The slowest reader in Scotland?
Posted on
July 25, 2013 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
We don’t like to resort to personal abuse or crude language on this website, but we’re really struggling not to use the phrase “clueless thick comedy twat” here. Dammit.
Blair McDougall is the director of the “Better Together” campaign. He’s rumoured to be paid £100,000 a year. Yet his skills don’t appear to extend to reading the news.
“Robertson proposes an annual Scottish defence budget of £2.5bn“
“The SNP say they will spend £2.5bn on defence annually“
“An independent SNP government will spend £2.5bn a year on defence“
Well, you get the idea. Good news, folks – the No campaign is led by a dimwit.
He’s not a dimwit. He just hopes that voters are. He’s a liar.
Better together? More like Dependency for Numpties!
Someone has retweeted him to my timeline, so I have already pointed out to him that he would know the figure if he read the newspapers.
And asked if he was conceding the post-indy 2016 election to the SNP already.
Probably get blocked for my cheek. 😉
Oddly, clicking the link to the tweet no longer appears to show the numerous replies that were there 15 minutes ago.
He is just out of depth. A former less-than-stellar SpAd, New ‘Labour’ apparatchik and coordinator of the losing Milliband brother’s leadership campaign, we should be glad he’s there.
While his secondary school activist meets The Thick Of It tweets are annoying, we should just be relieved that the No campaign didn’t get a competent big-hitter. Let’s hope he lasts the distance…
I dunno Jiggsbro, I reckon the reason he’s so good at lying is because he’s thick enough to believe what comes out of his mouth.
Well, I say “good”, but I really mean “persistent”. His lies are terrible.
Sorry but Faslane is a crass choice as a main base for Scotlands Main Head Quarters.
I think the BT lot think they can say anything and wont be challenged. They dont need to try as the MSM cover their back.
“Sorry but Faslane is a crass choice as a main base for Scotlands Main Head Quarters.”
Yeah, thanks, that’s what this post’s about.
Sooner or later, the truth will out…let’s hope sooner, but as long as it peaks just before Indy Polling day, that’ ll do me… 😉
Vote YES for Scotland!
This is either negligence, incompetence or dishonesty, verging on the criminal. Which is it Mr. McDougall?
I’ll tell you what I’m worried about – that any of these thickos are invited to be part of post-victory cross party negotiating teams. They don’t deserve it and they are trouble with a big T.
Attention to all those in the Twittersphere! If you want to keep informed in the Indy debate, don’t follow this sorry individual – he’s supposed to be a participant, but I’m afraid he’s just a spectator, and a blind one at that! (My God, that was a struggle not to be sweary and abusive!)
It’s the absence of mature civilised debate that bothers me. And it’s all on the Bitter Together side.
Read what Salmond and Swinney said in Lerwick the other day. Joined-up sentences making sense. Talking to the people petitioning them, responding rationally and thoughtfully. Read the Scottish government draft paper they’re all on about. More joined-up sentences and sense.
And all we get in response is nasty snide yah-boo insults. And lies. I don’t think they’d know the truth if it hit them in the face with a wet haddock. And that’s the only part of the “debate” the media reports. These people are an absolute scunner.
Since a lack of honesty is the theme the program about Falkirk on R4 should fit the bill.
link to bbc.co.uk
Morag – aye, but slowly the public are getting scunnered of the scunners!
Director of better together, one Blair McDougall, asking a question that’s been answered over & over obviously not getting answer he wants to put across to his gullible flock so keeps asking, trying to put forward an idea that people in SNP are clueless & have nae clue …. I wonder who really has nae clue?
Can someone tell me how we don’t know that McDougal didn’t just type up that ‘private’ Swinney text in Microsoft word?
Blair McDougall…………
Nope I’d better not. Mother Macart always said if you don’t have anything good to say about someone, don’t say anything at all.
I’ll settle for CameronB’s query above, its probably about as civil as I could manage in Mr McDougall’s case.
Dont you get the feeling that BT, dont really care what guff they tell Joe public, the more outlandish the better,it strikes me as sensationalism, pick a figure multiply by the amount of fingers in a packet of Cadburys chocolate fingers, times this by, the amount of Lords in the House of Lords, add the amount of windfarms, Oban, and their you have it, now use a stern and concerned voice to relay the message, via the MSM, and flatly deny any other conflicting evidence.
Between Alistair Darling and Blair McDougall its going to be a hard fight for the “Numpty of the Week Award” they are such good candidates, still the week is not finished yet, so their is still plenty of time for one of the other BT supporters to put both feet in the mouth.
Vote YES, Vote Scotland.
The more I see of these Labour lies and misinformation, the more convinced I become that we are seeing the work of a collective of sociopaths. The lack of a positive case for the union just highlights the endless lies as a symptom of poisoned thinking, truly the work of broken and twisted logic. If nothing else, at least we now understand the true nature of the unionist political mindset. It is pure poison!
Morag @ 8.42
That sums the situation up brilliantly.
There must be a few clever people on the No side. Why don’t we hear from them proper arguments for being in the UK. Ukok won’t convince anyone with this uneducated drivel.
If you are going to tell lies, make sure they are whoppers. But it doesn’t matter because the media will not expose your lies.
Tris – I was thinking the same it must be their blind hatred of the SNP and Alex Salmond that turns their brains to mush just as they put their finger on the tweet button.
O/T but I see Rev and Wings get a mention on BBC Scotlandshire….probably already noted somewhere.
The Better together Facebook page banned me last week.What they do is make a flyer asking a question and when you answer it they delete your post,ban you and then hold there hands up and say the Seps have no answers.
‘He’s rumoured to be paid £100,000 a year.’
Seriously?
Good god – you could get (almost) 10 hours’ worth of after-dinner pish from Darling for that kind of money.
What did BMcD do before this?
Bitter Together are locked in endless question mode. Deflector shields repel all answers.
@ianbrotherhood
“Former Purnell SpAd and David Miliband campaign organiser Blair McDougall has been approached to run the pro-Union “No” campaign against Scottish independence. Blair’s current job as director of David Miliband’s shadow activist base the “Movement for Change” was advertised in yesterday’s Guardian. A Number 10 spokesman did not deny that McDougall has been approached.
Guido understands that Jim Murphy and Alistair Darling recommended the ultra-Blairite to Downing Street through the cross-party “No” umbrella group. As one Labour insider put it: “Well, they certainly cleared the ‘get a bloke with a Scottish name’ hurdle”. An SNP insider told Guido “never heard of him…””link to order-order.com
For a year or so he was also an adviser to the Government of Rwanda, via the UK tax-payer funded (Tony Blair) Africa Governance Initiative, just before DFID and others cut their aid to Rwanda because of, er, dodgy governance.
There’s something surreal and slightly disturbing about the utter joylessness of these BT gatherings. They look like the local Women’s Guild and Masonic Club have gotten together to form a posse, and are debating who to hunt.
And Blair McD? Every time I see him I get this image flashing into my heid:
link to xtimeline.com
No idea why…surreal right enough.
@beachthistle-
Cheers for that.
Lucky old Rwanda, eh? I’m sure he’s remembered across the nation with great fondness and will have his coupon embossed on their coinage in due course.
So SNP’s Defence plans are crass?
Anon Sailor
What crasser than aircraft carriers with no planes? I don’t think so. Are you saying it was crass to shut Rosyth? Perhaps it was but we are where we are and it is why FOSNI was placed at Faslane. As far as I see the SNP plans are practical and cost effective.
Rev Stu
Oddly, clicking the link to the tweet no longer appears to show the numerous replies that were there 15 minutes ago.
Yeah, the Better Together and Blair MacDougall`s on the No side fair manage to lose a few tweets along the way. Their whole campaign is bogus and corrupt.
FOSNI !
Crass, crasser, crassest.
If SNP plans are crass, where on the scale are the UK’s?
No wait guys before Im accused again of being a unionist troll: SNP plans for Faslane to be the main base for the Scottish Defence Force is madness, thats all Im saying.
@Tris
@Morag
There are no proper arguments for the union so even the cleverest unionist can do nothing but exaggerate the negative.
What is it with these Labour guys and foreign fields Blair Mc Dougal Rawanda Iain Gray the killing fields of Cambodia?
Anon Sailor
FOSNI
the bear in the Muppets?
There are three bases left in the UK two on the south coast of England one in Scotland. If Faslane is madness for an independent Scotland it is madness as it stand now.
Anon Sailor says:
No wait guys before Im accused again of being a unionist troll: SNP plans for Faslane to be the main base for the Scottish Defence Force is madness, thats all Im saying.
OK elaborate & give us your alternative.
Did he listen to a tactics talk from Pat feckin Fenlon?
Meanwhile over at BBC Scotland news, no mention of Salmond speech. The did however manage to squeeze in a knocking piece about minimum pricing and the effect it is having on Portugese and French wine producers- they even sent a reporter. Then we had the ‘controversial’ Beauly to Denny pylons re-hash story. But pride of place must go to the wonderful investigative piece about a dating agency scam, which was simply a puff for a programme which followed the news.
I give up.
Maybe believes Faslane will be part of rUK?
I’m no military expert but wouldn’t having our army largely based in Scotland naturally improve our defence?
@Annie
Iain Gray says he visited Rwanda through his work as campaigns director for Scottish branxh of Oxfam. Wasn’t aware that Blair McDougal had worked there too.
As if the Rwandan people didn’t have enough problems.
Someone has already mentioned it…their comments are designed for the average joe public who struggles with understanding politics and are easily scared by rumours. In the hope that out of fear thy will vote no.
Is anyone remotely surprised that they are recycling their old scares?
I had a look for FOSNI – it seems to be the Flag Officer Scotland & N. Ireland, used to be at Pitreavie now moved Faslane. Seems to be responsible for coastal protection, both RAF and navy? Could be wrong but after Rosyth closed, made sense to move it to the other naval base.
What’s your problem with ‘crass’ Faslane? Is there so much leaking radiation there that it glows in the dark? What?
OT but does anyone know what the latest Yes declaration tally is standing at?
I can’t think of anything crasser than Trident.
Although clearly out of his depth, McDougall thinks he knows exactly what he is doing.
Part of his brief is obviously to intrigue against the Yes Camp and SNP – to be disruptive and to create confusion, scandal, and false rumour. If played right it can work well on the uninformed.
McDougall has a long, long way to go – Machiavelli he is not. It’s probably getting near to the stage where his employers (and probably he himself) become very disillusioned in his ability to play tig with foxes.
We on the outside of the BT bubble can see he is overrated. The No Camp leaders are just that bit slower on the uptake, but I have no doubt that some-one there will eventually pick up on his ineptness and the puerility of his actions. Time for a move sideways.
Maybe Sailor Anon is concerned the land based part of the SDF will be based at Faslane and all of the 15,000 personnel will be based there. Not thinking through the difference between HQ and bases. mibbe.
Cameron B:
“I can’t think of anything crasser than Trident.”
Yes, indeed. I always wondered at the sick minded inhabitants of Westminster who signed up to the ban on cluster bombs as being dangerous to any civilian who might pick one up, yet want to keep that abominable weapon of mass destruction capable of wiping out civilisation.
For a second there, I was trying to picture Blair MacDougall “reading the news” like a bad version of John Beattie. Took me a minute to get it. Must be late.
Can someone tell me how we don’t know that McDougal didn’t just type up that ‘private’ Swinney text in Microsoft word?
It’s too well written to be McDougal’s handywork. Besides, I don’t think the government has denied authorship, have they?
@ Jimbo
The decision to keep Trident has been made at a time that the UK can least afford it. Wait…..that doesn’t make sense. Why would you want to afford the capability of bring about Armageddon? A small one at that.
McDougal & Darling should move in and live with each other. They’d make a great couple. Their pathological lying is what makes them a partnership of equals.
They could always choose to cohabit in one the houses Darling flipped for a tidy little profit.
jiggsboro says
“He’s not a dimwit. He just hopes that voters are. He’s a liar.”
exactly
doug daniel says
“Morag – aye, but slowly the public are getting scunnered of the scunners!”
aye, an if they keep it up we’ll set supergran on them 🙂
“What did BMcD do before this?”
winning his knot tying badge I reckon
Ian Brotherhood says
“And Blair McD? Every time I see him I get this image flashing into my heid:”
link to xtimeline.com
hmm scary
the thought I have is a little less surreal
its the Scottish bluebell matches advert
the English army are advancing and the we snivvely scots soldier says
“a cannie get the matches tae light”
and the big highlander says
“ach ya dunderhied
ye should have used Scottish Bluebell”
at which the wee highlanders cannon roars and the English colonel says
“Beck leds! Thar using Scottish Bluebail!”
andy b says
”
pick a figure multiply by the amount of fingers in a packet of Cadburys chocolate fingers”
which flavour?
this is important
otherwise we’ll be accused of obfuscation 🙁
anon sailor says
“No wait guys before Im accused again of being a unionist troll: SNP plans for Faslane to be the main base for the Scottish Defence Force is madness, thats all Im saying.”
excuse the automatic assumptions I think sometimes (we’re all) subject to a hair trigger reaction, I did’nt think your point with a question mark ? was trolling
whats your thoughts on that, anon, why isn’t it a good idea?
gh graham says
“McDougal & Darling should move in and live with each other. They’d make a great couple. Their pathological lying is what makes them a partnership of equals.”
hmm
can just see the scene at the breakfast table
porige McDougal?
yes Darling! 🙂
100K? Bloody hell! Um, what for, exactly? Scaremonger-in-Chief, Liar-Liar-Pants-on-Fire Departmental Head, Number-One-FUD-U-LIKE…?
And, who pays him, by the way?
Brilliant – stellar example of showing himself up as a complete numpty. You should pay more attention in class Mr McDougall and stop all that idle gossiping or you’ll never amount to anything. Oops, too late.
Sorry John I jumped into the jacuzi last night and didnt see your post, need a waterproof ipad.
Even if Faslane is available to use I think its a bad choice due to its isolation.
Being a Naval base full of matlots I dont think they would take kindly to pongos crawling all over them.
I only posted my comment at half seven this morning
now I know Im going to be sorry I asked this but whats a pongo?
besides why would its (relative ) isolation be a bad thing, its only an hour at worst from Glasgow
@dalriata
Their largest donor is Ian Taylor, oil trader and the one that puts cash into Harris Tweed, friend of B Wilson, and this from a Guardian article on some of the others ….. of course, fwiw, the YES campaign people will no doubt be on comparable salaries.
Those include former Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC chairman Alan Savage (£100,000); Gordon Baxter, of the eponymous soup makers and foods firm Baxter and Sons, (£10,000); Douglas Flint, former chairman of HSBC Holdings (£25,000); Sir Gerald Elliot, chairman of the shipping firm Christian Salvesen (£10,000) and two co-founders of the Edinburgh-based investment firm Artemis Fund Managers, John Dodd and Mark Tyndall (£10,000 each). (Dodd has just sold his Angus grouse shooting estate at Glenogil, a property at the centre of alleged bird of prey persecution cases).
link to guardian.co.uk
@johnking
Anyone from the Army
The repetition of lies works only so long as the BBC and MSM are onside. Of course the Project Fear team know this full well and will continue to pour out their disinformation to be lapped up by their minions at the BBC. That way Labour sinecures in the House of Commons and House of Lords are maintained and the Labour supporters in BBC Scotland hope to be richly rewarded.
BUT – what happens to them when Scotland votes YES and their lies come back to haunt them? rUK will not welcome them, Scotland will shun them – I think after 1945 the term was displaced persons. Who will take them? Any ideas?
benarmine says:
I’ll tell you what I’m worried about – that any of these thickos are invited to be part of post-victory cross party negotiating teams. They don’t deserve it and they are trouble with a big T.
——————–
No chance! Absolutely none! It is truly safe to say that the likes of Darling, Lamont, McDougall, and whoever else is part of the BT mob, will be shut out of the room, should it be a ‘Yes’ victory.
When Salmond, Sturgeon and the rest of the ‘Yes’ group sit down with Cameron, Osborne and Co, there is no chance that the BT mob will be in the room. They had their chance – they blew it!
And being the clowns and liars that they are, Cameron will not want half-wits sitting on his side of the table. The last thing he needs is Lamont or Darling belching and farting absolute nonsense at the ‘Yes’ team. Cameron needs Scotland, whether it is independent or not. He will not want negotiations ruined by Independence-haters …who could be handing Salmond gold-minted bullets. Pee the ‘Yes’ group off, and it could be something like, ‘Well if Alistair Darling feels like that, well, I’ll tell you what, David, I think we’ll just create our own currency. Hopefully …that shouldn’t affect the rest of the UK economy …hmmm…what do you say?’
The losers will be locked out the room …just as Labour were, when Salmond and Cameron drew up the Edinburgh agreement. We’ll hear a lot of wailing and screaming, but it will be drowned out by the laughter….
Percy Pongo, where Percy goes the pong goes! Sodgers!
I guess an Hr from Glasgow is fine too, just thought top brass prefer to be equidistant to bases and infrastructure. Besides Im not sure Faslane has capacity for extra staff etc, its such a bespoke place for Trident, and other boats. I served 10 yrs and we matlots wouldnt want our base turned into a squaddies playground, Marines and Gurkhas were bad enough!
Im also not sure we will have full control ober Faslane till Trident has gone and at risk of upsetting the good rev again on that issue, Id stick by my view that Trident will remain until its replacement date around 2016 unless its extended by 5 yrs as the yanks have done.