpetual loop. It’s like he is so proud of learning a single sentence that he feels the need to repeat it at every opportunity.
I rarely watch BBC news anymore and am not surprised that this still goes on. Really quite sickening.
What I find most alarming and disconcerting, is the increasing regularity with which Murphy gets air time on the BBC.
It seems as though BBC Scotland are the public relations firm for Labour in Scotland.
The SNP need to adopt the Labour tactic of putting out a new press release every other day.
The SNP put out multiple press releases every day scotsbob, if you have a look on their website you’ll see them. Funnily enough, they rarely get picked up by the media – odd that?
scotsbob
“The SNP need to adopt the Labour tactic of putting out a new press release every other day”
Not being critical of you, but so far as I can see by looking at the SNP website that (at a minimum) is exactly what they do.
The problem is that the BBC and MSM’s institutional unionism is not merely a megaphone for SLAB lies, it also is a mechanism for supression of what the SNP says.
That is why the actions of Rev Stu and others are so important, but it is not that the SNP are not trying hard but rather that the BBC etc. can-and do-decide what issues are broadcast.
There is probably no active unionist/SLAB conspiracy at the BBC-but it is stuffed with anti-SNP types who need no further instructions. It is the repeated cloning of unionists by the BBC that achieves their unionist ends.
Kaye took it personally because she is so used to having the last word, plus she never allows anyone to challenge her Labour buddies with anything like rigour. She is like an open door for those who want to savage the Scottish Govt. Biased, untalented and on far too long.
Stu was bang on. Honest, forthright, factual and said it straight.
She was a rabbit blindly trapped in headlights – finally dashing off the tarmac onto safer Slabs
Heard Kezia yet again repeat the “oft repeated lie” about the largest party etc etc without any challenge from Garry Robertson. Why does BBC (Scotland??)employ such compliant interviewers? Sorry that is a stupid question!Their agenda is all too clear.
News that Kirsty Wark was replacing Sarah Smith is hardly tempting enough to coax me to return to that dire programme. We all know Kirsty’s agenda is firmly entrenched in the SCOTLAB camp. Later on we had Kaye with an E, once again allowing, without any challenge, the largest party canard. Missed Stuart who was on next but will doubtless hear more of this in due course. Kaye was quite offended when challenged and vigorously denied that “she was the BBC”
She certainly sounds like she is in with the bricks and the thought that she is on for twice as much time as before is depressing. Her ignorance of core Scottish politics is concerning.
Just read Lallands Peat Worrier’s piece on why Scotland cannot secede from the UK.
I can’t stop laughing.
My wife really did spill her coffee.
Essentially, he feels it legally impossible because Scotland is not colonised, or suffering oppression by a dominant state.
He told this in a lecture to a group of ‘honours’ students – no groundlings they.
Good as he is at pointing up Labour’s hypocrisy, I suggest he thinks again, and thinks harder. Being proficient in international constitutional law does not necessarily mean being politically sharp.
Could he be the same who lambasted a few on Wings some time back for daring to cross examine him on another subject. Anyhow, he has discovered a strain for comedy.
Let’s have more.
Hardly anybody watches these programmes – mostly just political activists and members. Most of them are now SNP supporters. Most of them know its a lie.
You could spend all day with the general public looking for someone who had watched any of it.
Many of the general public now also recognise that the BBC bias is continuous
The printed media is more damaging – but it is presently showing signs of being confused
Campaigns round the doors,leafletting and canvassing in the towns and villages are more telling.
Accounts. Hold Westminster to account – their feet to the fire.
It is only since the SNP got into power in Holyrood the Scottish Accounts have been published on the Official Scottish Gov website. Westminster said they could not publish separate accounts. (They still do it’s a lie) The Scottish Accounts are not complete because Corp tax for commercial activities in Scotland go through London HQ’s. How much? How much tax evasion? These will also be Scottish receipts. Unionist Parties in Scotland actually hid the accounts for Scotland in the Scottish Office. Kept them secret from the people they were supposed to represent. Thatcher and her henchmen lied. ‘This must be kept secret’, written in her own handwriting. Some Ministers resigned. The McCrone Report . Westminster secrecy and lies. Using the Offcial Secrets Act to lie to the electorate.
The taxes raised in Scotland are £54Billion+ – Official Scottish Gov website. The taxes raised in the UK £466Billion – the Official UK Gov website. (Pro rata Scotland raises more) The taxes raised
in the rest of the UK £412Billion (£90Billion borrowed).
In 2010 when the ConDems came to power taxes raised in the UK were £600Billion (£120Billion borrowed). The tax receipts have fallen drastically.
Scotland could do better with fiscal autonomy/Independence. Scotland would be £10Billion better off with different economic policies. Enough to eradicate poverty in Scotland.
@Grouse Beater. I stopped following him, because I just didn’t like the tenor of his pieces.
I was not convinced he was actually reading and analysing what was going on, and felt confused at what his points were.
So, Scotland has not been oppressed???
‘Twit from OZ on the Wright Stuff’, former ‘Neighbour’. A Labour plant.
on the subject of sound quality again, it is very easy to process a sound file to enhance the sound intensity (as is done for adverts to make them sound louder without actually increasing the volume) or conversely decrease the sample rate to kinda muffle it. Have a listen out. Sadly it would be a full time job to come up with quantifiable evidence.
@gillie says:17 March, 2015 at 9:40 am:
” … Where do the BBC find these people”
Daft question, Gillie, they find them in the Scottish branch of the London Labour party.
Rev. Stu. David Henderson isn’t a wet behind the ears Bbc Journalist…. And he ain’t unbiased. Some years ago he interviewed Annie Lennox …….near the end of the interview he asked her if she thought the discussion around the constitution was “akin to navel gazing” as I recall he’s a trained lawyer. If Murphy walked over him whilst David valiantly tried to stop him. There’s no doubt in my mind that’s exactly how David would want it.
O/T: According to health experts, an extra 126,000 UK citizens will have died in the period 2006-2015 as a direct result of the revised policy .
http://caltonjock.com/2015/03/16/government-caves-in-to-big-business-food-standards-abandoned-many-condemned-to-an-early-death/
Scottish THE SUN editorial, “May 8, Scots influence in Westminster will be good for Britain.”
England’s THE SUN, “It would be madness”
Run up to May 7 is just BBC massive attack on Scottish democracy and vote SLab pressure.
SNP clearly being shut down and out, so publicity like poster campaigns go now, Murphy’s creepy visage, his bare faced lying, along side straight forward fact, now!
Let Scottish voters make their minds up because that’s all there is left.
@Sinky says:17 March, 2015 at 9:43 am:
” … Simon Pia saying its a choice between two kitchen’s Cameron or two kichen’s Miliband. Tweedledee and tweedledum”.
Aided and abetted, of course, by Tweedledem. With the sum total always ending with the same result. A government of the people, chosen by the people to rule over the people by, “The Establishment”.
Oh dear – in an aside I mentioned ‘CIA’ and ‘drugs@ in the same essay – and hey presto, I get a hit from… erm, their central office.
http://wp.me/p4fd9j-15z
I’d like to see everyone vote for this before the General Election http://38d.gs/1zzrP1t So please get voting now.
Wark is a complete phoney, a has-been and a ham actress, brain fade set in long ago. I watched her interview Mark Rylance who played Thomas Cromwell, she practically peed herself with excitement and her facial expressions while Rylance was talking were quite incredible, the Caper Hoose wasn’t in it. It’s time-up for the slab lovvies and they resent it big-time.
I am literally shaking with anger and emotion after watching that slimy Creepy Jim get his belly tickled by Wark. Don’t they know that history will judge them for the pernicious liars and propagandists that they are 🙁
Let me get this straight.
last week’s FMQ’s, Nicola Sturgeon’s responded to Deputy Dug’s charge that SNP voted against Labour’s motion on austerity:
It calls on the Government to take an approach that involves “reductions in public spending”. In other words, in the House of Commons last week Labour voted for further cuts to be imposed on Scotland. It is because the SNP does not propose cuts that we did not vote for Labour’s austerity motion in the House of Commons.”
This morning Kezia went on radio and stated again that the SNP had voted against labours motion on Austerity?
Keiza needs to go back to school as she is in dire need of further education!
A) she is selectively deaf unless Calamity Jim is telling her what to say
B) Clearly Does not understand the workings of parliment
C) Does not believe what the First Minister told her therefore making our FM out to be a liar.
These people are morally bankrup and beneath contempt.
“So let me get this straight … Jim Murphy says that the largest party gets to form the government (likely in practice) … along comes Wings, aha! The rules actually say it isn’t the biggest party but the incumbent party, gotcha! Which is … also the Tories (&LDs)… back to the drawing board, Rev!”
Try to pay attention, thicky. We’ve been over this about 20 times. The incumbent gets first go. But neither first go nor being the biggest party counts for anything if you can’t win a majority in a confidence vote. If you’re the biggest party but can’t command enough votes, you don’t get to be the government. If you’re NOT the biggest party but you CAN get support from others in a confidence vote, you form the government.
Do we need to dumb that down any more for you? I know there are still some three-syllable words in there, I can try drawing a picture with crayons if it’d help.
@Ken MacColl says:17 March, 2015 at 10:35 am:
” … She certainly sounds like she is in with the bricks and the thought that she is on for twice as much time as before is depressing. Her ignorance of core Scottish politics is concerning”.
Indeed she does and her knowledge of corsets, which she is now on about, seems to vastly outstrip her knowledge of Scottish politics. Mind you she claims she knows nothing about corsets either. Makes you wonder just what her forte really is?
For the people talking about legal challenges to the BBC, there are a couple of things to bear in mind.
1. The Scottish Parliament can do nothing. I tried setting up a petition for them to do something and immediately was told that it was a reserved matter.
2. Asking Westminster to do something is irrelevant. Labour and Tory politicians are not going to go out of their way to expose anti-indy bias by the BBC.
3. What we *might* do – and I’ve suggested this in a few places already with no-one giving any reasons why it *couldn’t* work – is launch a breach of contract claim; promised goods (i.e. fair, accurate and impartial news reporting) were paid for but not delivered.
If we pursued this route, we don’t need to demonstrate malice and, since it’s a civil case, we don’t even have to prove it beyond reasonable doubt. We only have to show that on balance, the coverage has been unbalanced.
We can call pretty much every journalist, editor, producer and manager in BBC News to explain themselves. We can call all the Labour politicians that have married into Pacific Quay to give their side. We can call DGs past and present along with their comrades in the CBI to explain that relationship. We can call Professor Robertson to give his expert opinion. And best of all, we could call Tony Blair to explain the political project of nixing the Scottish Six.
A reasonable jury can’t fail to see our point, but a case like this would be more important in two ways: firstly, if we won then everyone in Scotland would be entitled to a refund of their licence fee for whatever period we chose to make our case around (my guess would be 2007-present); and secondly, the mainstream media would pretty much have to report on the case. Tony Blair showing up to testify about BBC bias in Scotland is a significant story. The BBC itself would be shameful not to cover it and the other media organisations would be negligent not to.
Who’s willing to help organise such a thing?
Valerie: I stopped following him, because I just didn’t like the tenor of his pieces.
He uses the Ukraine as an example. He seems to lack the basic skill of reversing a political situation and then thinking about the consequences that will arise. Ukraine is in the position it is in now because the west reneged on promises to the Russians to keep NATO and its weaponry away from its borders.
heedtracker says:
Scottish THE SUN editorial, “May 8, Scots influence in Westminster will be good for Britain.”
England’s THE SUN, “It would be madness”
The papers have different editors – they are allowed a degree of independence and often take different positions.
The Scottish sun has always given the SNP a fair shout.
Obviously there is a bit of playing to their audiences for sales purposes.
@Silverfox
“I’ve always understood ‘the biggest party wins’ to mean ‘if they’ve got less than 50% of the vote, they get first shot at a coalition etc’. Kirsty W (and im not a fan!) and others do allude to this.”
Actually, as far as I understand it, the ‘constitutional conventions’ mean that the biggest party is irrelevant. If no-one gets over 50%, then it’s the current Prime Minister who gets first shot at a coalition.
Gordon Brown didn’t leave Downing Street until five days after the election, in 2010.
No Fred MacAuley now, but a double helping of Kay(e)?
Reminds me of being in school, third year. A group of us decided not to go to the school dance, being held in the afternoon (shyness, not having any decent gear to wear, ideological objections to the music then popular etc).
Deputy headie found us in the playground.
Agreed that we had the right not to attend the dance. 🙂 Took us to an empty classroom and gave us a double-period of Algebra. 🙁
@ Lollysmum
Thanks for link. That’s my day’s entertainment fixed, with Nicola’s speech at the LSE too!
I rarely watch those dreadful political slots on the telly. They just make me upset and angry and frustrated that there’s very little I can do about them. Part of that frustration arises from the knowledge that so many of my countrymen are brain dead and continue to vote Labour in spite of all the evidence that Labour is screwing them on a daily basis.
I just go onto Freeview channel 64 of an evening nowadays as I refuse to allow myself to be insulted any more, and prefer old re-runs of Star Trek to establishment lies. BBC Scotland and STV are nothing short of a disgrace. I really hope we do well in May and slaughter the Unionists. I really want to see them writhe.
Stu,
‘ I can try drawing a picture with crayons if it’d help.’
Oooh, yes please!
@ Kenny
I am willing to donate generously to such an effort.
I can’t unfortunately be identifiably politically active though due to my employment though ( There goes GCHQ digging into my background then)
@Kevin Evans, a lot of us on here do what you do.
I like many others on here were out day after day canvassing. leafleting, at the polling stations at the count during the indy ref.
And a lot of us are continuing to give up our spare time for the GE also, so you are not alone.
I am on here to get more information to dish out.
I don’t watch/listen to any BBC political shows as my blood pressure couldn’t stand it.
So the Rev and others do it on my behalf.
@scotspine – I think a lot of people might be in similar circumstances. A case like this would almost certainly attract dirt-digging. We need someone who’s not afraid to be doorstepped and ideally has no skeletons in any closets (or at least is utterly shameless abotu the ones they do have.)
I am a great believer that the easiest way to understand something is to simplify the problem. So for the issue of the biggest party forms the government I use this example.
Imagine parliament had 10 seats and only 3 parties. After an election Party A has 4 seats and Parties B & C have 3 each. Neither Party B nor Party C is prepared to work with Party A but they are prepared to work together. They have a combined total of 6 seats and the biggest party has 4. In this scenario Jim Murphy wants us to believe a party that will be out-voted 100% of the time will form the government instead of 2 parties with a built-in majority.
Simple
Spleen-alert.
I missed the Murphy Show because I’ve all but given up on Newsnight when The Wark’s in the chair. “Aw naw,” I’m heard to murmur, when the fear is confirmed by the EPG.
Her hubris, faux-pushy and presumptous interviewing technique still leaves her Paxo-lite. Watch her classic use of timing on those trans-Atlantic links, destroying the flow completely with premature interjections. I am bald because of that Kirsty.
Name-checked in The Thick Of It for visiting her Gran in Killie, I wish she’d actually go see Granny more regularly and leave the Newsnight Chair open for someone more rigorously determined to get to the truth. We’ve lost that now though in the Age Of Media where the taxi meter is running on every interview – just check how often C4 News cuts short interviews at the crux. And here’s Liam with the weather… (We like Liam BTW).
And finally…
Her diction is only a couple of marbles short of sounding like an alki mother (not mine, but I’ve known a few).
Bake off Kirsty, eh, and geez peace.
——————
Believers 45, Collaborators 55.
But the tide is turning and the dream shall never die.
Kirsty, Kirsty, why don’t you just stick to presenting arts programmes where you can wear fashionable (you like to think) clothes and hob-nob with talented and interesting folk?
Then you won’t have the embarrassment of dealing with the likes of Dim Jim or have to listen to his lies and weirdly soft voice. We all know you didn’t pick him up on the voting nonsense he endlessly repeated because you know which side your bread is buttered…but soon, my dear, you might regret it.
Kisty Wark was either complacent in the lies or is incapable of doing her job. Either way she has destroyed her career integrity. Murphy knows he is lying….so does everyone else now.
Would a way to combat the daily torrent of lies excreted over us by politicians, their apparatchiks, broadcasters and the print media not be the introduction of legislation similar to the Laws regarding Perjury Under Oath in Law Courts.
All politicians either elected, standing for election formerly elected, their apparatchiks and anybody joining a political party should be required to sign a document in the same way as The Official Secrets Act has to be signed by relevant individuals.
Said document would be a sworn undertaking to tell the truth at all times and if found to have deliberately lied it would be a criminal offence punishable by similar punishment as under the Perjury Laws. Charges would only be dropped if the individual concerned freely and unambiguously admitted to having lied and there would be a requirement that said admission receive equal publicity in all and every outlet where the original lie(s) were reported (not just the sort of hidden retractions we see in the papers).
A similar law would apply to all journalists in the broadcast and print media together with anybody who contributes to programs or publications. Said individuals would have to sign a similar declaration as the politicos etc. before being allowed to broadcast or contribute to anything in the print media.
Whether or not something similar could be made to stick as regards on-line media would be another matter.
Hope you sent this snippet (2.12) to Kaye Adams also!
Double algebra and crayons! The sun is shining!
Can Scottish labour not be interdicted and censured for knowingly providing the electorate with misleading information? Does anyone recall case of Phil Woolas?
Murphy abuses all these BBC types with the same remark …” you know this….” Its been mentioned here before on the interview with Brian Taylor last week and he hit Henderson and Wark last night with it. Its his knife in the ribs to interviewers. It is a difficult one for interviewers to but-in on, as a negative response ( like “no, I dont know” ) could make them look dopey on national TV. What we need is crowd collective thinking to send a list of responses to the Murphy “you know this ” to BBC Scotland and London News Dept interviewers.
O/T A little joke for St Patrick’s day
What’s the difference between a pint of Murphy’s irish stout and Jim Murphy ?
The pint of Murphy’s isn’t bitter !!!
Some have short memories but you’d think a former member of Labour’s cabinet would be on the ball, wouldn’t you? Thinking waaay back to 2010 when Labour were in power this was EXACTLY the situation that arose when there was a hung parliament. Of course Jim’s memory isn’t that short – he’s lying because he has his own agenda. His interests aren’t that of Scotland nor, now, even of the Labour Party. He is now using the media as a personal campaign platform, nothing else.
BBC journos are a disgrace to their profession. A good journalist, or even half decent one, will question everything in order to make their audience aware of the facts.
In this case however, the beeb do not want their audience to know, what they should already tbh. BBC’s the name, misinformation’s the game. Like WM it too is rotten to the core. The very foundations of both are at risk with a new transparent style of politics being demanded by the masses.