The troll press
The Daily Record, still smarting from the humiliation of being forced to very quietly admit it told its readers a £20 billion lie about the Smith Commission late last year, has been in a demented overdrive trying to provoke Yes/SNP supporters this week.
It started on Tuesday with an echo of the paper’s infamous “Vow” cover, clearly aimed at winding up its detractors but which passed without much comment as social media users merely raised a brief weary eyebrow and got on with their day. But then the Record started turning up the volume.
The notion that a few daft SNP councillors who’d burned a couple of pages of the Smith report – an embarrassing and silly act, but not an illegal, abusive or menacing one – were going back to work after suspension was front-page news was comical, but the Record splashed big on it anyway, in a piece by cub reporter Aidan Kerr.
This time the troll-fishing expedition worked, and a rather hot-headed Yes activist called Nick Durie posted an over-the-top rant about Kerr on Facebook. A matter of hours later, after the post was widely circulated and criticised (including by us), he posted a lengthy apology and explanation on his blog, saying:
But the Record wasn’t to be placated. It duly penned a big shock-horror piece under the headline “Cybernats launch vicious online attack on SNP whistleblower who lifted lid on party’s controversial councillors” (even though there’d only been one “cybernat” and the article hadn’t “lifted the lid” on anything, merely rehashed a months-old story), and Kerr himself wrote a piece in the paper attacking Durie and others as “cretins”.
(The Record has a rather conspicuous double standard with abusive language – “cretins” is no less offensive a term than those the paper has stridently lambasted “cybernats” for using, and only last month it accused this site of peddling “sewage, hatred and paranoia” for nothing more than suggesting a nurse used by Labour in an election leaflet MIGHT also be an actress, which it turned out she was.)
Having warmed up with a few practice swings at a random activist who’d already apologised for his actions, the Record then turned its attention to the real target – the SNP. Today’s front page carries an extraordinarily dishonest strapline claiming that Nicola Sturgeon “admits SNP misled the country” over North Sea oil revenue.
“Mislead” is a word generally interpreted to mean telling a deliberate and knowing lie. Thesaurus.com lists some synonyms for the term as “lie”, “hoax”, “bluff”, “trick” and “deceive”. But as the First Minister pointed out in the Holyrood chamber yesterday (and we’d noted in an article that morning), the Scottish Government wasn’t alone:
As recently as December 2014, the OBR was predicting oil revenues 300% higher than it now forecasts. The simple fact is that nobody has a clue what oil revenue will be, even in the short to medium term, let alone the long term. Predictions might as well be made by Paul The Octopus for all the relation any of them have to reality.
The Record knows that as well as anyone else, and indeed the article inside the paper carefully avoids using the claim of deliberate deception splashed across the front cover, although it does tell a different lie:
The OBR, of course, said absolutely no such thing, because Salmond HADN’T done that. The Scottish Government’s prediction was only 10 percent higher than the OBR’s at the time it was made, not 10 times. With no detectable sense of irony or self-awareness, the Record has “exaggerated” the discrepancy by a factor of 100, as well as completely inventing something the OBR never said.
As polls continue to stubbornly show a 20-point SNP lead for May’s election, and with time fast running out for Labour to make inroads as Jim Murphy’s frantic but fruitless activity shows no sign of having any impact, the Record is increasingly desperate for anything that might turn Scots against the Nats.
We suspect there’ll be many more such provocations still to come. For the wellbeing of Scotland’s political climate, we urge readers not to take the bait.
Paul the Octopus is dead – how dare you sully his memory you insensitive swine!
It is a rubbish newspaper. I think that’s all I need to say.
“Paul the Octopus is dead – how dare you sully his memory you insensitive swine!”
That has precisely zero effect on his ability to accurately forecast oil revenues.
Bait and insult readers, actual and potential. Brilliant strategy by the Record. I can see that working well and increasing sales. /sarcoff
Why would Cybernats even need to consider going into abuse mode? All we have to do is read the Record’s own Survation poll and smile quietly to ourselves.
The ones getting increasingly abusive are the unhappy Onionists.
Keep the heid folks and let the Onionists bash theirs against the brick wall of the polls.
frankieboy says:
It is a rubbish newspaper. I think that’s all I need to say.
I’d still trust him before the Record.
Perhaps another complaint Stuart, regarding their exaggeration by a factor of 100?
Keep them occupied 🙂
The Record is, of course, perfectly entitled to promote a particular political party and/or policy. What is so sad however, is this deliberate lying aimed at misleading the Scottish public. Fine, say you don’t like what yo0ur political opponents are promoting and pursuing, but at least strive for some degree of respect for the people you’re trying to reach by granting them the opportunity to have information presented in an objective way. As it is, it’s just dishonest. If that’s how the publishers of the paper feel they should treat their readers, then that’s a matter for their conscience. I just find it sad.
Usual Unionist press, lying their heads off daily. Nobody’s listening to their shite anymore.
Wouldn’t it be great if this article was printed, A5, and slipped into the Daily Record in the newsagents. Wink wink to any newsagent owners out there…
r.i.p. paul, we miss you sage predictions 🙁
I think the reaction to recent oil price fall just highlights who has Scotland’s interests at heart.
We see unionist supporters rejoicing at any news that could harm the Scottish economy.
And they expect us to vote for them !!
It seems like they WANT Scotland to get to a position where we are subsidised, as a way for London to keep control.
They want London to continue to suck in more growth and investment, and the British economy to become even more unbalanced.
FFA might mean a short term hit at the moment, but it is in the long term interests of Scotland.
The fact that we have no oil fund to smooth over rough times is a direct result of that lack of control.
Kickstarter project to buy and close the daily record, anyone?
We oust Labour in Scotland in May, then its London-based mouthpiece the Record has nowhere else to go.
To be honest, I was more upset by the Record’s disclosure that someone in a boy band apparently isn’t touring.
I heard Paul’s little brother works for the OBR. Worth DR journalists getting in touch?
On the subject of the Daily Record, can people please avoid anything which will encourage people actually visiting their website. Archive them or screenshot them but don’t give them clicks.
Wow-DR breaks new ground NOT. Murray Foote is still smarting from the VOW he created to con the electorate & being caught out on it. We, vile odious cyybernats as he called us have no reason to attack/abuse anyone but they have plenty of motive for wanting to discredit SNP.
What do we have to gain by it? Absolutely nothing.Look at the polls 🙂
What do MSM have to gain by smearing SNP? 1)Saving their masters seats on the gravy train. 2)The decline in DR sales & the fact they now have to resort to giving it away says a lot about their readers. They are DECLINING so DR is losing money. Even their readers don’t believe them 🙂
As I keep saying no one, and I repeat no one, from the SNP and the pro-independence movement should have anything to do with Daily Record.
It is obvious with the polls that bad for Labour that the DR are trying to throw as much mud as it can at the SNP and also to provoke a reaction from SNP and pro-independence supporters.
Let the DR die a natural lonely death, drowning waste deep in its own excrement.
I’m starting to think the SNP should, on the eve of the General Election, say: ‘Oh, actually we’ve changed our mind – if the SNP get a majority of MPs we’re declaring independence’.
Latest Survation poll for Daily Record published this morning may have something to do with its Daily Mail type headlines
Scottish voting intentions for the May 2015 UK general election (Survation, 12th – 17th March) :
SNP 47.1% (n/c)
Labour 26.1% (-1.9)
Conservatives 15.5% (+1.0)
UKIP 4.3% (+0.9)
Liberal Democrats 4.0% (n/c)
Greens 2.2% (-0.1)
It’s right that sites like WOS keep their sights on such unionist lie machines, but, speaking personally, I find the Daily Record’s increasing hysteria quite amusing.
The real horror underlying thug Record’s “mislead” fraud, is the fact that’s its NOT Scottish oil and gas. Its all been sucked south under the total control of our red and blue tory chums in the south for over 40 years. Sure some proud Scot buts have got great teamGB lives out of the now Scottish oil energy (billionaire UKOK bullshit artist Ian Wood) but look at how Norway cruises through barrel price troughs and peaks just getting richer and richer.
Rule Britannia or else sweaties.
Nick D’s politically involved in his community and not above calling a nawbag a nawbag. Like all of us, he can get angry at MSM baiting.
The Record’s shameful duplicity, and incompetence, is to fail to recognise or understand that anger. Many express it forcefully (like someone in a public meeting shouting ‘awa an’ shite’ from the floor. No big deal. It’s called heckling. The Rec, however, peddles vilification and puffed outrage. It’s their smokescreen for times when someone in a public meeting is hustled out by party minders like a terrorist (remember Walter Wolfgang, Labour Party) for strong if slightly intemperate remarks which can also be true and legitimate comment.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Wolfgang
I find it shamefull that a man of the cloth should sully the name of Paul the Octopus (ofdivine memory) in order to further your vendetta against such a fine and august publication as ‘The Daily Ranger’. A title that has no peers in its unceasing campaign to prove the mendacity of the separatists and will leave no rock unturned in its desire to shine a light on the evil Cybernats.
I guess it just can’t be within your ken when, like the above mentioned publication, you are on the wrong side of history.
I doubt whether May’s numbers will alter this fact in the mind of London head office. Therefore, we can expect more of the same.
@ Sinky
Of course the latest survation poll had nothing to do with the Record’s tone this week.
They were merely acting as Scotland’s moral watchdog.
Then again… 😉
the next addition of the record will have a free pitch fork and placard saying burn the witch, for every reader
On Twitter, The Daily Record has posted an image of the ‘solar eclipse@ taken from some space station.
Only it turns out that this wasn’t in fact an image of any solar eclipse, and was in fact a Japanese artists, digital art, that had been used illegally, by the Daily Record!!!
The artist was on Twitter pleading with people not to use his art-work.
If the Daily Record are deceiving readers about the sun and the moon, things that we can all see with our own eyes, what bullshit are they spreading, about the things we can’t see?
@calgacus
That’s the best quote of the day so far 🙂
Total panic mode. Makes you wonder what the stories will be like in the final week. Hope our side keep a close watch on those postal votes especially in Murphy, Curran and Alexander’s constituencies.
What we really need is Punsitawny Phil, remember him?
Groundhog Day…Groundhog Day…Groundhog Day…
Just like the Referendum.. I can hear the music now..
“They say we’re young and we don’t know” and so on
I’m getting better on the piano though….
@ Patrick Roden.
Your the new winner for quote of the day 🙂
Congrats
When you are on the wrong side of history it is not within your ken to appreciate such a fundamental truth.
Therefore,in spite of May’s figures, we will be offered more of the same by the above mentioned publication.
The Daily Record of course failed to mention the one “cybernat” story yesterday which was headline news – at least on the BBC News website. The homophobic abuse tweeted to Ruth Davidson by an SNP zoomer in Edinburgh would have been the perfect lead story – except by mid-morning the culprit had been found, suspended from the SNP, and his actions almost universally condemned by the Twitter-verse – cybernats included. The BBC, to its actual credit, quickly amended the story to reflect this. Later in the day it transpired the troll had “switched” to supporting UKIP.
Without an Evil Cybernat story to run, I guess the Daily Record just had to make some shite up instead.
During the election campaign, I used to look at such “Scots” as the Daily Record journos, Johann Lamont, Willie Bain, Jackie Baillie…. and the Project Fear propaganda momentarily worked on me…!… if they ARE Scots, then maybe indeed we are “too stupid, too wee….” to govern ourselves.
You wouldn’t put the likes of Kezia Dugdale in charge of a pet canary…
I honestly think the likes of Murray Foote and Johann Lamont and Gordon Brown (an imbecile and a psychopath all rolled into one) are the best propaganda UKOK has: they could maybe have polled 60% in the referendum if they had plastered posters of them up and down and country as examples of “Scottish talent”!
So thank goodness for RIC, Women for Indy, Greens, SSP, SNP, Tommy Sheridan, Asians for Independence…..
II think another complaint for blatent lies is in order. Outragous. How do they get awawy with it.
It must be difficult for the Labour Party/daily record.They can’t understand why everyone doesn’t hate the SNP as much as they do.Theyre both in decline.Becoming feeble.Trying to hang on til the bitter end.
love it….its pretty obvious that labour are sinking
so the daily record throws them a ring and tries to pull them out
but as the lies and tricks get exposed, they become too heavy and both get dragged into the bottomless cesspit where they belong
happy days….I cannot wait
I haven’t read the DAILY Record for at least twenty years. It is what it always has been. A lying two-faced rag, whose sole purpose is to deceive the Scottish people into thinking that they are useless.
Has anyone seen page 8 of this week’s Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser?
Tee-hee…
Vile..Odious..Insurgent..Extremist..Separatist..Ginger Rat..
Ultra Extremist..Nazi..Stalinist………….
I’ve never experienced such popularity or even notoriety
And that’s before i go to the shops, wonder what the other folks in the queue at the checkout are?
We must be stopped, in this quest for our evil desire for..
Equality……Da Da Da Dahhh…
So which neutral experts at the OBR said Alex Salmond had exaggerated predicted oil revenues by up to 10 times?
If the Record has invented something nobody at the OBR said in order to falsely brand Alex Salmond as a liar, surely a complaint to whoever is supposed to regulate the press these days is in order.
I’m no lawyer, but I would also think that Mr Salmond would have an extremely strong case to take the Record to the cleaners for defamation, should he feel so inclined.
In the meantime, I wouldn’t buy the Record even if it was the only available substitute for toilet paper.
I wouldn’t wipe the dogs arse with the Daily Record.
Ooops! Am I being a nasty cybernat?
I’m starting to think the SNP should, on the eve of the General Election, say: ‘Oh, actually we’ve changed our mind – if the SNP get a majority of MPs we’re declaring independence’.
And that would drive away support for the SNP.
This is a general election not a referendum and the SNP have clearly stated that there will be no route to Independence through UDI.
Please stop this silly talk as it only gives ammunition to the opposition and frightens, some, voters away.
I wonder how the LIbdem conference is going.
@giving goose
Hey – that’s cruelty to animals
“Neutral experts the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) ..”
There’s another lie. OBR is a Tory creation stuffed with Tory placemen and kept on a very short leash as they themselves point out in their May 2013 lecture (page 7):
http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/wordpress/docs/Lecture_May-2013.pdf
“By international standards, the OBR has a relatively narrow remit, focusing very much on fiscal rather than broader policy analysis. In contrast, the Danish, Dutch, German, South Korean and Swedish watchdogs (for example) all comment on employment, growth and other structural policies too. The US Congressional Budget Office (CBO) looks at labour markets, employment policy and climate change. The CBO and the Canadian Parliamentary Budget Office also examine particular public services spending streams and projects, in areas such as defence and healthcare.
Our mandate is also narrower than that of some of our counterparts in that we confine ourselves to positive analysis rather than making normative policy recommendations. Indeed, Calmfors and Wren?Lewis argue that the OBR is “the most extreme case of positive analysis”, because Parliament has instructed us not even to look at the impact of different policy options, let alone to recommend between them. Rather we are to confine ourselves to analysis of the current policies of the current government.”
So – narrow and restricted to positive analysis!
“Mislead” is a word generally interpreted to mean telling a deliberate and knowing lie.
Maybe by you but most people understand it to mean to “cause to mistake” or to “draw into error” such as voting Yes based on dodgy economic projections!
@ Phil Robertson.
A distinction without a difference, IMHO. Are you a native english speaker?
cary says @ 10.59
“Paul the Octopus is dead – how dare you sully his memory you insensitive swine!”
I suppose you wont want to hear I ate him fried with loads of lemon juice them.
mmmm calamares
It’s also a nonsense to claim that the OBR is neutral – it’s a Tory propaganda mill.
Cameron says ‘Let’s trash Scotland’
The British Government, aka Better Together,
aka the Tory Labour Alliance against Independence,
aka the ToryLibDem Cabinet at No10 Downing Street,
under the guidance of Mr McTernan
and his depressed and desperate group of dunces,
are all following the Party PR Line.
Scotland will be treated like a landfill site
for the forseeable future.
This means that every day load after load
of every kind of rubbish
will be dumped by the MSM on Scotland,
with the Daily Record as the main contractor,
until Scotland is so covered in trash,
it will be considered to be trash.
A single delivery of Record rubbish
is relatively unimportant, when so many have yet to come.
Best to step back, take the satellite view,
and with that perspective, work out the best strategy
to counteract the systematic trashing of Scotland.
Always remember who is the source of all this –
and it ain’t the Daily Record’s sour editor and journalists.
They’re just budgies in a cage who’ve learned their lines.
Westminster is where it’s all coming from;
the panicking heart of neo-Liberal Unionism.
The time has come for Scotland to rid itself
of the Unionist trash and to let
the true Scotland shine through.
Vote for Scotland.
Vote SNP.
What? Paul’s dead?
Dead?
But I’ve been knitting him gloves all winter…
haha they really do hate us dont they,what a shower of miserable gits the record are ,you would think the unionists had lost the referendum the way they go on jeez.
I suppose the good thing is not to many people read it anymore just your typical butcher flag wearing onion and i have my doubts if most of them can read.
The more the Record indulges it’s Labour staffmembers, the more they will pour out their hatred and bile for the SNP and the more people will simply stop buying the Record now that there are close to 50% of the scots planning to vote for the SNP. Guess what idiots? People don’t like to be smeared by low IQ hacks from a failing tabloid. Now there’s a surprise.
The Record are already in deep, deep shit with Trinity Mirror planning yet more BIG staff layoffs disguised as an online ‘refocus’ so they need another massive drop in circulation like a hole in the head.
Yet that is precisely what will happen because the Labour placemen who work at the Record are consumed by hatred for the SNP and it’s supporters and quite clearly don’t give a shit about what the scottish public think.
This imbecilic half-baked attack on Nicola who all the polls show is light-years more popular than the laughable Murphy and the most popular politician in scotland?
Real fucking dumb, even for these idiots. They just don’t get it and it’s doubtful they ever will.
The DR was advertising safety specs for the solar eclipse today, free WITH Thursday’s paper.
It turned out that this was inaccurate – no I hear you cry, from that wonderful….. blah blah.
What you had to do was collect a voucher and go to Morrisons in the hope they would have some left.
Does this count as mis-selling??
Personally, I don’t know anyone who takes any notice of what’s printed in that paper.
Let them stew in their own little pool of vitriol. Don’t stoop to their level by responding to it.
I don’t if I should cross the dual carriageway with my eyes shut you just wouldn’t do it, so who are these 11% for god sake get your head in gear.
Red/blue tory unionists piss away hundreds of billions of NOT Scots oil and gas, then attack Scottish democracy with it all.
or,
If Scots oil is such a fcuking UKOK burden, give it back to Scotland.
or,
Why is not forecasting this barrel price March 2015, and we wouldn’t be in control until next year anyway, misleading Scotland, when our UKOK chums in the south buried the McCrone report in 1975?
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/how-black-gold-was-hijacked-north-sea-oil-and-the-betrayal-of-scotland-518697.html
You can do this all day. Crichton Torquil is not Scotland’s champion and all polls show Scots wont be fooled by these shysters again.
Phil-or voting no based on dodgy economic projections. Yeah sounds about right observing the past seven months.
This is just the beginning, folks. The MSM are going to get really, really nasty in the next seven weeks. It’s going to make last year’s effort look like a picnic. The union is actually now more threatened than it was in early September last year. At least then they had a huge majority of opinion polls indicating that YES would not reach 50% on the day (as it happened). Now, however, they are clearly on the wrong side of public opinion and although they work hard and try and try to manipulate the people, it just isn’t working anymore (it didn’t really work last year, but try telling them that!).
Keep chapping on doors and talking to people. Do your stuff! We are winning. The tories (all shades) and MSM have hardly any ammo left from last year (credibility shredded), but what they have left they will throw at the SNP – everything. Let them (never interupt an enemy……….). It’s a war of attrition and they gradually get weaker as we grow stronger, with every battle.
‘chris kilby, no why?
They’ve covered themselves by saying ‘up to 10 times’ – meaningless but harder to challenge. They could have put ‘up to a million times’ & it wouldn’t, technically, have been untrue. Just grossly misleading, & of course misleading people is a Very Bad thing to do…
@Fiona
“Are you a native English speaker?”
Severe…
…but justified.
PS: I like your factual stuff.
Liz-I’m surprised the eclipse occurred if it was printed in the Record!
@ chris kilby
“Has anyone seen page 8 of this week’s Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser?”
No – but if you want to provide a link,
I will definitely have a peek
Much better reading here – Alex’ book just arrived.
@ Chris Kilby at 12:01
“Has anyone seen page 8 of this week’s Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser?”
Yep, the letters page is interesting too!
🙂
BINGO!
Kneejerk, dog whistle, shallow, empty and ego centric.
The press do tick every standard troll box. 🙂
Why doesn’t the Record shut it’s mouth and give it’s ARSE a chance. Would make much more sense.
Scumbag rag.
The joy i will feel in may watching the LIEbour mp’s greet into there coffee as the numbers roll in and they realise they oot a job. That number…. 45 has a real zing to it.
Sanctions for LIEbour please 🙂
When fishing for trout in a loch,
it’s often the case that a perch will take the bait.
This is no more than a mere nuisance
and doesn’t prevent the angler from re-baiting
in another attempt to hook a trout.
The Daily Record is fishing – trying to catch the elderly, to get them to vote Labour.
Anything we say is just a nuisance.
As long as there are elderly voters out there,
and there are huge numbers of them,
the Record will continue to bait the hook – every day.
They won’t stop.
Sounds like the Daily Record is turning into Katie Hopkins. Stop rewarding it with your attention and it will hopefully fade away soon.
Isn’t paul the octopus the uk chief economic advisor?
Oops no, he’s a druggy. Sorry paul.
I have been following this stooshie re: Nick Durie this week and the outcome for me results in the utter disgust I feel towards Aiden Kerr.
It seems these days that for a bloke such as Mr Durie – someone who carries out frontline charity work, someone who sees face-to-face the utter misery folks find themselves in – can find himself ‘in the dock’ and castigated for having had a moment of emotive overflow.
Big deal.
As is pointed out, he did blog later his apologies with the background to his original outburst, something which you’ll be hard-pressed to find any political individual, let alone national newspaper do in quite the same upfront and speedy fashion.
No, what bothers me is Aiden Kerr.
Here is someone who once stood in the ranks of Yes voters in an elevated position.
I can only assume he was motivated not least by the effects austerity from WM has been having on the people of Scotland and the need for Scotland to have more & immediate control of her affairs.
This latter point is one of the many issues that has been ignored, skewed and blatantly lied about in the DR in their trumpeting of the Better Together line.
…and now Mr Kerr takes ‘the gold’ from that very same rag in order to further his journalism career.
Well, who can blame him for wanting to progress with his life, but here’s my issues:-
1. Why accept any work from the DR, a paper proven to lie to the people of Scotland?
2. Why does Mr Kerr aide in attacking those whose actions are of assisting the less better off in society, those whose actions are not for personal betterment?
3. Why in the week of the Tory budget doesn’t Mr Kerr contemplate an issue that is more pertinent in the pre-GE period?
How about asking:-
Does Mr Osborne have a drug habit – would he be open to a drugs test as happens in any responsible occupation?
What are Mr Osborne’s family connections to the privatisation of the Royal Mail?
What are Mr Osborne’s family connections to HS2 project?
Why is the Chancellor of the Exchequer and his family being allowed the harvest as much money as they can while the rest of the UK faces harsh austerity cuts?
Is the Tory budget nothing but manipulation and hypocrisy?
Now there’s an article awaiting a cub-reporter to cut his teeth on, and it even falls under the UK banner, part of the broad shoulders better together side that the DR is a part of.
Someone said there were going to be free eclipse glasses with the Record today. I’d rather let the sun burn my retinas to a crisp than fund that rag.
The Record is a tired old rag. The good news is that their *pardon, mon Bheurla* shit ain’t sticking. Labour were already growing hugely unpopular on the west coast and Glasgow, but the referendum has them done for. It has buggered them for the long-term.
No votes have been cast and of course, I’m still a bit sceptical about these massive poll leads, but something has dramatically changed in Scotland.
P.S Is anyone watching the Lib Dem conference? The party who have been scribbling “Only the Lib Dems can stop the SNP here” on their Highland/NE leaflets have, and I’m not kidding, about 200 people at their conference. Then if you think about it – 4 MSPs, a dozen or so MPs, imagine they may have 50 odd councillors across Scotland? Then add on some parli aids/PA’s, a few journos.
Hopefully we’ll see some quality pics like we did at Labour’s one.
If anyone knows who knocked up that eclipse pic used by the Record, it would be worth sending him a message.
Getty charges about £2000 for unauthorised use of its images, so that’s what the person who owns the rights to it should be asking from the Record.
They’d have to pay, or go to court, lose, and then pay legal costs on top of the £2k.
Sitting in the canteen at a training centre the demographic is males, mechanics , industrial drivers, late teens to late 20`s probably about 40 or 50 of them not one newspaper no Daily Record no SUN everyone of them on there phones or iPad
The DR the SUN the Scotsman are Zombie newspapers they keep going when they should just lay down and accept death.
It seems to me that the best revenge on the DR is to hit them where it hurts – circulation and advertising revenue.
Given the drop in circulation figures given on Wiki,
the first is in progress.
To work on the second we need to know who is advertising in the paper. Then we can boycott the advertisers, and tell them what we are doing and why. The difficulty is knowing who is advertising in the Record without buying the dratted paper.
Perhaps some of the Rev’s cash could be put to collating the information on a website? It would help if the appropriate mail/e-mail addresses to which our letters/e-mails should be addressed were included.
very hard to take the bait when you don’t read it. But what is laughable is that they and Scottish labour think the problem they’re losing votes, is that they are not saying enough rude things about the SNP.
A neighbour used to keep all her Daily Records for me to light the fire.
How could I have known all that smoke was spreading their lies all over town. I won’t even light my fire with it now. The National’s got the job now.
The trio of Labour’s northern branch, the Daily Reckless and the BBC are fighting in the GE15 battle for Scotland, not just a political enemy in the SNP but also a completely different mood of change in the country.
There’s a sense of optimisum, a feeling of wanting change and knowing that it can be done. People have learned a lot from the Ref. and are not content to live with the past. They want a brighter future.
The trio are slinging a lot of mud which isn’t sticking because folk see through the devious lies and attempts to discredit the SNP.
Day in day out pessimisum isn’t working, so what do they do?
Chuck more mud. Pathetic
The OBR of course are also neither neutral nor experts nd anything it DID say could be taken with a barrel of salt.
I like the side article on he Slick Nic front page, which says despite the Records’ reporting, the SNP still have a large lead in the polls.
To sum up, either whoever reads us pays no attention to our scribblings, or no bugger reads us anymore.
“Drop the dead donkey……Jim’s got a new pledge….or is it a new vow…..f#%k it ! ….go with SNP BAD x 100”
Thinks hmmm..Canada or Australia which is best ?
That Poll claim on front of the record…surely the YES:51% poll was the all time high support for Independence?
Thay can’t even tell the truth about todays eclipse.
The DR has posted an image on twitter of a solar eplipse in space, that quite obviously is a piece of artwork and not an actual photograph. It looks as unconvincing as that now imfamous ‘Vow’ front page.
At time of writing they continue to pass it off as an image take from the ISS.
P.S. I can’t type today for some reason 🙁
Don’t kid ourselves on, though. These headlines will have an impact.
Oil projections wrong
Nicola Sturgeon’s wage increases
Stupid internet comments are being highlighted. The Ruth Davidson abuse was top news story on the BBC website. I bow to noone on the seriousness of homophobic abuse but I really don’t believe that it is number one news for a national news organisation. Quite rightly, people shouldn’thave to put up with abuse and should call it out. However, that low lives roam the internet really a news item? I’m not on Twitter anymore but most media types appear to be. They seem to be getting confused with over-inflated cyber scandals as news.
They can’t even tell the truth about todays eclipse.
The DR has posted an image on twitter of a solar eclipse in space, that quite obviously is a piece of artwork and not an actual photograph. It looks as unconvincing as that now imfamous ‘Vow’ front page.
At time of writing they continue to pass it off as an image take from the ISS.
Ok that’s it, I’ve had enough, been waiting here for over half an hour now, and well, there’s only so much a man can take, so I’m OFF –
to go and buy the Advertiser –
as it’s known in the bistro cafe’s and antique shops ’round here.
@ Ross
I am not one for believing polls, much. But I do think that media such as the DR are a lot less influential than they used to be. There comes a tipping point, when enough people are talking about alternatives, and once it is reached the reliance on the “spiral of silence” is no longer effective
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_of_silence
For decades the neoliberals have enjoyed the spiral of silence effect, and they are used to it. They are slow to realise that this time has passed in Scotland, or so I believe
Mr Foote
You’ve lost the arguments. You’ve lost all respect. You’re losing sales. Your beloved Labour are going to lose in May. You have now completely lost the plot.
I know a good bereavement counsellor 😉
Have just been through the WOS Twitter images of the LibDem ‘conference’ and am still drying my eyes and sniffing..funniest thing I’ve seen since, oooh, the last time they met. Fantastic. Check it out. (The poor wretch trying to hang himself with his own lanyard is an instant classic.)
And WTF has Danny Alexander been up to? Looks like he must’ve hit the bottle after seeing the coverage of his stunt yesterday. (Aye, ye canny kid a kidder Danny-boy!)
So, it’s finally sunk in that he’s out on his hole in a few weeks? He can be assured that many of us will stay up into the wee hours of May 8th, ready to charge a glass and celebrate long-overdue farewell comments from one of the biggest embarrassments Scotland has ever produced.
I can’t help think that all of these nasty Nat stories are surfacing partly to allow the SLabs to regroup and reboot Jim Murphy and the resultant Labour is Great headlines had to disappear for a day or two (or till we forget the Biggest Party Forms the Government stuff).
That he is in Bolton next week means that probably he will Herald another phalanx of media damage limitation (Sorry I mean electioneering of course).
The Record is an Ubershit paper which the unthinking buy without thinking or the punters buy for the racing. It tried to match the English tabloids & failed miserably, and serves only to provide employment to third-rate journo’s like Torquil Crichton, who, if he was worth any kind of toss, would have invested in a carpet bag long ago and booked a single (second class) at the Central.
Here in England, troll press/rancid Guardian now has a petition, “stop the world burning oil.”
Bigot editor with his assortment of sneering Graun shills that completely annihilated Scottish democracy 18 Sept 2014, plus very creepy “non SLab vote Scots are incestuous kilted sadomasochists that like to highland dance” says Graun, now spots very ecogreen sales petition booster and anti Scotland attack too.
Or just another teamGB rule Britannia WTF, SNP lied about oil price, oil v v bad, so vote SLab or else Scotland region.
Rusbridger said: “The argument for a campaign to divest from the world’s most polluting companies is becoming an overwhelming one, on both moral and pragmatic grounds. The usual rule of newspaper campaigns is that you don’t start one unless you know you’re going to win it. This one will almost certainly be won in time: the physics is unarguable.”
He’s a powerful upper class English man and he certainly won his anti democracy campaign in his Scotland region.
re Mr Murphy appearing in Bolton.
Why the criticism? This is a Westminster election. Personally I can see nothing wrong with him being there, any more than Nicola Sturgeon speaking in London
In fact it seems to me to be a return to a more honest position: it certainly reflects Mr Murphys stance far better than his recent claims of a Scottish focus.
@Ross there’s a fantastic article from Wee Ginger Dug addressing the media coverage of the homophobic tweet yesterday – well worth a read
Anyone who saw Nicola Sturgeon at FMQs yesterday and then today’s Daily Record will, like me, find it laughable that they expect us to be suckered by this misinformation.
Do they really think we’re that stupid?
@manandboy
“The time has come for Scotland to rid itself
of the Unionist trash and to let
the true Scotland shine through.”
My family have always supported the SNP. In 1974, age about 12, I had an election poster on my bedroom wall (right alongside Donny Osmond). The headline was “KEEP SCOTLAND TIDY”, with a brilliant cartoon of Harold Wilson and Ted Heath peering out of the same giant dustbin.
It’s taken a long long time but at least we seem to be getting the message now.
This will cheer you. Willie Rennie has ruled out a WM pact with SNP, no really! Stop sniggering.
Danny is castigating the Tories, and their conference theme is Walking on Sunshine, on the day of a solar eclipse.
So can we look forward to the National refuting the shite printed in the Record?
If not , why not?
I remain unconvinced of its raison d’etre – but with a wee ginger dug writing articles I will certainly buy it on Thursdays.
Rancid Graun “Oil is bad” petition thing is worth a read if only to admire hypocrite journalism UKOK style. Oil is bad, but we’ll use it to end Scottish democracy
https://archive.today/s2nYS
“Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org, said: “We’re at a tipping point and it’s become clear that people and institutions of good conscience have to cut these ties. Now 100,000 people from around the world have combined to say that these giant philanthropies need to walk their talk.”
So much for clear conscience. How hard does Graun use dudes like oil billionaire Ian Wood to attack Scotland running Scotland, ConDem energy boss Ed Davie, not Scots oil’s UKOK industrial jewel in the crown, until England might actually lose control of it all, then Scots oil becomes dangerous burden on the whole planet, what SNP lied about.
Mealer says:
20 March, 2015 at 12:09 pm
I wonder how the LIbdem conference is going.
Who cares ?
Fiona says:
Are you a native english speaker?
Not sure why that matters but I understand enough about English to recognise implicitly racist language. I think you meant to ask whether English was my first language. Whether I am “native” or not has no relevance.
Radio 4 talking about forming coalition governments.
MSM journalists please put the crayons down and listen in and learn something.
Nice try, Phil Robertson. Quite up to your usual standard.
Dear Daily Redcoat,
Why don’t you tell your rapidly dwindling readership this:
http://www.scottcreighton.co.uk/GE2015/Oil-Rev-1980.png
Wilty says “The headline was “KEEP SCOTLAND TIDY”, with a brilliant cartoon of Harold Wilson and Ted Heath peering out of the same giant dustbin.”
A collector’s item for sure Wilty.
I’ve tried to find it online, but no joy, so far.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/mar/20/leader-interviews-nick-clegg-establishment-trust-burning-cacti
This is hilarious!
Lib dem conference hear you say!
Rather small affair with oor wullie ruling out any possible deal with the nasty SNP no matter what…Oh wait only in WM but Ok for Holyrood and the cooncils.
Would someone drag him off the stage with that hooked stick.
Disgraceful twit. Nobody asking them to form a pact is there?
For those willing to peek at 14:30hrs to 16:30hrs here is a link
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-31921364
Is the man trying to hang himself at the LibDem conference not Malcolm Bruce?
The Daily Record?
What’s that?
Oh. A PRINT newspaper. How quaint.
Paula apparently has a twin sister, Paula.
Paula predicts:
http://www.scottcreighton.co.uk/GE2015/Paula-Predicts.png
Dorothy Devine @1.42, I sincerely hope not, that would just give oxygen to a unionist rag. The National is doing a fine job without rehashing their garbage.
They regularly call out lots of other stuff, like Coburn etc.
They are about attracting those who look for some balanced reporting. It’s not aimed at me, who requires no convincing, but I buy it, because I want to support the ONLY paper brave enough to be openly supportive to independence.
Sam gadgie aince said, (Ah canna mind his name, but), jist afore he deid, “Forgive them father, for they know not what they do”.
Noo yon gadgie must hae been an Englander or he wad hae said, “Faither”. Onywey, aiblins the, ‘Delayed Wrecker’, sud bi forgiven tae, fir they nivver hiv kent whit they wir daein.
BTW: Nick Dury is far from being a numptie. A very passionate Scot for sure but a numptie most certainly not.
Let’s face it the best way to regard the Daily Record is as a long standing Scottish joke – rather in the same manner as The Beano or the Dandy. Very good for a laugh, or for reports about the Auld Firm, but never to be taken seriously under any circumstance whatsoever.
A bit O/T but very relevant and sobering:
http://mic.com/articles/113226/forget-your-team-your-online-violence-toward-girls-and-women-is-what-can-kiss-my-ass
@ Phil Robertson
The point is that Nicola Sturgeon didn’t admit to misleading anyone,which is what the Record claimed.
So they are lying again,surprise surprise.
@manandboy
I’ve been looking as well, but no luck from google. Maybe it doesn’t actually know everything after all.
O/T
But did anyone here the Big Debate on BBC “Scotland” today? Labour MP Sandra Osborne trotted out the “biggest party gets to form the government” lie, but was booed and challenged by members of the audience. Fellow panelist Gerry Hassan also pointed out it was untrue and cited some of the sources mentioned by Stuart. Sounds like many people are aware that it is a lie and aren’t standing for it.
I think the decision by the SNP to hold their conference much closer to the election than the other parties has been wise. We have seen the tin helmet jokes and the dead cat bounces they have produced. The path is clear to leave a more positive impression. a wind of change for a better Scotland.
No doubt the Record and others will bemoan the scale and glitz of the SNP conference in Glasgow but they will just have to lump it. They may even feel compelled go Godwin on us. 🙂
They may even feel compelled go Godwin on us
Nothing more likely!
I emailed the DR a few months ago to ask why they no longer allow comments on their online stories (I wonder why?) 😀 Never got a reply (I wonder why?) 😀
@John Sellars says:20 March, 2015 at 11:10 am:
“Perhaps another complaint Stuart, regarding their exaggeration by a factor of 100? Keep them occupied 🙂
Och! No need to keep them occupied, John, they are all far too busy prospecting for dirt to blacken someone’s name with.
Dirt prospecting is, by its very nature, a very dirty business and the prospectors normally end up dirtier than their prospective victims.
Leave them alone,
And they’ll come home,
Dragging their dirt,
Behind them.
Ashdown describes @AlexSalmond book as ‘literary masturbation’ #sldconf
bfh–lost the plot
Phil Robertson
Why don’t you start the litigation process against Fiona?
Haven’t your human rights been abused…ching-ching
DR headline “Semantic race has no winners”
(YAWN)
Ross at 1.07
Of course they have an effect. Or in fact two very different effects and the second one is now clipping in. It goes without saying that we would have won the referendum with a fair press -or we may already have been independent.
What is happening now is a combination of the law of diminishing returns and the dawning realisation of most intelligent and informed people that we are being lied to,we are being treated as idiots and we are being accused of being too stupid to run our own country.
Which is why the unionist alliance is reduced to talking shite to its target audience which is those who still swallow it.
Danny & his yellow dispatch/lunch box.
http://atrueindependentscotland.com/danny-alexander-laughing-stock-at-the-bbc/
Apparently, there’s a LibDem conference in Aberdeen today.
That’ll be one extra taxi on the road tonight then.
Fiona@2.06pm
That link is a hoot! especially liked this bit.
Nick Clegg has told the Guardian he’s more anti-establishment now than he was five years ago…
Burning a Cactus in his yoof eh? Oh Nick whit a rebel ye are.
Comedy gold indeed him and wee Wullie Rennie should form a double act after the election.
As ma auld grannie used to say they would bring the hoose down!
Ashdown describes @AlexSalmond book as ‘literary masturbation’ #sldconf
Paddy Pantsdown masturbating while reading Salmond’s book is still not as crackers as what his idiot side kick Danny Alexander tried to pull off yesterday, pun intended
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05n7wvc/this-week-19032015
Fun starts half an hour in. Rancid Graun said vote LiBDem sweaties, One eyed Scottish idiot Crash Gordon’s the worst PM ever. Funny how things change.
I hope nobody believes a word they write it’s so transparent a blind man can see through it
http://munguinsrepublic.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/eclipse.html
How topical 🙂
Lib Dems.
Q/A session at the ‘conference’ small audience right enough.
Found myself thinking all these frightener attempts are like some tired Scary movie franchise..the more it goes on, the more wearisome and boring it becomes.
Imagine what its gonna be like in 2016 for Holyrood Elections…any time what’s left( unintentional joke there!)of Scottish Labour or Daily Record or BBC Scotland try a scare story, people wont even notice let alone put up a counter argument.
The DVD bargain bin of Politics awaits them all!
Just ignore Phil.,as well as Barrington -Smythe on Yahoo.There are others.you know who you are.
Paddy Pantsdown masturbating while reading Salmond’s book is….
an image I didn’t need in my head 🙁
Every time I see Daily Record editor Davie Clegg on TV, I blink an eyelid.
I know, eh.
Outrageous 🙂
@Donald MacKenzie says: 20 March, 2015 at 11:13 am:
“As it is, it’s just dishonest. If that’s how the publishers of the paper feel they should treat their readers, then that’s a matter for their conscience. I just find it sad.”
What is far sadder, Donald, is the fact that a fair number of those readers do know full well, “The Delayed Wrecker”, is deliberately lying to them yet condone them in doing so. I spoke with the ganger of a group of macadam layers outside my home. He first of all attempted to belittle me as I still had YES stickers in my windows and Yes badges on my woolly hat. He came away with a bunch of lies and pulled out a copy of the Record to back up the points he was attempting to make.
I promptly proved him, and the Record, wrong and said, “You shouldn’t use that rag as proof. They just keep printing proven lies”. The ganger said, “I know they do but it helps to win arguments”.
What hope is there for London Labour in Scotland when the attempt to retain members with proofs they know to be wrong?
The Record is bad but those Labour Party people who knowingly use the Record to disseminate known lies are far, far worse.
O/T
@JayR 2.22pm
Isn’t there a TV drama coming up later this month, whose subject is exactly the five days in 2010 after the GE, when Cameron and Brown were vying to see who could form a government by building a coalition? Surely that will put paid to the Labour lie?
( Don’t watch TV any more, but someone put me on to it. Apparently it’s being trailed on TV. I think it might be Channel 4? Someone might have more info on this. Sorry, in a bit of a hurry today.)
Probably been said before .
Is it me missing something ?
I notice the Onionists are still blabbing on about how poor iScotland would be because of this an that .
In the words of our next generation FFS , “that is soooo last year”
Time to move on , unless the Onionist actually want us to re-visit that particular avenue .
I really thought Media had slumped to the very lowest point in 2014 only to realise they are determined to commit suiscide all by them selves .
They still seam to think they can say ” ony s**t they like and we wont notice ” DOH !
@ Macart and others , I’m bilin’ tae !
Putting the RIGHT into Aye Write!
The Big Debate, part of Write On (28 March) will examine some of the big issues facing Scotland today. Chaired by Alan Taylor, it features Polly Toynbee, Iain Macwhirter and David Torrance.
@heedtracker – I was thinking Paddy Pantsdown as well, he mentioned masturbation, don’t want to know what goes through his mind. 🙂
@Onwards says:20 March, 2015 at 11:23 am:
” … We see unionist supporters rejoicing at any news that could harm the Scottish economy”.
Aren’t you forgetting something, Onward?
The truth is that as The Establishment have designated the off-shore oil & gas fields as, “Extra-Regio Territory”, they have thus assigned 100% of that, “Extra-Regio Territory”, tax revenue directly to Her Majesty’s Union Treasury.
It is only later in their calculations they credit, but without actually giving any funds, 8.4% of that revenue as earned by Scotland. However, as around 95% of that revenue actually comes out of, what is internationally recognized as Scottish Legal Jurisdiction, it is skewing the figures to show the income as being UK raised revenues. What is more as only England is funded as, “The UK”, while every other UK country is block grant funded, it makes final figures favourable for English earned revenue.
In fact Scotland doesn’t benefit or lose when oil & gas prices rise or fall – only the UK treasury wins or loses. Scotland gets her block grant and the only factors that affect that total are Barnett Consequentials – and the Establishment even cheats with those. They do so by funding London or English infrastructure projects either as United Kingdom projects or by funding them from sources that do not carry Barnett Consequentials. Like the London Dome, The London Olympics, the New London Sewerage System, London Cross-Rail, Grants to Transport for London, High Speed rail Links and the refurbishment of every London bus & Rail Terminal. (to name but a few).
So, truth be told, these sneering unionist numpties make themselves look stupid being pleased to claim the oil price drop is bad for Scotland. The only effects upon Scotland are in the unemployment caused and the effect upon private firms who service the oil & gas industry. Even then it affects the treasury more by loss of treasury tax money income.
Channel 4 28th March 9pm. “Coalition” dramatised documentary on five days after last GE.
More details in off topic.
http://wingsoverscotland.com/off-topic/comment-page-20/#comment-1981860
If the DR is concerned about politicians misleading the public perhaps they could look into Ed Balls saying that he would not change anything in the Blue Tory budget. However, in The National Jim Murphy says:
“George Osborne’s tax and benefit changes have cost families the equivalent of an 8p tax rise…He will leave office as Chancellor with the majority of people worse off than they were when he moved into the Treasury. It’s a record of failure…” (edited a little for length)
Jim seems to be a little critical of the budget while Ed wouldn’t change it. Maybe the DR could reconcile all this for us and explain why it makes sense.
Are they talking about the same thing? The OBR are talking about REVENUE which the Budget just sliced a fairly largish chunk off. Also there are some hefty allowances kicking in for development in the coming years. This is simply more of the same kind of manipulation that happened during the referendum campaign and also an indication of just how badly managed the industry has been by the Conservatives. There’s a theory about a sweet point in taxing the rich where if you go too high it becomes counterproductive as more turn to avoidance. Similarly with the crash in prices at the moment and the lack of investment something had to be done to make it worthwhile for the companies currently on site. Gideon was warned about this years ago.
There’s a theory about a sweet point in taxing the rich where if you go too high it becomes counterproductive as more turn to avoidance.
Yes: it is called the Laffer curve. It is pish
http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2014/12/laffer-curve-taxcutshikeseconomics.html
Test
Try not too celebrate too much or cheer too loudly folks.
@BBCSCOTLANDNEWS
Star pupil: Tim Reid Political correspondent, BBC News: Twenty five years of being the face of @BBCScotlandNews – Jackie Bird wins special recognition and so she should. Congrats.
Jackie Bird
BOAK!
Much as I’d love Scotland to be independent and have considered UDI circumstances before, the way things have turned out, we cannot – not just yet. Nicola Sturgeon has stated that she wants to pull the UK to the left, away from austerity, to an anti-nuclear stance, and generally enrich the country. If she and the party decide to revert to the “majority of Scottish MPs” motion, then they’re throwing away the power not only to save the Scots, but to save the English, Welsh and Northern Irish too. It’s the only time in history where this has been possible.
BUT… the SNP have to give the UK government – and the UK itself – one last chance. If the SNP get a majority of Scottish MPs and hold the balance of power (neither New Labour or Tory majority), a few things could happen:
1. Ed Miliband agrees to SNP requirements (roll back austerity, abolish trident, devomax etc), the UK starts to get back on its feet despite the wailing from the elite, and the case for more and more powers being devolved results in gradual Canadian-style independence. The Union may last a little longer, perhaps a few decades, until the four countries eventually go off on their own: still close, but no longer tied to each other’s destinies in a loveless marriage.
2. Ed Miliband rules out any deal, hung parliament, the Tories get in, & the SNP are blamed a la ’79 – but this time, the people of Scotland will see right through New Labour, and the road to indyref 2 begins.
3. Tory-New Labour grand coalition for “the good of the country”: New Labour loses Scotland forever, but doesn’t have to concede devolution. The road to indyref 2 begins.
Auld guy, yesterday, local Tesco, blind panic.
Readers were presented with a dilemma as they turned up for their papers only to find soe enterprising Greg Moodie fan had got there before them.
Tesco does it’s best to hide the National but yesterday it was everywhere, covering every title on the news stand, albeit for a fleeting moment t’was a sight to behold.
At one point the manager came out in a fluster and rectified the anomaly.
Not before the auld yin started howling for his DR, stormed off round the store rudely bumping into everyone.
Noticed him later as I was leaving, all calmed with DR in hand.
Wonder what he thought of the wee insert 😀
Saw the Record on the store shelve earlier today – they hate the SNP, but above all, detest Wings for getting the better of them, and in the process of concocting malicious fabrications are determined to prove themselves sole guardians of the gutter press.
It’s certainly the case that the DR has lost a lot of its strength of credibility that, whether we like it or not, is still retained by the old school media. But it’s still there to a degree. Therefore, these headlines will still have an impact. That’s why we’re annoyed at them, deep down. But it won’t be the record, it’s most of the papers that will be afer the SNP. The polling suggests they are the most supported, therefore, the focus should be on them. But that’s the absolute best thing that can happen for a UK Election. Exposure, as long as it’s not at the extreme end of negative, is good for the SNP. Getting exposure gives the party what it’s always craved at UK election level: relevance and to be taken seriously.
O/T but the National newspaper I just find too sycophantic. It’s as supportive of the SNP as the DR is of Labour; but even more obvious. I think it needs a major overhaul but I do wish it all the best. It’s definitely required. At the end of the day, the quality of writing, sport and choice of headline is far superior in the Scotsman, DR, Graun etc. Hate to say it but it’s true. It’s front pages are the least intriguing of all the papers on the stand. Stories often parochial and lettering too small.
Not what I was talking about. It’s not that the people concerned will physically move. It’s that they’ll start finding ways not to pay tax. I assume the optimal point is when what you save is less than the cost of the accountant making the saving. Nevertheless simply reducing taxes won’t necessarily fix the problem once the avoidance scheme has started.
With oil, or any other industry, it’s the profitability that counts. When companies weren’t willing to invest in the North Sea there was always going to be a crunch point where it was either reduce taxes or accept that just as with the coal industry the oil industry might decide there were far more profitable areas to invest in.
All very well, Taranaich. But the fact remains that there is little evidence that the majority in rUK want to move left. Now that is hard to establish because our sources of information are tainted, and we know that any who do want that have few voting options. But nu labour believe it to be true and they act on it: they are not even notionally schismatic in the same way as their Scottish sub branch are, so far as I can see.
It is not for us to tell the rUK voters what to want. It is not for us to “save” the rUK working class (no matter what Will Podmore tells you). They are perfectly capable of doing that for themselves if they wish.
I am deeply uncomfortable with all this talk and I think we are playing into the hands of the MSM and their scaremongering narrative of the Scots ruling rUK etc etc
I don’t want that. I want Scotland’s interest represented by our Westminster MP’s, for that is their job. Ultimately I want independence, for that is the only way we can make decisions in our own interest, according to our own values, without imposing on others.
In addition I think you underestimate the determination of the neoliberal elite to prevent any such outcome as you propose: for them the very hegemony they have established over most of the developed world is at stake, and they will fight to maintain it in any way at all: there is no floor under what they will do, no depths they will not sink to. Even if only Scotland is at stake: if the whole UK is seen as challenging that hegemony I would not put anything past them.
That is not to say that they are invincible; they are obviously not for things have changed before and the will for change is growing in many many places. But it is not very strong yet in the rUK, if what we are told is correct
Let us quietly get on with our own concerns and demonstrate things can be different: that is the best way of persuading others that they, too, can make a different choice. Or so I think, anyway
The Daily Record is good for one thing.
Every time I see its front page it reminds me to check WoS to find out the real story backed up by the facts and written in a professional way.
The trolling, the abuse, the vile hatred and the lies are a source of amusement to me.
Remember kids, if you’re being bullied by being subjected to abusive language, keep your cool and watch your abuser crumble and loose theirs. It can be very satisfying.
It’s that they’ll start finding ways not to pay tax.
They’ll start, will they?
The tax rate on the top earners is ridiculously low and has been for a very long time. Doesn’t seem to make good citizens of them so far as I can see.
The wealthy will avoid tax no matter its rate. General Anti Avoidance Provisions which mirror the arrangements for benefits is the best way to deal with that: not appeasement.
@manandboy says: 20 March, 2015 at 12:41 pm:
” … As long as there are elderly voters out there,
and there are huge numbers of them,
the Record will continue to bait the hook – every day.
They won’t stop.”
Oh! Jings! I’m elderly and I wasn’t aware I was supposed to be reading the Record just because I’m elderly. I’d best dash out and see if there’s any left in the shop before it’s too late.
And here was me thinking my observations over the past 60 or so years that saw the main readership of the Record were the supporters of the two bigger Glasgow football teams and the gamblers who bought it for the horse and dog racing. Funny thing was over that 60 odd years those footie and betting folks were mainly in the 20 – 50 bracket age wise.
I know quite a few Labourites and strange as it seems they are not all over 60. To think I’ve been wrong all those years and it really is just the OAPs in Scotland that support Labour. How could I be so wrong for all those years.
Aye!
Richt!
I’ll awa an buy the record so I can vote Labour for the first time in my life.
I hate the way you all pick on the Daily Record.
I find it perfect.
No other paper fits my cat’s litter tray as perfectly as the ‘Reewind’ does and the paper quality is good with a very effective soaking response.
All in all Daily Record is perfect for lining cat litter trays, unfortunately it’s pretty rubbish if you want news.
Robert Peffers,
I see you’ve been reading ‘manandboys’ comments!
Personally, I just skip them, on health grounds.
It has been pointed out to him, politely, so many times that such rank ageism is offensive. Especially to people who have promoted independence all their longer lives and when it could be detrimental to their work prospects.
Daily Express.
SNP’s oil lies unravel
I take it then that that OBR,Tory/Lib lied as well as they got it wrong as well,along with the oil/Gas wrowd.
Is there an online petition or similar that I could sign which is a version of the VOW?
“I confirm that in my understanding, with the facts available, the Daily Record is no longer reporting news which is wholly factual, relevant, unbiased or for the public good of the people residing in Scotland”
“I promise that I will never purchase another newspaper, visit the website and will attempt to the best of my ability to pretend that it does not exist”
Just back from Waterstone’s in Aberdeen picking up a signed copy of Alex’s book. I was queueing for two hours and he was only to be there for 90 minutes. Even in No voting Aberdeen the queue was massive – and we were all giggling about the huge turnout compared to the 63 lib dem delegates up the raod at the AECC. It fair kept us amused while waiting. Thanks Wings!
“@RobQos: I’m starting to think the SNP should, on the eve of the General Election, say: ‘Oh, actually we’ve changed our mind – if the SNP get a majority of MPs we’re declaring independence’.
Much as I’d love Scotland to be independent and have considered UDI circumstances before, the way things have turned out, we cannot – not just yet. Nicola Sturgeon has stated that she wants to pull the UK to the left, away from austerity, to an anti-nuclear stance, and generally enrich the country. If she and the party decide to revert to the “majority of Scottish MPs” motion, then they’re throwing away the power not only to save the Scots, but to save the English, Welsh and Northern Irish too. It’s the only time in history where this has been possible.
BUT… the SNP have to give the UK government – and the UK itself – one last chance. If the SNP get a majority of Scottish MPs and hold the balance of power (neither New Labour or Tory majority), a few things could happen:
1. Ed Miliband agrees to SNP requirements (roll back austerity, abolish trident, devomax etc), the UK starts to get back on its feet despite the wailing from the elite, and the case for more and more powers being devolved results in gradual Canadian-style independence. The Union may last a little longer, perhaps a few decades, until the four countries eventually go off on their own: still close, but no longer tied to each other’s destinies in a loveless marriage.
2. Ed Miliband rules out any deal, hung parliament, the Tories get in, & the SNP are blamed a la ’79 – but this time, the people of Scotland will see right through New Labour, and the road to indyref 2 begins.
3. Tory-New Labour grand coalition for “the good of the country”: New Labour loses Scotland forever, but doesn’t have to concede devolution. The road to indyref 2 begins.”
Thanks for your reply. I agree. It was just the frustration of the dirty tricks from the Unionists. It almost feels like we should see their ‘Federalism in return for a No vote at the last minute’ and raise them a ‘declare UDI with a majority of SNP MPs… at the last minute’.
However I fully realise that their dirtiest of tricks and their failure to even remotely come close to delivering is what has seen the recent polls and the 100k SNP members, 11K Green members etc; Not stooping to their level is, in- part, what has got us to where we are – in conjunction with the internet.
maitland wrote:
“No other paper fits my cat’s litter tray as perfectly as the ‘Reewind’ does and the paper quality is good with a very effective soaking response. All in all Daily Record is perfect for lining cat litter trays, unfortunately it’s pretty rubbish if you want news.”
As a cat lover i find this practice highly disturbing.
Please cease immediately.
🙂
____________
Mr.Salmonds new book only £6.50 (hardback) WH Smith, Kelso.
So, a poll shows support for independence at an all time high of 45%?
Still getting themselves confused. Puir wee rid rag.
In the shops I always take a quick look over the front pages to see who is making what up next but I have to admit, I never even register the rid rag.
@cearc says:20 March, 2015 at 5:36 pm:
“I see you’ve been reading ‘manandboys’ comments!
Personally, I just skip them, on health grounds.
It has been pointed out to him, politely, so many times that such rank ageism is offensive. Especially to people who have promoted independence all their longer lives and when it could be detrimental to their work prospects.
I tend to read what everyone says and that’s been my way all my life. I’m genuinely interested in people and their views and I’m long past bothering what others think of me personally.
The remarks by manandboy do not bother me, but I am concerned that they will hurt others who do feel hurt. In fact the manandboy idea that it is just their age alone that has influenced the people he is apparently so bitter about is really the point.
After a lifetime as a political anorak I know there is never a simple, one-size-fits-all reason for party loyalty and things are never that simple.
Ross at 4.33
“It’s front pages are the least intriguing of all the papers on the stand. Stories often parochial and lettering too small.”
You are having a laugh,aren’t you. The National’s front pages this week have been outstanding and most certainly haven’t been even vaguely parochial.
With the intemperate words of both the Scottish Unionist press and Torygraph/Daily Fail, I am beginning to feel ‘under siege’. Rivers of Blood and Scots Ruling us with active campaigns openly encouraging Labour supporters to vote Tory to keep SNP out (something I’ve only seen done to defeat BNP) they are positively DESPERATE. I’m worried about how far they’ll go…
Agree entirely with Fiona’s comments at 0436pm .
Let us concentrate on winning the vote on Election Day and
Thereafter every single day put “Scotland’s interest FIRST .
Thank God I’m either busy at work, or just busy with assignments in my history studies…I haven’t seen these Record headlines until now!
Which can only be deemed a good thing when I think about it…
Hi Robert Peffers.
RE: Ageism.
I’ve been pro-Indy since Hamilton in 1967. Through my involvement with ‘Team YES Bus’ in Dundee, I have met many peeps in their 60s and 70s who are of the same independent philosophy.
It is down to getting the info to those who get their their “news” from the likes of the DR.
We are getting there…
Taranaich, the SNP don’t have to give the UK one more chance. Their very raison d’etre is for Scottish Independence, not a devolved parliament with limited power. Once upon a time it was said that if Scotland had a majority of Nationalist MPs that would trigger a declaration of independence. That should still be the case.
This whole balance of power malarkey is getting tiring too. My own view is that by creating a mood that the SNP are going to win around 50 seats we are in danger of setting up a failure almost as gut wrenching as that of 19th September.
I have no doubt that the SNP will have their best ever result, but I’m still convinced it will be slightly +/- the 20 seat mark.
As to the original point of this thread, the behaviour of The Daily Record. We know that we have to be on our best behaviour precisely because they are watching and waiting on any one independence suporter to slip up so they can blow it up to front page news.
Nick Durie referred to Aidan Kerr as ‘scum’ which is a term I wouldn’t use, indeed in around two years of posting pre-referendum on various sites and social media, I never had to drop that low as that’s the language of the gutter, the habitat of the Daily Record itself. They reel out the slurs on a regular basis, extremist, Nazi, stalinist, cretin, low life, I’m sure that’s not an exhaustive list. Nasty language from a nasty paper, however it is a printed paper, legitimate media. It has the gravitas of being staffed by professional journalists. They sneer at the illegitimate media, the citizen journalism, the blogger. They have created a virtual air of superiority by deriding those who aren’t in it for the money, but when all is said and done which article is more likely to be the more honest? The one written by a passionate activist or that written by a paid hack? There are many, many blogs and sites written by people with a genuine interest in their subject matter and it shines through. I have read better political comment on Pie and Bovril than I will ever get in the Daily Record, and those in the print media detest that.
It’s easy for them therefore to pick on the crank, the wind-up merchant, the keyboard warrior, and hold them up as representative of a whole movement. “THIS IS A VILE CYBERNAT” they cry, trying to paint a movement filled with the same characters. In reality papers such as The Daily Record are carrying out their trolling in print.They are part of an industry which doorsteps grieving families, lies openly to suit their own agenda, an industry which hacks the phones of the missing and the dead, and trashes the opposition at every turn. A quick search on google for the “Daily Record Press Complaints” reveals a list of nasty behaviour, genuine in the flesh actions which have brought fear and misery to innocent people. Hounding pregnant women, upsetting grieving families, not to mention The Vow… The Daily Record must be delusional if it thinks it occupies the nations moral high ground. Instead it sits atop a turd afloat on a sea of detritus, passing judgement on all around, oblivious to the fact it swims in sewage.
Thomas More: “The devil … the proud spirit cannot endure to be mocked.” The one thing Satan cannot bear is to be a source of laughter.” He, He!
Nick Durie is a personal friend. Tireless advocate and activist in the cause and defence of those who cannot defend themselves.
Aiden Kerr used to work ‘for’ Yes Scotland at Hope Street. Remember – the people that decreed that Wings Over Scotland was persona non grata.
Compare and contrast