The shopping monitors
The mad explosion of news that consumed most of July has largely abated. The Tories have a new leader, Labour are settling in for an insanely destructive and bitter two-month factional war in order to (almost certainly) re-elect the same one they only elected 10 months ago, and Brexit is on hold until next year.
So with a palpable sigh of relief, the Scottish political media has been able to get back to what it does best: juvenile silly-season drivel about nothing.
STV News and BuzzFeed ran a pair of almost-identical 700-word pieces today about the personal travel-agent choices of SNP MSP John Mason, who it’s transpired has been conducting his foreign currency exchanges with companies other than Barrhead Travel, which issued a demented anti-independence letter to all its staff in 2014.
Four other papers quickly joined the pile-on:
Mason didn’t call for anyone else to “boycott” the company, but merely said that he himself didn’t use them. With hundreds of other outlets available for both travel and currency exchange, readers might well feel that he was perfectly entitled to exercise freedom of choice in that regard, and give his own personal money instead to firms which didn’t actively and stridently oppose his political views.
(We didn’t buy any Mackies ice cream during the indyref, because they donated to the “Better Together” campaign and we didn’t want to find ourselves effectively funding it. We’d planned to start buying it again after the vote, but found to our surprise that we simply didn’t want to. There are no shortage of other fine ice-creams available, and we didn’t tell anyone else to avoid it, we just haven’t bought any ourselves. We’ve even admitted it on Twitter. We keenly await the shock-horror media exposé.)
The STV and BuzzFeed journalists responded huffily to criticism of the articles:
But Mason wasn’t speaking as a Parliamentarian. He expressed – during a private Twitter discussion rather than a Holyrood debate – a personal choice. He’d made the remark after a rather unpleasant Unionist tweeter, responding to a Mason comment supporting the Brain family from Dingwall, had sneeringly suggested that they should be deported to Australia via Barrhead Travel flights.
Curiously, both Aidan Kerr and Jamie Ross edited that aspect out of the story. Which is odd, not only because it provides context but because the snark-loving reporters are both usually big fans of irony, and there’s a rather splendid example to be found if you look at the (now-locked) Twitter account of the user concerned:
But we guess that’s not so funny from a certain perspective. Readers can determine for themselves what that perspective is.
Can’t wait for the day I put a pound coin in their tin cup as they sit huddled outside ASDA supermarket.
Why? Why do unionists like to shoot their mouths and their feet off at every turn?
Thanks for the reminder on boycotts,maybe a wee list has been published so we can keep in mind all those who sold Scotland down the river?
That’s the fella’s personal choice, based on his preference and principles surely? Why on earth do they consider that newsworthy?
Oh right! Silly season.
I find most MSM journos are perspective driven with all the moral attributes of dogs in heat.
Or am I just not getting this? ?
I favour businesses and outlets that supported independence. I happily shop in businesses that stayed neutral. I don’t feel welcome at businesses that actively campaigned for No, like Asda, B&Q and Barrhead Travel, and consequently I do not shop there.
I know what you mean about Mackies ice cream. Haven’t touched it in years. Try Costco’s own brand. You’ll not regret it.
Asda goes on list … tick ?
CapnAndy @ 2:41pm:
Thanks for the tip. I’ll get some next time I’m in Costco.
(Okay so that was WAAAAYYY off topic!) 🙂
Iseem to remember an old friend of mine telling me that there are three Mackie brothers, one Fib/Dem, one Tory and the third supports SNP with each running part of their businesses. Sadly don’t know who runs what. Anybody help with this.
Auld Rock
PS I happen to like their ice cream.
Any news yet on Ruth Davidson’s purchasing preferences in Waitrose?
Wot, no Scottish raspberries?
We need a searing exposé, surely, from one of our great Scottish journalists.
“… declared John Mason MSP during a camping trip to Ireland”
What possible relevance is the fact he is camping in Ireland? Perhaps they are hoping it will be misread as “campaigning”? Or am I being unduly cynical?
This’ll be shock to the BUMS, maybe even as news worthy, as the nonstory they have used;
I’m boycotting SLab, Wee Wullie’s gang and the Miss selfie I’m not a Tory at all party.
“Thanks for the reminder on boycotts,maybe a wee list has been published so we can keep in mind all those who sold Scotland down the river?”
Using this article to circulate a boycott list would be somewhat grimly ironic.
Ach look on the bright side if after two years the best they can come up with is a random tweet about a personal preference not to use a certain company and then go off on a yoon tantrum about boycotts,well it all reeks of clutching at straws.
Just another yoon attempted smear campaign.
Oh and yoons i dont use Barrhead travel as well not because i have boycotted them but because i think they suck big time,personal preference of course through having used them in the past to my error,no doubt many will have never had any problems i am not one.
Bill Munro, founder and non-executive director of Barrhead Travel,
used the `Scotland out of EU` project fear story to scare/intimidate his employees into voting to remain shackled to Westminster,
wonder if he done the same during EU referendum to scare/intimidate his employees into voting Remain.
Jamie Ross,always thought he was slightly less a miserable unionist hack than the rest of them.
If it has a Union Flag on it, it doesn’t go in my shopping trolley, and that’s a shame because it could have come from Ireland or Wales or indeed Scotland all of which I would support but I have no way of knowing, so by sticking that flag on produce the Yookay has removed my right of choice in deciding which country I might like to give my little bit of financial support to
That was another good idea Mr Cameron wasn’t it
Not so better together really is it
Most of my shopping is done at Aldi because that company sees the needs of the country it’s selling to and meets that by displaying Saltires or Advertising Irish products even Welsh Lamb (Worst offender, Morrisons, positively anti Scottish selling Salmon and Trout from outside Scotland, ridiculous)
Why do the media always refer to Aldi and Lidl as “Discounters” and not supermarkets as if they are somehow lesser entities for lesser people to shop at
Couldn’t be political could it, surely not
Looney Yoons want to make it COMPULSORY to shop with Yoons ?
I’ve not yet read any report on either Mundell or Davidson’s views on David Cameron’s resignation honours list. Have they been asked? Are these supposed journalists too busy chasing silly season stories?
I also boycott Barrhead Travel. Not because they wanted a no vote (I frankly don’t care enough about that sort of thing from faceless businesses), but because the owner wrote to all the staff threatening them with the sack/redundancy unless they voted no. That undemocratic p**h shows the owner is a pr**k and that is why I’ll never go there.
@Calgacus, you may get some inspiration here:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_endorsements_in_the_Scottish_independence_referendum,_2014
While it’s certainly much ado about nothing, it would be nice if the SNP didn’t have to have our own version of Willie Young, the Aberdeen councillor with a predisposition for tweeting daft things, who was allegedly banned from Twitter by his local party during the 2013 Donside by-election after one too many gaffes. Social media is not for everyone…
Incidentally, never mind boycotting Mackies ice cream because of political persuasion – it’s simply quite bland. There are three other Scottish firms who produce far superior stuff (I have no idea of their political persuasion.)
http://simpsonsbuckie.co.uk/ – Simpsons of Buckie have a Scottish tablet flavour which is absolutely incredible.
http://www.creamogalloway.co.uk/ – wee tubs of Cream O’ Galloway can often be found in independent cinemas like Glasgow Film Theatre, and it’s always a treat.
http://www.porrelli.com/ – Everything Porrelli do is amazing. I struggle not to eat a whole tub in one sitting. Nom nom nom nom.
And that’s just the ones you get in supermarkets. There are lovely ice cream shops all over the place selling good stuff. Ice cream is yet another foodstuff Scotland excels at. Three cheers for those Italian immigrants back in the day who improved all our lives immensely.
We should be better than this,all this pettiness.
Tunnock’s,I wish them well.
‘May,all your nonuts look like Fanny’s’
😉
The guy can shop where he wants, again we have a non Unionist crock passing as journalism.
Personally my Mrs unfortunately works for ASDA, I get the staff discount but I still won’t shop there.
It should never be forgotten what these companies did, well done Mr Mason.
I’m still boycotting Harry Potter books/films. But if Jakey can get Harry do a spell that keeps us in the European community, I might recind.
Unionist crock < correction.
“Incidentally, never mind boycotting Mackies ice cream because of political persuasion – it’s simply quite bland. There are three other Scottish firms who produce far superior stuff (I have no idea of their political persuasion.)”
Mackies, however, is actually sold down here.
700 words? Gee whiz, never mind the quality, fill the page and no blow will be too low.
Couldn’t we arrange to swap out these wonderful examples of Scottish subjects with the Brain family? What a win that would be, with Barrhead getting a turn of the dosh and Scotland rid of the usual whiners and snipers.
Anyhoo, what’s with this Cornish Ice cream stuff Stuart – is it just ’cause you want to support more Indy seeking celts?
I seem to recall you were a fan of Cream of Galloway ice cream at one time – now available in Bath here: Yum,Yum Thai restaurant (according to CoG website) – so a nice evening out could be in order.
PS I don’t get my Euros from Barrhead either nor ice cream from Mackies – am I a very bad person?
I boycott meat products coated in aspic jelly. I also boycott pretty much most of the msm.
Its a personal dislike thing.
I wouldn’t by a newspaper like the Record or the Scotsman due to it’s political persuasion. So why would I buy a product that stood against what I believed in. As far as I am concerned these companies need to blame themselves. The first rule of marketing is don’t upset or divide your customers.
But don’t go running to teacher when you are exposed and people stop buying your tainted products.
I won’t buy Starbucks coffee because it’s overpriced and and an American conglomerate that props up the states.
Grim irony!
http://blacklistscotland.wordpress.com
I’m glad I’m not a yoon. I would hate to have the bitter, nitpicking, lying nature these areswipes that seems mandatory for yoonism.
A good remainder for all of us to top up our boycott list.
Rule No.1 – Anything with the Butcher’s Apron on it must be completely shunned.
Rule No.2 – All britnat media is to boycotted.
“Mackies, however, is actually sold down here.”
You’ve made the right choice with Kelly’s of Cornwall then. Their clotted cream flavour is lovely.
Wow four more papers pile in…..it’s an avalanche of SNPBaaaaaaad folks, with much rubbing of hands with unionist glee. Pathetic, actually.
It is a collective nationalist delusion that thinks the press is violently against their rights- oh, wait a minute:
“A Scotsman journalist runs out of event shouting into his mobile, “Hold the front page he said Scotophobic. Lets nail the auld bastard…”
They want to denegrate them Dr Jim to make them appear less reputable and their products inferior to the big UK brand names.
The scam is that most of these UK brand names buy in their products from European companies so when you buy your UK brand name made in UK what it means is the box was made in the UK whats inside it all came out the same factory different mould and maybe ingrediant mix but off the same production line(custard creams are a good example)
The UK market is overpriced thanks to retail monsters colluding to drive up costs by pretending they are in a price war with each other.
Though their little monopoly is under threat especially when more people are having their eyes opened to European product prices compared to UK brands,i do all my shopping in Lidl`s now and a save a packet and their products are no worse and no better than the big brand names(shhh some are identical except the box and the price lol )
Aldi does a pretty stunning vanilla ice cream too.
It’s surprising that in our wonderful union, how hard it is to get products from other parts of the UK.
We are in Wales and can’t get Red Kola in the shops. Barr’s said it was because there was no market for it, which I find hard to believe but then they don’t advertise down here. They did give me a source online so i can get it ordered (English g/f got hooked on it when I used to live in Edinburgh).
Until recently my dad couldn’t get some Welsh beers such as SA until they started working with one of the big international brewery conglomerates.
Oooft James Kelly had a well prepared retort on the STV website. Is that his own work or these words drafted by spin doctors ? Seems offi clever wording n at.
I confess, I started buying Mackies Ice Cream again. After old Maitland Mackie died, and after the Indyref, I decided the younger generation couldn’t inherit opinions. And it’s very good ice cream!
But John Lewis, Tunnocks and Baxters are still on the naughty step and I never liked JK Rowling books anyway.
I boycott tubas.
Why on earth would someone want to give their custom to a firm which went out of its way to influence its staff (and potential customers) politically?
I have avoided a number of businesses and products since Indyref because as a customer I want to feel my custom is wanted. These establishments went out of their way to politicise their businesses. No one is obliged to use them whether they are MSPs or not. Where there is a choice I make it based on all sorts of reasons as do most people with a brain or a conscience.
As usual no context and lots of spin.
Free speech and commentary now to be despised by MSM I fear a lynching coming. Pokey hats all round, fiery crosses despatched by Westminsters agents in the land o’ Euro sympathizers! ?
I noticed a few weeks ago that Tesco no longer mark Scottish strawberries as Scottish. Instead they are now called British strawwberries and have a UJ instead of a saltire although they are marked with the actual farm they have come from (Taysude/Perthshire mainly). I usually buy loads of Tesco strawberries but this year I haven’t bought any. I think this is a bit of a marketing own goal from Tesco.
Vote NO Mackie’s dead anyway. Interesting Scottish tory though, totally in to wind energy, totally NO to Scotland running Scotland. I dont buy it now and dont like their crisps either.
Its really worth shopping around too after various shops came out for the UK, they are run by odd characters, slave wage and no wage paying toryboys. Also, we got a hundred quid fine from vote NO Asda for not parking properly, another hundred quid from vote NO Morrison’s for parking too long, and now rarely go back.
Lidl’s really nice where we are but be careful. There was nearly one less vile separatist in the Scotland region yesterday, who nearly choked to death on a Big Hit laughing to loud break time.
If you’re not a Lidl shopper, Big Hit’s are Lidl’s M&M’s knock off, and being choking to death on one would be rather UKOK ironic, for this vile separatist.
Sometimes it’s possible to overanalyse the journo bubble.
They just aren’t very bright. It’s as simple as that.
@ Dan Huil
I have to break rule No1 Dan i own a Rover and it has two butchers flags on it,i did try to paint a saltire over them but well it rains a lot in Scotland,and i am no getting rid of it until it does what every Rover does and blows the head lol
This week, I am mainly boycotting mankinis.
Golden rule – never feed the enemy.
Any business stupid enough to interfere in the democratic process and risk offending 50% or so of its customers doesn’t deserve their trade.
I am still maintaining my boycott. It’s tough doing without my Tunnocks etc, but never feed the enemy is the rule.
Ice Cream, get your lovely ice cream!
My only experience is I used to love Mackie’s ice cream, but found I had to add fresh cream to improve the flavour, I spoke to the reps at a food fair in Dundee recently, and they said there had been a change to the recipe years ago, that would coincide with my decision to change.
I did take the opportunity to ask if the intervention during the referendum had affected sales, but the mood turned as frosty as the ice cream on offer, but not as sweet, “We cannot discus that” , was the obviously instructed reply, “just asking as a fellow exhibitor” was my retort, “sorry we are not allowed to say anything, or else!” from which I take Mackie’s are boycotting freedom of speech!
I did buy the ice cubes though but changed when the massive single cubes arrived on the market!
Anyhow I still sport a broken nose, the price for standing outside Malcolm Cambells fruit shop encouraging a boycott of south African fruit during the apartheid era, but that was a lifetime ago when boycotts were boycotts, not a personal decision where one buys their currency!
I blame twitter, the most mundane is elevated to the pinnacle of importance, but only as long as the feeble mind can hold attention, and that’s usually as long as a fleas penis!
Bill (@3:18 pm) http://blacklistscotland.wordpress.com
Thanks for the link Bill, needs a bit of updating though. 😉
_____
As for John Mason, he was only expressing his personal choice.
I believe it’s known as freedom of expression. Gaun yersel John!
Never have used that travel company nor will i ever use them. There has to be consequences for companies who come out in favour of keeping Scotland subservient and shackled to London.
Some countries resort to violence to teach others a lesson. We on the other hand are largely against that option and prefer to use a language everyone understands, we hit their pockets and refuse them our custom.
If these companies love London that much they can feck right off down there, some other company will successfully fill the gap in the market left behind by their rotten erses.
BTW, it’s no coincidence this non story was crafted by commercial enterprises. Does the owner of the struggling travel company have a friend or two on the inside? Publicity stunt to reel in Billy Bigot and Co? It is summer afterall.
I switched from ASDA to LIDL and told managers of both why
carjamtic says:
2 August, 2016 at 3:05 pm
‘May,all your nonuts look like Fanny’s’
=============
If they do then they will be aptly named.
@DerekM 3:44pm
My sympathies, Derek. Can I suggest you take a trip to Lossiemouth, parking your car by the harbour for a couple of hours. It’ll be completely plastered in seagull shit thereby hiding said butcher’s aprons.
Boycotting is a perfectly acceptable means of protest. Currently within conservation circles, there are many that are boycotting M&S, not just for selling Red Grouse meat, but for the company’s repeated failures to prove that the grouse were killed in a sustainable manner, and for their failures to inform the public which estates the grouse came from.
As a result of this, the shooting industry retaliated, and they have used intimidation and bullying tactics in an attempt to shut down the Bowland Brewery, simply because Chris Packham and Mark Avery supported the brewery’s Hen Harrier tipple.
Perhaps our useless journalists should have highlighted the despicable acts of the shooting industry, but I suppose there isn’t a SNP-BAD angle in the story, so it will just be ignored.
https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2016/07/27/bowland-brewery-subjected-to-hate-campaign-for-supporting-hen-harriers/
I don’t buy anything with a union flag on it, still buy English products though. Kelly’s ice cream and Cathedral City cheese,are but two. Prefer buying Scottish produce. But never anything with Westminster’s colours adorning it.
Any business that was stupid enough to declare their political side, and issue instructions from on high to staff, deserve to lose money.
It was like watching a parade of cretins on 2014, and I kept wondering why this level of arrogance and stupidity was so prevalent.
If a business was asked, the correct answer would be we respect our customers and staff too much to consider trying to persuade them on a private matter.
It was grossly insulting and I do boycott wherever I can. I never buy anything with the Butchers Apron adorning it.
CapnAndy says:@ 2:41 pm
I know what you mean about Mackies ice cream. Haven’t touched it in years. Try Costco’s own brand. You’ll not regret it.
Much cheaper to make your own…. its easy
lol @ Dan
I would prise them off but it would leave holes in the bodywork and anybody who has owned a Rover will know that means invasion of the rust monster.
Its actually a good wee car for £500 though i do wonder if i would have still bought it if i had noticed the butchers flags on it 🙂
Marco McGinty says:
Jesus Marco, I nearly had a hart attack, M&S butchered poor old Grousey??? I know he is a Vile Cybernat, but butchery!
Douig Daniel, since I was castigated for saying, “so”, far too often, SO this is what bugs me. someone saying Nom nom nom nom. That behaviour will get you beaten to a bloody pulp!
@DerekM 4:07pm
Try using a hairdrier on the wee blighter. A wee while with hot air blowing over it (oh, the irony) will soften the glue and leave paintwork intact.
You’re welcome.
Curiously, both Aidan Kerr and Jamie Ross edited that aspect out of the story.
That’s their UKOK job. The whole of UKOK hackdom do it. They exist only to sell planet toryboy to Scotland. Only remotely interesting thing about teamGB hackdom is right click googling their headline and instantly seeing what they edit out, of every story. The whole of the BBC are currently doing all of the above to destroy Corbyn and the whole of the BBC in Scotland’s trying to destroy the SNP/boost red and blue tory britnats. eg
Aidan Kerr ?@AidanKerrPol 7h7 hours ago
Ruth Davidson to speak at Belfast #pride celebrations
Lovely Ruthie babes photo as per.
I wonder how many of those bosses who used the potential of Brexit to threaten their staff into voting NO at the Indyref did the same for the EU referendum?
Hey Mr Munro – did you personally stand in every polling booth and ensure every single one of your staff members placed their X in the NO box? Course you didn’t you big numptie. So why even bother issuing such a dumb letter/threat to your staff? And I bet at least 45% of your staff (probably more) voted YES in spite of your stupid threat. And I am certain a whole lot more of them will be voting YES come IndyRef#2.
Oh, and there’s Brexit, Mr Munro. How things change. Get yourself tae France.
Same old “When did you stop beating your wife” nonsense.
Slow news day is it in the yoon MSM world? John Mason is entititled to spend his own dosh where he likes. I would not consider Barrhead Travel under any circumstances after what John Mason did during the indy ref. My choice, so whit.
I still won’t buy anything showing UJ. Baxter’s is a decided no no in our house, as is Tunnocks. We shop in Aldi’s or sometimes Lidl simply because they had the good sense to stay neutral and their products are good value as well.
I’ll buy, or choose not to buy as I like. My bawbees’ boys.Nought to do with any clown in the MSM.
@carjamtic
Fanny Cradock.
Tsk! I’m old enough to remember Johnnie’s accidental double entendre. 🙂
PS:
Ma heids hurting wie this ‘Scottish Six’ = SNP softening up the electorate for indy2 stuff. Even if it’s a WM committee that says so! 🙁
Ahhh, might this have anything to do with the recent stuff about the UK gov wanting to ban any publicly funded organisation, including chairites, from being able to boycott, ban or speak out about dodgy companies? For instance ones which are involved in the arms trade?
Maybe these rags think if they hound an individual MSP, for making a personal choice, that somehow will also become illegal! I can see where this is going, and of course anything for a good SNP bad story.
As DWP have just slashed my so-called PIP, I do not have any spare cash to not give Barrhead Travel. This is yet another outrageous abuse of my human rights by the monstrous and vile regime at Westminster, but of course I’m just one of the crowd.
I live in hope that some kind person, or a bean-counter at DWP with a repeating zero key, will give me loads of money which I can use to boycott Barrhead Travel with, as well as all those other nasty No-supporting rags and organs, such as The Hootsmon, the BBC, Governor-General Fluffy, and the ineffable Alexander Boris De Pfeffel Johnson, our revered English Foreign Secretary.
call me dave says:
“Fanny Cradock. ..I’m old enough to remember Johnnie’s accidental double entendre.”
My fading memory tells me it was Bill Tennant. A quick google of forums show some people say Tennant, some say others. If it had been Tennant, then it would not have been shown outside Scotland.
It’s the anguished, rocking back and forth in a padded cell monotony of the colonial MSM that’s striking.
Apart from anything else, it must be so goddam boring to be a hack.
Valerie wrote (@4:03 pm):
“Any business that was stupid enough to declare their political side, and issue instructions from on high to staff, deserve to lose money. It was like watching a parade of cretins on 2014, and I kept wondering why this level of arrogance and stupidity was so prevalent.
Perhaps this revelation will help feed your curiosity Valerie.
http://archive.is/t1RCe
I can only reiterate what others have said, Lidle’s get the vast majority of our custom and we never purchase anything displaying the butchers apron. We are also a BUM free zone! 🙂
@Stoker
Great graphic, tweeted it out!
You see this is all about freedom of choice. Are those moronic jokers masquerading as ‘journalists’ suggesting Mason MUST now use Barrhead? So what is the problem? I can’t see one.
Personally, I try my utmost to avoid anything bearing a union jack, since I regard that as a symbol of imperialism, colonialism and its use in Scotland is political. Besides it isn’t my countries flag. Slap a butchers apron on your product and I don’t buy it. That is my opinion. Other people can disagree. I care not.
I should point out, that whilst I would favour Scottish products (people around the world support their local producers), the presence of an English St.Georges cross is not an issue for me. I want the English to be proud of their country, England. Likewise with Ireland and Wales.
I also do not purchase goods/services from companies, including Barrheads, associated with the lying ‘better together’ campaign designed to deceive Scots and thereby deny us our nationhood.
I don’t care if people don’t agree. To me it is about principles. Had the lying, deceptive, anti Scotland ‘better together’ campaign been an honest one, I may have felt differently, but it wasn’t. It was a disgrace, and an affront to democracy – a masterclass in organised deceit and propaganda.
Like I said, at the start, freedom of choice.
O/T
There comes a time when switchers from NO to YES have an epiphany and realise they are on the wrong side of the Indy debate. It’s not easy to switch sides in any walk of life, especially so when beliefs are deep, long held and come with a sense of loyalty (small ‘l’) to one’s family, friends or whatever.
It would be an interesting survey – what caused switchers to switch from NO to YES but also from YES to NO. Find out more specifically from this target group what insight it was that made them switch sides. It could be important intel for IndyRef#2.
Just thinking out loud.
@Macart says: 2 August, 2016 at 2:34 pm:
“hat’s the fella’s personal choice, based on his preference and principles surely? Why on earth do they consider that newsworthy?
Oh right! Silly season.”
Seems more like silly buggers to me Macart.
Yep same :
English products & St Georges flag fine.
UKOK & Union Jocko flag tends to put me right off the food entirely; brand experts should consider this in Scotland.
Probably gets a better rate on his Euro’s elsewhere in any case. I never change money at any travel agent as they’ll always try to fleece you
Training Day says:
“It’s the anguished, rocking back and forth in a padded cell monotony of the colonial MSM that’s striking.”
Indeed. It’s the collective group think within incredibly narrow boundaries. It goes beyond lazy plagiarism where a single story gets spread totally out of proportion to its news worthiness. Yes, journalistic resources have been squeezed, so regurgitation is inevitable, but the narrow political agenda drives this too. A story fits the agenda, so takes hold because ‘it will do’.
News releases, news feeds, newspapers, paper reviews, broadcast news driven by newspaper content … and rounding it all off to give it are air of credibility, a small selection of cloned networked pundits and experts.
The only real issue I have with it is – a sizeable chunk of the population haven’t seen through it yet!
I, too, feel uncomfortable with those companies that actively threatened their staff over IndyRef. However, hasn’t stopped me shopping in them. What HAS, on the other hand, is those places identified as using MWA ‘volunteers’. It’s interesting that neither Aldi, nor Lidl, nor the Co-op appear on the DWP list so they now get my custom. And I will be letting them – and the others – know why. A boycott is a perfectly respectable way to express one’s own political views. We did it over South African produce for decades. Campaigning for others to boycott is also OK, but JM wasn’t even doing that.
It costs £504.84 for 575 Euros from Ballhead travel, that isn’t that good, who gets their currency from the High street anyway, despite their bosses views, even Debenhams will give you 580 Euros for £500!
SNP makes prudent financial decision, Vile frankly!
Thanks Yet again Rev, as I would have had no idea that an SNP Official is at liberty to make his own personal choices, as I have boycotted all of these pathetic Rags for wasting paper and ink on nonentity stories just like this.
FYI Barrhead Unravel come out ahead on most surveys to find Scotland’s best employers.
Although they are permanently looking for staff, as few can stick it, each employees Supervisor presents them with the survey documents, and stands over them while they have to extol the virtues of the company.
If, like many, you are struggling with their sales targets, and don’t comply with giving the company top marks for being “lovely”, you can pick up your P45 on the
way out.
I’d buy a newspaper if one would just ask who Bill Munro thinks he is that he can instruct anyone on how they must vote.
I wouldn’t buy a holiday from Barrhead Travel or Mr Munro.
O/T
VILE CYBE RNAT bag plus badges safely received today.
Very many thanks Rev and the wonderful Wings Fulfilment Department (AyeMail.scot)
gordoz says:
“English products & St Georges flag fine.
UKOK & Union Jocko flag tends to put me right off the food entirely”
Totally agree. Cheese, beer, wine even, etc … I’ve seen a StG flag on umpteen products. I like Stilton, I like English beer. The flag is a mark of origin and quality.
Union Flag is a political statement and I take it personally because it’s saying something directly at me and I disapprove.
Scotch Beef, Irish Beef, Welsh Lamb. OK, sounds like a quality product. Wee Union Flag and labelled British Beef? WTF is that? Gives me a mental image of cattle in a shed somewhere being fed Brazilian soya meal instead of grass.
In all the faux outrage that an SNP MSP didn’t use a yoon travel agent to exchange euros
( perhaps because their exchange rate was crap).
The clever journo’s Aiden Kerr and Jamie Ross whom I have been chastised before for daring to question his ability to be a ” journalist”, missed a much better story. The sad human position the Brain family find themselves in. 700 words on what a shambles UK foreign office policy is in, or what happened to the job offer they had and then was withdrawn, why was it withdrawn?
Last time I looked we are still in the UK and we have Laws that say a man can shop and buy where he fucking wants .Until we are a totalitarian independent state that will continue.:D
Bye the way thanks Tinto Chief for the wiki leaks reminder of the numbnuts that helped Thatcher mark 2 take the piss out of Scotland .
Just emailed John masons fellow msp in south Renfrewshire who was quoted in the record as having been proud to use Barrhead travel when are these people going to waken up he must have seen the press coverage f/n idiot .
Of course SNP MSPs should frequent businesses even though they display outright hostility like the Townhead Hotel in Lockerbie who called the FM a Nazi or similar.
They then promptly deleted their account when exposed. No outcry from Buzzfeed or wee Aidan then.
O/T Vile Cybernat bag and badges arrived by Ayemail today – really cheered us up, thank you!
My vile cybernat bag and badges arrived today too. Cheered me up so they did. So proud!
@Linda Semple
I’m afraid the Co-op in on the list.
Thank you for my vile cybernat bag and badges, arrived safely. Aye mail gets my vote!
I think it’s good to choose to avoid buying goods and services from some companies and to favour others instead. It is merely excercising one of the powers that we all possess to shape the world around us. The fact that our “betters” really really don’t like it confirms that it’s exactly the right thing for us to do.
Personally, I haven’t shopped at ASDA since the Indy ref in 2014 and I used to shop pretty much nowhere else. I switched to Morrison’s for a while but now I only go to Aldi and Lidl. They’re cheaper and better quality. They also stock lots of locally made (ie Scottish) food. Shopping local is great for our economy and good for the environment. I must confess that where I can’t buy Scottish, I favour Irish and, failing that, continental European goods over English ones. That’s NOT good for the environment. Sorry. I guess it’s swings and roundabouts there. I don’t have anything particular against English companies but since the unionists endlessly compare the Scottish economy to the English one in an attempt to convince Scots that they are shite and couldn’t run their own country, it’s important that I do my bit to prove them wrong. Where I can, when buying Scottish food I’ll avoid companies that openly backed a No vote in 2014 or ones that openly promote their “Britishness” but I still favour them over companies from other countries. Oh, and there’s one other very good reason why I buy Scottish food, it tastes great!
As far as non-food items go, it’s more difficult to be selective but I’ve become rather good at only buying Scottish made Christmas and birthday gifts. I’ve built up a list of Scottish companies that I’ve discovered on the internet so it’s getting easier as time passes for me to favour local companies.
I see all this as a way to shape the economy so that it is more like that of a normal country and less like that of a province. By behaving independently as individuals and not following the crowd by following the path of least resistance (the big English companies have the resources to make themselves more visible through advertising and cheaper prices through economy of scale), we help to inch Scotland further towards autonomy and its own independence.
One last thought – it’s my money and I’ll spend it how I like!
@ Jim
I would give that a try Jim except they are not glued on there is two little countersunk rivets holding them on.
Its not so much as a sticker but a metal badge probably the best designed bit of the car lol
Union Flag is a political statement and I take it personally because it’s saying something directly at me and I disapprove
Morrison’s in Glasgow are selling their 5 filled doughrings in complete union jack cartons. Cappuccino’s pretty good but not exactly BRITISH.
On the bottom of their union jack cartons, they’ve got “Here to help” customer service phone line. Its pretty odd UKOK propaganda from rather weird English companies like Morrison’s in Glasgow but over the years, hanging about the bakery section, you get to know the staff, who are all Scots and they couldn’t care less what flag Morrisons wrap up their baked goods in, so its probably irrelevant. Their raspberry filled ones also hit the spot, without their union jack malarkey.
I would imagine that the newspaper coverage will merely have reminded folk of the Barrhead Travel’s behaviour during the Referendum and perhaps reminded many to boycott them again.
I told the story of the football game where I happened to be sitting very near the newspaper reporter and how when a goal was scored they all discussed the exact time that they would report it in their papers
We have seen various stories that are generally out of the blue and twisted to be SNP bad.
Do the MSM in Scotland share these stories?
Is there an unwritten rule that if they come across something they automatically let the other papers in on their story.
It sure seems like it.
Maybe all the reporters go around looking for “news stories”together and that is why they all have the same stuff
Maybe it is just coincidence like this story
Many of the Companies supporting NO went down because the Tories are trying to ruin the world economy. They couldn’t make a bigger mess. Euros have gone down. Nearly parity with the £ for holiday makers.
Barr’s business’s will have gone down with more people having staycations or no holidays because they can’t afford them. Or are scared to travel because the UK/US and France have been bombing the Middle East for years. Dis-stabling the whole world and making travel take longer and be more expensive. No direct flights but diversions to avoid the area.
@John Walsh: you’re very welcome. A kind Winger put the link up a while ago and it was too good to miss. See Bill’s comment at 3.18 too.
“Numbnuts”?
Is that a Tunnock’s product?
Boycott of all major clubs
Oh so he enjoyed the trip around the hedge lined clubs then?
Posted too soon 😉
I’m like most here and find the promotion of the butcher’s apron an affront to me as a Scot. It’s a horrible historical symbol of oppression, it actually makes me feel angry…I’m bombarded daily with it turning up in the ad breaks from ice cream to furniture. They’re even positioning it in various tv programs.
They can try and shove it down my throat as often as they like….however I’m SCOTTISH !!! AND suffered YEARS OF PROPAGANDA but I found the cure WINGS OVER SCOTLAND…so stick your wee union flag in and on as many things as you want…you will NEVER get me to bend my knee and respect it…
however there are more and more of us every day recognising this sh*t union for what it is and that flag will have the FLAG of my COUNTRY removed from it…that day is fast approaching!
I’m not one of the vile cybernats for nothing 😉
So far since September 2014, me and the missus have boycotted Asda, John Lewis, M&S, Next, Sainsbury’s, Baxters, Endura, Tunnocks to name just a few. We had loyalty cards with most of these companies, which were duly cut up.
Oh and I nearly forgot we STOPPED paying the Empire TV tax.
I was very proud to wear Endura cycling products, but I now buy other companies clothing even from English cycling companies.
What scare stories will come out for Indy Ref 2?
Albert Herring@ 17:35:
Funny thing that. My dad worked for the “Coopie” (NORCO) all his working life, but the Scottish Co-Ops are all gone now (mostly through mis-management), either defunct or merged into the Manchester monolith. So hardly a surprise, that then, just another example of English Labourite neo-colonialism.
The Co-operative Party (yes, it does exist!) is a funny kind of adjunct of Labour. It has its own HQ and all, but its officeholders don’t seem to actually do anything to justify the nice salaries they presumably pocket. Nada to do with promoting mutuality anyway. MPs sponsored by this load of parasites included Ed Balls and El Gordo himsel – you know, the very PFI gang who in power presided over the privatisations of a swathe of mutuals such as building societies, etc.
You could look long and hard to find a better example of Labour’s vampiric hollowing-out of a truly grassroots movement, than the Co-op.
Instead of ” boycotting” businesses, could we possibly ” promote” Scottish based businesses possibly
sympathetic to Independence. Perhaps WOS “club members” could receive a small discount? !!
They can try and shove it down my throat as often as they like….
It is a symbol of yoons around too. Stonehaven outdoor swimming pool is a glorious treasure but its run by English people and a giant union jack flies right over the middle of the pool
http://www.stonehavenopenairpool.co.uk/index.html
Its our pool and you’re British. Don’t you forget it either. Most don’t seem to care what flag they fly. It’s just a little part of Scotland that’s forever England, like Aberdeen city and county cooncils:D
Used to buy Mackies but ain’t since 2014′, must have been since they changed the recipe 🙂
I buy Arran Dairies far better than Mackies even before the recipe change and the boss is a yessir!
Cannot quite believe what I heard on “reporting shortbread” from Glen Campbell re the ” Scottish six” , concludes the story assuring viewers that ” the BBC would jealously guard its political neutrality ” going forward.
@Robert Peffers
Right you are Robert.
‘Silly Buggers’ is far more accurate.
Yeah, Lidl’s stock Strachan’s Traditional Scottish Dairy Ice Cream. It’s even tastier with a handful of berries then drissled with honey, yum.
Or as a creamier alternative.. have you ever tried Kulfi before? It’s a traditional Indian ice cream. Also ideal with berries and honey, yum-yum.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kulfi
Available from all good stockists.
Diana Gabaldon probably does more for the Scottish economy than Barrhead Travel.
All they do is entice people to go to Spain for their holidays. Great for the Spanish economy but not so great for Scotland.
o/t A lot of us no longer pay a bbc licence and rightly so but this report is likely to put more folks off paying. Share this widely
http://www.thecanary.co/2016/08/02/new-report-reveals-ripped-off-bbc-licence-fee/
Am eating some Strachan’s ice cream the now. Turns out it’s specially produced for Aldi’s.. who knew.. maybe Lidl stock it too.
Have noticed that Tunnocks have also been selling their caramel wafers ‘loose’ in see through bags for quite a while now.
@North Chiel 6:39pm
Did he reallyhave the brass neck to say that? Anyone got a video of it? Send it to Harry Hill.
North chiel,
What he meant was that the Labourite clique which run the place must be free to continue to spout their BritNat propaganda unabated.
His preceding sentence was “The BBC … is more interested in delivering for audiences, and responding to their concerns”.
Bravo! I wonder if he and his masters have noticed that 90k+ petition yet…?
Cannot quite believe what I heard on “reporting shortbread” from Glen Campbell re the ” Scottish six” , concludes the story assuring viewers that ” the BBC would jealously guard its political neutrality ” going forward.
Trolling, BBC Scotland style.
Even if they do somehow manage to get a Scottish BBC news thing going, it will be complete and utter shite, just like now.
Just like everything yoon culture does to and in Scotland, it will be soso, ok, good enough, oftentimes, terrible and hammy, confusing, illogical… And its going to be the exact same spivy crew of oily smirkers too. They know that if they did do a good job, Scots might get ideas above their station and that’s just not going to happen.
Just dont watch their garbage. Listen to BBC r4 instead, its a glorious celebration of tory England, explored and celebrated in all its toryboy England splendour. It has to be, they want the English to get ideas above their station.
See how easy UKOK propaganda is, when you own all the UKOK meeja.
Was Barrhead Travel pro or anti Brexit?
Did they speak out during the EU Ref?
I’m old enough to remember when you went to the pictures at the end of the film they used to stick on God save the queen and the very same Yoons who moan about their beloved queen and Yookay were scampering out the door before it could get underway the same as the rest of us
You could count on the one hand the diehards that were left standing and even some of them had just been caught unawares so stood looking guilty legs waggling as if they wanted tae pee
It seems at that time most folk couldn’t stand the Yookay until they thought if it meant all religions would be equal in a new and improved Scotland so the Yoons did a UKIP and ye cannae huv Kafflicks or Furriners the same as (Ra Peepul)
Trouble is there are still some of Ra Peepul who think that way so they’ll only eat ice cream guaranteed to be untouched by Evil Nat hand or served up by their new leaderess Ruth Opposition Party
Catchy name for an ice cream wummin though
Glen Campbell re the ” Scottish six” , concludes the story assuring viewers that ” the BBC would jealously guard its political neutrality ” going forward.
Translation
“We will still endeavour to be loyal Unionist shills”
@Ian Murray says: 2 August, 2016 at 5:53 pm:
” … Do the MSM in Scotland share these stories?
Is there an unwritten rule that if they come across something they automatically let the other papers in on their story.”
More likely it is because reporters all get their stories from the same sources – News Agencies. Back in the days when they used ticker tape machines it cost a bomb to have a ticker tape but every reporter now has a computer and
PS the Ayemail fairy visited today and I am the proud possessor of a Vile Cyber Gnat bag 🙂
North chill
It’s a pity he doesn’t make those comments in front of an audience of real people, instead of the cosy closet of a TV studio.
Surely there must be some legal remedy for BBC bias – what about a judicial review
http://indyref2.scot/unreporting-scotland-bias-by-omission
Also, commentator on BBC TV evening new in London States that there was not much support for a 6pm Scottish news
https://twitter.com/RealBarrhead
There is a huge difference between creating 100 new jobs and hiring 100 new staff to replace over 100 staff lost in 2 months @BarrheadTravel
0 retweets 1 like
Real Barrhead ?@RealBarrhead 7 Dec 2015
Every few months @BarrheadTravel release PR spin on recruiting 100 staff yet for a decade now staffing levels have been around 800.
0 retweets 0 likes
Real Barrhead ?@RealBarrhead 7 Dec 2015
.@BarrheadTravel recruit on average 60 new staff members every month however since 2010 they have boasted having 800 staff. You do the math!
I prefer to buy my frozen dessert from reputable Italian Scots, honest people with a genuinely pleasing product.
@Robert Peffers says: 2 August, 2016 at 7:18 pm
Arrgh! My reply to Ian sent itself – here’s the rest of it _
More likely it is because reporters all get their stories from the same sources – News Agencies. Back in the days when they used ticker tape machines it cost a bomb to have a ticker tape but every reporter now has a computer and
They just go to a news agency website and if you do the same you get the news first hand. You can often read the news agency report and then read the newspaper or broadcast news and it is word for word.
If you want to use the News Agency direct then try this website :-
http://uk.reuters.com/
As I always said – STV are as bad as the EBC.
Basically like others if it has an Apron on then I don’t buy it. If they advocating licking the Apron then I just wont shop there for whatever product.
There is a problem with Telecoms though because as far as I can see they were all arse licking Yoon Scotland haters in 2014.
More likely it is because reporters all get their stories from the same sources – News Agencies. Back in the days when they used ticker tape machines it cost a bomb to have a ticker tape but every reporter now has a computer and
are all like this bizarre chap?
euan mccolm ?@euanmccolm 21h
flag-waving independence campaigners are doing their cause more harm than good. my @TheScotsman column: http://www.scotsman.com
The real horror behind their craft is their power to deceive. Look at The Vow shyste, Brexit, BetterTogether’s massive frauds on Clyde RN shipping, Bomber Blair and |Crash Gordo float off into teamGB history with Chilcot, the horror of the BBC/Westminster paedophiles, everyone has their own wtf’s are they doing now.
All of it buried away, nothing to see, move on, Thatcher 2 is a goddess, here’s some royal babies playing with cute puppies, Scots that want Scotland to actually run Scotland and not tory England march in Glasgow, is says one ligger,
” But many of those whom the SNP has yet to persuade will have watched with a deep sense of unease.”
I am partial now to Strachan’s Ice Cream as I don’t recall them launching into an anti Scottish tirade during the Indy Ref. Aldi’s in Elgin stock it. I don’t much care for them shoving the Apron in my face with other products or shoving the word British in it either.
When I think of Barrhead Travel I tend to start thinking about other odious anti Scottish creeps as well such as Maitland Mackie and Fracker Wood that get my hackles up.
I pulled my pension out of the Standard Life, not because they backed No, but because the lied.
They wrote twice saying they would not pull out of Scotland no matter the result, but told the BBC that they will pull out if it was a Yes vote.
Awe, Channel 4 teatime news lovely toryboy boost right now for torygirl Ruth MacThatcher. Isn’t that nice of C4 and its just like a party political broadcast on behalf of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist party.
Ruth’s really good too but the hard questions are coming:D
No there not.
In the brief snatch I just caught on News24, David Torrance, the BBC’s goto ScotBut, pooh-poohing the idea of a Scottish Six.
What a treasure he is, defending to the very last our right to get important news from our rightful masters about the n-th anniversary of the 1966 World Cup win, the latest on the cricket at Lords, the (English) NHS, etc., etc..(yawn)…
Must be so,e legal remedy http://indyref2.scot/just-do-the-job
I wonder why we think Scottish 6 will be any better than a focussed unionist propaganda outlet?
galamcennalath says:
2 August, 2016 at 4:32 pm
call me dave says:
“Fanny Cradock. ..I’m old enough to remember Johnnie’s accidental double entendre.”
My fading memory tells me it was Bill Tennant. A quick google of forums show some people say Tennant, some say others. If it had been Tennant, then it would not have been shown outside Scotland
Hi, I was a live witness to this event many years ago when
I got in from School.
It was Bill Tennant who hosted a show made up of various bits and pieces.
The famous cook of the day, Fanny Cradock, had just shown
the audience how to wrestle up some quick and inexpensive
doughnuts, after which, Bill you wished the viewers well by saying “I hope your doughnuts turn out like Fanny’s”.
Being a young teenager, I immediately picked up on the faux pas before Bill turned bright red, and the Camera began vibrating, I presume with the operator falling apart at the gaff of a lifetime.
PS Are there any other mature Wossers out there who can recall Scotland’s first TV Chef, Eric Milligan?
He developed a catch phrase from when he first tasted his latest culinary creation, which soon took off across Central Scotland: “Braw Tell Yer Maw”!
All this bias and political chicanery is making me feel a wee bit oppressed.
It’s worse, yet more predictable, than the 80s.
Cactus@6.56
I think Grahams Ice Cream also didn’t try to sway the Indy vote.
Very nice ice cream, Tesco sell it, and probably other retailers.
Strachan’s is also tasty.
num num.
Radio Shortbread this morning talking about disclosure of the salaries of their “Stars???” .
More like stars in their own eyes.
Wee lassie who sometimes does the weather on Shortbread, where is Lock Aber?
I know where Lochaber is, could it be a new colonial enclave?
If any of them get paid more than the minimum wage, it will be time to call in the fraud office.
Perhaps we should send newspapers from around the world to the offices of the Scottish media just to show them what a newspaper actually looks like?
I can’t watch BBC News as I wouldn’t trust the time on their clock. I can’t stand Murdoch so his almost as corrupt Sky News is off Limits, and now it looks like STV News is off limits too.
Each and every night I find 2 Scottish Conservatives, Alex Johnstone, and Liz Smith, trying to pick holes in SNP, and keep scaremonger Scotland alive on behalf of Westminster.
We even get large doses of Ian Murray, Labour, but I can’t recall an interview with anyone connected with the Scottish Government (SNP)?
Don’t know what it is from the Scottish Police Federation Rep on tonight’s show?
Is a Masonic thing, a wish to support Westminster in locking Scotland into the UK, or what, but he provided the Big SNP Bad story tonight.
It seems our Police Force is on the point of collapse again? Their number have reduced over the last year, and they are over worked and stressed?
Fortunately, but with less emphasis, a Government spokes person confirmed that:
1, There are more members of the police force today, than there was under the last Labour Scottish government.
2, Scotland’s Crime figures are at a 30 year low.
3, If Scotland’s Police Force had been reduced in line with England and Wales, we would have 3,000 fewer Police
in employment.
Well Done SNP for doing all this with Westminster continually cutting your budget, year on year!
The Clown representing the police gets the final word in, as per how propaganda works, came back with the most ridiculous statement about relatively having 3,000 more officers than England.
He said “The numbers change daily, so you can’t say that”?
So is he claiming that today the SNP Statement is true, but tomorrow, we might have lost over 3,000 officers???
If he is a detective, I’ll maybe turn to a life of crime?
Yep..re Scottish Six..come winter..
.. Would David Torrance really prefer to watch BBC i.e.flooding reports, from Cornwall, instead of reports from WHERE WE ACTUALLY COME FROM..? Fud.
Effijy 8-20
Its the pooling and sharing thing. Since the BBC Bias petition started both BBC and STV seem to have swapped rolls, they are now playing the good cop bad cop game. Tonights police effort was a true non story
Unlike STV this evening, at least BBC Reporting Scotland mentioned that latest A & E waiting times of 95.8% seen within four hours was best since 2014. However still no comparison with England or Wales which under Tory and Labour “totalitarian” control have much worse performances.
We are always reminded by Yoons when Scotland’s performance is worse than England’s.
@ North chiel
Yes. Agreed. Let’s make a point of supporting pro Indy businesses.
Check out all those who advertise in iScot magazine.
I think Mackies is overpriced, perhaps that’s because the profits have to be bigger to support political donations. Donations and endorsements should be personal, not business, in fact businesses should be prohibited from donating to political causes.
Anyways, Arran Dairies ice cream – and Nardinis – is much better, and so is the ice cream from the hatch near the bridge in Newton Stewart.
For another ontopic comment on this thread, SNP politicians should be banned from twitter until they can prove they have a brain.
Ian more, re telecoms..check out business profile in today’s national, Scots company paying living wage..TenTel.
@ Effijy
Yea i remember Bill making an ass out himself but he was not the only one to fall foul to the name Fanny.
The strange thing is it went right over the heads of parents and grand parents as Fanny was a popular girls name (had an aunt Fanny myself)and had not been used as an insult by their generations.
When it turned from being a popular girls name to an insult nobody is sure but some reckon it comes from the Americans calling their backsides a fanny.
As for Eric Milligan all i can remember about him was my gran tutting all through his show and saying thats not how you do it but then you didnt argue about cooking with my gran if you knew what was good for you lol
TV chefs were not held in high regard unlike their modern day counterparts as people had to cook from scratch anyway it was an essential part of staying alive,no ready meals back then and a take away was a fish supper out the chippie.
Plus back then i was lucky that my grandparents had a TV it was the only one in the street,Sundays were mental as all the street crowded in front of a tiny wee black and white screen its was like going to the pictures lol
Good article about the staggering task Whitehall civil servants face, with their limited resources for untangling Brexit.
I sometimes wonder if it will happen. I said to a friend the day after the vote, civil war and clean up would be cheaper than Brexit. I know that sounds nasty, but I really wonder, and nothing would surprise me.
http://archive.is/W9foX
Cadogan Enright says:
2 August, 2016 at 7:21 pm
Surely there must be some legal remedy for BBC bias – what about a judicial review
http://indyref2.scot/unreporting-scotland-bias-by-omission
Also, commentator on BBC TV evening new in London States that there was not much support for a 6pm Scottish news.
Blatant Bias BBC Petition currently at 90,535 signatures, who all know their time is just about up!
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/independent-enquiry-into-bbc-bias-regards-scottish-independence-referendum
‘yer pancakes like Fannies’…a great catch phrase for our own new Thatcher..Fannie Mae hersel.
Re. Union Jacks and their ubiquitousness…we were in Stirling recently…a douce wee toun..epicentre of Scottish valour…and unfortunately some of the most bitter wee Scotchproudbuts.
Anyway we decided to walk round the castle bounds and entered the well named Rood Kirk. There we wre handed a document telling us about its history..said doc was emblazoned with a UJ. There then began a polite enquiry as to why which led into a heated debate with the douce wee middle class biddie….The gist was that she thought it appropriate. I did point out that this was a Scottish church and should have a saltire on it and that I’d never heard of a ‘Church of the UK’….She disagreed.
The irony was that James the vi was crowned there and the ceremony was conducted in the Scots tongue. But that fact has obviously eluded the C of S hierarchy and their unionist minions.
@Lochside
Strange thing is that the Church of Scotland is mentioned in the Act of Union:
“That the foresaid True Protestant Religion contained in the above-mentioned Confession of Faith with the form and purity of Worship presently in use within this Church and its Presbyterian Church Government and Discipline that is to say the Government of the Church by Kirk Sessions, Presbytries, Provincial Synods and Generall Assemblies all established by the forsaid Acts of Parliament pursuant to the Claim of Right shall Remain and Continue unalterable and that the said Presbyterian Government shall be the only Government of the Church within the Kingdom of Scotland”
and more like that. Religion being of course a reason for the Union of Crowns (apologies to RP), and a reason for the Jacobite “uprisings”. So in a way, the Church of Scotland owes its guaranteed continued existence to the continued existence of the Treaty and Acts of Union.
Lochside @ 9.o5pm.
The Church of Scotland has become a mere shadow of its formal self. It should have been at the forefront of our battle for independence, but it has decided to ignore its roots, back the British State, and ignore its own national identity. I feel more than a little vexed that my own Scottish Church is ignoring our struggle.
Endura cycling clothing – another employer who threatened to move jobs abroad because Scotland would apparently be out of the EU. The statement is still available on their website. Yet not a peep prior to the actual EU referendum or since. Oh, and they appear to have appointed K***n H***e as a non-exec director.
I’ll never buy anything from them again. Anyway, Aldi’s stuff is a fraction of the price and every bit as good.
While some unionist journalists will gleefully believe that all matters are settled for the moment and therefore take sheer delight in finding anything to attack Scottish nationalism, I still believe that the events of the last few weeks will have sowed the seeds of doubt in the minds of others. Anyone with a brain will know that the YouGov poll was a piece of nonsense; released on the eve of the Glasgow Independence march. I’ve heard all sorts of rumours revolving around it from people being asked in England to anyone under the age of 18 not being asked. I have no idea if any of it is true, but it does seem that people are questioning the validity of it when the topic is raised. That in one sense makes me smile a bit as it means that people are still questioning such out-of-the-blue polls.
However, as you rightly say Stuart, with a bit of breathing space since June/July, it has given the political media a chance to go back to its favorite past-time of ‘SNP Baaaad’. Nothing changes!
As to the whole post-Brexit vote, it may have abated, but I believe the whole political scenario with the EU is possibly just one push away from blowing up again. The UK government’s position post-Brexit vote is still on rather fluid ground.
The ‘trade deals’ with China are not going as well as initially hoped, and the UK’s ‘threats’ over how British nationals are treated in other EU countries will not go down well either (especially when you have papers like the Mail and Sun ready to leap on anything that seems to be an attack on Britain. Today saw the subtle provocation from the Sun where it was trying to promote the good old blue British passport from a couple of decades ago! Head shake at that!!)
In some ways, the Rio games may just be the thing that the UK Government needs; a distraction for the masses while they beaver away in the background in trying to get something that seems like success in foreign matters. God help them then if Team GB have a complete nightmare at the Games while the EU and China begin pulling faces of contempt at any British proposals…
Had a wee appoligie parcel from RBS recently. Imagine a hat box. The lid was the butchers apron. Apart from one item made in Scotland everything else was from England. So I guess we know where their loyalties lie. I was asked if I wanted something alcoholic. Would have most likely got a bottle of Gordon’s gin. My business now goes to BS.
Alibi says:
2 August, 2016 at 3:38 pm
“I noticed a few weeks ago that Tesco no longer mark Scottish strawberries as Scottish. Instead they are now called British strawwberries and have a UJ instead of a saltire although they are marked with the actual farm they have come from (Taysude/Perthshire mainly). I usually buy loads of Tesco strawberries but this year I haven’t bought any. I think this is a bit of a marketing own goal from Tesco.”
————
Yeah, it’s Tesco’s own brand only this year it seems.
I haven’t bought them either.
It wouldn’t be so bad if there was a symbol for the Britain that wasn’t a union jack – which also represents the political union of the UK.
Perhaps just a picture of the British Isles, or a quartet of 4 national flags.
I agree..and think twitter has a negative influence on politics.
Elected representatives should not display their party affiliations, then blether about their personal preferences.
It causes trouble, from Palestine to Potter, someone out there, will spin your ‘joke’ on its head.
Our representatives shouldn’t be put in a position where their (now online) consumer rights as individuals, clashes with the perceptions of voters.
Off the cuff remarks are allowing the rubbishing of individuals and another shift of agenda in the media.
I didn’t really understand the “police story”. Radio shortbread said that there is still 1,000 more police than when the SNP came to power which as I recall was their pledge. The fluctuations up or down above that point are surely academic. Was there no other news. (OK the A&E times were good so nothing for Eleanor to greet about).
These religious establishments were the dirty scumbags that sold us out for English gold in the first place,i have no rose tinted view on their place in history all i can say is thank christ they no longer have control,just because you carry a bible and preach the word of God does not make you good,trustworthy or a righteous person.
Though it would be unfair to tag the present day with those crimes from the past,some of those religious establishment gonks back then were real nutjobs in it for power,prestige and money a bit like today`s westminster politicians.
Jings they must be hard up if they have pulled out old Archie rangers scene Mcpherson to give us a lecture on how ace the UK is,well Archie like your commentary its a load of pish.
Can’t beat a bit of HP sauce to put things into perspective.
Tory boy Keverage’s vote NO you delude morons blog has got competition, from another toryboy. He’s equally as odd so, red and blue toryboy’s have ramped up Scotland’s debt but that’s a good thing for proud Scot buts in the UK.
http://rwbblog.blogspot.co.uk/?view=magazine
AUG
2
Is it not humiliating for Scotland to be subsidised by the UK?
Once a nationalist is defeated on the numbers of the economics independence they usually try to change the narrative. Accepting that Scotland does receive revenue from the UK they argue that this is humiliating for Scotland and that only they have pride in their nation.
An alternative arrangement of this is that Scotland’s relative deficit has arisen within the Union so highlighting it is argument for the Union.”
Its the UK that’s creating giant Scottish deficit and debt but if you’re a toryboy yoon, its Scots deficit that has “arisen” within the Union.
They’re such arsewipes these guys but at least this ones not chuntering on about fiscal transfers, yet.
There was a piece I stumbled across a couple of days ago about an asteroid that might pass between the moon and the earth and may even hit our beloved pale blue dot on its next pass. I’m sure the article claimed if it indeed hit, that Nicola Sturgeon would be directly to blame.
Either way, SNP Bad!
@ Derek M:
I had an MGF for 7 years. I got twin Saltire badges to replace the butcher’s apron ones. Sorry can’t remember where I got them.
but i googled thses: http://forums.mg-rover.org/scotland-34/saltire-chequered-flag-badge-223333/
We vote with our wallets every day, whether we intend to or not. In global capitalism, it’s often the only way to hold corporations to account since governments are often unwilling or unable to exert any real influence.
A lot of purchases are instinctive and unreflective, hence why marketing companies concentrate on the emotions of consumers not their rationality. But to the extent that we are reflective, it’s easy to think of reasons why we might prefer one product over another:
– price
– quality
– convenience
– working conditions of employees
– ethical treatment of suppliers
– treatment of the environment
– animal welfare
– health benefits
– connection to unethical regimes or individuals
– dishonest marketing (or reporting, in the case of media)
– supporting businesses that are local, ethical, emerging, etc
In that context, I fail to see why it would be considered objectionable to withdraw my business from companies that campaigned against Scotland’s independence. On the contrary, I see it as imperative that these people learn that their actions are unacceptable to many of us. So I don’t give my money to John Lewis, Asda, the Scotch Whisky Association and its members, Tunnocks, Mackies, Endura, most newspapers, or anyone else that treats this country with contempt. MSM journalists would do well to remember that the public are their ultimate paymasters, and public opinion is only moving in one direction.
My Italian’s rusty the night, John Mason’s local ice-cream made by Soave’s
http://www.soaves.co.uk/
Depressing sense of deja vu.
We’ve been here before; Mackies Ice cream and Tunnocks… boycotts etc.
YES marches with the police numbers and BBC numbers inconsistent with the pictures…
Are we really going to revisit every article on the 2014 Unionist propaganda agenda all over again?
This all so pedestrian and predictable. It’s like Groundhog Day without Bill Murray giving you a chuckle every now and again.
Any day now somebody pro-Indy is going to say the BBC isn’t biased. We’ve already had terribly nice Blair Jenkins wheeled out on Tokyo Kaye…
It’s as if Brexit never happened. The Ministry of Truth certainly doesn’t hang about their historical revisionism.
I’m boycotting Olympics. It failed to crack down on cheats, making it a worthless charade and I just can’t stand the whole circus of TV phonies & cronies pontificating pish endlessly.
@Breeks –
What else can they do?
If it ain’t broke etc…
Next thing we know it’ll be The Return Of Bloater McBawbag and he’ll have Big Beasts Murphy & Carmichael flanking him for honners.
I come from Barrhead itself and some of the stories I have heard about the treatment of staff at their Main Street branch would turn your hair white.
Torrance the spineless has just announced on TV that we might find it difficult to handle cameras and deal with pictures. What an absolute embarrassment to Scotland this man is! If a one hour news slot produced in Scotland scares him this much can you imagine the nightmares he must have at the thought of an independent Scottish broadcaster.
http://www.twitter.com/YesMidlothian/status/760548884213014528
The piper with the flames shooting out of the drones on Saturday deserves a mention. Just extraordinary whoever he is. 🙂
David Torrance has got a thick cheek describing Scottish telly as shite he’s never off it
Of course maybe it never dawned on him it’s even more shite when he’s on it or maybe he just watches reruns of himself so’s he can get his new and improved beard looking right
He’s on the edge of getting his hall pass revoked
Aldi Linlithgow is full of Brit Olympic tat. Noone and I mean noone was buying any of it. Ramming the Union down people’s throats with the Olympics is a sure way to increase the yes vote
If a company seeks to influence voters by betraying their own nation. They deserve everything that’s coming to them. Barrhead and their cronies can move to England for all I care.
Ian Taylor of Vitol plc (large donor to NO campaign but broadcast media won’t mention this) claims that inaccurate comments about his Company is the reason he has refused his knighthood.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/referendum-news/controversial-background-of-no-campaign-donor.20752120
@Fred
He is known as the Flaming Piper! You could feel the heat off the flames, and I wasn’t even that close! I kept worrying someone’s flag would catch light!
@ John Dickson
Different badges John but thanks 🙂
The MG ones are on the tail gate these beggers are on the back panels above the wheel arch,i think they only did it with the 216 when they had their CTO run,the whole car is strange it has electric front windows and manual back windows,it has the MG sunroof paint job and body kit but no AC.
And it originally came from Charlton so maybe a britnat had them stuck on in the CTO,my reasoning for that is only a britnat would be stupid enough to do a CTO and not get any AC but stick a couple of butchers flags on it,and whats with it being half electric windows and full MG interior,it just does not make sense lol
Could we not, as customers/consumers, ask the major supermarkets or High Street names to clarify their positions on Brexit and what would happen if Scotland was to remain in the EU and other parts of the UK were to leave?
1. Are prices in their stores or businesses likely increase or decrease because of the new circumstances?
2. Would they announce staff redundancies or the moving of their head offices to other cities because of it?
3. Would they contact their employees or contractors and promote either side of the argument during the run up to any decision by the Scottish people?
We may as well get these questions out of the way two years out from any possible decision, instead of waiting until two weeks out and then get the usual – ‘HEADLINES IN BIG WRITING’ and denial in very small writing in the inside page a couple of weeks later – that they ‘didn’t actually mean it’.
Essentially, what is your business Plan B for Scotland?
Then we can all decide where to take our business for two years.
——————————————
O/T – Thanks to the lovely lady who found my wallet near the Wings stall on Saturday and got them to announce it on the P.A. x
@Almannysbunnet –
For sheer toe-curling awfulness, Torrance’s performance there is almost – not quite – up there in the all-time Top Ten of ProudScotBut (PSB) clangers, still headed by the tube who puts the ‘arse’ in ‘narcissist’:
George Robertson, pre-indyref, addressing the staff and students of Abertay University –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSFqaEoYLNg
There is a lot to be said for the good old days.. Tv finished at 11 at night. No TV between 6 and 7 at night and only 2 hours allowed before 1pm. It was crap but much less of it.
@ Fred / Valerie
The man with the flaming pipes is called Ryan Randall; he’s from Las Vegas.
Ian Brotherhood @ 11.23
Beggars belief!
Wasn’t he born (and raised?) in Islay? The man should be ashamed of himself – but money and privilege talks. He doesn’t belong in an independent Scotland. Good riddance.
Cactus and others who enjoy Aldi’s Strachan ice cream, I was told it’s made by Mackies, don’t know for sure if it’s true but if you look at the packaging and range of flavours it’s very similar
Torrance has left Twitter?
The harpies that hang around all the Yoon journos are apparently saying he was abused!
What unbelievable snowflakes these Yoons are. Torrance writes the most appalling repetitive shite day in day out and yet cannot take any criticism for his embarrassing performance tonight on the ‘Radio with moving pictures’.
No doubt there will be a self indulgent piece detailing his cybernat hell in all the papers tomorrow.
Hi folks,
A little update on Wings 2016 perks and the 10,000 More Flags project from ayeMail (the Wings Fulfilment Department):
We dispatched 328 Vile Cybernat tote bags and included badge packs yesterday. Another 250 Vile Cyberbadge packs will go to the Post Office tomorrow morning. The remaining 250 will follow a few days after. Lion coins will be going out next week, along with the Wings Works packages.
Also shipping this week is the first of the 10,000 More Flags perks. The first 1,000 flags arrived from China this morning, and we had a bit of a kerfuffle when we realised that their packaging meant we couldn’t send them using the method we’d devised. Long story short, obstacles were encountered, overcome, and we’re back on track. Folks that went for the Both Flags perk will receive them individually as a workaround to a peculiarity in the Royal Mail that doesn’t allow packages greater than 25mm to be sent as Large Letters.
That’s all for now, got to get back to pressing out Vile Cyberbadges. Hope you enjoy your gifts, but if you haven’t received them yet please have patience, they are on their way!
Cheers
Lindsay
“I noticed a few weeks ago that Tesco no longer mark Scottish strawberries as Scottish. Instead they are now called British strawwberries and have a UJ instead of a saltire although they are marked with the actual farm they have come from (Taysude/Perthshire mainly). I usually buy loads of Tesco strawberries but this year I haven’t bought any. I think this is a bit of a marketing own goal from Tesco.”
Very frustrating, personally I only want to buy Scottish Strawberries that have actually been picked by Scots.
Its important to know they have been grown in Scotland, on ground owned by the Farmer (who has to be Scots born with at the very least all grandparents Scots born).
Yet every fruit farm in Fife and Tayside is staffed 99% by foreign pickers.
Papko
We have already established that your outlook is that of a One Nation British nationalist, who has allowed their world view to be groomed and perverted by the self-serving corporate media.
What makes you think you have what it takes to convince Scots to get back into their box? Why would you want to anyway? Don’t you not like the ideas of liberation and empowerment? Self-determination?
Do you still live with your mummy?
@Papko
Rather a foreign picker than an Unionist arse licker. Yah diddy.
What’s all the hue & cry about the union flag. It should be in every home in the realm – stamped on each individual sheet so that it can be placed in its rightful area more than twice a day & disposed with the rest of the effluent.
“don’t you like”
Hi Paps,
Now that the sun has set you are once again free to emerge from your lair and come to amuse us, I see.
Tell me this, though, because I’m curious. Even with your myopic BritNat vision you must see that Scotland is suffering from a rather serious democratic deficit in your beloved UKOK, despite all the BT promises. (All mostly broken already, of course.)
Assuming that you are in fact a Scot at all, exactly what degree of humiliation would finally make you abandon your pathetic deference to your UKOK masters? Or do you have no backbone worthy of the name at all?
Brexit issues, what brexit issues ?
Actually, NO Article 50 action yet, so more like , brexit WHAT brexit ?
You just gotta love the “there was a wobble after brexit vote but look, all better now folks” mantra from the media here.
Does not explain this however….
http://news.sky.com/story/uk-sailing-blindly-into-new-financial-crisis-10520931
The Tories are ruining the world economy. Unless Scotland votes to leave the UK it will be dragged down by them. The Tories committed electoral fraud to win an election and destroy the UK economy. They broke electoral fraud in 29 constituencies. What is being done about it? They are ruining the Scottish economy. Taxing the Oil sector at 60/80%, when the price had fallen 75%. Losing £Billions and thousands of jobs. (20Billion+) The minority UK decision to leave the EU will bankrupt EnglandWales. They will be trying to take even more from Scotland.
They intend spending £200Billion on Trident while sanctioning and starving the vulnerable. Scotland is paying £1Billion a year for Trident. Dumped in Scotland without permission. Scotland can’t put a tax on ‘loss leading’ drink. The Tories intend wasting £Billions on HS2. A total ‘white elephant’, without any business case. Making travel more expensive. The money could be better spent modernising the whole rail network.
Spending £Billions on illegal wars and redundant weaponry, but cutting essential services and the NHS etc. The Tories and their associates use public money as their personal slush fund, as the worst PM is history Cameron’s ‘Honours’ list shows. Privileges for dishonour people who try to buy grace and favours. Fraud and corruption. Cameron has ruined the world economy and wasted £Billions helping criminals tax evade. Lying about his income in Westminster. Teresa May is the same completely and utterly useless. Lining their pockets with public money. It is about time they were gone from Scotland. Scotland could be a more equal and prosperous country without Westminster Unionists fools, criminals, child molestors, defraudsters, tax evaders and their associates.
This wiki is very detailed
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_endorsements_in_the_Scottish_independence_referendum,_2014
And this is a handy short version
https://blacklistscotland.wordpress.com/
In Glasgow I always find the best exchange rates are to be obtained in pawnbrokers.
As an internet user it escapes me why anyone would need a travel agent any more. I am astonished the business mentioned can thrive at all.
A handy Black List
https://blacklistscotland.wordpress.com/
It’s easier to create the news.
You control the story and were the first to break it.
Simple trash journalism.
Papko: “Every fruit farm in Fife and Tayside is staffed 99% by foreign pickers.”
Been that way for generations, students earning a few pounds a day, or short-term foreign workers. Farmers have been bussing in workers as many as they could round up and offering pay by punnet. I used to get up at 5am to crouch in a cold, wet rill to pick the squishy things.
Exactly the same as southern Californian fields filled with seasonal workers from Mexico. And for good reason – hard, back-breaking work, often in high temperatures.
Against his Republican party demands, Bush refused to stop Mexican workers getting farm work. For the same reason we use foreign labour because we can’t get enough ‘townies’ to crawl on their knees all day in the rain picking fruit.
Off-Topic …but of no less interest.
Seems that the new F-35 jet fighter that will be commissioned with the 2 new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier is ‘ready for service’ says the US air force …even though it apparently isn’t.
The Guardian’s post is most definitely worth a read (as are some of the links within the column) that detail the horrendously expensive, technically inadequate and what appears to be pretty much a big fat white elephant. So …since Britain intends to buy a fleet of these, this is another toy along with Trident that looks really macho to some but in all reality, can never really be used …well …ever (…at this point anyway! The link within the column about a 40 year old F-16 fighter whipping its ass in a mock dog-fight is pretty jaw-dropping. The list of failures that surround the jet make you wonder just how it got passed the technical drawing board).
As said, these are the planes that will not only serve the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier, but also protect it. By the sounds of things, the aircraft carrier might as well have a pile of rocks on board for the crew to throw at the enemy for all the use that the jets appear to be.
So while having your cornflakes …read …and enjoy as we look at another aspect of Britain’s military arsenal that makes you ask the question ‘…why?’
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/03/f-35-ready-for-service-says-us-air-force-as-australia-and-britain-await-delivery
Links
http://www.scottishlegal.com/2016/07/01/brussels-insiders-reveal-plans-to-preserve-scotlands-eu-membership-in-event-of-independence/
http://campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/2016/08/02/scotland-excluded-pitchford-inquiry/
http://www.desmog.uk/2016/08/01/exclusive-emails-reveal-university-glasgow-s-attempt-silence-emeritus-prof-smythe-over-his-views-fracking
http://stewartstevenson.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/scotland-left-on-outside-looking-in-to.html
RE:F-35 Jets
…or if you like your cartoons in the morning, then there is this!
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2016/mar/07/what-are-these-so-called-minor-technical-issues-with-this-extremely-cool-looking-jet
Links
https://scottishbychoice.wordpress.com/
http://dailycaller.com/2016/07/30/goldman-sachs-subpoenaed-for-connection-to-global-corruption-ring/
MOD spends £100,000 on celebrity ambassadors uniforms.
http://forces.tv/92373046
https://www.rt.com/uk/354165-military-superyacht-soldiers-housing/
Definitely worth a read.
http://www.thenational.scot/news/50-things-you-need-to-know-about-brexit-but-were-afraid-to-ask.20692
Mornin’ Nana
Hope you’re looking after yourself.
Great links as usual and the first from Scottish legal doesn’t surprise me at all, though I doubt you’ll hear much about it in the press.
Vile Cybernat bag and badges received. I’m tempted to keep the badge pack complete as it might, at some point, make a braw collectors item. Money spinner there for you Stuart – badge packs (with stylish themed photo) a bit like stamp collections.
Many thanks all for the effort.
@Onwards says: 2 August, 2016 at 10:07 pm:
” … Perhaps just a picture of the British Isles, or a quartet of 4 national flags.”
What of the other four nations in the British Isles, Onwards?
The non-UK government nation of the Britain are:-
The Republic of Ireland, The Isle of man, The Bailiwick of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey. The first is a republic and republics cannot be parts of kingdoms and the other three are Crown Protectorates but are independent of the UK Government.
MoD estates sell-off could see military retreat in Scotland
https://archive.is/Q1OB4
Flickering lights in Scotland and SNP bad.
https://archive.is/jVBQ8
Fails to mention that the Energy suppliers and WM holding all the cards and are the real problem. SG has hands tied over lots of these decisions. 🙁
@Grouse Beater
I remember going berry picking when I was growing up, initially going by bicycle to berry fields and then bus.
Didn’t like when you used to find a wasps bike up the berry dreel.
You needed gardening gloves picking gooseberries as they ripped your hands picking them.
All this talk of picking berries brings back memories.
It was hard work, though berry picking season is now longer than school summer holidays, so it’s no wonder they need migrant workers from eu to pick them.
Still drive past fields every day going to work, but all changed now with polytunnels.
Are tatties picked still or does a machine do this now?
That was backbreaking work!
Between berries and tatties, I saved money up for my first motorbike, an Fs1e moped.
I still buy local berries, when they are in season, still think Scottish strawbs taste better than Spanish or English produced ones.
yesindyref2 says:
2 August, 2016 at 8:55 pm
For another ontopic comment on this thread, SNP politicians should be banned from twitter until they can prove they have a brain.
Ruby replies
Just SNP politicians? Surely all politicians like everyone else have a right to a personal life.
If it has a union jack on it I avoid and will only buy in an emergency
When Morrisons was into British cooking and weekends I went to sainsbury
Simply if a firm wants to use brand British they get no business from me
Robert J. Sutherland says:
3 August, 2016 at 2:57 am
Hi Paps,
Now that the sun has set you are once again free to emerge from your lair and come to amuse us, I see.
Tell me this, though, because I’m curious. Even with your myopic BritNat vision you must see that Scotland is suffering from a rather serious democratic deficit in your beloved UKOK, despite all the BT promises. (All mostly broken already, of course.)
That’s the crucial point, I don’t see a democratic deficit, We all live in a country where we get a vote every 5 years to elect an MP, every area of our country is divided up into circa 70k people , and we call that an MP’s constituency.
As polling records show, the MP who garners 40% odd support amongst the constituents goes forward to Parliament to represent us.
The remaining 60% who voted and did not get their chosen MP ,may get the majority in another constituency, so the % of the vote and the numbers of MP’s a party gets evens out.
This system of democracy is applied throughout Britain , so that a voter in Bristol has the same one vote as a voter in Bathgate.
When I cast my vote “Scotland” does not come into it, as its a British General election.
When we have Holy rood elections,and Council elections its different, as we are choosing local administrators in our area.
So if “democratic deficit” is the principle argument for Scots indy (as mentioned in the Blue Book). I don’t get it.
As my British identity has a greater pull.
Whether this is “brainwashing” or whatever , I would argue it applies equally to yourself.
If a better more equal life for our poor and vulnerable was promised , but it involved Glasgow and Dundee , declaring independence and forming their own country like a city state or some such, would you support it?
I would say that initiatives to ease inequality and make the country more just come along every year or so, they bring only a temporary relief and ar outdated the moment they are implemented .
So where’s the point.
Really can’t fathom out why David Torrance feels the need to tell the whole world on twitter that he is leaving twitter because he doesn’t like twitter. Why not just F’ck off quietly. No one would even know that he was gone. #Muppet.
DerekM I’ve had a couple of cars with electric windows in the front and keep fit ones in the back. One was an ’89 Volvo 240 GL (my dad had the same model a few years earlier with the same arrangement) and the other, which I’ve still got, is a ’97 Volvo 940 2.3 turbo wagon.
@Macart
I’m trying Sam [hubby says I’m very trying haha]
I’ve trained the family well and between you and me I could get used to the pampering! Main problem right now is dropping and breaking due to clumsy clunky hands.
Posted this link last evening, may have been missed so reposting for anyone who did not see it.
http://www.thecanary.co/2016/08/02/new-report-reveals-ripped-off-bbc-licence-fee/
Jeez, just when you think the National is starting to improve they go with a toe-curling Celtic Rangers article. FFS.
big thanks to Lindsay (rogue coder) for organising 10,000 more flags for indyref2. These flags will be an invaluble addition to the grass roots yes groups merchandise and funding. during indyref1, yesnef received 100 flags, which were quickly sold on to our activists and supporters in NEF, for £5 each. this became the basis of our entire campaign fund. Lindsay, you just gave the indyref2 campaign an enormous boost, thanks again
re- the flaming piper, someone told me this guy had flown in from the US especially for the march on Sat in Glasgow, and not the 1st time he has done this either.
Respect.
If we win our independence, I would happily sign a petition calling for Nicola to award him a Scottish passport and Citizenship.
@Nana
😀 LOL
A trained unit for essential pampering is a priority for any recovery.
Just in case anybody is doubtful about BBC news being biased, these men would never, ever allow their political mindset to interfere with their job, now would they?
The Head of BBC Communications News is James Harding a Conservative who worked for Rupert Murdoch as a former editor of The Times.
Robbie Gibb is the BBC’s Editor of Daily & Sunday Politics, Executive Editor of The Andrew Marr Show, and This Week & Head of BBC Westminster.
He’s also a former Deputy Chair of the Federation of Conservative students & former chief of staff to Conservative MP Francis Maude and has a brother Nicolas Gibb, who is a Tory MP.
As soon as they join the BBC they divest themselves of all political allegiances, their integrity deferred to truth and open democracy.
@ Fred
[ The piper with the flames shooting out of the drones on Saturday ] pmsl, there are small pipes on the outside of the drones attached to a gas canister affixed to a metal plate at his back, hope that helps.
I never got round to asking him about asbestos drawers lol when I spoke to him at the Clerkin farce at Glasgow Sherriff Court.
One_Scot
So David Trollance has gone for a while. Hmmm. We should have a sweepstake for how long he can stay away from all the attention seeking that he craves.
Anyone else catch the Charlie Hebdo observations of Scotlands political climate at 8.22 / 8.25 am ?
Very interesting listening on how Europe now sees us
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07lf2fw
@ One_Scot 9.04 Lets wish Torrance all the best.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5ya_Gq8d4Q
Cat, anent Ryan Randall, The Flaming Piper, he’s on YouTube.
Would just like to say the strawberries in my fridge down here in deepest darkest Devon are from Fife, Scotland (Allanhill Farm to be exact) and the box has a saltire emblazoned on it. They did have some that were British with a union flag but there was no choice for me.
And blooming lovely they are too.
I would say that initiatives to ease inequality and make the country more just come along every year or so, they bring only a temporary relief and ar outdated the moment they are implemented .
So where’s the point.
Its bled Scotland to death sensiblePaps. And that’s according to brilliant and insightful economic bloggers like brilliant and insightful tories like that Kevrage. Its bled Scotland white, dumped giant debt on us and turned us into a land of handout monkeys, so thick we cant even do a TV news show, all about how shite Scotland is, in the UK…We’re saddled with so much debt by the UK, we cant even think about breaking up this farce union because we cant survive without the UK fiscal transfers, a UK that dumped giant debt on Scotland but we’re British so its great.
Getting it now sensiblePaps. Westminster has made the south east of teamGB wildly rich on house prices alone but that’s great isn’t sensiblePaps because your British.
I used to wonder what was really going through a big buffoon like Chancellor Gordo Brown’s mind when he came back to Fife now and again, maybe comparing the staggering riches of merry olde London town that he’d created and then compared it all to Kirkcaldy. Another son of the manse psycho basically, sorry a British son of the manse psycho.
Still sensiblePaps, looks like planet toryboy’s Northern Powerhouse was in fact hot toryboy air, belching out of toryboy BBC.
Grouse Beater says:
“As soon as they join the BBC they divest themselves of all political allegiances, their integrity deferred to truth and open democracy.”
… and the pigs have been fed, watered, and are ready to fly. 😉
That photo of Torrance on twitter can someone tell me if that is his bra lying on the floor??
@Scott,
Is there also a bust of Mrs Thatcher on the sideboard ? Argh!
Thanks, Nana for the link to your link to the “Scottish by Choice” article. Very interesting a to read a reasoned account from someone originally from the Midlands who supports Scottish independence. Maybe George (“Minor entity at the north of Scotland”) Robertson and all the other Yoon Goons could have a wee read. Try this one for size, NATO Boy:
“Independence is not a rarity for a nation. It is the norm. It is especially the case when the attempted union is with a profoundly different cultue. The basis of the state is different in Scotland to that in England and Scotland . Some shared history is not enough, any more than it would be between Germany and France to establish a single state. It is not a case that can be won on economic grounds, it is not even a case of voting for Europe or against the Tories. It is about a different and profound sense of what it means to be a country and the basis on which it is run.”
And there’s more: SBC’s views on sovereignty and the constitution would even pass The Peffers Test, I think.
Worth a read.
I know of local Tories who refuse to shop in the Coop or even eat anything anyone else has bought there. Should they be named and shamed in the Sunday Post?
@goprdoz
Thanks for link, everyone should listen.
02:22:10 in BTW
“I used to wonder what was really going through a big buffoon like Chancellor Gordo Brown’s mind when he came back to Fife now and again, maybe comparing the staggering riches of merry olde London town that he’d created and then compared it all to Kirkcaldy. Another son of the manse psycho basically, sorry a British son of the manse psycho.
Still sensiblePaps, looks like planet toryboy’s Northern Powerhouse was in fact hot toryboy air, belching out of toryboy BBC.”
I will have to think about that Heed, in was in Kirkcaldy last week, what a dump.
Mind you so is most of the UK ;-).
I agree the wealth in London is staggering, but I don’t want to live there now, too stressful,overcrowded, would not be so bad if it was all Tories, but there are Labour supporters down there as well.
London is all about property.
We have quality of life in Scotland , fresh air etc.
Torrance is a self centred PSB and he will be back on twitter cos his type love the exposure.
He blocked 100s for merely asking him to explain his nonsense.
As for denigrating the Scottish 6, I didn’t really fancy an extended doomfest with the Bird but if he and GCampbell are against it, I’m changing my mind.
@ Cheers Chic
Advise a listen to the Charlie Hebdo observations of Scotland’s political climate at 2.22 hrs in ?
Very interesting listening on how Europe now sees us
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07lf2fw
London is all about property.
We have quality of life in Scotland , fresh air etc
I used to live in London and would love to go back, maybe have to Paps. Vile sep point is, UKOK democracy Westminster style has run up giant debt in Scotland’s account and all to the benefit of the south east.
Then and so, we now have to listen to toryboy yoons and usual BBC world rage at Scotland that we have too much debt to survive and would end up dead in the water without the same UKOK Westminster, that ran up giant debt in Scotland’s account… an economic cyclical catastrophofuck, plumping up middle and upper class tory Scotland, public sector especially, but slave wage, zero hour shite for the rest.
At the height of Crash Gordo’s wildest borrowing, is it likely the red tories were thinking, giant borrowing is boosting up London, and we can use it all to terrorise enough too poor, stupid Scots into voting No 2014?
Probably not. South east’s rich but Crash Gordon’s giant debt legacy has worked out perfectly for toryboy yoons in Scotland, we cant survive without England, that’s destroying your economic future with giant debts but will always look after you, with their fiscal transfers, because Scotland’s British and English and it is the only way.
gordoz says:
“Advise a listen to the Charlie Hebdo observations of Scotland’s political climate at 2.22 hrs in”
Thanks, I enjoyed that. Yes, a must listen.
The picture painted is so totally different from that of the EBC and printed colonial media.
The ‘consensus’ of the young was particularly stirring.
Scott says: 10:17T
Re- photo of Torrance on twitter can someone tell me if that is his bra lying on the floor?
I am more concerned that he has star wars toys, Clue if you can shave and play with bras, then it’s long past time to stop playing with children’s toys, train sets and Scalextric excluded. Also if posting as a so called adult don’t post from your bedroom, especially if it’s a minging mess and it looks you just inherited it from your granny. Is their nothing this guy can do right? and he is supposed to be media savvy?
Immature, that’s what he is.
Re London
London really is built around a ponzi scheme based on private bank IOUs issued at zero cost, pumped mostly into mortgages and leveraged on the stock exchange. It is only viable because it is backed by the uk govt’s infinite capacity to bail it out. It’s a funny form of socialism ironically.
Real wealth is a country’s net financial assets such as the 0.5 trillion which has disappeared out of Scotland over the past 3 decades.
@ Papko 9.01
We all know your position by now.
Honestly, reading that post, I just visualise someone on their knees, tugging their forelock. If Brexit is not enough to show the craven ineptitude of WM, then nothing will get you off your knees.
The monumental stupidity of saying your British vote has more pull? How’s that working out on the global stage now ?
The UK is going down the toilet, and you advocate going down with the ship.
Why don’t you tell us the advantages of being in the UK, rather than just chanting Britnat good on here every day?
Seriously?
@ gordoz – a great and unusual few minutes on Radio Scotland. Perhaps Stu could clip it and upload so everyone can listen. Thanks for the link.
2hrs 22mins 8 sec into the episode.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07lf2fw
There’s been a fantastic collection of links this morning from the usual suspects. Can’t get anything done!
Real wealth is a country’s net financial assets such as the 0.5 trillion which has disappeared out of Scotland over the past 3 decades
Its a half a trillion weapon of mass destruction against Scotland running Scotland. It’s also why so many Scots have to leave Scotland for good, not just for London either.
56 SNP MP’s, 3 yoons, SNP Scots.gov Holyrood, all be it pretty well fcuked by our neighbours, stuffed shirt tories Dugdale and Davidson, fraudster tory BBC led UK media, all ramping up their endless war on Scottish democracy, how will it all end?
Even Fluffie Mundell’s out of Thatcher 2’s Brexit squad, leaving absolutely No Scottish involvement whatsoever. How frightfully British of them.
@ Fred at 9.58
Yes, that’s how I checked his name. I met him a few months ago and remembered his first name, but was unaware of his surname till I searched last night.
He seems to live in Scotland for a while, then go back to Nevada for a while, then come back here….
So sometimes he may be coming over for a specific event, but he might be coming anyway.
schrodingers cat says:
big thanks to Lindsay (rogue coder) for organising 10,000 more flags for indyref2…
You’re welcome 🙂 But really the thanks belong mostly to Wingers for donating an enormous sum of money!
The flags for the perks (and immediate use on the streets) arrived yesterday, and we’re just waiting on some packaging arriving before we can send them out. The bulk delivery (the actual 10,000 shipment) to Yes groups will be in October.
We’re going to try doing a couple of similar (but smaller) fundraisers over the next 6-12 months, again with the intention of delivering bulk campaign materials and/or merchandise to Yes groups. This will (as you say) give them both a revenue stream AND materials to give to campaigners and soft No voters. 🙂
Does anyone have a link to Torrances TV appearance & bitching about Scottish TV ?
I missed it .
@gordoz
Hoping this still works
https://twitter.com/YesMidlothian/status/760548884213014528
thanks for your link earlier, excellent!
Aye, in whaw’s yoan Caledonian Media? Wae thurr aka Radio Scotland-style selectit broadcasts, oan thoan community wireless airwaves.
Christ oan a bike, ye cannae huv peace fae thae erses oan community wireless. Wae thurr, day-lang bombast.
Cheers Nana – many thanks for all your ex links ?
@Ruby
Yes, just SNP politicians need to engage brain, the stupider the unionist politicians twitter and post, the better!
Alibi says:
2 August, 2016 at 3:38 pm
“I noticed a few weeks ago that Tesco no longer mark Scottish strawberries as Scottish. Instead they are now called British strawberries and have a UJ instead of a saltire”
If a supermarket is doing this I can’t help but feel it’s most likely down to consumer pressure. And what consumer pressure could lead to the replacement of a Scottish flag with the Union flag?
Is this an indication of the desire of consumers in Scotland wanting to prioritise purchasing ‘local’ goods being outweighed by a growing desire in rUK of wanting to withhold their custom and avoid giving an identifiably Scottish firm their money?
In other words an indication that there is a divide being created in the minds of the public between rUK and Scotland with an ‘us against them’ flavour to it?
Another mental headline on the day we see James Bond type vids of Police racing on the Thames to ratchet up the fear factor
UK needs to send warships to Gibraltar in case Spain steal the Rock
http://archive.is/dyYV5
bbc scotchshire this evening. The well educated news lady on the radio talking about texting while driving and referred to the region–Scotland and then the nation- not Scotland.
Makes you weep.
Paps @ 09:01,
Thanks for the mini-tutorial on the British electoral system, but I think I’ve got that hang of that one already.
OK, so you’re an unrepentant BritNat. (I think we also got that by now.) I never mentioned “brainwashing”. I expect you have your reasons for why you think the way you do, whatever they may be. (Though why you have such a pressing need to air them here among the Great Unwashed beats me. It’s a peculiar form of entertainment!)
As for myself, I strongly reject any implication of “brainwashing”. I have reached the point I am now at by a process of living, learning and above all, of thinking. I grew up at a time when classrooms still had maps showing the Empire in pink all over the place, and the British War Film was all the rage. I took all that Britishness for granted as you apparently still do. But unlike you, it seems, I have evolved by dint of experience. Firstly in favour of electoral reform and increased Scottish (and English regional) autonomy, then when that was obviously never going to happen in good faith, to full national sovereignity. Given the affronts regularly dealt out by London to Scottish international interests, I have no intention of accepting anything less any longer.
It seems to me that any sentient being, in their own heads if not in public, has got to concede that the last half-century of political development in Scotland is a sorry tale of UK neglect and mismanagement, coupled with Unionist lies and deceptions in a desperate bid to prevent the Scottish people from understanding this and opting for independence. With each Scottish step forward in self-belief, Unionists of all parties pile in to assure us that the UK will give us the absolutely spiffingly best deal possible, only to admit later that it wasn’t the real deal, but they are now offering a new shiny very best deal possible, etc., etc. (Microsoft used to sell MS-Windows like that, lauding their latest release then disparaging it when the next one came along. Great sales technique, that, treating your customers like dummies!)
If your Union is so ab-fab, why has it had to be propped-up by such an extended history of Unionist half-truths and gross deceptions? Why did the real economics of Scotland ever have to be hidden by UK government documents protected as official secrets?
If you are indeed a Scot at all, how can you not also be offended by the litany of racist abuse the Scots regularly receive in on-line forums from English people telling us to knuckle down to their hegemony? The “tail” that can never be permitted to “wag” their “dog”?
In your desperate need to cling on to the last vestiges of the British Empire come what may, you are not brainwashed, I suggest, but in denial. Each piece of evidence that has come along has just caused you to dig in and deny a reality that’s staring you in the face.
Unfortunately for you, more and more Scots are coming to realise this. Friends calling to say sorry that they voted “no” the last time and determined not to make that mistake again. They are now coming to realise what people like me have already understood, that the Scottish-UK relationship is essentially an abusive one. Even Michael Portillo had a glimmer of this, in commenting that the UK political system has “infantilised” the Scots. (I would prefer the term “institutionalised” instead, but there we are.)
If you are indeed Scots at all, you seem to be a prime example of that sort of acquired deferential behaviour. If so, no amount of attempted self-justification here will help you with that, I’m afraid.
Of course it’s always possible that you are on the other side of the equation entirely, and are deliberately and cynically exercising some of that “frenemy” tactics here.
But time is running out. There will always be some rigidly attached to the past who will never be convinced, and maybe you are simply one of those. But more and more people here are wising up and making the change, whether you agree or not.
The evidence is piling up, and can no longer be hidden or denied. Independence is coming. Be assured of that.
Why would anybody buy currency from a Travel Agent? Never occurred to me. Much better deals from the Fx companies, although none based in Edinburgh yet.
Oh, and I buy from Aldi (cheaper) and not owned in England. I was surprised to talk to a manager a few days ago and learn that the employer has yet to clarify what they expect to happen to the business when the great day comes and England is free again. Will I be denied Bratwurst? Will I be forced to eat Cumberland instead of Toulouse? So many unanswered questions.
“Paps @ 09:01,
Thanks for the mini-tutorial on the British electoral system, but I think I’ve got that hang of that one already.
OK, so you’re an unrepentant BritNat. (I think we also got that by now.) I never mentioned “brainwashing”. I expect you have your reasons for why you think the way you do, whatever they may be. (Though why you have such a pressing need to air them here among the Great Unwashed beats me. It’s a peculiar form of entertainment!)”
Hi Robert
Thx for taking the time to write such a measured post.
I intend to answer it part by part, to help clarify my views and better understand yours , as to why I visit Wings, its because its an exciting forum with many totally alien viewpoints (to me ) , the idea that “why do you post arguments divergent to the mainstream on here ? ” is a little worrying , as iScotland will still be a democracy where free speech is protected and respected. though its hard to go a different way from the herd, in many businesses you must go against the mainstream concensus if you want to succeed.
“As for myself, I strongly reject any implication of “brainwashing”. I have reached the point I am now at by a process of living, learning and above all, of thinking. I grew up at a time when classrooms still had maps showing the Empire in pink all over the place, and the British War Film was all the rage. I took all that Britishness for granted as you apparently still do. But unlike you, it seems, I have evolved by dint of experience. Firstly in favour of electoral reform and increased Scottish (and English regional) autonomy, then when that was obviously never going to happen in good faith, to full national sovereignity. Given the affronts regularly dealt out by London to Scottish international interests, I have no intention of accepting anything less any longer.”
Many on Wings speak of “brainwashing “, even some of the educated ones , I often ask “Are Scots the only people who are brainwashed ? are French , Germans etc all brainwashed,” I think they mean something else as they never clarify .
Your views on Scottish Nationalism are your entitlement , i merely question and query certain points, where I perceive inconsistencies to be.
“It seems to me that any sentient being, in their own heads if not in public, has got to concede that the last half-century of political development in Scotland is a sorry tale of UK neglect and mismanagement, coupled with Unionist lies and deceptions in a desperate bid to prevent the Scottish people from understanding this and opting for independence. With each Scottish step forward in self-belief, Unionists of all parties pile in to assure us that the UK will give us the absolutely spiffingly best deal possible, only to admit later that it wasn’t the real deal, but they are now offering a new shiny very best deal possible, etc., etc. (Microsoft used to sell MS-Windows like that, lauding their latest release then disparaging it when the next one came along. Great sales technique, that, treating your customers like dummies!)”
I don’t see it as that , Scotland is a great place to live an work , we have a great health service and a progressive welfare state, it is a fee and open country . Living standards have declined in some respects,as the rest of the world has caught up with us , this is a feature of all advance democracies ,as China has emerged the world axis has changed and globalisation has harmed the middle class everywhere .
“If your Union is so ab-fab, why has it had to be propped-up by such an extended history of Unionist half-truths and gross deceptions? Why did the real economics of Scotland ever have to be hidden by UK government documents protected as official secrets?”
Good point , there are many Govt secrets though even now , all Govts have secrets , even the SG .
“If you are indeed a Scot at all, how can you not also be offended by the litany of racist abuse the Scots regularly receive in on-line forums from English people telling us to knuckle down to their hegemony? The “tail” that can never be permitted to “wag” their “dog”?
In your desperate need to cling on to the last vestiges of the British Empire come what may, you are not brainwashed, I suggest, but in denial. Each piece of evidence that has come along has just caused you to dig in and deny a reality that’s staring you in the face.”
I have more abuse on Wings than anywhere else, ever, it does not bother me, I just ignore it.
Saying that there are a lot of keen minds here as well, and I enjoying reading their posts from time to time.
I am Scottish, born in Dunfermline, lived here till I was 17 , then went working all over Europe for 17 years , spent many years working on building sites with people all over the UK and Ireland. I did not consider the people of the UK “foreigners” , there were a few thugs amongst them , but that’s true the world oer.
“Unfortunately for you, more and more Scots are coming to realise this. Friends calling to say sorry that they voted “no” the last time and determined not to make that mistake again. They are now coming to realise what people like me have already understood, that the Scottish-UK relationship is essentially an abusive one. Even Michael Portillo had a glimmer of this, in commenting that the UK political system has “infantilised” the Scots. (I would prefer the term “institutionalised” instead, but there we are.)
If you are indeed Scots at all, you seem to be a prime example of that sort of acquired deferential behaviour. If so, no amount of attempted self-justification here will help you with that, I’m afraid.
Of course it’s always possible that you are on the other side of the equation entirely, and are deliberately and cynically exercising some of that “frenemy” tactics here.”
I don’t quite follow this part , I work , pay tax , feed family , live in a great country, and enjoy the Olympics, was not aware of any “abuse”, or being in an “institutionalised realtionship ”
Now here is where questions kick in, If I am say, in a IR , and presumably people who vote YES are not? How do I know what the difference is? or is that the only difference, some one marks a YES on a ballot box and is a radical free thinking, progressive, Scottish patriot, and someone who votes NO, is a “infantilised Scot” with deferential behaviour ?
Is that not a tad simplistic Robert ? attributing noble characteristics to people who vote in a particular way .
“But time is running out. There will always be some rigidly attached to the past who will never be convinced, and maybe you are simply one of those. But more and more people here are wising up and making the change, whether you agree or not.
The evidence is piling up, and can no longer be hidden or denied. Independence is coming. Be assured of that.”
fair enough Robert , that’s your view and of people I know personally and respect, say the same.
Life does not go in straight lines , rising inexorably , there is many a slip between the cup and the lip