The restoration of faith
We should have known all along, really.
The woman who said she didn’t want to be leader but did, then said she wouldn’t quit as leader but did, then said she had no intention of quitting politics altogether, just did.
Or did she?
Dugdale’s new job is a post at Glasgow University named after former Labour leader John Smith, and her goal is to “restore faith in politics”.
That’s quite an ambition for someone who may be the most extensively-documented liar in Scottish politics, and whose most recent appearance in the press came when she was found to have defamed someone (me, as it happens) with false allegations, but was found not liable to pay damages on the grounds that she was too stupid to know what the allegations she’d made actually meant.
Her reaction to victory was to deny the case had ever been about the thing it had always been about and was obviously about – as noted in the very first paragraphs of the judgement, which deal exclusively with the issue of the definition of homophobia.
She asserted that it had in fact all been about money – a claim the sheriff had also very explicitly rejected in his judgement.
Dugdale also claimed that she didn’t regret the comments.
That was despite the sheriff unequivocally and unambiguously finding that they were entirely false, defamatory and amounted to a serious slur – something that one might imagine a person who wanted to “reassess political discourse, reset the tone of public debate and reject hatred and abuse” would have felt pretty bad about doing.
It’s interesting to speculate on how a politician might “restore faith in politics” by being caught grossly smearing a member of the public with untrue allegations – having spent hundreds of thousands of pounds of Labour members’ money (who got no say in the matter) defending and repeatedly restating the allegations – and then not only refusing to retract or apologise for them when a judge found them to be incorrect but to add more smears and untruths on top.
Readers might be forgiven for thinking that the last person capable of achieving such a restoration of political faith was someone not only so lacking in personal character, but also lacking in political skills.
(In fairness, Labour’s poll ratings are tanking so hard under Richard Leonard that it might not be too long before they again reach the abyssal 14% that Dugdale’s reign took them to.)
Readers may feel that it’s also quite bold to have “lectures and seminars on public service” delivered by a public servant who abandoned her job to appear on a celebrity TV show, and kept almost all of the money – having handily backtracked on a previous commitment to give all extra-Parliamentary earnings to charity.
Having abandoned a pledge to give all such money “on a matter of principle” to Motor Neurone Disease Scotland in order to pocket the proceeds for herself, Dugdale still felt able to weaponise the death from MND of her “best friend” Gordon Aikman when portraying herself as the victim in the court case (rather than the person who’d done something wrong and horrible but gotten away with it on a technicality).
(In her defence she protested that while she was depriving her dead mate’s charity of £65,000 she at least hadn’t had the temerity to also accept her MSP salary for the weeks she was in the jungle, scoffing down ostrich anuses and kangaroo testicles for cash instead of working for her unfortunate constituents.)
It’s always good to know the exact price of someone’s principles.
Still, we don’t want to appear churlish, so let’s see if we can finish on a positive note: Kezia Dugdale is a dreadful human being, a serial liar, a crass hypocrite, an idiot and a useless politician who’s largely responsible for the current Tory government and for Brexit, who will now no longer be funded by Scotland’s taxpayers or have any say in its laws. That’s got to be a huge plus for everyone in the country.
If our court case had any small influence on making it happen (we were told in 2017 by a very well-placed source, but cannot confirm, that Dugdale’s resignation as Scottish leader was a condition imposed by the party in exchange for their funding her defence) then however much it ends up costing we can only regard it as money well spent.
And that, we suppose, is a restoration of faith in something.
We used to call this sort of thing “jobs for the boys”
So avoid glasgow uni for politics aswell as economics
I’m still struggling to see how a remark which is judged to be defamatory can also be judged to be fair comment. Perhaps the Board of the John Smith Centre for Public Service can ask their new appointee to explain.
Just……… Fuck sake ?
Kez……. her intilect is more suited to a goldfish tank than a think tank.
Ach! Rev Stu, Ye canna mak a silk purse frae a soo’s lug. An yon ain is ae muckle soo’s lug.
[…] Wings Over Scotland The restoration of faith We should have known, really. The woman who said she didn’t want to be leader but […]
True, after all Alistair Carmichael is still living it large, despite telling porkies about the FM just before an election.
British nationalist look after their own, no matter what accounting unit they quack for.
Narcissism: Why It’s So Rampant in Politics
Narcissist politicians don’t serve the people; they serve themselves.
link to psychologytoday.com
It’s a pity that she won’t be around the Scottish parliament because every time she opened her mouth she was an embarrassment to the Labour party’s Scottish branch office.
Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out of Holyrood Kezia——-but it probably will.
Gosh that’s harsh stuff Rev. Aren’t you worried she’ll take you to court for defamation?
Can’t stop yawning, as the gravy train trundles by.
The John Smith Centre … “promotes a positive vision for representative politics and public service”.
Hmm. In a Scottish context, surveys of public opinion show the SG and SNP to be held in high regard, and Nicola Sturgeon to be a leader head and shoulders above the rest. Problems with poor standards and general mistrust in representative politics and public service lie firmly with BritNat and WM politics.
It all sounds rather like the way fake news has been dealt with. Instead of focusing on the worst offenders (mainstream newspaper and broadcast media) there is an attempt to deflect attention in another direction.
So, this John Smith Centre, what will its focus be in terms of improving trust in the political system? I’m suspicious it will be all about deflecting attention away from Establishment political parties and organisations onto ‘others’. Appointing someone like Dugdale doesn’t bode well for the ‘calling out’ of a rotten system which is desperately needed.
A con merchant in the time honoured Scottish tradition of such people; ably abetted and promoted by the iron-arsed, institutionalized hacks who comprise the unelected and unelectable Scottish-Mediocrity.
Just for interest and further info. According to the Glasgow University press release, Ms Dugdale has been appointed as “… the first full time Director of the John Smith Centre for Public Service after a rigorous and open recruitment process which attracted a strong international field.”
So what kind of person was the University and Centre looking for when making this appointment from such a ‘strong international field”? Well this was the job specification (in a recruitment process whose applications closed on 25th February this year).
(Source: link to gla.ac.uk)
“The Candidate:
The successful candidate will be well connected across UK politics, the policy think-tank community and academia.
The Director will require gravitas and outstanding communication skills to represent the Centre on an international stage, including in media appearances, and must be comfortable leading from the front in a high-profile role.
They will be entrepreneurial and have the appetite and hunger for an exciting but challenging opportunity.
They will bring ambition, innovation and drive, with the ability to develop an inspirational vision and strategy to create a new way of governing effectively that puts citizens at the heart of the policy and political process.”
tamson @ 3.03
Don’t worry apparently there’s a precedent ..
Something about an honestly held opinion!!!
Aye – but say what you REALLY think..
Stewartb @ 3.13
Gravitas…. Oh my giddy aunt….. Gravitas..
Well she keeps it very well hidden …
Woooooft!
Her wee lugs’ll be burnin aw day…
@ Liz g at 3.18
Aye, along with the “outstanding communication skills”!
Oh Jeez! 😯
‘restore faith in politics’
There was faith in how politics was practised? Really?
Kezia Dugdale might restore faith in politics by keeping well away and by encouraging other unionist lightweights cluttering Scottish political life to do likewise.
Independence is Scotland’s destiny. Unionism=Mercenary Opportunism, just like 1706/7. Enough of these spineless lackeys!
I really don’t know how the Snp has managed to get as far as they have with all our public institutions seeming to be in an invisible unionist grip. The bbc is just the most visible. Plus the large landowners. Other public sector bodies show their true colours by adopting the likes of Dugdale.
I worry about the unions. Any excuse to have a pop at Indy and Snp. Particularly since Jeremy Corbyn was appointed. We need to know who these bodies are and expose them.
Ecellent article REV!! Bang on! Dugdale is a spineless kipper. Two faced and gutless!!!!
Liar, liar. The list once again spewing out useless,lying numptie. Determined to cause people misery. The unionist Parties. On the way out.
‘Restore faith in politics’ Another lie. More likely destroy it.
she may indeed be extremely useless and what you say is all correct but by gawd you do know how to stick the boot in.
Just glad you are on our side Stu
Who were the candidates and was it open? Their credentials. More taxpayers monies troughing. Questions should be asked. Universities are liberally funded with public money. Not a Scottish HoL for retired, failed politicians as previously happened.
enjoyed every word of that
The Rev exonerated once again. Right all along.
Tomkins and Dugdale at Glasgow University? What a double act.
stewartb 3.13
To paraphrase:
“The Candidate:
The successful candidate will be well-versed and up to their neck in all forms of Tammany Hall practices, be familiar to their many affiliated cronies and have the ability to patronise to death whoever will be dense enough to listen.
The director will require a total brass neck and be able to talk total diarrhoea at high speed, thereby rendering most BS detectors inoperable.
They will be ambitious to the point of not minding in the slightest whose face they stand on in their drive for media recognition.
They will assume messianic status, eschewing any humility, or indeed any other failing of the human condition, have the A1 narcissistic wherewithal to cobble together whatever load of baloney it takes to rehash any previous defunct view that screws every man, woman and child well over, in pursuit of the discredited cult of the celebrity politician.”
FFS who writes this guff?
As a former academic, I shudder – literally – to think what dross she will impart to the students who will laugh at her.
I actually debated against her once, when I was ‘selected’ as as the voice of ‘Yes’ from an all English audience down in London.
Luckily, being used to standing in front of people, I eviscerated their debate on ‘devolution max’.
Oh how low would a university sink to use her.
@johnj says: 29 April, 2019 at 3:00 pm:
… every time she opened her mouth she was an embarrassment to the Labour party’s Scottish branch office.”
Seems to me, johnj, that the Labour Scottish Accountancy Unit is not short of members who are an embarrassment. I can think of quite a few without even trying.
@tamson says: 29 April, 2019 at 3:03 pm:
” … Gosh that’s harsh stuff Rev. Aren’t you worried she’ll take you to court for defamation?”
More likely to take him to court for information, tamson.
An excellent article that sticks the boot in where it belongs and is in my honestly held opinion more than fair comment. It is a public embarrassment for Scotland that she held the leadership post in the Scottish branch office. Mind you so was Lamont, Grey, and Murphy. In fact Labour in Scotland is just one big reddy – who still votes for them that does not have a personal interest in keeping the party going and has a modicum of intelligence.
It seems to me the site owner has a similar personality trait to myself – likes to nurture a grudge. Keep on going – Dugdale will keep on delivering more to comment on in the future – keep on sticking in the boot. It will be well deserved.
Feel sorry for Glasgow Uni. Tompkins and now Dugdale. How long until it is Prof Dugdale – laughable.
Would it be fair comment to suggest Glasgow University have effectively undermined their credibility as an impartial source of knowledge? That wouldn’t be particularly bright of the university’s management board, if true.
The Cognitive Neuroscience of Narcissism
link to imedpub.com
OT
In today’s National, Stu is front and centre of Greg Moodie’s cartoon page. Alongside Sean Connery no less.
Fame indeed.
So that’ll be the end of fair political balance coming from UofG then!
I’d feel awful shortchanged if she was teaching my course.
Good article and pretty fair comment it has to be said Stu. 😀 😀 😀
.
Yo Rev Stu.,
After this article, I love you even more.
That court case has given you, one of the finest analytical authors in Scotland, so much to get your teeth into that it has to have been worth the unpleasant experience and cost. I am happy to add another £20 to the WoS kitty and make it’s big brother Hamish purr even more???
I particularly like your contribution to Kezia’s Linkedin profile….
Kezia Dugdale is a dreadful human being, a serial liar, a crass hypocrite, an idiot and a useless politician who’s largely responsible for the current Tory government and for Brexit, who will now no longer be funded by Scotland’s taxpayers or have any say in its laws. That’s got to be a huge plus for everyone in the country.
As we Weegies are wont to say….
Kezia, Miserable Spiteful Person for the constituency of Selfselfself, GIRFUY ya bam.
Restore faith in politics? For BritNat parties, impossible.
In England the Tories are telling people Brexit has nothing to do with councils and voters shouldn’t use the election to express constitutional views.
In Scotland the Tories campaigned in council elections asking voters to express constitutional views on ‘no IndyRef2’.
Have a look at the Board. They must have made the appointment.
Ed Balls
Ruth Davidson
Baroness Smith
Andrew Wilson!
link to gla.ac.uk
On the 27 June 1746 Glasgow Uni awarded an Honorary Degree to the Duke of Cumberland
The Faculty agreed to confer the degree of Doctor of Laws on Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland (1721-1765), who commanded the British Army at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.
Same as it ever was.
Q.How can a yoon politician “rebuild faith in politics”?
A. By resigning from parliament.
Job done.
This must be one of the sickest jokes ever.
Anybody know the names of the selection panel? Follow the Money: who pays for this John Smith Think Tank? Union Subscriptios?
The Scottish Branch Branch of the Brit Nat Unionist Oligarchy at work here.
Can you imagine this woman sweeping into an auditorium to lecture students on politics?
She’ll be laughed from the room, her tail between here legs.
Scots Universities are elephant graveyards for failed/disgraced Yoon politicians. ‘Visiting professors’, heads of ‘Think Tanks’.
The corrupt evil hierarchy protecting its own.
If I were a younger man…seriously.
This is the last straw.
We are about to witness return of Supermom Davidson; cue photies of the New Madonna and Child plastered over the pages of the Dead Tree Scrolls, and in depth TV candy floss pieces with Jackie Bird in her new role cooing and oohing Davidson and sprogue.
My rage seems limitless with every new gravy train publicly funded sinecure for the Faithful Fifth Column.
Dugdale and WATP Tomkins together at last.
Shit.
Looking forward to her first interview on RScotland.
“Good morning Kezia, what do you think of Nicola Sturgeon’s performance so far?”
“Well I’m shocked that Nicola Sturgeon continues to allow MSPs to read scandalous bile spewing blogs. I mean Wings Over Scotland, of course. what an affront to standards in public life…I mean politics blah blah blah…”
Get your recording buttons ready.
READERS! For the bazillionth time – if you think a comment is unacceptable, tell me about it via the Contact form. Otherwise not only do I have to delete it when I find out about it, I have to trawl through the entire sodding thread deleting every reply and reference to it, otherwise they make no sense. Which is a right pain in the arse.
And that as they say is fair comment and clearly honestly held beliefs. Hard to argue with any of it.
Gravitas? Gravitas?
.
Jesus Wept!
And, BobbyP, I am not superstitious.
If we’re playing ‘holier than thou’. 🙂
Principles of Social Psychology – 1st International Edition
11. Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Reducing Discrimination
link to opentextbc.ca
@BLiS___d
Brexit discriminates against Scotland as a nation. Are you Scottish or are you Tories?
The establishment looks after it own,
she somehow gets away scot free from defaming someone by the establishment Scottish Law Society,
then gets a cushie wee job doing f@ck knows what by the establishment controled higher education system,
Jim Murphy got a job with Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) an organisation that works to prevent and resolve conflict through informal dialogue and mediation,
charities and think tanks are just a way to give establishment shills a pay day,
fricken rotten to the core.
Good riddance to her, Holyrood will not miss her one little bit.
It’s okay to lie (and still have that lie called a ‘leak’ by the press) about something the FM didn’t say in order to get yourself voted into power as long as it’s said AGAINST an SNP FM. Alistair Carmichael (and obviously Fluffy too, because there’s NO WAY he didn’t know about it)
It’s okay to slander someone and have a judge find that it WAS libellous and untrue as long as that person is a blogger who supports independence. Kezia Dugdale.
Justice ONLY extends to unionists…
Apparently Glasgow Uni was the 2nd last university in the western world to admit women into the student union bars, sometime in the early 70’s I think.
Fortunately for me I was never at it but spent some years living in the area around it. Seemed to me there was always a right wing undertone to its ethos and now it’s clear that with its taking on the likes of Tomkins and Dugdale on its gravy train it’s a conveyor belt designed to turn out good little britnats.
GU should be publicly criticised at all any and all opportunities.
And Glasgow University have the nerve to complain about the effect of Brexit on EU students, concerns at the UK not allowing visas and the £30 K income limit and then they appoint a Brexit supporting labour puppet!!!
Well a plague on them
The university deserve the worst of Brexit
You really could not make this stuff up
Glasgow University credibility rating reaches zero.
Another political jobsworth. Next things you know she’ss be telling folk she is a professor emeritus (a title handed out like sweeties by Glasgow university.
Just what is it with these universities giving cushy jobs to utterly useless and untalented ex-politicians?
Seeing as KD was found to have defamed but was too thick to understand her wrongdoing, here’s some philosophy on cognitive bias.
Predictably Wrong
link to lesswrong.com
Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, principal of Glasgow University, said
“Her background as one of Scotland’s most prominent and respected politicians will be invaluable in making a success of this important new position and bring tremendous insights in her academic work with our students,
is he for real…unbelievable
o/t
does anyone have a txt copy of the image detailing scotlands resourses?
eg
33% of beef herd
60% of uk gas
etc
Interesting glasgo uni’s unionist credentials come the fore. Did lordy foulkes or dame smith help?
No wander Scottish education is getting a bad rep
Al-Stuart. 4.18pm. Kezias SNP burd seems to like her.
Old article from 2008, assuming this is the same institute
Smith Institute links to Labour breached charity laws
A think-tank with close links to Gordon Brown has been found to have breached charity law by getting involved in party politics.
link to archive.fo
She’s going to do what ?
“restore faith in politics”. LOl. ROFL. PMSL.
She could help by keeping right out of politics and sticking to the entertainment industry – perhaps doing stand-up.
That would silence most of the laughing.
I actually read that as “delivering smears on politics…”, now why would that be? Guid riddance tae bad bruck.
Kirsteen Hair, Stephen Kerr and referee man will all be raising a glass to Kez for her help in getting them elected.
Nana @ 5:20 pm
Re- “Old article from 2008, assuming this is the same institute …”
I am fairly certain these are two different organisations. The one you are referring to MAY be this one: http://www.smith-institute.org.uk. An altogether ‘higher profile’ organisation based at Somerset House, London no less!!
The students at Glasgow Uni will be able to rip the piss at will against her!
JMD@4.54pm
Didn’t they have a separate men’s union and a women’s union (called Queen Margaret) in the recent past. A Union named after a Royal !!!!!!!!!!!!
Expect to see Dugdale as the “impartial” guest on every BBC and STV political programme from now on.
The centre’s chairperson, Catherine Smith – who is John Smith’s daughter – said the director’s post had attracted many talented potential candidates.
“We are absolutely delighted that someone of Kezia’s calibre will be joining us as the first full time Director of the John Smith Centre for Public Service after a rigorous and open recruitment process which attracted a strong international field,” she said.
“We are very much looking forward to working with her as she leads our strategic, research and outreach activities and takes the Centre to the next stage of its development.”
Well blow me eh???
@ SC – Petra posted the figures. Here is a copy and the web address may be in here somewhere – it’s a long post – sorry wouldn’t post so have divided it and try again:
SCOTLAND WITH ONLY 9% OF THE UK POPULATION HAS:
32% of the land area.
61% of the sea area.
90% of the fresh water.
65% of the natural gas production
96.5% of the crude oil production.
47% of the open cast coal production
81% of the untapped coal reserves
62% of the timber production
46% of the total forest area
92% of the hydro electric production
40% of the wind wave and solar energy production
60% of the fish landings
30% of the beef herd
20% of the sheep herd
9% of the dairy herd
10% of the pig herd
15% if the cereal holdings
20% of the potato holdings
90% of the whisky industry
SCOTLAND WITH ONLY 1% OF EUROPES POPULATION HAS:
25% of Europes tidal energy
25% of wind power
10% of wave energy
Over 60% of EU oil production (largest oil reserve in the EU)
33% of the EUs total hydrocarbon production
WE HAVE A:
17 billion pound construction industry
13 billion food and drink industry
10 billion business services industry
9.3 billion chemical services industry
9.3 billion tourism industry
7 billion financial services industry
5 billion aeroservice industry
4.5 billion pound whisky exports industry
3.1 billion pound life sciences industry
And 350 million pounds worth of textile exports
Part 2 – it was Youtube links preventing post:
Scotland also has the the greatest level of the highest educationally qualified adults in Europe.
link to independent.co.uk
OUR WHISKY INDUSTRY ACCOUNTS FOR 25% OF THE WHOLE OF THE UK FOOD AND DRINK INDUSTRY
OUR OIL IS WORTH OVER ONE POINT FIVE TRILLION AND THAT’S NOT COUNTING THE LATEST OIL FIELD FOUND OFF THE EAST COAST IN OCTOBER 2014 AND POTENTIAL FORTHCOMING OIL BOOM OFF THE WEST COAST. NOR DOES IT INCLUDE THE 7 STOLEN OILFIELDS.
Experts state forthcoming oil boom off Scotlands West Coast …. Kevin Forbes 2014
link to youtube.com %2Fyoutu.be%2FcsY43qV4JdA+
The Accounting trick that hides Scotlands Wealth.
link to businessforscotland.co.uk
How wealthy is Scotland in comparison to England?
link to youtube.com
Rest of the post Terry. You’ve probably read some of this before but there may be something here that you could use.
Reason for poverty in the UK. The UK is in the top 4 most inequitable countries in the developed World. UK fat cats are greedier than EU fat cats.
Income inequality in the UK
link to youtube.com
Wealth inequality in the UK
link to youtube.com
Scottish Independence: When the oil runs out?
link to youtube.com
Renewables:
• Renewable energy currently supports over 11,000 jobs in Scotland (Scottish Renewables, January 2014).
• The Scottish Government has an ambitious but achievable target for renewable energy in Scotland to generate the equivalent of 100 per cent of gross annual electricity consumption and 11 per cent of heat consumption by 2020.
• Renewable generation in Scotland is enough to power the equivalent of every household in Scotland.
• Boosting renewable energy will also make a significant contribution to a sustainable economy.
Wave and tidal energy:
• Scotland has an estimated 25% of Europe’s tidal potential and 10% of its wave potential.
• The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) celebrated ten years of real-sea experience in 2013. There have been more grid-connected marine energy converters deployed at EMEC than at any other single site in the world and the centre remains the world’s only accredited marine energy laboratory.
• The Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters is the site of the world’s first commercial scale leasing round for marine energy.
• The Crown Estate, which owns the sea bed, has awarded leases for just over 1.6 gigawatts of marine projects in the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters – potentially enough to power 750,000 households.
•The Saltire Prize is the world’s largest prize for marine energy innovation.
Wind:
• Onshore wind power has recently overtaken hydro power as the most common form of renewable energy in Scotland.
• Figures published in June 2013 show wind generation in the first quarter of 2013 reached a record high, up by 11.5% year on year.
• Scotland boasts 25% of Europe’s offshore wind resources.
Hydro.
• Scotland was the one of the first countries in the world to harness electricity from its waters. That legacy is still visible – Scotland’s ambitious hydro building programme in the 1950s and 1960s resulted in infrastructure which still produces electricity today.
• More hydro schemes are in the pipeline and the Scottish Hydropower Resource Study found that there could be as much economically viable untapped hydropower potential to power a quarter of Scotland’s homes.
North Sea oil and gas
• On an internationally comparable basis Scotland is estimated to have the largest oil reserves in the European Union, accounting for nearly 60 per cent of total EU reserves.
• Since the 1970s, over 40 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) have been extracted from the UK Continental Shelf. However, the remaining oil and gas reserves on the UKCS are substantial, for example, Oil and Gas UK estimate that up-to 24 billion barrels of oil and gas equivalent can still be recovered from the UKCS as a whole.
• The North Sea still produces 1.5 million boe a day and Oil & Gas UK estimates that production could reach 2 million boe a day by 2017. In 2011, Scotland accounted for over 60% of EU oil production and approximately a third of EU total hydrocarbon production.
• Oil and gas production is estimated to have contributed around £22 billion to Scottish GDP in 2012 – making it the largest industrial sector in Scotland by a large margin.
• Since 1976, the UK Government has raised approximately £180 billion in direct tax revenue from oil and gas production. Adjusted for inflation, this is equivalent to approximately £300 billion at 2012-13 prices.
• In 2011-12 alone, oil and gas production in Scottish waters generated £10.6 billion in tax revenues, the second highest nominal level of tax revenue in the past 25 years.
• The Scottish Government Oil and Gas Analytical Bulletin (11 March 2013) found that given recent trends in investment and prices, the oil and gas industry could generate between £41 and £57 billion in tax revenue over the six years to 2017-18.
• The industry provides employment for around 200,000 people across Scotland both directly in the industry and by supporting jobs in other sectors of the economy.
@ SC – Part 2 may appear some time soon – it’s in moderation, maybe because there are a lot of links in it. Will check back soon.
Cubby @ 5.45
Queen Margaret was a Scottish Queen when we were independent and also is a saint.
I think this was one candidate’s interview for that job!
link to twitter.com
Just seen an inspiring STV report which mentioned that she sucked as a politician, sucked as a celebrity and was recently involved in a high profile court case. Report went on to address the first two and had nothing at all to say about the third. As per.
“Kezia Dugdale is a dreadful human being, a serial liar, a crass hypocrite, an idiot and a useless politician who’s largely responsible for the current Tory government and for Brexit” I seriously hope you believe that to be honestly held.
keza to glesga uni
– an image comes to mind of cracks opening in the earth, flames engulfing gilmorehill
– like the ending of Lanark (if I remember it right)
– Alasdair Gray might enjoy the joke
jobs for the boys, and thankless tasks
unthank, indeed
the yooni admitted women to the GUU (the mens’ union, QM being the womens) only in 1980 – a day celebrated for many years as
THE DAY OF SHAME
GUU used to show porn at lunchtime, the Fred Quimby society
Does that mean she’ll become one of the political experts on the msm.
Thank the gods I don’t watch tv news.
Does Glasgow Uni really rate her as competent and worthy of such a post? Blimey. I wonder who her congregation of believers will be. She wants to, ‘Rebuild faith in politics’!
You really could not make it up could you. ‘Director of the John Smith centre for public service’. It’s just another slap in the face for decency and truth in politics is what it is!
Sickening.
Kezia Dugdale on the academic staff of Glasgow University is like putting a donkey in the Derby.
That’s me been a bit too busy again, so there’s a post in moderation in case folk are interested (5:50pm), re. KD, the vunerable and a “capabilities approach” to SOCIAL EXCLUSION IN THE EU.
let’s see if we can finish on a positive note: Kezia Dugdale is a dreadful human being, a serial liar, a crass hypocrite, an idiot and a useless politician
Hahahahaha 🙂 Class.
Fair comment Stu – Fair comment. Can’t be sued for holding an honestly held belief now – can you?
Nice wee puff piece on the BBC 6-o’clock News, with Red Toerag Sarah Smith patting easy questions at Blue Toerag Colonel Ruth.
They really now have stopped even trying to maintain the BBC’s image of impartiality. It is a full-on tool of British EStablishment propaganda.
I would like to hear what justification The BBC had to include an interview with Untruth Ruth on tonight’s pm National (UK) News.
I was there at the time when the Beer Bar was male only. GU was a hotbed of Consevatism enlivened by the various leftie groups who hated each other more than they hated the Tories.
.
Looks like things haven’t changed much
all ripping the pish aside – that’s a top job and it should have been advertised openly and the recruitment done, all above board
– who were the other candidates?
– what were their CVs like?
– did keza really win this plum job on merit?
– what is her CV like?
– what are her publications and citations?
– who were the interview panel?
– and lets see their notes?
it looks to me like a scooby doo mystery, ready to unravel.
its the clever thing about our politics – it is seen as being NOT corrupt
– but the payoff comes AFTER you leave it
kexas first publication will probably be a colouring-in book
Superb presentation of information Rev that displays the hypocrisy and duplicity of this individual….is this Think Tank that she is joining different from other Think Tanks whose collective remit seem to be influencing opinion as opposed to reflecting opinion…asking for a friend ?
Funny how Claire Fox from a Think Tank joined a political party i.e. The Brexit Party and Keiza left a political party to join a Think Tank….and then there is those so called ‘impartial’ journalists joining political parties as communications directors/press officers AND in some cases joining political parties as politicians…where will it all end up for them? ….those so called ‘impartial’ journalists…well I’m thinking …..a Think Tank …..talk about joining up the dots…..when the hell will it all end aaarrggghhh……the distinction between all of them is wafer thin nay invisible LOL !
My oh my career progressions seem to follow a pattern do they not. BLOL !
Well worth having look at the BBC re-introduction puff piece for Ruth Davidson. A stream of inaccurate facts totally unchallenged. The BBC is now in full get Ruth as FM mode, in fact I believe she may already have the postal vote totals for 2021 in her grasp.
Just to say that is the BBC Scotland puff piece, there was also a London version that was even more spew inducing.
Doubt it
Another BBC Scotland puff piece for Ruth Davidson surely could have waited until the Tory conference. Did she accept Baby Box? Was she reminded of latest polls which show Tories on 16 per cent when making delusional claims that she will win next Holyrood elections?. No of course not9
Davidson as FM get a grip
Kez Salary?
BBC Shortbread news wheeled out Colonel Rape Clause Ruth Davidson on its 6pm slot, much to the delight of wee short arms Brian Taylor, who, wriggled in orgasmic delight as Ruth stated repeated no to Scottish independence forever and ever.
Also why wasn’t Cole Hamilton challenged on whether alcohol duty should be devolved to Scottish Parliament when wanting to increase the minimum price? Of course not as everything in MSM is seen from a Unionist perspective
I too have just watched a clip of a BBC interview with Ruth Davidson. She sounds quite menacing. Haven’t done a fact check but she says:
1 Nicola Sturgeon signed the Edinburgh Agreement and she
promised to respect the result for a generation
2 Nicola Sturgeon’s test for a referendum was that a majority of
Scots would want it.
3 Only 15% of Scots want a referendum within her timescale of 2
years.
4 The majority of Scots don’t want it.
Ruth is going to be the voice of the silent majority – like Trump.
Sounded like Brian Taylor interviewing but not challenging.
link to bbc.co.uk
You just could not make this up – its just labour trying to get rid of the dear Kez at any price. What it tells the rest of us – is it’s not what you know or how clever and articulate you are it is who you know, or how much who you know will pay to see you depart. It is a real worry that she might ever tutor or give lectures to young minds. She is completely incompetent but she did carry the poison chalice for a short time so labour owes her.
Ofcom just held up a complaint against Andrew Neil, another serial liar and Carmichael of course but the unionists will pay any price to protect their foot soldiers. Now we have the blatantly biased bbc bigging up ruthie for FM – five days before their conference which will be live on BBC1. But please remember we the bbc are ‘impartial’.
Thank goodness for wings and the internet.
Great appointment from Glasgow Uni. I always say you learn more from your mistakes than you do from your successes, so just think how knowledgeable Kezia Dugdale must now be.
As for Ruth Davidson, hopefully Peter Smith will start badgering her about her plans to avert Tory austerity.
You get the feeling with Ruth Davidson that were she ever to discover that she had given an accurate fact or figure by accident one day, she would immediately implode.
Capella @ 6.56 PM
Point 1. In RD’s reply she seemed say that the actual Agreement said that there would not be another indyref for a generation. At least that is what it sounded like to me.
Two minutes back and she is lying through her teeth at every opportunity and no one pulls her up on it.
Talking about Tory accuracy…(Lol) I wonder why BBC Scotland forgot to mention that @Ofcom rules against @BBCPolitics after @afneil falsely claimed one-in-five Scottish schoolchildren were “illiterate” during Alex Salmond interview and slams BBC for its post-false-claim dissembling
link to t.co
ei
So now we know, the ‘all-powerful’ Ruth Davidson with her claimed personal influence on the PM of a Tory Government in Westminster – that the people of Scotland didn’t vote for – has spoken! Majorities in democratic elections in Scotland can be achieved by a party or parties that have a second indyref in their manifestos as often as we like and we can have this position endorsed in the Holyrood Parliament but it matters not a jot.
Ms Davidson has spoken: she has stated she will seek a veto and by implication, overturn the Claim of Right. No ifs, no buts – she will work to ensure that no UK Tory PM will ‘allow’ a second indyref … ever.
And in the face of such an extreme, outrageous, anti-democratic, colonialist position (and one counter to a prior Davidson statement, as best I can recall), the challenge coming from the BBC political editor conducting the interview on behalf of the BBC viewers of its flagship national news programme was what? Absolutely, deafeningly NONE! The BBC providing a ‘public service’ – what a joke!
More on the Ofcom ruling against Andrew Neil.
The “Functionally illiterate” description came from a Tory, was repeated by Andrew Neil on programme and then repeated as truth by Ruth Davidson in Scottish parliament. This is how pernicious lies become accepted as truth.
More in The National.
Failed Unionist politicians always manage to land plum jobs?
Facts on Scotland’s NHS here:
link to snp.org
Facts on Scotland’s education here:
link to snp.org
It’s time we started rebutting the false claims made by Unionists in the press, radio and on TV as we can’t rely on our fearless broadcasters to do so.
Davidson is another Remainer that has decided that leaving is just OK with her now, and leaving on a terrible deal for Scotland. It would seem she can change her opinion but when Scotland returns a majority of MSP’s (and MP’s) that want to ask Scotland again, the Scots are not going to get another say, if it is up to her.
I actually believe she thinks she is the real FM, ruling out the votes of the Scottish Parliament. She seems to interpret that 36.9% was a mandate for a EU referendum but 46.5% is not a mandate for an Indyref.
As people have said, she is not a real politician but a PR creation to voice the will of London Tories at Holyrood, Holyrood version of David Mundell (Our Man in Havana).
BBC announce she is the only party leader to give birth in office, they forget that she is not an actual party leader but merely the branch office manager. Facts and the BBC, maybe they use ‘The Kezia’ a fact checker service based on your own interpretation of what words mean.
Legerwood at 7:18
Aye, I heard her say that as well before I took myself out of earshot of the TV. She’s as big a liar as Kezia, there is no such ‘promise’ not to revisit the referendum. For future reference the full text is here: link to assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
Possibly Ruth and all her Yoon chums should be constantly reminded of Paragraph 29 where the rules of purdah are clearly stated – ignored to allow The Vow!
A new post was created. For whom I wonder? Mmhh!
Interesting to see that the late John Smith’s wife is on the Board. Friend of Gordon Brown. Gordon Brown friend of Kezia Dugdale. Talk about “oh what a tangled web we weave.”…
Wrong move for Ms Dugdale methinks. It’s not just visitors to this site that are aware of her background. Her future colleagues and many of her students will be too.
They, at the John Smith Centre, say that “politics is now a discredited and disrespected process” and they aim to do something about it. Pretty ironic taking Dugdale on board, don’t you think? And how will that work out offering the Directorship to someone who clearly detests the SNP, a political party that represents around 50% of the Scottish population?
And what will Kezia Dugdale say to students who ask why the Labour Party lorded it over Scotland for over 50 years and did nought? Is still doing nought. Will they, the students, be bold enough to ask about McCrone, Stolen Seas, etc, or on the other hand as Director will she just plump her b*m down in her office, with communication assistant and dictionary at hand, and not interact with students at all?
Whatever the case what we see here is another person who abused their public office position, on a number of counts, and is now being rewarded for doing so. Par for the Unionist course and utterly disgraceful.
@ Legerwood – I thought that too – “the Edinburgh agreement that she signed where she said that she would respect the result for a generation”.
Does the Edinburgh Agreement say that?
Don’t hold back, Stu. Tell us what you think.
Petra @ 7.53
What should be really interesting is her take on how discourse in modern politics has moved online…
And the importance and impact of the high profile blogger 🙂
A generation in Scotland is short you can be a granny covered in tattoos claiming benefits at around 26.
@ GrahamB – thx for posting the Edinburgh Agreement – I’ll skim read it. If only we had some journalists in Scotland who could do this sort of fact checking.
I suppose we do. He’s called Stu. And we’re the apprentices of the 5th Estate.
Has anyone noticed? A new export from the North Britain is the banana. Musa dugdaliensis, small and rather cloying is being marketed along with Musa davidsonii, an experimental cultivar with something of an acquired aftertaste. Regional consumer testing indicates short shelf life may restrict popular demand. However, there are expectations both may find a niche market “in the south”.
Capella 8.02pm. It is a good blog but grovelling erse licking is not required.
“Does the Edinburgh Agreement say that?”
.
The Edinburgh Agreement most definitely does/did not say that.
Capella & Ledgerwood
I picked up on that too,a causal listener will get the impression this generation thing is actually in the Edinburgh Agreement
But more than that,there was a bit of an inference that the Edinburgh Agreement is still a live document,and having signed it Nicola is still bound by it,when it actually ended 31st December 2014.
The challenge from the BBC (apart from clarifying Ruth the mooths statements) should have been the Good Friday Agreement,which is still a live document has a Westminster agreed 7yrs as a generation and they really did sign up to that,so why are we getting different treatment?
But hey ho it’s the BBC,same shit different day!!!
Graham b @ 7.49pm and Capella @ 7.56 PM
The only part of the Agreement that comes anywhere close, and it is not that ‘close’, is paragraph 30 part of which states:
“”They look forward to a referendum that is legal and fair producing a decisive and respected outcome. The two governments are committed to continue to work together constructively in the light of the outcome, whatever it is, in the best interests of the people of Scotland and of the rest of the United Kingdom. “”
The word ‘generation’s does not appear in the document.
I’ve read the Edinburgh Agreement and can find no mention of a generation. Did a word search just to make sure. So her first lie is 12 seconds into the clip.
I don’t need to fact check point 2 as I know that there was more than one reason to hold a second referendum and we all know what that is – being taken out of the EU against our will. So lie no. 2 is at 18 seconds into the clip.
@Capella at 5:54 pm
My first posts on here were asking if there had been any work on updating those original stats Petra used to post as they have been around for years now.
I’m no expert at digging out source data but a quick search suggests that 70% of the gin consumed in the UK is produced in Scotland so that can be added to the list.
There’s bound to be an increase in the renewable energy production figures with new schemes coming online.
Plus there’s also been further significant oil field developments West of Shetland too.
These stats have always been one of the most effective tools I’ve used in helping folk understand the vast extent of Scotland’s rich and diverse resources. I even had a copy of them out this afternoon during a conversation whilst assisting someone registering to vote in preparation for the upcoming EU elections.
You have to wonder what the quality of KD’s competition was, and whether the appointment board thought they were doing KD a favour.
link to psychologicalscience.org
Mad Unionist says:
29 April, 2019 at 8:02 pm
A generation in Scotland is short you can be a granny covered in tattoos claiming benefits at around 26.
Even earlier than that. The wee wifie called the queenie is of German extraction and her old man of Greek Extraction born in Holland (refugee I believe) have lived of the state for even longer. No means testing mid you even although they own a few houses lying empty for many months of the year.
THEIR WIDER FAMILY ARE SCOUNGERS TOO.
I don’t think that post is in moderation because I was being too busy, I think used as a naughty word.
Here’s the document I was posting, along with the observation that KD’s comment about caring for all and not just the vulnerable, might have been phrased better so as not to potentially undermine support for inclusive policy. She is a crap orator and spokesperson for anyone but herself, apparently.
SOCIAL EXCLUSION IN THE EU
A capability-based approach
link to lse.ac.uk
What I don’t understand about Ruth Davidson and Mundell is that they were both stating prior to EU Ref how devastating it would be for Scotland’s economy if UK should leave EU….yet post EU Ref they so easily surrendered to……………………. ‘democracy’.
As if somehow what they were stating pre EU Ref would not come to pass simply because of the ‘democratic will of the people’ who voted to leave the EU….wtf……..I smell Bulls**t again. If leaving the EU was bad for Scotland before EU Ref then it is STILL bad post EU Ref …….’democracy’ does not change that !! HOWEVER what it does change is it now gives a mandate for another Indy Ref …as well those two chancers know….we see you.
We all know they are , like all Remainer MP’s , having to toe the party line to justify what before , according to them, was unjustifiable……too many Remain MP’s hiding behind ‘democracy’ as an excuse to not upset the ‘people’ or rather the ‘voters’ especially when there is so much evidence of wrongdoing by self interested individuals.
So Davidson flip flops over Indy Ref2…one minute says UK Govt should allow and now toe’s the party line by stating No they should not….perhaps that’s why people or rather voters do not trust her as she has no commitment in pursuing opinions and beliefs she has previously held but is so very willing to abandon those supposed passionate opinions and beliefs when it clashes with party policy….or rather opens the door for another justifiable Indy Ref via Brexit.
Pity that she cannot show more concern for the democratic will of Scots, who voted by a majority to remain in the EU, instead of trying to appease her colleagues constituents down south….though she makes an exception for the wealthy fishing ‘Codfathers’ in Scotland who own the fishing rights….there’s a bloody surprise.
There is no fanfare deserved for her return post maternity leave…it is the same tired old deja vu rhetoric that is so very much in a style over substance manner, though courtesy of the media, it is presented as if words of wisdom and enlightenment from the great white hope of the Tory party…..though we all knew what to expect upon her return…we could have written the script…the Saviour has returned….NOT for us Scots though….more like the blue DEVIL returns and she is definitely more EVEL than pro Scots .
To mad unionist…8.02 pm.
You,can be a granny anywhere in the world at 26 but it would be a tragedy every time
you are clearly an idiot if you use such poor unfortunate circumstances as a joke
and I find it provocative in the extreme to infer it is just Scotland
Tattoos ? Expensive for sure ,a granny at 26 is unlikely to have one unless it’s home made
Maybe it was a joke you regret ? I hope so, if you do , I apologise for calling you an idiot
Hamish100. Extraction is not a nationality. Being born in a country is your nationality. All this shit about I am quarter this or that because of blood is just merr shit. Blood has no nationality. Now go and stick your head in a shopping bag and try and find a sense of humour.
re. (t)Ruthless. Telt you she’s a bit of a thick fascist.
Could the folk here having a go at the GU engage their brains a bit. That university is a really large organisation providing work to a large number of people (and not just academics and researchers, lots of ordinary Joes and Jills as well). There are among all levels of the people there left-wingers, liberals, independence supporters and others – and of course a good number of unionists also. Even a few out and out bigots amongst the unionists. But that is no excuse to tar everyone working there with the same brush, including I may add lots of EU nationals who we all here claim to support and believe our country needs.
@ Liz at 8:01pm …. “Politics online and the high profile blogger.”
Ha ha ha. Brilliant Liz. If she’s reading posts, such as yours, she’ll be mulling over sending in her resignation now.
…….
@ Dan at 8:22pm …
The list is now years out of date Dan and every point should be double checked, other than the obvious that doesn’t change. It will have to be amended and of course appended to take account of our Scottish gin, number of Scottish lochs (sea / freshwater) versus number of English lakes ….and whatever anyone else can think of adding to it.
Ruth’s lie no 3 may be related to the recent SiU pronouncements on whether people want a second referendum soon, later or never. Can’t find the figures ATM but here’s Stu’s last debunking of Ruth Davidson’s inability to get facts right on polls:
link to wingsoverscotland.com
@ Dan @ Petra – it should certainly be updated. But what SC was wanting was a graphic listing these facts. Does anyone know of one?
To mad unionist…8.53pm..
Being born in a country can give you nationality
But not always
There are various qualifiers for nationality
Look them up it’s interesting
One thing for sure is that there is no such thing as “British nationality” but it is often quoted
Do you call yourself of British nationality ?
Calling yourself of British nationality is like calling yourself of European nationality it makes no sense
Terry calachan. 8.47pm. I never regret anything I say unless under the threat of alcohol deprivation.
Just in case folk think me too harsh on (t)Ruthless, the most basic definition of fascism is the authoritarian opposition to rational self-determination.
Enforcing Social Conformity: A Theory of Authoritarianism
link to researchgate.net
@Capella
IndyPosterBoy has a load of info-graphic stuff if you hunt through the various pages on his site.
The home page has the compilation images that were in the recent Indypacks distributed to YES groups.
https://indyposterboy.scot
I’ve printed lots of them off and have them in the car so they are to hand when I’m oot n’ aboot.
“Edinburgh Agreement … a generation”
Proves Davidson is up to speed and raring to go. Subterfuge and misinformation queued up and ready to be spewed out.
The problem is, the initial false claims almost always have a bigger impact that any later rebuttal or correction when you have a tame media working with you. The BritNats know it, and that’s why it’s their primary tactic.
However, what does that say about the cause they are trying to defend if that’s what they resort to?
There’s not a lot that we can do about the biased MSM other than complain to the ineffective IPSO and Ofcom, stop buying newspapers and so on. Does anyone know if people like lying Ruth Davidson can be reported to PO Ken MacIntosh or does he only (if ever) have responsibility for dealing with issues / behaviours that take place within Holyrood?
O/T:
Anyone who remembers my comment from a eek or so ago about the English legal bid in the English courts to have the courts declare the UK has legally left the EU on the original Brexit day. Here’s a YouTube clip from the guy who is involved with raising a crowd-funder for the case. The case has still to come before the court so at least that bit is genuine.
Anyway here’s the guy giving part two of his take on it and it sounds rather way out conspiracy theory stuff. Anyway at least the lawyer guy is definitely bringing the case to court that the UK has already legally Brexited:-
link to youtube.com
I think you were holding back a little bit there Rev..
Another interesting poll finding: 51% think the decision to have a second referendum should be made in Holyrood.
link to wingsoverscotland.com
to Stu mac 8.53pm
Very true there are lots of different people employed by Glasgow and other universities but don’t whitewash the issue being brought to point here which is that politicians leaving politics because they are no longer popular enough and will not get votes all too often secure jobs in our institutions and the jobs they get allow them to continue to communicate their politics to the populous whilst getting paid a large salary to do so and without the accountability or risk of losing their job in the way an MP does at the ballot box.
She ,will continue to appear on political radio and tv as before just like the many many other before her.
This is no accident , it’s by design a ploy to fight the unionist political view from within our institutions
Reporting Scotland
First item up. The return of the great Tory hope in Scotland – truthless davidson.
The announcer says in an EXCLUSIVE interview. This is code for the BBC have agreed not to ask any difficult questions or challenge her on any lies she spouts. And boy did she lie.
I thought I was watching a party political broadcast. What a groveller wee Brian ( toodle ooh the noo )Taylor is. Wonder why he didn’t get down on his knees and lick her shoes clean. Lie after lie from Davidson. Truly stomach churning. Taylor probably asked the producers at the end – did I grovel enough.
She says she is going to be FM of Scotland but Brian ever the Britnat tries to tempt her to say she is going for the real job PM.
Pity that that Britnat Broadcasting Channel showed film of her standing with the Maybot and Tories holding up signs saying ” Theresa May strong stable leadership” it would be funny if it was not so disastrous for Scotland. The big £350 million Brexit red bus was also seen in the background.
The Britnats have nothing but lies. Just like that other Lying Britnat Andrew Neill from the BBC making up “facts” and getting caught.
Sorry I can’t help you out there Capella (9:05pm), however I’m also thinking that an updated list would look good on billboards. Great if it was included in the Blue Book too.
Talking of generations and precedents. The Good Friday Agreement states that the NI Secratary should call a reunification referendum “‘if at any time it appears likely to him that a majority of those voting would express a wish that Northern Ireland should cease to be part of the United Kingdom and form part of a united Ireland.” And once is a generation is considered seven years.
Does this mean that if polls in Scotland consistently show that a majority of Scots no longer wish to be part of the UK, then David Mundell will call IndyRef2? 😉
Dugdale & Davidson.
As deep as graphene.
ADMIT IT REV. YI SENT HER A VALENTINE’S CARD AND ROSES. OR WIS IT JAPANESE RAGWORT
CameronB Brodie. 9.15pm. You can print that on the other side of the bag.
Mad Unionist
You’re welcome. 😉
University of Glasgow income for 2018 was £630,000,000,
Sir Vito Antonio Muscatelli FRSA FRSE FAcSS is the Principal of the University of Glasgow ,
and pays himself £350,000 ,
Universities priciple function is not education it is making loads of cash,
which they seem to be very good at.
Are there any extant copies of the treaty of union?
How about a grand public burning of the thing?
@Mad Unionist,
I guess all the research into DNA ancestry is therefore a total waste of time then? Better tell scientists to stop wasting millions.
Though, it does help some like African Americans trace the countries from which their ancestors were stolen at gunpoint and sold into slavery.
Horses for courses eh?
Worth reading.
link to weegingerdug.wordpress.com
Scot Finlayson. 9.41 pm. He could be related to the Corleone family.
Davidson the PR machine, first a tank, then a buffalo. The latest PR shot is of her kid, everything has its PR angle and if you are going to give birth it is only right that the offspring should be in your PR timeline. A conservative, everything is merely a commodity to be exploited for personal gain.
I wrote @ 4.28 pm:-
“We are about to witness return of Supermom Davidson; cue photies of the New Madonna and Child plastered over the pages of the Dead Tree Scrolls, and in depth TV candy floss pieces with Jackie Bird in her new role cooing and oohing Davidson and sprogue.”
Lo and behold an hour or so later Sarah Smith and Toodle Oo The Noo are laying out palm fronds in her path as she rides triumphantly back into office.
I make it my task to scrutinise every lie every threat every distortion emanating from this nasty wee woman’s mouth from now on in.
Nicola sturgeon did not sign her birth right away in 2014, but Smith and Toodle Oo The Noo know that. More than their job’s worth to contradict a Brit Nat Leading light though, but, mind.
Dugdale passes a job interview organised by a Smith; Davidson gets a puff piece welcome back spot on the box with another Smith.
Yet BBC PQ does not cover the party Conference of the 3rd largest party at WM.
This is the stifling wee Brit Nat ‘village’ patting each other on the back and coining in lots of public money and perks.
What a corrupt wee Union they all cling on to.
Jackie Bird must be producing an hour long Supermum Ruth special for BBC Jockland.
@Macart
Read the WGD, I think the Davidson message is ‘England Expects every Tory to do their duty”.
Rev, just hope you keep the pressure on Duckdale, and so Sheriff Ross. Ross “ducked” the issue. It is now down for his colleagues to to set him, and Scottish justice right.
A defence of “I honestly believe what I said/wrote is correct”, makes a fool of the law.
@jfngw
Ms Davidson either has a veeeery short memory, or she believes the public do. 🙄
@velofello
What I took from Sheriff Ross’s judgement is, if you are a minority then you can redefine words to mean what you want. This will be welcome news to all holocaust deniers and the like, it’s a sort of ‘come to Scotland and you can make any claim you like, there are no consequences’.
Sheriff Ross’s judgement lacked cohesion with legal rational and doctrine, IMHO.
Murphy, Alexander, Davidson & Dugdale
Despised, exposed, self-interested, opportunist, lying, political careerists without a cell of integrity, morality or compassion in their construct
Parasites knowingly feeding off and living their lives on the ignorance of the people they feign to represent, yet by their actions scorn
Massey Fergusons
Retribution
Mad Unionist says:
29 April, 2019 at 8:53 pm
Hamish100. Extraction is not a nationality. Being born in a country is your nationality. All this shit about I am quarter this or that because of blood is just merr shit. Blood has no nationality. Now go and stick your head in a shopping bag and try and find a sense of humour.
Oh dear wee Maddy unionist lost his dummy the night. No mad unionist will tell me what to do. Ps I have several recyclable bags. The Britnats have had their day. Shit in yir ain bag.
Scotland’s cultural institutions are largely British nationalist affairs, so tough titty Scotland. Eat your porridge and forget you lack access to inalienable human rights, thanks to the ‘One Nation’ ideology.
link to link.springer.com
Duckdale- Sheriff Ross – Duckdale – Glasgow Uni appointment. Whit!
Recognise your enemy.And who is on this “Rights of Man” Glasgow Uni committee? Well, would you believe Wee Ruthie, sworn enemy of Labour, and Ed Balls, eh, Labour – and a long way from home.
@ Cubby … “She (Davidson) says that she’s going to be FM. Brian Taylor suggests she’s after the PM job.”
Just sending out a message to the Scots that she’s more than capable of being FM and how lucky would we be having her as FM. Getting one over Westminster. No mention of him asking her how she feels about the Scottish Tory drop in the polls?
@ Velofello …. “Rev, just hope you keep the pressure on Duckdale.”….
Plus, I’m hoping that you will start monitoring, serial liar number 2, Dirty Money Davidson.
Macart at 1008pm
Nah, Ruth Davidson knows she can say whatever she likes even in direct contradiction to her own past opinions, since the tame England controlled media will do her bidding. This is how the Tories and unionists do politics. they say any old lying sh*te and the likes of the paid liars at the BBC report it as news. Their is never any criticism, nor hard questioning.
Ruth Davidson can and does say whatever she likes. One day she is against brexit, the next she is in favour. Not one single solitary so-called ‘journalist, aside from REV Stu, has the cojones to even ask her about her brazen lying and hypocrisy.
So, mundell has contradicted himself regarding a referendum and now davidson does.
The Uk is now a rogue state, acting as a dictator over Scotland. It has sidelined ALL democratic principles, ignoring the clear democratic will of the people of Scotland. Just like they did with almost every other colony that wanted an end to London rule.
Theresa May is a dictator over Scotland, aided and abetted by the house ‘jocks’ called Mundell and Davidson.
I Googled this John Smith Institute; very interesting.
Kezia will be their first Director, no salary given, but, it will be big. It’s the board members who are interesting.
Chair is Catherine Smith, John Smith’s dauighter – Sarah Smith’s wee sister. Her mother, Baroness Smith of Gilmorehill is also on the board.
Ed Balls is a board member, as is Matt Carter, the former General Secretary of the Labour Party. Another board member is David Muir, former Director of Strategy to Gordon Brown.
Just for balance, we also have Professor Anne Anderson, an Academic, a Right Honourable Ruth Davidson MSP – whoever she is, and Andrew Wilson, Alex Salmond’s former economic adviser.
Talk about jobs for the boys and girls.
A June 2018 WoS poll shows 51% want a second referendum either in this parliament or the next, i.e. soon.
link to wingsoverscotland.com
@ Petra @ Dan – no problem & yes Indyposterboy is a good place to look. It was Shrodingers Cat who wanted a graphic but Cat hasn’t been back this evening so perhaps has found something.
Well,we are where we are…And it occurred to me when reading the Wee Ginger Dug that we’re doing it AGAIN.
We’re reacting to what the BBC did at the conference and what Ruth the mooth said and not what she doesn’t want to talk about…
EG
Where’s the Queens speech,is there really nae programme for government.
Would she follow her master parties policies in policing,education and the NHS.
As her boss said “she’s very good at telling us what she doesn’t want but she needs to start telling us what she does want”, of course the MSM won’t ask but there’s nae reason we can’t make this stuff relevant online. It might be all we’ve got but we use it well and it’s been working!!
I mean
What’s her position on the power grabb, the rape, clause the bedroom tax did motherhood change anything there? I’m not saying don’t call out her lies, it’s just that we’ve said in the past we should stop reacting and become proactive.
EG and IMHO we’ve not made nearly enough of this nae Queens Speech milarky,imagine Holyrood had to cancel it’s programme for government? They’d say it wasn’t fit for purpose and then some!
Start the buzz online about what we want to talk about!!!!
Jist Saying.
@Capella
These questions about ‘when do you want a second ref’ do not produce any useful information. The majority of people are not interested in politics and if you ask them ‘do you want an election’ the majority will more than likely say no.
The ‘will you vote’ if an election/referendum is called is the more important response. Many will only really engage when they have to make a decision.
University of Edinburgh total income 2018 was £984,000,000,
with
The Principal
Professor Peter Mathieson getting himself wages of £380,000.
Business for Scotland web site down again.
What is going on?
When currency question is hot topic it is important that informed opinion is available to counter Unionist propaganda.
@ jfngw – the point of the exercise is to demonstrate that Ruth Davidson is lying when she says that only 15% of Scottish voters want another vote within 2 years. Brian Taylor should have asked her where she got that figure.
Stu’s 2018 poll show 34% want it in 2 years and another 17% by 2026.
Scotland’s journey to independence is Scotland’s business- there can be no compromise on this. One becomes diminished when one’s purpose is to stifle a small thriving country’s aspiration to be a modern, empowered and progressive democracy that has a strong sense of collective autonomy and a welcoming global outlook. Indeed – very strange to be in the business of politics whilst driven by an uncompromising inability to understand perspective and participative democracy whilst hawking a broken down, undemocratic, unequal, corrupt political system as a model of good governance and viable alternative.
‘In practice, delivering on the promise of equality means supplementing the emancipatory model with a model of ‘empowerment’. The empowerment model is a necessary correction or, better, supplement to the emancipatory model. It focuses on building the capacities, autonomy, and security of the groups to which individuals belong. This focus is important because oppressed groups often suffer from stigma, exclusion, and marginalisation, and political remedies may need to be finely tailored to overcome those specific evils’
link to tandfonline.com
If evidence were required then Davidson’s latest demonstrates she is bereft of integrity…or bereft of a memory. She really is a one trick pony.
Dugdales new job.
Surprised no one has commented on the members of the board.
Let’s see.
Well, there’s Baronese Smiff,
her daughter Cathy Smiff,
Matt Carter , former general Secretary of the Labour Party under Blair,
David Muir,former Director of Strategy to Brown.
Ed Balls, you’ll remember him,
the tank commander,
oh,
and one Andrew Wilson. How did he get invited into that bunch I wonder. Must be pretty pally, just my opinion, Sir. Snakes and grass come to mind.
Oh, and by the way, part funded by you and I, through donations from the Scottish Gov.
Socrates beat me to it @ 10.40. I was composing at the time.
@ Kenny – you’ll find my comment on the Board a 4.23
link to wingsoverscotland.com
@Capella
Sorry, I was not trying to contradict you. What I was saying, or trying to, was it is easier to produce a poll which people which will choose to not make a decision. So anyone wanting to load a poll can put a question that will deliver a 15% response. Whereas if you ask them if they will vote if a referendum is happening in a timescale you will get a more useful response.
I agree the BBC should have queried the poll source, but it probably exists, it’s easy to to produce low numbers, just give many options (six months, twelve months, two years, 5 years, never).
I think we all know Ruth Davidson’s connection with the truth hangs by a very thin thread. In fact she would probably interpret the poll you quote as only 17% chose a referendum by 2026, you just load the sentence with misfacts (not lies, but not the truth).
Claim – ‘Restore faith and trust in politics’.
Reality – piss of for weeks for TV show,and desert your constituents (I suppose as a lister you don’t technically have constituents) to line your own pocket.
What faith is this, Scientology?
The way that Scotland protects it’s legal identity has global ramifications. If residents of a prosperous, ‘first-world’, nation are unable to defend their legal identity and human rights from right-wing authoritarianism, who will help the global poor?
link to cambridge.org
IMHO, the British state delivers negative distributive justice for Scotland. Brexit will intensify the lack of justice.
link to oxfordhandbooks.com
Politics is personal and embodied, if authentic. I’m afraid KD’s politics simply lack coherent authenticity, IMHO.
link to scholarship.law.upenn.edu
Saw a conversation about this on Twitter and had a look
30. Co-operation
The United Kingdom and the Scottish Governments are committed through the Memorandum of Understanding between them and others, 4 to working together on matters of mutual interest and to the principles of good communication and mutual respect.The two Governments have reached this agreement in that spirit.They look forward to a referendum that is legal and fair producing a decisive and respected outcome.The two Governments are committed to continue to work together constructively in the light of the outcome, whatever it is, in the best interests of the people of Scotland and of the rest of the United Kingdom.
4Memorandum of Understanding and Supplementary Agreements between the United Kingdom Government, the Scottish Minister,The Welsh Ministers and the Northern Ireland Executive Committee, 2000,as updated September 2012.
Sorry about the lack of spaces Stuart but this is the final paragraph in the Edinburgh Agreement.
No time frame, no once in a generation, nothing so what is Ruth Davidson referring to and what is Brian Taylor thinking ?
In fact if anything it is pretty vague.
Just something else I read recently, the U.K. signed the code of Good Practice on Referendums, which apparently states they should be a two stage process and a vote below 55% in favour should be ignored.
Lucky you could say one ref got 55, pity about the other one…
More on Rawls.
link to scholarship.law.upenn.edu
And a tiny bit more.
Criticisms of Rawls’ Principles of Justice
link to mit.edu
If you want to support social justice, it helps to know a bit about Rawls.
trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3383&context=utk_gradthes
And the last wee bit on “justice”.
Enhancing John Rawls’s Theory of Justice to Cover Health and Social Determinants of Health
link to ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Ruth Davidson says no to the people of Scotland.
The people of Scotland will say no in return to Ruth Davidson.
The Conservative and Unionist Party is no longer a Democratic Party.
Hi Capella.
I got the impression that Schrödinger’s Cat wanted a TEXT copy of those figures, rather than a graphic – presumably so that the figures could be copied and pasted into a document.
I was about to post what I had but you beat me to it, with the same info.
The Labour Party has never provided a public service.
The Labour Party has only ever provided a self service for the troughers that are attracted to it. A bunch of time serving jobs for the boys characters.
Fair comment.
re. the list of Scotland’s natural wealth and stuff, this is what I came up with re. “construction”. I’m not sure where the original figures came from, possibly collated from a national audit I’m unaware of, and I’m over complicating things. Anyhoo, creating an up-to-date list of meaningful info will be some task, IMHO. Something a government might task it’s civil service to produce, though I’d keep an eye on HMG civil servants, as their Code of Conduct also appears to be ‘optional documentation’.
Construction statistics: Number 19, 2018 edition
link to ons.gov.uk
A bit of detail from 2012. I don’t see the full-English Brexit boosting Scotland’s construction industry. Just the opposite, in fact.
link to evaluationsonline.org.uk
Food and drink was a bit easier.
link to sdi.co.uk
Can I remind people that when we get our independence these lying charlatan members of the branch offices of these London based parties will be OUT on their arse , all parties hoping to represent Scottish people in our Scottish parliament will HAVE to be registered as a Scottish political party , not a branch office of a party registered in another country , also these parties will have to comply with the regulations and conditions laid down by OUR electoral regulators .
The same conditions apply to the lying corrupt broadcasting companies and their minions especially the despicable Bias Bullshitting Corporation
I hear people talking about a truth and reconciliation pact where these reprehensible liars who have DELIBERATELY inflicted financial and mental hardship on the most vulnerable people in society , the elderly , innocent children ,and the disabled , are somehow to be forgiven .
I cannot FORGIVE or FORGET the deliberate actions carried out by these unmentionables to ensure our country and citizens are kept subservient and our resources plundered and squandered
I look forward to a citizens assembly being formed , and would insist that it is ongoing as we cannot allow or permit politicians or political parties or the msm to continue with the unconstrained abuse of our democracy
twathater @ 2.50
We should be agitating about this now…
We should ask and keep on askin what they intend to do about their status after a Yes vote..
(Id like to throw them out too but realistically that’s no going to happen 🙂 )
Nae mair of this ” well I’m working for a No vote” crap!
We already knew that.
That’s a Theresa May answer and might be good enough for Westminster but we’ve higher standards.
After all look at the state Westminster is in because they’ll no answer questions.
A No vote they very well might be working towards,but they need to answer…. What’s YOUR plan B?
Which party logo will you use?
And the big one…. Would you swear an oath to the Constitution of the Sovereign People of Scotland?
We’ve nae MSN journalists that will ask,but these are fair Twitter questions… Aye!!
There’re fair because if we’ve done wan thing these last 5 years it’s normalised Independence,the idea of it and the possibility of it…
So we stay calm, polite and focused…. We ask and we keep on askin till we’re answered 🙂
Scotland’s a choice tae make and we’ll know the information we need this time because we’ll no be distracted… Nae mair open ended repiles!!!
Capella
tx for that
it would be good to update the figures and have references for them, eg i have seen the article where the head of the whisky association stated whisky was 25% of wm’s entire take on uk food and drink’s industries
i have also seen the figure of 20% else where
I’m not sure it makes a big difference in terms of the over all effect of this statistic, ie, its still a big number etc, but if people are quoting figures on social media, especially polititions and reps of the indy movement, they need to be right, otherwise we leave ourselves open to unionist attack if we are inaccurate
The SNP are flying high. Just like Wings, The right wing MSM and Imperialists are not gaining. They are losing. The SNP Gov are running things better. Everyone knows it. People are not fools.
The BBC, UK political parties and the MSM are not winning. People are calling them out though to internet. Just like Wings. Thanks to people like Rev Stu ec. Standing up for righ and justice. Along with many more good people. Normally right always wins against injustice.
The charlatans, like Dugdale and her cronies are getting called out. Including this devious Labour unionist quango. Why is it even receiving public monies. Many questions will now be asked about these lying troughers and how they are getting away with it. Once again. Wasting public money which could be better spent. A unionist quango. They have no shame. Lining their pockets while people are being left starving and in misery because of their evil decisions,
Dugdale illegally told people to vote for another Party that facilitate Brexit and Austerity. Totally unneccessary. The unionist Party Liars. Causing one of the biggest shambles ever and the illegal wars ruining the world and the lives of people. Despicable.
Dugdale and her cronies ruined faith in politics. Total endless lies. Compulsive liars who ruined the world and people’s existence. They are being called out no one is voting for them. Reap what they sow. Another one gone, another one down, another hits the dust. Now for the rest of them. Just wait until he Elections.
The corrupt list system. Introduced to let third raters, tough forever. Voters cannot get rid of them. There is always next time as support for Independence keeps growing. More and more people coming on board as momentum grows. The increasing popularity of the SNP Gov. Just get one other person to vote SNP, SNP. Vote for Independence. It is won. Simples. Go though he Ballot Box. Donate, give support, campaign. Do anything possible. That makes it happen. Every little thing, Builds up a momentum like no other. Do not get disheartened. One day at a time. Stay in the moment.
The best time to have an Independence Ref is when it can be won. The SNP know that. Just have faith, a little patience. It is coming soon without hesitation. It will be won. Without a doubt over the line. The doubters outnumbered. No time for the faint hearted. Now will be time. Closer and closer. It is up to the voters. The 25% who normally never vote and are not interested in politics. They will come out and vote for progress.
Overheard yesterday a conversation about the benefits of the baby boxes and the great advantages for new parents. In the most unlikely quarters. Will people vote YES? They will. The SNP are winning. Overcoming so many disadvantages. SNP goverance in Scotland is so improving the place. Is like a miracle. Thanks so much for the AWPR after forty years unionist green indecision. It is fabulous. What an improvement to the economy, connectivity, cutting emission, costs and journey times. Thanks to Alex, Nicola and Co. A master stroke of invention.
Scottish invention and theory changed the modern world, The commitment to education so strong in Scotland. Not to a unionists quango, ‘think tank’ that would sink the public discourse. A complete waste of public money. The corrupt unelected HoL Foulkes wee helper. An abomination of MSM poititcal corruption. All sinking in the stinking cess tank. Trying to corrupt politics and government. Helping imbecile May and her cronies. Now being shown up as phonies. Gone and soon to be fogotten.
Focus on Leonard. He is the current leader and Dugdale is a distraction.
@SC …List’
SC I constructed the list by taking data put out mostly by the SNP at the time and added to it with data taken from other sources, such as BfS. It’s out of date of course so would have to be amended to ensure accuracy / credibility, as you say, and appended of course.
twathater
I’d go further.
These people should be taken through the justice system, treated like the criminals they are.
Carles Puigedemont has visa revoked at the last minute by the Canadian government to prevent him speaking to Quebec “separatists”. Sensitive wee souls, unionists.
Lesson = Always have a web link set up just in case.
link to rt.com
People should sign up to the ‘National’ paper. Tough decision but needs must to get over distribution problems. Sign up, donate, campaign do all that and more as much as peopke can. For a bright better, progressive future. Help the world be rid of the Westmibster unionist imbeciles living in the past, well pass their sell by date.
Every politician should have to retire at the official retirement date they set. (70 max). They should be under the same rule of Law. Stop misrepresenting the ‘Representation Act’.
I wonder what gems will be laid before us by The Ruth Davidson Broadcasting Corporation today.
Links
link to news.gov.scot
link to waterstechnology.com
link to uhi.ac.uk
link to sceptical.scot
link to weegingerdug.wordpress.com
link to indyscotnews.com
link to yescowal.scot
link to macalbasite.wordpress.com
link to scotch-whisky.org.uk
link to facebook.com
link to holyrood.com
When @JohnMcNallyMP highlights UK Government’s 3 year Student Visa won’t cover standard Scottish Honours degrees – which are 4 years – Minister says they WILL have to apply for new Tier 4 Visa to complete their course – Unbelievable!
link to twitter.com
Kirsty Blackman says
“We’ve already got a mandate for an independence referendum, we don’t need to get a fresh one.”
link to twitter.com
These new forms seeking that people making r e allegations allow police to examine their mobile phones is troubling from a right to privacy perspective This short thread explains why /1
link to twitter.com
BBC article from above tweet archived
link to archive.fo
link to theneweuropean.co.uk
link to itv.com
May has been invited to address the EGM of 800 senior activists, which is likely to become a humiliating public trial, coming just after the twin local and euro elections drubbings. Vote will be non-binding, but losing it will be very hard for PM to survive (3)
link to twitter.com
link to independent.co.uk
link to taxresearch.org.uk
Private schools claim to help the taxpayer. But they serve only the rich
link to archive.fo
link to thelondoneconomic.com
link to prospectmagazine.co.uk
link to truepublica.org.uk
For anyone who may be interested, the defence committee meets today
link to parliament.uk
Private schools claim to help the taxpayer. But they serve only the rich
link to archive.fo
link to thelondoneconomic.com
link to prospectmagazine.co.uk
link to truepublica.org.uk
I am not so sure Rev……I think you may have a wee bit of a crush on her
@ giving Goose & twathater
A petition to the Scots Parliament demanding a Judicial review on what legal action can be taken against these politicians and media. Remember they hung Lord Haw haw for doing exactly the same thing as the media in Scotland are doing now.
A second petition demanding that the Queen of Scots is summoned before the Scottish Parliament to explain why she signed the withdrawal bill against the expressed will of the people of Scotland. Signing that bill was a flagrant breach of the Declaration of Arbroath.
If I read another eejit saying ‘ a third of scots voted to leave the EU’ as though that I some kind of leave win , I will blow a gasket.
When it is repeated by journalists , one has to ask why they are ignoring the two thirds, or failing to remind their readership of the threat of being drummed out if we had the temerity to vote for independence.
I am under the impression that there are few , if any , journalists of integrity left in the UK , not just Scotland.
Thanks Nana – went first to the indyscotnews site to read the analysis of the Yougov/Times indyref poll. S/he says:
Can anyone here tell us whether this weighting of the poll is legit?
link to indyscotnews.com
Thanks for the links Nana.
BBC’s Reporting Scotland is making a meal of the success of the Scottish whisky industry this morning. Generates £5.5 billion for the UK economy, blah, blah, blah. No mention of the fact that they employ 42,000 people with only 10,500 based in Scotland (Nana 7:35am) and in the latter case many on zero-hour contracts. One just wonders what 31,500 people in England are doing that couldn’t be done in Scotland.
O/T
A couple of talks coming up
link to twitter.com
A third if Scots factually couldnt have voted leave.I’m sure EU citizens” English, Welsh, Northern Irish voted as well. Just how many and what way i’ll leave to others to say.
Tory Neil the liar. Thstcher henchman. Getting found out officially. Paid £Millions to lie for the BBC and the right wing Tories. A political agitator for the Right wing corruption. Greedy, lazy twa faced liar without any principles or compassion at all. A drepressing diviant alcoholic. Alcoholics make poor choices without proper rehab counselling. Every statistic a deliberate midrepresentation of any truth. Deliberate poor research and methology. Doing the lying ‘expert’ Lord proud. Ignorant and arrogant.
Neil made false representation of people in Scotland. The devious liar. Claimed Scots were lazy, drunken,ignorant and unemployable. (a bit like him – self description). When Thatcher was illegally and secretly taking £Billions in Scottish resources and revenues to fund London S/E. To fund the bankers and the Tory Party for votes to keep her in power. Ultimately destroying the world economy. World banking system ruined by Westminster unionist imbeciles, who were warned and warned and warned. Too ignorant and arrogant to listen.
That is how ignorant and arrogant were Thatcher and Neil, her disciple. Destroying the Scottish economy and every manufacturing facility in Scotland. The tapes still exist to this day. Neil the monumental liar. A lying sychophant psychopath just like the rest of them. Disgusting disgrace.
@Cubby says: 30 April, 2019 at 1:47 am:
… The Labour Party has only ever provided a self service for the troughers that are attracted to it. A bunch of time serving jobs for the boys characters.
Commonly known in Westminster as, “Low flying Jimmies”, as in, “beware of low flying jimmies”. Otherwise referred to as, “lobby fodder”.
Many Whisky companies pay no tax. Illegally tax evade. They use up Scotland’s resources, make vast profits and pay no tax at all. More benfits to the City of London. London HQ. Stock Exchsnge . That is why they support the UK Union. Depriving Scotland of profits, resources and revenues. MUP stumped them. Gained Scotland £Billions. Well done SNP Gov. Supported by all Parties except Labour. Labour supporting fags, drinking, deprivation and poor health in Scotland. Led by Dugdale etc.
Fifty years of rotten to the core Labour. Illegal wars, banking fraud/crashed, financial fraud, tax evasion on a mass scale. Ditto the rest of the unionist Westminster imbeciles.
The Tories are just waiting to be voted out, as usual . For others to sort out their colassol mess and shambles they are making. The appalling Brexit carry on. They do not know what to do next to muck up the world economy, to line their pockets. Twa faced vacant coupon losers.
Morning Capella, I thought the indyscotnews piece worth posting here to ask that very question
Capella asks
“Can anyone here tell us whether this weighting of the poll is legit?”
Morning Petra, here’s the bbc’s article
Scotch whisky ‘more productive’ than energy sector
link to archive.is
Forgot to post this one yesterday
link to thefishsite.com
and from the bbc
link to archive.is
On ancestry and DNA scams. Thank the Mormons for the European ‘ancestry’ data base.
link to livescience.com
Personal data harvesting is an infringement of personal privacy. A racists, race theorists and geneticists play ground. Be careful what you tell your doctor and insurance companies. Wake up and smell the Nazis.
link to sitn.hms.harvard.edu
@ Socratese MacSporran 10.40 pm
Quite the line up on that board tbs.
‘Politics is broken!’ seems to be the collective wail from politicians and the meeja these days. Well, yes. Yes it is. Spookily, by many of the same folk did most of the breaking and who have discovered hi vis wailing is apparently an ‘in’ thing to do after being chucked or sidelined.
The only question people need ask themselves on the issue is this: – Since many of these people have actively participated in/promoted UK politics and its practices. Just why should they be trusted to act as the arbiters of what is right and wrong with politics and society?
Mornin’ Nana. 🙂
Good spread this morning and well worth an extra cup.
Kezia Dugdale’s salary in her new job.
According to the Herald today her salary will be up to £63,400 or so. Her current salary as an MSP is £63,500 or thereabouts.
She is taking a pay cut.
I noticed that there are various posts referring to statistics on this that and the other.
Here is some more to add to or update the list. It is the export statistics (excluding oil and gas) for 2017 from the Scottish Government.
link to www2.gov.scot
Failure? Hop on the the gravy train to the towers of academe. If you can’t do it, teach it.
link to theguardian.com
“Hard line”, writes Severin…..oooh matron! Saucy!
Morning Macart, Not many Brexit links as there’s not much happening at all, at all, at all…………
no urgency
link to twitter.com
just piddling away the time
link to twitter.com
However our FM is getting on with the day job
link to archive.is
link to thenational.scot
Surely lecturers if not politicians should be capable of producing coherent prose. Kezia Dugdale says – I quote from the screenshot – “I write a weekly column for the Daily Record newspaper for which I receive 7,500 – 8,000 pounds per annum. I spend two hours per week undertaking this role.” The two sentences do not follow logically. In one she talks about writing a column and in the next she talks about undertaking a role. So she undertakes the role of writing a column. Such a poor standard of English would be depressing in a schoolgirl’s essay, let alone in someone with a law degree.
Can we open a sweep about how long she will stay in this job?
Our #FullScottish #SNP19 Spring conference Special is available to watch now, with 24 interviews with Conference delegates, to bring you a feeling for the mood at the conference.
This week, we were at the SNP Spring conference in Edinburgh to bring you a Full Scottish Conference Special.
Presenters Corri Wilson and Lewis Cedar, spoke to as many conference delegates we could, including YSI members, branch delegates, councillors, MSPs, MPs and an MEP. We have tried to give you a feeling for what the mood at the conference was like and to let you know what the delegates thought about the proceedings.
link to broadcastingscotland.scot
That’s all for today
Thanks Legerwood – of course the stats raise the same questions as before. For me:
1 why are oil and gas always excluded from the figures?
2 Are the exports to rUK simply in transit to be exported from English ports?
Ruth Davidson is emboldened by the fact she doesn’t have to win in Scotland but her power comes from England. She only achieved 14.9% of the vote in 2015 but her Tories still lauded it over Scotland. In what other country in the world would a party that achieved this level of vote and came third be allowed to govern, certainly none in any that claimed to be democratic.
And after Brexit, if we can’t escape, they intend to take back more powers so that a party that has never won an election in Scotland in the lifetime of most Scots will tell us how Scotland will be run.
Did you know University of Glasgow confered on the Butcher of Culloden Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland who commanded the Kings Army at the massacre of Culloden in 1746 a degree of Doctor of Laws .
British Nationalists lie and they lie all the time about nearly everything. All the Britnats have left are lies. In a normal democratic country with a free press and independent broadcasting from the home country and not from a foreign source that wants to retain control of the country’s resources that would not be much of a weapon.
In Scotland , however, as the Britnats control all the media – paper and TV – lies are a very powerful weapon and the Britnats know it.
Expect an absolute Tsunami of lies from the Britnats.
I agree with some, K.Dugdale is yesterdays politician it’s time now to let her sail into the sunset. No doubt she is hoping to use her ‘charisma’ to catch them young and convert them to Labour at Uni, I can think of no better agent for the SNP than this.
Ofcom has ruled against BBC after Andrew Neil falsely claimed one-in-five Scottish schoolchildren were “illiterate” during an Alex Salmond interview and slams BBC for its post-false-claim dissemblinger.
So? What’s anyone going to do? Sack the perpetrators? Impose fines which hurt? Award damages to the victim? Ideally perhaps … set aside a similar broadcast slot and insist Neil apologies and grovels for forgiveness?
It’s all bollocks. BritNats know a lie has far more impact than any correction months/years late. It is a system which encourages ‘crime’ because the punishment is painless.
It’s the same story as electoral cheating – the system makes it worthwhile.
Of course any half decent journalist, an almost extinct species in Scotland, would remind Ruth Davidson that a country is not governed by opinion poles. The only poll that matters has taken place, and in the last three of these polls, since the last referendum, independence supporting parties have achieved a majority. More than can be said for the Tories who have only achieved a majority once in the last 22 years, and only at Westminster.
@galamcennalath says: 30 April, 2019 at 10:05 am:
” … It is a system which encourages ‘crime’ because the punishment is painless.
It’s the same story as electoral cheating – the system makes it worthwhile.”
Yes the system encourages crime but it isn’t painless. It just delays the pain for a while. Keiza is finding that out at present. As are the Tory party right across the entire Kingdom of England. Their support in the local government elections has dropped dramatically as has their support if there are EU elections. Labour are not the only ones who are going to benefit from that drop in support.
the Kingdom of England, all three countries, is splitting down the middle with new parties gaining ground. Political civil war is about to divide England. The pain has been delayed but is none the less about to strike Westminster politics.
galamcennalath completely agree, the lib dems, the tories, labour msm, bbc know fine well nothing will happen, but every time AN opens his mouth he should be reminded that ofcom has called him out for lying. Same with the lib dems and election spending.
The Brexit referendum should have been nullified because of the lies that have been proved and the breaking rules on spending.
I am afraid until real sanctions and penalties are imposed nothing will happen and it is not in the tories or labour or lib dem interests that penalties should be imposed because what then could they say – a big fat nothing.
Enjoying listening to The Full Scottish posted by Nana earlier. Great to hear and see Michelle Thompson, Roger Mullin and Mike Russell without constant interruptions. Lots of interviews with young people keen to tell us about new projects. Quite a buzz.
Taking a break (it’s long, 1 hr 26mins). But there are more great interviews lined up.
link to broadcastingscotland.scot
Peter A bell, pretty much nails the problems with the current approach to independence by the SNP. Instead of challenging the union, with questions of our own, the entire focus is on providing answers to ‘made up’ questions from unionists – questions which when answered will be replaced by others.
He rightly points out that we need to stop viewing independence as a prize to be won, but as a right. It is the union which is wrong, not that we have to prove independence which is normal, is right.
link to peterabell.blog
We can answer or address as many economic questions as we like, but it won’t succeed, what we should be doing is pointing out everything that is wrong with the undemocratic union. The questions should be flying out the mouths of SNP folk when interviewed.
It should be attack on the union, not defence of independence. Independence is normal, the union is not. Attack, attack, attack, in short.
Back to the old routine – Ruth Davidson opens mouth – BBC keeps HYS firmly shut.
Principals of our universities and other senior staff have so little confidence in their universities they have left their university pension funds and made quiet deals with the pension funds to have the contribution that the university would normally make to their pension fund, added to their salary each year.
Now there’s a shocker.
Didn’t hear about any of that on the BBC news.
BBC staff and others evade tax as a routine. The BBC makes them set up personal companies so they can evade tax on lucrative salaries. All paid with public monies. The reporters who report on tax evasion are evading tax. Along with too many other politicians and wealthy people.
That’s what Brexit is all about. The EU enforcing tax Laws. The UK Gov does not but supports tax havens.
TV personalities are classed as ‘performing clowns’, quite appropriate. So they can evade tax.
HMRC rotten to the core at the heart of UK governance. A worldwide scandal.
One in five children (20%) have additional needs of a varied scale. With the correct specialised help, often same strategies, most can reach their full potential.
Scotland has one of the best education system in the world. It could be better without UK Unionist colossal interference.
Westminster Unionist cut education funding £6Billion a year from 2015 to 2020. After Clegg promised to support education. Manifesto promises broken. Westminster are always illegally cutting the Scottish budget.
That’s some read.
She’s a horror, undoubtedly. Dugdale is a metaphor for the corrupt union, it’s why internet-informed Scots are not only increasingly turning-away from sleaze-politics, but why they’re emboldened to describe Labour, Tory and that other shit party as disgusting – how’s that for political achievement?
Hammer that slur on Scots, Stu; what a reprehensible, foul-taste, poor example she sets – can you imagine *that* representing us on a global scale?
Well-done, Stu
@Robert Louis says: 30 April, 2019 at 11:01 am:
” … It should be attack on the union, not defence of independence. Independence is normal, the union is not. Attack, attack, attack, in short.”
Political battles are little different from any other form of battle, Robert Louis. Whether they be team sports, chess games, debating societies. There are tactics involved and the winners and losers are dependent upon who uses the correct tactics at the correct time.
Battles are often lost when the participants ignore their leadership and attack at the wrong time. In football, for example, a team that has been under almost constant attack often wins the game by sound defence for 85 minutes then, all against the run of play, has a breakaway with a long pass to a lonely striker who avoids the off-side trap and scores.
Glorious Highland charges can win battles against superior firepower but only if timed to perfection. Sadly most of them have failed and often by the charge being begun by eagerness and not by the battle’s leadership.
So, there you go, there is a time and place for attack and a time and place for defence but the choice of when to do either is best left with the leadership – not the troops.
For more great analysis of the BBC in Scotland new readers could visit Lenathehyena’s blog and type BBC into the search box. There are many posts, going back over the past few years, covering all the criticisms that crop up here.
For example, the close relationships between BBC staff, newspaper editors, academics and the Labour Party – Welcome to The Family; the BBC Scotland family aka the Labour Party. (2014):
link to lenathehyena.wordpress.com
Capella says:
30 April, 2019 at 9:46 am
“”Thanks Legerwood – of course the stats raise the same questions as before. For me:
1 why are oil and gas always excluded from the figures?
2 Are the exports to rUK simply in transit to be exported from English ports?””
…………..
In answer to point 1, it may be that oil and gas are excluded because:
a) The UK Government have made such a monumental mess of the whole revenue business of oil and gas that publishing the figures would show Scotland getting 90% of the haw. Just imagine how opponents of independence would jump on that!
b) by omitting oil and gas and concentrating on other exports it shows that Scotland has more than one string to its bow. A fact further emphasised by some of Nana’s links this morning about whisky and salmon.
I agree that some of our exports are possible credited to rUK as their final destination rather than possibly passing through but the breakdown of the figures showing exports to EU, exports to US and the rest of the World suggests someone is keeping an eye on this and trying to achieve a more accurate picture of the final destination.
I haven’t seen Boris posting on here for a while. Hoping all is well with you Boris X
Another excellent piece of work from him.
link to caltonjock.com
@ Legerwood – point taken. I understood that oil and gas are excluded because the Treasury excludes them and the Scottish Government gets its figures from the Treasury? But then why would the Treasury exclude oil and gas?
SG could easily just add on oil and gas separately and still make the point.
Here’s a new edict from on high.
No more bread and circuses.
Tony Blair seriously suggesting that we should have combined British football leagues as a means for us hoi polloi to discover what we have in common with our neighbours as a means to quell all this hoo ha.
Ther ye’s go.
(honestly, the sheer ingratitude of some of yous folk on here…)
But but …Tony!
Been happening since the modern Olympics started … Team GB
Four countries pretending to be one. 🙁
@ Schrodinger’s Cat and anyone else who is interested:
In our shop we have laminated copies, to show people, of the charts from the following two articles:
link to macalbasite.wordpress.com
link to macalbasite.wordpress.com
Lol, no holding back eh? Just as well there is no such thing as defamation in Scotland.
@RobertLouis 11:01
The SNP gathering was something of a disappointment, no fire, no passion, no new direction. The SNP leadership seems determined to neuter the National Movement by applying layers of tedium and dulness in order to contain any sparks of ‘ardour’.
The current party régime suits the British state, no surprises, no threats. The current party régime also suits the older membership who do still believe that, exceptionally, Scotland can obtain independence without getting down and dirty in the process. Almost that by gentleman’s agreement the British establishment, with a smile and friendly pat, will hand over the keys to the kingdom.
Alas, those who read history, know better.
We shall see what we shall see but should they blow it, despite Scotland holding some impressive political cards, the old ‘constitutionalist’ and legalist’ order will have boxed itself into a corner and as a consequence to the margins of history.
We can and must do better.
I listened to BBC Politics Live earlier (some of) presented by Jo Coburn. They were discussing the rise of politicians in England being punched, throttled and egged recently. Somehow or another it doesn’t seem to reach news programmes unlike Reporting Scotland when Jackie Bird made a big hoo-ha, night after night, of Jim Murphy being hit with a singular egg … “Egged by a mob.”
The following link is online but doesn’t cover the incidents that Jo Coburn mentioned earlier.
link to bbc.co.uk
Abulhaq If you are referringvto the SNP conference then you are at odd with people
I have spoken who were in attendence. They tell me it was an uplifting occasion with a very positive atmosphere.
@Dean says: 30 April, 2019 at 1:10 pm:
” … Lol, no holding back eh? Just as well there is no such thing as defamation in Scotland.”
So we have:-inflammation, confirmation, irritation, confutation, deformation complication, and a very important one where our MPs can choose not to swear an oath of loyalty to the Queen of England but instead make an affirmation, but nae defamation.
I like that.
@Abulhaq
I was there and you are talking nonsense.
How Scotland conducts itself will have far-reaching consequences that will impact globally and across time. Let the Anglo-American New Right high-jack the British constitution, and law-and-order and justice will suffer globally.
link to chicagounbound.uchicago.edu
Professor John Robertson “Talking up Scotland” unlike the Unionist controlled media that’s always “Running Scotland down.”
https://thoughtcontrolscotland.com
@Clootie says: 30 April, 2019 at 1:42 pm:
“. ,,, @Abulhaq
I was there and you are talking nonsense.
Isn’t that the normal case for, Abulhaq, Clootie?
Abubhaq has a different agenda and it is to talk down the FM,SG and SNP with every comment. Now if I were a neutral observer, or perhaps just a curious soft no lurker, and was reading wings I’d conclude that Abulhaq was a unionist on Wings trying to put people off supporting independence.
Mind you Abulhaq is not alone in that agenda. Sadly the way things go I’d be amazed if the Westminster Establishment security forces have not infiltrated the independence movement.
After all they have been found out, and even in some cases convicted, for illegally infiltrating such as CND, the striking miners and the IRA and even found guilty of marrying women and leaving them with their children.
The Unionists have no limits they will not cross to defend their, “Precious”, one sided union.
Scotland must liberate itself from the bondage of an outdated political union. The New Right have little time or compassion for the vulnerable and less-able. The New Right views international development as a tool of “soft power” and not a requirement of distributive justice.
link to qcc.cuny.edu
You have to laugh at the hypocrisy and pure brassneck of MSM journalists who complain about the toxicity of on line commentators. What can be more toxic than deliberate lying and propaganda reporting. These so called journalists should read the words that their own colleagues spew out on a regular basis. How about, as an example, the Telegraph stating that Sturgeon should be beheaded just like Mary Queen of Scots. This being not long after Jo Cox was murdered.
Nothing but pure contempt for these so called journalists that sell their principles ( assuming they ever had some ) for a few pounds to their Westminster masters.
Pathetic, pathetic creatures and that is an honestly held viewpoint and is obviously fair comment based on decades of evidence.
Japan has a new emperor, his imperial majesty has an interest in water transport. An anglophile apparently and utterly anodine. Any connexion? Anyway, Tennouheika banzai!
Angus Robertson has stated in yesterday’s National that, “David Edward, the former UK Judge on the European Court of Justice, is now considering supporting Independence.” He mentions that there’s a video relating to this but I can’t find it. If someone does come across it could they post it on here. Thanks.
Abulhaq, some of us teuchters have this internet thing and go online and watch the Conference webcast and see a packed audience cheering loud and long with many standing ovations for the platform speakers and the MPs and FM. We can even listen to the speeches.
Which begs the question as ever, Abulhaq, who can I believe? Your report of the proceedings or the evidence of my own lying eyes and ears?
Interesting to hear you talk of infiltration. Haven’t you boasted on this site of your decades of service to HMG as a ‘science’ officer? Did you sign the OSA?
While the rest of us were marching for CND what were you doing for HMG? And then you embed yourself in the SNP for years, makes you wonder doesn’t it?
What are your history essays on here meant to achieve? Are they to rabble rouse, anger the masses, make them rise up with rage at the way they have been treated?
Anyone can play the spot the Unionist plant, can’t they?
Robert Peffer, no malice intended, sometimes you do write piffle.
You imply thou shalt not criticize the Party & its Great Leader. I am far from being alone in regretting the direction the national movement is being led by the current SNP hierarchy, ref, the Peter Bell blog. The old groupies are stifling the life out of and possibly killing the cause of independence and sadly they wouldn’t recognize an opportunity if it bit them on the rump, remember those 56 mps and that > 50% vote? Are they scared to let go in case they lose conventional, bourgeois ‘ respectability’.
Prim Scottish exceptionalism all belt, braces and go slow legalism is like cold porridge, unappetizing, totally indigestible and is actually alienating people of my age. Is the SNP a middle aged and old peoples party? I’d have thought the latter would be in rather a hurry to get the job done. They’ve waited long enough.
Have a good afternoon Sir! Unionist indeed!!!!
I know I’m a bit of a post-colonial feminist but I’m a bit alarmed at how
reactionaryyoon[c]onservative Scotland’s judiciary appears to be, frankly. I’d have thought they would have been among the strongest defenders of Scotland’s liberty. I suppose you’re never too old to be disappointed by the Establishment.Libertarian Philosophy: Rawls and Nozick on Liberty & Equality – Learn Liberty
link to youtube.com
Robert the Truth…
I also was a civil servant and like all civil servants, signed the Official Secrets Act.
It’s obligatory.
“The SNP gathering was something of a disappointment, no fire, no passion, no new direction.”
Fucking hilarious.
That the best you can do?
Chase yersel.
I’m just wondering if a wee bit of “power” has gone to some peoples heads. The AUOB crew rubbing up Police Scotland the wrong way again? Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have warned that there would be “significant disruption” to the City Centre by up to 100,000 participants starting to march at 1:30pm and that the earlier start time (11:00am) would minimise that disruption.
Seemingly “if there is no change and AUOB does not comply with the Council’s order those organising the event could face fines of £2500 or up to three months in prison if convicted, while anyone taking part in any procession that does not comply a council order could be fined up to £1000 if convicted.”
Now I don’t get this. To my mind the march starting at 11:00am is preferable as it would take around 3 hours, with a turnout of 100,000, to get to Glasgow Green. Leave at 1:30pm and the last lot in line arrive around 4:30pm. Day practically over especially for folks with kids. Leave at 11:00 and everyone is there for 2:00pm.
Manny Singh says that people are travelling from all over Scotland and an earlier start time would mean much earlier travel for participants. Well I say get out of your kip a bit earlier. Not exactly a hardship surely for people who want their Independence? Or as I have done previously (and if you can afford to do so) arrive the night before.
Whatever the case this should have been settled last year with AUOB having something in writing from GCC. More than anything we don’t want to put the Police and Fire Service at a disadvantage in getting on with their job and in turn give the opposition something genuine to complain about. Surely?
(The article is in the National however I’m having trouble copying / pasting).
You can sum up the reason for the decline in public engagement with politics, in five words, “the social contract is broken”.
link to politics.virginia.edu
All this talk about Britnat plants in the independence movement is a bit one sided Surely the SNP must have some plants in the Britnat parties just waiting to (at the right time of course) announce their love of Scotland, renounciation of all things British and say independence is normal and all Britnats are abnormal liars. Was Murray Foote the first of many about to come out the woodwork.
Any suggestions?
I wonder what odds you would get on:
Mundell – 5000 to 1
Leonard. – 300 to 1
Neil Oliver – a billion to 1
Batshit Jill – a trillion to 1
Murdo Fraser – 100 to 1
Adam Tomkins – 50 to 1
Annie Wells – no too stupid to carry it off.
Ross Thomson – acting like a complete Tory bampot would be a good cover – 150 to 1
Stephen Kerr – Scotlands own Billy Bunter Buffoon could be a good smokescreen – 40 to 1
Just like the Mad Britnats come and pay us a visit I am sure that there are some SNP plants.
@Robert the truth 2:41pm
Inflitration, the rumour and the threat of it is a useful device for speading doubt and distrust among the dissident. The British state was once skilled in the art and who knows may be still.
Scottish nationalism is a major threat to the integrity of the state. Security agencies have had the movement in their sight for decades. Spotting the inflitrator is part of the propaganda war. You may need the nose of a George Smilley to sniff them out.
Hi Petra.
From today’s National:-
All Under One Banner march returns to 1.30pm start after police backing
link to thenational.scot
“THE march and rally for independence scheduled for Glasgow on Saturday afternoon will go ahead as planned with the original 1.30pm start after organisers All Under One Banner (AUOB) met Police Scotland in Glasgow yesterday.”
[snip]
” The National understands that AUOB were able to reassure the officers in charge of policing the march that they would be able to stop the march immediately to allow emergency services through in case of an incident.
The originally planned route will also be used – Kelvingrove Park, Kelvin Way, Gibson Street, Eldon Street, Woodlands Road, Sauchiehall Street, Pitt Street, West George Street, Blythswood Square (S), West George Street, Nelson Mandela Place, West George Street, George Square (N), George Street, High Street, Saltmarket, Glasgow Green.”
@Proud Cybernat 02:59
All depends how you define fire, passion and new direction.
link to peterabell.blog
We shall be free, of that there is no doubt but when, whether the current ‘road map’ is the right one is a very moot point. I meet people who are weary of the posturing and feet dragging. Jam now please!
I love plants and gardening. So I think I’ll have to start naming the Wings plants that are starting to become visible at this time of the year. Of course some of the Wings plants are still to go into full berserker bloom. Some are planning to stay a long time and come back year after year so they are not so colourful and not so easy to spot in the garden but they are there nevertheless. Finally there are always some nasty weeds about as well.
Loads of different types of Wings plants.
That’s my truth and nothing but the truth.
O/T Some interesting findings published today on social mobility. There has been much BBC coverage of the Social Mobility Commission report ‘State of the Nation 2018 to 2019’ but of course not of the information that I share later in this post.
This is from the BBC News website today: “State of the Nation report: Inequality in UK ‘entrenched'”
However, the Commission itself makes clear it has no remit for, did no research into and therefore makes no comment on this issue in Northern Ireland. So much for being informed and educated by our illustrious public sector broadcaster!
The Today programme on Radio 4 this morning covered the Commission’s report. It actually gave the Tory education secretary Damien Hinds quite a hard time on the findings and recommendations (of what is actually GB wide report). But as usual Today failed to inform listeners that Mr Hinds is only the education secretary for England and that Westminster has no role in many of key underpinning policy areas such as child care and education provision that the Commission had commented upon and Today/Hinds were discussing.
And lumping, by implication, England together with Wales and Scotland into an overall bad news story there was OF COURSE no mention by the BBC of this from the Commission’s report. So in case you miss it:
P132: “This data highlights that both Scotland and Wales are becoming significantly more socially mobile, as a person’s job and life chances are less determined by their socio-economic status at birth. This is encouraging and compares favourably to England, where social mobility has not improved.”
And then despite even pressing and failing to get Hinds to indicate the likelihood of future Tory support for this specific Commission recommendation, Today failed to report this from the Commission:
“The Commission recognises the Scottish Government’s efforts at tackling in-work poverty by becoming an accredited voluntary living wage employer, as well as strongly encouraging other employers to do the same.” (p. 138).
Source: link to assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
I wonder what KD’s view is on “social justice”. Despite her legal and social policy training, she’s pretty much full-on “woke”, IMHO. About as useful as a chocolate teapot, frankly.
link to politics.ox.ac.uk
Petra, i and the other 30 or 40 from Arran going on Saturday could get out our kips at four in the morning and still struggle to get to Kelvingrove park for a 1100am start. The question you should be asking is why the Emergency services having sat on their arses for nearly a year then objected to the start time. If they had issues with a 1 pm start then they should have raised them soon after the application went in not a couple of weeks before. Smells like Yoon shite to me. And btw im not a AUOB syncophant , Some concerns by Ronnie and others have been raised about that Organisation which I think should be addressed . But in this case I think AUOB were correct in telling the authorities where to go.
Capella at 12:19 pm
I should imagine that the Treasury excludes oil and gas in their figures because to include them would be to show what a complete dog’s dinner they have made of managing that resource.
It is also better if the SG does not mention them but waits until the Unionist side does so then tear into them good style.
You know as well as I do that if SG mentions oil and gas then the media will spin the story relentlessly into ‘Scotland too poor – oil and gas declining’.
Better to wait, keep your powder dry, and let them raise it. Then you lay the blame at the door of the UK Gov in no uncertain terms.
@ Stu Campbell
You criticised the SNP regarding indyref, that it will be challenged / blocked by UK Govt or others.
How about a crowdfunder to take the following question to court before the SNP legislate for an indyref:
When the UK Govt is signed up to the UN that upholds self-determination, can a democratically mandated Scottish indyref be legally blocked?
I suggest KD’s first lecture is on Rawls. What say you BLiS____d?
link to faculty.washington.edu
Interesting to see Ruth Davidson , Ed Balls and one Andrew Wilson ( he of the Growth Commission) all on the Board of said John Smith Institute -very cosy…
@Abulhaq
Have you read this?
link to peterabell.blog
I think he sums it up very eloquently.
I wish I had his skills as a wordsmith.
My assessment would be: same auld mince from the SNP.
Herald on-line lead story just now is: Derek McKay in ‘full retreat’ on Scottish Currency.
Had a quick look at the story. I think they may be working to a different definition of ‘retreat’ than the one normally used.
Petra mentioned at 2:24 pm:
” Angus Robertson has stated in yesterday’s National that, “David Edward, the former UK Judge on the European Court of Justice, is now considering supporting Independence.” He mentions that there’s a video relating to this but I can’t find it.
If someone does come across it could they post it on here. Thanks. ”
I can’t find a video but here’s The Times reporting it a couple of months ago.
Unfortunately most of it is behind their Paywall:
link to archive.is
There’s a little spoken of truth, an elephant in the room … there is a percentage of voters who really don’t have a scoobie!
Some people don’t follow politics, but it can be astonishing how many sometimes can have exceedingly little knowledge about things which have an enormous effect in their lives.
This poll featured in the National highlights the ‘problem’.
People were asked about whether they thought parties were pro or anti Brexit.
5% think UKIP anti Brexit. Eh? Or, that 3% think Farage’s Brexit party are also anti? That shows some very dumb (or astonishly disinterested) folks are out there!
Perhaps what is more interesting is 24% believe the Tories to be Anti Brexit and only 13% believe Labour is Pro Brexit. That really does highlight widespread confusion about who stands for what. Why would anyone conclude official Tory policy is anything other than delivering Brexit? Similarly, why do so few not realise that Labour also are working towards delivery?
link to thenational.scot
I’d like to suggest Rawls as the subject for KD’s inaugural lecture.
link to st-andrews.ac.uk
@Lenny Hartley
AUOB on Twitter saying Saturday’s march to start off from Kelvingrove Park at 1:30pm.
link to twitter.com
Robert Peffers says:
30 April, 2019 at 11:34 am
Battles are often lost when the participants ignore their leadership and attack at the wrong time….
…Glorious Highland charges can win battles against superior firepower but only if timed to perfection. Sadly most of them have failed and often by the charge being begun by eagerness and not by the battle’s leadership.
You’re right but wrong Robert.
I forget now whether it was a book or a blog, so sorry, I can’t give you a reference, but I remember once reading a fascinating examination of the famed Highland Charge, – how and why it worked, and how and why it didn’t.
I’m going to over simplify it for brevity, and won’t do it justice, but the gist was if you looked at the combatants, (this was in the Jacobite context), on the one hand you had a Government Redcoat with a musket and bayonet, and occasionally a sword. Your Highlander however typically had a spike or boss on his buckler to stab you with a back hand, a dirk in the same hand to stab you with a forehand, a shorter broadsword in his other hand, and typically a further blade, or very occasionally a pistol, in his jerkin if there wasn’t room to swing a sword, and yet another blade in his sock for emergencies. In short, the Highlander could stab you three or four times with his eyes shut just by falling on top of you, whereas the Redcoat put his stabbing spike at the end of his musket which became very unwieldy in close quarter battle.
The “timing” of the Highland Charge was critical, because if it was too slow in closing to the enemy, it gave the Redcoats more time for a second or even a third volley to thin the ranks of attacking Highlanders. One the melee began however, it was battle of the spikes and who could stab whom the quickest, and the Highlanders had the advantage. The Highlanders too had a fine and fierce reputation, and it’s no bad thing to have your enemy fillin’ his breeks before the battles even begun.
At Killiecrankie in 1689, the Jacobite Highlanders charged against a line formation of Government Redcoats deployed to meet them, but the geography of the hillside meant the brow of a hill shielded the Highlanders from direct line of fire, and allowed them to close to battle without coming under direct fire. As they crested the ridge, the Redcoats had time for a single volley (which the Highlanders exchanged at 50m), before dropping their muskets and changing into their ranks. They couldn’t thin out the Highlanders charge and the Redcoats were routed.
At Prestonpans 1745 the Redcoats were encamped, and the Highlanders used stealth and deep ditches to get close to the enemy unobserved. By the time the Redcoats knew they were in a battle, the Highlanders were already upon them. The Highlanders Charge won the day again.
Even at Culloden, George Murray had sought to engage the Redcoat army by night attack, because he understood how vital it was for the Highlanders to fight their battles as a close quarter melee, and deny the Redcoats the time and opportunity to thin out the Highlanders by volley fire.
The disaster of Culloden was that the Prince in his hubris had taken command of his troops himself, did not understand the vital necessity of getting his troops into close quarter engagement with the enemy, and instead of giving his men every advantage as George Murray understood they needed, he deployed them in open formation with 500 yards of killing ground to cover before they could engage the enemy, and in less than an hour, they were cut to pieces by artillery and volley after volley of musketry. The Redcoats lost 50 men.
It is often lamented that Culloden marked the end of the Highlander’s culture and tradition, and while there is some merit to the argument. There is another element of truth in the fact that it was the advance of weaponry and muskets which rendered the Highland Charge obsolete by the mid 18th Century. I simply believe George Murray was much more aware of his troops and their limitations than Bonnie Prince Charlie, who understood precious little. The Highlanders themselves were destroyed by their discipline and loyalty to an ineffective leader who wouldn’t listen to advice and couldn’t think on his feet when it’s started going wrong.
Timing? Well, yeah. But don’t leave your army with a 500m dash to engage an enemy with artillery and ranks of muskets because the “timing” will see them slaughtered.
The Highland Charge was obsolete, perhaps, but in WW1, the Germans used shock troops, “storm troopers” who were armed with light machine guns and grenades for close quarter engagement with the enemy. The artillery barrage before their assault was all about getting their men across the killing ground and into close quarter battle with a rattled enemy. The Highlanders were the stormtroopers of their day, armed with short swords and dirks rather than specialist purpose built machine guns.
Timing does matter, it can’t be denied. But you have to have a plan and know where your strengths and weaknesses are, not hang your forces out to dry taking damage and losing faith while you dither about because you can’t make up your mind.
They have BBC Artillery. We don’t. We need a method to defeat and nullify their advantage or they’ll bury us where we stand.
@RobertTheTruth says: 30 April, 2019 at 2:41 pm:
” … Interesting to hear you talk of infiltration. Haven’t you boasted on this site of your decades of service to HMG as a ‘science’ officer?”
Not me, Robert, you must have the wrong guy. I wasn’t boasting and I’ve never claimed to be a, “Science” Officer, in my entire life but yes I, several times, have signed the Official Secrets Act.
So what? You do realise, or apparently you don’t, that there are doctors, surgeons, nurses, rescue helicopter pilots. scientists working to prevent the worst effects of WMD, poison gas, biological weapons and much, much more in the MOD.
If you were half as clever as you imagine yourself to be you would know that what I was involved in was nothing to do with killing people and everything to do with preventing deaths, injuries and the ill effects of all forms of radiation, including x-Rays on the human body. I can only assume you have no idea, even when I have explained it many times, what a RADIAC LAB is.
So away and crawl back into whatever dank hole you crawled out from and into Wings.
Came across this, a few months old, but very scary!
What do Leave voters want after Brexit?
53% Death penalty
48% Pounds and ounces
42% Corporal punishment in schools
So, half those to get an approximate figure for the whole UK population. A quarter of UKish want to turn the clock back at least 50 years. How can a quarter be so sad that they think things were better back then?
link to joe.co.uk
In a bit of a rush, so short and sweet.
Thanks for the update on AUOB March, Brian and PC. 1:30pm it is.
………………….
At Lenny at 4:01 pm … Travelling from Arran.”
Ok Lenny apologies, I get your point having to travel from Arran (and other Islands), and good for you guys in making that trek, but surely AUOB could get something in writing, confirmation, when they know through experience that there could be last minute issues? They’ve also had a year to do so. It’s also not the GCC, as was previously controlled by Labour.
…………………
Thanks for the link, Jack (3:34pm). Good to see that more and more people are having second thoughts now. I can’t wait to see us get over the 50% mark if for no other reason to shut Unionists / MSM up.
………………….
Why Dudfail was the best candidate for the job …
link to gla.ac.uk
Sorry for the length of this post but as the ‘One Nation’ ideology assumes a “unitary” state and requires a “utilitarian” approach to administrative law and justice, I think Rawls would be the ideal subject for KD’s inaugural lecture. What say you BLiS___d?
personal.lse.ac.uk/voorhoev/rawls.pdf
What we all suspected and feared…
link to twitter.com
(Article won’t archive).
@galam
Because young people are subjected to a full on Britnat view of the past, viewed through red, white and blue tinted spectacles and unencumbered by personal experience. It amounts to state grooming of its own young folk and the vilest form of propaganda.
Those of us who actually lived through much of the past had the opportunity to have a proper gander rather than rely on the neo propaganda. Corporal punishment was a scarring, demeaning and labeling activity which was decidedly unhealthy for the pupils and perhaps even more so for the teachers.
Capital punishment is state sanctioned murder.
Petra
Here’s a legal-world mention of Edward’s view on independence.
Ambivalent rather than committed.
link to scottishlegal.com (wouldn’t archive)
I agree to bringing back the death penalty we were never asked if we wanted it removed because they knew we would have said no so it was forced on us How many poor souls would still be alive today if the cowards who murdered them thought they would be put to death for their murder ???
Petra @ 2.24
Jack Murphy @ 4.34
Although he actually advocated NO in indyref1, this article by Sir David Edward in 2012, shows him already calling Barroso’s (remember him?) bluff regarding the necessity for a ‘new’ Accession Treaty to the EU, were Scotland to become independent.
The article still has relevance today with Brexit being ‘live’, too.
link to scottishconstitutionalfutures.org
Further, in June 2016, Nicola appointed him to “… a council of prominent experts to advise the Scottish government “on how best to achieve our EU objectives”. Among the members are Sir David Edward, former judge in the European Court of Justice, economist John Kay and Labour MEP David Martin.””
link to irishtimes.com
Proud Cybernat 5.31
Article archived.
link to archive.is
Blair Paterson 5.42
How many poor souls would be alive today if they had not been wrongfully convicted and executed?
Petra @ 2:24 pm and others
Re- David Edward and support for independence: I don’t know of a video but this quote from a ‘less partisan’ source may prove helpful. It’s from the Scottish Legal News web site dated 4 February 2019:
( Source: link to scottishlegal.com )
‘Professor Sir David Edward, the former European Court of Justice judge, said Brexit has left him receptive to Scottish independence.
Sir David set out his views as a new pro-independence research group, Progress Scotland, launched.
He said: “In 2014, I was a committed ‘no’ voter — head and heart. I’m now ambivalent. It seems that we may have to choose between the undoubted uncertainties of independence and exit from the EU and rulers in London who don’t understand or believe in the constitutional implications of the devolution settlement.
“If that’s the choice, I could be persuaded to vote for independence.”
He added: “To be persuaded to vote for independence, I would need to see more evidence that Scotland and its institutions are capable of bearing the intellectual, financial and administrative burdens that independence would involve.” ‘
I wonder if there is an advance on this position yet?
@Abulhaq says: 30 April, 2019 at 2:50 pm:
” … Robert Peffer, no malice intended, sometimes you do write piffle.”
No Malice? You never post anything but malice.
” … You imply thou shalt not criticize the Party & its Great Leader.”
I never imply things, Abulhaq, I come right out and say them out loud.
” … I am far from being alone in regretting the direction the national movement is being led by the current SNP hierarchy”
Well that bit is true, you most certainly are not alone.
” … ref, the Peter Bell blog. The old groupies are stifling the life out of and possibly killing the cause of independence and sadly they wouldn’t recognize an opportunity if it bit them on the rump, remember those 56 mps and that > 50% vote? Are they scared to let go in case they lose conventional, bourgeois ‘ respectability’.”
Absolute idiocy. Peter Bell is leader of which party – could you remind me again? I seem to have forgotten? Just for the record, I’ll say it yet again as you seem rather challenged with plain English. – to criticise the FM, SG and SNP on an open forum is music to the ears of the unionists and those who bear ill will to the independence movement.
The FM is very much approachable and can be reached by snail mail, email and she posts of Twitter and perhaps also on Facebook. Her contact details are readily available as are all members of Parliament, Westminster & Holyrood and the SNP have their contact details on their webpages. Not only that but any SNP member can, and they frequently do, criticise, move motions at branches, and oppose other people’s motions and they can, and do propose amendments.
I have never in my life said, or implied, that people, that is anyone, in or out of the SNP, should not oppose or criticise The FM, The Leader, The SNP or anyone in it. I only point out that doing so on an open forum is doing the unionist’s work for them. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve criticised any of those I mentioned and I go back a long way.
Now care to call me a liar? That is the plain and simple truth – can you deny it?
As for the rest of your gobbledegook awa and shove it. Which party is it that has now got Scotland on the very verge of independence? Who leads it? The usual result of acting like a bull charging a gate is, like the bull, giving yourself a sore head and still being where you were before.
I was supporting independence when idiots were blowing up pillar boxes – where did that get us? I was in the party when people liberated the Stone of Destiny and where did that get us?
I’ll tell you where it got us, it got us branded as a bunch of loonies, the proverbial Lunatic Fringe, we got nowhere. We got nothing except laughed at. For all your flawed rhetoric the fact remains that under the current SNP and their leader we are closer now than ever before and, get this, our support is continuing to rise. If that is failure – Please Sir can we have some more?
So tell me this – are we on the cusp of independence by what the FM, SG, SNP at Westminster and the party are doing or is it by a bunch of dissident numpties on open forums yelling at every opportunity. “SNPBAAAD”, Nicola Sturgeon VeryVerybad! SG veryveryverybad?
Most of all – do you think that contacting the FM/SG/SNP directly with your criticisms has less chance of making actual changes than bleating like spoiled children on an open web blog?
Okay dokey, would someone kindly forward this link to Sir David Edward ‘could be persuaded’. Mind and remind him the full-English Brexit will damage the fabric of Scotland’s civil Society and that Scotland voted against the full-English Brexit. Has he forgotten the justificatory moral law principal of the British constitution? Does he consider the legal EU personality of Scotland’s electorate as ‘optional documentation’?
link to journals.sagepub.com
#ambivalent #glib #unconscionable
@ Blair Paterson – I’ve read some really silly comments from you but that one is top notch.
Take a look at the USA where they have the death penalty. Tell us – what is the murder rate in the USA? In what sense can the death penalty be said to deter murder?
State murder sets a very bad example. You can not murder your way out of problems.
IMO.
@Abulhaq says: 30 April, 2019 at 3:29 pm:
” … I meet people who are weary of the posturing and feet dragging.”
Aye! So do i – most of them are unionists, though. Ruth Davidson says so all the time. Tell me this, just what is your motive for spouting such claptrap on an open forum?
Why don’t you send Nicola an email and tell her what you tell Wingers?
Why not email the Scottish Government directly?
Why not either post to the SNP website or send then an email?
The above recipients will all at least acknowledge your complaints and that means they have read them.
Why not, if you are an SNP member don’t you table a motion at your branch. Now it works like this – if no one disagrees with your motion it automatically gets accepted as branch policy. If anyone disagrees with you then it gets debated and voted upon and gets adopted as branch policy.
comment on wings and all you get is grief and it changes nothing – so just what is it you are attempting to do? Is it to change SNP policy or to make people turn against the SNP? It sure as hell isn’t going to get anywhere with changing SNP policy by posting on an indy supporting blog.
So the Labour Party’s Executive has helped to undermine their campaign for the Euro Elections and sunk their chances in a UK general election. The seats that they gained in remain constituencies south of the border such as Canterbury and Kensington will be made harder for them to retain.
‘Theresa May suggests UK health services could be part of US trade deal’
Theresa May has left the door open for the greater involvement of US corporations in British healthcare as she arrives in America to lay the groundwork for a future trade deal.
Ms May would only say that she was committed to a health service that is free at the point of delivery, but made no comment on whether the NHS would be off the table in any future talks.
Trade and the UK’s economic relationship with the US will be one of the key pillars of the Prime Minister’s visit to Philadelphia and Washington DC.
Asked whether health services might form a part of a potential deal, she said: “We’re at the start of the process of talking about a trade deal. We’re both very clear that we want a trade deal.
“It will be in the interests of the UK from my point of view, that’s what I’m going to be taking in, into the trade discussions that take place in due course.
“Obviously he will have the interests of the US. I believe we can come to an agreement that is in the interests of both.”
Asked again whether the NHS would be off the table she said: “As regards the NHS, we’re very clear as a Government that we’re committed to an NHS that is free at the point of use.”
The statement left open the possibility of the greater involvement of US firms in healthcare, as long as people do not have to pay for the services they provide at the moment they are received.
A Number 10 spokesman said later: “The NHS will never be part of a trade deal and will always remain free at the point of delivery.”
Liberal Democrat Leader Tim Farron said: “The public were told Brexit would mean another £350m a week for the NHS, not that our health service would be opened up to US firms.
“Theresa May must immediately clarify that the NHS will not be up for sale in any future negotiations with Trump. Hollowing out our health service in the name of a trade deal with the US would be an utter betrayal of most of those who voted to leave the EU.”
One of the key factors that led to opposition to the TTIP trade deal between the US and EU was fear over whether it would open up the NHS to vast multi-national corporations who might put the profits ahead of patient care.
Ms May faced repeated questions in the Commons on Wednesday, with Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn urging her to rule out any deal that would give US giants a toehold in British healthcare.
The SNP also raised concerns that a deal could see UK supermarkets stocked with foods that do not meet current safety standards.’
link to archive.is
———————————————————————————–
Never. Trust. The. Tories.
If folk want to judge the moral competence of Scotland’s judges, I suggest they judge them through Rawls, remembering to keep the full-English Brexit and the paradigm of austerity in mind.
scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3091&context=jssw
Ah canny even get piece tae lurk .
Lenny Hartley / Petra.
I have every faith in Chief Inspector Audrey Hands that everything goes smoothly on Sat . Audrey & Police officers done a fantastic job of stewarding in 2014 & a light Police presence in the park with only Blue vested officers in attendance until the dispersal when the High Vis officers returned .
The Wings stall will be displaying notices that ALL PROFITS from donations for merchandise will go to Worthy Causes ie Foodbanks & any other causes suggested by the Wings Volunteers who I may said give their time freely in the cause of Independence .
Pete the Camera & Briandoonthetoon will be manning a table for Badges , donations will be going to Dialysis group in Dundee .
We have 2 guests who requested space at the stall to promote their books Wee Ginger Dug Paul Kavangh & The Indy Poet Paul Colvil so I hope yous come & support us as this may be the last event attended by the Wings Stall .
And just to be clear those people of Auob who made complaints after the Edinburgh march last year ( witch Wings didn’t have a presence at ) can save your collective breaths in complaining to Stuart Campbell , the Wings Stall is and always has been a arms length enterprise manned by Volunteers .
Get out and enjoy yourselves on Sat as these marches maybe short lived given the political ineptitude of Westminster .
When does a pro-indy journalist reveal he isn’t. When he demands a 60% margin (although I suspect he means threshold, but maybe words aren’t his forte). Because the 60% threshold is actually much worse than the 1979 referendum, depending on turnout obviously.
But assuming a 80% turnout (not unreasonable considering the last vote) this would require 48% threshold of all possible voters, this is higher (substantially) than the 40% in 1979.
@Breeks says: 30 April, 2019 at 4:58 pm:
” … You’re right but wrong Robert.“,
Unfortunately, Breeks, you missed out very important points.
First of all the English were not at all daft. To begin, in the days of the longbow, they English soon learned to set up their bowmen in several ranks. Rank one loosing of a flight of arrows then ducking down while the next rank loosed of a flight and the first rank ready for another flight.
Same went after musketeers replaced bowmen. In a straight Highland charge the Highlanders were cut to bits. So that meant either the English ranks had to be somewhat depleted before the Highlanders came, apparently, out of nowhere. Either down among undergrowth before called to charge, or from deep hollows or ditches or on some occasions from what seemed to the English unclimbable heights or cliffs.
The obvious problem being if the Highlanders charged too soon they were cut to bits before engaging the enemy and the person to call the charge was the leader and not a spontaneous charge by eager Highlanders.
Robert Peffers says:
30 April, 2019 at 7:12 pm
@Breeks says: 30 April, 2019 at 4:58 pm:
” … You’re right but wrong Robert.“,
Unfortunately, Breeks, you missed out very important points.
First of all the English were not at all daft. To begin, in the days of the longbow, they English soon learned to set up their bowmen in several ranks. Rank one loosing of a flight of arrows then ducking down while the next rank loosed of a flight and the first rank ready for another flight….
If the bowmen or musketeers were properly deployed, their preliminary volleys would be determined by range markers, and fired together for demoralising area effect. With bowmen, the early arrows would be fired on a parabolic trajectory for optimum range, with subsequent volleys fired as quickly as possible, quite likely a second volley on a second range marker. I confess I don’t know at what range an archer would start to actually aim shots, rather than firing as a unit for area effect, but I would guess no more than 30m.
With an 18th Century musket, like a Brown Bess, the absolute range was around 300m, but the effective firing range was only around 50m for a 12 inch spread, and the rate of fire was 3, very occasionally 4 rounds a minute. The round was muzzle loaded with approximate quantities of powder and irregular shot, so even at 50m, the chances of putting two shots in the same 12 inch spread would be nil.
It would take a modern athlete about 1 minute to run 500m, but since the maximum range is 300m, the troops might not charge right away, indeed might not charge until 250m or 200m, but that’s still a lung buster of a Charge carrying weapons and a fight to be won when you got there. It might even be the volley at 50 or 60 m that actually prompted the flat out Charge to get into them before they could reload. 15-20 seconds to cover 50m?
Accounts vary, but realistically the opening salvos of musket fire were around 50 to 60m distance, and you’d be lucky to get two shots off before the Charge was upon you, then your musket is just a club with a bayonet.
As I understand Culloden however, it was cannon and mortar shot which really punished the vulnerable deployment of the brave Highlanders. It was a study in how not to deploy them, and gave every advantage to the enemy, who exploited it to the full. Bonnie Prince Charlie didn’t only deploy his troops badly, but left his Highlanders soaking up artillery fire for a full half hour while he dithered unsure what to do.
Breeks n Robert Peffers, where did the English long bow men come from? Wasnt it Wales ? ???
BBC shortbread has the A Neil apology tucked in the subsection of the Scotland politics page.
No sign of similar apology in the Big Auntie BBC pages even though the interview was UK wide. No change there then! 🙁 🙁
Job done BBC.
PS:
Anas Sarwar not on my Christmas card list but I see he was on the wrong end of a dodgy procedural process over his complaint carried out by the Labour party . 🙁
So, looks like Labour are going to fight the EU elections on a platform of ‘an alternative Labour Brexit’ with no guarantee of an EURef2. I understand their voters are in a majority for Remain. Fair enough, I always felt stupidity was terminal.
Bodes well for the SNP and Greens in Scotland if only they can get the Remain vote here out. Persuading people that this election matters will be the challenge.
A simple analysis (probably over simplistic) would suggest four seats go to Remain parties (SNP, Greens, LibDems) while the other two go to Leave parties (Tory, Lab, Brexit, UKIP).
@ Welsh Sion says at 5:18 pm… ”Why Dudfail was the best candidate for the job …”
link to gla.ac.uk
”The Director will require gravitas and outstanding communication skills to represent the Centre on an international stage, including in media appearances”…
I find it hard to believe that Ms Dugdale has been selected to hold such a position with her track record and it just makes one wonder how many individuals of a ”lesser caliber” actually applied for the job.
………………………………..
Professor Sir David Edward, former European Court of Justice Judge:-
Thanks to everyone (mike cassidy 5:35pm, Welsh Sion 5:44pm and stewartb 5:49pm) who took the time to post comments / links in relation to Sir David Edward, a prior ”committed No voter”, who is now considering supporting Independence.
Well let’s hope that he does have a change of heart. Having someone as illustrious on our side with the influence that he has, especially amongst his peer group, would be a real boon for us.Joining people like Dame Mariot Leslie Former UK Ambassador to NATO.
2006-2007: Director, Defence and Strategic Threats and Counter-Terrorism Envoy, FCO
2007-2010: Director General Defence and Intelligence, FCO
2010-2014: HM Ambassador and Permanent Representative Joint Delegation of the UK to NATO
…………………..
‘Scottish independence: Nato members ‘would welcome’ Scotland.’
link to bbc.co.uk
@ Breeks.
A volley at anything over 100 yards was akin to trying to frighten the horses, the odd lucky hit maybe but no real effect. Bowman would have been much more effective. 50 yards a different story though. 1st rank, second rank possible 3rd rank, so a maximum of 3 volleys before the highlanders hit them. The highlanders would have been through 3 ranks like a knife through butter and split left and right to roll up the line. Montrose was very effective in using highland armies. Montrose was adept at stringing out the enemy line. At Culloden the highlanders were confounded by support battalions placed behind the first. Charlie dithered way to long allowing gov forces to take up position.
@ call me dave says at 8:56 pm … ”BBC shortbread has the A Neil apology tucked in the subsection of the Scotland politics page. No sign of similar apology in the Big Auntie BBC pages even though the interview was UK wide. No change there then! ? ? Job done BBC.
Thankfully the National has the lying Neil data splattered right across its front page today, call me dave, plus photograph of Mr Neil. Nice one (not photograph, lol) and no doubt A Neil from Glenburn, Renfrewshire, Scotland will be bealing.
………………………….
C’mon folks support the National. The ONLY newspaper that’s supporting us.
link to weegingerdug.wordpress.com
I agree, it would be extremely influential to have a knight of the realm support Scotland’s constitutional sovereignty. I’m wondering why the dude isn’t already manning the barricades?
link to philosophyfaculty.ucsd.edu
Breeks & Cubby
We all know about the atrocities after the battle but just recently I discovered what the did to the hundreds of the poor bu&&ers who were transported south in seven leaky old ships to Tilbury to rot in their own muck and die from Typhus.
link to thurrock-history.org.uk
@Petra
Your right!
‘The National’ is excellent now with better contents in the sports and horsey pages and tv lists.
Much improved from the first issues long ago now.
Great X-words and a wide range of political comment stories.
Good read!
Some a*s* covers up the National and the Sunday National pile with a few Unioonist papers every day in life at my local shop.
Must be an early burd I’m there about 08:50hrs 🙂
Collecting my monthly badges too…got all four to date. 🙂
Right:
Off to the greens baize snooker streams on my computer for a while.
PS:
Battle tactics tonight shurley wea cannae fa oot aboot that stuff
eh? eh? 🙂
Oops, Looks like I got myself muddled and contaminated the last couple of paragraphs with my own thoughts. Give me a second to see what’s what.
OK. “There has to be a logic reason why his loyalty might not be directed towards Scotland?”, came from me and was referring to Sir David Edward. It should have read;
….Moreover, a third condition, [c], holds: it is common knowledge among all members of society that a and b hold.
Why this idealization? Rawls thinks we need to get clear
about first-best theory before we can be in a position to think through problems that arise when institutions are not just and some persons are not disposed to comply with requirements of justice.
Polls seem to show that the elderly and newcomers to Scotland were more inclined to vote No to Independence (some of the latter moving to Scotland for free home /social care, our superior NHS service etc).
Polls also show that the NHS is in the top 2/3 items on the list of what is of most importance to voters. Way beyond the level of disquietude that they have, for say pensions (around 11 on lists).
Once again we hear that, ”Theresa May is suggesting that UK health services could be part of US trade deals.’’
I reckon that we should really be pushing this narrative, focus on it, when we’re canvassing and that is that if we REMAIN in the UNION our SNHS is at serious RISK.
………………………………..
An interesting National newspaper article, on the NHS, by Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh.
‘NHS free market privateers are a real threat to services.’
”For most National readers, it would seem incredible that anyone, anywhere, could be in favour of privatising the NHS. But there are plenty who are, and it’s no surprise that they are of the right-wing, political establishment variety.
One such supporter of an American-style healthcare system in the UK is Daniel Hannan, Tory MEP, rampant Brexiteer, former chairman of the dodgy Vote Leave campaign and purveyor of alt history with his controversial and subjective take on Northern Irish and Scottish politics.
Hannan has lots of fingers in various pies, not least his founding of UK based think tank, the Initiative for Free Trade which advocates that, post-Brexit, American healthcare companies should compete with the NHS to run hospitals in Britain.
Hannan is getting all hot under the collar about the potential of free trade agreements with the US once the UK has left the EU, opening the door to creating competitive tendering on hospital contracts, and bringing American and UK food and environmental safety regulations into line. Chlorinated chicken burger anyone? Insulin shortages and the end of cancer screening anyone else?
As far as Hannan and the IFT are concerned, these risks to health in what they view as a newly revitalised post Brexit UK, free of prohibitive EU barriers to trade, will be worth it. But in this market free for all, in this chummy transatlantic very special relationship, one man’s downfall will be another’s opportunity and Hannan can’t hide the pound and dollar signs in his eyes.
Interestingly, this prospectus for the NHS is a joint effort by the IFT and an American think tank, the Cato Institute, which according to its own website, is a non-partisan research organisation devoted to individual liberty, limited government and free markets.
In fact, there seems to be rather a lot of these UK independent right-wing think tanks cosying up with their US counterparts in preparation for a free trade new dawn, once the protections of the European Union are lost.
But, surely they are out of step with most voters in Britain who would shy away from the idea of emulating the inhumane US health care model? Funnily enough, Hannan and the IFT’s project has the backing of Tory MPs Liam Fox and Boris Johnson. If ever there was a sign that something wasn’t a good idea, it would be the endorsement of these three amigos.
And let’s not forget that old bad penny, who always pops up when there is a buck to be passed and then made and an important legacy to be destroyed – step forward Nigel Farage, current leader of the Brexit Party, a re-worked Ukip for post-referendum die-hards, whose controversial public support for privatisation of the NHS seems to have been ignored in the media scrum to book this larger than life character.
In fact, the absence of anything concrete in terms of policy or Brexit planning by Farage has been overlooked by everyone except a small minority of presenters and journalists, the ones whom Farage tries hard to avoid.
So far, so convenient for this wolf in tweed clothing. But, it would surely be far more interesting for most voters if Farage was actually challenged and held to account on his views that healthcare should be market-funded – an idea so extreme and extremely unpopular that even Ukip revolted and told their then leader to think twice.
Much of the Farage base would be horrified to find out that they wouldn’t be able to see their GP for free anymore, pay over the odds for prescriptions and have to by-pass their essential heart surgery due to not having full health care insurance coverage. Just as a promise on health funding on the side of a bus sealed Farage’s triumph in 2016 the health issue could prove his undoing in 2019, that is if he is properly scrutinised.
Should this happen, Farage would just double down on his inflammatory rhetoric, blaming immigration for over-taxing health care resources, clogging up waiting lists and A&E access. He’ll keep this myth running with help from his tabloid pals despite empirical research to the contrary.
According to the UCL-Lancet Commission on Migration and Health, rather than migrants being a drain on NHS resources, they are healthier than the native population, use health care services less while also making an above average contribution to health service staffing. But facts don’t matter to Farage, why tell the truth when lies are more convenient?
None of this elite – Hannan, Gove, Fox, Johnson, Farage – walk in a straight line. Like posh, well-educated Only Fools and Horses Del boys, it’s all about what they can get, what they can make out of turning everything on its head. Hell mend everyone else who can’t afford medical insurance. It will be a deil tak the hindmost health service.
However, even before these Del Posh Boys have got their hands on more power, in England, the creeping privatisation of the NHS is already happening. Hands up if you’d rather have Virgin Care or an NHS doctor make decisions on yours or your loved ones’ future health? NHS England has said that the current UK Government’s drive to bring the private sector and financial competition into vital services has been shambolic and a huge waste of public resources with patients ultimately receiving substandard care. In Scotland, it’s a whole different story, with responsibility for the NHS a devolved matter, and private interference held at bay – so far. But after Brexit, when the Tory power grab of important devolved areas takes this control away, it’s alarming to think what could happen to our vital health care services.
Rejecting Brexit is about protecting the NHS in Scotland, and across the UK. Rejecting these self-serving politicians, rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of unfettered wealth creation at the expense of everyone else, is about safeguarding the NHS for the future.
As long as we are tied to these privateers and disaster capitalists, our services and our prosperity as a nation is under threat. Scotland must choose another path.”
link to thenational.scot
CameronB Brodie. Do you think it is possible to have trade agreements with European nations without having an EU Parliament or is this beyond the capabilities of humans?
auld highlander@9.41pm
That is a very grim read.
I have noticed many job loses across the UK and reported on UK media but other than that a lot of local small business’ closing
Also companies I deal with saying that they won’t invest or recruit until they have some idea of what will happen to Brexit
I suspected that UK Companies are now opening EU branches, EU Companies are investing and recruiting.
Below some proof of the EU gaining with UK loses.
The recent slowdown in the eurozone economy, which had stoked fears that another recession was around the corner, appears to have come to an end.
Official figures released Tuesday show that the 19-country single currency bloc saw economic growth double in the first quarter of the year and that has helped unemployment fall to its lowest level since the global financial crisis.
Eurostat, the European Union’s statistics agency, said the eurozone economy expanded by 0.4% in the first quarter from the previous three-month period. That’s double the rate experienced in the last quarter of 2018 and suggests that a period of rapid slowdown may be over.
Damn right the full-English Brexit is about the privatisation of what remains of the public sector, in addition to stopping migration and freedom of movement. There is only one way to save Scotland’s NHS, independence for Scotland in the EU.
link to ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
The maddest of the Brexit Britnats say the EU is undemocratic. We of course know that it is the UK that is undemocratic for Scotland.
Bishops of England in the House of Lords. What other country gives clerics a role in their parliament – Iran. What makes the Church of England religion so appropriate in making the laws of the land. Is it the word England? No other religions required in the parliament of the UK – what sort of democracy is this?
Not aware of any unelected religious leaders making laws in the European Parliament.
An independent Scotland has the chance to create a democracy in Scotland.
Mad Unionist
Where did that spring from? I don’t think it possible to cherry-pick with the EU (see Brexit), but yes, I think it possible to cooperate with the EU from the outside. However, there is no evidence of competence or good-will toward the EU in Westminster.
And don’t forget that ignores the elephant in the room i.e. Scottish sovereignty. We didn’t ask to relinquish our EU citizenship, but the Prime-minister is abusing the British constitution and intends to strip us of our legal identities.
That is an act of authoritarian political violence.
Petra @ 9:04 pm
Thanks Petra for reminding us of: “.. people like Dame Mariot Leslie Former UK Ambassador to NATO.”
She made an all too rare, unequivocal statement of explanation and intent in 2014 by someone who under normal circumstances would be regarded (just) as a UK ‘establishment’ figure.
See: link to bbc.co.uk
This article quoting her is still well worth a read. Next time, all those with a strong public profile and influence need to ‘come out’ in a similar manner. Rather more committed than what has been quoted from Sir David Edward so far but he still has time to put his full weight to the task – let’s hope he and others with similar experience and credentials will choose to do so very soon. The stakes now if anything are even higher than in 2014!
Cubby says:
Aye. When it comes to being undemocratic the UK-not-so-OK is in a different league from the EU.
Many aspects of the system are awful. For me it is the dreadful and archaic first past the post voting. This means that a party can gain power through a majority of seats when they get around 40% of the votes cast. In every election Thatcher ‘won’, a majority of voters rejected her yet she wrought lasting havoc of society and the population. Every other recent PM and ‘winning’ party has been the same.
I believe that last PM to actually win with >50% of votes cast was Stanley Baldwin in 1930!
Democracy?
Most of us now know how to ‘read’ what’s happening in Venezuela right now but the majority of MSM consumers simply can’t, and aren’t interested anyway.
An oil-rich left-leaning country daring to defy the U.S.?
Thank fuck we just happen to be situated on a completely different continent!…no, wait…erm…
Ach, fuck it, ahm away tae ma scratcher.
See some of ye’s on Saturday!
😉
The UK cannot be a democracy because it is a monarchy and in the Kingdom of England the Queen of England is legally sovereign. the two systems are opposites and cannot exist together.
In Scotland the monarch is not King/Queen of Scotland but King/Queen of Scots – indicating the monarch is not sovereign as the people are and the monarch can not only be sacked by the people but legally holds the office of Protector of the People’s Sovereignty. The current monarch has not protected the people’s sovereignty and thus negated her function.
Just another legal reason that The United Kingdom needs to legally be ended.
Now we’re cooking with gas. Consideration of healthcare needs to take account of the “biopsychosocial model of health”. Having influence over one’s immediate environment and autonomy of life choices, are vital components of human well-being. Brexit will harm Scotland’s public health, as it is economic madness and denies Scots any sense of AGENCY.
RAWLSIAN JUSTICE AND A HUMAN RIGHT TO HEALTH CARE
link to citeseerx.ist.psu.edu
Smith had suffered a previous serious heart attack in 1988 and Blair argued this was thanks to his lifestyle and, in particular, his heavy drinking.
Branding Smith a “stupendous toper”, Blair wrote: “He could drink in a way I have never seen before or since. If there was an Olympic medal for drinking, John would have contended with such superiority that after a few rounds the rest of the field would have simply shaken their heads and banished themselves from the track.”
link to caltonjock.com
Golfnut montrose was useless, his General Alasdair MacColla won all his battles, when MacColla was sway sorting out the Campbells, Montrose lost. There is a very good book called Highland Warrior Alasdair MacColla and the Civil Wars by David Stephenson is well worth a read, im on my fourth copy now, the previous three being lent out never to be seen again, so now its in the non lending section of my personal library 🙂 the Wikipedia link mentions that he is buried in Cork, that is not the case, he is buried in a small churchyard in Mallow, north of Cork near the Blarney Stone. In fact he is in the crypt , well some bones which were disturbed by rats were lying about when some friends and visited it to lay a wreath in his memory about twenty five years ago.
link to en.m.wikipedia.org
CameronB Brodie. 10.34pm. So you do think it is possible to negotiate trade deals! The cherry pick was a Merkel statement and had no credence. You indicate you want to be an EU citizen however the citizens of the UK were never given the choice whether they wanted this and when allowed they voted accordingly to leave. I thought you Scottish Nationalists wanted to be Scottish citizens!
Mad Unionist
I never gave the Prime-minister authority to abuse my legal identity or embodied sovereignty, and neither does the British constitution. You’re Prof. Tompkins and I claim my £5 book token. 🙂
CameronB Brodie. You have to explain why your legal identity has been abused and why the PM has some case to answer for doing so. The British do not have a constitution which is a good thing.
Mad Unionist
As equal partner in Britain, Scotland’s residents enjoy the legal identity of EU citizenship. This is an instrument of EU law, so is the concern of the European Court of Justice. The Prime-minister has no legal authority to tamper with or revoke the EU citizenship of Scotland’s residents, other than the assumed immutability and supremacy of English legal doctrine. Even then, she is acting on criminal electoral practice. Privileging English Tory tradition over international legal doctrine smells a lot like English fascism to me.
The Saudis in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia do not have a constitution.
Try and imagine if we lived in the Kingdom of Windsor. We would have to call ourselves Windsorians.
The United Kingdom and the Saudi Kingdom both undemocratic monsters.
Only a certain type of person thinks it is a great thing for people to have no rights. A mad person fits the bill.
CameronB Brodie. Scotland is indeed an equal partner in the UK. And when we leave the EU Scotland will still be an equal partner in the UK. You never did answer my point on Scots wanting to be Scottish citizens! Seems you prefer UK or EU citizenship to Scottish citizenship.
I think it would be reasonable to describe the full-English Brexit as non-consensual, from a Scottish perspective. I think it would also be reasonable to describe the full-English Brexit as being the opposite of empathetic to Scotland’s needs. Subsequently, I think it would be reasonable for Scots to take control of their legal personality and ensure their biological security. The Prime-minister is not a democrat, in the Rawlsian sense of the word.
You can say goodby to “liberal society” in Britain, if Scotland is dragged out of the EU.
@ stewartb at 10:25pm ….. “Support for Independence.”
Stewart we had another REALLY influential supporter in 2014 (+ many more). He was in charge of Faslane, Lieutenant something or other, retired like Dame M Leslie just before the Referendum and made an announcement of his support. I’ve had trouble with my computers / s since 2013 and lost thousands of items I had archived including data on him. Anyway maybe someone else will come up with the name (which I would like to be reminded of), meanwhile I came across this which is quite interesting, imo.
link to ukdefencejournal.org.uk
Mad Unionist
I am doing my best to defend by Scottish citizenship, which enables and empowers my EU citizenship. I’m a citizen of the EU because I’m a citizen of Scotland, but I’m about to have my legal identity defiled because I’m a subject of Westminster. Try and justify that.
CameronB Brodie. Go for a kipp Cameron you are starting to ramble a bit. I will be a Belgium citizen tonight as I like Belgium and their Jupiler beer.?
Starting to ramble? I’m just getting up to speed. Can you tell me where the Prime-minister draws her legal authority to tamper with legal instruments of the EU?
link to europarl.europa.eu
Achievements
For a long time, the legal basis for citizens’ rights at EU level consisted essentially of the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). Since the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon and the EUCFR, the legal basis has been expanded to true European citizenship.
A. Definition of EU citizenship
Under Article 9 of the TEU and Article 20 of the TFEU, every person holding the nationality of a Member State is a citizen of the Union. Nationality is defined according to the national laws of that State. Citizenship of the Union is complementary to, but does not replace, national citizenship. EU citizenship comprises a number of rights and duties in addition to those stemming from citizenship of a Member State. In case C-135/08 Janko Rottmann v Freistaat Bayern, Advocate General Poiares Maduro at the CJEU explained the difference (paragraph 23):
‘Those are two concepts which are both inextricably linked and independent. Union citizenship assumes nationality of a Member State but it is also a legal and political concept independent of that of nationality. Nationality of a Member State not only provides access to enjoyment of the rights conferred by Community law; it also makes us citizens of the Union. European citizenship is more than a body of rights which, in themselves, could be granted even to those who do not possess it. It presupposes the existence of a political relationship between European citizens, although it is not a relationship of belonging to a people. (…) It is based on their mutual commitment to open their respective bodies politic to other European citizens and to construct a new form of civic and political allegiance on a European scale.
It does not require the existence of a people, but is founded on the existence of a European political area from which rights and duties emerge. In so far as it does not imply the existence of a European people, citizenship is conceptually the product of a decoupling from nationality. As one author has observed, the radically innovative character of the concept of European citizenship lies in the fact that ‘the Union belongs to, is composed of, citizens who by definition do not share the same nationality’.
On the contrary, by making nationality of a Member State a condition for being a European citizen, the Member States intended to show that this new form of citizenship does not put in question our first allegiance to our national bodies politic. In that way, that relationship with the nationality of the individual Member States constitutes recognition of the fact that there can exist (in fact, does exist) a citizenship which is not determined by nationality.
link to europarl.europa.eu
link to indyscotnews.com
Some very interesting Yes/No breakdown.
1) not all Yes supporters are SNP
Lab
Yes – 27%
No – 73%
LibDem
Yes – 19%
No – 81%
2) Women need to be appealed to better
Yes – 46%
No – 54%
3) Older folks don’t like change or they feel ‘British’
Age 50-64
Yes – 42%
No – 58%
Age 65+
Yes – 27%
No – 73%
4) ‘Class’ is NOT a strong indicator
Social Grade ABC1
Yes – 51%
No – 49%
Social Grade C2DE
Yes – 48%
No – 52%
Has anyone seen this nonsense?
Verified account
@PeteWishart
Tomorrow I will release my manifesto to become the next Speaker of the House of Commons. The first post war Speaker to emerge from beyond the 2 main parties. It will be based on a solid agenda of reform seeking to secure equality of all MPs. It will be substantial & far reaching
This better be a joke or Pete at the wind up.
galamcennalath says @9.03pm
A simple analysis (probably over simplistic) would suggest four seats go to Remain parties (SNP, Greens, LibDems) while the other two go to Leave parties (Tory, Lab, Brexit, UKIP).
……….
Spoke my SNP MP Martyn Day last week (he was out knocking doors at 7pm on easter recess) and he seemed very confident of getting that 3rd seat in EU elections, and stated that polling was actually giving them hope of a 4th seat, but that needed everything to align perfectly, and was caveated by the availability of small Scottish sub-samples, rather than full on Scots polling data.
Could be an interesting night.
Engish local elections should be very interesting, with labour set to gain 400 seats and tories losing around 400 and lib dems making huge gains as well.
So, if accurate, we will seeing labour demanding a GE they cannot hope to win, when SNP are polling at winning 51 seats in Scotland, and will have a tory party clinging desperately to power despite a collapse in votes/councillors, and the ongoing civil war over ukexit/leadership.
Then more of the same at the EU elections later on.
Best bit ?
All the above will never be off the news, all super negative stuff and a total shambles exposed for all to see.
Then a wee reminder, Scots will get a chance to escape all this madness soon.
“Please Scotland, don’t go, you will miss out on the even worse stuff to come” ain’t the best rallying cry now, is it ?
Whit?
Contemporary issues of legal personality in international law.
Factual and normative problems
link to researchgate.net
CameronB Brodie. 1.13am. Why would the PM wish to interfere in the EU pre or post leaving? Once out the EU will inevitably collapse but sadly slowly. However the sooner the better. A lot of the establishment in the EU will require adult learning and rehabilitation after the shock. Working for a living will come hard and councilling will be required.
WGD:- ‘The Arrogance and Hubris that ends the UK.’
link to weegingerdug.wordpress.com
Professor John Robertson:- ‘Bias by extreme selection as BBC Scotland seriously distort your view on cancer care several times a day.’
link to thoughtcontrolscotland.com
MAD DOG UNIONIST
Yeh we believe you. The collapse of the EU. As opposed to the collapse of England into a US satellite.
Sneaky the yanks. Eat their Chlorinated chicken/ turkey dinners then you have to attend the privatised English NHS.
Still the brexiter tory and labour will be on the new privatised NHS Boards.
The £ will become the $
Links
link to gov.scot
link to thoughtcontrolscotland.com
link to weegingerdug.wordpress.com
link to scotgoespop.blogspot.com
link to insider.co.uk
Former Glasgow LABOUR councillor convicted of £8000 charity fraud
link to archive.fo
video
link to stv.tv
link to peterabell.blog?
What!
Tomorrow I will release my manifesto to become the next Speaker of the House of Commons. The first post war Speaker to emerge from beyond the 2 main parties. It will be based on a solid agenda of reform seeking to secure equality of all MPs. It will be substantial & far reaching
link to twitter.com
The UK government’s nuclear weapons programme is facing 21 technical and logistical risks and could end up costing taxpayers £172 billion, according to a new report.
link to archive.is
This is the end of the Scotch whiskey industry brought to you by the union with England
link to twitter.com
State of the Nation report: Social mobility in UK ‘virtually stagnant’
link to archive.fo
The latest from the National. The only newspaper that supports independence.
https://www.thenational.scot
link to businessgreen.com
DWP has sent 150,000 of the ‘fit for work’ letters that ‘risk patients’ health’
link to archive.fo
Are you listening Corbyn?
A major independent review into maternity services at Cwm Taf health board has uncovered damning failures in the care of pregnant women in childbirth and afterwards.
link to walesonline.co.uk?
Gosport hospital deaths: Police launch new inquiry
link to archive.fo
The HoL has absolutely no powers except of delay. It can delay a bill twice. Back and forwards. The time scale decided by the Commons. Then it is passed in the Commons. Cameron/Osbourne and the Tories wanted to change that to no right of delay.
The HoL is just a huge, expensive talking shop of no consequence. Just another troughing place of retired wealthy unelectable politicians. Most should have been retired already on good (publically) funded pensions and business interest (acquired illegally). Multimillionaires still milking the system. Despicable. It costs more than £2Billion a year for Westminster governance. Add in the additional land estate costs. £Billions. Enough to eradicate poverty in Britain.
Dugdale got £80 an hour to write nonsense for the Press. Plus any TV (BBC) appearance.
People have been sanctioned, starved and killed because of politicians. Totally unnecessary Westminster unionists fools and their Scottish collaborators in the MSM.
Dugdale supported illegal wars, austerity and the Tories. Told people to vote for another Party. An offence under the ‘Representation of the People’s Act. She signed and made false promises and declaration. A disgrace.
It is illegal for a candidate or a representative to tell people to vote for another Party then the one they represent. For obvious reasons. If their Party is so useless why are they a candidate or representing it. False declaration. One of the rules of the Representation of the People’s Act.
Forensic science labs are on the brink of collapse, warns report
link to archive.is
link to independent.co.uk
JLR to build new Land Rover Defender in Slovakia
link to archive.is
No point archiving due to the commons video
link to belfasttelegraph.co.uk
Post-Brexit trade deals could be pushed through with little scrutiny, warns report
link to archive.fo
Why are taxpayers subsidising the oil and gas companies that jeopardise our future?
link to archive.fo
link to politico.eu
UK’s Brexit obsession will diminish country, says UN poverty expert
link to archive.is
Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters: WHOLE WORLD Must Focus on Julian Assange Arrest!
Going underground on RT
link to youtube.com
link to sputniknews.com
link to democracynow.org
link to businessinsider.com
Cubby says:
30 April, 2019 at 10:11 pm
auld highlander@9.41pm
That is a very grim read…
Good heavens… It is, but this stuck out…
“Taken for
434
Stewart Carmichael … on board prison ship Pamela Escaped by saving bladders from his food, inflating them and swimming to Kent where he remained until amnesty.”
Why have I never before heard of this remarkable man Stewart Carmichael? That’s surely an escape to rival any escape from Colditz or Alcatraz, even the fictional escape from Chateau D’If by Dumas’ Count of Monte Cristo. Why isn’t there a feature film about Scotland’s Stewart Carmichael?
Nana says:
1 May, 2019 at 7:28 am
link to insider.co.uk
think that should be 5.5 billion 🙂
link to facebook.com
Labour want @theSNP to talk about the day job? @DerekMackaySNP is very happy to do just that.
video
link to twitter.com
Anas Sarwar slams Labour complaints process
link to archive.is
Universal credit is ‘Orwellian’, says former high court judge
Sir Stephen Sedley says digital benefits system is also failing to meet legal obligations
link to archive.is
I see that Sarah Boyack is returning to Holyrood as a list MSP to fight on behalf of the Tories again.
Good morning Scot ‘Eagle eyes’ Finlayson 🙂
Reminder to self – make appointment with optician!
Breeks at 0743am,
I never knew about this further depravity and barbarity inflicted upon Scots, post the 1746 genocide by the English kings army in Scotland.
And it really was genocide and cultural annihilation.
Of course a film would never be made,because it would make
BritainEngland look bad.Scotland is literally dripping with history, yet even Scots know little of it, due to the way it has been suppressed in the past, and the fact the ‘UK’ media is run for and by England.
@ Kenny Hartley.
A rather unkind assessment of Montrose, he was the commander, and his ability recognised internationally. The Philiphaugh debacle was the direct result of Alaistair MacDonald and Gordon deserting Montrose to follow their own personal agendas. There, an alternative view.
Thanks for the links Nana.
And I see taking a look at the following link that ”Glasgow North East MP Paul Sweeney said organisations such as Hailadh — the political wing of the so-called ‘new IRA’ which claimed responsibility for the murder of journalist Lyra McKee — the Apprentice Boys and the Orange Order were “the only barriers to peace”.
Hailadh that took part in a parade in Glasgow last weekend FGS. High time that we banned the dregs of humanity from both sides of the divide, the AP, OO and Hailadh et al, from setting foot in Scotland. Stick to Ireland folks. You’re not welcome here.
GET THEM OUT.
@ Nana at 7:30am …. ”No point archiving due to the commons video.’
link to belfasttelegraph.co.uk
…………………………
link to en.wikipedia.org
………………………….
A short video of the Hailadh walk in Glasgow. The only one that I could get access too. Take note of the Police presence. How much are the scum costing Scottish tax-payers? How many people did they drive out of Glasgow last weekend?
‘Scottish Loyalists attack Pro-IRA vermin in Glasgow.’
link to youtube.com
…………………………..
Only with Independence can we get rid of them. Vote, Yes, Yes, Yes for Independence.
Breeks 7.43
You never asked the important question.
WTF was he being fed that contained bladders?
@Nana,
thanks for all your links,
much appreciated,
`eagle eyes Finlayson` 😉
Hailadh? How on earth did the come about? Should read S.A.O.R.A.D.H.
S.A.O.R.A.D.H was banned from Twitter last week.
Unable to access the group on Wikipedia either and post here due to their name. If interested you’ll have to check it out yourself.
Morning Petra, it’s all so damn sickening.
Rising hatred, there was an attack on a church in Glasgow on Monday which the police
“do not believe the incident was sectarian related”
Glasgow’s Catholic community reacts to attack on historic church
link to archive.is
@Petra
links to all here, includes Buzzfeed and Daily record articles etc
link to google.com..69i57.2181j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Scotland Tonight on the STV last night.
In the discussion on Sarwars case it was laid bare for all to see how Scottish labour is not a party -it really is just a branch office. McKay asks why can’t disciplinary hearings be devolved like some other responsibilities. Well John if it was a proper Scottish party they wouldn’t be talking about devolving bits and pieces from London
Hutcheon from the Herald congrats labour leaders in Scotland in the recent past for getting control of candidate selection for example. Bloody hell a political party that can select its own candidates without London doing it for them. Whatever next from Labour in Scotland?
British Labour in Scotland right there and then. A Scottish party – your having a laugh. Labour in Scotland a sick joke on Scotland.
Nana , good morning and thank you as always.
I found the Douglas Fraser bit typical of a BBBBC that has lost its way and now prefers to sneer and smear by way of content.
The lovely St Simon’s is know to me as the Polish church – I have sadly attended a couple of funerals there. It is a beautiful , well hidden wee church .
@ Nana at 8:44am …. ‘Link’.
Thanks for doing that Nana. Letting everyone get a good look at the scum that’s permeating Scotland more and more.
And looking at your links, I see that they’ve been thrown out of their headquarters in Derry. Even their own folk don’t want bl**dy well want them. But we’ve to put up with them!
I’m at a loss for words this morning with sheer anger at what’s going on.
This has been posted before too but it’s worth posting again.
link to yourphotocard.com
PUKKAH NEWS FROM NORTH BRITAIN.
BBC R4 Today prog this am, item on beavers and farming in Aberdeenshire. No actual Scottish voices…. naturally.
Morning Dorothy, Douglas Fraser or Private Doom as I prefer to call him
link to youtube.com
And before I go just posting a tweet from your St Simon article Nana (8:38am). Who’s going to put a stop to this? Maybe Ruth Davidson could help us all out. Tell her supporters to calm down. Better still to p*ss off back to Ireland.
“In the last 10 days we have seen vandalism of a Catholic cemetery in Glasgow, anti-Catholic graffiti on a bus stop outside a Catholic Church in Lanarkshire and now an act of desecration of a Catholic Church in the West End of Glasgow. Please stand with us in challenging this!”
The actual Scottish Labour Party, with Alec Neil and Jim Sillars, was wound up in 1981.
It is an affront to Scotland and the identity of being Scottish, that the UK Labour Party branch office in Scotland describes itself as Scottish. There is nothing Scottish about it.
However, truth is many voters for Labour do consider themselves Scottish and will put Scotland first. The YouGov poll finds (after DKs removed) 27% of those who intend to vote Labour also intend to vote YES in IndyRef2.
Mike cassidy says:
1 May, 2019 at 8:26 am
Breeks 7.43
You never asked the important question.
WTF was he being fed that contained bladders?
Ha ha… I did actually wonder that myself. Was he simply being fed offal because it was disgusting, or was the bladder actually containing a pudding the way a haggis is contained in a sheep’s stomach? How many bladders of what size does take to provide buoyancy? How do you fill them and make them air tight?? Was he at liberty to wander about the ship or did he have to escape manacles? In every way, I think it’s truly incredible. Why isn’t he a household name??
It sounds gross, but I think bladders would be the cling film packaging of their day. The food wouldn’t contain bladders, the bladders would contain the food… I think.
Aye Petra, I’m fully expecting Davidson the saviour will ride in on her bull anytime now, at least the bbc seem are praying she’s the ‘saviour’ (of their dirty union)
Some days I wonder how much longer I can stay sane!
Golfnut , re Montrose goodalternative view 🙂 so you blame somebody not being there for a defeat , think the person in charge should be responsible no ? I think you may find that he was only Internationally respected due to his position in society, i agree to differ.
Scot Finlayson
We will never get the true figures for Scottish drinks sales until we are independent , they keep leading with Whisky sales figures but omit Vodka/Gin sales .
We all know and half way expect the BritNat Establishment to stoke the fires of sectarianism. It’s how they operate, it is why they infiltrated our news media, and it is why for the last 50 years a third of your daily news digest is focussed on two sectarian football tribes.
See their provocations in perspective, understand their objective, BUT KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE. Dig deep if you have to.
It is not accidental. It is designed to provoke a response. It’s the embodiment Unionism and BritNattery that we will soon get rid off. It may not go quietly, but it will go. Without the leadership and indoctrination, these “Scots” would be embarrassed to make themselves such willing pawns so eager to sell out their Nation.
Nana good crop of links , i dont think i’ll manage to get through them all today lol.
Scottish Unionism is sectarian. It was intended to be so. Social and political disharmony fomented through suspicion or hatred of a religious community viewed as alien and subversive is its function.
It divides and conquers. A nation divided against itself is the aim. Division ensures colonial hegemony.
Scotland has an ancient and historic Catholic identity, one at the heart of its nationhood. Unionism would erase that.
This is a trend that must be nipped in the bud.
Morning Ronnie, as the lady once said
link to youtube.com
🙂
The bladders escape reminded me of the Henri Charriere character in Papilon, who escapes from Devil’s island by jumping off a cliff onto a raft made from coconuts.
Wondering what the bladders would be filled with in order to retain buoyancy?
link to cooking.stackexchange.com
Last for today
The Problem with Political Journalism | George Monbiot
link to youtube.com
Nana aye tomorrow might be another day but with U on night shift I’ll always be playing catch up & this week I have much to do in preparation for Sat .
I’ll phone U at 10.30 if thats ok XX .
@Ronnie, I’ll be in xx
Pete Wishart can only be a ruse, can you imagine the BritNats at Westminster giving the SNP the power to select what amendments will be chosen to de debated. Its as likely as Ruth Davidson as FM.
BBC Scotland TV channel.
To me there is quite a different vibe about it, quite enlightening.
The political interviewers seem to be fairly un-biased.
I am enjoying ‘The Debate’. Proper debate with decent adult conversations allowed to be developed without the yhaa boo crap of Question Time.
Gordon Brewer interviewing the deputy PM and giving him quite a grilling. Liddington [?] seemed quite flustered when being corrected about some of the outright lies he was spouting
Pete Wishart going for the Speaker’s position when it becomes vacant will be quite amusing. Trolling at its best. It will get under the Tories skin.
Ending the Union, ends the bedrock of sectarianism. The only areas where it flourishes are the one’s that are threatening to leave Westminster’s clutches.
Just saw this
link to twitter.com
article behind a paywall so only a wee bit to read
link to telegraph.co.uk
That’s all for today
Robert Louis says:
1 May, 2019 at 8:13 am
Breeks at 0743am,
“”Scotland is literally dripping with history, yet even Scots know little of it, due to the way it has been suppressed in the past, and the fact the ‘UK’ media is run for and by England.””
……………..
Just how exactly did they ‘suppress’ Scottish history?
All those castles littering the place from Scalloway to Caerlaverock, Kisimul to Tantallon and all points in between and that pointy thing on the Abbey Craig – built by public subscription – started 1861 and completed 1869. Obviously they knew their history then.
Apart from the physical reminders, which surely sparked people’s curiosity, how do you ‘suppress’ Scottish history when you have a highly literate population and free libraries? Even if people were only taught the bare bones of Scottish history at school they were taught to read and once you are taught to read then no door is closed to you other than the ones you choose not to open such as the one marked ‘Scottish History’.
Too many people make the excuse that they were not taught Scottish History at school but they were taught to read therefore to reach adulthood or late adulthood and not know Scottish History is down to them and their lack of interest/curiosity not to any grand conspiracy to suppress it.
BBC Scotland Channel 10.05
It does look remarkably less biased than the usual suspects. Debate Night last Sunday was odd, as there was no applause, virtually no responses till the wee bit of closing applause.
I reckoned they had been asked/told to clap at nothing.
To repeat from before, Stephen Jardine could teach Fiona a lesson in moderate chairmanship.
However, some items ignored in ‘the Nine’ reports.
Petra @ 12:35 am
Re- your “.. Faslane, Lieutenant something or other”!
Is this the person?
“… retired Lieutenant Commander Colin May, a senior Faslane Naval intelligence officer, … supporting the Yes campaign.”
From The Herald 14 Sept. 2014.
@ Legerwood – how do you suppress Scottish History? Easily.
Prevent any broadcast relating to Scottish history e.g. Outlander. Because it isn’t broadcast on the normal channels there are no “water cooler” chats about it. The audience is fragmented. When did you last see a Scottish equivalent of Poldark, Call the Midwife, Downton Abbey etc etc. I could go on at great length here.
Same applies to news, documentaries, talk shows, drama etc.
The BBC advice to writers was NOT to write anything historical in the Scottish Region. This is the only region where this is stipulated.
Make sure the curriculum in schools and universities presents “British History” along with “English Literature”. This is how you establish that “Scottish History” and “Scottish Literature” are quaint minority interests taken up by cranks and Nationalists.
I could go on about the press and publishing and many other ways of suppressing a culture. It’s a well understood tactic of any dominating power. See Heydrich’s advice on suppressing Czech culture.
Legerwood says:
1 May, 2019 at 10:35 am
Just how exactly did they ‘suppress’ Scottish history?
I’m in a rush Legerwood, I’ll try and give you a better answer later, but for now, look at the Gaels, forbidden to wear tartan, forbidden to speak Gaelic, and their communities broken up. The Tartans we know now are often non-authentic, but reintroduced in Victorian times. It wasn’t taught in school, as a kid, I’d never heard a word about it.
Take the Jacobites, described everywhere as rebels, hung for Treason, and yet they were loyal to the Stewart’s who were the legitimate heirs to the throne of the UK, but Catholic, when England had chosen its own Protestant King. How can you be a treasonous rebel for defending your legitimate monarch? Oh yeah, you rewrite history and suppress the truth.
In the 1950’s, Scots were branded terrorists because they destroyed letter boxes proclaiming Elizabeth 11 when in fact, Elizabeth was the Elizabeth to reign in Scotland. Prime example of Scottish History airbrushed and suppressed and the Unionist narrative promoted.
I’ve got a lot more than that Legerwood, but I seriously gotta run,..
Ouch! Kevin McKenna comes off the fence with a vengeance, From Stu’s twitter – article in The National on KD:
link to archive.is
Re the suppression of Scottsh culture a fact that I learned recently from the Grouse Beater blog is that in his long and illustrios film career Sean Connery was never given the role of playing a Scotsman.
@ stewartb says at 10:45am ….”Is this the person?”
That’s the one Stewart. Lieutenant Commander May and although he’s described as a senior Faslane Intelligence Officer there was an article 4/5 years ago that outlined that he was in charge at Faslane. I wonder where he is now? Working behind the scenes with Nicola Sturgeon as Dame Mariot Leslie is doing?
Thanks for digging that out for me / us, Stewart.
Capella@11.30am
A totally on the money article from McKenna.
Unionists, and most journalists, will drool at the prospect of any parade of Britishness involving the Queen, state opening of parliament pretentiousness, the honours list (journalist hoping with baited breadth for their contribution to be recognised). They even turned the service of remembrance into a BritNat fest (maybe it always was and I just never noticed before).
But these self same journalists (and some apparent Yes people) will sneer in disdain at any parade for Scottish self determination. Hopefully the turnout will be good on Saturday, although the weather doesn’t look as warm as I would have hoped for.
Breeks@11.28pm
Sorry Legerwood , I agree with Breeks on this point. While you make the valid point that people can make the effort to look at Scots history the fact remains that if you are conditioned to believe you are British and have British history and nothing else through your school years it will not enter the minds of many people to even think they are missing anything.
Over my lifetime I have always been amazed to find out that friends/family who I thought were fellow Scots turned out to be British in their minds. That is conditioning by the British state. They knew nothing and I mean nothing about Scotland and indeed the union’s history but Dunkirk and all that sort of stuff the Spanish armade etc etc. was all their history. This is long term colonisation.
Blame Westminster not the people subjected to the conditioning.
John Lamont MP – after that first question at PMQs, is surely the shoo-in winner of the Brown-noser and Arse-licker of the Year award.
jfngw@12.06pm
But the weather on Saturday for the March is forecast to be dry and bright.
@Legerwood, 10:35.
You’ll have heard the saying, “Give us a child until they are seven and we will have them for life.”
My earliest memories of history consist of pre-1707 tales of English kings and queens, related to my class as, “our” history.
Sitting in our classroom, decorated with an atlas coloured pink in many areas, three miles from Admiral Duncan’s Camperdown estate, we were regaled with tales of Nelson and, “England expects.” I learned of the battle Admiral Duncan’s estate was named after in my late teens, and the victory deemed to be a, “game changer” against French revolutionary forces.
Much later still I discovered the tactics adopted by the navy were formulated by John Clerk, of Eldin. A true polymath, he devised an approach which would maximise the qualities of the British navy. His contribution was subsequently airbrushed from history by a British establishment brooking no challenge to their own version of events.
The London establishment’s arrogant dismissal of Clerk is of course unsurprising, given recent events. Plus ca change.
Just one example of many where a London-centric view of the world is fed to young, impressionable, sponge-like Scottish minds.
There are many others.
Your argument concerning reading and libraries misses the point. Why should primary school children be taught a neighbouring country’s history?
My friends in Europe would be aghast at such a suggestion regarding their own children’s education.
Tellingly, I have yet to encounter a Dutch, German, French, Norwegian or Swedish version of the Scottish cringe from any of them.
Uno Mas
Sean Connery played James Bond (the best Bond, by universal acclaim). Now, as I recall, Bond, was described by Ian Fleming as half-Scottish. He was described as going to school in Edinburgh from where where he was expelled for a liaison with a house maid.
This was followed up in “Skyfall” by the emphasis on his Scottish ancestry.
So he certainly played a half Scot.
Capella says:
Indeed. It wasn’t always quite so bad. The American author of Outlander claims the key character of Jamie was in part based on Jamie in Dr Who (1966 to 1969). I remember other 60s/70s historical series – The Borderers. Sure there were others.
Without our own national broadcasting, and the substitution of our bigger neighbour’s output, it seems inevitable our own history isn’t shown. How much Irish or Welsh history does the BBC show either?
I was taught Scottish history in 1960s Ayrshire, up to some modules for Ordinary Grade.
I suspect downplaying of Scottish material wasn’t strongly driven by politics 50years ago. ‘Britain’ and ‘British’ was everywhere and could look after itself. When it came under threat from the 70s onwards, I have no doubt the suppression became planned and intentional. And of course as the existential threat to their UK reaches the final stages, the BritNats now go completely OTT with bias.
John Lamont MP in Westminster starts PMQ’s by getting May to agree that the Union is super duper on this the anniversary of the UK Union today and that the ‘SNP should get on with the day job’
Then she lambasts Corbyn for not acknowledging this in the answer to Corbyn’s first question which had nothing to do with his question.
Think they are literally crapping themselves if they are sideswiping Scotland as the very start of PMQ’s.
Re the suppression of Scottish Culture, I can only refer you to a comment by a member of OIR (Opportunities In Retirement) in Ayr.
This gentleman, in his 70s, told an OIR meeting: “I have learned more Scottish History from listening to the Corries’ back catalogue than I ever learned at school.”
Scottish history has certainly been neglected since I was at school in the late 1940s and 1950s.
Even in primary school we loved hearing the exciting stories of Bruce and Wallace. Then, in Secondary, the deeper stuff about the Reformation and the Unions of the Crowns and Parliaments, and the Jacobite Rising.
At some time in the sixties a new subject – Modern Studies – appeared which seems to have relegated Scottish history to a back seat.
Socrates MacSporran@12.08pm
Totally agree. It is stomach churning watching these Tories from Scottish constituencies standing up and grovelling to the Maybot. It seems to be a personality trait of Tories.
It’s long overdue that the SNP starting reversing this day job jibe back to the Maybot.
@Abulhaq says: 1 May, 2019 at 9:38 am:
” … Scottish Unionism is sectarian. It was intended to be so. Social and political disharmony fomented through suspicion or hatred of a religious community viewed as alien and subversive is its function.”
Of course it is sectarian – here is Article of Union II of the Act/Treaty of Union and the bolded bits are by me. Now I just cut & pasted that and it was not made very clear, as usual by Westminster standards, if it referred to either the Treaty or the Act of Union but memory tells me the Scots version of the Act of Union is slightly different and I cannot be bothered to check:-
No matter which it is but it sure as hell states the Westminster view by all those mentions of acts made in England.
Socrates macsporran 12.15pm. I have learned more Scottish history from going to school in Ireland.
Just watched Theresa May at PMQ’s personally congratulating an SNP MP, for taking part in the London marathon, and for raising money for a Scottish charity. That’s Theresa May, dictator over Scotland, denier of democracy, killer of disabled and sick people and the person who sneers at Scotland with every word.
All too f***ing cosy. Too cosy by far. Several such instances have been happening in relation to Tories and government ministers with SNP MP’s over the last two years in Westminster.
Sinn Fein have the right approach. Too, too many SNP folk getting too cosy and comfy in Westminster. Their job is to get us out of this cursed union, not to become another element of the ‘establishment’.
oops
A former top executive at the BBC has warned that it is “at risk of being eaten” as new figures reveal that more than 880,000 television licences were cancelled last year.
link to tvlicenceresistance.info
link to opendemocracy.net
EXC: I understand that the Department for Transport is cancelling their no deal ferry contracts. And guess what: the ferry companies will be paid anyway. A proportion of the cost of the contract will be paid. If no deal planning is resumed, likely new contracts will be needed.
link to twitter.com
@Robert Peffers
So we have it writing, deny it if they dare. Sectarianism bears a Made in England label.
” People are bored of Brexit …. “the great Brexit conundrum”: people don’t want to hear about Brexit, but the media won’t stop talking about it. “
Quite extraordinary, if Brexit isn’t cancelled, then this is only the beginning. They ain’t see the half of it by any means.
The populace of the UK (England probably, after we leave) will be hearing about Brexit for decades. There’s trade deals with the world to find. In the interim there’s the Brexit shortages to deal with. The Brexit recession with all that goes with it – job losses and stagnation. The complete reorganisation of business and industry as the UK loses export markets then tries to recover with a race to the bottom of everything – rights, wages, regulations, standards. And finally … the campaign to re join the EU after the ‘experiment’ in isolationist nationalism has been seen to thoroughly fail.
link to newstatesman.com
@jfngw says: 1 May, 2019 at 9:55 am:
” … Pete Wishart can only be a ruse, can you imagine the BritNats at Westminster giving the SNP the power to select what amendments will be chosen to de debated. Its as likely as Ruth Davidson as FM.”
Not as far fetched as you might think. If, after an election, the numbers are tight then one MP going as speaker might be vital. After all look at Holyrood and their Presiding Officer only getting the job because the majority was tight.
Petra 9.04am. Now that younger Irish people are better educated than their grandparents were. They can see through the divide and conquer sectarian tactics that Westminster have employed for centuries. That’s why they can see through these sectarian scum and don’t want them in Ireland. Will Scotland waken up and do the right thing?. We’ll soon find out.
The Maybot lies at every PMQ’s. Was there ever a time when it was guaranteed that a UK Prime Minister would just stand up and lie at every PMQ? Personally, I can’t remember the last time I didn’t hear a lie at PMQ’s.
Someone should ask the Tory MP Mercer if he has watched the Miami Showband Massacre film and what he has to say about it. If you have not watched it on Netflix it may widen your understanding of the involvement of the British army and security services during the troubles in Ireland.
Regarding libraries as a source of Scottish History.. . you need to know “the canon”…a series of related books which cover the main topics in a national history.
For example, I have the Oxford History of England, 16 volumes published by Oxford University Press, each edited by a well known and respected historian such as A.J.P. Taylor. Each Volume deals with a specific period of English history in chronological order from Roman Britain to 1945. There are extensive notes and bibliograpies.
AFAIK there is no Scottish equivalent. No Scottish University has seen fit to commission a similar series of definitive texts.
Yes there are many historians who produce excellent histories of a variety of subjects. But the field is fragmented, piecemeal, easily manipulated. Who can forget that abysmal BBC “History of Scotland” fronted by Neil Oliver broadcast in time for the referendum. Each episode focused on Scotland’s relationship with England. There was no attempt to provide an in depth account of our history.
Heydrich would have been proud – show that without the Fatherland, they are nothing.
@uno mas says: 1 May, 2019 at 11:31 am:
” … Re the suppression of Scottsh culture a fact that I learned recently from the Grouse Beater blog is that in his long and illustrios film career Sean Connery was never given the role of playing a Scotsman.”
It was even simpler than that. I was brought up on a farm. We had no mains electric power so I never heard English actually spoken but was taught to read by my grandmother but what I was taught to read was all Scots. I could read the Scots poems of such as R L Stevenson before attending the nearest village school.
For my entire time in the Scottish Education system I was subjected to the Lochgelly Tawse for, “speaking Slang English”, as, always the rebel, I deliberately used some Scots words in every class. It got to the point I would use some Scots and, without being asked, walked to the teacher with hand outstretched for the Lochgelly.
It drove the teachers mad because I was only once not top in English as I had been ill and off school a long time before the exam. It was also ironic that I also dominated with poems and articles in Lowland Scots in the School magazine. Irony was not the teaching staffs strong point.
By the way, most teachers in those days were Oxbridge graduates. Go figure?
Those of an orange tint might to their advantage read this.
link to en.m.wikipedia.org
Cubby 1.09pm. Yup,and that self same army and security services would’nt have the slightest hesitation in suppressing the independence movement in Scotland by whatever means necessary. If ordered to do so.
Robert Louis @12.51pm
There is no “SNP BAD” barrel you will not scrape, is there ?
Theresa May congratulated ALL MP’s who run the Marathon for charity.
Was the SNP MP supposed to respond by telling her to get lost ?
For every silver lining, folk like you find a big black cloud.
Frankly, it’s pathetic.
@Robert Louis says: 1 May, 2019 at 12:51 pm:
” … too many SNP folk getting too cosy and comfy in Westminster.”
You just can’t help yourself, can you?
Why not instead comment on the Scotsman or the Daily Mail? You’d be far more welcome there among your own kind, don’t you think?
@ Kenny Hartley.
Ah, I detect a wee bit prejudice creeping into your comment. MacDonald and the Gordon cavalry were two major components of Montroses small army, Leslie only attacked once he learned they were no longer there. So yes, there departure emboldened Leslie.
I see the BBC are back forgetting about the SNP on Politics Live…must be wednesday !!
Hi uno mas.
Sean Connery played a Scotsman in this 1961 TV Movie.
link to imdb.com
Capella 1.25
link to edinburghuniversitypress.com
@ Fireproofjim
In the Bond Films that Connery played the part it was never acnowledged that he was an “anglo Scot” you had to read the books to glean that piece of information and you will remember that he didn´t play the Bond role in Skyfall although it was indeed welcome to note reference bond´s Scottish ancestry which even inc luded him changing his preferred drink to Malt Scotch.
@ Brian Doonthetoon
MacBeth.
Aye go on i´ll give you that one, mutter mutter.
@galamcennalath says:1 May, 2019 at 1:00 pm:
” … And finally … the campaign to re join the EU after the ‘experiment’ in isolationist nationalism has been seen to thoroughly fail.
link to newstatesman.com
Yes, galamcennalath, and by that time Scotland will be independent and Westminster will have reverted to the Status Quo Ante of being the three country Kingdom of England.
Scotland will be an EU Member State. So England will have to go to the back of the queue to re-join the EU and have to face adopting the Euro.
Not to worry though, Scotland will exercise her right to use her EU veto and keep The Kingdom of England out of the EU.
Of course England can go on bended knee and ask such as Norway if England might be considered to try to get in the EU through the back door. Thing is, by that time The USA will be running England and no one else will want to know them.
That’s talk of chickens coming home to roost – but I’ve never heard of Elephants in the room coming home to roost.
Bond wasn’t Scottish in the books until after Connery’s casting.
Ironically, the adaptation of the first book to refer to his scottishness cast an Australian in the part.
And a large part of that role was dubbed by George Baker of Inspector Wexford fame!
link to archive.is
Petra@8.24am. The use of the word vermin is inappropriate. This is how the Nazis and Islamists described Jews prior to the Holocaust and still do today.
Talking of accents
Sean Connery made the top two spots on this list.
Although I ‘suspect’ he wasn’t really trying by the second one!
The worst Irish accents in Hollywood movies
link to archive.is
@Robbert Peffers: 1.02
Surely EVEL would preclude Pete Wishart from getting the post as Speaker. He would surely know this and I suspect it’s being done to draw that fact into the open.
Robert Peffers says:
Yes. It’s going to be much easier to lower regulations and standards, moving away from the EU best practice, than it will be to try to recover them at some time in the future. Once the polluted agricultural products and food stuffs are allowed into the system it becomes compromised. Cleaning it up again will be nigh impossible.
Scotland needs to depart while we still full comply to high EU standards.
@frogesque says: 1 May, 2019 at 2:38 pm:
” … Surely EVEL would preclude Pete Wishart from getting the post as Speaker. He would surely know this and I suspect it’s being done to draw that fact into the open.”
Indeed, frogesque, but have you forgotten – Britannia waves the rules?
;-))
What about the Hill ? Was oor Sean no a Scotsman in that?
Regarding Scottish history , I was educated in Aberdeen in the 50’s and absolutely no Scottish history was mentioned.
Any Scottish history I now have is gleaned from various different sources , not least Wingers.
As far as british History is concerned , it was always the brits as the heroes and never opium wars, Kenya or Amritsar.
Knew all the Kings and Queens of a foreign land and their heroes.
Credit to you Stuart for faithfully protecting your reputation and personal and professional integrity. Kezia Dugdale has had her day in court and soon her last day as an MSP in Holyrood.
Kezia has been tried in the court of public opinion, which is often far worse than having your day in court. Her credibility and trustworthiness, as a public servant, have been found wanting, as comprehensively evidenced by Stuart. Never mind, Ruth Davidson’s back…made me think of this quote from the late George Carlin, when commenting on the American political system: “ Garbage In, Garbage Out”
Thought Nicola’s speech was full of ambition and hope for Scotland’s future, with the nous and gravitas of an aspiring leader of an Independent Scotland with our friends and neighbours in Europe. I will be campaigning for the European Parliamentary Election. I voted last time but didn’t campaign. The embarrassingly low turnout then resulted in the embarrassingly obnoxious and xenophobic David Coburn being elected. Vote him out FFS.
I look forward to your ( delayed) crowdfunding campaign Stuart, especially given that you said recently you were working unpaid. Keep speaking truth to power. Your courage in doing so remains as crucial as ever as we campaign to fight for our right to be independent.
@ Mike cassidy – thx for the link. I’ve had a quick look and although these are interesting, they are still piecemeal and rather random. Vast eons of time are ignored and other periods are duplicated. There is little sense of a progressive chronology.
Compare with the OUP History of England. I bought these volumes decades ago – thankfully looking at the price today – and although they can’t be displayed on the web page in order of chronological period, you can see that the series covers the entire period from Roman times to 1945.
link to tinyurl.com
Brian Doonthetoon says:
1 May, 2019 at 1:55 pm
Hi uno mas.
Sean Connery played a Scotsman in this 1961 TV Movie.
link to imdb.com
———————–
Aye, but it was a Canadian’s* adaptation of an Englishman’s** impression of a king of Scotland (zooming eyes thingy)
* Paul Almond
**William Shakespere
There are plenty of Scottish history books. They are available to buy at book shops or online. . They can be ordered. Or ordered in libraries. Many are holed up in Universities library. It is a fact Scottish history could only, mainly, be studied at University level. That is changing. Scottish historical facts are now being included in the curriculum? At one time for a fee it was possible to join a university library. Anyone can join a course of study? External students. Join a Scottish history short or external course. It is possible to get in touch with uni admin and ask for a recommended reading list. The details are on the internet or in the prospectus/syllabus.
Scottish medieval history etc is really interesting with many factors which could be related to modern day. The amount of times Scotland has been overtaxed and revenues taken to pay for foreign wars. Not supported in Scotland.
Edward 1Hammer of the Scots. Scotland overtaxed to pay for wars in France. Fought off.
The unpopular Treaty of Union. Reneged upon the minute it was signed. Scotland overtaxed to pay for wars with France
The Jacobite Uprising 1715/45.
The Clearances. Scotland depopulated. Dear and sheep estates. Mass migration. 40 million diaspora in Australia, NZ, Canada, US etc. The Treaty of Arbroath principles of democratic right taken forward. The Enlightenment.
Illegal Iraqi war. Scotland overtaxed to pay for it.
Iraq War, Dunblane, Lockerbie kept secret for 100 years under the Official Secret’s Act. To hide Westminster unionist criminality.
@ Mad Unionist …Vermin.”
You’ll know all about the Nazi ideology no doubt, but you should get yourself a dictionary and you’ll see that the word “vermin” means a number of things including the word “riffraff”, rather than Jew.
Just wondering too, don’t you have anything better to do with your time than hang around a pro-Independence site day and night? Pretty sad.
link to thesaurus.com
@ Dorothy Devine
I just Youtubed it and Oor Sean did indeed play a Scotsman in “The Hill” (outstanding role in a first class film incidentaly) so that with MacBeth looks like i´ve been misinformed by Grouse Beater.
Possibly why he´s been banned sin die for life by the SNP 🙂 🙂
Golfnut,I might take you seriously if you could get the basics of a name right!
Dorothy on Arran at Primary skool in Brodick we got mostly Scottish History, Gaelic singing and Scottish Country Dancing. Mind you our Headie Mr Mathieson flew the Saltire from the School House flag poll every polling day. When I went to Arran High we got French, German and “British” ie English History.
Wings should maybe have another fundraiser for the political activities going on now. The EU elections etc. The Dugdale call out must have taken some revenues.
Parliamentary Committee questioning May over Brexit. BBC
Lie, after lie, after lie. Liars always get found out.
No one wants the poisoned chalice. How long can this farce go on?
What a waste of time and space.
It used to be fashionable for lecturers to say the quality of student was declining.
Today it’s students who have grounds to complain about the quality of lecturers.
@ Lenny Hartley.
Apology for the spelling, as for you taking me seriously, I won’t lose any sleep.
There’s a story doing the Welsh language news blogs that Tony Blair (spinster, late of this parish) has said in an interview that one way of ensuring that the countries of ‘Britain’ don’t go their separate ways post-Brexit is, ‘to unite the English, Scottish and Welsh football leagues.’
That would go down well on the terraces, I bet …
(Not seen it in English language news, – yet – though.)
O/T
there has been much comment recently on the rotting nuclear subs at Rosyth and Devonport.
Over the years the Yanks must have decommissioned several dozen nukes – how did they dispose of them?
gus1940 3.42
USA disposal(in theory)
link to en.wikipedia.org
Russian disposal (bit iffy)
link to archive.is
And some are not happy at Norway’s financial support of nuclear waste disposal in Russia
link to archive.is
@gus1940
In the mid-1980s, the US Navy decided to use shallow land burial of the reactor compartments of nuclear submarines. The process starts at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton,Washington.
This shipyard is the only one which participates in the US Nuclear-Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program, launched in the early 90s (Loring-Morison, 1995, p. 47).
The reactor compartment is removed and packaged for disposal when the vessel dismantling process begins. The vessel is dry-docked with the reactor compartment supported by cradles.
Tracks and rollers are installed under the cradles to allow the reactor compartment to be slid away once it has been cut free. After it has been slid free of the submarine, both ends of the
compartment are sealed with bulkheads.
In a next step the compartment is loaded onto a barge and transported via the Columbia river to a burial trench at the Hanford site’s burial area. Here the reactor compartments are buried at a depth of about five meters of earth. Since 1986, about five reactor compartments per year have been shipped to this site (Olgaard, 1995, p. 9).
————————————————————–
That is an extract from this reference which sets out information from all the countries that have nuclear submarines.
link to bicc.de
Their “rethink” on where to dump even more radioactive waste better not include Scotland.
link to theferret.scot
Anent the debate about Big Tam Connery playing, or not playing a Scotsman.
Apart from his rather pathetic effort at an Irish-American accent in The Untouchables, it always seemed to me, post-Bond, Sean Connery, like John Wayne before him, simply played up to the image the world had of him, and, with the single exception mentioned above, never attempted an accent.
Does anyone trust the Tories? Another promise broken.
link to stirlingsnp.com
Here’s another one for the Scottish Law Society, who appear to be happy with the supremacy of English legal doctrine and the despotism of the full-English Brexit. Where do these legal minds think their loyalty should be directed, if not the nation who’s law they practice?
Thirty years on and “another” two years late for the clean up of radioactive contamination at Dalgety Bay in Fife, Scotland. That’s the Scotland that’s the dumping ground for England.
link to bbc.co.uk
@Scottish Law Society
Sort yourselves out, you’re silence on Scotland’s constitutional future is a disgrace to Scottish culture.
Hegel and Human Rights: The Dialectic of Freedom
link to core.ac.uk
Regards Scottish History.
In the 60s, whilst being headmaster of a primary school, my father was instructed by the powers that be to refrain from teaching Scottish History prior to 1707. This was a red tag to a bull. Every child left with a deep understanding of their past.
Further, I understand that it was proposed that the chair of Scottish History at Edinburgh University be abolished. This, I understand, was eventually funded by The Scotsman, no less. How times have changed.
Should I be wrong, I stand to be corrected.
@Scottish Law Society
Honestly dudes, your ambivalence to Scotland’s constitutional identity gives voice to your politics. How do you think that lack of concern impacts on the poor and vulnerable? Are you rational liberals or are you friends of the New Right and (white) British nationalism?
link to manchesteropenhive.com
Lenny , so an Arran education at primary level was exceptional , you were a lucky lad
As for a school with a Saltire to cheer the day , well wow !
Wonder if I know anyone influential in that area!
The Kelvingrove Art gallery used to have 4 beautiful Saltires flying at the front to the building – it now sports sad empty flagpoles. I may just enquire next time I am there as to why.
Sky “news” website at it again.. reporting on Liverpool football fans for their game tonight in Barcelona…
“ Liverpool fans threw a local man into a fountain”. And “a second Video shows a -British supporter- racially abusing”……… Really WTF is going on here.
One last comment on Ms Dugdale. I spotted the Phantom Power tweet of her grovelling around in an insect tank with the label ‘Sickola Sturgeon’ on it, whilst still a MSP. Something she be reminded of when trying to ‘restoring faith in politics’.
Gavin Spoilt Brat Williamson has been sacked for leaking NSA info. Russia should now tell him to shut up and go away.
Help ma boab, we’re defenceless.
??
Kezia the Dippiest of Dugs is to politics
What Dr Harold Shipman was to community health
@Scottish Law Society
Your ambivalence towards Scotland’s embodied sovereignty suggests you hold the Scottish public in low regard, as that is where Scotland’s sovereignty is to be found. In the public who bring life to the nation, not the ‘rational paternalism’ of Westminster. How can you claim to be defenders of reason and moral order, if you sit on your hands and let Westminster treat Scotland as subordinate to a xenophobic English identity, annihilating the principles of the Treaties of Union in the process?
Individualism, Human Rights And Identity
Abstract
The author argues that human rights are primarily based on individualism and defined as a ‘struggle for recognition’ of the equal dignity of each individual. Individualism proceeds from a particular historical genealogy of Western origin. Identity is an ideological construction which reduces culture to a necessarily incomplete identity expression. Human rights, including cultural rights, can here trace the elements of a compromise between the expression of culture and the possibility for the individual to express his or her difference.
If human rights can be an ‘imported’ element, as the basis of a political compromise between various groups (‘democracies without democrats’), the promotion of the individual and his or her intrinsic value is a painful long-term process for human groups which tend not to accept divergent expressions in their midst. For this long-term project to have any chance to succeed, the expression of dissenting voices must be protected.1.
link to nottingham.ac.uk
Another one bites the dust. Fire salesman, come Secretary of State for Defence, out on his arkie. Any honest, competent, non-tractorous Tory politicians left to fill his post?
On a positive note that might push our stats up another 1%. Keep it up folks. Boris for next PM. C’mon Boris we’re all rooting for you in Scotland.
link to independent.co.uk
I would like to see Mr Blackford just call May a liar during PMQ’s and not retract it. It would cause a stooshie but it would make the headlines and as the reply is usually mince what different would it make anyway getting removed.
I think we are past the stage of Scotland’s representatives being polite to a lying PM. Although her lies are not limited to the SNP, almost everything she says is based on lies.
@ jfngw at …..”Sickola Sturgeon.”
I’d forgotten about that jfngw. That alone should have highlighted that she wasn’t suitable for the job. Far from it in fact. They, the John Smith Centre, want to do something about politics in general being discredited, disrespected etc and they hire someone like K Dugdale? New post created for a Director, fgs. Something stinks to high heaven.
I see another BBC journalist whining about being targeted by nationalists. Of course it is interesting that all these journalists are never targeted by unionists, that would tell me something about the balance provided by the BBC, unionist never feel the need to attack them.
They may of course believe this abuse never comes from unionists, but anyone who frequents twitter knows this to be nonsense.
Primary school, East Ayrshire, 1960s. The only history I remember was Wars of Independence, Covenanters, and Vikings.
Secondary, I did Ordinary Grade history. A number of modules were covered, everyone doing the same selection. From memory these were UK history 1885-1939, European Renaissance and age of discovery, the Stewarts. There may have been others but I don’t ever remember being taught any pre 1707 exclusively English history.
Was the the choice of my enlightened teachers, or Ayrshire County Council?
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has been sacked after an investigation into a leak from the top-secret National Security Council (NSC).
He leaked. Then he lied about leaking.
Unheard of, according to a Tory source close to Westminster.
Oh well, at least his pet tarantula will have a new Dept in Whitehall to look forward to, eventually.
@ mike cassidy – by coincidence, I came across the Guardian obituary of Jenny Wormald, author of Court, Kirk and Community published by EUP in their Scottish History series. Here is the archive copy of the digital page.
link to archive.fo