The selective calculator
Alert readers will be aware that we’ve been running a series of posts pointing out the gap between opposition rhetoric about the Scottish Government’s supposed failure to grow the economy, and their (total lack of) practical suggestions about what it should actually be doing, given that by design the Scottish Parliament controls almost none of the country’s economic levers.
And we thought a story fed to the press by Labour this week about job creation since the Tories came to power in 2010 was going to be just another case in point, until we spotted something else about it.
Now, we can’t claim to be exactly astonished that the Tories have mostly focused on creating work in London and the South-East of England at the expense of the rest of the UK. That’s pretty much their thing. But Scottish Labour’s noted rentahonk Jackie Baillie was hopping mad, and not only at the Tories.
Baillie brought out the SNP BAD Cannon – the only weapon in the Scottish branch office’s armoury – and let rip from its giant blunderbuss barrel.
(She neglected to specify precisely what the “power over economic development” held at Holyrood was, though she did helpfully demand that the SNP should be “using the more than £10 billion public procurement budget more strategically”, and claimed that their “obsession with a second independence referendum is choking off growth and job creation”, though she forgot to say how, exactly, it was doing so.)
The reliably Unionist-friendly Aberdeen Evening Express probed no further, provided no additional breakdown of the data, and offered no right of reply to anyone from the Scottish Government. So we had to go elsewhere to find out a bit more.
And it turned out that Scotland wasn’t doing so badly after all.
The North-East of England, with about half of Scotland’s population, had drawn just a seventh as many jobs. Northern Ireland, with just over a third as many people as Scotland, had attracted just one-fourteenth of the jobs that Scotland had. And Wales, with around 60% of the population of Scotland, had brought in just 40% as many jobs.
Scotland, then, per head, was doing 3.5 times better than the North-East, around 4.5 times better than Northern Ireland, and nearly twice as well as Wales.
We feel sure we know which party runs the devolved government of Wales – and by Jackie Baillie’s logic the Welsh economy – but it’s escaping us for the moment.
Oh, no, wait, we remember.
We’re sure she’ll be sending her party colleagues in Cardiff a strongly-worded letter to buck their ideas up any day now.
Aye she has been quiet of late, she’ll be a bit quieter for longer after that one. 🙂
Good stuff.
Noted that it’s a UK government that gives nothing to it’s poorest regions and those in most need of the investment.
Money goes to money and without Independence Scotland will always be left to feed from the crumbs off the London/South East table.
Let’s get shot of them and soon, please make it soon.
Jackie Baillie and Blunderbus – has a nice ring to it.
It’s the economy, stupid – and we wonder why the SE is solidly Tory. The MPs there behave like Glasgow Labour used to but no signs of their come-uppance, sadly
We all know About Blunderbus Mooth and her Lies !!
“Jackie Baillie and Blunderbus – has a nice ring to it.”
Alan Partridge’s new house band, I believe.
Why do i see pictures of Jackie Baillie and see Bagpuss ?
She really should know better by now….
‘she did helpfully demand that the SNP should be “using the more than £10 billion public procurement budget more strategically”
What,like Labour former First Minister Lord Jimmy McConnell did when he returned £1.5billion of Scotland’ budget to London for good use there?
Strategic right enough.Got the wee trougher a nice fat peerage.
No doubt that is the only strategy for Scotlands money that enters Jakie Baillies and all Yoon politicians minds.
Damn it!
My day was going quite well today … until now!
Why did Labour’s rentahonk have to be mentioned? 😉
I had just sat down with a cup of coffee and was just about to take a sip when I read that. Closest thing yet to requiring a new laptop yet. 😀
Exactly, Thepnr. Well said.
Stay focused on the Council elections, lay the the foundations for freedom.
Then fight this nightmare GE that TM thinks she can win from a Fortress of Solitude (and pre-written soundbite) with wall to wall media sycophancy.
Will no debates and no actual meeting with the public be enough to hide her utter lack of charisma? Say what you want about Dave, he had the affable, directionless charm of the feckless rich to skate by on. It didn’t fool everyone by a long chalk, but it fooled enough. TM has prints on her shoes.
Struth! Does JBaillie?
Nah, forget it…!
SLabour are shouting. Tories are shouting. LibDems are wimpering. They all complain the economy of Scotland is so dire, but have few ideas. LibDems are convinced we are in recession! Dear god, they depress me rigid.
My poor partner has just begun to take an interest in Scottish politics so I’m enjoying his amazement at the dire antics of MSP’S at Holyrood during so-called debates.
Yep, another convert to SNP 😀 😀
Scotland will get the last laugh if global warming happens as London and the south east of England will be so hot that no one will be able to live in the extreme heat. Scotland will be much cooler.
Neatly done Rev.
I’m sure Ms. Baillie will be along any moment now with a ‘yeah but, no but…’ defence of her statements. 😀
Numbers are not labour’s thing –
link to youtube.com
Lets all raise a Peroni to Jackie, welcome back!
@ nodrog
Blunderbus is the new Battlebus.
(I can remember very clearly the occasion on which I learned the word “blunderbuss”. My mother was reading Kidnapped to me when I was about 6 or 7. I didn’t absorb much of it at that age, but Uncle Ebenezer’s weapon of choice was the exception. It’s clearly significant, becasue it’s mentioned in the Wikipedia summary of the plot that I’ve just checked.)
You wonder if the penny will ever drop with SLab voters. Economic growth is created in London and the South East of England. Jackie Baillie blames Nicola Sturgeon for these macro-economic policies – which were exactly the same during the Labour years.
It’s that shallow political finger pointing and misdirection that is losing them credibility and votes.
With this “outburst” from rentahonk herself could this be the reason that Labour have this wee “job advert” now running on their website? 😉
link to labour.org.uk
@ Fiona Tomany
There’s also isostasy. Post-glacial rebound after the end of the last Ice Age is (still*) causing Scotland to rise and the south of England to sink. With added sea-level rises, they’re going to be increasingly susceptible to floods.
* Scotland is rising at up to 10cm per century; southern England is sinking at up to 5cm over the same period.
link to en.wikipedia.org
The WM yoons see Scotland as an appendage. Oh, I just looked that word up on safari, the New Oxford American Dictionary, says, ‘eg, they treat Scotland as a mere appendage of england’.
The NE of England is not even on WM’s radar. It would be no different if labour were at the helm, much as those in NE Eng like to think otherwise. Though I did read about a couple of £million or more even, wow, being spent on some creative projects in Sunderland and a new techy or somethiing hub being built next to Nissan. Thanks Sunderland for voting for brexit, here’s your crumbs ha ha ha ha! Big lolz from your masters tee heeee.
So England should be independent and have their own parliament so they get the government they vote for. Oh, wait.
The country of London will come out of the s**t smelling of roses when it comes to brexit.
I saw in Ken500 comment about overeseas students been given 2 year post study visas, at the south Eng uni’s, but the tory gov couldn’t find it in their stone cold hearts to allow their resource rich appendage to enjoy the same priveleges for their overseas students. Funny that.
I sure i went and seen them once they were backing the jingoists,they played some rubbish.
I think the album was called Jackie Baillie and Blunderbus – broken calculator classic songs such as.
1 plus 1 equals three or whatever
Millions of jobs
i will kill you for a pie
Nuclear subs are we
Trident for the memories
and the classics
Wizne me and SNP bad.
They were god awful and still are.
I thought BLiS fed Jackie Baillie wi a Blunderbus!
No’ as messy as letting her feed hersel’ though
🙂
In all seriously though this argument about Tory bias of job creation is another prime reason for an IScotland.
Anyone with an ounce of common sense should see this
BLiS either can’t see this or more likely won’t admit this fact as it is yet another nail in the coffin of their ‘precious Union’
Gooney stop doing that. Just when my ribs were healing up from the last agonising side wrenching bout of laughter you have gone and broken my ribs again.
Blunderbussy says vote for nuclear bombs because she wants to bomb the SNP… and Scotland… and the makers of sugar-free Frosties.
This poisonous blob of lard has been slurping about in Holyrood since its inception.18 years on the gravy train. Contribution to Scottish civic life? Nothing.
She typifies the Fifth Columnists in our midst, doing Scotland down, besmirching the country’s reputation at every opportunity.
Despite a Blue Red and Yellow ‘collaboration of chaos’, the Scottish Government has bucked the trend, and as the figures show, has attracted more investment and jobs to England’s Northern Colony than the ‘regions’ of the Mother Country managed.
Why don’t you shut the fuck up, Baillie, if all you can contribute to the future prospects of Scotland is lies and vile smears?
Scotland is a magnificent modern wealthy European country, held back by tawdry little midgets like the Yoon Brigade.
Stop slagging off Scotland for once. Try it. You’ll feel a lot better for it.
Disgusting wee parasite.
Years of talking pure pish, has addled the brains of SLab.
Anas Sarwar’s never done telling us about the Powwahrs and how extensive they are but strangely enough he never has any ideas himself about what to do with these Powwahrs except to keep saying we’ve got them
I demand to see the Powwahrs! (shouty demanding tone)
Jackie Baillie is a liar, as has been irrefutably proven countless times on WOS.
Rentahonk indeed!
__________
Are you flying the flag? If not, why not?
Roll up, roll-up, get yer merchandise here:
link to ayemail.scot
“I demand to see the Powwahrs!”
Here you go…
link to youtube.com
Ugly stuff, Evening Express is certainly the place to drop one of those classic UKOK big ones into.
Poor Wales getting lumbered by WLab too, if they do call themselves Welsh Labour.
Severin Carrell’s vote anyone but SNP 2017 campaign, day 3, Severin’s classic Tartan tory smear, if it is day 3 of stinky old Graun’s get Sturgeon propaganda war on Scotland,
link to archive.is
Murray rejected Robertson’s claim. “This general election campaign has barely started and the SNP has already resorted to dirty tricks by wilfully misleading the public. Any vote for the Tories simply endorses their drive for a damaging hard Brexit,” he said.”
TGIF
O/the,
Have you heard that Mrs Mays director of Comms has resigned as well as the chief advisor to the press ?. Nothing about this on mainstream media, but it is very significant.
She felt she could no longer tolerate the poisoned atmosphere in Downing St. If this had been the SNP it would be all over the news, all day.
@Proud Cybernat
So Bra Baroness Michelle Mone and failed Baroness Goldie and bucket loads of unelected and rejected politiciany Lords and numpties have more say over Scotlands Powwahrs than the whole of my parliament and my chosen party of government put together, and when you think about it the cleaning staff and the dinner women in Westminster get closer to Scotlands Powwahrs than our elected First Minister because she’s not even allowed in the building
Tory democracy at it’s finest on show for all the world to see
If they did but look!
Labour SUCK!
***** ***** **X
This post is about ayeMail
Aweright Stoker, how do ~
Aye was checking out your link to the ayeMail superstore…
Was looking at the Wings ‘Vile Cybernat’ hoodie / shirt and thought it would be good if there were also a version that just had the word ‘Wings’ beneath the Wings.
link to ayemail.scot
I’d go for that.
Cheers to ye Stoker & Rogue Coder.
If ever there was a stark reminder or visible threat to Scotland as to what it could become if it thought of voting labour again –
Wales is the example
I have watched question times from Wales, I know not represenative of the people, but the audience, including those supporting Plaid Cymru, appear to meekly accept their fate that there is no other show in town apart from the uk.
What’s more they don’t question the uk’s treatment of Wales and unimportance the uk attaches to Wales. Truly depressing!
The life and spirit of Wales is suffocated by the dead hand of lanbour!
labour have no aspiration for people, they trade of jealousy and lives of an image of a post war peiod when they did challenge and achieve things.
Now labour are as bad as the tories, two sides of same coin, redand blue tories!
Yes, yes, yes, the UK government can run London. At least this side of Brexit anyway…
I’m still voting for the Government which hasn’t stuck two fingers up to Europe, which hasn’t thrown the lives of EU Nationals living here into chaos, which hasn’t turned its back on the biggest player in global trade in favour of some shabby reinvention of British Imperialism version 2, and the government which HAS kept faith with Scotland’s industrial revitalisation, at Dalzell and Invergordon, HAS committed Scotland to greener energy, HAS endeavoured to provide Scotland with a Capital fund, and HAS tried to protect Scotland from the worst excesses of Tory privatisation and austerity.
It’s a cheap shot from Baillie to malign Scotland’s performance for her usual shit stirring headline, because the SNP is delivering tangible signs they can do things differently and will use more powers and ultimately Independence to get the whole of Scotland back firing on all four cylinders. If that task fell to Labour, Scotland would be left circling the drain.
It all boils down to confidence. Who would you trust to run Scotland? Nicola Sturgeon who is as much at home pioneering Baby boxes for Scottish kids as she is standing up for Scotland and common decency at the heart of the United Nations? Or Jackie Baillie trolling about in the shadows with her malignant bucket of tar and feathers?
Instead of being so obsessed with foreigners and immigrants, England is needing into look more closely at the relationship between the SE and the rest. After Brexit that issue will probably get worse!
Scotland has an alternative, if only we’d reach out and grab it.
SLab must be well aware of this reality. It just doesn’t suit their troughing!
“Noted that it’s a UK government that gives nothing to it’s poorest regions and those in most need of the investment.”
Just so, Thepnr, but the EU did. It’s astonishing these areas were so pro-Brexit. They’ll get diddly squat from Londinium, the saps.
“Scotland is rising at up to 10cm per century; southern England is sinking at up to 5cm over the same period.”
Scotland on the up, crazycat? Good news.
Bob Mack
Here is what has happened for T May over last 4 days
link to twitter.com
email from Nicola..
No way May
Dear Croomp,
It’s been a busy week.
Theresa May did a spectacular U-turn and called a snap election for June 8.
She put herself and the Tories before the country, in a cynical bid to exploit Labour’s poor showing in the polls.
It’s only the SNP who stands between Scotland and unfettered Tory government. So please help us raise the funds we need for the campaign ahead.
Earlier today I published our council election manifesto, detailing how SNP councils will deliver better local services.
And we’ve launched a new website to help you vote on May 4.
Great news from our NHS this week. Scotland’s A&E departments have been the best performing in the UK – for 24 months in a row!
I’ve also been in London to open Scotland House. The new business hub aims to secure investment and showcase Scottish products and services.
As I say, it’s been busy.
This weekend, I’m out campaigning. If you can, please join your local candidates and help us win these elections.
Best wishes
Nicola Sturgeon
SNP Leader
OT but I have just had the misfortune of watching the divided nation , vomit inducing Labour Party Pol.
If ever there was a bunch of utterly devious plonkers …..
Kin anybudy recommend a Big Crane hire company, needs tae be mobile cause Jackie Baillie’s gonny faw er when she hears the Kishhorn Yard is opening again with initial 200 jobs.
On second thoughts dont bother about the crane we kin jist walk roon her, ah need the exercise lol.
O/T today I had a Labour canvasser at my door asking if I would be supporting the Red Tories in the upcoming elections. I asked him why the vow was not delivered, why did Labour stand shoulder to shoulder with the Tories, why is it ok to have a general election but not right time for a referendum.Why are the Labour Party opposed to Scotland being an independent country.When I stated that Labour have accepted Brexit and voted with their Tory comrades he got more and more upset. He then got more and more wound up and then stated at my front door…..You are a Mental Case. Well there you go that is how Labour in Scotland defend themselves. I called my local SNP councillor in Cumbernauld and it would seem that the Red Tories need to convince us YES voters in a more adult manner
I see Tom Gordon is copying Severin Carroll in stating that the snp WILL join in a Tory pact with councils.
I have this ugly picture of Gordon and Severin in adjoining WC’s plotting what to do next to stop the SNP. Being professional journalists (allegedly) they combine their joint mind power and come up with this. At the same time they shit on Scotland.
That’s why I don’t by the Herald anymore.
The First Minister and team are playing a blinder.
psst Rock – where are you– I buy the National
“It’s only the SNP who stands between Scotland and unfettered Tory government. So please help us raise the funds we need for the campaign ahead.”
As we all and our dogs know, even 59 out of 59 SNP MPs at Westminster makes ZERO difference.
Outnumbered 10 to 1, SNP MPs can do absolutely nothing against unfettered Tory government.
It is either full independence or nothing.
We need to be free, it is as simple as that.
Jings. Labour PPB all about division and not having a 2nd Independence Referendum.
That’s the problem these days, TV is all about repeats, that’s just a repeat of the Tory line.
So, errr, what about council services then, any plans?
Its never been the “West Lothian Question” lie. It has always been the Westminster Question.
Why allow Westminster take us into wars, spend billions on nuclear weapons, force rape victims to be degraded, persecute the poor, the weak, the infirm, bankroll tax avoiders and tax evaders, provide knighthoods and such like for a wee bung to tory funds, subvert the democratic process and ignore the will of the Scots Parliament and its people.
No More.
At the end of another working week . The Daily Mail and Express agendas – pathetic and laughable recycled Why do people give credence to those who would suppress the spirit of self determination? We are in the last chance saloon.
We Scots must stand out amounst the world’s people as an a nation of fannys
We struck oil in the 70same
And we are poor.
No one plays a tune on the abacus quite like Jackie.
This is all beginning to look like a very British coup d’état ….
link to mobile.twitter.com
jackie baillie
the worlds only pishslaverhaverer
Chickens returning home ‘n aw that…hahaha…
‘The Electoral Commission has launched an investigation into “potential offences” by Leave.EU over its spending during last year’s EU referendum campaign.
The campaign group, which was headed by Nigel Farage and businessman Arron Banks, is understood to have worked with the data firm Cambridge Analytica, which uses social media to influence voters.
Cambridge Analytica’s involvement was not declared to the election watchdog, which has concluded that Leave.EU has a case to answer. If the Electoral Commission decides that political spending laws have been breached, it can report the campaign group to the police.’
Vote Leave are in the frame too and are also being investigated by electoral commission.
link to archive.is
Iain Cormack says:
The majority were a bunch of total idiots for decades. There is no other way to put it. We were being ripped off while our industries and economy was being destroyed.
I suppose way too many accepted the idea that Labour would win soon and deliver the more egalitarian country we desired. They didn’t. They were no better than the Tories. In fact, I’ll stick my neck out and say the 1950s Tories delivered more to Scotland.
Better late than never! Hopefully 50+ will act in Scotland’s best interests now.
K1 says:
Yup, the whole basis of the Leave win is on a very shoggly peg. Will a big enough deal be made of this by the media? Almost certainly not.
Just watched the Scottish Labour election broadcast on TV. Nothing really on how Labour will improve local services; many references to issues that should be addressed more properly in Scottish Parliamentary elections e.g. funding for health and education – including an outrageous, negative claim about the SNP Government’s attitude to NHS provision in Livingston; but mostly about indyref2 and ‘division’, ‘division’, ‘division’.
‘Politics’ is all about division – about difference – of views and visions. Do Scottish Labour activists no longer accept this? But of course Scottish Labour is now the ‘consensus’ party having lost its historic sense of division with Tories in Scotland. With Scottish Labour, where the worst thing in the known (and probably even the unknown) universe that ever could happen is Scotland’s independence (of Scotland simply gaining the power of self-determination), it has been evident at least since 2014 that common ground rather than division with Tories for the greater good of the Union is now wholly acceptable to Labour.
I wonder if SLAB will waken up to the fact the one and only route open to them is to support Independence ,
They have no chance down south , that country has moved on , and with proposed boundary changes it will be almost impossible to get back into government,
And with the forced introduction of EVEL there will never again be a Scottish PM from a Scottish constituency , they need to break from Labour down south ,
Their only hope is to face up to the fact the SNP are not the enemy , most of the policies sit well with Labour thinking both social and economic there are hardly any differences .
I know because the SNP stole their baw they are still in the longest Sulk in history , they need to get over it,
The weeks after we gain Independence there will be a need for all voices to come together for the common good and well being of our emerging state we cant keep fighting each other there will be NO winners .
There will be elections where they could possibly form the government , who knows , but those with a little sense left need to make the move before their party disappears .
If the Labour party in scotland make a arse of this we are all f/kd cant they see the danger ? their union is dead it’s gone
May’s key advisors quitting one after another ….
link to archive.is
… who can blame them!?
The Tories illegally high Oil taxes cost 120,000 jobs in Scotland. 6 jobs Osbourne taxing the Oil & Gas sector at 60% to 80% when the price had fallen 75%. It is now 40% since Jan 2016. There are 120,000 unemployed in Scotland. Scotland could have had full employment without Westminster gross interference. Scotland loses £20Bilion that could be saved or better spent. Creating more jobs in essential services, renewables etc.
Scotland has lower average unemployment than the rest of the UK, although Scotland is said to have a higher % of retired people.
Illegal wars, banking fraud and tax evasion. Unionist failure. Fifty years of lying Labour. Change back to FPTP. Get rid of the lot of them. Most them are dropping out.
The Tories are borrowing and spending £Billions on Hinkley by the sea, HS2, Heathrow and Trident. A disaster waiting to happen. All a total waste of money. There are more credible alternatives. While starving children and the vulnerable.
Nothing has changed.
Rock
As ever, yer just a wee ray of sunshine
Ian Cormack
That’s the past……this generation..
…might be Tramps, but baby We Were Born to Run…
crazycat said on 21 April, 2017 at 4:05 pm
* Scotland is rising at up to 10cm per century; southern England is sinking at up to 5cm over the same period.
To be reported by the MSM as “People in Scotland are suffering an increased risk of altitude sickness, and yet their government is doing nothing about this. SNP Bad!”?
Could not agree with you more @Jack Collatin says at 5:29 pm
Come on folks say it loud and on repeat to everyone you meet.
I’ve been reflecting, you know just quietly having a think about things. Mostly about my own situation I have to selfishly admit but that’s the stage in life I’m at.
Close to retirement, future uncertain.
So I walk to the back door, open it and take a deep breath of the smog free beautiful air I’m so lucky to have in my neck of the woods. I can see for miles all the way down to the Tay Estuary and it’s just fields where crops are starting to grow.
And I feel good.
I can see the future, I can see the potential that is here in Scotland and spread out in front of me. I also think of the misery that the likes of Tory cuts to welfare have brought and have yet to bring in the future with further austerity.
Then I realise, that doesn’t have to be Scotland’s future we can choose a different path if only we can convince enough Scots to come on board this ship heading for a better destination.
I feel good, because we the people of Scotland have a choice, another chance to get it right and make things right. I’ll do my very best to make that happen and am doing it everyday now.
I think we all should. The future of Scotland is in our hands.
Thepnr @ 8.47
Kind of know what you mean Thepnr, there’s a kind of inevitably about it all,there has been ever since the Vow.
Quite when and quite how I don’t exactly know but this is only going one way.
I have also had the feeling that I am just a spectator to the mess over the border and we really aren’t a part of it.
A bit like when the news is telling you about? Health/Education ect…..You know that they don’t mean you,is the best way I can explain it.
I know not to be complacent,but this time it’s obvious to all but a few something needs to change.
I think that was the problem in 2014,it just wasn’t that obvious to enough of us that we will be a far better country out of the Union.
While I am concerned about what will happen to the poor in England and Wales but not unduly worried about us,my only explanation for this is that we do have the chance to put it right.
And I am sure that this time we will.
@FIONA TOMANY says: 21 April, 2017 at 3:50 pm
“Scotland will get the last laugh if global warming happens as London and the south east of England will be so hot that no one will be able to live in the extreme heat. Scotland will be much cooler.”
Och! Nothing to worry about, Fiona Tomany.
The truth is London is known to have been drowning in something much more nasty than just water for a very long time. Turns out London is literally drowning in human waste. Not to put too fine a point to it London is literally, “In the shit”. I kid you not:-
link to bbc.co.uk
link to reportuk.org
Now I suspect, as usual, the rest of the United Kingdom’s tax payers will be paying up as we have done for just about every other London and the South infrastructure improvements for as long as I can remember.
We all paid for the refurbishment of every London bus and rail terminal because Westminster classed then as National assets. Just as we all paid for the last, “New London Sewerage System”, (£4.1 Billion), and the, “London Cross-rail System”, and new bridges over the Thames. Just to mention a few.
I won’t claim yet that it is proven as being paid for by us all because that information is always the last thing the MSM ever wants to tell us about, but the other examples I’ve quoted most certainly are being paid for by us all.
While the new Forth Crossing, like the Forth Road bridge and the new Kincardine Bridge were all funded out of the Scottish Block Grant only.
It is either full independence or nothing.
It could be nothing,
Teresa May, psycho tory, in her election speech to loyal Brits today explained, vote tory, she’ll be,
“Taking action against the extremists who try to divide us…standing up to the separatists who want to break up our country.”
Are you an extremist or separatist, or both. You can be both, extremist is subjective. Holyrood is in for a bumpy ride in the next few years.
@Thepnr
Well said. 🙂
@ Robert Peffers At ah time when the have to release untreated sewage into the Thames twice weekly as they cant cope with the overflow when it rains.
link to londondistillery.com And they hope to make a Malt Whisky PMSL.
@Jack Collatin says: 21 April, 2017 at 5:29 pm
“This poisonous blob of lard has been slurping about in Holyrood since its inception.18 years on the gravy train. Contribution to Scottish civic life? Nothing.
She typifies the Fifth Columnists in our midst, doing Scotland down, besmirching the country’s reputation at every opportunity.”
Thing is, Jack, Ms Baillie cannot be accused of, “talking her country down”:-
Just as well for Ms Baillie, that we Scots are a gregarious lot and not like our neighbours in the south who are not at all generally too friendly to those from foreign parts.
‘Baillie was born on 15 January 1964
‘She studied at Cumbernauld College, Strathclyde University and the University of Glasgow,
Studied what?
The canteen menus?
stewartb @ 19:50,
I think what SLab mean is that we should all just slavishly follow whatever the Tories tell us to do, just like they themselves are doing these days.
Talking of working everyday I read a post on another thread I think by galamcennalath here on Wings.
It was a Times article about the new EU President and I decided to send him an email looking for clarification over our EU status.
Here’s what I wrote though I don’t really expect an answer:
Dear Mr Tajani
First I would like to congratulate you on becoming the new President of the European parliament.
I was also extremely pleased to read today in The Times of London your view on protecting the rights of EU citizens in the event of the UK leaving the EU and that is something that I am in complete agreement with.
You are quoted in the Times with saying this:
“Technically it is the only possible solution,” he said. “If you want to continue to guarantee citizens’ rights you need to refer to the ECJ. The European parliament is very clear on this. Citizens’ rights is a red line.”
As a citizen of the EU for over forty years and who is living in Scotland, a country that voted 62% to Remain a citizen of Europe will you announce that our continuing citizenship of the EU is also a “red line” and that we cannot be dragged out with the rest of the UK against our will?
We will need the support of the EU in order to remain a part of it, I trust that you agree with the majority of the Scottish people and will lend us your support.
Best wishes in your new role. I look forward to a statement from the EU supporting an Independent Scotland in the EU if such was to result from another referendum on Independence which will happen before the UK has officially left the EU. We in Scotland that wish to remain in the EU are depending on it.
With best wishes for the future.
@yesindyref2 says: 21 April, 2017 at 7:00 pm:
“Jings. Labour PPB all about division and not having a 2nd Independence Referendum.”
I don’t suppose for a moment it has ever occurred to those, (cough!), “deep thinkers”, in the Labour Party Accountancy Unit in Scotland that for there to be, “divisions”, in Scotland there must be at least two differing points of view.
If there wasn’t then there would not be any divisions. I can only assume that, by only blaming the SNP as the cause of these claimed divisions, Labour must be assuming that they must me the only ones with the correct views.
Now I’m not sure, if them being so sure they are so right, is conducive to healing any perceived division but it sure as hell isn’t helping any.
Robert Peffers @ 9.17pm
Must admit Robert that information about the “shit” in the Thames (which I didn’t know) has made me wonder about the poor woman who was involved in that last attack on London.
Did the muck in the water have anything to do with her death.
Clearly nothing to do with our Independance,and there’s only one person ultimately responsible for the lady’s death.
But tis something worth knowing IE is that water really that toxic, being so close to a very dense population.
And does water from that river get used in and around the population filling fire hoses and such.
…..As they say every day’s a school day.
Jack Collatin @ 5:29
“Disgusting wee parasite”
I have to take issue with that slur. Jackie Ballie is not wee!
O/T Lindsay Bruce’s Indiegogo fundraiser “Scotref Express” has 12 days to go and so far £880 of £20,000 raised. The plan is to build campaign kits for Yes groups. The kits previously supplied were great – our YES group got one.
I know there’s lots of calls on our funds just now but if you can spare a bit for Ayemail it would be well spent.
@thepnr 10.11 p.m. – I hope your letter to Mr Tajani has a better effect than my helpful e-mail to Jeremy Corbyn.
I emailed him the day before the vote about the general election, saying that he could soon be in government given the Conservative election fraud cases so my general advice is “Don’t do what Mrs May wants”.
Made a big difference, didn’t it?
Sorry for O/T here.
Feartie McFearftie calls an election to further cement her as the nastiest of all nasty Despots. Lo and behold all hell breaks loose.
1) The Tories don’t have a feckin clue what to put in their manefesto.
link to theguardian.com
2) Labour don’t have a feckin clue about who will be standing as their candidates.
link to labour.org.uk
3) Lib Dems simply don’t have a feckin clue or by all accounts any chance.
link to rt.com
@Sarah
Sorry you email didn’t make any difference, tried your best though and that’s all any mere mortal can do. By the way are you wee sarah’s who posted before you big sister 😀
@Liz g says: 21 April, 2017 at 9:16 pm:
” … While I am concerned about what will happen to the poor in England and Wales …
I wouldn’t worry too much about the poor in England & Wales, Liz g.
I’ll make an educated guess as to what will be the most likely outcome in England in a post Union split.
Then, and only than, will the stark truth become clear to the poorer sections of the English electorate and no amount of MSM lies will be able to deflect from the inevitable result.
Remember that there were riots in the streets of English cities but nothing in other parts of the United, (cough!), Kingdom with arson and looting by the English population.
There will be such a state of class warfare as to drive the extreme right wing out of power for a very, very long time.
Not only that but without the stolen wealth of Scotland and the ever increasing influence of the WTO rules and no EU behind them there will me massed emigration from England – but this time it will not be the poor, the jobless and those without hope.
It will be those with their wealth already long deposited in off-shore accounts running for their lives and their riches.
Sarah and Thepnr,
These people wont listen to us wee plebs, the big fish are calling all the shots,Oor voice will only be heard if we all shout as one.But please keep trying ,Maybe one day england and wales will ask to join US, And as one voice we can shout “GET TAE FECK, WE’RE EUROPEAN”
Scotland clearly has the most effective government in the British Isles. No amount of propaganda will change that.
@Thepnr – one and the same! Sometimes I use both fingers to type, and hence shift the keys, and sometimes I don’t – often because the dog’s on my lap getting in the way!
I liked your thoughtful piece earlier about your musings whilst gazing over the Tay. I have relatives in the Carse so know that view. And the feelings – of course Scotland will be fine as a restored country running itself. If only we can get enough other people to see the beauty of the future.
sarah says:
21 April, 2017 at 10:25 pm
O/T Lindsay Bruce’s Indiegogo fundraiser “Scotref Express” has 12 days to go and so far £880 of £20,000 raised. The plan is to build campaign kits for Yes groups. The kits previously supplied were great – our YES group got one.
Got the link for that as I can’t find it? Ta
@cynicalHighlander
link to indiegogo.com
Tomorrow’s National front page:
link to pbs.twimg.com
Tomorrow’s National twitter pages:
link to twitter.com
@Liz g says: 21 April, 2017 at 10:17 pm:
“… But tis something worth knowing IE is that water really that toxic, being so close to a very dense population.
And does water from that river get used in and around the population filling fire hoses and such.”
Well Liz, I really did not intend to tell any more on that score and the truth is you really wouldn’t want to know very much about it.
It really doesn’t make for good reading before bedtime – it is the stuff nightmares are made from. However, here’s a cite and link:-
link to en.wikipedia.org
Here is a wee excerpt :-
That new tunnel I posted about is to carry the raw sewage under the Themes so as to NOT let it go into the Thames.
I kid you not – when there is just light rain in London there is flooding and the only present remedy is that they close sluice gates, in the sewer, to stop the raw sewerage being discharged into the Thames. Trouble is that there is so much raw sewerage built up in such a short time that they have no other way to deal with it but a slow, (cough!)controlled release into the Thames.
Pleasant dreams tonight!
@Dafydd Williams
Your right of course we do have the most effective government in the UK. We want enough Scots to join us and make that permanent.
All the best where you are.
@Macandroid says: 21 April, 2017 at 10:21 pm:
“I have to take issue with that slur. Jackie Ballie is not wee!”
I though better of what I was going to post on that score, Macandroid. It was along the lines of, “if that’s your idea of a wee parasite, Jack, I’d hate to come across a big one”.
dakk says:
21 April, 2017 at 10:03 pm
‘Baillie was born on 15 January 1964
‘She studied at Cumbernauld College, Strathclyde University and the University of Glasgow,
I presume her cv omitted that Jackie Baillie attended St Anne’s School, Windermere , Annual full boarding fees: £18570 – £20910 which does excellent school dinners.
Thepnr@10.11pm
Liked your email. Hope you get a reply. It could be interesting!
its great intit,so ye need loads a money tae be classed an arsehole, thank feck am skint. Wot makes it right that the millionaires rule? I think three wee wummin fae Glesga who run a menage can run the ‘UK’ better then all the millionaires put the gether, Wan soupbowl fae castlemulk and wer all sorted. 😉
Robert Peffers @ 11.11
Em…. Thanks Robert.. I think..
OT sorry… but Roberts? never there…
Seriously thanks, I have family in central London and me and mine cat sit regularly there.
To a poor wee cat that has very serious and expensive unexplained stomach problems.
My lot take one look at the kettle and stick to bottled water.
So no worries there.
But this wee cats owners are in a position to have the water tested….. Interesting!!
But so severely off topic…My apologies to other wingers again.
K1 says:
21 April, 2017 at 7:42 pm
Chickens returning home ‘n aw that…hahaha…
‘The Electoral Commission has launched an investigation into “potential offences” by Leave.EU over its spending during last year’s EU referendum campaign.
Let’s not forget that Labour Leave donated thousands of pounds to UKIP.
Or that the advertising cover wrap which appeared in the Metro elsewhere in the UK as part of a total DUP spend on the EU referendum campaign of £425,000, more than seven times the party’s declared expenditure of £58,183 on the 2015 general election.
Under a provision in funding rules dating to the Troubles, which allows Northern Irish political parties to accept anonymous contributions, the identity of the donors to the DUP campaign had not been made public.
But after growing pressure to name the source of the money, the DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson revealed on Friday that the little-known pro-union Constitutional Research Council (CRC) had donated.
Donaldson described the CRC, chaired by the former vice-chairman of the Scottish Conservative party Richard Cook, as a “group of businessmen that promotes pro-union politics”.
This grouping will also circumvent Indy Ref2 funding rules.
Something in time for the election: England the Oil Thief: link to wp.me
@Jack Collation
FYI I am a tawdry little midget and on reading that you had compared me and my tiny little brethren to a *coughs and gags*
to a unionist…well my little man anger rose to the height of my Napoleon Complex and I burst into Tiny Tears TM.
I mean how low can you go??!!
galamcennalath
Many thanks.
Philm @ 12.11
How low can you go?
Every limbo boy and girl..All around the limbo world… Can answer that question Phlem.
Wee bit O help here Smallaxe!!!???
The trouble with not being an SNP member of the scottish parliament, is that you have nowhere to go if you decide to leave any of the other crowd, you would appear as a right dilly, if you joined the SNP, after years of slagging them off
Yes its a hard life being a member of the Tory Labour and Liberal scottish branches of their parties, but hey, it has its benefits, if they toe the party line, they will be allowed to sit in the scottish parliament and collect a decent salary, now is that not better than having to join the real world, and not the imaginary place they inhabit, where the SNP are bad, and their masters at westminster are good, i think they know they are good, good for nothing !, it cannot be much fun hanging onto the side of a sinking ship with the threat of your prawn sandwiches getting wet as the ship starts to sink below the waves
Tory election expenses scandal:
Buy one election, get another of equal or greater value free. (Comes with Corbyn clown figure and set of Labour political knives in the back).
Crush dissent.
Silence the workers.
Theresa MegaloMaynia.
liz g:
Sorry, liz, just noticed your request, I would say the lowest would be, as low as a pygmy limbo dancer in a submarine down in the Mariana trench, about 12,000 meters below sea level.
Morally, there are no depths to which a unionist won’t go! and that’s as deep as Hell.
😎
Peace Always
OT but obvious link with Labour.
I just read that most PFI liability is considered to be “off the balance sheet”, that is to say, the sums owed do not show up as part of the National debt. It’s a technical smokescreen, because some of the risk of a particular project. Say the project fails, or the construction is delayed, then some of that risk is transferred onto the PFI Contractor, and this technicality of separate liability is used to obscure financial liabity on the PFI client. This risk transfer means the PFI project is classified as revenue, as in running cost, rather than capital expenditure.
What means to my simple brain is like say, having a mortgage, but the sum total debt of the mortgage is kept out of the financial equation and your debt repayments are just classed as monthly expenditure. The “technicality” trick being because your not the only one liable for the project, some risk is offset, then your liability is unclear and unquantified.
I’ll make it even simpler, “Let’s all forget about how much debt your in, everything is fine as long as you can make the payments”.
The bottom line is many PFI projects are off the balance sheet, and much of the estimated PFI liability of £225 billion does not register in the £1.7 trillion National debt.
Breeks re PFI correct that’s why Broon was so keen on PFI as they didn’t show on the books. The EU were not happy that the UK was using smoke and mirrors to keep PFI, public sector pension liabilities and wanted them to use the same system of accounting as most if not all the countries in the EU which would have shown these liabilities on the National accounts. If I remember correctly Broon said he would change to the same accounting system as the rest of the EU but it never happened.
Some estimates put total UK debt at over 3.5 trillion if you include PFI, pspl and bank bailouts correctly.
some interesting musings from pnr and liz
i also feel distant from what is happening, it is as if this election belongs in england,
i dont know how the polling figures will effect the no of seats in england, but i cant see much change in NI or scotland. As I look south, I am reminded of franky boyles comment about being past caring what colour of hat the winning donkey is wearing and i genuinely doubt if will make any difference to us.
for us, we may lose a couple of seats, and the overall support will remain in the high 40% mark, so we will be pretty much where we are at the moment, ie no change.
but nicola is not without her options, but they can now wait, treeza just used up her nuclear option, the worst it can do to us is bounce off, but the vagaries of the fptp system and the turnout on the day may be in our favour and treezas cunning plan may back fire on her in scotland quite spectacularly
Links
link to whfp.com
link to alynsmith.eu
link to itisintruthnotforglory.wordpress.com
link to helensburghsnp.scot
‘Oil firms in boost for Scottish economy’
link to thoughtcontrolscotland.com
Sickening rhetoric from TM.
link to facebook.com
link to scottishlegal.com
link to evolvepolitics.com
link to evolvepolitics.com
link to thecanary.co
Tories plan VAT tax bombshell after election – hitting struggling families with financial blow
link to archive.is
link to bloomberg.com
Good Morning, Nana, It’s a lovely blue sky Saturday here. Thank you, for the lovely links. Kettle’s on.
🙂
Peace Always
Good morning Smallaxe. I’m a bit slow this morn, blame my clumsy fingers for double link above. Should have been these.
link to electoralcommission.org.uk
Argentina eyes Brexit Falklands advantage
link to archive.is
Nice to see you back Nana.
That Bloomberg article kinda confirms that initial post Brexit surge in public spending might very well have been prompted by purchases of homewares like fridges and washing machines before the expected hike in prices we are now beginning to see.
@ Lenny, that’s quite scary. I tend to glaze over instantly the moment people discuss PFI and borrowing, but it’s like doom laden hillwalking; however far you go, there is always one more scandal or gross ineptitude to make your eyes water. There is something wrong with our laws that none of these crooks and their pawns are not winding up behind bars.
Lovely morning Nana, thanks for the Linx. Hot Java Lava, feet up & a Journey Round Jackie Baillie!
Nana, what have I said about you apologising! Please don’t apologise for providing a valuable resource for all of us who are too lazy to go looking for our own links. Once again, Thank you.
😎 (disguise)
Peace Always
@Fred
Really nice day here too, got a list of outside chores ready for the old man! I’ll be watching from a safe distance, just supervising you understand. lol
This will get buried but if you look up the article the byline says Press Association.
It looks to me like it is a third party article that has appeared on its website and not done by the paper.
They do have columnists who promote independence too
I would like to see Jackie Baillie shown up by being
put under more intensive questioning from political reporters and made to provide the evidence to back up the claims she makes.
But then I won’t hold my breath on that ever happening, as all the unionist politicians, usually get an easy time of it compared to SNP politicians.
It was great pity that Jackie Baillie was not approached to become CEO of Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board on many levels. It was suggested.
Graeme she should have been approached to be the CEO Of greggs.
Slagging off Jackie Baillie for her politics is fine, but quite a few are putting her down because of how she looks. I thought Wingers were above personal attacks.
@Arbroath1320 says:
21 April, 2017 at 3:48 pm
Damn it!
My day was going quite well today … until now!
Why did Labour’s rentahonk have to be mentioned? ?
I had just sat down with a cup of coffee and was just about to take a sip when I read that. Closest thing yet to requiring a new laptop yet. ?
——————————–
Well there you go, Rev Stu has just almost helped to improve the Scottish economy. Why did you have to let the side down by failing to total your laptop?
Is this a case of Wingers Baaad?
Possible tomorrow’s Unionist rag and BBC headline:
Wingers fail to contribute to Scottish Economy
Clear evidence has turned up that despite help from England, Scottish Wingers are continuing to hinder the Scottish economy………..
Elsewhere in the Yoonionist press:
There is a growing shortage of popcorn available in Scotland. The SNP have once again failed to meet even these standards given that it is the most powerful devolved parliament in the whole wide world.
Fergus Ewing, the Scottish Rural Affairs Minister, has failed to ensure that maize production in Scotland meets local demand. If the First Minister fails to use her levers of power as they exist today, how will she cope when full powers are returned from the EU. It would be better, obviously if all powers that are returned from the EU after Brexit go directly to Westminster, a source from within the EU has suggested this morning.
————————–
Getting rid of those Unionists MPs and cooncillors that oppose Scotland, should be the main goal of the two campaigns that we face with the council and Westminster elections. We need a strong turn out in both elections to get rid of these leeches on the Scottish body politic and a waste of public expense.
We need a very strong message, yet again, that we still have a mandate for #Scotref. If this is still not enough, then it is looking more and more like the UDI option becomes an issue.
If it wasn’t so tragic for the employees, it would be funny.
August, 2014. G.M.B Scotland says vote No to save Scottish jobs.
April 2017. G,M.B Scotland says Tory Mundell must do something to prevent Scottish jobs going to Italy. Aye, some hope.
Karma really is a bitch.
How long before Nicola gets the blame?
More asset stripping of the Scottish economy. Expect much more before we become independent.
OT
So will the Daily Record recognising that their beloved Labour is a dead duck decide that they should back the Tories ?
The Herald?
The gutter Mail and Express we know they back Davidson and the r* clause to their eternal shame.
In council elections it has to be SNP and Greens. In the UK general election SNP.
test