The Stockholm Troopers
Anyone up for their taxes being used to bail out Scottish newspapers?
No, we didn’t think so.
It’s always a bit weird when the very people who are ostensibly least well-served by Scotland and the UK’s media – in this case middle-class Trotskyist pro-independence “anarchists” – suddenly call for multibillionaire media barons to be bailed out by the taxpayer so they can keep spewing misinformation, hatred, celebrity gossip and yesterday’s Twitter spats into the public sphere.
Because the cold hard fact is that the death of all newspapers would be the greatest service any virus has ever done to mankind. The day of the printed press is past, and it’s long past time the zombie corpse accepted inevitable reality and shuffled off into the sunset.
It’s at this point in the debate that both the zombies themselves and those who wish to one day become those zombies pipe up about how much we actually need the press, and won’t someone please think of all the local-newspaper stalwarts dutifully reporting on local scandals and whatever, etc etc.
It is, after all, primarily the politics and bin-raking showbiz hacks we all despise, and is it fair that they get to soil all the honest grafters filling the other pages? No, it’s not. But nature abhors a vacuum, and the gap left by the death of the printed press would be filled just as swiftly as any other. And it’s difficult to construct any plausible scenario in which the replacement wouldn’t be better.
Earlier this month, we noticed a couple of well-fattened old newspaper hacks (and a pompous young wannabe) bitterly bemoaning that sites like this one – well, specifically this one – had raised too much money to carry out journalism. The horror!
Leask, a deranged obsessive McCarthyite lunatic recently deemed surplus to the badly-struggling Herald and tragically suffering under the misapprehension that he’s any sort of arbiter of “credibility”, wailed that the funds raised by Wings in the last six years hadn’t been wasted on pursuing the failed and broken business model that has seen thousands of UK journalists laid off in the same period and most of the rest subject to real-terms pay cuts and toxic working practices.
But that’s because Wings has used the money donated by its readers for the purpose it was donated for – to provide focused journalism in a specific field in order to provide its readers with some semblance of balance.
Not, we should note, by BEING balanced. Unlike many Scottish newspapers, Wings Over Scotland makes no embarrassingly false pretence of impartiality. We wear our editorial stance on our sleeve, but we link to the source of every single factual claim so that readers can judge whether we’re presenting things fairly – something almost no Scottish newspaper ever does, even on their websites.
Readers seeking balance can then read a site or sites with opposing views and decide which one makes the most convincing case – it is, of course, not actually possible to do this regarding the constitution in Scotland with newspapers currently, since they all have the same view.
(We’ve always pointed out that human beings are intrinsically biased, so expecting “balance” within a single publication is a fantasy. Even when newspapers offer a token column to opposing views, it’s one page a week out of maybe 500, and the mere fact of it being an opinion page invites readers to disregard it. If this site lost its mind and gave 800 words to Euan McColm or Brian Wilson once a month amid our usual diet of non-stop vile cybernattery, it wouldn’t suddenly magically become “balanced”.)
Honest partisanship is a far more credible and moral endeavour than fake impartiality, which is a big part of the reason why trust in the traditional media is so disastrously low while new media sites continue to thrive even despite existing in an extraordinarily hostile environment, where politicians and media alike constantly seek to destroy them by any means possible for upsetting their cosy symbiotic relationship.
But how, wail the old hacks, will this new media be funded and sustained? Without a kindly and philanthropist billionaire benefactor like Rupert Murdoch or an avalanche of ad money, how will the poor journalists pay the rent in order to provide these views?
Yet we know the answer to that. Trust is priceless but journalism is actually very cheap to sustain when it no longer has to pay for big shiny glass offices and printing presses and distribution networks (and wildly overpaid columnists, of which Scottish media has more than you might imagine).
Wings not only pays for its journalistic output but also for a campaigning operation, off the back of donations averaging just £1 a week from roughly 1% of its readers. And for that modest contribution readers have had an average of over 50 articles a month for the 100 months the site has existed. (Less than 0.09p per article per reader.)
But that’s far from the only model. YouTube vloggers – who are a type of journalist – make a range of incomes from modest to colossal, mainly through ad revenue. Others use paywalled subscription models. Others still use the likes of Patreon. Some avail themselves of various sorts of grants, or use combinations of the above.
But whatever the model, the free market has shown that it will support those who offer a high-quality online service to their readers, whether their work is serious or frivolous, whether they cover politics or sport or culture or fashion or any other subject.
(It’s a little surprising that the right-wing press isn’t more admiring of such pioneering entrepreneurs, and equally odd that the left-wing press is so intolerant of such an exemplar of socialism in action, whereby wealthier readers fund the service for those unable to afford it. The 99% of Wings readers who don’t contribute financially still get to read the whole of the site for free, without having to endure a single advertisement, because of the generosity of the 1%. And all of that is entirely voluntary, organic and spontaneous, with no taxation or state coercion whatsoever.)
The financial model of such sites is also remarkably resilient, specifically because non-print journalism has such a low cost overhead when set in the context of sizeable readerships. And if Wings (say) upsets a percentage of its readers by criticising the SNP, or if Craig Murray (say) takes a somewhat challenging position on the Skripal case, the overwhelming statistical probability is that most of the readers storming off in a huff will be people who weren’t paying anyway.
(Because it follows that people prepared to pay to support honest journalism are more inclined to accept that an honest person won’t always agree with them on everything – indeed, that they almost certainly won’t.)
Independent journalism is a meritocracy – so long as you can build a decent audience by doing good work, even a tiny fraction of it putting its money where its mouth is will pay the bills. It’s the polar ideological opposite of government bailing out deservedly-failed commercial businesses with public money without the taxpayer being consulted, and anyone calling for the latter should be treated with the greatest suspicion.
It’s quite bad enough that the media is already beholden to advertisers and wealthy proprietors without adding politicians to the list of bosses they have to serve too.
This also seems like an appropriate time to bring up the fact that Wings does NOT currently intend to hold an annual fundraiser this year (we’d be due one in June).
We’ve been on a frankly overdue and much-needed holiday for the last three months. It was originally intended to be two until COVID-19 intervened and all but obliterated normal politics, but more pertinently we see no realistic possibility of independence on the horizon under the current SNP leadership, and therefore no point in exhausting ourselves for nothing. We’d rather recharge our batteries and be refreshed and ready for the fight should one unexpectedly arise.
The Wings Fighting Fund is in a healthy condition, and lies ready to spring into action should there be a change in circumstances. It can certainly bear the site’s operating costs – webhosting, cartoons, the odd opinion poll or two and perhaps a substantially reduced editor’s wage – for the next year while things hopefully become clearer.
(If they don’t, readers will be consulted on how to proceed.)
This position may be reconsidered according to any of a number of possible events, but as of now (and indeed for some time) it’s the plan, so you may feel inclined to divert any money you may have had earmarked for Wings to other very worthy causes.
These English/British nationalist rags, so keen to do down Scotland at every opportunity, deserve to fail. Boycott.
As soon as a Newspaper asks the State for money, it ceases to be a newspaper.
It is a fundamental principle that Journalism should be independent of those it is holding to account. Unless its only function is to stay in business.
If you want to support independent broadcasting in Scotland, you can also go to broadcastingscotland.scot/register and sign up as a supporter. It’s a shoestring operation now, but the goal is to be able to employ some full time journalists to do the hard investigative work that an independent country really will need. You could also start buying iScot magazine, support Indy Live and various other “honestly partisan” online outlets. Journalism DOES matter, but none of it is possible without money. Without a licence fee or the bully pulpit afforded to print journalists appearing as commentators on various BBC shows, it’s very hard to build an audience. Do your bit if you can. Every penny helps.
Do not reduce your wage! If required to supplement funds many (I know not all), would be willing to fund any gap.
without exception all my experience with so called journalists (some of which I’m related to!!) have been to witness the smug, self promoting, opinionated dregs who preen themselves with cosy relationships with lawyers, the police, the judiciary and politicians and claim to be bastions of the truth!
Hell mend them, maybe soon they will have to get a real job and contribute.
Keep on keeping on Stu!
It is worth supporting The National only need a few dozens more to reach 10,000 online subscribers. Only £2 for two months
https://www.thenational.scot/
Radio Scotland news presenters having multiple orgasms over Prof Pennington giving evidence to Scottish Parliament.
Pennington is not a virologist but since retiring 17 years ago is active member of the Scotland In Union co-ordinated letter writing group.
https://wingsoverscotland.com/the-green-ink-gang/
Why on earth would I want to buy a newspaper, can any newspaper give me an honest answer, well honesty is not their policy.
The concept of Govt Aid to newspapers cannot help them. I wouldn’t touch the Herald or Scotsman, even it was free.
And as for the Express/Mail/Mirror/Record, have never bought any of them.
Always think it funny, boarding a flight and there’s the pile of free newspapers, mostly untouched. Proud to say I keep it that way.
Here in my part of Argyll, the weekly paper is superb and deserves being bought. Probably the ideal model for a paper. (Dunoon Observer)
Anyone up for their taxes being used to bail out Scottish newspapers?
GTF!!!!
Rev,
Sound, intelligent and considered plain speaking.
Unlikely to be found in MSM and the press.
Thank you.
As is your suggestion on diversion of fund raising (for the moment).
Not indy related, but related to the article. I use a hobby website for board games that itself started off as a hobby and then managed to bankroll itself with donations and adverts. It is the goto site for board games, much like WoS for indy politics. Can’t believe I went without WoS prior to 2013, when my friend said I should check out this good indy site…
A welcomed surprise post – thanks!
You’ve summed up nicely why we 1% gladly support Wings, and why we currently have a bad taste in our mouths over the current Scottish media pity party!!
You have shown remarkable magnanimity towards Mr Leask!
It has been a very trying period for you and you deserved your extended break. I am pleased that you are back and wish you well for the future.
There are pieces you produce, with which I disagree profoundly, but you make clear where you stand and why. I agree with you that it is your partisan stance which is of crucial importance.
I am sure that there will be future pieces to which I will react with annoyance, but I can take these within the mix, because we share chunks of partisanship with regard to independence. I will be happy to contribute to your next fund-raiser.
*currently, current – whoops! Must read before pressing submit 😀
Also, please support AyeMail if you can, they really are an essential part of our movement and Yes groups wouldn’t be anywhere near as efficient or active without their help!
The absolute insanity of newspapers like The Herald and Times screaming about journalism – they don’t know the meaning of the word and as for truth well that was the first thing they threw away. And like labour they still wonder why.
On ‘other worthy causes’, Stu, please have a word in the shell-like of oor Craig [Murray], on how best to maximise fund raising, especially when Craig intends to raise actions against the forces of darkness, who oppose us all.
Craig Murray, “I do not intend to fight this battle entirely on the defensive, and some of the funding may be put to launching actions against the Crown or others”.
Sat and read past subject articles, in the past I have submitted a few opinions, took a bit of shit of 1 opinionated narrow minded rshole but I have read a few informative comments on the site.
1 to “The Stockholm Troopers”
The above endorsed my reason to read the WOS, I try and look for good news reporting, The UK sites are so deliberating withholding real news. RTN so far has well informed on topical and current news, also the www.
Again I repeat, from the UK media corona, I have more information on Donald Trumps USA which I don’t give a shit about than my local fkn Clackmannanshire.
Masks should have been worn from day 1 on this corona shit, the public with all due respect are ill informed then believe the shit from politicians, because it’s relayed via media sources (corrupt as fk).
As for the potential Corona food shortage, surely every greedy fkr at the supermarkets were reading the shit press and biased TV during Brexit that informed all we were all ready for any potential food shortage.Fk,Fk,Fk, do these fkrs get a vote.
I will now be donating to wings and no fkn (Tory) tax scamming charity.
I have been sympathetic in the past to wings but at times very critical. At least they accept peoples opinions.
Lest we forget.. We are all Jock Tamsons bairns (was he a Falkirk supporter)
As Bob W says above, definitely do not take a reduced wage. Funding will happen if it’s needed.
And on the point of this article – Scottish print newspapers. They made their beds, let them lie in them (pun intended). Absolutely no way should any Scottish Government money go to subsidising them.
Good to read this from you today.
I have looked forward to the demise of ‘newspapers’ in Scotland for some time and will never put my hand in my pocket to save them , neither do I want my taxes used to prop them up.
I was more than disgusted that the BBBC gave them money on the pretext encouraging ‘local ‘ journalism.
When you start a fund raiser Stu I will be very happy to donate.
‘we can see no realistic possibility of independence on the horizon “
Really hope you are wrong about that.
https://weegingerdug.wordpress.com/2020/04/28/tall-oaks/
Found your mana from a virus, excellent
????
Found your mana from a virus, excellent
????
Until the circle jerk of papers determining and feeding into the 24 news cycle agenda is addressed this corruption will continue.
Like many here I have never wanted purely partisan newspapers who blindly and uncritically follow my side. I want fairness and truth – if it shows an issue in a bad light and it is true then so be it.
The MSM behaviour during the Independence referendum was truly shocking for me, I felt my bearings had gone and my trust in the media as portrayed by the MSM was lost for ever. The rot has continued. When something as blatant as the one sided reporting of the Alex Salmond trial is not questioned by any MSM outlet, the pathologically needy Dani Garavelli is then feted and you see how Craig Murray is treated, well, you know they are irredeemable.
The Scottish political hacks lost badly when BLiS were obliterated in 2015. Their source of tittle tattle and gossip dried up along with the gravy train they travelled on. Amazing in all that time they still never had anything on Alex Salmond…
I suppose now they have Stewart McDonald and co. but they are no substitute for Jim Murphy. The Scottish media have been on a suicide mission since then and the distortion and misrepresentation of Scottish political opinion and travel is their only goal.
The media in Scotland is like a wounded animal howling in pain and needs put out of its misery soon.
Let them die. Waste of trees.
Dave Beveridge , I love your saltire midgie!
Is it not the case that money for journalists is being funnelled to them via the bbc
The government through the cursed BBC provide assistance to newspapers with the Local News Partnerships and democracy reporters or what ever they are called.
HM English government will not allow the newspapers to collapse as they are propaganda outlets for the government of England. They are always to be relied on to attack Scotland and the Scottish Government.
Furthermore what would the yoons use to hide the National if the other unread titles were no longer there?
Providing financial assistance for the shit so called newspapers is to put it politely a bad idea.
What a load of rubbish .This site relies on the printed media for comment you don’t go out and get the news you read the papers you condemn and then comment on other peoples work do you pay them to allow you to comment on their work .
And also the Kenny Farqurson interview why when it was for a paper you condemn
Instead of asking people to contribute to the site why not pay us to read it and comment
Doing a clear out a few weeks ago, came across one of those ‘souvenir’ newspapers produced occasionally to commemorate something-or-other. It was the Sunday Post from a date at or about the end of WW2. It was the whole newspaper. The sheer amount of reading in it was just astonishing compared to what we’ve become used to and there were relatively few ads, all quite small. Can’t begin to imagine how many staff it must’ve employed at that time. It really was ‘a good read’, must’ve taken hours to get through if you were the thorough sort.
Chatting to a fellow Winger about all this last year, we were remembering Jack McLean of the (then) Glasgow Herald and he told me what McLean was (allegedly) being paid for his weekly column when it was at its most popular, say late 80s, ealy 90s. The figure was just eye-watering and I daren’t write what I *think* it was because it just looks ridiculous.
The arrogance and sense of entitlement seen in many of this place’s harshest critics (i.e. those working in msm) is a legacy of those decades, when newspapers were more powerful than most of us will ever realise and their anger may arise from the plain-as-the-nose-on-yer-coupon fact that those days aren’t coming back. Ever.
Just for the curious/nostalgic, here’s a pretty generous appraisal of MacLean which includes (btl) a fairly recent video of him.
theafterword.co.uk/jack-mclean-the-urban-voltaire/
Personally, I don’t give a shit if any newspaper goes down. It’s of no concern to me, so I’ve never considered it worthy of thought.
You can buy a printer now for about £30, a ream of paper costs about a fiver. People in the old days used to print and distribute pamphlets, nowadays PDF is the way to go. They can be distributed electronically, printed and distributed physically and if someone doesn’t have a PC, they can be printed by phone.
Back to the future.
The MSM deserve everything they get. Failure I hope.
The utter stupidity of ignoring and insulting the 50% pro- independence population of Scotland has brought them to this position. Why should I support a group of liars who would sell their country for a corrupt front page. (See Alex Salmond trial).
Parcel of rogues.
Keep up the good work Stu. My donation awaits.
Just donated.
wings should buy the scotsman and get back the old offices, tell the grand theft auto lads to shove it
– the rev can hold court in his lair, like jabba the hutt
and david leask can be employed, with a chain round his neck, in a skimpy outfit, princess leia-style
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zplB_VSF-40
wookie-nipple, indeed …
See that manky stuff at the bottom of your wheelie bin – yep the Scottish press are just bin soup. And the journalists – they’re the floaters that still fucking stick to your bin every week even after our lovely bin men come to empty them.
I shall not shed one tear of their demise.
I see the usual ill informed comments coming after the well written and informative piece from Wings. Although, these days they seem much less than usual, having seen the Tory mouthpieces fail significantly, perhaps, even with BBC money. There is a new journalism and it will be needed in an Independent Scotland whenever that starts. I will be happy to support it, as I have done with this site. Well researched and truthful journalism is hard to come by, however painful it may sometimes be.
Print journalism in Scoland died a while ago. This is just the demise of its successor, propagandistic churnalism.
Excellent comment.
See also;
Scotland’s Independence Referendum Party calls on UK Govt not to subsidise anti-Scottish newspapers
Ten Good Reasons why right-wing UK govt should not be allowed to subsidise billionaire MSM publishers
http://tinyurl.com/y9t8qjmc
http://tinyurl.com/ycj6shsf
Mark Whittet
Scotland’s Independence Referendum Party
http://www.SIRP.Scot
@ScotsIndyRef3
Look after yourself, you have been through a lot this last two years on a personal basis.
Add in Brexit and the Virus to the mix and it’s not surprising the independence situation is in a dormant condition, but still ready to be revived as soon as the fog lifts.
The Murray, Salmond, Sturgeon etal situation will all come out and be resolved in time even maybe a new list party I hope.
Crowd fund whenever you feel it is right…,tomorrow if need be, and whatever your taking as a salary it is your affair, but don’t be stingy, a man must have his jelly beans and ice lollies so make sure it’s enough.
Oh!…. the new page above! Thanks! 🙂
So the Scottish press going the way of all the high street names that refused to realise the change in dynamic when the internet came along.
The market has changed a lot in the last 15 years. It will be sad to see the names disappear but it is their own fault.
I’ll only miss the Record for Shuggie and Duggie.
What Call Me Dave said @ 2.59
Forgot to say thanks and it’s great to see you posting again. Please do not take cut in wages – they should be doubled for the work you do. Have a crowd funder whenever you need to. Happy to contribute. Not too happy to see criticism of FM but totally agree with you about GRA and despair at the way AS has been treated both by the party and the media. There are I’m sure plants in snp hierarchy determined to destroy from within.
@ Mist001 2:25 pm
Personally, I don’t give a shit if any newspaper goes down.
Steady on there ..Classic Car Weekly
Penned on Friday, published on Saturday – the myth of…
‘The Neutral Newspaper’ https://wp.me/p4fd9j-oKl
@Sinky
As a fellow scientific expert (muscle development) I too was constantly amazed at the media asking the non specialist advice of a bacteriologist on viral matters. But then I have sent a number of unanswered missives over the years to various organs complaining of the slapdash way they treat bacteria vs viruses, often referring to the same organism by both appellations in a single article their lack of discrimination is thus explained. Note most of these were penned by the local science journalist, the qualifications for such a post seems to be a bare pass in General Science at age 15. Ben Goldacre’s column in the Guardian, a beacon of light, is much missed in Muscle Towers. My appreciation took the form of buying his books which still grace my bookshelves.
I would opine that the term ‘media whore’ could have been invented by the good professor. Though mayhap he is unable to say No when Aunty comes calling even when he should.
Have to agree I can’t see anything happening till at least next year, although I’m keeping my eye on Carlawvaggio and his excitement about seeing troops on the street.
The only thing I miss from the Herald is the Wee Stinker (I’ve got two t-shirts) but since its compiler died recently (fondly remembered) I think I could live without it quite happily.
Apart from a few notable journalists (who seem to be included in certain newspapers as a desperate ploy to fabricate at least a thin veneer of impartiality so that their propaganda might reach a broader audience than the whistle-tooting drum-thumping loyalists), the main client for the Scottish media would appear to be the British State.
And because of that I have absolutely no doubt that the Tories will pass some taxpayer cash to certain publications.
It’s all so incestious that the state will probably go through those “pr/media” companies stuffed with ex-Tories that are presently, tortuously, trying to build up a following for their current and future nudge campaigns.
Just want to put my thanks on record. Wings has been a lifeline since 2012 (especially if you are in Malaysia), and more importantly it taught me how to be critical/analyse everything you read. It really did open my eyes to the mass/broadcast media, and like the Rev has said, everybody has a position even if they say they don’t. In my case, Wings has taught me to follow the money (literally or metaphorically). I have learned that in most cases, once you uncover the money trail everything will suddenly make sense. There might be some points I may disagree with the Rev, but he must argue his case and I mine. A shoutout to all other indy-leaning media; you are very much valued. I have to mention Lesley Riddoch’s podcast as an essential listening here, which I am quite sure some of your have been doing. I regret to say I don’t really keep up with a lot of them because I take this site’s position: there is nothing much to read unless we progress towards fixing a date for another referendum. I hope to see some of you in 2021, the year we make or break it.
Queenie quick off the mark with a phone call to New Zealand to congratulate the Gov on a job well done on the virus.
Good old Auntie approves. But!
Deaths in England’s care homes treble in three weeks as hospital deaths decrease says newsman.
But Auntie (you don’t tell the numbers though).
Ah! At last
Auntie wagging a stern finger as care home deaths in England rise to the 24th April officially stated as over 5,500
—————————————————————
BBC figures for UK deaths reported today:
Scotland……..today………70……….Total……1332….BBC
Wales………..today………17……….Total…….813….BBC
England………today……..552……….Total…..19301….BBC
N.Ireland…….today………20……….Total…….329….BBC
================================================================
UK…………..today…..no fig……….Total….. no figure
“we link to the source of every single factual claim so that readers can judge whether we’re presenting things fairly – something almost no Scottish newspaper ever does, even on their websites.”
As someone who’s worked in library and information, this is the greatest failing of all media to adapt to something entirely obvious and simple, and to fail to adapt to it not just during a fast changing period but over the past twenty years. I’m now in my mid forties and just can’t get my head around anyone expecting me to read an article which begins “a report has said…” but doesn’t link to the report, or even tell me who wrote it. And yet this is what the media expects us to accept, day in day out. It’s a massive failure, not just of journalism and information provision, but to adapt to the most basic changes in society which everyone else has had to adapt to long since.
A suggestion to the “newspapers” on how to increase their income-
Start printing on toilet rolls sales would increase substantionaly and it would double the amount of shit on it.
Why I pay a monthly subscription.
“ (Because it follows that people prepared to pay to support honest journalism are more inclined to accept that an honest person won’t always agree with them on everything – indeed, that they almost certainly won’t.)”
I can appreciate newspaper sales in Scotland are declining at a far greater velocity than those in England.
Is it not also true that printed press in Norway and Germany ( to name but two) are actually holding up and increasing.
Its quite obvious that Scots are abandoning the paperd because of their stance on the constituition.
But should not the National be increasing sales as well?
Or could it be not enough folk know its pro-independence.
Ps. You better not take a pay cut!
I think just out of sheer perversity you should give Brian Wilson a weekly column.
Once upon a time, a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away I used to read “The Scotsman”. It was vaguely pro-home rule, had some quality writers, and generally tried to provide “proper” journalism. I didn’t always agree with all I read, but there was plenty worth reading.
I voted SNP if I thought there was a smidgeon of a chance, and Liberal if I thought they could beat the Tories locally. This was when Liberals still knew what Home Rule meant, before Ming Campbell had lost his memory.
Them came the Barclay Brothers – tax exiles in a bunker in the Channel islands – and Andrew Neil. Out went the vague support of “Home Rule”, genuine journalism, and in came extreme neo-liberal rhetoric and support for an agenda I could never follow.
I cancelled it after a brief exposure.
For a while I bought no newspaper. Eventually a West of Scotland friend persuaded me to try the “Glasgow Herald”. Again it had some quality journalism, readable even if I didn’t always agree.However the same thing happened. the editoriqal line moved from vaguely unaligned to outright hostility to anything resembling a loosening of the UK, accompanied by a decline in quality. By the time Leask and co. were in full swing I wouldn’t pick it up and read for free.
I buy the “National”. I don’t always agree with everything in it, but that’s not the point. It does attempt journalism.
I pay to support this site . I don’t always agree with Stu – it’s hard to do that every time. I value his rigorous approach to evidence,
Sorry – hit wrong button.
He provides what the printed press does not. In particular he is not a billionaire tax exile pursuing a neo-liberal agenda, putting out wall to wall racism disguised as reporting. He also supports an independent Scotland. I might not agree with his current stance but I’ll take him over any of the bought and paid for liars of the so-called free press. He is honest about his bias – they deny theirs, and bury truth to suit their politics.
I will shed no tears if the printed press goes bust.
My usual Wings money donated to AyeMail as suggested. Wings not forgotten if circumstances change.
COVID 19 has finished independence for now. No chance of winning till the next economic crisis is over. All those thinking about changing won’t risk things getting worse. Time to refocus too 2030.
The BBC and the newspapers are just propaganda machines for the great establishment of great britain, there will be a few genuine journalists, most of the ones on tv are just presenters reading from a script the newspaper ones well most of them go for the fake news stories so they don’t have to work, there will be some Real Scots who will are not afraid to tell it the way it really is let’s hope they’ll get us to Independence.
Dave Robb , most excellent.
Excellent article Stuart, and so very true.
I will shed no tears when the print media in Scotland dies, the sooner the better. You cannot treat people like idiots, especially when 50% of the population support independence. It’s highly insulting to the intelligence.
All these rags are owned by I think about 5 billionaires, well then, let these billionaires use some of their own billions to bail them out, not taxpayers hard earned cash. They have some nerve asking us to buy a newspaper to keep them going. They must think our heids button up the back.
If they all died tomorrow I wouldn’t miss them, and if the take the EBC at Plantaion Quay with them, so much the better.
Hell mend the lot of them.
Just subscribed. Thank you for everything. Missed ya. Have a great rest come back in perfect health.
Thanks for this comprehensive take down on the case for ” newspapers “. Many excellent btl comments too. There should be no bailout. Good riddance.
From huge and prestigious city centre premises stuffed full of quality writers and well paid skilled workers to a cheap shed somewhere just off the motorway with no doubt as few minimum waged agency workers that they can get away with.
They should just throw in the towel and go out with a bit of dignity in remembrance of better times when they were Newspapers.
Just signed up to donate some regular cash to Craig Murray. He does an absolutely superb job, bringing us (like yourself) well researched and well written articles that you will find nowhere else.
That he is now being attacked by the Establishment tells us much about how effective and important his voice is. I urge anyone who can to please find even a fiver to fling his way. We need him, his perspective and his blog.
The Scottish press is still spewing out irs bias and bile.
It cares not a jot if it makes money or not. The arrogance of being glad handed by the state establishment run deep. Bit the troughers are in fact struggling now. Their employers are cutting them adrift as sales and revenue plummets.
And in their place, alternative press like Craig Murray, Scot Goes Pop, Wings, Carlton Jock et al all go from strength to strength. The old establishment news manipulation is gone, as sure as writing on papyrus is gone.
Well good stuff Rev Stu and all. They cannot win.
‘Not shed a tear’?
I’ll be cracking open a bottle to celebrate when they start to close the doors on the Scottish cesspit that we laughingly call journalism.
I am left with a very satisfied glow every time I read the yearly drop in sales figures at the Daily Redcoat, Herald, etc.
I know there will be a number of sell-out journalists who will be reading these comments so my message to each and every one of them is:
Suck it up, losers!
Newspapers MUST survive –
Fish and Chips have never tasted the same since they stopped wrapping them in yesterday’s lies !
Holy Shit, where’s Cameron Brodie? he should have had around 50 post by now! 🙂
Is he still posting to himself on the last thread? Hope he is ok.
Only joking Cameron B if you are watching 😉
Read Terry Pratchett’s “The Truth”. Sums up newspaper journalism nicely.
Here’s the business story which ‘inspired’ the tweet at the start of this article.
http://archive.is/EBWan
A reaction to it from Ben Wray
.. the pandemic is changing many things, and apparently it has been the tipping point for the Scottish Government to enter talks about financial support for an industry that has been in peril for over a decade.
http://archive.is/e8Q1K
And definitely worth reading that churnalism article Stu linked to.
The Slow Death of Modern Journalism
http://archive.is/t75bs
And here’s someone else who thinks newspapers deserve to go out of business.
But not for the reason(s) you might expect!
http://archive.is/G16g4
As mentioned above by both Dorothy and Jason, taxpayers are already effectively assisting the predominantly Unionist MSM and their Peddlers O’ Pish through the “Local Democracy Reporter” / Local News Partnership scheme.
The BBC Local Democracy Reporter allocations unsurprisingly for Scotland in this case, show we get more than our proportional 10% UK share of Unionist biased propaganda merchants.
And yet you believe media fear covid campaign.
Don’t forget the sports churnalists who pretend rangers didnt die. We hate them too!
The lack of fitba/sport must be hitting the rags hard,
most folk you see at the newspaper stand are reading the back pages,
used to buy The National but the sport section was just filled with stupid fitba especially the usual rag obsession with old firm pish ad nauseam.
Kenny Farquharson’s reference to Stuart as ‘Wingsy’ kinda says it all, really.
Entitled, condescending and arrogant.
A year or so ago , the governments BBC announced that it was sending some of its journalists to work for newspapers
Never heard if that continues or not ?
But for sure since covid19 there has been much reduced advertising income and fewer newspaper sales across the board , we are now seeing more and more journalists being laid off but I’m sure many will have been FURLOUGHED so that they can be retained to continue the governments propoganda after covid19 , I wonder how many of them are breaking the furlough rules and continuing to work from home writing and preparing stories for thee future or for other journalists who have not been furloughed .
The panic can be seen in the ever more extreme stories being written , journalists every day write things that are clearly not true in fact many many comments are made on Facebook etc etc saying exactly that and corrections by the public are numerous.
It’s the beginning of the end for newspapers
A slow death
The smart people have left
The Daily record question…(err statement) to the FM was that the virus was out of control in the care home sector and the ‘r’ value was 10!…… FGS really?
They did the same yesterday too stating that the deaths in Scottish care homes was far worse than ‘darn Sarf’….Really?
This is hich is yet to be proven and today’s figures might well show the direct opposite.
Anyhoo!
The source quoted by the Record was the Prof Pennington who, lest we forget, laid his ‘9 of Diamonds ‘ on the table for the Unionist cause a while back.
FM was polite…and treated the question with puzzlement.. as is her wont and gave a straight answer….Bless.
Here is a better response.
https://archive.is/nTeYk
A comment I’ve just posted on the older page…
————————————————————–
The point I would make is that Emeritus (ie, retired) Professor Hugh Pennington, was a professor of bacteriology, not virology.
I know, from working in Ninewells Hospital, that the microbiology department is split into two components; bacteriology and virology.
A bacteriologist wouldn’t dare to tell a virologist how to do their job – and vice versa.
Why is this pensioner wheeled out to give his opinion on NOT his field of expertise?
The Scottish Government should set up a Scottish Airline, so we wouldn’t have to go anywhere near London, fly from Scotland and land in Scotland, when everything gets going again, start advertising over the world, so our tourist industry will be kept alive, not the english not the Welsh or the Irish but Scotlands tourist industry.
The state ,through the BBC, supply journalists to the major newspaper groups,
`The journalists are funded by the BBC as part of its latest Charter commitment but employed by news organisations.
At present 149 Local Democracy Reporters have been allocated to news organisations in England, Scotland and Wales.`
worth £40,000,000 over contract,
what the big newspaper organisations did was get rid of their overpaid hacks and use the cheap Local Democracy Reporters
all the Local Democracy Reporters share their news with each other and these sories can be used by any other paper/tv/radio that signs up as a partner,over 1000 different sources have signed up,
if you don`t sign up to be a partner you don`t get access,
the State has a say in all news,from small town weekly to UK daily broadsheet.
Just watched last nights Panorama, shocking stuff.
The lack of safety equipment for NHS staff and carers is it complete incompetence or just criminal.
This is a scandal there needs to be some heads rolling on this.
It’s a pity the NHS unions are crap.
Just wait till the papers get onto this…….oh no cancel that.
NZ has 1472 cases according to Worldmeter. Only 3 new cases. 19 deaths so far. It appears they got a grip on it but no such luck for us Scots living under an English Tory boot.
Scotland 10,721 cases according to SG statistics. No idea on how many have recovered but 1332 deaths according SG figures not counting deaths in the community or care homes.
NZ closed its Borders to all non Kiwis. Pity we couldn’t close our Border to non Scots eh???? Maybe some journalistic wit could ask why we didn’t or cant close our borders at tomorrows briefing.
I
I will not buy the Herald of National until I see a proper account of the Salmond trial.
Until then they can whistle dixi
They can cry all they like about unity and preservation of jobs. Many years ago I heard the same in the steel works and every other industry closed.
Suck it up journalists and remember the old Arab saying
“it is better to be the Englishman’s enemy then his friend. If you are his enemy he will try and buy you. If your are his friend he will sell you”
Grow some balls and do you job and I might listen!
Like the rest of the press, they have sold their soul!! FCUK THEM
Not just local papers receiving a hand from BBC.
https://twitter.com/pressgazette/status/1255078815036067841
Will it be the final betrayal if Nicola decides to subsidise the Unionist press we have been wracking our brains for years how to bring down?
David Leask and Penny Taylor have a regular weekly berth at R Scotland’s GMS every Sunday where they – wait for it – review the newspapers. In fact most of the programme these days is an endless series of journalists interviewing other journalists, mostly about “whither journalism”. I think they are beginning to smell a rat.
How dare you make money out of journalism!
The Scottish media’s focus on care homes is because they thought the numbers were worse in Scotland. Once it turns out they are not then the media will move on to hunt out the next media axiom.
@callmedave
With a R of 10 then after six iterations the number of cases in care homes will be 1,000,000, that’s about 30 days if we use 5 day for symptoms to develop, I think we are already past the 30 day mark. This number came from an octogenarian whose expertise is not virology, maybe we need a proper expert?
You PAY for those cartoons?
Just then.
Her indoors asks…red or blue?
Me…. Eh!…Hmm! Red!
Her… Ok I’ll take the blue one
Me…. Eh! What are you talking about?
Her…. I’ve ordered two masks + some filters
Me….. Ok!… 🙁 …..I’m off to bed.
Her…. You’ll be fine!
The Herald is on a suicide mission led by Tom Gordon.
Rev has got a bit in ‘The National’ I see on my digital version.
About what he wrote above. 🙂
Lights out!
Funny, not long ago there was consternation about Muslim women wearing a hiqab in Britnat country. Now we are all being advised to wear something similar, the irony will probably be lost on them.
‘From me to you’, I see the Chuckle Brothers are swapping calculators at Labour in Scotland. From someone who didn’t understand numbers to one that just makes them up, or is still using a reverse polish calculator (you have to be a certain age here) and doesn’t know how to use it.
Jfngw @ 11.55
At times like these one must take comfort where ye can…. 🙂
I bloody well love that “their”
Facial Recognition Technologies are going to be useless to them now.
We’ve all to cover our faces with a myriad of different styles and textures,even some eye protection is warranted….
This spying on the population ( probably the real reason to object to Muslim woman’s dress ) has just been disempowered… and while I’d rather have just conventionally fought it,as I would not have had this happen for anything!!
It’s one in the eye at least for those murdering bastards in Westminster
Let the unionist rags do their own fundraiser.
Les see how many unionists are prepared to put their own hand in their own pocket to subsidise their partisan outlets.
State (public) money should not be used. If it is then these newspapers are admitting they are not independent organisations but instruments of the state.
Which we know they are anyway.
I listen to the talk media podcast and one of the points often made is the regulation of the media compared to social media platforms.
People have some redress and can make a complaint, journalists have to work within the rules, while there’s nothing like that available for social media.In fact one of the biggest complaints I see is folk being sanctioned on Twitter for unknown reasons on social media while the official regulator is seen as toothless and inconsistent.
I’ve flitted between is The Sun and the D Record vying to become in these ‘difficult times’, the official Unionist paper or are they just struggling to to tread water ?
With the Herald going down the Swanee and the regulator ‘last shift after umpteen yrs’ now going to work at the Record‘ that’s been going on is there a concerted effort as it may class itself as a Labour paper but Labour /Tory what’s the difference when the Union comes first?
I’m assuming the fact TheHerald was dipping while P Hutcheon writing for them he’s not brought swathes with him?
As for the Sun, is it financial? We’re they not promoting it a few weeks ago at 55p or something ?
Either ways, even with all these award winning journalist, quite a lot of ppl I’ve spoken to on the phone have taken to making lunchtime 12.30 when the Scottish press conference is on so they hear what’s actually being said rather than reported.
The worrying thing for the media is, these folk were no voters and due to the lockdown have had time to watch and think and form opinions and it’s not a positive for the scribblers
Also there’s a good piece in the bylinetimes ( I cant link to it) about which ‘papers’ are being funded by the U.K. Govt and why?
“It is striking that, although Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove was quoted in the NMA announcement , no official statement on this use of public money has been made to Parliament “
(Because it follows that people prepared to pay to support honest journalism are more inclined to accept that an honest person won’t always agree with them on everything – indeed, that they almost certainly won’t.)
Either that or they’re mugs
I’ve stopped buying all newspapers, including the National. Too much “niche” interest if you get my meaning, not enough news. Thought provoking article Rev, keep them coming.
I got out of the putting on a suit, collar and tie and going into an office side of journalism just before my 60th birthday. I got a nice early redundancy package, and enough freelance work to keep me going.
I was lucky enough to get my State Pension at 65, so I cut back to covering a match on a Saturday, doing historical sports features and sporting obituaries, to augment the wonderfully-generous State Pension HM Government feels is our due.
I have seen the slow decline of the mainstream media; other long-serving and good journalists saying: “Enough,” and getting out early, to be replaced by inferior, less well-trained newcomers.
Freelance budgets have been cut even harder than staff numbers and the decline in the press has continued.
I fear for both The Herald and The Scotsman. There are sadly too-few good operators still in situ at both papers, but, they are struggling to keep a leaking ship afloat while the owners don’t give a shit.
Not long after I opted out of the daily treadmill, I was speaking to a long-serving Herald hack, who said: “There are still more of us in there who care, than there are those happy to take a wage,” that balance has now tipped the other way.
The end of both papers is nigh, I fear – and the owners have only themselves to blame.
My own speciality is sport, although, today in Scotland, “sport” means coverage of The Bigot Brothers – with the Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh papers concentrating, as they must, on their local sides. Nationally rugby coverage is now virtually in the hands of a single (very good) Edinburgh-based freelance, who works his socks off. Minor sports, which used to at least be supported by The Herald and Scotsman, now has all but vanished form the pages.
I note some posters mentioning the BBC’s Local Democracy Reporters – look, this initiative is nothing more than the BBc and the newspaper owners taking over the time-honoured local paper tradition of “the lineage pool.”
This was a system whereby someone in each local office – usually the Chief Reporter – was a conduit to the nationals and the BBC, sending up the line local stories which were interesting enough for the national market. He then got paid and in turn paid the reporter who had written the story.
Talented reporters who contributed heavily to these pools were, in turn, recruited by the national papers Today, since the nationals are not recruiting to the same degree, the new system keeps potential recruits sweet. However, the drawback is, between fewer troops int he front line, the new need to tweet and write Facebook stories, the poor kids at the coal face are being worked to death.
They bosses have done away with subs, the better-trained, more-experienced journalists who manned the desks and turned rough copy into readable stuff, so now you see an awful lot of shite getting into the papers, This further lowering of standards has led to a loss of circulation and a continuing downward spiral.
Then, there is the determination of the big groups to lie to Scotland, by pumping out Unionist propaganda – no wonder the mainstream is drying up, and, they’ve only themselves to blame.
I was filled with hope when the National was launched and subscribed on line as well as getting a daily copy and leaving it in the pub with the hope that someone would pick it up.
But sadly it has gradually become more and more “woke” and only seems to reflect the SNP party line.
Sad. But I guess that’s the way all papers are heading, masters of their own extinction.
Thanks for that Rev and welcome back.
Sharny Dubs @ 8.06
The National is the ONLY pro indy paper on news stands and we should buy it or lose it.
There are probably more articles from non SNP people than SNP.
Some folk on here can’t see the wood for the trees.
Poised for the Yoon pile in on Call Kaye over face covering
Well said Sinky. We must keep the National going – it’s far from perfect but it’s all we’ve got in the mainstream. Imagine the British nationalist gloating if about 50% of the population are denied a paper that at least gets near representing and expressing their feelings. Whatever you feel about the SNP and “wokeism” it’s an awful lot better than the alternatives! Glad to see you back Rev!
AberdeenPict 🙂
Sharny Dubs says:
29 April, 2020 at 8:06 am
…But sadly it has gradually become more and more “woke” and only seems to reflect the SNP party line.
Sad. But I guess that’s the way all papers are heading, masters of their own extinction.
I noticed that, with Kenny MacAskill being slagged off by some SNP student bellend in the Herald espousing hatred of Alex Salmond.
It seems a peculiar arrogance they have, faith they’re untouchable intermixed with desperate inability to read what genuine YES people are actually thinking.
When the fallout from the Alex Salmond conspiracy goes public, it is the plague of Wokists who will stubbornly dig in, and defy the SNP’s attempts to cleanse itself of this damaging infiltration, and which will make a new Independence Party virtually inevitable.
That new party won’t be restricting itself to list seats in Holyrood, but I hope it will adopt the Scottish Constitution and Popular Sovereignty of the people as it’s defining essence, and it’s the SNP which will find itself left behind as a pressure group contesting seats in a branch office of Westminster at the foot of the Royal Mile.
Only Scotland’s sovereign Constitution has the ultimate power necessary to emasculate all the tendrils of colonial British Union encroachment and subversion of Scotland’s rights and interests, and purge Scotland of these malignant impositions.
In generations to come, people will look back at the twenty years of Devolution as just the overture, the temporary intermediary step that had to be taken before the full resurrection of an Independent and fully robust Scottish Government which hasn’t drawn a breath on over 300 years.
When that happens, and I pray it happens quickly, (because it could happen quickly), the “Journal” of Scotland’s resurrected National Government will begin it’s first entry not as any continuation or evolution of the SNP or Holyrood itself, but as “Day 1….”.
Scotland’s Constitutional emancipation through the UN will not resurrect a Scottish Government. It will resurrect the sovereignty of the Scottish people as ascendant above all colonial imposters. When that happens, the form and composition of Scotland’s true Government will see the emergence of a whole new system of Government which is subservient to the will of the sovereign people. There is no existing constitution in either Holyrood or Westminster which can be adapted to accommodate that principle.
Scotland does not need Holyrood. Scotland needs International Recognition of Scotland’s Popular Sovereignty, our sovereignty being recognised as distinct from, and the Superior above, the contrived colonial constructs of the 1707 Union, the unwritten Convention of UK Parliamentary Sovereignty, AND all the colonial encroachment which Holyrood “Government” provides a front for.
Holyrood is just a bureaucratic beachhead in Westminster’s colonial subjugation of Scotland’s Constitutional birthright. Scotland needs to send it packing, or at the very minimum, bleach the velum of it’s constitution and re-write every word of the Holyrood Instruction Manual and Certificate of Ownership.
We can start all of this today Scotland. The Scottish Elections in 2021? Isn’t that a tune from the UK songbook? Do you see it yet Scotland? We can take our Constitution to the UN any time we’re ready. There is NOTHING binding us to 2021 elections. Freedom starts the day we take it and draw up our own timetable.
I vote we adopt a timetable whereby we still have time to drive a Constitutional stick into the spokes of Brexit. Such an action gives us, and the UN Committee, an URGENT and vital imperative to put Scotland’s petition for recognition at the front of the queue, before Brexit happens.
@ Sinky & Bill McLean,
How about we stop putting up with shite from the National!
If they are supportive of the woke-brigade, then they have taken a journalistic stance that goes against the wishes of over 95% of the people in Scotland. (The last online poll I saw was 99% against GRA).
If you agree with this stance then but the paper, however, if you don’t, tell them why you won’t be buying their paper.
The attack piece on Alex Salmond coming as it did, at the same time as several other attack pieces, suggests strongly to me, that the National is not on our side.
I won’t go near it now!
Breeks
Contrary to the often promoted view here, I, like many non-Scots that live in the UK am not a Unionist in the sense that word is bandied about here on Wings. The very common meme here is that if someone is not pro-Indy, then they are the enemy. That is a fatal flaw in so much of the thinking here.
At an International level, it is clear, known and apparent, that there was a referendum and that the democratic outcome was what it was. The notion that there is some latent empathy ready to respond to pro Indy folk without a referendum mandate is, I am afraid, totally false.
The only way to independence is through a referendum win for that proposition. Anything else is a complete non-starter.
As someone once said, “Events, dear boy, events….” and, at this particular time, “events” have conspired to make a referendum less likely in the next couple of years. CV19, oil, Brexit, Salmond, wokeness, SNP leadership issues, new parties, are all events that, I would say, make it less likely that a referendum could be won in the next 18/24 months.
Those that agree with that, need to therefore come up with a plan to win a referendum then – not now. Appealing to international institutions to support a position in contradiction to the demonstrated will of an electorate will achieve nothing.
Will the Britnats swallow the ‘our handling of the crisis has been a success, even exemplar, other countries are in awe of it’. Of course they will it is in the psyche, they believe this country is the greatest in the world, no matter what the evidence is.
They believe Dunkirk was in effect a victory not the rout it was in reality, they celebrate it. They believe GB won WWII single handedly, not that it was in effect the Russians and Americans that turned the tide. They will believe anything that reinforces their inbuilt delusions, they even believe the BBC is the best broadcaster in the world not a government financed mouthpiece.
It is obvious that when an ‘expert’ is wheeled out by the media he is there to push a Government line .The clue?Hugh Pennington Bacteriolist because the media think we are all daft.I might not be popular here but you know I make sense on this subject.Have you all noticed how keen offialdom and TV advertisers are to get us to accept a downgraded lifestyle ? A new normal?
Health passports which,if true,would set up a two tier society where Government can blackmail you while you are locked up ,into agreeing to an antibody test. If we refuse we are kept under House arrest. Our leaders have a neoliberal agenda.Ms Sturgeon stinks of Atlantic Council.Ive noticed George Galloway,Ill wait till you have finished spitting, always interviews a Surgeon about covid.He is clearly shilling for a higher power much like Sturgeon goon show. What the fuck does a Surgeon know about virology?
British constitutional practice lacks coherence and compatibility with international law. Subsequently, the international rule-of-law does not apply to Brexitania and those living in Scotland are denied unfettered access to human rights.
British constitutional practice oppresses. International law emancipates. Dave doesn’t want Scotland to enjoy liberty of choice.
Breaks at 9.12am.
Could not agree more with your comments. Scotland’s sovereignty is not constrained to a subsidiary parliament at Hollyrood dependent on its Westminster master.
That the SNP, or at least the leadership, have become compromised and or complacent in the role of governors general for their masters in Westminster it is no surprise that they have sold out on independence, sold out on Brexit, sold out on taking the lockstep COVID 19 approach, and have become hostile to the wider independence movement, the forthcoming Salmond revelations will ensure that the current format of the SNP will be at an end.
The movement and the desire for independence is stronger now than it has ever been. The time is now. Brexit and the economic chaos that disastrous virus policy occasioned will see to that – and of course the Salmond expose’ will be the catalyst for a new party and an aligned movement.
The wokes, the comfortable troughers, and the down right compromised will be left behind in a rump that counts for nothing.
And Sturgeon, an able First Minister, albeit a compromised First Minister, her legacy will be one of will be the ignominy of a politician who sold her country short and who resorted to the darkest of political deeds.
She will be but a footnote in history.
Hi Sensibledave at 10:04 am.
You opined,
“The only way to independence is through a referendum win for that proposition. Anything else is a complete non-starter.”
No, it’s not the only way. At the next Holyrood election, if 1, 2 or 3 parties have in their manifesto(s) that if a majority of pro-independence MSPs are elected to the Scottish Parliament, then independence can be declared, the Sovereign Scottish voters, by electing a pro-indy majority to the parliament, will have made their feelings known.
@sensibledave
Many countries have become independent from the UK, could you list those that achieved this through a referendum.
The only way to independence is ref., anything else is an non starter really??? William Wallace Michael Collins ???
Patrick Roden at 0954 – i’m afraid you didn’t read my post very carefully Patrick. I did make comment re shortcoming of the National. However, I do not believe there is a “woke” or an anti-Alex conspiracy hidden in it’s pages. Again, I ask you and others to look carefully at the alternatives and the effect that losing the National would have on our cause. There are people, some of whom, post here, it would appear would see the loss of the National as a great victory for British nationalism. Remember that what you may see as an attack on Alex may not be a majority view of readers of the paper. Unfortunately some independence supporters are being taken in by these posters! None of this divide and rule is new! I may be more disappointed than you with the apparent lack of movement to independence, that I want desperately, as I cannot have too many years left.
My opinion, but I would ask you to be careful if you care for the future of our country!
Willie, Brian & Jfngw
It is not a surprise to any of us that we disagree.
Jfngw … can you name a democratic country that has split from another democratic country, in modern times, without a referendum? No other mandate will do.
Some cheering news in these dark times, her Gracious Majesty the Queen will on the 8th of May address the Nation to mark VE Day.
One of the few advantages of being a colony we get to watch the Queen address the nation.
This has raised my spirits what about the rest of the gang on here?……what no one?
Disappointed.
Gord bless the Queen and all she does for us wretched proles.
Sensibledave says:
29 April, 2020 at 10:33 am
Willie, Brian & Jfngw
It is not a surprise to any of us that we disagree.
Jfngw … can you name a democratic country that has split from another democratic country, in modern times, without a referendum? No other mandate will do.
Czechoslovakia and the Velvet Divorce.
Treaty law stands above national law. Brexit shits on Treaty Law. The yoonyawn is legally dead.
I wonder if the english (spit) will give us the same shite that Scotland could never survive without their broad shoulders and their money once the Indy debate comes back to the top of the agenda.
Brexit and Covid19 are going to kill england stone dead and would surely shut the bastards up once and for all.
Scotland is screaming out for strong leadership and I hope to God people like Alex Salmond, Joanna Cherry, Craig Murray, Rev Stu and many others (including our very own Breeks) are working behind the scenes as we speak, to get this new Party up and running.
At the moment we are leaderless, rudderless, Partyless,,,and every other “less” you can think of.
One thing is for sure, this new Party will never be short if footsoldiers and activists.
Blair
Are you seriously suggesting war is the answer? Just for one moment, can you stop and pretend that you actually are a democrat and take into account the views of all Scots. Just so I know, in your preferred option, in the civil war in Scotland, how many people die to decide the winning position. Having won the civil war and oppressed those democrats in Scotland that might have preferred a referendum, does the rest of the world welcome the outcome with open arms or does the armed insurrection cause the international community to be a little circumspect?
Admiral
… nope, splitting from a communist dictatorship isn’t quite the same.
We need to start singing our songs – I remember the best of them from my schooldays and the national song book.
We sang with heart then , time to do so again.
Despite numerous attempts to enlighten dave as to the principles of international law, liberal constitutionalism, and justice and stuff, dave continues to deny Brexitania is a tyranny, as it imposes English political will on Scotland. If ever there was a man who needed help to escape their own personal chauvinism, it’s dave.
An Ontological (re)Thinking: Ubuntu and
Buddhism in Higher Education
https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3439&context=gradschool_dissertations
Molly at 1.59am , Here is the link to the Byline Times article
https://bylinetimes.com/2020/04/28/the-government-is-giving-away-your-money-to-the-mail-and-the-sun/
The whole setup around the press now is rotten to the core and that goes for the tories as well.
I occasionally buy the National now but only for the reason that at least gives some Indy supporting columnists a voice or we wouldn’t get to hear from them in any other newspapers .
BoJo is looking for a strong Unionist woman to be God Mother to his new born english (spit) offshoot,,,I suggested Nicola Sturgeon to him.
Sensibledave says:
29 April, 2020 at 10:46 am
Admiral
… nope, splitting from a communist dictatorship isn’t quite the same.
It wasn’t a dictatorship, communist or otherwise, at the time of the dissolution. Communism ended in 1989/90.
Dorothy Devine 10.47am
What a facsinating post,,what National song book would that have been,,,,can you elaborate and give us details of it.
I went through school in the 70s and don’t remember any National song book.
Jackie,Jackie (spit) you really do overdo the talking shite bit. You have got to be subtle if you are pretending to be an Indy supporter and not someone trying to get the world and my aunty to believe that all the Scots want is to hate the English.
England is not a democracy, it never has been
England bases it’s constitution on a lie that they are actually a Monarchy, and a Monarchy is a dictatorship by right of birth or position, and that right of the Monarchy in England was passed to the English parliament who by inventing the position of *Prime Minister* created the position of Monarch all over again but by a different name
King Boris Johnson, what’s so hard to understand about that
At the time of Indyref the ‘Scottish’ press chose to ignore the groundswell and stick with the establishment propaganda.
How’s the Vow doing?
I remember an ‘article’ in the Daily Retard which portrayed Alex Salmond as Jabba The Hut. Clearly an intellectual tour de force on the part of their resident journos.
That they and their sycophantic contemporaries are now faced with compromise and uncertainty should be of (absolutely no) concern to us all.
The odour emanating from Civil Service Scotland continues to permeate the ‘Scottish’ Press.
R.I.P. Ian Bell
@Sensibledave 10:04am
You might find Craig Murray’s first podcast “The Declaration of Arbroath, and the Way Forward Now’ useful.
craigmurray.org.uk – 07 April 2020
Excellent article Rev, the printed press in my opinion won’t really be missed, though I would miss the National.
Meanwhile Kevin McKenna, in that very paper, points out that the SNP hierarchy have kicked independence into the long grass, to the delight of London.
McKenna points out something that some of us already know, and to others, that its beginning to dawn on.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/18411891.snp-need-nasty-operator-put-independence-back-table/
Thanks MaggieC,
I can shop but my tech skills are limited .
Like you I buy the National back and forward but always buy it on a Sunday. I like the columnists, my other half likes the crossword .in fact that’s become a bit of a family Sunday thing (hat tip to Mr B, a whole book of your crosswords would go down well at Xmas) .
Czechoslovakia not only split into two separate countries without a referendum
A referendum would probably have returned a ‘no’ vote on separation.
http://archive.is/iI1A
For those saying the National is not an Independence supporting newspaper, I would point them to today’s long article by Kevin McKenna where he is scathing about the group of GRA activists who are wielding such influence on policy and “who have decoupled the party from independence which now comes a distant second to biological and medical reality”. He urges Nicola to get back to the core issue Independence.
The National is a newspaper, not a party pamphlet, and, as Stu says, it will often write things which we may disagree with but it supports independence.
Would you rather it didn’t exist and the newsstands were a sea of Unionism?
@Molly (11.47) –
Thank you very kindly!
😉
Great post Breeks!
Still waiting for politicians to decide your fate?
@ Fireproofjim @ 12.02pm
I agree…irrespective of who their sister papers are…because not everyone reads sites such as this….
For the benefit of Jackie, there WAS a National songbook in the forties and fifties when I was at primary school.
It was all Scottish songs such as Robert Burns, Jacobite songs, traditional border ballads and a lot of others. It must have been part of the curriculum as we had an hour every week.
We looked forward to it and I can still remember all the words of Scots Wha Hae, Hey Johnny Cope, Flow Gently Sweet Afton, and lots more.
There was a purge of Scottish history by the sixties, when Modern Studies took its place and the Scottish songs seem to have disappeared about the same time.
Good to see you back on the wires Dr Jim. I trust that you were well. Maybe like the Rev you’ve been taking a small break.
Here is a report by Dr Allyson Pollock and Louisa Edgar Harding into Coronavirus and how the Scottish and UK governments were so under prepared, and initially wilfully dismissive of the crisis.
It is grim reading.
https://www.scer.scot/database/ident-12745
Otherwise, good to see you back.
Sir Career Stammer Knight Commander of the Brutish Empire,
“Politicians were mostly people who’d had too little morals and ethics to stay lawyers.”
Scotland needs someone like Breeks in control some great thoughts.
Fireproofjim, the National Song Book was our big favourite but we had to sing hideous things like The Trout and Blow the Wind Southerly before we got to sing all those you mentioned and more .
I too can sing word perfect so when we next have a march for Independence you and I could duet – only if you promise that you are as rotten a singer as I!
Dorothy Devine
It’s a date. Soon I hope.
Me too!
Sensibledave .As Brian doonthetoon said at 10.18am, a Scottish general election returning a majority of pro indy msp’s is the only democratic mandate Scotland needs for independence. Which will be recognised by the UN or anyone else.
Missed the Scottish briefing but will catch up.
But I see some figures from Scotland’s NRS: Coronavirus.
BBC
Hospital deaths…………………. 52% of total
Car Homes………………………. 39% of total
Within the home or other place……. 10% of total (101%)????
WM will do likewise this afternoon.
Your call with Kaye this morning on the masks! Car radio! 🙂
Lots of “But Hugh says” from Kaye and a few more callers opting for the remark “Going with Pennington….because’
PS:
Look out , look out Gordons about.
Coronavirus: Gordon Brown to assist Wales’ after pandemic
https://archive.is/Ny8TM
Before we start ranting on about the preparedness of the SG and NHS Scotland, what the FM should have done instead licking boris’s arse and dancing to Westminsters tune.
I think firstly you need to find out when exactly the FM was told, for example the bbc was told about the Scottish budget before the SG, it’s not the only example. The Cabinet was briefed in 2019 regarding the threat of a pandemic, either Jack or Mundell new, did they pass the information on to the SG. Nicola put back her speech to 31st January, was it because that was when she was told. The SG could only have looked at an alternative strategy if they been given 1) time and 2) were given a heads up on the UK planning. She wasn’t invited to the first three Cobra meetings, does that look like keeping the SG in the loop, and even if she had been invited she wouldn’t have been allowed to speak.
To the best of my knowledge there hasn’t been the major shortages in PPE in Scotland anywhere near the level in England and testing can only be done if you have fit for purpose kit and don’t have to start from scratch in sourcing it.
Sometimes you wish you hadn’t been so curious. 🙂 FGS!
Reverse Polish Notation Calculator: referenced in a post yesterday to Jackie Baillie!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN8LPIcY6K4
I’m sure Jackie Baillie new finance spokesperson will be fine.
Dr Jim
Do you actually believe the tosh that you write?
We have a monarchy by consent … that is the only reason it exists.
“A Monarchy is a dictatorship … blah, blah”? A dictator rules through absolute power. As you well know, the Queen only signs off on laws presented by Parliament as a result of the democratic process.
I am no great fan of the monarchy but, your description of our monarchy is unrecognisable. The alternative is having a President, and that’s even worse it appears.
VE Day celebrations will include an address from Her Majesty thanking us all for our sacrifice and fortitude, followed by a rendition of Vera Lynn singing “Whale Meat Again”.
Boris Johnston will reprise his ever popular Winston Churchill tribute speech accompanied by Carrie & Son on the steps of Downing Street. The Mall will be festooned by a sea of Union Jacks and a squadron of Red Arrows will flypast streaming red white and blue vapour trails.
Everyone will get a medal. The Daily Mail will die of ecstasy.
In Edinburgh, a lone piper will play his eerie lament from the castle battlements. Etc etc etc.
Mike 1.57
…. it’s not me you have to convince Mike. It’s the 55% of your fellow country folk that you want to ignore. It’s a recipe for disaster and, if you stopped to think for a minute, you would know that.
If it’s a good idea, if the people of Scotland want it, then they will vote for it in a single issue referendum.
BBC website headline…’Coronavirus in Scotland: Half of deaths now in care homes’. 39% is ‘Half’ ??
@Bill McLean:
You make some good points and make them well, so I will give it some consideration.
Please do a fundraiser this year, if not just for a laugh but equally to dement those who hate! Put the money in Bitcoin!
It is clear that dave’s only concern is the maintenance of “nationalist” tradition. His desire appears so strong that he is determined to justify totalitarianism (see Brexit). Dave’s a Tory.
web.usm.my/kajh/vol23_2_2016/kajh23022016_05.pdf
The scabby barsturd Tory arswipes all over SKY News taking absolute shite without any interruptions , That fkr Gove wants a right fkn dose of something fatal , along with Mudell that creepy twisted stain on humanity. As for this pish about Johnston it’s enough to make you bloody sick , who gives a f/k about him and his latest bloody offspring he can’t remember how many he’s got so what’s the excitement about another one .
@Willie, 12.43
Thanks for the link. The writing reminds me of the Rev’s – forensic, bang on target. It raises a lot of questions about the epic incompetence on display and the unwillingness to learn from the good practice implemented by other nations. It is an essential read.
robert graham
Couldn’t agree more. I watched as Sky boosted that toxic piece of shite (Gove). This is what a fascist state looks like folks. Time to get moving peeps.
Sensibledave says:
29 April, 2020 at 2:49 pm
Mike 1.57
…. it’s not me you have to convince Mike. It’s the 55% of your fellow country folk that you want to ignore. It’s a recipe for disaster and, if you stopped to think for a minute, you would know that.
——————————————————————
It’s not 55% Dave, the majority of Mikes fellow countrymen voted YES in 2014, it was the majority of YOUR countrymen that turned the vote against us who if they had any moral decency would have abstained from voting
A very powerful piece by Craig Murray today, comparing the West’s ability to wage war, massive waste of money and mass murder (not “collateral damage”), compared to the preparedness (lack of) for the very predictable cyclical pandemics:
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2020/04/backing-the-wrong-horseman/
An independent Scotland would add just that much more weight to the voice of dissent against this unbalanced madness and is yet another reason why its imperative we keep on pushing.
I truly hope that in the very near future we can stop chopping trees to print yesterday’s news.
And books, that are destined to collect dust in a pretentious shelf after having been read once, or are completely useless as reference material because it’s time wasting searching for any information.
If you know where that info is in a 300 pages tome, you already know what’s written there.
Vinyl is making a return for nostalgic reason, not because it’s practical or environmentally friendly.
We can have a room full of LPs loaded in the smartphone in our pocket, with all the books we need, all the news websites we want, all the TV series we like, right now.
Outlaw the printed media. It’s time.
Sensibledave. So a democratic pro indy vote is a ‘recipe for disaster?’ Sorry I even wasted my time replying to you. Goodbye!
All BBC figures for the four countries for hospital deaths are available now.
WM update today will publish the additional deaths for care homes and ‘at home’ locations. This will be shown separately.
Scotland …………today………83……..Total……1415 BBC
Wales…………….today………73……..Total…….886 BBC
N. Ireland………..today………09……..Total…….338 BBC
England…………..today……..445……..Total…..19740 BBC
================================================================
No BBC figures but the MSM sources estimating ………22123
Patrick at 0259. Thanks for that and I never mean to be prescriptive. As we get older the certainties are never quite the same. Good luck Patrick and I hope to live to see Scotland’s independence. Here’s a wee thought Sensibledave who posts here most days claims he is not for or against Scottish independence, he is mostly polite but occasionally he get overborne and puts people down. I have suggested to him before that if Scotland is not his interest he and HYFUD allocate what time they have on English web sites in an effort to help their own country – God knows they need it down here! Stand by for Sensible’s withering response – I look forward to it!
Sorry folks – it’s an age thing. With regard to sensible I meant to add “so why is he here”? Worth a thought or two???
Robert Graham
Gosh, you sound a really miserable fellow.
Cheer up.
It’s not as bad as that.
You’re still alive, I hope.
Posted these on the wrong thread, so repeated.
The deaths attributed to the virus in Scotland (2272 NRS, daily total 1249 on Sunday) are 82% higher than the daily totals. If this is true for the rest of the UK, why wouldn’t it be, the total is 39600 for the UK, 35,100 in England using yesterdays 28th April totals.
So many deaths, the BBC leads on concubines baby, Robert Peston expresses his man love for Boris, Laura Kuenssberg is believed to be watching ‘The Hand That Rocks The cradle’.
” Patsy says:
28 April, 2020 at 4:02 pm
The only thing I miss from the Herald is the Wee Stinker (I’ve got two t-shirts) but since its compiler died recently (fondly remembered) I think I could live without it quite happily.”
I hadn’t realised Myops had passed away as I haven’t bought the Herald for years. I also bought it only on a Monday for the Wee Stinker and once I had a tshirt I was happy and never bought it again. Shite paper now, like the rest of them.
The self appointed Wings gatekeepers are fuckin pains in the arses.
Example,,,,
Famous15 has made ONE contribution today, to call me out on a post I made earlier. That has been his sole contribution today.
Famous15
Ayeright
Robbo
All loyal Sturgeonistas.
All fuckin pains in the prick.
Start lobbing in a couple of suggestions of how we can move the Indy Movement forward, instead of sitting there like brainless guard dogs waiting to attack any post that doesn’t pass the Nicola Sturgeon route to Independence.
Sturgeon is a loser,,,a bit like her supporters right here on Wings.
You know who you are,,,and your group of Sturgeonistas grows smaller by the day.
One thing the Sturgeonistas have in common is that they are either english (spit),,,or they are married to or related to somebody who is english (spit).
Like Sturgeon and her english Granny,,, they prefer Devolution to Independence.
Cheers Stu,
Let us know if you need to start a fundraiser.
I agree that a bit of a hiatus is on the cards.
Maybe I’m being a bit of a dafty but I think the indy vote is sneaking up by the week.
I’ll put in a modest amount for Craig Murray tomorrow.
Ah! Big Auntie news carefully leading us along a road that the England deaths in hospitals are falling and care home deaths are rising so the proportion on deaths in care homes deaths V hospital deaths may be similar to that in Scotland of about 50%.
Of course they never qualified the Scottish figures care home death figures with the same logic earlier this morning.
Good old Auntie. 🙂
Anyhoo! We will all be on the same page soon.
Stopped buying The National when they joined in the AS witch-hunt and gave the Alphabet Women a platform to continue their post-jury trial campaign of smear and innuendo.
Print media? A plague on all their houses!
@ The Buchan Loonie – the BBC has two stats for deaths in care homes.
1 The official figures reveal that 39% of fatalities have so far occurred in care homes with 52% happening in hospital.
BUT in one week, week ending 20th April, the following happened:
2 But 51.52% of deaths in the week ending 20th April were in care homes.
Now it may be that that was the week when NRS updated care home stats and added an unusually large number to the total. I wouldn’t put it past the BBC to latch on to that to construct a narrative about high percentage of deaths in Scottish care homes.
They are ever desperate to make Scotland out to be a terrible place.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-scotland-52354668
There are still far too many people dying however and it must very stressful for friends, family and staff.
Oh FFS…
Jackie! Change the bloody record!
Dorothy Devine,,fireproofjim
What a brilliant idea,,, getting out youngsters to have time allocated at school for Scots Songs and even Scots history.
Something that was never even spoke about when I was at school.
I got 1066,,,the great fire of London,,,Clive of India,,the opium wars,,,the corn laws and many other english events after 1707.
Anything pre 1707 that happened in Scotland was just NEVER mentioned.
I first saw the numbers 1314 at a Scotland England game,,and had to ask someone what did those numbers mean,,,I had never heard of anything of importance happening on that date.
Scottish Education Authorities must have been told by London to teach only of events that happened after 1707.
Dirty lowlife bastards, denying Scots children the right to know the history of their own country.
BBC pre-warns several thousand deaths of a spike! 🙁
robertknight
Another english Sturgeonista
Effijy says:
28 April, 2020 at 11:05 pm
I have a couple of predictions to make on the UK’s Hospital only Covid Death totals.
In 5 days time the total UK Covid Hospital Death total will exceed Frances National Death Total.
In 7 Days the Spanish National Covid death total.
In 14 days the UK hospital
Graeme 3:21 pm
You wrote “It’s not 55% Dave, the majority of Mikes fellow countrymen voted YES in 2014, it was the majority of YOUR countrymen that turned the vote against us who if they had any moral decency would have abstained from voting”
Is it SNP (or whichever independence party you are supporting today) policy to only allow democracy to pure blood Scots?
That’s an “interesting” approach Graeme. I think a similar approach was tried abroad, somewhere in Europe, in the 1930s. It didn’t end well.
Mike d 3:51 pm
You wrote “So a democratic pro indy vote is a ‘recipe for disaster?’ Sorry I even wasted my time replying to you. Goodbye!”
No Mike, that isn’t what I wrote.
I wrote quite clearly “It’s the 55% of your fellow country folk that you want to ignore” … that is a recipe for disaster.
Sensibledave
If anyone here is an enemy of democracy, it’s you with your right-wing populism. Your failure to acknowledge that Brexit annihilates a legal respect for equality in yoonyawn, tells me you’re not an honest individual. It strongly indicates your judgement is grounded in your own self-gratification. Want me to go full psychoanalytical on your ass?
Deaths outside hospital of virus
Scotland 1023 (to Sunday 26th)
England 3811 (to Tues 28th)
Do we spot something suspicious about these figures, either Scotland is doing really badly in the community or the England figures are not correct (they would be around 10,000 on population size).
Since Scotland hospital death figures are half of England’s per head of population then it seems unlikely their figures outside hospital would be so much better.
Congratulations to DePeffle on jumping up another 2 places on the global
Covid Death league today.
He has leaped of the totals of France and Spain and still going up the charts.
Only the USA and Italy ahead at the moment out of over 200 Nations.
Know the Tories forte in lying, manipulating and burying figures- people too of course,
I have every confidence that the UK Death tally is already greater than Italy’s by with the
Massive USA population first place for death by incompetence will be Trumps and his blind Barnet
Buddy Bojo can take deaths silver medal.
The BBC while broadcasting the latest Downing St briefing of shame announcing massive death numbers are using 10 breaking news banners.
I banner relates to poor economic figures for the US
The next 9 are all relating to Bojo’s latest bastard being born?
That is absolutely disgusting that such great focus is given to such a minor event, is it his 7th sprog,
While so many deaths and PPE shortages are being presented.
I’m totally discussed with all things English.
Their Parliament, their government, their PM, their Media and the abuse of their citizens
and it’s neighbouring colonies.
Get them out of here!
@Sensibledave 5:19 pm
Yawn, with you being a supposed democrat, what are your thoughts on Westminster’s various differing voter franchises? Seems they are happy to restrict the voting rights of 16 & 17 year olds, EU Nationals, and anybody else when it suits them.
Scottish elections have a broader range of eligibility for Scots to determine our government of choice and referenda, so shouldn’t you be busy campaigning to address this matter
No? Thought not, selective arguments are what you are all about.
#NoTaxationWithoutRepresentation
fngw says:
29 April, 2020 at 5:30 pm
Deaths outside hospital of virus
Scotland 1023 (to Sunday 26th)
England 3811 (to Tues 28th)
Do we spot something suspicious about these figures, either Scotland is doing really badly in the community or the England figures are not correct (they would be around 10,000 on population size).
1) The FT has more information.
2) Scotland’s previous CMO issued specific instructions that where certifying physicians/GP suspected that coronavirus may have been a factor in death, that should be recorded on death certificates, even in the absence of tests.
3) There is anecdotal evidence that GPs in England are being discouraged from putting coronavirus on death certificates as a factor or suspected cause of death.
Anglo centrism is the issue stupiddave. It’s not difficult for you to twist the meaning of others’ posts on here. It’s your hobby.
You switch between being ‘british’ and ‘english’ depending on how offended you are by scottish people talking amongst themselves about their culture, which is actually different from yours.
Those incomer english did in fact tilt the ref14 vote, precisely because they are ‘british’ ‘english’ anglo centric in their ‘outlook’, not the same shared culture as scots at all and they benefit from all the benefits of living in Scotland which they don’t have access to in england whilst retaining their ‘feeling of’ ‘britishness’.
And while we’re on the subject of blood and soil, never has there been a country so utterly shamefully racist and xenophobic as England stupiddave. Your country literally voted to shoot themselves in the foot rather than have any more foreigners work in their farming fields. So maybe just stfu attempting to project your own ‘natural’ condescension on to the those who wouldn’t even dream of ‘categorising’ others in the twisted manner you attempt to accuse them of on here.
The English are known universally for their sense of ‘exceptionalism’, don’t make out you’re not aware of that, it’s writ large over the entire history of the last at least 500 years, ya great big plonking dummy.
Sensibledave at 5:28 pm
Still living in the past with your 55% shite I see.
How many Westminster elections have there been since then that ignore the Fixed Term Parliament Act because events occurred…
Events like the EU Ref… where Westminster denied EU Nationals and 16 & 17 year olds a vote, but even with a restricted franchise Scotland still voted 62% to Remain.
Material change in circumstances kicks in off the back of that so a true democrat like yourself should respect that but you can’t can you, hence why you piss about on here like a broken record with your 55 % and OIAG pish.
Bolt ya radge.
ONS figures show that 7316 people during the 16th week of 2020 died in carehomes in England. The ONS projection figures of deaths in the UK overall show that they could be the highest in Europe.
Of course the five weeks that Johnson went missing from the Cobra meetings and the downgrading of the virus to save on supplying PPE to the NHS, along with the preposterous idea of herd immunity is more than likely the causes that will lead to the UK having the highest death figures from the virus in Europe.
Sturgeons submissiveness to be led by the nose by Westminster (no surprise to those who read your blog and that of Craig Murray) surely must have contributed to the some of the deaths in Scotland.
This pandemic, has shown clearly that Health devolved to Scotland doesn’t actually mean very much, and that London still calls the shots. Far more worrying though is Sturgeons compliance to Westminster, her handling of this virus has shown us all that her punchinello strings are very short indeed.
In my opinion she’s been given more airtime by the unionist media, because she’s been rumbled by many over the Alex Salmond fiasco. This extra airtime in to endear her to the public, and keep her high in the poll ratings and at the head of the SNP.
Meanwhile those who report the facts such as yourself, and (Craig Murray) are under the unionist cosh, a cosh carried in the hand that resides in Holyrood.
10 yrs of austerity
Brexit: no devolved countries permitted to attend talks.
Borrowing levels on the up.
uk gov,not bothered about Cygnus outcome.
Brexit happens, not a peep.
SG on wm witch hunts
Virus hits, uk unprepared.
rishi comes out with 330bn? did they put that by, for a rainy day?or borrow it?
Borrowed on the back of what?
SG still not permitted in withdrawal talks.
30,000 oil n gas jobs at risk?
Last week someone put a post up about 3 private aircraft, trawling up and down the west coast of Scotland, while all other flights were grounded.
Have the uk gov been planning since discovery of the said fields, to make sure Scotland gives away another oil fund.
uk gov borrowing on the back of that?
Jeez,yer mind wanders on lockdown, thoughts folks?
I see James Kelly is having the mother of all tantrums on Twitter because his window cleaner turned up to do his job. Lad is going to give himself an aneurysm ranting and raving about the perils of trans-glass transmission. He’s probably just raging the poor fella got in the way of James’s daily curtain twitching. The boy needs a clear view for his binoculars if he’s going to report on how his neighbour’s 70 minute walk will cause a genocide of the grannies.
Can’t wait to see the sort of tantrum he snivels up when the Wings Party (in whatever iteration it takes) proves him wrong next year.
Sensibledave @5.19
You know full well that you own country used that very method at the EU referendum.
Your Governmentd denied 100’s of thousands of UK resident “Untermenschen” and “Ausländers” a vote.
It is undeniable that English culture has had a post-colonial breakdown. This has been encouraged by a decade of austerity, which traumatised and primed the English public to consider xenophobia and Euro-scepticism as rational.
https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/how-psychoanalysis-can-help-us-make-sense-of-brexit/
If I just heard correctly, and I just rechecked what Vicki Young said on the BBC news ‘using scroll back feature’, the Care home deaths are only those which have involved a proper corona virus test. (England)
It means that care home deaths where corona virus is a contributory factor written on the death certificate in good faith have NOT been included in today’s figures.
As we know in Scotland any mention of corona virus on a death certificate will be included in the corona virus total.
Good old Westminster again using smoke and mirrors.
How do you like them English apples not counted in with the English pears.
That will be the key to those who thought the numbers should have be larger.
Some journalist will probe into this discrepancy no doubt.
🙁
There we go again on big Auntie news.
The Scottish correspondent just states 39% of corona virus deaths occur in care home deaths but doesn’t qualify that that number includes those who died in care homes but were never tested but have corona virus on the death certificate.
Get the picture?
Bill
To respond to your last question first … the answer to that has been agreed by everyone. Its because I am spy, I am paid by HMG to harrass enemies of the Union through a combination of brilliantly incisive insight, wit, intelligence, logic and dogged perseverence and, occasionally, upgrading my responses to being more robust and straightforward in nature – as may be required from time to time to deal with those that fall into the “extreme nut job” category. I hope I can trust you to keep this confidential.
With regard to your first point, there are around 650 odd constituencies represented in my one and only government. The government I get is a result of the votes in all those constituencies. Sometimes I get the government I vote for, sometimes I don’t.
I see you as someone that may “get” the concept of democracy, so you will follow and understand what write next.
I am a very big believer in one person, one vote, i.e. democracy. My Government is the result of that system. That sytem needs to be protected and my personal rights need to be maintained. I need to know that in a one man, one vote system, other voters do not claim more rights than me. I cannot countenance a situation where the one man, one vote system has a “special category” of voters that are allowed to veto a majority decision.
A referendum on Scottish Independence was announced and held and you know the outcome. I really didn’t mind which way it went. I am proud of my country and its people and I know we will be fine whether Scotland, Wales, or NI is part of, or not part, of the United Kingdom. Again, I really don’t mind. If I was personally interested in jerrymandering the system then I would be very much for Scottish Independence as a route to reducing further, the chances of my Government being made up of leftie nut jobs.
The result of the indyref, meant that Scottish citizens chose to maintain the same status and rights, in the UK, as me.
Then there was a one man, one vote, UK referendum on the EU. In my costituency, an overwhelming majority of voters voted to Remain in the EU. Indeed, in greater numbers than in many constituencies in Scotland. But I, and many other voters in England, Wales, Northern Ireland … and Scotland, were outvoted by other citizens that took part in the one man, one vote referendum.
Its that thing about democracy … loosers consent. I, and my fellow constituents were out voted. I might add, that if Leave voters in Scotland had voted Remain .. then the result of the referendum would have been reversed. Tens of millions of English folk’s future would have been determined by Scots. Those were the rules. That’s the democracy under which the votes were held. All were free and fair (and spare me the arguments about nasty politicians telling porkies – twas ever thus, in every vote or election).
Over the last few years, my elected government has had a particularly difficult time carrying out decisions made by the majority of people of the UK. The SNP and Labour used their power, in Westminster, to prevent the outcome of the referendum being implemented. The SNP MPs that sit in the Parliament that makes the laws that govern me consistantly voted to prevent the outcome of the EU referendum from happening. They nearly succeeded. Again, it could have turned out very differently, very easily.
Many commenters on these pages cannot conceive of someone operating to higher ideals then personal preference. From the moment the EU referendum result was announced, then I knew we must Leave and get the best deal we can when we leave – and we will be fine.
I have stated recently on these threads that it is my view that the reason Ms Sturgeon isnt/hasnt pushed for indyref2 is because she knows that it probably cannot be won at this time. Too many other “events” and uncertainties mean that Project Fear 2 would make PF1 look like a picnic. Why else, realistically, would she put up with the c**p she is getting from the likes of many posters on here. She cares about the cause and knows that she has one more shot at it … and much as many hate the words, now is not the time that it can be won.
It is not looking good for those of you who own a Pub, a Cinema, a Gym, a Football Club or anywhere that involves close human contact because you are going to feel the full brunt of this Crisis.
This Virus is here for the term and I can’t see the UK government being able to continue this wages top up or even Universal Credit payments.
I wonder if the Cooncil Chamber at Holyrood could maybe help Scottish businesses out financially?
Scotland should maybe look at New Zealand to see how a small independent Nation can come out of lockdown far quicker than a badly organised larger Nation, (like england for example)
But Sturgeon wants to be in “lock step” with her beloved england.
Her car crash reign as leader of the Independence Movenent in Scotland goes from bad to worse.
You fooled us once Sturgeon…
Cambelt
You wrote “It is undeniable that English culture has had a post-colonial breakdown. This has been encouraged by a decade of austerity, which traumatised and primed the English public to consider xenophobia and Euro-scepticism as rational.
… and you sir, are a complete t*t!
In your comment, once again, you seek to negatively stereotype the people of a particular nation to make some half-a++d point.
Under all that pseudo-intellectual smoke screen lurks the fervent, beating heart of an out and out bigot.
Give yourself a break cammy and shut up.
Cue the “its not the English we hate its Westminster” brigade to rush to Mr Stupid’s defence … defending the indefensible.
call me dave
Those in the know are still saying that the number of deaths in Care homes down south is still light by at least 4,000.
Handy to slip the figures out today when there is a new baby to distract folks.
Glad the baby has been born safe and well and will grow up knowing both parents
(hopefully) – it could have been quite a different story but for the NHS.
Still hearing problems with PPE and I see that the Daily Mail has been and bought some to help out.
Crazy world we are living in just now.
I agree, there’s no way that the UK government an keep up with furloughing people so sooner or later, millions of people are going to find themselves signing on.
Since social distancing is in place, the DWP departments are going to have to space their staff out more but more likely, they’re going to have to cut their staff. Eventually, the system will crash.
And the really annoying thing is that it’s easily predictable and it will be completely avoidable.
Secretary Of State For Scotland, Mrs. Murrell is completely negligent on this. For all that people go on about how they hate the ‘unionist’ newspapers and media, it’s very noticeable that it’s those very same media outlets that are praising Mrs. Murrell to the high heavens for her ‘leadership’.
She had the opportunity to take complete control of this situation in Scotland but deliberately didn’t do so and the fallout from this crisis will be on her head.
Don’t anyone dare forget that.
Jackie
If you bothered to read any of my posts you’d be aware that as far as I’m concerned the biggest obstacle to Indy is the current SNP leadership, including NS.
FYI I was born and dragged up just outside Edinburgh.
What is also a fact is that you’re a tedious, Anglophobic, one-trick pony who brings nothing to the discussion but racist opinions, bile and abuse.
Go out for a walk. We’ll give you a shout when it’s time to come back…
“sensible dave cries out in pain, even as he strikes you”
– the englanders bigotry is welded so deeply in his DNA he mistakes it for national character.
here is another trait of the psychopath for you : to accuse others (falsely) of things you are guilty of
“hold a mirror” up to yourself
From Edwin Morgan’s “Open The Doors” on the Holyrood opening in 2004.
“What do the people want of the place? They want it to be filled with thinking persons as open and adventurous as its architecture.
A nest of fearties is what they do not want.
A symposium of procrastinators is what they do not want.
A phalanx of forelock-tuggers is what they do not want”
Sensibledave
You’re a cultural bigot dave, who thinks Scotland must jump to English demands. That’s not how liberal constitutionalism works dave. That’s not how the Treaty of Union defined Westminster’s legal obligations to Scotland.
Full text.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275726217_Philosophy_Social_Hope_and_Democratic_Criticism_Critical_Theory_for_a_Global_Age
Well wee Nicola can wave goodbye to the reasonable coverage re covid.
They will be all focused on how badly she has dealt with care homes and testing.
The BBC has still not mentioned that care homes are private companies and the owners have a duty of care for the residents and staff. It is not the responsibility of the Scottish Government. They charge big money (600 to 1200 per week) and are responsible for the care they provide to staff and residents.
I hope the staff are all keeping good diaries as the employee liability claims start to accrue. Lawyers offering no win no fee will be warming up their claim systems.
The MSM will focus only on the stories they are fed from their masters in London
The UK figures still not presented truthfully still make disgraceful reading.
You know that foreign country Germany that England thinks it beat in the war
While the US and Russia actually did it,
Well not only have the grown to have a much bigger population and take in over
1 million more refugees, paying their pensioners 4 times more than Westminster
But they are embarrassing the UK with how professionally they have handled the pandemic.
Germany has 76 deaths per million of population
and the disjointed union 386 per million.
You are more than 5 times more likely to die with the virus
Here in Bojoland.
Don’t they know the English are superior beings?
I feel I’ve joined the ranks of real journalists like The Rev and Craig Murray with this searing exposé of the real members of SAGE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOeOX0xJhXU
If only the MSM could be so brave…..
This lockdown getting to anyone?
robertknight
You come across as a STURGEONITE Gradualist.
You don’t want a bad word said about your Colonial masters (the english)
What are you going to do with the likes of Scots like me,,,are you going to fuckin force me to start lovin the bastards to the South of our border??? That will be fuckin chocolate.
You post your stuff and I promise to ignore you,,,and I’ll post my stuff and you promise to ignore me,,,stop being an aresole gatekeeper.
And say hello to your english auntie for me.
Or is it your english wife???
Yer jist a wee Sturgeonista.
Tinto Chiel
I’ve been luvin’ the stuff you’ve been doing in OT. 😉
jackie
Nah, you’re a total radge.
Here Rev Stu would it be possible to publish a weekly Wings crossword.
It could be called the ” Wings Thinker”.
Maybe there are some crossword setters in the readership who would volunteer to create a weekly crossword.
Ex Herald journos need not apply.
Well the HSE seem quite clear on the responsibilities in care homes
Wonder when the BBC will pick up on it
https://www.hse.gov.uk/pUbns/priced/hsg220.pdf
.
Robert Knight you are right.
So right that I would agree 100% with your words and HOPE THAT CALUM FROM THE NATIONAL READS WINGS OVER SCOTLAND AND SORTS OUT HIS NEWSPAPER…
Robert Kinght says: “Stopped buying The National when they joined in the Alex Salmond witch-hunt and gave the Alphabet Women a platform to continue their post-jury trial campaign of smear and innuendo.
Print media? A plague on all their houses!”
@CBB 7.09: that’s you and me sorted, anyway, me old haricot.
Doesn’t affect me, doesn’t affect me, doesn’t affect me……..
Wayooooooooooooo! Werewolves of London!
@admiral
In care homes in Scotland, doctors are under immense pressure to put the cause of death as covid 19, regardless if it is actually true or not, all done over the phone. We will never know the true death toll in care homes, and I suspect we never will because of the Scottish governments stunning lack of ambition in regards to testing, with their goal to only reach 3500 tests a day. The Scottish government figures are basically guess work, pumped up to generate maximum panic.
Confused 6.46
… right on cue, as predicted, defending the indefensible.
Want to understand Brexit and the English Torydum that Westminster is eager to impose on Scotland?
Journal of European Public Policy
Volume 25, 2018 – Issue 8: The Politics and Economics of Brexit
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13501763.2018.1467957
Cammy
A pretty desperate attempt at a deflection Cammy.
Own it Cammy. You wrote it. You could retract and regain some credibility, or carry on in the attempt to put up a smoke screen about your real feelings about English folk. You are a bigot sir. It’s there for all to read.
Dave, you’re a wank.
Get Over Yourself: Universal Egoism in Ethics
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/48326521
And getting rather desperate and tedious.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03605310601088756
CBB
Is that all you’ve got Mr Bigot? Profanities and links to someone else’s words as a deflection.
You’ve lost big time this evening Cammy me boy.
Do you have in links to stuff entitled “How does CBB recover from publicly demonstrating he is a bigot”
@ Callmedave – Also, the interim CMO said that it’s often not appropriate to move very poorly older patients to hospital if they won’t benefit from invasive treatment. I suppose he means ventilators. Kinder to let them pass away peacefully in their own beds.
However, that doesn’t excuse the absolute inability of the MSM to find out what the actual figures are – anywhere. Abysmal failure.
Dave I didn’t say anyone shouldn’t be allowed a vote read what I said, I said English folk living in Scotland out of fairness and decency, should have abstained from voting in 2014, that would have been the decent thing to do, that’s what I would have done if I was living in another country in similar circumstances,
It’s nothing to do with democracy nor is it anti English, it was England we were voting to secede from which gave English people an agenda no other nationality had most I would wager would vote in what they consider the best interests of Mother England not Scotland.presumably the same reason EU nationals were denied a vote in your full English Brexit referendum, which kinda blows your insulting 1930s reference out of the water
Cameron Brodie
Why did you get involved in something that has absolutely fuck all to do with you.
Imo you are mentally ill,,,you post pish day after day. Do you ever sleep?
I think you are in a mental health institute.
And you were in isolation long before this virus outbreak. I think you are on phycotic drugs, hence the reason for the pish you post.
And probably on suicide watch.
So sort your own mental health problems out before you start attacking anyone else.
There’s a good chap,,,not long to wait until your next dose of meds.
And stay away from sharp objects.
Sensibledave
You’re the one who couldn’t accommodate the thoughts of John Locke in you moral framework. That’s one of England’s finest philosophers you dismiss out off had, as equality and limited government don’t fit your One Nation ideology. Let me remind you that Scotland doesn’t support (white) British nationalism (see Brexit).
You certainly don’t appear to understand how mutual respect works, so you won’t be getting any from me.
How national identity will shape the future of liberalism: The consequences of Brexit in the EU, and of the 2017 crisis in the GCC
https://mesbar.org/national-identity-will-shape-future-liberalism-consequences-brexit-eu-2017-crisis-gcc/
jackie
Believe whatever you want but don’t expect me to support you racism
Jackie…
“What are you going to do with the likes of Scots like me”
Not “Scots” like you, but ignorant racists like you.
Simple solution Jackie…
As is the case with all shades of bigot; either educate you as to the error of your ways or sling you in the nick for the benefit of wider society if you are incapable of behaving like a normal human being.
Your choice at the end of the day, but simply put… scum is scum is scum, whatever flag it chooses to wrap itself in.
SIR Jack Harvie and family own the CBC construction and property group in Glasgow.
CBC have gone into administration. It employed 159 people with 11 staying on to assist with the administration process.
“Sir Jack Harvie has raised millions of pounds for the Tories …”
I feel sorry for the ordinary workers. I doubt Sir Jack Harvie or his family will be applying for Universal Credit or going to a foodbank.
From 15 Jan 2012: “One of the Scottish Conservative Party’s most prolific fundraisers, Sir Jack Harvie, has announced he is stepping down from the post.
The businessman, 75, has raised about £16m for the party, largely through his “Focus on Scotland” dinners”.
robertknight
Who are callin scum, ya english lovin fuckin prick
robertknight
I’ll dig you out at next big rally and remind you if what you called me.
If you are up for it
Ya fuckin keyboard fuckin wanker.
Don’t fuckin annoy me dick heed
It should be Scots born people who vote and any incomers who’ve lived in Scotland for at least twenty years, if we don’t do this Scotland will never be free.
robertknight
My advice to you is pick on somebody else,,,,no wit a mean,,dick fuckin heed
robertknight
You Sturgeonites are a fuckin pain in the fuckin arse
Rm 8:38 pm
We are getting to the “nub” of things now. You wrote: It should be Scots born people who vote and any incomers who’ve lived in Scotland for at least twenty years, if we don’t do this Scotland will never be free.”
Or, to paraphrase, you want to chose the citizens in Scotland that have a vote.
FFS! Why do I have to be the one to point this s**t out? Evil exists where good people do nothing.
jackie
Some of us are trying to bring about positive change, but you appear determined to make that impossible. You’ve blown any chances of being taken seriously, so think on that before your next tirade.
Society’s Choices: Social and Ethical Decision Making in Biomedicine
Public Moral Discourse
https://www.nap.edu/read/4771/chapter/13
defend the indefensible?
– that’s the unionists job
Any of the ‘ Nicola should have done things differently brigade ‘ come up with a date for when the FM of Scotland was briefed about the Coronavirus Pandemic by the UK gov. Or are we going with the most venal, institutionally corrupt, incompetent, petty arseholes on the planet sharing the information in a timely fashion.
@Sensibledave, glad you agree with me.
Can the fuckin Bam
You not taken your meds yet???
Your anti-suicide tabs.
@ Golfnut
This is the nub of the problem. Every single person on this blog and to a lesser extent, the entire population of Scotland had been led to believe that health was a devolved issue, therefore Mrs. Murrell didn’t have to be briefed about the Coronavirus Pandemic by the UK gov. Why should she? Health in Scotland is Scotlands business, right?
Well, devolved matters have been exposed as the sham that they really are. We’ve been lied to and Mrs. Murrell is complicit in these lies since she’s been more than happy to go along with them and done nothing to dispel them.
She knew as much as the rest of us did about the oncoming pandemic and she did absolutely nothing to take immediate control of Scotlands health. As has since been proven, she can’t anyway because she has no control over Scotlands borders.
She perpetuated the lies, every one of us bought into these lies and it’s taken Coronavirus to expose them for what they are.
It’s a fucking sham.
meg merrilees @ 6:33 pm
You may be interested in this Office for National Statistics link
http://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/causesofdeath/articles/comparisonofweeklydeathoccurrencesinenglandandwales/uptoweekending17april2020
“Comparison of weekly death occurrences in England and Wales”
Last updated: 28 April 2020
“On 10 April, the first day the CQC (Care Quality Commission) was able to distinguish whether a death involved COVID-19, there were 95 deaths of care home residents in care homes notified to the CQC. From 10 April up to and including 24 April, the latest date for which data are available, the number had increased to 4,343 deaths of residents in care homes involving COVID-19.”
Figure 3 shows the cumulative number of care home residence deaths in care homes involving COVID-19 in England from the 10 April to the 24 April.
There were 2,165 deaths cumulative deaths by 19 April and 4,343 by 24 April.
In other words 2,178 deaths occurred in the final five days.
Cam the Bam,,,, fuckin pot
Come up for air ,,,that must be right good meds you are on,,,they help you post pish 24 hours a day on Wings
Golfnut @ 9.04
That’s something I’ve been wondering about for a wee while!
When and what did Westminster share about this virus?
Has Westminster withheld any information from the other governments,especially at the start?
We know from the U.S. Trumps secret service was sending information out of China in early January…therefore it’s no impossible that Westminster had its own warnings then too.
Was that information shared with Holyrood?
It would be disgraceful if our part of the health services in these islands can’t get warnings as soon as they come in. If there was Any delay in informing Holyrood we should be told!
Cam Brodie
Otherwise known as “Phsyco”
I do still like a good meltdown
🙂
defo
Can a total melt melt any more? 😉
Defo @ 9.30
Even better when ye realise yer living rent free in his heid, don’t ye think 🙂
No idea Cam, it’s one of life’s imponderables.
Like the comparative speed & fitness of a kwik fit fitter.
It’s a real guddle in there liz, pizza boxes everywhere.
And I think we now know where all the bog roll went.
CameronB Brodie
Just keep doing what your doing, better to give knowledge, than scream at the trees.
Colin Alexander@8.25
Sad that another construction company has gone to the wall, I feel for the employees, lets hope the owners don’t walk away with the ££$$ at the expense of the employees, then again we are talking Tories here!!
I do actually suffer mental health issue, as a result of a concussive brain injury (PTSD). So it’s just as well I’m psychologically rather strong, as that was disgraceful, abusive, discrimination there from Jackie.
Jackie
You’re a total radge. Do better.
The biomedical model of mental disorder: A critical analysis of its validity, utility, and effects on psychotherapy research
https://jonabram.web.unc.edu/files/2013/09/Deacon_biomedical_model_2013.pdf
defo & Gary45% 😉
@ Liz g
Well it’s on record now that the UK gov ( Cabinet) was briefed at some point in 2019, Johnson was briefed in December 2019, whether that was the same briefing or not we will hopefully find out at some point in the future. At one of those briefings a conscious decision was made to go with the ‘ herd immunity ‘ strategy. That’s the only feasible rational explanation for the lack of preparation. I don’t believe for a second that they would have given a heads up to an individual responsible for maintaining the best performing NHS in the UK, in fact I would suggest that the attempt at ‘ harmonisation’ of tge procurement process between the four nations was put in place to hinder rather than help. That doesn’t appear to have been very successful, since the SG look to have been pretty successful in seeking alternative suppliers. The England only issue of PPE should have rung a few alarm bells, apparently not.
Hi mr thms at 9:19 pm.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2865373706843408&set=pcb.2736906243262660&type=3&theater&ifg=1
(Click on the graphics for the whole thing. Click on the arrow at the right for the 2nd graphic.)
CameronB Brodie,
I am totally sure you have the ability to rise above anything that gets thrown at you, I’ve never seen you lower yourself to the level of gutter abuse.
I’ll probably get stick for defending you,but hey, they can try their best, it wont be good enough to rile me. Ducks back and water, etc.
Golfnut @ 9.58
I’ve been thinking along those lines too.
Before anyone can make a judgement on the Scottish Governments performance we need to know what they knew and when they knew it.
And if Holyrood wasn’t immediately informed there should be a reckoning!
sensibledave wines:
“FFS! Why do I have to be the one to point this s**t out? Evil exists where good people do nothing”
Why not just piss off and leave us (what was it you called us…’ Jocks’) to do our own thing and you won’t have to trouble your pretty little head about all the nasty things those nasty ‘jocks’ have been saying.
As people have been pointing out, your lack of self-awareness is completely astounding.
One to consider in light of the Brexit chaser to the covid health disaster. Scotland must do more to support good public health. Ending the yoonyawn would be a good start.
https://academic.oup.com/jpubhealth/article/39/4/668/3058978
Gary45% 😉
Patrick Roden
It is my mission to educate and inform Patrick. Even to those that may have lost the ability to think in civilised ways. It is cross I have to bear, but I will keep going as long as I am permitted.
I knew you would be one the numpties that would pipe up to defend the indefensible. Two peas in a pod and all that.
That’s my shift done here for tonight. It’s early afternoon in Venezuela and I need to shift my focus over there and get the update on their leftie experiment gone wrong (again! Doh!).
Gary 45% @ 10.06
Cameron’s one of the good ones Gary and totally open about his mental health condition. So while it’s a low blow to try to needle him with it there’s not a chance it will annoy him.
On the other hand I believe personality transplants are still unavailable, so if yer stuck with a nasty one yer pretty much screwed and left to the cold comfort of showing it to strangers while fooling yer self that they give a shit 🙂
While we’re all just grateful it’s no coming hame tae us 🙂
Liz g
It’s no big thing, though it is. I try not to let it get me down. The same with cultural bigots. 😉
The effects of neoliberal policies on access to healthcare for people with disabilities
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5688676/
Tomorrow’s press attacks on the Scot Gov will be on Care Homes.
It should be noted that the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the PPE at Work Regulations Act 1992 apply to all care homes. It’s the law and Care Home Providers should be prosecuted if they don’t.
Also, all Care Homes were issued with strict guidelines and details on how to get help on 12 March.
Nicola Sturgeon on Preston on STV now.
Sinky
Surely HSE rules apply to all health care workers,, including doctors nurses and all staff.
Also shop workers, bus drivers. Anyone who has had to work through this without correct PPE would I think be eligible to put a claim in.
Brian Doonthetoon @ 10:01 pm
Thank you for your reply.
Interesting graphs.
I notice today the BBC is employing a different approach with regard to the reporting of deaths in care homes.
With regard to Scotland, the Scottish Government was accused of complacency because data from the National Records of Scotland (NRS) showed 338 of the 656 deaths recorded in the seven days between 20 and 26 April were in care homes.
However with regard to England, they only reported that the total number of coronavirus deaths in the UK was 26,097.
You need to go to the BBC online to find them reporting Public Health England as saying that the UK figure includes an additional 3,811 deaths in England since the start of the outbreak.
Crucially the BBC does not mention anywhere that in the five days ending the 24th April, there were 2,178 death in care homes in England.
Is there a Cold War between Scotland’s two governments?
If there is, we have a propaganda war in full swing, and they say truth is the first casualty.
Auntie going with the “can you compare different countries” line of deception.
Deflecting, at the appropriate moment.
She’s a vicious old hoor, at heart.
Sinky says:
29 April, 2020 at 10:47 pm
Tomorrow’s press attacks on the Scot Gov will be on Care Homes.
It should be noted that the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the PPE at Work Regulations Act 1992 apply to all care homes. It’s the law and Care Home Providers should be prosecuted if they don’t.
—————————————————————————
Both also apply to the NHS.
Check out Dr Andrew Kaufman interview on London Real for an alternative view the media wont show you.
Neoliberalism is bad for our health.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.2190/HS.42.3.b
Sinky says:
28 April, 2020 at 1:24 pm
Radio Scotland news presenters having multiple orgasms over Prof Pennington giving evidence to Scottish Parliament.
Pennington is not a virologist ……..
————————————————————
He’s a microbiologist, which includes virology.
Latest from Trump – Barking mad claims about new vaccine.
https://www.lcsupply.com/images/8WV.JPG
Actually he is a bacteriologist which is quite a different sphere from Virology and he is 17 years retired so perhaps not the most up to date source. There are several eminent virologists but the BBC would rather interview a staunch Unionist because he will do the SNP bad routine on cue.
On the other hand maybe the BBC don’t know the difference.
Nanny state?
Care homes are private enterprises and the owners must provide a save system of work. Has the GMB gone to sleep? These rich owners should be prisecuted.
Prosecuted as well too.
Hamerdoon
He’s Semi-Professional Unionist, which includes bare-faced lying
For pay and for pleasure.
He retired from microbiology 17 years ago – he has probably forgotten more about viruses than he ever knew.
Poor Jackie….the strain is showing…soon be straitjacket time….
This aged well for Bill dam. I was gonna ask him for the lotto numbers if he’d got it right.Not even close.
https://twitter.com/mitchellvii/status/1241341377012805633
Col.Blimp IV says:
29 April, 2020 at 11:47 pm
Hamerdoon
He’s Semi-Professional Unionist, which includes bare-faced lying
For pay and for pleasure.
He retired from microbiology 17 years ago – he has probably…………
———————————————————————————
Not suggesting otherwise, just trying to acknowledge he does have an above average knowledge of virology.
Tomorrow is another day
Fireproofjim says:
29 April, 2020 at 11:39 pm
Actually he is a bacteriologist which is quite a different sphere from Virology and he is 17 years retired so perhaps not the most up to date source.
——————————————————————————————-
Are you suggesting that microbiologists don’t know much about virology? The discipline of microbiology includes any biological microorganism including bacteria and viruses. His expertise is in bacteriology and specific bacteria (if you want to be that reductionist). However, he does know about viruses and it is incorrect to imply otherwise.
Jackie @ 12.48
You hum it an I’ll play it
Proposal that the next general election should be postal!
That’s worrying, the SNP playing Westminster rules?
The next Hollyrood election is over a year away.
Sturgeon’s proposal to introduce postal only voting is therefore an ominous move. Postal voting can and is abused. It moreover removes the visibility of the voting process.
That Sturgeon has proposed this should come as no surprise. She was after all only recently approving the proposal to abandon jury trials. Not at all the actions of a democrat and more akin to that of the national leaders of 1930s Germany, Italy and Spain.
Moreover, in the light of the Alex Salmond case and the police clamp down on independence journalists, Independence march organisers, police squads seizing phones and computers of those deemed dissidents, the background to a failing democracy become even more clear. Even the manipulation of the Coronavirus crisis, the under reporting of deaths tells you that.
Spin, spin and more spin from an ever hardening iron fist we ignore these developments at our peril.
And of course in the background is the iron surveillance of ANPR cameras, facial recognition technology, mass personality and political profiling from FacebookTwitter, Emails, Web use, the linking of governmental data bases from everything from medical records to bank accounts to property ownership to passports to drivers licences – its all their.
Nicola Sturgeon is no democrat. Her credentials are now clear. She is part of the hard right neoliberal establishment. She has removed the fight for independence. Has sold out on Brexit and now out of Europe we become the iron state on the edge of it.
I caught a clip of an interview with the First Minister and Border telly and she telt him!
I cheered her on.
If there is going to be postal voting the government will have to make sure there is a way for people to check on the internet that their vote has been registered to who they voted for, or they receive a receipt back through the post that their vote has been registered to whom they voted for, Commputers can do anything, people have to be able to check that who they voted for has been registered or it’ll end up the same as 2014.
Herald can’t even get its figures right on Covid.
Have BBC Propaganda news on in the background.
The last 40 minutes solid have been the Captain Tom Show.
Boris must be so grateful a baby and a centenarian
Have wiped away everything about 10’s thousands dying.
Breaking news major feature about English Cricket loving and
Adopting Captain Tom.
Ground Patrol for Captain Tom
Take your Zimmer Frame and put your medals on
Cheque donations and masked Corona gone!
I feel sorry for Unionists.
They tried to trash Scottish Government advice to wear face coverings especially where physical distancing is difficult.
The scientific community backs this except Professor Pendleton retired and in his dotage Better Together indeed!
Have done my own spray tests at 10mm at 2bar into double layer hotel grade cotton and nothing! OK where is the research for BS surgical masks? Where is the research for coughs and sneezes? Asthma clinics etc must have all these facts but of course the problem is fear of joe public panic buying.
Make your own mask as they are more effective than medical masks as you will inevitably not make the frequent changes the medics do and you can wash your own +60C.
Have a nice day yessers. Yoons spend your day asking for forgiveness.
Keep reading on here that it’s all Westminster’s fault regarding this pandemic, PPE, etc.
Excuse me, but I thought Health in Scotland was devolved to the SG.
So much so, that we have the same kind of experts, Professors, etc.,brought on with the politicos each day.
I think you have all got so used to the ‘blame culture’ that you are unable to take any responsibility for things which are NOT Westminster’s responsibility.
Does not augur well for independence!!
I had gravest misgivings about postal ballots. The 96% return of postal ballots was a highly suspicious and unprecedented phenomenon, yet nobody raised and eyebrow… Ruth Davidson blabbing about knowing some results of postal votes way ahead of the count… Counters shipped in… Whole business stinks.
Those misgivings are very troublesome even if you still maintain a degree of confidence in the system, but now??? Between the Alex Salmond smear conspiracy and the highly sinister roll of the Civil Service and SNP Wokists in trying to destroy Alex Salmond, and the SNP’s determination to focus the population’s attention on “anything but” Independence while Sturgeon quietly slits the throat of Scottish Sovereignty and lets it sink below the water… well, let’s just say I have zero confidence in any postal ballot. The more firmly they want it, the more firmly I don’t.
The SNP seems hellbent on self destruction, shows no intention of listening to reason, and seems blindly determined it’s going to take all of us, and Scottish Independence, into the abyss with it.
Barrhead Boy and Jegget have a topical podcast worth listening too, and Kevin MacKenna’s article in the National about Scotland needing a “Cummings-like Prince of Darkness”, was a good read too, but I was jumping up and down listing, because we DO NOT have a binary choice between the saccharine goody-two-shoes of a gold standard referendum, thoroughly lawful and compliant in every UK respect, or, Option B, selling our soul to the devil himself and embracing every act of skullduggery, lying and cheating that can avail us, just to win. Whoooaah there Tiger. Haud oan…
https://www.barrheadboy.com/jasonmichaels-24th-april-2020/
I know that’s a simplification of the discussion they were having, but we have the middle road option which draws upon the greatest strengths of BOTH ends of the spectrum. You guessed it, the Scottish Nation’s Constitution.
You know the Nicola Sturgeon mantra that a Section 30 Agreement is the ONLY legal way to hold a referendum? Well, NO IT ISN’T. In fact, if the potency of Scotland’s Constitutional Sovereignty is upheld, say, by some International Arbiter fluent in Constitutional Law, then any referendum which “respects” the colonial constitution of a lower house devolved assembly, an assembly beneath Westminster, which is in turn beneath Scotland’s Popular Sovereignty, then such a referendum becomes a referendum that is unconstitutional by literal definition, and unlawful in fact.
Not only is Nicola wrong that Section 30 is the only legal option, but she is doubly wrong, because seeking a Section 30 Agreement is arguably unconstitutional itself. Certainly not any gold standard to aspire to. If Sturgeon really was vexed by the strictest legality of holding a referendum, then she need only read the Declaration of Arbroath and avail herself of the sovereign principle it defines.
And don’t be misled. It is NOT a cheat, cop out, or a failure of democratic process to seek a constitutional resolution to Independence. It is in fact the correct application of Scots Law as a super user, rather than meek acceptance of UK law as a subservient end user.
Do we have need of a Dark Prince like Cummings? No. The Law, the Constitution of 1320 as poetically defined in the Declaration of Arbroath, is all we need. Recognised in 1328 by the eyes and ears of God’s man on Earth, the Pope, and affirmed by the Dowager Queen Isabella of England which recognised Scotland as “…separate in all things from the kingdom of England, whole, free, and undisturbed in perpetuity, without any kind of subjection, service, claim or demand…”. Scotland had a powerful truth which is recorded, cross referenced, and unalterable, and properly respected, it is a much more reliable defender of Scotland’s interests than any shady Character who’s actions sail too close to the wind.
In Scotland’s Declaration of Arbroath, and it’s accordant formal recognition affirming Scotland as a Sovereign Nation, we have a grim and unalterable “Birth Certificate” for our Nation which from 1320 onwards puts Scotland’s sovereignty emphatically beyond the grasping reach of any invader or colonial usurper. We have all the proof, history and provenance of any true masterpiece. Let the UK Union submit it’s credentials to the same scrutiny.
Scotland does not need a Dark Prince to lie and cheat for us as Dominic Cummings does for the BritNats, what Scotland needs is more like a “Templar Knight”, a devout warrior monk like the Abbot of Arbroath pledged to defend the sacred principle that is Scotland’s Sovereign Constitution. And even if he’s boiled alive or tortured on the rack, he will not denounce that faith in Scotland, because there is one truth, and only one truth.
If Scotland needs any Prince at all, then perhaps it’s grim and unyielding Scottish Lawyer, accepting a quest to travel with the Holy Grail of Truth in his pocket, and set it out before the UN International Committee. Scotland is a Constitutionally Sovereign Nation, and the 300 years of Sovereignty by Convention of the UK Parliament has been a long-standing injustice and unconstitutional fraud suffered upon us all.
Lesley Riddoch is yet another reason to buy The National.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/18414963.even-fms-critics-cannot-justify-savaging-unionist-media/
Also Dr. Phillipa Whitford on BBC TV Question Time at 10.45 this evening
David Mundell is confused with the differing instructions in Scotland and England regarding face covering, he’s not very clever is he. Although I presume he’s not as confused as the person he once married, now there’s a real conundrum.
O/T – We’ve just had offensive junk mail delivered by our very nice Postie, who would definitely need his rubber gloves – the “Ep*ch Times”, claiming to be accurate journalism produced by a charity ( no obvious entry in C. The organisation is a front for “Fal*n G*ng”, and the glossy mag is virulently anti CCCP, from an organisation that is rabidly pro Trump, backs right-wing conspiracy theories, and obviously has lots of money.
Ours is going back – it has a return address at the top left rear cover. Please do likewise – I’m sure we’re not the only recipient.
“no entry in Charity Commission”
So the `expert` Jason Leitch is now advising wearing face coverings,
i`m sure i remember him saying that face coverings were nae use,
what the f@ck changed, how the f@ck can they be nae use a few weeks ago but useful in stopping the spread of the virus now,
any Joe Soap would have thought a virus that is transmitted through water dropplets from nose or mouth might be halted/hindered if wearing a fricken face covering,
f@ck sake the guy is supposed to be a fricken `expert`,
`If the world should blow itself up, the last audible voice would be that of an expert saying it can’t be done.`
Peter Ustinov
I don’t have a twitter or a facebook account because of how they use the data. The chance of me downloading contract tracing software owned by the government and a couple of cohorts of Dominic Cummings is practically zero, even once you delete the app it’s is like they have enough info about who you are to continue tracking you.
They can do this now if they want but downloading their app is bit like giving a burglar a key to your house to save them the effort of breaking in.
The only people I blame are those in 2014 who listened to the lies and scare stories and even believed the Vow and voted NO.
We could have had all the levers of governance by now and is anyone daft enough to suggest we could not make a better job?
Independence IS inevitable but I want to see it in my lifetime!
Breeks 9.22am. Brilliant on the money post as per usual.
Has Mr Brodie been moonlighting?
Lower emotional intelligence linked to prejudiced, right-wing views, study finds
http://archive.is/7DJ1W
Jfngw. I dont do Twatter or faecebook either, and I never take my mobile phone with me when I leave the house for short periods.
@Scot Finlayson
That’s revelatory info about the benefits of using masks! Who’d have thought it.
Useful to have it confirmed by “an expert” that for all those years people in various industries haven’t been wasting their money by wearing masks to protect themselves from dust particulates, toxic fumes, etc.
Let’s hope we can have more of this sort of news to answer questions like, “Are safety glasses really any use at stopping stuff flying into your eyes”, “Do ear plugs actually have any benefit in reducing damage to the ear and hearing by reducing the decibel level of sound they are exposed to”, and “Is there really any benefit in welders or firefighters wearing flame-retardant overalls rather than just a flammable nylon shellsuit”.
Pete 9.17am. When Scotland controls her own purse strings, then she can rightly be held accountable for any failings. Till such time ,its Westminster’s fault. So I suggest you STFU.
@Scot Finlayson –
Yon Leitch has been cropping up all over the place. He’s clearly the go-to guy when you want to do a complete volte-face and lob stuff into the fuckin Memory Hole simultaneously. He’s even been ruining Off The Ball every Saturday with a lengthy lecture.
This, in itself, should have us all pricking our ears up – when the narrative being punted by the State is so consistent (not just nationwide but across states) and when individuals like Leitch are entrusted with delivering contradictory messages, something is clearly afoot.
The video posted t’other day by Cirsium has been banned by Youtube. It doesn’t matter whether or not you agree with what Dr. Erickson and colleague were saying – the point is that anyone deviating from the narrative is being excluded from what passes for ‘debate’.
Where have we seen this before? Isn’t it familiar?
We’re being played. We’re being isolated, confused, kept insecure and frightened. It’s deliberate, and it’s working.
We have to stop being afraid of pipsqueaks like Leitch with their doom-and-gloom-shitery du jour – he’s making it up as he goes along. The question is, why? And who’s telling him the revised versions every day before he starts his lengthy list of media interviews?
I’m absolutely disgusted that 100 year old pensioner Captain Tom Moore has been politicised, and propagandised by the media and the British government.
A government that’s hiding its terrible failings with regards to the underfunding and attempts to destroy the NHS. Mr Moore’s extraordinary achievement is remarkable and should not be looked upon in any other light.
Its the British government, who’ll soon sell out the NHS, in an post Brexit deal with the EU, to the USA, in a one sided deal with them, that I find appalling.
Listening to Johnson on the radio this morning praising Mr Moore, then go on to call the NHS beloved by all smacks of hypocrisy to me, when Johnson and his band of Tory blaggards cheered when a vote in the House of Commons produced the result of halting a rise in salary for nurses.
No matter who raises what for the NHS, and I’m pleased that they do willingly, it will be politicised by the media and the British government, in the fashion of the Great British Dunkirk fighting spirit, instead of been seen for what it really is, the failings of a right wing, heartless self serving government.
Willie 7.25am. I agree, in my opinion postal voting in another indy ref will lead to the same result as 2014. I have absolutely no faith in it.
Meanwhile Sturgeon is making noises on next years Scottish elections that they may be a need for postal votes only, and that there’s the real possibility that the elections could be pushed back until 2022.
I’m sure Sturgeon and her clique wouldn’t be too disappointed, if the latter choice was decided upon. Another year at the helm unopposed, would surely give her time man the barricades against Alex Salmond’s book, the farcical outcome of the Salmond trial, and the unjust attack on Craig Murray.
Don’t expect any real attempt at pushing for independence in future, though rousing words will be plenty, actions won’t.
Here’s the full text of a firewalled opinion piece by Fintan O’Toole on how we should now feel pity for the USA.
Its hard not to think of a mini-me version of this applying to the UK and Trump-wannabe Johnson.
http://archive.is/TZQtD
So Dominic Rabb has said that leaving the EU in the middle of this pandemic, (which will cause untold economic damage), will avoid more uncertainty.
The British government loathe the EU and Johnny Foreigner so much that they’re prepared to further damage, not just Englands economy, but Scotlands as well by cutting us off from the EU by the end of this year, in a poor deal, or more likely a no deal.
It’s very unlikely that a change of heart from the British givernment will arise on a further extensionon the deal. Indeed the British government refused vital PPE that could’ve saved lives from the EU, such is their animosity to all things of a EU fashion.
Where does Scotland stand in all this, answer nowhere, we’ll do as we’re told because our own leaders are spineless and compliant, If England wants to crash our economy so that they can leave the EU they will.
Republicofscotland
I’ll just repost those lines from Edwin Morgan’s poem about the opening of Holyrood.
“What do the people want of the place? They want it to be filled with thinking persons as open and adventurous as its architecture.
A nest of fearties is what they do not want.
A symposium of procrastinators is what they do not want.
A phalanx of forelock-tuggers is what they do not want”
Fearties Procrastinators Forelock-Tuggers.
Just as well he didn’t make 100 this week.
@Ian Brotherhood,
the boy Leitch is like most folk that went to Uni and stayed on in academia,
absolutely no common sense,
knows how to write a report or chair a meeting but struggles to tie his shoe laces or tie a tie,
a friend who knows someone says that is why he never wears a tie,
true story.
Breeks
I’ve just heard on the radio that S Korea held a physical general election with over 29 million votes cast – 66% turn out their highest in years.
In order to cast their ballots, voters had to clean their hands with sanitiser, wear face masks and plastic gloves, stand at least one metre (3ft) apart, and have their temperatures taken.
Anyone with a temperature above 37.5C had to cast their vote in separate booths that were then disinfected after each use.
One voter, a young woman, told BBC Seoul correspondent Laura Bicker: “I thought maybe the election should be postponed because people wouldn’t turn up. But now that I’m here and see so many others, I’m not worried.”
There are currently about 60,000 people in quarantine due to the coronavirus in South Korea.
Despite this, the overall turnout was more than 66%, the highest in 18 years, aided by the fact it was first time that 18 year olds were allowed to vote.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-52304781
So it is possible – difficult- but it can be done the usual way.
I get thee impression the FM is either out of here depth or is simple not a democrat. She certainly appears to have zero respect for the rule of law.
Mike Cassidy.
Yes we had such high hopes then, and in 2014, the UK government and its compliant media will tell us now this isn’t the time to be contemplating or taking actions on independence whatever that may entail.
Yet nothing no matter how many deaths or inappropriate situations creep up during this pandemic, the UK government are forging ahead with a post Brexit deal no matter what.
mike cassidy 😉
@Scot Finlayson (11.24) –
Ha! I could believe it – canny tie his own shoelaces but knows which side his bread is buttered.
Off The Ball isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I’ve listened to pretty much every episode since it started. They must’ve had everyone who is anyone as guests over the years. Only two have made me reach for the OFF switch. Windbag Archie Macpherson is one, and Leitch is the other.
Stuart Cosgrove and Tam Cowan can certainly speak for themselves, but in the current climate I daresay they have to be a bit more circumspect than usual – reading between the lines, it seems that Leitch’s appearance on that show is not ‘optional’. Off The Ball certainly reaches the parts that most other RS shows cannot reach, so it would be no surprise to discover that Leitch has been ‘given’ that space and is there on sufferance for the foreseeable.
@Iain Brotherhood,10.26
We’re being played. We’re being isolated, confused, kept insecure and frightened. It’s deliberate, and it’s working.
Agreed Iain. This mass terror exercise is encouraging people not to think. Dr Erickson and Dr Massihi were asking pertinent questions. Professor Allyson Pollock is asking questions. We should be asking questions. Why this emphasis on not going outside, when the sharing of indoor space is a major SARS-C0V-2 risk? This US blog post has good links https://alethonews.com/2020/04/27/why-outside-air-is-safe-and-park-closures-should-end/
On the facemasks issue, this is Professor Detlev Kruger, one of Germany’s leading virologists, now retired. “On the other hand, I consider the wearing of “mouth-nose protection” suddenly discovered by politics to be Actionism. It should be clear that you cannot protect yourself because you continue to breathe the ambient air unfiltered. There is only a certain effect if you are infected yourself and thus a virus separator. The “mouth-nose-protection” pretends a security that does not exist and it is rather a “germ-slingshot” for various pathogens when it becomes unclean.”
One of the reasons for the house arrest of society was to slow the spread and protect the vulnerable. Why are sick people being left to die at home or nursing homes? China successfully controlled the spread and the disease. It then issued “Chinese Clinical Guidance for COVID-19 Pneumonia Diagnosis and Treatment” on 16 March 2020 for use by other countries. Singapore and Algeria, for example, followed this advice and created their own protocols. What is the Scottish protocol for treating patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and requiring medical intervention? The following is a translated extract from
https://www.observalgerie.com/coronavirus-les-specialistes-font-le-bilan-du-traitement-a-la-chloroquine/2020/ “Implemented since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the chloroquine-based therapeutic protocol to which patients with Covid-19 have been subjected has met with great satisfaction. Indeed, according to specialists who took stock of the treatment at the APS this Saturday 25 April chloroquine has proven its effectiveness. Dr. Mohamed Yousfi head of infectious diseases department at Boufarik hospital (Blida), said figures in support that the treatment is effective. He indicated that half of the patients admitted since 23 March 2020 at this facility had left the hospital, completely cured after being treated with either chloroquine or antivirals in other cases. The doctor reveals that ” 90% of the cases have responded very well to this treatment protocol recommended by the Ministry of Health, population and hospital reform “. Mohamed Yousfi states that ” patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases and those who have not tolerated this treatment are excluded from this therapeutic protocol. The latter were put on antiviral drugs, used in the treatment of HIV infections and which gave very satisfactory results “. Pr. Nassima Achour, head of the infectious diseases department at the Specialized Hospital (EHS) El-Hadi Flici (formerly El-Kettar) in Algiers, confirmed her colleague’s observation . She states that chloroquine has demonstrated “near-total efficacy”.
Listened to Jason League-Reconstruction on that football show and thought that it was rather a forced marriage.
Normally, I don’t listen to that programme as it is part of the dumbing down we are invited to listen to during the football season.
I don’t think every football fan in Scotland cackles like a deranged version of Sid James meets Barbara Windsor. Obviously, head office down in London thinks that they do.
Agree with you on Leitch and OTB @Ian Brotherhood says.
He takes what appear to be carefully screened diddy questions on Covid.
I can’t believe no one has asked why are the airports still letting travellers from NY and other Covid red zones enter the UK and then disperse across the country with no temperature or other health checks, mandatory quarantine etc.
Propaganda to reach the parts the BritNat BBC doesn’t normally reach!
@Ian Brotherhood,
was a big fan of OTB it`s a good dynamic between low brow and crass Cowan and smarty pants arty, “no! listen to me”, Cosgrove,
but have given up on football after years as a season ticket holder,European away games,3 World cups and playing (badly),
i think the last straw was the Griffiths 2 -2 game with England,
still in therapy about that one,
always thought there was a correlation between the demise of Scottish football and the rise of Scottish nationalism,
the Romans complained that the citizens were more interested in bread and circuses than the welfare of the state,
take away the circus/fitba and the citizen will find more time for the state.
Professor Alison Pollock ,Newcastle U just rubbished the whole Westminster Approach on BBC.
Worth a look.
PETE PETE yes you! Go figure.
CBB 11.29. Three errors in one sentence, thee, here and simple. What an intellectual!
I can honestly say that I have never read a single paper, essay, dissertation of yours since I started reading Wings in 2013. Thank heavens I have saved all that time!
Scot Finlayson says:
30 April, 2020 at 12:07 pm
@Ian Brotherhood,
was a big fan of OTB it`s a good dynamic between low brow and crass Cowan and smarty pants arty, “no! listen to me”, Cosgrove,
but have given up on football after years as a season ticket holder,European away games,3 World cups and playing (badly),
i think the last straw was the Griffiths 2 -2 game with England,
still in therapy about that one,
always thought there was a correlation between the demise of Scottish football and the rise of Scottish nationalism,
I no longer support any of our so called national teams in any sport, football, rugby whatever, the final straw for me was the appointment of Alex McLeish, as far as I’m concerned Scotland cannot have a national team until we become a nation, as it stands they are British regional teams in my opinion
My granny new a lot about how to prevent spreading infection, I mean she taught my mum,and my mum taught me that you cover your mouth when coughing and you sneeze into your hanky and it was very bad manners not to do so. So there you go, my Granny new more than the f#cking scientists advising Hancock.
Benhope
That’s a rather narrow outlook you have there, which suggests your judgement is somewhat prejudiced and unreliable. Want me to get psychoanalytical on your ass?
Can anyone tell me if ‘normal’ winter flu numbers are available anywhere?
How would we normally access such data at this time of year?
Is there an actual list of words that will get your post held in moderation?
I’m getting posts held in moderation more often and also duplicate post messages when I make a single post. I don’t just resubmit, I open a new tab with the page and then Ctrl F5 to refresh and see the post isn’t there before resubmitting, and still get the same duplicate message, so leave it at that with no post appearing.
The conversation this morning about masks and academics reminds me of previous btl discussion on the lack of people with practical vocations in positions of power.
Some politicians appear to have very little comprehension about what is actually practically possible.
Talking about stuff and actually doing stuff are very different things. Some in positions of power and influence are a very long way from being the brightest and best.
I’ve received emails and phone calls from the SNP since Covid kicked in stating that if I need any help just get in touch.
Well actually I did need some assistance with a community matter which required, police, paramedic ambulance, liaising between families, and ultimately chasing up a medical matter where the rigid program which was implemented in normal times was wholly unworkable in lockdown and very likely breached duty of care regulations.
Plus another matter involving a local business that has fallen through the cracks of the Scottish Government Covid Grant scheme.
Nearly three weeks now and not a single response from SNP Reps I had contacted yet see them posting non important stuff on Facebook and Twitter.
Guess I was wasting my time getting the SNP folk elected and I should just go to my local Conservative Councillors instead…
This doesn’t give the normal flu numbers Ian, but graphs and tables of weekly overall deaths since 2015 vs this year.
I liked the z score map you can play to see how patterns have changed
PS Z scores are used to standardize series and enable comparisons of mortality pattern between different populations or between different time periods.
https://www.euromomo.eu/graphs-and-maps
Alison Pollock is wonderful. I have spoken on a platform with her a couple of times, including if memory doesn’t fail me while campaigning for Yes in the first Indyref.
@ben madigan –
Cheers.
I’m just wondering what the total numbers must be, if we add covid numbers to the regular (dare I say ‘anticipated’?) fatalities.
Ian Brotherhood@1.17
Not sure where to get the figures, but I suppose the way the country is at the moment, the reduction in other causes of death – e.g. seasonal influenza, road accidents, pub related “boxing matches”, falls etc. – that are not happening (because of the lock down) needs to be taken into account in the totals.
Wife suggested having a look on the “National Records of Scotland” site :-
https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data
Why does Scotland need to be in “lock step” with england?
Why can’t Scotland go it alone, with her own ideas on how to tackle this Virus.
Sturgeon was in “lock step” with england during the Brexit campaign, Instead of taking a Scotland only route, she tried to save england from Brexit.
And now here she is, trying to help save england from the Corona virus.
We have our own Police Force, we have our own Devolved health service, so why oh fuckin why do we need to be in “lock step” with england???
We are hitched up to a lumbering deasese ridden car crash called england,,,time to unhitch us Nicola.
This can be done today,,,we already have powers to lay down our own laws and powers to control the virus our way, so why are we hanging onto Boris’s coat tails?
Would Alex Salmond have took a more independent route? I think yes.
Sturgeon doesn’t have the bottle to be leader of the political wing of the Independence movenent in Scotland.
FFS Sturgeon,,,,step aside.
I just heard a howl!
Is the moon out already?
Ian Brotherhood
Scotland
https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/vital-events/deaths/winter-mortality
England
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-flu-reports
Wales
http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/page.cfm?orgid=457&pid=34338
Northern Ireland
https://www.publichealth.hscni.net/directorate-public-health/health-protection/seasonal-influenza
@jackie
We have no real borrowing ability or the control of a bank that can print money. The divergence from what WM will finance is limited, anyone that thinks otherwise is deluding themselves. We can certainly go our own way but be prepared for most companies to collapse and unemployment to rocket as the Scotgov cannot finance them.
Independence is the solution but I don’t see any prospect of this soon, possibly even in my lifetime now. Even if we declared independence tomorrow I think the international community would not accommodate this at the present time, and in reality it is this community which is required to acknowledge our independence.
Dan says:
30 April, 2020 at 12:54 pm
Is there an actual list of words that will get your post held in moderation?
I’m getting posts held in moderation more often and also duplicate post messages when I make a single post…
Yes there are Dan, but I don’t know what words do it. R – ape is one, but I don’t know many others. I think T-rai-tor is another, which is why people say tractor.
A-lba also comes out at Caesar…
Posting links can sometimes trip up a post too, but again, I don’t know the distinction.
I noticed that as we suffer lockdown and 10 years of austerity that a case of champagne (£120/bottle) was being delivered to 10 Downing Street, no doubt to wet a babies head, Us and Them?
This might be a stupid question, but where the hell can you get a face mask if they are recommended? I have Screwfix literally across the road, but they have quite rightly ring fenced ppe for health care. Maybe Blue Peter could show us how to make one with stickyback plastic and a toilet roll holder.
Just to add regarding the champagne, I can’t visit my family or grandchildren even if I stay at a distance but it would seem having a party at 10 Downing Street is OK.
@Gary45%
You also need to take into account the number of people who are dying because of the lockdown, i.e. deaths that otherwise would not have happened if they had received treatment from the NHS. I saw some statistics from the Scottish government that suggested that 1/4th of the current deaths, above the average for this time of year, could be caused by the lockdown.
jfngw 1.52
I wasn’t meaning going it alone as an independent country, I was meaning having a Scotland only way of handling this virus.
Why are we in lock step with england Wales and N Ireland?
And regarding the financial side, we are entitled to as much as any other citizen of the UK. So that side could be handled by The Holyrood finance department.
My point being, we don’t need to always walk in the shadow of england.
I know Independence has been kicked down the road again, but it doesn’t mean we can’t have independent ideas of how to control this virus.
Hopefully leading to Scotland coming out of lockdown quicker than the rest of the UK
Finding the best balance between defending public health and supporting the economy, won’t be easy.
Full text.
The Oxford Handbook of Public Health Ethics
Pandemic Disease, Public Health, and Ethics
https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190245191.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780190245191-e-69
£30 winging it,s way to Craig right now.
@jackie
Holyrood gets the finance that Westminster decides and if they decide to reduce lockdown and cut the business support then the Scotland proportion gets cut, not sure how you get round that rather awkward point.
You always need a solid plan, anything else just ends up as futility, just being angry isn’t a plan.
I agree being tied to WM has been a disaster, but having your hands financially tied was always going to limit our divergence. That old saying ‘when you have them by the shekels their hearts and minds will follow’ fits nicely.
Hopefully we can diverge in the sense of moving to test, trace and isolate once the numbers come down, we can diverge on this hopefully without it becoming financially unsustainable for the Scotgov.
bipod@2.05
Yes that’s something else which can be added.
There are probably many other cases which haven’t even been thought of.
Boris keeps saying the nation and stands in front of to union flags that are folded to only show the St.,Georges cross with all these gestures he shows his disregard for Scotnd Ireland Wales but he knows that England needs Scotland’s wealth to survive so the people of Scotland are being deprived of their countries wealth by unfair means under no circumstances will he let Scotland become a free country freedom is for other countries but not for Scotland
jfngw
You are missing the point I am trying to make.
So we will just beg to differ on this one
Because you are trying to explain something that I am not talking about,,,if you know what I mean.
Anyway,,, let’s Hope total Independence comes sooner rather than later.
All we need is the will to do it,,,and going by the current crop of leaders we have, there is just no will there
IMHO, health care workers are victims of gross negligence to a legal duty of care by HMG. As are the general public. Full text.
Law, ethics and pandemic preparedness: the importance of cross?jurisdictional and cross?cultural perspectives
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1753-6405.2010.00492.x
Welsh FM says Hancock’s offer for testing anyone who wants one in England was not discussed with the other 3-Nations.
Thought as much…. an off the cuff policy on the hoof response because they are sh*tting themselves darn ‘Sarf’ over their approach to virus control unravels.
Scottish ‘face masks’ ppfht! We raise you err!….tests for all
+ they need to get to 100,000 tests by tea time today so Boris can get back with a good start.
PS: Just now.
Auntie gives England hospital deaths today but explains to us that only 19 of the folk that died didn’t have any other health conditions!! (only started that qualification yesterday) 🙁
Today England…Hospital deaths only 391…Total…..20137. BBC
Jackie @ 2.39
You’re forgetting that in 2014 Scotland voted for exactly that.
We voted for “The Union” to continue…and that means Holyrood being an instrument of Westminster,
Westminster controlling the purse strings,
And the First Minister’s job to run it that way.
Are you all that sure that if Holyrood stepped too far out of line,Westminster wouldn’t shut it while most of Scotland is distracted?
Don’t you think that they are looking for an excuse to do just that?
While that 2014 vote still stands… Westminster ARE in charge and that’s the cold hard truth of it….
Demonstrating why they shouldn’t be is just about all we can help them do!
@Mike Cassidy (1.49) –
Thanks.
😉
@ Beaker at 2.04 re facemasks: I think the FM is recommending that we put a scarf or similar over our nose and mouth when in a shop or other similar place, not a proper facemask.
Nicola Sturgeon tells us every day that health is devolved and that she could take a Scotland only route out if this crisis,,,but,, she tells us she doesn’t want to, she wants to be in lock step with england.
The point I am trying to make this today is why???
@Liz g 2:56pm
‘Westminster controlling the purse strings,
And the First Minister’s job to run it that way.’
She is an excellent First Minister. She is also leader of the SNP – a political party whose primary objective is to obtain independence for Scotland. Her two roles are not compatible. To avoid any questions about her integrity she should step aside from one. After more than five years that doesn’t seem likely.
Southern Ireland is not in lock step with N Ireland,,,so it can be done.
Thinking outside the constraints of the plastic wheelie bin…
Waste Management is devolved to the Scottish Government so it’d be braw if the “innovative Scots” could at least temporarily muster up an ever so slightly modified system that allowed our recycling centres to re-open, even in a limited capacity.
That would help stop the increase in flytipped trash that is now happening because people are stuck indoors during lockdown and thus generating more waste at home than normal, and choosing “alternative unconventional strategies” to get rid of it.
Longer term invest in several proper national setups say in Lothian, Strathclyde, and Tayside / Angus as hubs to properly process and recycle in the most efficient ways the waste that our country produces.
Plenty other countries have some good tech up and running on this already.
If they can build hospitals and crack on with HS2 work during lockdown then similar engineering and construction should be possible.
An expensive plastic bottle recycling machine at every supermarket might be a great innovative pioneering environmental idea to someone, but to anybody that has actually bothered to look at the volume and weight of much larger plastic items that end up in general waste and landfill, then other approaches need to be considered.
Plastic has approximately the same calorific value of energy as oil that the psychos running the planet go to wars over, yet we throw plastic away…
Mary Loud MacDonald of Sinn Fein has called for the Gardai to stop day trippers from NI going across the border. This coming weekend is a bank holiday in the Republic, the following weekend is a bank holiday in NI.
An explanation for those who missed this story – the Gardai have been told that they cannot apply bug-related special powers to non-Irish citizens. So, Belfast residents who have holiday homes/caravans in, say, Donegal, can go there with no fear of being collared by the Guards whilst locals remain under house arrest. It’s a recipe for disaster.
If Scotland was independent right now, would NS be allowing folk to travel to their holiday homes, from other parts of Scotland let alone other nations?
Just another one of the inconsistencies and logical cul-de-sacs which are driving people fuckin mental. Literally.
@jackie
Possibly because the scientific advice they are getting is the same Westminster, who knows in reality. When you are in a government funded circle the drive to diverge from those at the top is liable to hamper your career, scientists are no different from anyone else in protecting this.
Also the press were gagging for the Scotgov to diverge, ‘Scotgov ignores scientific advice’ is probably already sitting in their editing software ready to go.
‘Normal’ life must resume at some point, though I don’t suggest we go back to ‘normal’ UKOKplc. social practice. Mkay! Mkay?
.https://www.bpf.co.uk/sustainability/plastics_recycling.aspx
@Breeks at 1:59 pm
Yip, as a long term lurker before starting to post I was aware of the common words you mention, a proper list would be useful though.
Or alternatively as things have moved on from the days those word filters were implemented, is it really necessary to still have them, especially when there is often discussion btl of a particular policy that some in the Scottish
GovernmentAdministration are so keen to push.Anyways, cheers for your response and please continue with your much appreciated input to the commentary.
5tella 4rtois!
@ Beaker – DIY facemask demo here. There are millions on youtube, including using Hoover HEPA bags for superior filtering.
https://www.itv.com/news/london/2020-04-21/diy-face-mask-dr-ellie-cannon-makes-a-protective-mask-from-a-piece-of-cloth/
I have a “Buff”. It’s basically a stretchy cloth tube you wear round your neck but can pull over your head or up over your nose and mouth. Mine has nice saltires all over it and is made from recycled plastic bottles so I feel quite smug wearing it.
https://www.buff.com/GB/
Buff disclaimer here:
https://www.buff.com/gb/our-response-to-covid-19/
Beaker.
Paper tissues were first designed as filters for WWI gas masks.
There are plenty of them in the shops if you are looking to make a homemade mask.
Ooh, Capella, keep pushing that as we defo need to see more folk walking around in the buff!*
*Obviously that’s purely on the grounds of oor bodies maintaining healthy Vit D levels and for no other reason, honest.
We could even produce a calendar to raise monies for a valid cause.
#TappsAffButBuffsOan
There will be online ‘commemorations’ of the 75th anniversary of VE day. (Radio Scotland)
Remind us again, John Beattie, how your employer – the national broadcaster – marked the 700th anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath.
Is that right??? Anybody confirm?
I’m hearing on Twitter that Broadcasting Scotland, who dared to ask a question at an SNP Press Conference last week, are no longer admitted to Press Conferences because the Hootsman moaned about it and the Scottish Government, surprise, surprise, caved in like a packet of crisps.
If that’s correct, then the gutless SNP should hang their fking heads in shame. Who needs enemies with “friends” like the SNP?
WM Gov not likely to meet their 100,000 tests in England says unnamed senior politician.
The BBC websites now have today’s figures for the four UK countries. Hospital deaths only.
Hancock may add a number for ‘out with’ hospital deaths where a positive test has been made.
Scotland……….today…….60…….Total……1475…BBC
Wales………….today…….22…….Total…….908…BBC
N. Ireland……..today…….09…….Total…….347…BBC
England………..today……391…….Total…..20137…BBC
@ Dan – I just knew somebody would like the Buff. 🙂
Watched the BBC One O’Clock news, the only thing missing was ‘Land Of Hope And Glory’ over the ending, 30 minutes of propaganda. Then 15 minutes of tearing strips of the Scotgov from BBC Scotland, no heartwarming stories here, all negative.
re tests in England. There was an excellent interview with Dr Allyson Pollock on R4 World at One. She said that she couldn’t see that the UK Government had any strategy because tests in themselves are useless without contact tracing and isolation.
Also the wide network of test centres were not under the NHS and there was no local co-ordination. Infection control was always done at a local level. So a thumbs down from Dr Allyson.
jfngw
2.04
You can do what you like.
Don’t be such a wimp.
Another reminder that the transactivists are still happy to derail the SNP.
https://twitter.com/MrJohnNicolson/status/1255864355519967232
CameronB Brodie says:
30 April, 2020 at 2:50 pm
IMHO, health care workers are victims of gross negligence to a legal duty of care by HMG. As are the general public. Full text.
——————————————————————
I think there might be an argument that Institutions/individuals have failed to comply with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and several of its associated Regulations (e.g. Management Regs, PPE Regs, COSHH Regs, etc.). This is criminal law. However, given some of the new characteristics of COVID, it might be difficult to substantiate a case – it just depends on what was known during the preparation stage. A better way might be to demand open and accountable public enquiries.
I would proffer it might also throw a light on NHS H&S professionals – were they involved in advising IPAC staff about RPE legal requirements in relation to surgical masks and the Precautionary Principle? Why has there been no advance in developing more suitable RPE for surgical procedures when it is reasonably foreseeable that surgeons and theatre staff could be exposed to all sorts of infectious diseases?
Just a thought.
Opps – Public Inquiries
Sensible – excuse me for taking so long to answer your post at 1824 on 29th. I have other interests, and much as I like to read “Wings” there are other pro-independence blogs and foreign newspapers to enjoy. Fear not, I will keep “confidential” your work on behalf of HMG – and fully understand not wanting to be associated publicly with such work! Her Maj once referred to them as “dark forces”. I’m sure you’d be embarrassed if it got out – of course the money could be a small compensation! As to the rest of your first paragraph your atttude to democracy may explain, if not to us, to you, why you feel the need to continue posting here.
Democracy (demos kratos),an ideal that the ancient Greeks proposed, but never acheived fully, like the mighty UK, made no mention of kings, queens, lords and ladies and in excess of 800 unelected pensioners (more members than Communist China’s politburo), amending and changing law proposed by an elected assembly and a government elected sometimes by less than 30% of the electorate! “sometimes I get the government I vote for, sometimes I don’t” and “loosers (sic) consent” but of course you don’t drop your principles and political aims because you lose. Democracy in that case would certainly have failed. “I cannot countenance a situation where one man, one vote system has a “special category” of voters that are allowed to veto a majority decision” – written without any trace of irony. The UK government did not allow foreign nationals living in the UK a vote in the EU referendum but non-Scots must be allowed a vote in a referendum on Scotland’s future. A “special category” I would postulate who took fright as polls for independence began to show a lead for the Yes vote. Now, I don’t want to preclude non-Scots from voting in a referendum in future but I see the UK stance and your comment as hypocritical! Democracy is democracy – all who live within a state, nation, council who live and work in those confines get one vote and this does not preclude “leftie nut jobs”. How does it feel to have “rightie” nut jobs running your country in a kind of Faragist, Falangist, neo-fascist manner and continuously breaking another implicit tenet of democracy – that the “demos” be told the truth! Too sad that the type of democracy we are saddled with is “representative” and the SNP and Labour work against the elected Government in a democracy. Too bad that Labour , in my opinion, with their newly elected establishment leader, is absolutely useless at opposing what must be the worst British government in anyone’s (except an “extreme nut job” Tory) memory. You tell us you are “proud of your country” – you must mean England as the UK is not a country – and I know you like accuracy! Strange thing you feel you have to write. I am not proud to be a Scot or a Briton – I just am. Like our unionist Scots (British nationalists I like to call them – just to confuse you understand) who say “I am proud to be a Scot but……”
What is it about England you may not be so proud of?
I “get” democracy and I also get Scotland’s right, as arguably the oldest nation in Europe and one of the oldest on Earth, to resume it’s independence from a regressive and oppressive Westminster administration – and it will!
It took me half and hour to read and comprehend your post and an hour to write this reply. So any comment you have to make will not be replied to – life is short! I am still disappointed that you will explain why you feel it necessary to post here as you could do something for the country you are “proud” of elsewhere!
Fireproofjim says:
29 April, 2020 at 11:39 pm
Actually he is a bacteriologist which is quite a different sphere from Virology and he is 17 years retired so perhaps not the most up to date source. There are several eminent virologists but the BBC would rather interview a staunch Unionist because he will do the SNP bad routine on cue.
On the other hand maybe the BBC don’t know the difference.
————————————————————–
Apologies, my reply went into moderation for some reason.
I accept he’s the go to person for unionist science, and that he’s a bit out-of-date; no disagreement with these.
However, the discipline of Microbiology covers all micro-organisms including bacteria and viruses. His expertise is in bacteriology (or a subset of same, if we want to be even more reductionist), but this does not mean he doesn’t know about or understand viruses. Indeed, he’d be a very poor microbiologist if he didn’t. The man is well capable of discussing viruses and given his experience in communicable disease outbreaks, well able to relate it to epidemiological considerations. I strongly suspect he’ll keep up with developments in his retirement – maybe not to the same level, but whatever we might think about his unionism, he’s a capable and reputable scientist.
I know it may be a stupid question but all this testing I mean you could test, clear today and catch it tommorow and they say the symptoms are so bad that you would not need a test to prove you have it what’s the point to it all ???
Col.Blimp IV says:
29 April, 2020 at 11:47 pm
Hamerdoon
He’s Semi-Professional Unionist, which includes bare-faced lying
For pay and for pleasure.
He retired from microbiology 17 years ago – he has probably forgotten more about viruses than he ever knew.
——————————————————————
Again, apologies – moderation again.
We have no disagreement regarding his unionist standpoint and his being a bit out-of-date. However, see my response to Fireproofjim above – his unionism doesn’t stop him being a capable microbiologist. Furthermore, old academics never stop reading around their subject matter, it is in their general nature – it’s been their life-long obsession; retirement doesn’t stop the reading, or in some cases the experimenting!
Am I correct in saying that N Ireland has the lowest death to population ratio
Followed them by Scotland, Wales and Last is the Superior Master Nation England.
By showing UK figures it helps to favour England’s attrition’s handling of Covid 19.
Couldn’t we send all revenues to England,Give them all the fiscal powers and send them
All our PPE kit as they are a humiliating embarrassment in the eyes of the world.
The Daily Briefing is to be replaced with Capt Tom’ celebration of being 100 and a day with a 49
Episode series.
All breaking news banners are to report on latest baby Boris having his first fart, sneeze and
Projectile vomit.
For anyone who is interested – these legal H&S principles have been around for a long time – see COSHH regs.
https://academic.oup.com/occmed/advance-article/doi/10.1093/occmed/kqaa077/5827195
The BBC websites now have today’s figures for the four UK countries all include deaths ‘outwith a hospital’
err! Except the England figure now vanished….wonder why?
Scotland……….today…….60…….Total……1475…BBC
Wales………….today…….22…….Total…….908…BBC
N. Ireland……..today…….09…….Total…….347…BBC
England………..today……****…….Total…..****** no new figures yet.
==========================================
UK ………today….674…..Total……26711
England figures above have not been given just mixed in with the UK figures Totals in the table. 🙁
I’ll leave you to do the math
@JOHN NICOLSON M.P
You are a total numpty and a threat to open democracy. Your woke ‘liberalism’ has managed to derail the indy movement and undermine the social position of biological women. Anti-foundational belief systems do not support justice, though they do support totalitarianism. Sort yourself out!
NATURE, HUMAN NATURE AND VALUE
A Study in Environmental Philosophy
https://orca.cf.ac.uk/54314/1/U584128.pdf
@SNP Management
Sort yourselves and the party out, you cupid stunts.
Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights
https://en.unesco.org/themes/ethics-science-and-technology/bioethics-and-human-rights
Looking at the Civid 18 Death talkies across the globe
and Bojoland is coming up on the inside rail to catch
Italy, the Death Total Challenge Cup Leader.
Only 1,000 deaths behind them as they come into the last bend.
I’m hearing that there may be a Stewards Enquiry as Bojoland
May not have declared what is in the saddle bag.
Gordon Jackson QC, Alex Salmonds lawyer during his trial, claims that the exchange in conversation on a train after Mr Salmond was acquitted was a set up.
Of course anyone viewing the actual footage can clearly see someone hiding two seats down from Mr Jackson filming the exchange with what looks like a flexiwire camera and not a mobile phone.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/18416634.alex-salmonds-lawyer-claims-victim-set-up/
Meanwhile Julian Assange along with unjustly held Catalan political prisoners, have all signed a letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, deeply criticising their illegal detention during the Covid-19 pandemic.
OT
But in case Lockdown has reduced you to board games.
I’ve only just discovered there is a Scottish version of Monopoly.
Then find out this!
http://archive.is/jyC23
Listening to englands chief medical liar telling us to now ignore the graphs that show england shooting up to the top of the European Deaths League.
He tells us other countries don’t add up all their deaths in a true and meaningful way.
This from a guy who is hiding approximately 10 000 deaths from englands true total.
Oh the irony,,,they actually think we believe the shite they spew out every day.
To think Sturgeon wants to walk in lock step with these lying english bastards.
Stroll on Nicola.
Boris stuttered and stammered at the beginning of his update but soon became his blustering self.
Interestingly he states that ‘face coverings’ are beneficial and he will tell us all more next week. Aye right so he will probably recommend them.
Q?
If they can, with some confidence, state the ‘R’ value as an average across the UK why no ‘nominal’ figure of ‘R’ for the usual size care home?
Maybe someone will ask.
Heard enough and I see that Capt Tom is now an Honorary Colonel.
Scotland will not be in a position to face the coming century, if law and public policy lacks a regard for empirical reality. The principle of “universality” simply can not be defended without a legal respect for biology and natural law.
Remaking Public Policy
in the 21st Century
https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/media/uploads/files/Bennett_Insitute_Launch_Report.pdf
@Sarah 3.11
I live in Rutherglen. Put a scarf over your face in Main Street and they think you’re robbing the place 🙂
This stuff is so basic that it terrifies me that Scotland’s Establishment appear so detached from reality.
Fact and Law in the Causal Inquiry
https://philarchive.org/archive/BROFALv1
What a load of bullshit from Boris not one straight answer not a lot getting to ask a question if that was the FM she would be torn to shreds by the union brigade.
The Butchers Aprons behind Johnston’s back are folded in such a way so the St Georges
Cross looks like an actual Christian Cross ,,,as in,,,the english being Christian Soldiers. True story.
The pricks just love themselves,,, deluded bastards.
And the Saltire in the flag just looks like Black Triangles popping up here and there.
Union of Equals???
My fuckin arse.
We are certainly not a union of equals, and Brexitania is not a social democracy.
A Tale of Two Referendums
Elite Manipulation or Civic Engagement?
https://consoc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/COSJ3706_Referendum_report_COMPLETE_18.09.15.pdf
Liar and coward Johnson:
https://www.thenational.scot/news/18340289.cornoavirus-boris-johnson-flouted-covid-19-rules/
Without a rational approach to law and public policy, there is no hope for a sustainable future for society.
What Does It Mean to be Biased: Motivated Reasoning
and Rationality
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lagnado-lab/publications/harris/Hahn_Harris_L&M2014.pdf
All those that claimed that Johnson would return on the day he could claim the peak has been passed have been vindicated, it was pretty much in the first part of his statement today.
Johnson is back, Kuenssberg is back, I presume this is like parliament and she only normally asks questions when the leader is present. You have to laugh at BBC pecking order for journalists.
SNP MP attacks a women’s rights group and looks like he organised a pile on to force JustGiving to close their account. This party is currently out of control and I’m afraid the leader is turning a blind eye, possibly to busy self promoting to the rest of the UK.
If there is not a definite independence promise in their next manifesto then what is the point of voting for them, they have been infiltrated by dubious characters.
Breeks, I am sure there was a question from Broadcasting Scotland today – I doubt that the Scottish Government will ever bow to the desires of the ill named Scotsman and their frothing British Nationalists.
Jackie…
You’ll be easy to pick out in a crowd – I’ll leave you to guess how! (You could make friends with the d1ck with the grubby Union Flag jacket – different flag, but same warped ideology).
Doesn’t matter if it’s the English, South Asians, Afro-Caribbeans, East Europeans, Jewish, Irish, Muslims, Romany, disabled, whoever is the target… Racism/bigotry is what it is and every time I see you’ve crossed a line I’ll call you out for being the racist bigot you are. I’m sure others will join me in doing so.
Civilised countries have laws for dealing with the likes of you. If you doubt my words, it’d be easy to Wiki all MSPs of English origin and at the next full-house FMQs at Holyrood, stand outside and vent your spleen at all those who by accident of birth are English born. I doubt you’ll take any satisfaction from the fact that it’ll be a Scottish Police Officer who feels your collar and a Scottish Judge who sends you down.
I’m ashamed to say several decades ago my views were not a million miles from where yours are now. But thankfully not only did I grow up but also woke up. You should try it sometime.
If you think you’ve arrived at a place where you’ll make pals and convert others to your view of the world, think again. We see you Jackie, and you’re not pretty.
Meanwhile the SNP ignores this?
https://bylinetimes.com/2020/04/28/the-government-is-giving-away-your-money-to-the-mail-and-the-sun/
This attack on a women’s group by an SNP MP, imagine what they will do if the Hate Crime bill is passed, it will give them the power to silence anyone as the legislation is so vague. It will give minorities the power to close down any opposition to them, it all feels a bit fascist.
I’m starting to feel I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place, can’t vote for the Britnat parties and the SNP making themselves unelectable with ill thought out legislation.
From last night:
Sky News reports ‘excess mortality’ is much higher in England and Wales than in Scotland
https://archive.is/cWghe
Thursday nicht so guess that means it’s time to look out that Honda lawnmower without an exhaust and fire it up, then rev its arse off to drown out the seals giving themselves “Le Creuset Wrist”.
LCW is a new RSI ailment that has recently come to light as an indirect consequence of Covid 19, caused by over-enthusiastic pot bashing activities to support health workers.
It’s a condition that ironically has now over taken tennis and golfer’s elbow in injury stats and put pressure on physio health services.
Two alternative treatments:
#WeeshtForHealthWorkers
or
#StopVotingInTwatsThatCutFundingToTheHealthServices
This spoof twitter feed welcomes the proposed hate bill.
Got a slight feeling a lot of the btls are not so spoofy.
https://twitter.com/TitaniaMcGrath/status/1255811328809320449
PS Jackie…
If I can make the next AUOB, I’ll be found marching beside the English Scots for Independence. I welcome all to our cause, irrespective of origin!
The only people I have a beef with are racist bigots and the ‘running dogs’ of the British Establishment; plenty of nationalities to be found in both those categories, including, sadly, those who claim to be my own.
I now actually believe people like John Nicholson is a Britnat parachuted into the SNP to destroy it from the inside, he’s not the only one I feel.
http://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/scotland-at-7-30-04-2020/
Broadcasting Scotland can be found at the link above. Check them out.
They also have a fundraiser going on just now.
They cheesed off The Scotsman / Hootsmon, so surely that alone is worth a wee donation?
@ jfngw
It’s such a shame Jim Fairlie didn’t get the nomination for Ochil and Perthshire South. He would have been a much better MP.
I thought that at the time, before all this woke nonsense from Nicolson (he doesn’t have an h – I’ve just checked, because most people are generously giving him one!).
The SNP wokerati have now moved on and had the GoFundMe LGB Alliance account closed, it looks like we may need more than a list party to clear out the garbage.
The likelyhood is this could result in independence parties not gaining a majority at the net election, but unfortunately sometimes you need to have a clear out and refocus on what is important.
@crazycat
Or Dave Doogan who was more local but got the Angus Constituency and outed Kirtene Hair.
@crazycat
It wasn’t as if Nicholson was particularly good, anyone that watched him on This Week with Andrew Neil could see his lack of debating ability, Neil always made mincemeat of him, he never knew any facts. He’s just a lazy carpetbagger as far as I can tell, no longer wanted at the BBC so decided to jump on the SNP bandwagon and has no real interest in independence.
ousted…
The Greeks colonised Italy long before Rome became a rampaging, insatiable, genocidal super power. Nice to think that a form of Greek is still spoken in parts of the south:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0nTkxfneAE
To complicate matters further, Francesco Crispi, one-time Prime Minister of Italy, came from the even smaller Albanian-speaking community of the republic.
Sorry: meant for Off Topic.
Curse of The Filter strikes: A-lbanian was meant.
Is anyone else suprised at just how similar Nicola sturgeons statement is to the one Boris Johnson gave? So much for NS wanting to start an “adult converstaion” with the nation, as she has completely reverted back to the UK line.
More talk of easing the lockdown in phases at some undisclosed point in the future without any details. What evidence is there that the lockdown has actually reduced transmission of the virus?, what is the rational for forceable isolating the entire population when for under 50s its only about as lethal as the flu? (even less so for younger demographics).
robertknight @6:40pm
I’ll certainly back you up to stigmatise racism and bigotry. Full text.
Racism in the Structure of Everyday Worlds:
A Cultural-Psychological Perspective
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0963721417724239
fngw says:
“SNP MP attacks a women’s rights group and looks like he organised a pile on to force JustGiving to close their account. This party is currently out of control and I’m afraid the leader is turning a blind eye, possibly to busy self promoting to the rest of the UK.”
I can’t agree mate, I don’t think the leader is turning a blind eye, I think she fully supports the GRA nonsense and it is destroying the party.
The galling thing is that she doesn’t seem to be concerned about this!
bipod
What’s you’re frame of reference, if you don’t mind me asking?
30 March 2020
Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team
Report 13: Estimating the number of infections and the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions on COVID-19 in 11 European countries
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/medicine/mrc-gida/2020-03-30-COVID19-Report-13.pdf
How many people have seen this.Let them sink they are against us anyway.
https://on.rt.com/ag28
Its just like Branson looking for a bail out
I can’t agree mate, I don’t think the leader is turning a blind eye, I think she fully supports the GRA nonsense and it is destroying the party.
The galling thing is that she doesn’t seem to be concerned about this!
——————————————————————
I also agree I don’t know what’s with Nicola Sturgeon or the party but there’s something seriously wrong, they’re doing everything possible to piss off indy supporters, think Michelle Thomson, Grousebeater, Neale Hanvey & Denise Findlay not to mention Alex Salmond and now ever since that Scotsman hack complained about Broadcasting Scotland being allowed a question at a press conference they’ve bummed them out, I don’t know if that was Nicolas decision but I can’t believe she doesn’t know about it
Dr Wittkowski seems entirely credible to me.
@Patrick Roden
I was trying to be neutral there, there are a lot of diehards on the site who will just accuse you of being a plant if you criticise certain people.
Dr Knut Wittkowski as system not sending links. Very interesring intrview.
Poor old Donald, never mind peeps.He should come on here to see people self imploding too . lol
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/30/trump-brad-parscale-campaign-manager
@ Beaker at 5.53: thanks for the laugh! Much needed at the moment.
Dog biscuit
So you listened to Dr Wittkowski and thought you now have sufficient insight to urge a loosening of lock-down. Do you not think that rather presumptuous of you, if that defines the scope of your understanding?
April 07, 2020
Making decisions to mitigate COVID-19 with limited knowledge
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30280-2/fulltext
Now that Johnson is backing face covering we won’t be hearing from the unionists favourite orofessor.
Meanwhile a proper doctor Phillipa Whitfield is on BBC Question Time at 10.45 always assuming she is allowed a word in edgeways as Tory and Labour reps get priority at all times
Cameron,Ive been urging an end to lock down from day one.
Phillipa Whitford is a surgeon mot a virolgist.
Dog biscuit
Well you’re simply an irresponsible idiot then, who is only interested in their own self-gratification. Bet you’re a Tory.
Dog biscuit says:
30 April, 2020 at 10:17 pm
Phillipa Whitford is a surgeon mot a virolgist.
Boris Johnson is a pathological liar, an adulterer, a
Bungling Buffoon, an incompetent clown who is PM.
I’ll have Philips Whitfield who has taken the Hippocratic Oath thank you
Pedigree Chump!
Gotta luv it.One thing she’s really good at is getting the brit nats and yoons to implode.
Wonder the car salesman Carlaw thinks !
https://twitter.com/Torcuil/status/1255899702085722113
Ha!
Radio 5 wee panel of guests (no names missed the intro been listening for a wee while) discussing these graphs we get from WM Gov updates.
Two pretty miffed with ‘the country’ showing worst figures in Europe cant be right, comparing apples & pears etc etc.
Different countries use different criteria for figures etc etc.
Those Chinese should have said earlier and the Germans…etc etc.
But one guy saying we are where we are statistics are clear enough it’s a bad situation suck it up kinda thing. 🙂
Onto ‘masks’ now since Boris thinks they are beneficial.
New data….says one guy (Oh!Adam Smith Institute)
Same old though……. protects other folk from the wearer.
Auntie plays the Boris thing….Naw! says one.
“Boris didn’t mean what he said” “This is what he means” etc etc
🙂 🙂 and so it goes…
Sport flash!
Oh! Murray won Madrid Tennis Open (computer game thing) Yeaah!
PS:
Oil & Banking trash the markets….Not a good day and the Yankee
Dow slides down…. all bad. 🙁
Oh well. Tomorrow is another day! 🙁
Another farce on BBC Qt as Jean Freeman not asked to comment on second question regarding helping small business like brewery.
Given the impatience to declare the environment safe, here’s some medical opinion that suggests the UK response has been a clear case of criminal negligence.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2014793?query=featured_home
Sorry to ad, a bit scottish whisky emotion.
I have no academic levels but have a vision a purpose belief and most importantly a Grand family real family, Benbecula, Kincardine (Fife) I need protectionism and real facts on Corona.So far its media led why the fk is that so.
The reports on this page are on media are so bang on it is hard to believe people eat shit.
I have made remarks about face masks no response, well fk me me why not******* were the fkn WOS believing the media, FK FK FK without a fkn academic comma , spelling not to good, but fk me I remarked about face masks March, no response, where do I fit into this fkn concerned about society fkn WOS.
Lets all have a nice academic smile.
When the shit hits the fan. fk Fk Fk, smell the shit.
As for Gerrard and the most fkn uncredible organisation that ever existed, backed with the shit Scottish media, well I hope they once again sink tae fk.
I have nice Rangers friends, but hate they Orange Bastards Loyalist, do not even accept Catholics were it the wars, biggots,
Hate to emotion this but there yi go, the real world from the technical brain fkrs. aye go tae a fkn pub and see the loyalist Bigotry. Fk.
The Real Word As it Used Tae Be, But For Me It Will Never Change, When you let these Orange fkrs loose, you did fk all.
The next real world they will not exist.
can I trust anyone.
Unbiased Jim the tim.
Rant a go-go this evening!
My Corona,,,,watched the news tonight, no information, no facts, no nothing. Found out the system is ready to kill thousands more now they can control it.
The world soon will be full of survivors that text, fkn fk about with tabs watch celebrity shit and eat shit. The world is now fkd with these young fkn bampotts.
On a personal mode,
If ma’h baby don’t love me no more, ah no her sister will. Fk, Fk, fk
Away to play Hendrix in ma’h Guitar
@CBB, 1 May 12.00
Denmark started releasing lockdown in mid-April. So far, so good
https://www.rt.com/newsline/487461-denmark-control-gradual-reopening/
Useful to remember that Denmark did not close off access to parks, forests, beaches or cycle paths in lockdown. Human beings need fresh air, sunshine and exercise to stay healthy. Perhaps, Scotland should be following Denmark’s practices and procedures.
cirsium
Circumstances vary from nation to nation, as do viable policy options and strategies. The link at midnight went into quite a bit of detail on this and rolling out a relaxation of lock-down. Which I think premature until systematic testing and tracing is implemented. Just my opinion though. 😉
https://www.thenational.scot/news/18415049.nicola-sturgeon-says-holyrood-election-may-use-postal-votes/?fbclid=IwAR01nwGiqqzBrgC5r1qg_q7xP6joiuuVqZDiEjNd44S2DY98W7SjPmo_ZNE
This is the act of a ("Tractor" - Ed). She should be toppled if she doesn’t resign. We can kiss goodbye to Indy permanently if this Postal only ballot comes to pass. It will be impossible to achieve Indy by democratic methods if a rigged postal only ballot is allowed to stand.
Off-topic I know but I agree with those bringing up the disgusting behaviour of Nicolson and of the latest GRA Reform-by-stealth Bill. SNP, what are you playing at?
Nicolson needs watching
This lockdown is here for many months to come
Patrick Roden and others regarding the comments by John Nicolson, SNP MP.
I am truly disgusted at what John Nicolson, SNP MP, has posted online. His actions and those who it seems support him, and comments may have helped lead to the shutdown of two funding pages for a group which seeks to stand up for the rights of homosexual men and women. What on earth is that about John????? Is it just because they won’t swallow your personal views on ‘gender’??
Seriously, as soon as it is possible, I will be doubling my funding of the LGB alliance. Founded by those who ACTUALLY fought for gay rights all those years ago, John.
https://lgballiance.org.uk/about/
I truly despair. NS has stood and let the SNP be destroyed by folk who care nothing for independence, or for that matter gay rights. She is either incompetent, or unwilling to take action. What is clear, is that we will NEVER get independence with NS at the helm.
She just isn’t even pretending to try anymore.
It is beyond a joke. The SNP needs a clearout, right from the top. Until that happens, they, and, especially, John Nicolson, SNP, MP, can go swivel.
This is Orwell’s 1984.
It is 100% obvious that testing the very first symptoms and those they
Made contact with must be tested and isolated. Fact.
Wearing a mask helps reduce risk of catching and spreading. Fact
I cannot state to what degree it helps it may be small but dear God don’t
You take every slight precaution against dying a horrible death and spreading
It to everyone around you.
All the politicians, corrupt scientists and media are spouting lies in order to cover up their sheer and
Prolonged iincompetance.
Not enough staff, not enough PPE, not enough testing kits, not enough ventilators and no idea about logistics.
That’s it.
Do not question your common sense and recognise the extensive powers of corruption that the UK
Establishment have built over centuries.
2 + 2 is 4. Always has been and always will be so know that you are right!
Re lockdown restrictions:
My career has been in working with people experiencing mental health problems and a big part of that work was while working for a large NHS Trust in England.
In about 2010 some of us received an email that we were warned was covered by the official secrets act and must not be shared outside our workplace.
We were informed that the World Health Organisation’s researchers believed that a worldwide pandemic wasn’t a matter f ‘IF’ it would happen, but ‘WHEN’ it would happen and that as front-line mental health workers, we would be expected to work with the police to control crowds, etc.
I was then invited to join a group who worked on crowd control during scenarios such as train crashes or terrorist attacks, but with the knowledge that we were training for ‘pandemic’ crowd control.
The thing that governments feared was a break-down in law and order as people became frightened during lockdown like restrictions, with rioting and looting a real fear.
The Tories cut the funding for these training events so they are no longer a thing, although training for terrorism , etc may still be happening.
I fully understand anyone being suspicious of the government’s interference in our rights, but in the case of this lockdown, I can say from personal experience that it isn’t a conspiracy to undermine our human rights, but it was and has always been the most effective way to stop the spread of any contagious disease or virus and is the WHO’s prefered method of dealing with a pandemic.
What a lot of people in the UK don’t realise is just how close we live cheek to jowl with each other in this country, with rows and rows of houses with no gaps between, and tenement buildings being common in all our towns and cities.
It’s one of the first things that a lot of immigrants comment on when coming to the UK.
If we don’t do lockdown in the UK, the way our society is structured with housing and shopping and other communal services, the virus will spread like wildfire, it’s as simple as that.
This is why we shouldn’t think that countries like New Zealand have a model that we could ever hope to follow with the same results because they simply do not live like ‘packed sardines’ as we do in the UK.
Maybe the way we live in Scotland is one of the things we need to look at when this lockdown is all over, using how this virus was able to spread so rapidly in the UK compared to other countries as evidence that our housing is not adequate.
Failing acknowledgement that this is indeed the cause of why the virus spread so rapidly, would be an admission that it was political incompetence that caused the rapid spread and I’d doubt if anyone will stand on that particular platform.
o/t- Anyone know how Robert Peffers is?
It is the 1st of May.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=POH14-HMGFc
The oppressed masses are still struggling ineffectually with their ‘chains’, psychological and physical.
Why are people so scared of the concept of freedom?
The comfort of lockdown syndrome, the novel shift in the Stockholm virus genome.
Hubei, the once hardest hit Chinese province, reports no new confirmed COVID19 cases for 27 consecutive days.
Patrick Roden , have a wee look at India , Pakistan, Thailand , Singapore and a host of others – cheek by jowl doesn’t even cover it.
And I believe all those countries have been more successful with prevention and with a lower number of recorded deaths.
For the UK , sixth wealthiest blah blah , to be second highest in the world so far is an utter disgrace and an indictment of government care for the people. To allow that pillock to stand at a press briefing and announce this as a ‘success’ and not to be challenged is astounding.
I am astonished by the sycophantic drivel in the media , there really is no honest journalism in the UK. Thank goodness for Wings , Craig Murray , Paul and a host of others and to Al Jazeera and RT for broadcast news.
@EFFIJY
You are so wrong. Masks are of limited protection unless treated with substances inimical to both bacteria and viridae. Ventilators are NOT for every case. Inappropriately used they will kill.
The concept of community or herd immunity, a requisite for effective use of vaccines, requires people to mix and become infected.
Testing kits are only as good as data upon which they function. Accurate data is still lacking on this virus. It is a form of SARS an animal to human pathogen, that is, as yet, the sum total of knowledge. That is what the kits are testing for.
This is not a plague, the majority infected recover. Part of the herd immunity.
Environmental, sociological, personal health both mental and physical play an overwhelming role in coping with disease. It is not all about pharma chem. lab creativity.
Lockdown is causing repression depression in many. Not a good environment for recovery.
The economic, political and above all personal consequences of this irrational overreaction may well be severe.
Legal question,
if you had a contract to do something by a certain date but you now couldn`t do it by that date because of Gov restrictions on virus,
are you stll liable to prosecution or some sort of monetary/late fee,
or does `force majeure` cover this.
Effigy you have got a real attitude problem .I cannot speak for our vast silent audience of ‘lurkers’ but I wonder what they think when a regular,such as yourself abuses anyone who disagrees with you.It has been instructive posting on here and being insulted and abused by defective fools like yourself. Cameron, I actually thought better of you. I wonder how many of you online tough guys would have the bottle to speak to a mans face the way you speak on here? If you lot are the cutting edge of the Independence movement then Scotland has no chance. For one ,most of uou are backing a nobbled horse in Nicola Sturgeon ,this place is no more than a coffee morning where you all spraff shit about an Independence non of us will ever see. You dont deserve to be Independent you are fools and cowards especially you Effigy. You are losing people because ther are too many assholes here
Ottomanboi
Your support for Tory philosophers aside, I don’t think you have sufficient knowledge to be making policy recommendations. Herd immunity is only ethical if the pathogen is known, and when there is appropriate medical infrastructure and treatment available.
I used to think your contribution helpful, but now I see you’re simply a bit of an anarchistic agent provocateur. Are you freelance or otherwise?
You dont win over anyone by abusing them .Your more likely to turn people off.
Cameron blow it out your arse you pretentious moron.
Dog biscuit
Make believe, as is your fancy. Thing is, I understand the bio-neurology of the right-wing mind, so I’m confident that your judgement can’t be relied upon. It’s just the hand nature dealt you, your morality is bio-socially impaired. So I’ll take no lectures on ethics from you, sunshine.
What are you bunch of auld wifies going to do when this talking shop closes down?
Cammy
You posted this:
Racism in the Structure of Everyday Worlds:
A Cultural-Psychological Perspective
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0963721417724239
Instead of just cutting and pasting links, you should actually read and understand them.
Then, perhaps, you might reconsider your casual, negative, stereotyping of English folk.
You are pseudo intellectual bigot sir.
Cameron ,you insult me .You hide from the flu you silly bastard
His casual stereotyping of anyone who disagrees with him,Cameron the sites intellectual lightweight with no thoughts of his own.
Sensibledav
I’m part English myself you arsehole. I’ve been extremely careful to direct my hostility towards right-wing, (white), British nationalism, a.k.a. English Torydum.
Cameron debating with you is like arguing with a speak your weight machine.
Niddrie!
Dog biscuit
I’ll debate with any critical, objective, opinion. I’ll rip the pish out of ideologically prejudiced bollocks though.
CBB
That’s your “defence”???
You only meant to casually, negatively stereotype 47.2% of English voters??
You are pseudo intellectual bigot sir.
Nah, dave, you’re just a bigot.
Trump, Brexit, and the Rise of Populism:
Economic Have-Nots and Cultural
Backlash
Faculty Research Working Paper Series
https://research.hks.harvard.edu/publications/getFile.aspx?Id=1401
After what happened to AS and CM are you confident this new hate crime bill would not be used to jail those that they want out of the way. With this bill you don’t even need to have done anything it is enough that someone finds anything you said hateful.
Will it be a jury trial or a stitch up to just silence you, too much power under the control of the executive is never a good thing. The anti terror laws have been used to silence dissidence within a party, who believes these new powers won’t be abused by the powerful.
Also the bill has been drawn up to only protect the woke brigade, real women have been effectively excluded.
There is always a problem when a party is in power too long, they start to run out of ideas and begin legislating nonsense. They start to believe the objective of the party is to merely hold onto power. That’s why we need an alternative independence party.
Those that say they have handled the virus well are wrong, well compared to England and a few other countries but compared to most countries we have handled it woefully (over 400/million have died in Scotland), higher death rate than France, USA, in fact outside the UK only Italy and Belgium are higher.
Scot Finlayson
I don’t know the answer but, maybe you will find this interesting?
http://www.pinsentmasons.com/out-law/guides/covid-19-force-majeure-clause
May I remind , yet again , the Rev Stu’s advice on trolls or those who subvert for fun?
Ignore and he will deal with them or report and he will take action if he deems it necessary – this being his blog.
National identity will shape the future of political liberalism. If Scotland allows right-wing, English, populism to determine her legal identity, then it probably wasn’t worth defending in the first place. And neither is political liberalism and the rule-of-law.
Prejudice and the Brexit vote: a tangled web
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-018-0214-5
Cammy
You are as shallow as puddle.
In your comment at 9.32, you even felt it necessary to identify the colour of the people you specifically detest!!?!?
You are a pseudo intellectual bigot sir. I don’t need to comment further to you at this time.
Sensibledave
Brexit largely articulates English racism and intolerance of other cultures. You’re hopeless at his honesty lark, eh?
Who let the dog’s bollocks out?
I do hope those so vehemently opposed to the lockdown are out in the streets shouting about freedom, cuddling passersby and screaming about it only being flu
All while posting Stockholm Syndrome messages in the fresh air.
Meanwhile in the real world
A stunning piece of writing.
The coronavirus didn’t break America. It revealed what was already broken
http://archive.is/vk3Cv
And an example of the brokenness.
http://archive.is/pkjOb
The press will survive because they are being funded by the government under the cover of the money coming from the BBC. The BBC is funded by the government, the licence fee is a tax paid to the government to watch any live TV from anywhere in the world. The government decides how much money the BBC will receive from the tax and instructs it they must finance the press from it. All the UK press is beholding to the government, don’t expect too much criticism from them, their rallying call now is ‘jobs before integrity’.
Best to ignore pete and the dog.
Although I’m having a bit of a rant myself this morning, John Nicholson has really got to me.
Scot Finlayson @9.01
You raise an interesting question about be able to seek comfort for non performance of a contract.
Construction and engineering work was a sector of industry that chaotically stuttered to a stop with huge complaints about workers both spreading the disease in the course of travelling to their work and being exposed to the disease as a consequence of the disease.
What may therefore surprise is that both the Scottish and Westminster governments did not make it illegal to continue working. Preferring instead on advice, and ambiguous advice at that, the illegality to work was rather instead restricted to a legal requirement to socially distance.
Two quite different positions and of course with varying interpretations in the light of commercial and contractual considerations.
The question therefore as to what relief a party to a contract might enjoy as a result of a stoppage, or the damages that it may be liable for were it to stop without instruction, was therefore, aside of the other business financial considerations a very significant one.
You mention Force Majeure. But not all contracts mention or define Force Majeur and even if they do, when is Force Majeure extant, when does it start, when does it finish. And what protection does the contract give, if it mentions Force Majeure. Does it give relief from time to perform and a release from damages for being late, but no entitlement to extra money.
Or if nonForce Majeure, does that mean that a contractor could be exposed to the levy of damages for non performance. And could the contractor have not done the work under safe working practices that involve social distancing.
The court of public opinion may be one thing but the court of hard cash further down the line is another altogether. Put simply who bears the risk.
And so we have reports of the utterly anomalous situation where the Glasgow City Council who was the Client – Employer for the £250m Sighthill Regeneration Area Project withdrawing their representatives on Health and Safety grounds whilst the main contractor carried on working, requiring their suppliers and service providers to carry on.!
Correspondingly, on similar works contractors had priorly implemented suspensions, whilst instructing subcontractors to do the same.
And correspondingly again, other major client – contractors were inviting sub-contractors to agree to a mutual suspension whilst reserving their respective contractual and legal positions.
So no surprise that the decision/s to stop was not a uniform and or orderly one. The governments in Hollyrood and Westminster created it that way – and for those left standing after this is all over, there will be financial dispute a plenty.
So yes, will the return to work be any less chaotic than the stoppage. Who is calling the shots?
The hate crime Bill is an afront to human rights and dignity. Anyone supporting it is a Tyrant.Mike Cassidy with an imaginary scenario worthy of other conformists on this site.I think time will sadly prove me correct and the Government usefull idiots on here wrong.I do not appreciate you sacrificing my and my childrens freedom for your selfish skins. There are people on this site who have kived off the fat fruits of victory in 1945 A democracy fought for and gifted to you by your mums and dads some of you might even have been there but now the fruits of victory squandered by the baby boomer generation democracy thrown down the toilet for your miserable health. What a joke . Oh and greetings to Dorothy the classroom clipe.
@Dorothy Devine, 8.59
Perhaps these countries have a lower death rate because they are using chloroquine to treat the infected people with symptoms? They learned from their experience with the SARS epidemic.
Jfngw,Did he touch your peepee?
I’m in full control of myself and only respond to narrow minds when I see a potential advantage to doing so. 😉
Brexit and the rise of right-wing populism in Europe: why and how nationalism matters
https://networks.h-net.org/node/3911/discussions/1971598/brexit-and-rise-right-wing-populism-europe-why-and-how
If you want the world locked up for the sake of your health then you are the selfish one.
You will love this-
A staunch unionist I’m trying hard to convert
Has sent me a link from the Daily Heil.
This is in response to my Panorama PPE shortage link.
It seems that they uncovered an infiltration of Labour Leftie Doctors within the
Ranks of the BBC???
So there you have it.
The Mail has stated that there is no crisis or virus nor PPE and Testing Kit shortages
Medics are not dying it’s only Labour supporting doctors making it up to fool the BBC.
I wonder now I’d the non Dom owners of the paper will now refuse the BBC subsidy for churnalists
that they steal our our Tax/License fees.
This totally sums up the lying fascist media of Engerlund !
You can’t really separate political outlook from personal morality, which is bio-neurologically impoverished in Tories. Simples.
Moral foundations and political attitudes: The moderating
role of political sophistication
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272890679_Moral_foundations_and_political_attitudes_The_moderating_role_of_political_sophistication
As a matter of interest, albeit pretty lukewarm interest these days, does the SNP have the equivalent of the Tories 1922 Committee, as in, a committee of influential SNP Grandees who might take Nicola to one side and give her “the” chat with one round in the chamber?
It would seem the SNP rank and file waiting on a Party Conference is as potent a strategy as waiting for a Section 30 Agreement, and while waiting for the day that somehow never comes, everybody is patting each other on the back for their stoicism and patience while waiting…. and waiting… and waiting…
Oh yeah.
Now is not the time. X
There’s a war on. X
There’s a terror alert on. X
There’s a global pandemic on. X
It’s too close to a General Election. X
We’ve just had a General Election. X
We can’t start until we know the details of Brexit. X
There’s still too much uncertainty over Brexit. X
Mars, Jupiter and Pluto are not in true alignment. X
Just a wee heads up too… the fact that Nicola and her woke ABC chums are digging in over the Alex Salmond smear Conspiracy rather suggests to me they believe they can survive the broadside they’re expecting from Alex Salmond. “They” seem confident of surviving it, but if the SNP and Scottish Government is left destroyed in it’s wake, these Teflon tossers will walk away with Establishment praise and Honours for a job well done.
If you had any guts SNP membership, any guts at all, you’d be doing Alex Salmond’s job right now, getting rid of these Independence wreckers and saboteurs, because that’s what they are. Get rid of them now, and give Alex Salmond something to salvage… what’s left of a party, but remnants with, or without, a degree of integrity.
All this “nothing happening” is very tiresome, and makes the prospect of a new Indy Party look more appealing every day.
Just read that the Great British public is starting to ignore distancing.
Google street – route searches are up, phone monitoring reveals more movement and traffic is up too.
Is this really any surprise. Weather is better. People are getting bored. Not everyone is fortunate enough to be on full wages like government and council officials and or are on furlough. The self employed who have been given little or no support have every right to start looking out for themselves and earn money.
But that was maybe always the intention. Herd immunity was at the heart of this crisis. The failure to prepare with tests and equipment may have been sheer and utter incompetence but the decision to spread was always the game – both in England and in Scotland.
And the death toll, very much as predicted, it is the old folks, the economically burdensome old folks, who have perished in the greatest numbers.
Won’t be long until wave two, wave three and maybe wave four, or variations of same are back in the groove.
Cynical maybe, but far from the truth. ‘‘Twas always the game and our First Minister was part of it.
There are far too many people on here defending a Government position. You stand and fall by Government statistics. Dont you think you should look carefully into those stats instead of recieving Government stats and extrapolating wildly upwards. Have you never considered the possibility that the Government might be inflating conflating flu death rates, to frighten you into submission to gain a political advantage over us? Are you politicaly empowered right now? Political activity is effectively illegal. Are you happy to be told by politicians to get used to restrictions on your rights and freedoms from now on? From now on your rights are converted to priveledges. The postal vote is so corruptable that any leader who advocates its use is a dirty crook Those who ignore such vital considerations are doing Neo liberalisms work. The snp flunkies on here trying to normalise an abnormal intolerable theft of our freedom of assciation the freedom to choose for ourselves You despise me because my words lodge in your cowards hearts like golden fish hooks.
You’re the man! (…as young folk might say.)