The subhumans
One of the most enlightening aspects of doing this website has been seeing how the nation’s elected representatives behave towards the people they ostensibly represent.
We’ve been collating the responses from various Unionist MPs, MSPs and assorted others to these questions we raised recently and the standard has varied wildly, from serious and considered to petulant and juvenile. (Many more, of course, simply haven’t bothered to respond to their constituents’ queries at all.)
But the most disturbing yet is the one below.
Wings reader Catherine Wilson is a French citizen, but has lived and worked in Scotland for the last 20 years. She’s on the electoral register and can vote in local and Scottish Parliament elections, but not UK Parliament ones. Writing to her local Liberal Democrat MP for Campbeltown, Alan Reid, she focused on our “foreigners” question.
“Dear Mr Reid,
You are part of the “Better Together” campaign which keeps insisting that independence would make our family and friends in the rest of the UK foreigners. Although that may be true in the strict sense of the word, I can’t for the life of me understand why that is a problem.
I am a French citizen, as are my children, but their dad is English, and lives in England. Does that mean he is a foreigner to us? This has never been a consideration for us, and I would like you to explain why it should be.
Could you also tell me if you, as my MP, consider me who has lived and worked in Scotland for over 20 years, as a foreigner? Does that affect the way you are representing me?
These questions are of great importance to me, as for all the years I have lived in Scotland, this has never been an issue, but lately, I have noticed that people were asking where I was from, and in the context of the referendum, why I had a say.
Although this is strictly anecdotal, it does worry me that people are starting to think in this way, and I can’t help thinking this is linked to the rhetoric deployed by the “Better Together” campaign.
Also of great concern to me, as a European citizen, is the question of Europe. Can you guarantee me that in the event of a no vote, the UK will still be in the EU in 5 years time? And in the event of a vote for leaving the EU, what would happen to me and my children who are here on an EU passport?
Both my children were born in the UK, one in England and one in Scotland, they consider Scotland their country, so what guarantees are there they wouldn’t be made to leave if we remained in the UK but were out of the EU?
Please do not reply by telling me that we would be out of the EU in an independent Scotland, that is a separate issue and I already have the answers I need on that one.
Yours sincerely,
Catherine Wilson”
Reasonable enough questions, politely expressed. Here’s the reply she got.
“Dear Catherine Wilson
The legal position is that, as a French citizen, you are a foreigner and so I am not your MP.
Nobody can give you a guarantee that the UK will be in the EU in five years’ time.
Without knowing more details about your children’s circumstances and any changes to the law which may be made by a Parliament, which hasn’t yet been elected, it is not possible to answer your questions about their future.
Yours sincerely
Alan Reid MP”
(Our emphasis.)
Mr Reid’s response is immediately worrying. Regardless of the legalities, we think most decent people would be a little concerned at someone who’s made their life in Scotland for two decades and has Scottish children being told that their MP simply didn’t care about them. Does that mean, for example, that Alan Reid doesn’t represent Catherine’s children either? After all, they can’t vote.
So we set about establishing what the legalities actually were. The UK Parliament website’s Code Of Conduct for MPs was of limited assistance:
That sounds like it SHOULD encompass anyone who lives in the constituency, but there’s perhaps just enough wiggle room to suggest that people not entitled to vote might not come under the definition of “constituents”.
Except that elsewhere on the UK Parliament website, the term IS clearly defined:
(Under “Related information” in the right-hand column.)
Our emphasis again, and the “or” is obviously key. If you live in an MP’s constituency, you are their constituent, and as such they have a duty to represent you. Alan Reid, therefore, IS Catherine’s MP, whether he likes it or not.
We hesitate to draw the obvious parallels between societies that discriminate against minority groups by allowing them inferior rights and privileges on ethnic grounds. But in a climate where UKIP increasingly drive the political agenda, where even supposedly left-wing “internationalist” politicians regularly use “foreigner” as a pejorative and where the government is restricting the rights of immigrants at every opportunity, there’s something very ugly indeed about an MP – especially a Lib Dem one – telling one of his constituents than in effect she’s a non-person not entitled to his representation.
We wish we could say that we expected things to improve.
I’m a British citizen and an Australian citizen. Am I half foreign? Am I only partly represented by my MP?
I can safely assure anyone that is worried, that having family in a different jurisdiction has no effect on your relationship.
Such silly stuff.
Liberals, eh?
There’s nae many like them.
Anyway, they say that London is France’s sixth largest city…
link to bbc.com
Vote OUI.
Worrisome.
My response from Sir Bob Smith (Bt), LibDem, his father before him the MP for Kincardineshire or approx cognates was anodyne and photocopies of govt. information.
I got the impression of being treated patiently as a petulant child.
(A sorrowful asside is that I have not earned the accolade of Cybernat)>
Another candidate for the lifetime ban from politics in an independent Scotland
Interesting q. Christian Allard, MSP for Aberdeenshire (List) is a French monsieur. I wonder if he would get the same response from his MP if he wrote. I wonder who is MP would be?
This is parallel to MSPs not getting answers from DWP etc. Silly buggers.
If you play passive aggressive silly buggers long enough, the entire Scots’ population will say,
“Stick bubbly: here’s yer poond, hang it on yer lip, and have done with. We will play netball – not fitba – with our own ball, on the common land (council notices about ball games naewistaunin).
Is there room for another nail in the Lib Dem coffin? If so, then surely Alan Reid’s comments amount to that last nail. Sad times indeed.
He might have just written that she is useless, worthless, waste of space as well as the space between his ears. I suspect that somewhere in the EU, somebody would be very keen to pick up on this.
If we had a real 4th estate worth their beer or claret money, they would be over this like a rash.
Cue video of tumbleweed and a Ry Cooder track.
So, an EU citizen, like you and I being told to bugger off and don’t bother me.
Can you imagine what it must be like to be an asylum seeker.
We need to get rid of these jobsworths.
Roll on a YES vote.
You know that moment where your stomach goes into a knot because of a shock? Mine just did. This is deeply disturbing and cannot be ignored. This Member of Parliament needs to be asked to clarify, without ambiguity, precisely what it is he means by calling Catherine “foreigner” and why he will not represent her.
At least Catherine got a reply, however distasteful. I got no reply whatsoever from the same MP.
I will never vote for him again, although I recently met the local prospective Labour candidate and found her to have, shall we say, less integrity and intelect than should be expected of our representitives, and she is firmly in the second place with regards the probable next candidate. Once again a choice between mediocrity, mediocrity and a good candidate who will get a minority of votes – one huge problem with the Westminster system.
Who exactly are the “blood and soil nationalists”? That would be the Britnats, bunch of scumbags.
Do you suppose he is Ian Davidson’s long lost twin?
Sounds like it too.
The whole ‘foreigner’ line of argument incites racial hatred.
Deeply disturbing AND offensive.
Children are not eligible to vote yet clearly they will be constituents as well.
There are many occasions where people applying for UK citizenship have enlisted the support of their local MP to expedite matters.
Clearly under Mr Reid’s thinking these people are foreigners, yet they seem to be treated as constituents by their MPs.
It really is incredible the level of incompetence that succeeds in getting elected to Parliament.
Following his line of logic, the only constituents he represents must be those who voted for him, whether the right to vote is there or not.
[…] « The subhumans […]
This choice specimen is also my MP. Any time I have communicated with him I always get a reply but he toes the party line and I don’t have the energy to challenge him.
But don’t worry, ‘coz he is very active in local matters. Any door opening has him there, quick as a flash and taking the credit!
“Constituent:
The UK is divided into 650 different regions called constituencies where the public elect candidates to be their MP. A ‘constituent’ is the name given to every person who lives within or is eligible to vote in a constituency.”
Thanks to Stu’s usal high level of diligence we all now have the confirmation that we probably already knew,Catherine IS a constituent of this horrible and odious little man and he is therefore her M.P. , like it or not.
Personally, I think if he had written that disgraceful letter to me and I had found out what Stu has highlighted I think I’d be writing back to him pointing out this fact to him that he WAS indeed my M.P. and as such I want answers to my previous letter. Failure to do so may very well find letters start appearing in my local newspaper. 😛
“When you ask politicians questions they offer to burn you.” Pablo Neruda
An offensive and lazy response from a paid public official.
Surely neither a liberal and/or a democrat could write such a thing? Maybe they could, but they would also have to be lacking in intelligence and scruples.
Murray, you have just described him perfectly in that last sentence!
Perhaps a wee letter from R Stu, or Catherine, direct to Nick Clegg’s office, not asking for clarification but repeating that her constituency MP has told her that he has no duty of care, as a Parliamentarian, for her?
I think Mr Reid response, to Catherine’s letter is disgraceful, it sounds as though, Mr Reid is trying to frighten the poor woman, 20 years she’s lived and worked in Scotland, and this is the reply she receives from her local MP.
There’s certainly no sign of hope, for the future, from Better Together MP, Mr Reid.
As someone with three nationalities (British, Swiss and American) I find it utterly bizarre how Britain prides itself on being a “multinational” or “supranational” country, and then completely forgets or misunderstands what it is that’s actually good about that or how to go around behaving that way.
How utterly offensive and really how can you hold your head up when you say such a thing. Then I remember he is a liberal democrat. I wonder how he would act if the boot were on the other foot, go shouting to the media.
Thank you very much for highlighting this. It is a worrying state of affairs when citizen journalists know more about what an MPs job is than they do themselves. Just to clarify, I moved to the UK in 1987, and my children are 25 and 23. The article is right to point out they don’t have a vote, not because they are children, but because they are also French citizens (they don’t have a choice in the matter).
God almighty.
Interesting.
My wife is French – she left everything behind in France, a civil service career and her family, to begin a new life with me 20 years ago.
She has worked her way to the top of a major Scottish college, after beginning as a supply teacher with minimal English skills.
She has raised 2 kids – joint UK and French nationality.
Not allowed to vote at UK elections as she hasn’t paid the obscene £1000 to sit the UK citizenship test.
When she questioned this with the authority responsible for citizenship and got nowhere, she contacted the MP for NE Fife, Ming Campbell. He had the decency (or maybe the awareness of his obligations to constituents) to meet with her and hear her out.
It might just be that Alan Reid is just a poorly informed, inadequate MP. Or possibly, worse, a casual racist.
My wife will be voting OUI.
Crowd round everyone and watch “Liberal” “Democrats” choke to death on their own bigotry and racism here in Scotland.
Someone above asked if there was any room left to put nails in their coffins – when they are excavating their own Mass Grave.
It must be uplifting to be a FibDem where zero is credible and Pledges are mythic mist and haar.
I hope his weans walk backwards.
Presumably, Alan Reid MP will REPAY all our French friend`s TAX and NIC`S that pays his MP`s Salary and his MP`s EXPENSES.
Can she SUE. ?
Shall we ask Nick Clegg to clarify who represents his Spanish wife?
Miriam González Durántez also know as Miriam Clegg.
I wonder how Nick Clegg feels about this response. I only ask under the, probably misguided, notion that he , Nick Clegg, is still the *ahem* leader of the Lib Dems. 😛
Thought co citizen of another EU state was technically a foreigner?
More people need to read this, Reid is my MP & think he’ll be out in 2015 whatever happens
My god, they say it uses more muscles to frown than to smile – he seems to be the exception. I’m sure he must be fiercely clenching his buttocks to force a smile like that.
Another Westminster clone who thinks his time is nigh and just can not be bothered, as he is out on his ear next May.
The private polls being seen by No Campaign Scottish MP’s must be truly terrible if they are responding like this.
On the other hand are we surprised, as both the Tories and Labour are in the process of launching their Little Englander manifestos with their eyes already on UKIP in case they do an SNP on them in the snap GE to the rUK Parliament which will happen late October early November 2014 on a Yes vote..
The problem with people like Reid is they are from another age – and think they are still living in it.
That would be the age were a troughing nonentity like him could safely send such an insulting, dismissive reply like this in the full confidence that few others would ever read it.
Welcome to the Age of the Internet, Mr Reid, where literally thousands of people all over the country will have read it by now, including some who will, if they’re doing their job, have show it to your Party leader who has more than enough problems and, given the desperation with he has to hang onto the last few remaining votes he can get, will probably be interpreting it as you demonstrating your lack of interest in doing the job to which you were elected and your intention to more over and let some other poor sod face the electoral wipeout which you are helping to ensure.
Oh, don’t mention it, you’re welcome.
Did I just make that typo-ridden post? I plead advancing years.
Clegg’s yellow tories really are repulsive now that they are down to a tiny and irrelevant rump of Nick Loyalists.
Maenwhile, over on ScotGoesPop there is, as usual, an excellent analysis of the Survation poll which has revealed many glaring problems with it.
link to scotgoespop.blogspot.co.uk
We’Nationalists’ are branded Nazis by Project Fear,but his character Alan Reid MSP is an Alfred Rosenberg doppelganger in his enlightened stupidity.
Who is the gentleman pulling faces at the camera? The one at the head of the article?
What an idiot of an MP. So much for the claims of Better Together to espouse “internationalism”. So he does indeed regard his constituent as a “foreigner” which for him means she is in some kind of limbo state without representation. A letter to Lib Dem HQ for clarification is in order. Why do the good people of Campbeltown vote for him?
Is it possible for Westminster to hold a snap election MJM?
I don’t mean to pour oil on your post you understand it’s just I thought Cameron *ahem* fixed it so that Westminster has 5 year fixed term parliament now.
P.S. I kind of miss the wee side conversations we used to have along with Macart over on Newsnet. (Arbroath 1320) 😉
I am also an Argyll elector and I know both Alan Reid, having had several dealings with him and Catherine Wilson’s husband, having worked with him. He is highly politically active in another Scottish political party. There is more than a little politicking in this story. Alan Reid certainly does tow the Lib-Dem line and, also, will almost certainly lose his seat next year. I agree with above comments that the Labour candidate for Argyll is equally sub- standard. This is the whole problem with WM. MPS are insufficiently answerable to us constituents. His wording is technically correct if somewhat patronising and as she can’t vote in WM elections – he is not her MP for electoral purposes, though he is her MP for wider parliamentary representational purposes and owes her a duty of care. It is a crazy system and we will do it much better in Scotland. We will not stigmatise people in this way. And our MSPs will be subject to powers of recall.
I don’t understand why Catherine hasn’t got a vote, surely if she works here pays taxes spends in the local economy etc then why hasn’t she got the right to vote for her representative?
Reid is, for my sins, also my MP. What I don’t understand is why Catherine does not get a vote for the Westminster parliament after residing here for 20 years. Does anyone know why not? What would she need to do to get a vote? And will she get a vote in the referendum?
It is getting itching and scratchy out there. Check out my Slovene girlfriend Aliebadadas today for example, vote NO or else queen of CiF and certainly not Professor Adam Tomkins of Glasgow university, m’lud:D
link to id.theguardian.com
Keep calm, vote Yes.
Hi TD and Croompenstein,
It is only for WM s that I am not eligible to vote. Scotland is much more progressive, and YES, I will have a vote in the referendum. I am very proud to be allowed to participate, and it is no small bonus that this vote will also allow me to express how I feel about Mr Reid.
Consider if you will for a minute the contrast between Catherine Wilson’s eloquent & well reasoned questions to her WM representative & the quite frankly xenophobic response she received. Which one do you think is considering the interests of future generations of Scots (in this case, her children).
If this (and I suspect it may be) is a breach of Alan Reid’s constituency duties can anything be done about it.
Anyone attending meetings in Campbeltown, please get this out in the open. Let everyone know how much their local MP cares.
Catherine, if their father is indeed English then they will quite easily be able to claim British citizenship.
This will be relatively inexpensive and will not require them to go through naturalisation or anything.
Or does France not allow dual nationality and they have opted for French?
Catherine
Well I’m glad you get a vote in the referendum – that’s another one clocked up. But I am still astonished that you do not get to vote for a WM MP. Especially after 20 years residence. Still, it won’t matter for much longer.
Remember folks that as of next month we also become foreigners and so none of our MPs will have to represent us.
Not that our dear Dr Brown of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath represents anybody except himself nowadays and as his life is so perfect he doesn’t need to turn up to the Commons. Perhaps MPs should have the same rule as the Lords No show No pay
Grouse Beater says:
10 August, 2014 at 3:34 pm
The whole ‘foreigner’ line of argument incites racial hatred.
Yes it does and is becoming more and more frequently heard, do these people and the press, MSM, actually know what they are doing here, as they could be storing up trouble for the future. We will know where to point the finger !
To be fair to old smirky up there, rude as he is, see his expensses bills, ouchee! real power in Scotland rests in Pacific Quay and this kind of thing interests only a little
link to bbc.co.uk
Ian Taylor chortles for his masters in London at the STV debate
“To listen to them, you heard an echo of Dr Johnson assessing the issue of a dog walking on its hind legs: the wonder being not that the dog performed well but that it achieved the feat at all.”
MP’s come and go but the BBC’s for life.
Woof woof tick tock
Hi Truth,
We have looked into this, and because their father and I were not married, and because they were born before the law changed which would have allowed for that, they cannot claim dual nationality. I believe there is a way they could apply for citizenship, but it would cost quite a bit.
Dick Gaughan, it’s ok we all make typos…
Mr Reid should be disciplined for causing offence to one of his constituents and for not doing the job he is contracted to do, paid for out if the public purse to boot. He should be made to apologise, complaints procedure?
Any other job in the public sector and he would be moved to another department with a slap on the wrists. If he was employed in the third sector I would expect him to be disciplined and to retrain in people skills, mind you his people skills have most likely been lacking for some time.
Appallingly conduct and very insulting response from an mp to a very valid and serious question. We all know exactly what’s in store if by any horrendous chance it is a no vote!
No taxation without representation. Throw the supercilious dweeb out of office in 2015 . . . and uh, replace him with another one.
Not much of a choice. Yet another reason to vote YES.
The odious Mr. Reid is my MP also, a total waste of space, a more nondescript unhelpful bitter little arsehole you would struggle to meet.
Having had another, closer look at the photo of the miscreant, I get the impression that he has just passed wind and is just beginning to realise it was a follow-though.
As a Scottish born Naturalised New Zealander I wonder at my status too. Fortunately I have an SNP MP who has never asked my status when replying, promptly I should add, to emails.
My wife is English born and also a Kiwi like me. Our kids are NZ born but entitled to UK passports. According to the white paper they will both be entitled to Scottish citizenship after independence. The eldest simply by living here while I will have to register the youngest in NZ as my daughter to get her one. I can’t wait. I intend to shut my UK passport in a drawer and let it expire there humanely and not be renewed. My citizenship will finally be reflected in my passports.
Slightly O/T
Just another joke from the No side. I did laugh at that comment.
link to heraldscotland.com
Hayman: I am the Nationalist actor attacked as ‘the enemy’ by the blogger next door
By Iain S Bruce
Sunday 10 August 2014
IT was the blog that had the luvvies of the Edinburgh Festival gossiping all week.
Who was the unnamed Scottish star castigated for being the “nationalist next door” in an article on the Daily Telegraph’s website?
The answer, we’ve learned, is David Hayman – famous for roles on stage and screen, and an avowed Yes voter – and he is far from happy at being the target of an attack he feels was full of “anger”, “bile” and “hate”.
The piece certainly raised eyebrows, for this is usually the time of year when actors, playwrights and TV producers descend upon Edinburgh to rub shoulders with bankers, arty types and the estimably better-off, when the capital’s elegant Georgian streets are traditionally packed with swish cocktail parties and artistic salons as the city’s soirees brim with theatre types.
Yet even as the Fringe prepares to kick into high gear, the simmering tension around the referendum debate seem to be threatening to ignite a bitter civil war on the refined streets of the capital’s New Town -the unofficial summer headquarters of everybody who’s anybody as writers and actors rent out town houses let by the capital’s monied classes.
Signalling the opening salvoes of a barrage that could turn the festival city’s normally refined atmosphere nasty, journalist Jenny Hjul expressed outrage in a Daily Telegraph blog titled “What to do when Scottish Nationalists move in next door” at her discovery that an unnamed actor who had rented temporary accommodation in her street was an active Yes campaigner.
She wrote that learning who her neighbour was came as a “bombshell”, adding: “Oh no, not that, my husband and I said in horrible unison, anything but that. But the deal is done and there is no escape. For the next month we will be living next door to a Scottish Nationalist. It gets worse.
“His show is about Scottish independence; he is on a mission to convert the masses. He is a vocal supporter of the other side; he is the enemy.”
Hjul went on: “In Scotland, with just seven weeks until the referendum, politics has become deeply personal. We might have friends who are nationalists but they aren’t speaking to us at the moment.
“The two camps have dug in for the final countdown and what has long been a bitter campaign has entered its last, nasty phase. Civility is reserved for the ‘don’t knows’. We don’t belong to that group, and nor do the new folk over the fence.”
Hjul is married to Alan Cochrane, the Telegraph’s Scottish Editor and a vocal opponent of independence. Both the regular Courier columnist and her husband have gone on record to accuse online campaigners from the Yes side of crossing the line between debate and vitriolic abuse.
Eschewing his anonymity, Hayman – best known for the TV drama Trial and Retribution – said he was shocked at the “bewildering” attack. The actor, who is in Edinburgh appearing in The Pitiless Storm at the Assembly Rooms, said: “It’s all been rather startling.
“I’ve said hello to what seemed to be the perfectly charming couple next door and their daughters have been absolutely lovely, but then all of a sudden this worryingly angry attack appeared online.
“I’m astounded by the anger and bile. It is hard to imagine where the hate has come from, but I feel very sorry for my new neighbours. It’s deeply saddening that their experience of such a momentous year has been so negative.”
Hayman added: “Wherever I’ve been, the referendum debate has been overwhelmingly civilised. This division and hatred is not something I’ve encountered at all.
“I have met people who are Yes supporters and people that intend to vote No, but all of them have recognised that they share a common interest in Scotland’s future, and as a result the entire experience has been a joyous one.”
Hjul declined to comment further on the grounds that as a working journalist, she doesn’t wish to become the subject of her own story
She added: “That blog was meant as a light-hearted piece, but I suppose nothing is taken lightly at the moment.”
@angelswithdirtyfaces
“His wording is technically correct”
What wording? That she’s a “foreigner” (moot point, but irrelevant to the issue : she’s lived & worked in Scotland for 20 years).
Read the letter by Reid again. He is saying he’s not her MP BECAUSE she’s a “foreigner”. That is wholly wrong. Read the Code of Conduct again. She resides in his constituency. He is the member for the constituency. He’s accordingly, in terms of the Code, her MP.
But hey, remember what Blunkett said about the Lib Dems – they act like “every harlot in history”.
I disregard my MP. I don’t even know who it is. It’s some scion of a Britnat party, this being Glasgow probably for Labour, and as such is not interested in my opinion for I am neither Labour, nor a Britnat, nor supportive of the Union for the reason they tend to become MP’s.
The seat on the ever popular gravy train.
I would ignore all of them, but this pearl of humanity deserves exposure. What a tube.
Incidentally, do you know what a pearl is? It’s accretion around a wee piece of crap that gets inside an oyster. That piece of crap is made to look like something else.
I can only assume Mr Reid hasn’t quite managed that trick, because he’s certainly coming across to me as a wee piece of crap.
Had a game of golf and a pint with a good friend today. A committed no voter (too wee,too poor etc.) After quoting a few home truths again he finally said f**k it I’m voting Yes. It’s OK I don’t want any thanks, just a statue in the High St. alongside David Hume will do.
Let’s just vote YES and be done with these incompetent mps.
Here is another reason for us to vote YES.
link to twitter.com
Hi Catherine
There are I understand provisions for children born before 2006 when the rules changed.
“However, separate provisions have enabled children born before July 2006 to an unmarried British father to be registered as a British citizen if certain requirements are met; these include proof of paternity and the consent of those with parental responsibility being obtained.”
This is taken from a Standard note SN/HA/3297 from the House of Commons Library dated 2010.
Now, I’m not sure, but proof of paternity would surely simply be birth certificates with the father named. Not sure if things have changed since you last enquired, but it may be worth looking into again.
It seems quite unfair if children born between 1983 and 2006 cannot claim citizenship as easily as those born before or since. If anything needs tested in court it is this.
Cant wait to be ruled by one more upper class English twit. Is that racist? ah who cares.
link to newsnetscotland.com
When asked about more powers in the event of a No vote, Johnson said:
“Ever more things we are giving Scotland….for no reason we are promising the Scots more tax-raising powers. Quite why, I don’t understand. There’s no need to do it.
“What has England ever got out of this devolution process?
@WP
What were those home truths? They seem to have been very effective.
We all know people that are in the same mindset (too wee, too poor etc) so it may help us finally convert some of them.
Well done you by the way.
Just listened to Derek Bateman’s interview of Billy Kay on http://batemanbroadcasting.com
Really excellent and well worth listening to.
One point that Billy made was that the Royal Burghs were set up by David I for the Scots, English, French and Flemish people of Scotland and we have always had an international outlook.
It is a shame that a Lib-Dem MP does not have such an enlightened view of these “foreigners”.
Especially as she is a EU citizen and a constituent and the Lib-Dems were supposed to be a pro-EU party.
I think we are witnessing the final demise of the Lid-Dems in Scotland – not before time.
This brings to mind, now that Labour in Scotland has firmly backed Ed Miliband’s no currency union, what happens when we vote yes, they’ll still be 18 months to 2 years before we actually become independent.
Will Labour in Scotland still want us to vote for them in the 2015 GE,and the 2016 Scottish GE, even though they’ve openly admitted we can’t have the pound.
What will the constituents of Danny Alexander’s Inverness think of him, in the 2015 GE, when he’s constantly telling them, you can’t use the pound.
Remember we won’t be officially independent until 2016, so who will we in an independent Scotland vote for to send to Westminster, unless Westminster change the rules and remove, the 59 Scottish MP’s before the 2015 GE.
@ Truth
Alternatively, we can wait for Independence and all become Scottish citizens 🙂 I for one have no desire of becoming anyone’s subject 😉
Catherine can cite “Recall Legislation” via the Speaker in the House of Commons.
Oops, I Forgot – That was another “Pledge” – Ditched by Clegg – and anyway, Catherine has Zero Rights to pursue an MP in the Commons – BECAUSE she is a FOREIGNER.?
Welcome to Scotland where native Scots have our Passport Rights and our Ancient Borders controlled by the bigots in Belfast.
Am I a Foreigner too.?
HM Govt at Westminster must Clarify – before – the Independence Referendum because Ulster people cannot vote in the IndyRef – allegedly.?
Is this former stable head girl racist?
link to theguardian.com
“But in an extraordinary interview – ranging from the debate about alleged racism on Gardeners’ Question Time to the need for “indigenous” children who are in contact with the Roma Slovak community to receive vaccines”
long to reign over us
Look on the bright side. You are truly fortunate not to be represented by Alan Reid.
The Liberals seem to have taken to partnering with the nasty party so well that they too are now nasty.
The whole foreigner thing is just plain disturbing.
No worries, he won’t be her MP soon regardless of the referendum result.
LibDems are toxic in political terms, nobody wants anything to do with them.
We need to stress to DKs that when Reid and his libdem colleagues are dumped at the next UK general election, the vacuum will be filled by UKIP. They are really not nice people:
link to bbc.co.uk
We can be part of it – or not.
Also looks like Alan Reid MP has also given up on trying to save the UK membership of the EU.
Why he did not say that the Lib-Dems would be fighting tooth and nail to keep the UK in the EU as it is one of their fundamental policies.
Or will they ditch that policy as well in order to get into an alliance with the Tories again post 2015 GE?
Andy-B,
‘What will the constituents of Danny Alexander’s Inverness think of him,’
I think that would not be suitable for a Sunday afternoon discussion – definitely a post-watershed topic.
HandandShrimp, not sure if you saw my earlier warning. If you’ve any PMs or even posts at JREF you don’t want to lose, go fetch, because the forum may disappear. They’re trying to rescue it but the Foundation is pulling the plug.
@Catherine
Aye, I’ll drink to that!
I should say Reid is an MP I have never heard of before. He must keep an awfully low profile….maybe he is hiding from foreign people.
This is off-topic, and has little to do with the bigger argument, but, I have the TV on in the background as I work on my lap top this afternoon.
I was watching the FA Community Shield on BT Sport and, at the end of the game, BT (not that BT) brought in Sir geoff Hurst to present the man of the match award.
Geoff Hurst got his knighthood for scoring two goals and being (probably incorrectly) awarded a third goal, in one game, in 1966.
Yet, Denis Law and Kenny Dalglish, two Scots who played more internationals, scored more goals, had much higher profiles, and were much-better players, with Dalglish in addition having a wonderful managerial record, are both, still plain Misters.
Let’s be away from them and their lop-sided honours system.
I disregard my MP. I don’t even know who it is.
I wish it were that easy for me Peter, for my sins I have everyone’s pet Tory Scottish Tory as my M.P. Mind you there is an up side. At a recent debate between him and Joan McAlpine my M.S.P. I managed to ask him a wee *question. Let’s just say that from now on at every debate he attends he’ll be on the look out for the blonde in the wheelchair. 😛
Holy shit! What the hell did I just read?
Did he really say that she has no voice even though she’s lived and worked here for 20 years and as such pays taxes to a government she has no absolutely no say in electing?
Cheers Morag
I have posts stretching back years but most of them were in the religion and philosophy section arguing with DOC so they can keep them. Shame it is in danger of folding though.
Here you go Alan Reid is or was on an annual tour around Argyll and Bute answering your questions, if you want to speak to Mr Reid, here’s the E-mail and Tel number.
link to aandb-libdems.org
PS Mr Reid site also claims they can provide a home visit.
My MP, Danny Alexander hasn’t evewn acknowledged my letter…wasn’t holding my breath anyway! and I suspect his answer wouldn’t be much different from this, which doesn’t bode well for my American wife and our American/British daughter.
Utterly shocking.
Catherine need not worry though, cos when we vote YES next month, idiots like Alan Reid will be an irrelevance.
Bye bye Reid in advance.
Regards,
Brian.
Is he a alien in a human mask? He sure looks like it. What a prime specimen of a Unionist MP. As well as a Yes vote on 18th & 19th September, even by less than 1%, we need to make sure no Unionist MSP should be on the Scottish side of the Independence Treaty Negotiating Team as The Scottish Government suggests, or we will have a majority of Unionists in the Treaty team. We will be shafted.
Say, we vote yes and agree to that, and for sake of argument on 6th October we agree to at least half the Scottish side being Unionist, then along with Westminster they will at least be 3/4 Unionist Representatives. If we sign a Treaty of Independence, say 6 months later on 6th April, what kind of Treaty do you think we will end up with? And even under such circumstances, the Scots return a majority of Labour MP’ s in May 2015, what chance would we have that these scum will even vote for a joke of a Treaty?
And even if it gets through the Commons, what about the blocking actions of the Lords? Folks, a yes vote on 18th September is not the beginning of the end, it is only the end of the beginning. That’s when the Unionist Iron Fist comes out of the Velvet Glove. And come Independence, we must make sure an Independence minded majority is elected, at least for the first 4 years to cement our freedom into a rock hard constitution. Thus if we lose the following election in 2020, it does not matter as there is no going back.
2010 Share Predicted Votes (2015)
LIB 31.61% 14.54%
CON 24.03% 30.88%
LAB 22.73% 16.50%
NAT 18.94% 26.86%
OTH 2.69% 6.92%
UKIP 0.00% 4.30%
I don’t think the Tory vote will go up by nearly 7% so all to play for . Either way he is out.
@cearc, re Danny Alexander, I,m pretty sure, if DA lost his seat in Inverness he’d get a job in any pub in the UK, as I’ve often heard people say, “Danny Alexander, what a barsteward.”
Wow, not only can you not use YOUR pound after independence but you can’t even use YOUR MPs before independence. What is the point in
I’m not your MP is Alan Reid’s plan A, what’s his plan B? Does he have a plan C too?
Hi Catherine
No one with any sense would regard someone living and working here as anything other than a member of the Scottish family (if you want to be that is!) with all the same rights and responsibilities as the rest if us.
To be fair, I’m not represented by my MP either….but that’s because it’s Beaker…
And no I won’t be saying what I think of him, I don’t know enough of those bad words…
What I think this issue tells us is that,at Council and Scottish Parliament level,Scotland is more inclusive.
This is why I love Scotland, all your comments show me that Alan Reid and the wee woman who had a go when I was canvassing are just the very rare exception. @ Red Squirrel, I am happy and proud to be part of the Scottish family.
Happily, I am not one of Reid’s constituents. Instead I have to grin and bear the bold ginger rodent, Danny (no offence to red-heads. I am one myself).
I have watched the performances of Alan Reid over the years and have found him to be of the snivelly variety – always going for the easy put down, even to denigrating Scotland itself.
I just put him down as an idiot, not worth bothering about. He will be gone soon. Good riddance!
Bastards the lot of them. Troughing whores who have no moral compass and no right to represent our people. Re Danny Alexander future job prospects , I would happily employ him but only on a zero hour contract and obviously just on the min wage. Im sure he would finf that funny.
Well, that vented the spleen. Now are there any sensible comments out there – without the bile. For goodness sake please raise the bar in this debate. Not one Tweet in this tread does Scotland any favours.
O/T One of my favourites, SNP Treasury spokesman, Stewart Hosie answering your questions on independence. I think Stewart Hosie, would make a good FM of Scotland one day.
link to bbc.co.uk
@ Feartiefifer, Not one Tweet in this tread does Scotland any favours.
But they mostly recount what ukok unionism produces hour by hour?
Seems to be a few unhappy Inverness constituents on line!
Don’t worry.
My highland moles seem to think the Danny Alexander will not even defend his seat in 2015 GE. He has lined up some plum job in the City already – so we will not have to suffer him for much longer.
Shame – I would have loved to have seen his face on the election night podium when he lost his deposit.
Same old Westminster.
All things to all people when campaigning. No help to anybody the rest of the time.
Not so easy to see, but there is a green and white sign on the boat just visible by his left ear which reads ‘DECK’ with a white arrow pointing at him.
‘S all
2015 GE, Scots crushed, PM Bojo, deputy PM Farage, maybe some Libdem survivors like Smirky up there, apparently Orkney’s keeping on Michael Ten Bellies Carmichael too.
Well at least we know we’re going to be royaly screwed by rampant UKOK Daily Heil classes. Or we vote YES and maybe just run our own country.
Prisoners do not live ‘at home’, quite possibly they are not living in the constituency where home is. Some will have been in prison from before the previous election, and so were not allowed to vote, and many will have a sentence which means that they will still be in prison when the next election comes.
Yet it is well known that prisoners have MPs who have frequently argued for the rights of these imprisoned constituents.
Headtracker. Spot on.
Feartie. Let us hear your articulate words of protest . My splean will always be vented against such open discrimination.
Neither a Liberal or a Democrat by the sounds of it.
Of course he belongs to a system that glories in sneering down its beak at minorities, spreading social division, engendering fear and uncertainty within a populace to achieve political gain so really he just fits right in.
Shame there are no comments allowed. Hopefully this horrible woman is for the scrapheap soon.
link to eveningexpress.co.uk
Almost forgot – my MP is also a lib-dem and is also a complete waste of space.
But he is having a BT meeting with Ming the Merciless tomorrow in the Holiday Inn near the Zoo.
I might just go along for a laugh !?
One thing for sure – there will be plenty of free seats.
Handandshrimp at 5.04
Alan Reid is Argyll and Bute’s MP and it would be difficult to find a more ineffectual elected person. He does write hundreds of letters however and works away at getting his photograph taken the length and breadth of this huge constituency.
When he was in parliament recording his objection to a proposal of identity cards he asked why they should be brought in.
Ian “I’ll give you a doin'” Davidson shouted out “So people would know who you are” which just about sums him up.
His home in this constituency is in Dunoon. His second tax payer supported home is in – wait for it – Cardross which you can almost see from Dunoon. I can see an argument in this vast area for a second billet in Mull or Islay rather than London – but Cardross?
Says that lets him get to the airport more easily but as he only by his own admission does two days in London he has no need to get quickly to the airport
He supports Trident – when he is in Helensburgh!
You’ve got to admire the audacity of Ed (Friends of Israel) Miliband, the guys got balls the size of dump trucks. Here he claims (and I laughed out loud when I read it) that independence would lead to the poor of Scotland suffering.
What planet is this guy living on, hasn’t he seen that since 2008 when his Labour government under Brown and Darling, who made a complete mess of governing, people have steadily gotten poorer, and we’re now at breaking point.
Now I’m no economist, but foodbanks and poverty combined with austerity have been on the rise, even people in low paid jobs can’t make ends meet, there’s a new phrase for them “Working poor”.
Miliband can’t save Scotland from austerity and poverty only the people Scotland, can do that, and only by voting yes, you know it makes sense.
link to huffingtonpost.co.uk
Rather concerned that this lady has no redress at UK level and nor does her family, as a taxpayer she contributes and so will her children at some point thereforethey should be represented at all levels of power. His attitude stinks and refering to anyone as a foreigner is derogatory and not the sort of attitude I am in favour of supporting in anyway shape or form.
Thanks Chris,
My children are already contributing, both working and paying taxes.
Looking at that photie again, it strikes me that Reid might have been Jack Nicholson’s role model for The Joker.
O/T
Comments are open and the unionists are getting stuck in as usual….
link to theguardian.com
She is a French citizen as are her children. Both her kids were born in the uk one in England one in Scotland and their dad is English….. What are the rules on citizenship? If she lived in Scotland for 20 years and her kids were born here and the father is English how would her kids be French citizens? Don’t flame me.
Hi chossy,
I have answered in a previous comment 🙂
Chossy, she says because she was never married to their father. She’s looked into it in some detail.
Oops, sorry Catherine, cross-posting.
Here’s a thought; most professional grades of career require some level of competency tested by a competition or series of exams.
That it takes nothing more than the capacity to express a single minded, narcissistic arrogance to become an MP perhaps explains why this smug looking idiot, Alan Reid isn’t even familiar with the basic code of conduct or the definition of a constituent.
That numbnut Reid is also my MP (for shame).
Yesterday at the Mid-Argyll Show there was anumber of us outside the Yes Scotland tent giving out leaflets, etc., when who should come along but Reid. One of our crew got him to accept a leaflet before questioning him about his and his party’s stance on the referendum. Now, see that face he has in that picture above? Well it’s the exact same one as he had yesterday as he sniggered and spluttered while making his excuses and getting away sharpish.
Useless little trougher. He’s always ready to take the acclaim whenever anything supposedly positive comes Argyll & Bute’s way (seldom), most other times it’s full-on ‘Blame the SNP!’mode, blah, bloody, blah.
He has managed to do the total sum of bugger-all for the area and the people who he is supposed to represent.
So, aye, cheers Reid for all that you and your party – and Westminster for far, far too long – have done for us here in Argyll & Bute ie SFA: Sweet Fuck All!
Reid will be booted out in the next election and his party will be facing total wipe-out – tough titty.
Voting Yes will give Scotland governments that will do something for Argyll & Bute and its people, rather than being ignored as some forgetten backwater (unless they need a place to store their nuclear subs and weapons) as is presently the case by Westminster.
Most LibDem politicians are odious little creatures.
How timely.
Today I was at an “End of Summer” (school starts on Monday so summer is “over” even if the weather continues) BBQ at some friends’. Most of us were Finns born and bred but among the guests were several “foreigners”. A German, two English, one Aussie and one Indian. The German and one of the English have lived here for 25-20 yrs, the rest for at least 5 yrs.
It was all very relaxed (and great food!) and at one point my English friend of nearly 25 yrs brought up the Scots referendum, knowing my fondness of Scotland. His point being he hoped he had a vote because he’d be voting YES. He’s no fan of the Westminster system – indeed, it’s one of the reasons he’s chosen to make his home in Finland.
Some others heard us discussing Scotland and the referendum and were really curious, asked questions. The coverage here in Finland has been nearly non-existant (and mostly regurgitated London press) so they really wanted to hear more. The general feeling was very pro-Scottish.
All of the “foreigners” have a vote in Finnish local (council) elections, some in EU elections, some even in parliamentary and presidential elections.
I looked it up at our Ministry of Justice website.
Citizens of EU countries and Iceland and Norway (non-EU Nordic countries) have the vote in local elections, as do citizens of other countries if they’ve been domiciled in Finland for two years. Finnish citizens must also be domiciled in Finland.
EU citizens can vote in the EU elections in Finland, provided they don’t vote in their other EU country.
Parliamentary and presidential elections are open only for Finnish citizens, regardless of where they live (i.e. even if they live abroad). Three of my “foreign” friends can vote in parliament/president elections because they’ve taken up Finnish citizenship and have now dual citizenship.
The Indian guy can only vote in local elections. He came to Finland as a young computer science graduate to work for Nokia. He’s since been made redundant by Nokia/Microsoft but found other highly-skilled employment and has made his home and his life in Finland. He’s even embraced our dark, cold winters after the initial shock! 😀 He’s thinking about Finnish citizenship because this country is his home now.
I’m not sure I like the franchise rules for parliament/president elections in Finland. I think everybody who makes their home here should have a vote, with some sort of a threshold, maybe 2 yrs for EU/Nordic citizens and 5 for others.
So Catherine’s experience of not having a vote in WM elections is not unique. What is shocking is her constituency MPs dismissive and patronising reply to her polite and reasonable questions.
I hope that an independent Scotland can have a more inclusive franchise for parliamentary elections. And MSPs who represent ALL the people in their constituency/region, regardless of their citizenship status.
From 1 January 1983 a child born in the UK to a parent who is a British citizen or ‘”settled” in the UK is automatically a British citizen by birth.
“Settled” status usually means the parent is resident in the UK and has the right of abode, or holds Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or is the citizen of an EU/EEA country and has permanent residence.
Catherine Wilson’s children are therefore British Citizens by law because they were born here & she appears to satisfy the “Settled” status. And the children’s father is a British Citizen anyway so their British Citizen status is incontrovertible.
Ms. Wilson would easily qualify as a British Naturalised Citizen but of course would have to apply for formal recognition & the requirements are for those not married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen, must satisfy the following …
1. Five years legal residence in the UK
2. Indefinite leave to remain or equivalent & must have held it for 12 months
3. Must intend to continue to live in the UK
4. Must be of “good character” (unlike an MP of course)
5. Speak English
6. Pass the Life in the UK Test
So unless Ms. Wilson makes an official application, she will remain in a “Settled” status.
Regardless, it is Alan Reid’s duty as an MP to represent her & her children whether he likes it or not.
Scottish unionist politicians love doing Westminster’s dirty work. Westminster sniggers.
funnily enough,about 2 years ago i had a case where quite a few problems existed in a place wher i lived.
myself and others took our case to the local MP, who by strange coincidence is a Liberal Democrat.
She promised to bring the offices of the Gov to bear,then we waited, and waited,and then…she said,get a lawyer.
Just knew i’d be able to mention Jo Swinson’s name , one day.
If tou are curious as to what happened,..Problem pretty much solved,i asked the local SNP councillor
TAH DAH…
There’s this guy and he worries about the referendum result and starts to get superstitious. He gets it into his head that he should carry a yes around with him at all times. So he gets a bit of paper and writes yes on it and puts it in his trouser pocket. Some time later he realises that there is a hole in his pocket and the bit paper with yes has gone. He gets very agitated and then, with some relief, realises that the paper has dropped down his trouser leg and has caught the top of his sock. Joyfully, he puts his hand in the bottom of his trouser leg and retrieves the bit paper. His joy quickly turns to consternation when he reads the bit paper and sees the one word “NO”! This causes him to have a heart attack and he gets rushed into hospital. As he is lying on his hospital bed recovering a doctor asks him what happened to cause the heart attack. He tells his story and the doctor smiles and says, “that’s really bad luck but it’s just like life, every time a good idea gets anywhere near a prick it gets transformed beyond all recognition” ………. Ok, it’s a crap joke but there are a lot of pricks taking part in the referendum. I’m not taking sides although I do believe the paper went down the labour left trouser leg. Does anybody know any good, preferably YES biased, referendum jokes?
@Bugger (the Panda) says: 10 August, 2014 at 3:48 pm:
“Perhaps a wee letter from R Stu, or Catherine, direct to Nick Clegg’s office, not asking for clarification but repeating that her constituency MP has told her that he has no duty of care, as a Parliamentarian, for her?
I’ve a far better suggestion – Send a lteer to the Speaker of the Hose to forward the information to : –
“The Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards”
link to parliament.uk
Get too it girl – hit this guy where he will not treat any other human being as an inferior person ever again.
Alan Reid is as useful as a fart in a hurricane. Unfortunately, in Argyll, politicians are all pretty much toxic, either by being self-serving nose-in-the-trough pigs or inept, idiotic yes men. Bring on the revolution!
link to irishtimes.com
. Does anybody know any good, preferably YES biased, referendum jokes?
I do!
link to bellacaledonia.org.uk
Quite a lot of Latvians and Estonians, or at least he Russian speaking ones, seem to be planning to vote no, based on my wife’s monitoring of Russian speakers’ social media. They need to be more aware of what they could be getting after 2017.
Are snakes reptiles ?
O/T
Monger of Fear in Chief, has a filler piece titled “Peril’s of the English countryside”
It then goes on to give the UK statistics for each ‘danger’.
eg Adder’s
It’s second nature now.
link to bbc.co.uk
Vote NO for all that is great about Britain.
Wasteminster just gets worse last week the House of Lords was increased to 850 unelected spokespeople with the new arrivals making political donations worth £6 million to the Tories while several disgraced Lords are back drawing their expenses.
Meanwhile Labour MPs from Scotland can look forward to even more pay for much less work.
Sunday Times reports that leading Tory will this week call for Scottish MPs to be banished from the Commons chamber for several days each week to end “lopsided devolution” that gives Scots more rights than the English.
John Redwood, the former cabinet minister, will use a speech on Tuesday to argue that there is “no way” voters in England will tolerate further devolution of tax powers to Edinburgh unless they get an English parliament.
He will call for MPs in England to sit for part of the week in the House of Commons without their Scottish and Welsh counterparts to discuss English-only issues.
The full Commons would sit as a parliament of the union on other days to discuss foreign affairs and other UK concerns.
Thats not my joke, that’s a 1000 year Etonian reich gag. I work with a Canadian who loves winding me up and she likes to cluck Marseillaise behind me if reading online wall to wall Scotland monstering/news, BBC ukok vote No propaganda, ad nauseam? .
Like tonights C4 teatime news giving a vote No Highlander all the better together shots in, while the YES voter got zero.
C4 news shills are all over the shop right now, Iraq and Gaza etc and how balanced are these gits out there, batting for Britain.
Plus who gave the great future Lady Sarah Smith, smiter of the Scots who voted YES her big break? Endless comedy right from that dope on her own.
Hi Nana
I wouldn’t worry about what the guardian writes or what its trolls say, the guardian sells just over 18,000 copies in Scotland, a figure that is falling monthly, and judging by its comments pages only a few hundred Scots bother to read it online.
It is a rag with second rate reporters more used to cutting and pasting other peoples work than creating anything original.
I must like crap jokes David, ’cause that did make me laugh:)
I agree with you Colin, I do however feel sorry for the few Yes supporters trying to get the truth out there.
@Catherine, Reid is doing a series of one night talk ins all through Argyll just now, don’t know if he’s been your way , he was speaking to a handful here on Thursday. May be worth checking out if only to give him some grief face to face.
guardian sells just over 8,600 not 18,000 copies in Scotland:D
Its in their Roy Greenslade thing this week.
@crisiscult
I was speaking to a Polish Yes voter yesterday, and she said the same seems to be true of Poles; I told her that there is a Tak leaflet aimed at Polish-speakers, but I have no idea if there are similar ones for other EU citizens. Could be a gap in the market? I’m not sure how the word could be spread though.
Guardian sells just over 8,600 copies in Scotland
That probably accounts for the rag’s cavalier attitude to Scotland’s democracy.
As Catherine is eligible to vote in the Scottish Parliament elections, I suggest she sends the same letter to her constituency and list MSPs to see what answers she gets.
She should also make an official complaint about Alan Reid, although the response will be nothing more than a whitewash.
Ah, the Guardian. The paper I have read ever since I was a student. The paper that promotes social justice and environmental issues, the paper that gave the women of Greenham Common a voice at a time when the pro nuclear lobby was in the ascendant. But it seems that the Guardian’s quest for a better world does not extend to Scotland. If I have learnt nothing else from the referendum debate it is that the Guardian cloak of social justice is merely a disguise for self interest
Colin & Grouse Beater,
“Guardian sells just over 8,600 copies in Scotland”
“That probably accounts for the rag’s cavalier attitude to Scotland’s democracy.”
The Guardian sells hardly any copies in many regions of the world where it wants to see independence and self determination.
No, it is the British establishment’s arrogant attitude towards Scotland and the Scots.
And like the late Tony Wedgewood Benn, who never ever resigned from anything over a matter of principle, and the Liberal Democrat MP for Campbeltown, Alan Reid, the ‘liberal’ Guardian is very much part and parcel of the British establishment.
If you try and get help from your politician and he/she ignores you. Do what one constituent did up here in the North East ,they made a great effort to make sure that that politician was defeated soundly at the election by going from door to door in very specific areas of their constituency and explaining exactly what happened.
Anne,
Just read your comment after I had posted mine.
The Guardian are as much hypocrites as The Telegraph and The Daily Mail.
Their reporter Poly Toynbee was warmongerer in chief during Blair’s illegal war in Iraq.
Its sister paper The Observer was the cheerleader in chief for catapulting Blair to the Labour leadership.
Considering the Auld Alliance was never formally revoked, you could argue we’ve been in a partnership with France for over 700 years!
Stick that in your “300 year union” trumpet, unionists…
Sorry,OT.
Why are JP only publishing this on their Belfast paper?
link to newsletter.co.uk
Is Bugger (the Panda) chargé d’affaires Vieille Alliance?
crazycat
Have apologised to several eastern Europeans that I only had Polish leaflets.Generally the answer was “it’s OK,English is fine” or “I can understand that too.”
You can’t really call press like The Telegraph and The Daily Mail hypocrites though. They’ve lived down to every ukok rancid sneary lying expectation.
Its the BBC that’s been the biggest shock with the Guardian the greatest progressive liberal hypocrites around. Their soon to be foreign correspondents, Severin and Libby Carrell are disgraceful but wonderful if you’re say Crash Gordon or the Flipper
And ofcourse they all draw in academic clowns from Kent say and via Glasgow uni who think’s people are dumb enough to believe he’s a women in Slovenia writing pounding out reams and reams of this
link to id.theguardian.com
Oh, it’s all Westminster’s fault?
But the SNP government is the one who wants to damage both Scotland and the rUK!
Or do you perhaps believe the SNP fairy tale that there will be NO negative consequences of separation of states?
Murray McCallum says:
Is Bugger (the Panda) chargé d’affaires Vieille Alliance?
–
That and the Marketing Director for several vineyards(non gutrot only).
@goldenayr
That makes him sound like the Australian Cultural! Attache a la Dame Edna
é Doh!
@goldenayr
That’s good to hear about your experience with the Polish leaflets, but this woman was concerned that her fellow Poles were not getting any information at all; this nay be true also of other Eastern Europeans, and I was wondering how to address that.
@Dick Gaughan says: 10 August, 2014 at 6:40 pm:
“Looking at that photie again, it strikes me that Reid might have been Jack Nicholson’s role model for The Joker”.
Nah! Nah! Nah! Dick – there is now only one Joker in the pack – Flipper is the Joker of the pack, (mind I’m not telling anyone what they are a pack of).
may, not nay, of course – I really should not try typing and eating at the same time.
Regarding how Polish, Latvian and Estonians might vote – I would guess this must be wrapped up in the scare stories about Scotland not being ‘allowed’ into the EU. This, after all, will seem nearer perhaps and a more imminent scare that the 2017 in/out referendum (which some believe, after all, that the likes of Cameron would rather find some way to weasel out of, whatever he says). I think the Yes campaign should get right on top of this and tell them they have nothing to fear.
crazycat
Ken whit y’re sayin.The only option possible,I can think of(which doesn’t say much),is to get them translated yourself if there is a big enough group to be targeted.
Not much help I know,just highly unlikely the campaign managers would even listen.
What is it with nawbags and brass instruments?
Here’s another one, in Troon, presumably. (37 views to date)
link to youtube.com
handclapping
Only when he’s been sampling a new barrel
“Bonjour me dears”
😀
OT
Jenny Hjul married to Alan Cochrane. Are they cousins.
They have two daughters in this household of shiny happy parents and happen to be two-faced neighbours.?
Ninja neighbours.
Excuse my light hearted banter – Alan and Jenny – after you`ve both accused AS of being Hitleresque. Bonny couple. Ironically.
Have they ever smoked anything – other than David Hayman, Nats,Scots etc. ad infinitum.
Named their house – “Bide in Bile”.
To understand the Guardian’s usefulness to the Establishment, you should read “Guardians of Power” by David Edwards and David Cromwell (the guys who run the Media Lens website). Like the BBC, the Guardian essentially exists to provide an illusion of a balanced media in the UK: when the chips are down, they toe the Establishment line.
Ian Brotherhood
Perhaps that sad and lonely,still staying with mummy,30 something,should’ve made his bed first.
“Why didn’t you make your bed before posting it for all my coffee morning blue rinsers to see?You’re a very naughty boy.”
@heedtracker says:
10 August, 2014 at 8:20 pm
guardian sells just over 8,600 not 18,000 copies in Scotland:D
It’s been a while since I bothered checking their audited circulation figures, but that is really good news.
They banned me, and my IP address, months ago after I told Carroll what I thought of his lying, underhand journalistic style, I also told them (the guardian) that they were no more capable of wining a Pulitzer Prize on their own than I was of wining a three legged race on my own.
They took exception to that and banned me for life. 😉
Being an MP is the only career I know where there is not even a requirement to be able to read, write and count. Unless we are talking about sweeping the streets. Even the Big Issue sellers need to count.
Re the Eastern European electorate of Scotland.
There are many Polish shops, associations etc. (perhaps there are others of east European origin) where the owners may be happy to have leaflets, badges and posters etc. placed for their customers to pick up.
What Scotland gets if it votes NO:-
* David Cameron or Boris Johnston for UK PM and Nigel Farage for deputy PM of the UK.
* at least 10 more years of austerity.
* Scotland torn out of the EU and massive unemployment resulting due to the combined anti-EU Tory/UKIP majority vote in England.
* a £4 billion (at least) cut in the annual Barnett formula budget allocated to Scotland by Westminster.
* privatisation of Scotland’s NHS and Water due to aforementioned Barnett cuts.
* end of free personal care and free prescriptions due to Barnett cuts.
* Student fees re-introduced costing £9,000 per annum due to Barnett cuts.
* unlimited increases in Council Tax to make up shortfall due to Barnett cuts.
* most of Holyroods powers taken back by Westminster.
* Trident replaced on the Clyde costing £billions whilst more foodbanks are opened.
* more unnecessary foreign wars for Scots service personnel to be killed in.
Vote YES for Scotland’s people to take back all decisions about Scotland’s future from Westminster if you don’t want any of these things to happen.
Interesting thread on several points. Alan Reid is my MP although not a person I would approach for help with anything. I find his utterances on any topic to be pure fantasy, and often downright lies , all with the very obvious objective of self-promotion and preservation. Unfortunately he seems to have a residual following of punters who still believe the world is flat and LibDems are wonderful, aided and abetted by the local rag, but I agree there is a day of reckoning coming soon.
On the issue of eligibility to vote, could I throw in the case of my wife, a Norwegian national, in the hope that someone may be able to tell me the advice I have received,ie that she is not eligible to vote, might be wrong. We have lived here in Scotland for 38 years (myself with a UK passport) and she has worked and paid taxes for half that time, and now having retired she receives a UK state pension. Despite that she has been told she does not qualify for a vote as Norway is not in the EU.
As she never misses an opportunity to help push the Yes case, it would be nice to think we could get another vote in the box but thus far it doesn’t look possible.
@Ian Brotherhood
In the pithy words of one of my former colleagues, ‘Thon’s nuts.’
This ‘Naw’ thing…do they not realise that there won’t be a softy ‘Naw’ option on the voting paper? The word will be ‘NO’, harsh, negative and unrelenting.
O/T Anyone else in Baxter Park this afternoon? Yes presence so overwhelming it was almost embarrassing. Almost.
There are hundred of archaic laws and treaties which have never been revoked in France.
I believe that Harry of Harry’s Bar in Paris was going to be deported some years after he had started the Bar as they were getting rid of foreigners taking Frenchmen’s jobs. They do have the equivalent of Gordon Brown and UKIP.
Anyway, harry found out an old act of some French King had granted Scot’s the right to French nationality. He got away with it, and the rest is history.
It might still be in force now,
I’m not surprised. About a decade ago, I wrote to my then MP, Mohammad Sarwar, mentioning in my letter that I was a Danish citizen, and I didn’t even receive a reply, although that would clearly have been appropriate.
All/many/most MPs seem to interpret the word ‘constituent’ as meaning ‘somebody who can vote in a specific constituency’. 🙁
I believe the next stage to this will be “Sorry YOU DID NOT VOTE FOR ME I’m not your MP!” (Secret Ballot? Aye right!)
Sorry I’m going O/T here but I’ve been having some fun and games with a S.P.U. (Stray Pet Unionist 😛 ) over on Twitter. I must say he does like a good game, of Ring a ring a roses. 😀
I’d like to invite him over here to put his case to all us incompetent and ignorant cybernats but thought it polite to ask permission first of both fellow cybernatters and of our Stu. 😉
So what do you all say folks do I invite my S.P.U. over for a wee *ahem* chat? 😛
@Lesley-Anne –
Tell him we’ve got a great wee video showing a BTUKOKVNOBNOTHANKER in his bedroom playing Rule Britannia on a trumpet. That’ll surely tempt him…
Oh I’m sure you guys would just love my wee S.P.U. 😛
LA
Will we need to phone the SSPCA?
LA
Also,should it not be Pet Unionist Stray(PUS)?
@Alan Gerrish
The referendum is based on residency, so your wife can most definitely vote. Enquire with your local council.
Lesley-Anne
Any time i’ve invited them on here for a chat they’ve aIl of a sudden disappeared without trace. Seems that the 140 character twitter limit fully covers the a-z of their ability to discuss reasonably.
Ian Brotherhood
Whit? Wir stertin a datin agency noo?
Thanks guys I’ll nip over and send him my personal invitation. 😛
Well to be fair goldenayr having the SSPCA on standby wouldn’t be a bad idea. 😉
LA
Too remote for me,we just shoot them if in duress.Better to keep it in an urban environment,like say…Carstairs.
Should quantify/change/amend/apologise that last post.
SSPCA only bother with pets being neglected round here.
And we would lavish attention on yours,so no need unless it’s in pain.
Invite sent guys. Stand by he’ll be here any second. 😉 😛
@chossy
Being born in the UK doesn’t make you a UK citizen, not since before 1983 has that been the case.
You have to be born in the UK AND have your mother (or married father) be a UK citizen, or legally resident also.
Since 2006, it has been acceptable for UK nationality to be passed down via unmarried fathers also.
LA
Shotgun in cabinet under lock and key…honest 😀
With regards to our friends from other EU countries and beyond eligible to vote and those Indian-Scots/Pakistani-Scots and so on (don’t crucify me if this is not the right terminology) I would point to a wee overlooked bit of Alex’ speech where he lamented not only the brain drain of Scots but the forced deportation of a graduate from the Glasgow Conservitoire.
It was one of the strongest moments of the night and sent a clear message out to everyone watching that Scotland will be an open country for those who choose to live here and contribute. It is one of the messages I think the SNP and the Yes movement have got across very well.
I can see ethnic groupings voting stronger for Yes than the general populace. The threat of EU exit is very real and affects not just those from Europe who live and work here but Scots abroad as well.
It’s a clear message – I hope it is coming across as well as I think it is.
Catherine, I’m afraid you’re wrong. It’s residency AND being an EU or Commonwealth citizen. I have an American friend, married to an Englishman, living in Scotland for decades. Husband and son on the electoral register, wife not.
Darlings there is no time for trolls anymore – even I have had to go on a diet.
On the first broadcast Referendum TV the venue host was on and he said there is a Polish for Yes group I know more than that.
@Paula Rose says:
Darlings there is no time for trolls anymore – even I have had to go on a diet
Never been on one am I missing something!
And anyway is anyone going to answer Alan Gerrish at 9:34?
WHIT?
Has my wee *ahem* friend no turned up yet? 😉
After me promising him a nice wee true Scottish welcome as well. Well just goes to show you just cannae trust they S.P.U.’s as far as thought after all. 😛
Cynical Highlander – they can be a bit chewy but some trolls have soft centres. Anyway, the Rev has said that you mustn’t feed them and I must stop treating them like my pussy does with a mouse.
@Alan Gerrish
Sadly I can see no way for your wife to vote.
The franchise is not open to EEA members, only EU members. Though your wife is clearly resident here, she must either be a UK, EU, or eligible Commonwealth citizen in order to join the electoral roll.
The only way you can get her the vote is to naturalise as a UK citizen, or if possible she may have (as many Scandinavians do) the right to Swedish, or Danish citizenship through relatives, both being EU states.
Sadly this may be expensive and there frankly is not enough time now to apply for this and then get on the register.
There are a great many people finding out that they have been eligible for UK citizenship for years but passed on the chance. Only a few years ago it cost next to nothing, now it’s about £1000 (for straightforward cases) and goes up substantially every year.
Aye but if we do not feed our wee *ahem* friends the TRUTH how they going to know they are wrong Paula? 😉
@ Alan Gerrish
It seems I have misled you link to adviceguide.org.uk
Lesley-Anne honey, some people will not be telt, but you can be assured that whatever the result they will know they are wrong by the middle of 2016.
Well there is always that of course. 😛
I can’t wait to see all their happy little faces on 19th when we’re all dancing in the streets celebrating a YES win. 😀
Thanks to all those who responded on this – I had contacted my LA, Catherine, and was prepared to believe they were wrong, but it does look as if there’s no way at this stage we can change things. As for asking a Norwegian to adopt UK citizenship: nae chance! Dual citizenship in an independent Scotland, though, nae problem.
Paula Rose says:
10 August, 2014 at 10:23 pm
“I must stop treating them like my pussy does with a mouse”.
……………..
Paula, you owe me a cup of coffee and a keyboard..!!!
Lesley-Anne, when we have democratically declared the political union to be at an end, we will have to prove our neighbourliness, that, I believe will by revitalising the body politic of those areas outwith Scotland, within what is known at present as the UK.
Come on Geeo, whenever you Paula’s name you really should know to expect the *ahem* unexpected. 😛
I think you may right there Paula.
@Alan Gerrish
A long shot, but you weren’t the Scottish gentleman with the Norwegian wife I gave directions to in Birmingham towards the end of last year were you?
You were looking for a hospital and I was with my wife and our sleeping son in his pushchair, when you said it was nice to meet another Scotsman down here.
(Wings version of needle-in-a-haystack)
Paula Rose says:
10 August, 2014 at 11:36 pm
(Wings version of needle-in-a-haystack)
If this is a reference to the mouse thing….stop it!
If it is a reference to any previous post you made, have my heartfelt apologies, apparently I am a “bad man” and who am I to argue with being told that for the last 25 years tomorrow…lol
People ask me what the answer is to 25 years and still happy as ever, simple I tell them, 23 years of working nightshift!
The other 2 years were murder though…
Charlie Kennedy must be in a permanent alchoholic stupour as I am still waiting for his response some 4 weeks or longer now.
Charlie Kennedy must be in a permanent alcoholic stupour as I am still waiting for his response some 4 weeks or longer now.
Oops sorry Rev, where is the edit button? 🙁
This is from the UK Parliament’s own website
link to parliament.uk
“Who can register to vote?
You can register to vote if you:
are 16 years old or over and
are a British citizen or an Irish, EU or qualifying Commonwealth citizen (Qualifying Commonwealth citizens are those who have leave to enter or remain in the UK, or do not require such leave) and
live in the UK or have registered to vote from a UK address within the last 15 years
are not subject to any legal incapacity to vote
The Electoral Commission can give advice to anyone who wishes to register to vote in a UK election.”
From what Catherine says in her letter to Reid
she meets all the criteria to be able to vote in a UK election.
Reid should read his job own description.
link to parliament.uk
We all know what it is like to be away from our own chosen support system.
To read of those who are being shown the door as regards support, is in my view, why the UK is no longer fit for purpose.
I could cry.
@IcySpark
Replace Scottish Nationalist with black/Asian/Muslim/Jew and you have a deeply disturbing and overwhelmingly bigoted point of view and article.
A wonderful, future awaits for us if the country returns a No vote, filled with a bigoted and deceitful media. We could of course change all of that with a Yes vote, and form an all-encompassing nation, free from such tyranny and propaganda.
Oh no, I just left a sub human tonight. Lived here and contributed for many years but wait a minute. He wasn`t born here OMG HELP! Satan or Hitler or Cameron please help?
Just watched a report on Sky news from Gaza.
A wee girl (7) has been interviewed about what happened to leave her paralysed from the neck down.
Her family home was subject to an airstrike which killed several people and injured every survivor, this wee girl is 7 years old and this is the 3rd time she has known “war”.
Tragically, she wishes all israeli’s were dead as it would mean that no more of her people would die like her family did.
She “grew up” (she is bloody 7 ffs) wanting to be a doctor so she could help people, but now, at 7 years old, she wants to join the militants to protect her people from the bombs.
She has had offers of medical help from 3 countries in the 22 days since her injuries, but needs israeli “permission” before she can leave to go get treatment which may allow her to realise her new dream, to move her arms and hands enough to feed herself.
I am away to bed now, i am way to angry and upset to post anything else tonight.
Alan Gerrish,
“Despite that she has been told she does not qualify for a vote as Norway is not in the EU.”
The referendum rules are special and perhaps you should check the actual legal wording.
We are always being told about ‘the people who live and work here.’ That does entitle your wife to a vote in the referendum even if not in elections. Have they overlooked the case of Norwegian citizens ‘living and working here’?
That is ironic, given that Norway is THE nation an independent Scotland aspires to follow the example of!
Take it up with the SNP and Yes Scotland. Who knows, there might still be time to put things right.
link to news.sky.com
Said i was done tonight, forgot to post the link.
Photie : Wan ugly creepy bastirt. The HOOD fae Thunderburdz.
Spittin image.
The baddie.
Ewww!
Truth says:
10 August, 2014 at 11:28 pm
@Alan Gerrish
A long shot, but you weren’t the Scottish gentleman with the Norwegian wife I gave directions to in Birmingham towards the end of last year were you?
Afraid not,Truth,sorry!
And to @Rock, 2.34 a. m.,: thanks for the encouragement- I’ve started going round the houses again, just in case there’s a way forward which has been overlooked.
Thomas Widmann says:
“All/many/most MPs seem to interpret the word ‘constituent’ as meaning ‘somebody who can vote in a specific constituency’ “
I think you forgot the crucial words “for me” there, as in “… somebody who can vote for me in a …” 🙂
democracy reborn
If you read my whole post you’d see that I made the same point you try to correct me on.
This article is worrying, but not atypical.
While I am a Scot, my wife is Irish and, like myself, a YES voter. She had disgusting abuse thrown at her the other day by a BritNat, despite being 5mths pregnant (the idiot in question knows this) who made all kinds of “fenian” insults and threats about our young childrens’ future if we leave the Union.
I’d go to the papers and report this, but we all know they wouldn’t care. The Police certainly wouldn’t either. After all, it’s US who are the abusive ones, isn’t it?
Folk should have a look at Reid’s expenses claims. He is picking up in excess of £20,000 a year for him and his “staff”. All Tax free of course. And he is supporting Benifit cuts,Benefit sanctions, the Bedroom Tax. He’s not the worst ‘though. Curran, east end of Glasgow and insisting Food Banks pay their Glasgow (Labour) Council taxes is picking up in excess of £42,000 a year. There’s nearly £1500 of that is her RENT every MONTH.
Whilst I could never condone Mr Reid’s antics, credit where credit is due, he was the only Scottish LibDem mp to vote against the “gagging” bill!! In other words the Alexander’s,Carmichael’s and Bruce’s of the LibDem world have plenty to say, but they want to stifle the working classes say!,
What a complete waste of time and money this bag of worms is costing. In my opinion a Scotland that votes to go it alone will be drained of any support by the the UK government during the hand over period (that on its own could take years) roads will be neglected as will rail and air. Funds from central government for local councils and the national health will not be available, the list is endless. I am also amazed that the citizens of the United Kingdom, namely England, Wales and Ireland were not given a say in Scotland’s independence campaign.
Finished-Dums MP for Argyll & Bute…..ALAN REID…. Unemployed 19th Sept…with a YES vote!
Alan Reid total paid (inc expenses) 2013/13 £239,709.36
The details below provide a summary of the costs incurred by the MP in carrying out their Parliamentary duties. MPs can only claim for costs which are within the rules set out in the MPs’ Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses.
Total Cost (2012-2013)
CONSTITUENCY AND STAFFING COSTS
Office Costs
£24,047.62
Staffing Expenses
£7,437.66
Payroll
£102,953.75
DIRECT PARLIAMENTARY EXPENSES
Accommodation
£13,299.40
Travel and Subsistence £24,970.93
TOTAL
£172,709.36 expences & Salary £65,000… £239,709.36
AJ – citizens of the United Kingdom, namely England, Wales and Ireland
Sorry AJ but Ireland isn’t in the United Kingdom 🙂
In my opinion a Scotland that votes to go it alone will be drained of any support by the the UK government during the hand over period
Just as well you never signed the Edinburgh agreement then 🙂
I got this reply from the same MP…
Lucky I did not mention I am half Canadian, or I might not have got such a clear and concise reply…
Dear Mr Owens
Thank you for your email.
I wasn’t aware of the UK Government refusing EU funding for foodbanks. These are run by charities. Could you please give me more details and I will investigate?
The referendum is on the SNP’s plans. If the vote is ‘Yes’ then the people of Scotland will have endorsed the SNP Government at Holyrood negotiating on behalf of the Scottish people, Independence Day being on 24 March 2014 and the SNP being the Government of the Independent Scotland for the first 6 weeks. During that time many irreversible decisions will have been taken, so it is the SNP’s plans that will be voted on.
The UK in/out referendum will happen in 2017 if the Conservatives win the 2015 UK General Election. If Scotland leaves the UK, this is far more likely. If Scotland votes for Independence and the UK votes in 2017 to leave the EU, then it would not be in Scotland’s interests to be in the EU. Scotland in the EU and the UK out the EU would mean a closely guarded border and no free trade between Scotland and the UK. This would be very damaging. Scotland remaining in the UK makes the UK far more likely to stay in the EU. This is Scotland’s best chance to remain in the EU.
I can guarantee that the Scottish Parliament will still be there in ten years’ time unless the Scottish people vote to abolish it.
The printing contract was awarded to the company which submitted the best tender.
Yours sincerely
Alan Reid
[…] The legal position is that, as a French citizen, you are a foreigner and so I am not your MP. Nobody can give you a guarantee that the UK will be in the EU in five years’ time. Without knowing more details about your children’s circumstances and any changes to the law which may be made by a Parliament, which hasn’t yet been elected, it is not possible to answer your questions about their future. Yours sincerely Alan Reid MP” More reading : link to wingsoverscotland.com […]
I am an American Citizen, Scottish wife and have lived in Argyll and Bute for nearly 30 years. I would probably get more help from the U.S. Embassy than from Mr. Reid.
I thought we had seen the last of this appalling little Alan Reid man after he was booted out as the MP for Argyll by the good citizens, including methinks the lady who Reid was ignorant towards.
Now Reid has decided to try and grasp some more taxpayer expenses for doing bu66er all than appear in the tacky LibDem publicity flyers stealing credit for work that others have done in the constituency.
Would it surprise anyone to see this feckless failure in a futile effort and being elected to Holyrood in May 2016…
link to markpack.org.uk
Seriously after the BIG FAT LIAR Alastair Carmichael burying any shred of credibility for Scottish LibDems, Alan Reid must be delusional to think he stands a chance in Argyll and Bute.
FACT: Reid stood by and did NOTHING to reinstate the Campbeltown to Ireland ferry. He did nothing throughout a 15 year period he was overpaid as an MP: 7 June 2001 – 30 March 2015.
It was the SNP government at Holyrood who finally secured a PERMANENT ferry for Campbeltown.
I should think Reid will remain an ex-politician from now until Doomsday.
You know the old adage…
“There is nothing more ex, than an ex-MP”
Several months later, is it just me that finds the ignorant letter written by Alan Reid ironically hillarious…
“Dear Catherine Wilson
The legal position is that, as a French citizen, you are a foreigner and so I am not your MP.
Nobody can give you a guarantee that the UK will be in the EU in five years’ time.
Without knowing more details about your children’s circumstances and any changes to the law which may be made by a Parliament, which hasn’t yet been elected, it is not possible to answer your questions about their future.
Yours sincerely
Alan Reid MP”
Damn right Reid – YOU ARE NO LONGER ANYONE’S MP 🙂
Where are you today Mr Reid???