The twitching corpses of truth
The newspaper is a fantastic concept. A cheap, accessible product, it’s a brilliant way of keeping yourself broadly abreast of current affairs. You turn a page and are presented with a diverse selection of interesting stories, often on subjects you’d never have thought to go and seek out in the self-refining echo chamber of the internet.
(Theoretically links on websites serve the same purpose, but dodging “sponsored” advertorial, gutter-level clickbait, pop-ups, autoplay video and pages that judder and leap around so much while loading all this rubbish that you’re about 50/50 to have an epileptic fit before you can read the story, has made clicking on one into a game of Russian Roulette fewer and fewer people are willing to take a chance on.)
This site has never believed that the ongoing steep decline in newspaper sales is a fundamental problem with the format. Rather, the truth is that people stop buying papers because they’re full of garbage.
A day like today makes that case compellingly.
The Scottish press has set its collective sights firmly on Edinburgh West MP Michelle Thomson, and trifling matters like the fact that she hasn’t even been questioned in connection with any crime, let alone found guilty of one, isn’t going to stop them.
(We should make something clear before we go any further, in a paragraph that nobody will read: we haven’t a clue if she’s guilty of anything or not, and are NOT defending her conduct. This article is critiquing journalism, not commenting on Ms Thomson’s business activities, about which we know absolutely nothing.)
The Sunday Times, which originally broke the story a week ago, goes to town with the lead THREE articles in its Scottish edition. The first dredges up a 2009 house purchase which it claims is related to Thomson, although we’ve read it four times now and we still can’t decipher the actual connection.
A couple wanted to sell their house and contacted Company A to sell it, which “appears to have been part of” Company B, which had unspecified “business dealings” with Company C, which has the same address as a director of Company B. The sellers employed a solicitor from Company D who was later fined £2,500 over a series of unrelated transactions in 2010 and 2011.
There was “no allegation of dishonesty” against the solicitor regarding the fine, and “no evidence [that he] acted improperly” over the sale of the couple’s house. There is no suggestion in the piece that Michelle Thomson was a director or an employee of Companies A, B, C or D. But that’s all we get to justify the story.
The second is about a 2008 investment by Thomson and six others in property in the United Arab Emirates. The deal went sour when “Saleem Zahid Din, a Leeds-based entrepreneur behind Winchester Cars, a dealership which counted Premiership footballers among its clients” was made bankrupt, owing creditors £6 million, and Thomson’s group lost £220,000 (of which £55,000 was Thomson’s own money).
An unnamed member of the group, while saying he “did not blame Thomson for losing his money”, makes unsubstantiated allegations that Thomson had promised to reimburse his losses (of an unspecified amount, for unspecified reasons), but had not done so. And again, that thin gruel is the whole story.
The third is an enormous 2,000-word opinion piece light on news content and full of innuendo from another raft of unnamed sources, simply repeating what the paper’s published before but in more lurid terms.
Repeating what’s already been published in other papers is a major recurring theme of media coverage of the story. The Sunday Mail has a quite extraordinary, hysterically hyperbolic front-page splash on Thomson, but the article it links to reveals nothing that hadn’t been in newspapers for a week already.
All the Mail has done is find another two couples who voluntarily sold their house to Thomson several years ago, and are now unhappy at the price they sold it for:
Readers will doubtless be astonished to hear that there are people on Earth who sometimes buy houses and then sell them on later for higher prices. (Even though that includes almost everyone who has ever bought a house and then sold it.)
Equally furious are Christine and Billy Troy, although they don’t seem to know why:
It’s never actually explained quite what the Troys’ complaint is. They seem to feel that it’d be fine for THEM to make a profit out of their house (or as they rather coyly put it, “a little nest egg”), but not for anyone else to do so once it was THEIR house.
At best it seems they’d like to have been paid more for their home than the offer they accepted, apparently at gunpoint, for it – who wouldn’t? – although unlike other “victims” there’s no suggestion made that they were in some way “vulnerable”.
(The main protagonist in most of the stories so far has been a Stirling pensioner called Sarah Capper, invariably described as having “cancer”, who sold her home to Thomson in a hurry to be near family in England. The implication is that she was near death and Thomson cruelly and callously took advantage of her understandable haste, but Mrs Capper’s diagnosis was of skin cancer, which has a mortality rate of just 3%, and happily she’s still with us five years later.)
A third seller has an even more sinister tale to tell:
We apologise to any readers traumatised by that harrowing account.
The Sunday Herald, meanwhile, devotes a full page to another Thomson story.
The big revelation to be found here is that Business For Scotland had some internal disagreements during the referendum campaign:
“BfS had [Gordon] MacIntyre-Kemp as CEO and Thomson as MD, and was overseen by a board chaired by entrepreneur and Falklands War hero Tony Banks. However, months after her appointment, BfS believed Macintyre-Kemp and Thomson were doing similar jobs and the latter was spending too much time on media.
And that’s that. The rest of the page is taken up by some snarky emails between BfS board members suggesting that there were some office politics going on, but not identifying any actual wrongdoing of any kind by anyone, and certainly not that anyone had “undermined” the “economic case for independence”.
The “story” would be dismissed as too lightweight by 13-year-old girls gossiping in a school playground. It vanishes under examination like an autumn leaf-pile in a light breeze, but gets a full page in an independence-supporting newspaper for no apparent reason other than to join in the Thomson media pile-on.
The Scottish Mail On Sunday has only a Hamish Macdonell column on the issue, entitled “Skeletons won’t stop coming out of SNP cupboard”, although on further investigation no such skeletons actually appear. In a “will this do?” piece padded out in the manner of satirical Viz columnist Tony Parsehole, Macdonell is reduced to this:
“Are there others [in the SNP] with murky pasts, whether in business or on social media or their private lives? Almost certainly.”
Wow. Now that’s what we call journalism. Of course, the MoS may have been short of ammo because its daily sister paper well and truly shot its load on Saturday:
Jonathan Brocklebank, last seen warning Mail readers of Alex Salmond trying to “foist his Jocko revolution” on the unsuspecting citizens of the UK, stays just barely on the right side of defamation law in a bile-dripping piece that’s somewhat incongruous in the Mail, because it’s a newspaper which one suspects may be read almost entirely by entrepreneurial buy-to-letters obsessed with their houses being worth more than they paid for them.
(And many of whom, readers might imagine, will live in houses which on their own are worth more than Ms Thomson’s entire “£1.7m property empire”.)
Scotland On Sunday has a bold new angle for its own front-page lead. While still referring to the “Michelle Thomson crisis”, it boldly strikes out in its own direction with a piece on Thomson’s former SNP colleague Paul Monaghan.
The breaking story is reported in dramatic terms:
It certainly does sound like a matter of concern. Or at least, like it would have been a matter of concern in 1995, when it actually happened. Paragraph by paragraph, the story disintegrates in front of readers’ eyes:
“A press report into the incident, published in June 1995, said action was taken after Monaghan and his parents were given an ultimatum to agree to the social workers coming in or the residents would be moved out.‘”
Rather than actually having investigated or discovered anything, the paper is simply quoting a 20-year-old “press report” from an unspecified source. Monaghan denies an allegation in the report, and the rest of the SoS piece is puffed out to length by generic “SNP BAD” boilerplate rentaquotes from Murdo Fraser and Willie Rennie.
(Both issue pious warnings about the inadequacy of the Nats’ candidate-vetting process, which impartial observers might feel was something of a cheek coming from the parties of Robert Richdale and Cyril Smith.)
One slightly more surprising source of strident commentary about Thomson has been Holyrood magazine, whose editor Mandy Rhodes has been very vocal and critical on the subject on social media.
There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, and we’re sure that it’s entirely motivated by concern over Thomson’s actions and definitely NOT anything to do with the fact that Rhodes was unhappy that Thomson stood for selection in more than one constituency when Rhodes’ husband Doug Thomson (no relation as far as we know) was also trying to get selected to fight Edinburgh South.
We could go on, but you probably get the idea by now. We’ll repeat ourselves just for the avoidance of doubt: we have no idea whether Michelle Thomson has done anything wrong or not. She might be as innocent as a puppy or as guilty as sin. This article is NOT written in her defence.
But the above parade of innuendo, implication, insinuation, hearsay, gossip, grudge, lazy plagiarism and smear reeks to the heavens of the toxic stench that has driven away newspaper readers in their millions. Malicious, incompetent and reckless in its approach to a live police investigation and the prospect of a fair trial for anyone charged under that investigation, it’s a disgrace to the trade of journalism.
By and large, our press gets exactly what it deserves. Tick tock.
Given that I’m in my fifties and I’m one of the few non-Buy To Let landlords in my age group that I know, I’d be intrigued to know how many of our baby boomer sanctimonious Scottish scribblers are either BTL landlords (or have bought an extra flat in Marchmont for Tarquin and Samantha while they’re at Uni and to rent out the other 4 rooms to get some income).
Christ, last night even Gerry Hassan was slavering at the back of the baying pack.
Love the Tony Parsehole reference.
As he might write if he was the author of one of today’s bile-filled pieces:
“Some of the SNP are involved in shady, murky and disgusting practices. Some shady. Some murky. And, yes, some disgusting. There, that’s 250 words, invoice enclosed’.
I don’t get the house selling thing at all. If you want to sell your house it is easy, there are estate agents in every town. No one sells or buys (unless they are insane) without getting a valuation.
What the houses sold for, what renovations were done and what market conditions were like later are all factors in prices down the line.
If there was any wrong doing it was in mortgages taken out by various people to buy properties. Of course the banks would only lose out if the businesses went bust. I don’t think there is any suggestion that the banks did not make their usual profits on monies lent. The solicitor appears to have not followed his professions guidelines and was struck off. It isn’t clear that anyone has done anything wrong here. Buying properties, doing them up and selling them at a profit when the market is buoyant has become a national pass time with as others have said umpteen shows on how to do it.
There is a desperation here to smear rather than report.
Professional sweetie wives.
Yet barely a word about the paedophiles of the House of Lords murdering buggered little boys…
Or the doings of the famous porcine fellatio expert…
Barrel scraping.
Just, sickening. I haven’t read a single sentence of any of these stories regarding MT, and I won’t be doing so either. Thanks for the round up of Sunday papers in Scotland.
They can all go fuck themselves as far as I’m concerned.
SNP/SNP all the way till we clear the Labour party and their mouthpieces out.
Well said! This > “we have no idea whether Michelle Thomson has done anything wrong or not” is spot on, nor does anyone else and that is why there is an investigation.
I cannot accurately recall the last time I handed money over in return for a print copy of a newspaper, except to say that it was at least three years ago.
The excellent article above, better explains the main reason why, than I could ever have done.
Do we have any circulation figures for The National? They haven’t released any information since January.
I dont have so much of a problem with the stories they run with, its the news they dont report that disqualifies them as newspapers. Like their readership its not so much the ones that do as the ones that dont.
Another excellent article. What a contrast with the “journalists” in the MSM. I gave up reading MSM papers years ago though I do now buy The National. There is no real alternative to internet sources and specially WoS.
Perhaps Michelle Thomson will sue for defamation. Ditto Paul Monaghan. Another crowdfunder might be needed.
link to theguardian.com
Kevin McKenna
Guardian doesn’t hold back
a bit of friendly fire
Such a bunch of stinking unionist pro westminster hypocrites. The more they try these co-ordinated stunts the more people will see them for the mendacious anti-Scottish scum they are. Keep digging your grave unionist media…..
I was struck most of all by this line.
“You hope you might get a little nest egg from your property and instead we get this.”
The concept of avoiding “an honest day’s work” is the disease of UKOK. This grubby idea of making money without doing an honest day’s work is the reason why German and the Asian countries are so far ahead of UKOK.
In fact, I would think that such whining voices would actually turn off the majority of leaders.
“I DEMAND to be allowed to make money on my house” — who, reading that, would feel any empathy?
The stories dregged up about this wonderful MP, who campaigned tirelessly for indy, are nothing compared to Osborne and his Post Office sale to his friends and a million other crummy deals.*
We all know it. And so newspaper sales will continue to sink…
* I think Michelle is dangerous to Osborne, because she understands economics and can clearly argue a case. She very correctly described the English economy as a “drowning elephant” in one talk given during the indy campaign.
** Is this all they have on the SNP? 56 members of parliament and this is the best the state has managed to dreg up on the “evil separatists”? My my…
“Hello? Is that the Daily Mail? I have an exclusive you will want to run with for days. When she was a student, Nicola Sturgeon once put 50p into a machine to buy a bar of chocolate, it gave out two and she gave the other one to a homeless guy, instead of properly phoning up the company and then posting them a cheque for 50p… No, I wasn’t there at the time, but a friend of a friend was…”
One wonders if the press are confident that Michelle Thomson will never go to court for any of these allegations, such is their lack of concern for any future fair trial.
I’m actually embarrassed for journalists like Paul Hutchence today, although it’s interesting how they seem prepared to sacrifice their own credibility in their desperation to smear the SNP.
I’m struggling to see how running stories explaining “how the economic case for independence was undermined” is “supporting independence”.
I get that if the Sunday Herald doesn’t sometimes run stories critical of independence supporters then they’re not “balanced” – but the trouble is the other thirty Unionist-supporting media outlets don’t give a damn about “balance”. They NEVER print stories explaining “how the economic case for the Union has been undermined.”
The end result is a Scottish media that 99% of the time reflects only one side of any political issue – and they get away with that day after day. Is there any real point in criticising them? It isn’t going to change anything.
And one final point. I think a lot of people are already watching to see if the Sunday Herald and National’s much-trumpeted “support for independence” has weakened since the departure of former editor Richard Walker.
This sort of thing isn’t helping their case, and if there is much more of it I predict you will see sales of both “independence supporting” newspapers go through the floor in very short order.
Dear Stu
I now know why you are so unpopular and so great.
Brilliant analysis and a dissection where the blood gore and steaming guts of this horrible beast we call the mainstream media is politely and neatly served on a platter
Thank you
PS Please do not ever describe yourself as a journalist you are miles above that.
[…] The newspaper is a fantastic concept. A cheap, accessible product, it’s a brilliant way of keeping yourself broadly abreast of current affairs. You turn a page and are presented with a diverse selection of interesting stories, often on subjects you’d never have thought to go and seek out in the self-refining echo chamber of the internet. […]
It’s getting very UKOK hysterical again but it’s all a great display of the term “media circus.” That idiocy from Hootsman on Sunday in particular is very UKOK clowning around and Rupert Murdoch is certainly determined to take control of Scottish democracy once and for all too. Can he do it though?
By the way, Stu, dodgy property deals involving solicitors is something I have been complaining about to every political party in Scotland for years. I can prove that any party attacking MT was NOT interested in addressing this problem before and I have the e-mail evidence to prove it.
Scottish newspapers
SCUM
even the Sunday herald
With perhaps the exception of the national
A superb piece of analysis and polemic from Wings.
I could not afford to build my new home had I not been offered a great valuation from the buyer of my last home. And I know Michelle Thomson and have talked at length with her about Scottish politics.
I guess that loose association, very loose, has me a marked man, guilty by association, by every shill on the internet, every Tory and labour apparatchik who detests Scotland exercising free will, and every MSM editor who ought to be jailed for serial lying.
For those bored stiff by the predictability of the MSM’s smear tactics I offer a view of ‘The Martian’: link to wp.me
outstanding bit of work, that. cheers.
It is so obvious to me what is going on. The Unionists are hardening their position. And are preparing for a long campaign. They are trying to destroy the SNP by a concerted media campaign which will go on relentlessly for the forseeable future. They are seeking to undermine the personal integrity of their MPs and their record in office. In such circumstances there is greater need than ever for Wings.
The SNP needs to go on the offensive, not be put on the back foot.
I’m sorry for the people who would lose their jobs but I really want these disgusting British nationalists rags to go under.
Why can’t SNP MPs just shag dead pigs like normal politicians???
I’m thinking that it must be party conference season and the meejia need something to do.
They could of course do the right thing and report on the conferences. If they did this however then their readership would fall into two categories … abusers caused by ridiculous announcements at conference … laughers caused by same *ahem* symptoms. 😀
Of course this approach will change when it is the S.N.P. confernece because then the current half hearted smearing of the S.N.P. will turn into full blown “nasty Nazi” attacks!
The MSM probably think it best not to report, too much, from party conferences which means they have a lot of dead tree product to fill.
How do you fill a lot of dead tree product?
You fill the dead tree product with a load of smear and innuendo about the S.N.P. and S.N.P. BAAAD. That’s how.
SIMPLES! 😉
I wish they would spend as much time on investigating the self admitted lier, Carmichael of Orkney & Shetland,….Oh but I forgot he is a Yoonionist, so thats alright
I am sure all political parties have people wheeling and dealing in property. Surely the person selling the property doesn’t have to accept an offer that they don’t like. I for sure would not.
Having read most of the articles of the past week it would seem that Michele Thomson’s main ‘crime’ was being elected MP for Edinburgh West. Is she hadn’t then we would not have read any of the past week’s articles.
I’m a real sit on the fence person, until I get it all clear in my thick head. Guess that’s why I never manage to decide who to vote for. One thing here though, if it was not connected to politics at all and someone just produced the news item, would everyone on here think it was still alright ?
I don’t think it’s right to undercut market prices to old folk who know nothing. It’s a wee bit of a scam I think. Adding that she is SNP, clouds the issue. SNP supporters back her. Everyone else is against. Me, I’m for the old folk. Maybe whether she is guilty or not, she should make some large donation to cover loss !
Most of the stuff in shitrags like the Rectum/Hootsmon/Herald/Anti Scottish sunday heil and daily heil would make Pravda circa 1989 wince with shame for lack of any journalistic balance and decency. I really wish the SNP would go to town on these crooks, its high time they were walloped!
K1 wrote:
I haven’t read a single sentence of any of these stories regarding MT, and I won’t be doing so either. Thanks for the round up of Sunday papers in Scotland. They can all go fuck themselves as far as I’m concerned.SNP/SNP all the way till we clear the Labour party and their mouthpieces out.”
Ditto!
I neither know nor care about the goings on between Company A, Company B, Company C, or company D. I am however very sick and tired of the Boogie Woogie Bugle Boys from Company P. That’s Company P as in Pish! What a cabal of nasty wee wormtongues and out and out liars. How much longer are they going to get away with this crap? Their end will come, the sooner the better.
And I must say Stu thats a brilliant article. Demonstrates their bitter and twisted attitude perfectly. Good on you!
Bring back the Sunday Sport, remember that, at least you knew everything in it was Bollox it was supposed to be, it was a comic
And that’s the problem isn’t it, these referred to publications are pretending to be newspapers when they are in fact just Magazines full of Makey up Gossip
Maybe there’s a case for misrepresentation under the Trades Description Act or name changes to things like the Enid Blyton Chronicle or The Noddy Town News
Stu could have his own Paper called “Truth”, Oh no that’s been done somewhere else
As long as there are those to whom blindness is bliss
and evidence is uncomfortable these Rags will cling like the bits you might have missed with the Andrex
Another tour de force dissection of the venal dead tree press dinosaur. This one must have taken some effort to assemble, yet it’s online by lunchtime – kudos for the analytical skills and genuine journalistic bandwidth. You’re worth your weight in gold, Rev.
I was particularly irked to see Jackie Ballie’s rent-a-quotes given air this morning. That woman wouldn’t know the truth if it were stapled to her ample arse, yet she sees fit to pronounce on the SNP candidate selection process. The stinking hypocrisy of these known out-and-out liars who have defended bribery, corruption, and paedophilia in their parties for decades whilst hysterically pointing and screaming injustices at a woman who – shock – made money from her business just sickens me. Thomson may, or may not be guilty of mortgage fraud, but as pointed out by one commentator, that’s practically de rigueur for the Tories and New Labour Blairites.
Perhaps the defense of this full-scale assault on reason is, as Gerry Hassan suggests, that it’s about the SNP, our purer-than-the-driven-snow party of social justice, equality and compassion. There may be some truth in that – I was a bit perturbed by the Thomson saga when it broke, and there does appear to be genuine questions that need to be answered. But the way the press has gone for this illustrates something much darker, slimy, and rotten at the heart of British politics; the SNP must be taken down, at all costs. Not necessarily because of the independence question, but because they threaten the establishment and the Clientela between media and government that has been carefully cultivated over hundreds of years and elevate the political classes far above the hoi polloi in both power and financial reward. The SNP are simply too good at both politics and governance, and they cannot be allowed to continue.
The wider strategy is to damage the SNP enough to deny them a majority in May. That would remove the ‘threat’ of Indy for many years.
Smearing is the tactic of the moment.
If any actual crime has been committed, then I have little doubt that will be unearthed. The attack is being made on moral grounds, not legal (for the moment).
I wrote this next bit on the previous thread, but it’s far more relevant here …
There’s an undertone to the reporting and that is being a “successful business woman”, buying/selling homes, making a profit, ‘wheeling and dealing’ …. should be immoral in the eyes of the left. And the left in Scotland is primarily pro-Indy.
Therein, I believe, lies the object of the attack. They want to paint an SNP MP as quite clearly not being a socialist. They are attempting to drive a wedge between the ‘broad church’ SNP and the left.
OT @Grouse Beater
“For those bored stiff by the predictability of the MSM’s smear tactics I offer a view of ‘The Martian’: link to wp.me”
Currently binge watching EXTANT. Series 1 was well acted and directed although with a plot line which was a bit of a pastiche – Blade Runner/A.I./Rosemary’s Baby/Alien/Total Recall/Space Odyssey
A good pastiche though and one which pushes investigation of the nature of familial bonding.
Series 2 seems to have degenerated somewhat but sticking with it for the time being.
Tories opening their conference in Manchester today.
Just spoke to my brother. He’s on the march/demo and says it’s huge, with hundreds of people in pig costumes. 🙂
Anyone seen images, or know of a livestream?
Isn’t there something in the psyche of many journalists where they seem to get an ego trip out of trying to persuade people to do a 180 on whatever there initial innate beliefs were?
@Davy
Never seen “Homes under the hammer” then, or maybe “60 minute makeover”, or “Escape to the country” or maybe just a question of how much do you want for your house? I’m sorry I can’t pay that and make a profit, however I can pay you x, Oh, alright then thank you, or not
But of course that’s too simple eh, she should have said something like “Hello, my names Michelle Thomson, may I come round to your house and give you all my money, and if it’s not enough do tell me and I’ll happily go bankrupt and pay you more because at some time in the future I may be called upon to be an SNP MP and every Unionist and his dog will wish to smear me in any way they can, so while maintaining a modestly acceptable income please take all you can carry and God Bless”
Jeez
@Ian Brotherhood
link to livestream.com
@Ian Brotherhood
Bambuser is covering the demo. Here’s links for you, you need to keep checking back as they are on the move.
First link gives you an itinerary of sorts for the pig conference. Well it must be as they’ve built a pigpen wall of steel around.
link to thepeoplesassembly.org.uk
link to bambuser.com
So, let me get this right. People, who admit they want to sell their homes QUICKLY, AGREE a selling price with Michelle Thomson’s company? I can only assume the part where Michelle Thomson holds a gun to the sellers’ heads when forcing them to agree to sell their homes and agree the selling price was omitted from the articles? And surely whatever the houses are sold on for, is nothing to do with anyone, unless that was done illegally (which I am assuming was not the case).
I note that none of these rags or the BBC/STV seem very interested in the devious Carmichael, but he is one of them so no real surprise.
Dr Jim wrote:
“Bring back the Sunday Sport, remember that,”
Eee baa gum, they were thum days, eh!
With headlines such as “B52 Bomber Found On Moon”.
I’m almost tempted to say they don’t write them like that anymore
but then i remember such modern greats as “The Vow”.
Aye, The Sport has many sister comics still in circulation, just!
@Roddy MacDonald – Gerry Hassan strikes me as having a very large ego and he could bore for Scotland.
Most of his articles ramble on relentlessly and he very rarely,if ever, seems to reach any conclusion.
And also dead tree press, establishment, BBC, can’t wait for their demise.
This happens almost every morning on the BBC. It’s called “Homes under the hammer”.
People buy houses on the cheap and punt them for a profit. The filthy bastards!
Political communication is all about being right and a prerequisite to that is establishing ethical integrity. Thinking right, sounding right, telling the right story and having the right intentions = persuasion=being right (right in the sense of truthfulness-not UKOK ‘right’ which embodies the intergenerational transmission of UKOK psychopathology).
And of course UKOK politicians are reliant on a complicit MSM to prevail upon a partially anaesthetised electorate that passively absorb whatever toxic rhetoric they espouse. Truthfulness with their citizens is not really their main concern. However they’ve overlooked that with an engaged and educated electorate their mind games aren’t working anymore- there are alternatives to their lobotomised politics-YES are looking elsewhere for their information and sites like this will be instrumental on the road to Indyref2.
Just think if she had been on the better together side she would be in the House of Lords just now.
@Dr Jim
Ah, come on, there’s a huge difference between downright con merchants and making a profit. If that was my old relatives, I’d be really angry. Still, we will never have all the true facts, so I guess you makes your decision on who to back, like everything in the world.
I still think though, this is not an SNP issue. It’s separate from politics but to most, they refuse to see this. Both sides it seems.
3 Steps to hell:
1. Watch Homes Under the Hammer on Telly
2. Take the advice offered here, on other Telly shows or in the press on a daily basis.
3. Join the SNP
Dan Huil.
Re your comment about not wanting the employees of newspapers to suffer if they close.
They are printing lies and distortion in order to preserve this stinking Union.
No-one employed by them is stepping up to challenge this position, so I personally don’t care if they suffer when these rags go under.
And that’s the same for BBC and STV employees.
MSM at it’s dishonest best.
The Paul Monaghan piece is particularly laughable…not only was it 20 years ago but police investigation found “no criminal offence had been committed” so in reality Monaghan should be investigated for not running a care home very well, with his parents. Serious stuff!
MSM keep lining ’em up, for the Rev to shoot ’em down. The big problem is how do you get these debunks into the mainstream, and onto the radar of those that might believe what the Daily Rags deliver.
Just a though,t but there wouldn’t be elections coming up sometime in the future would there?
Marcia says:
4 October, 2015 at 2:09 pm
I am sure all political parties have people wheeling and dealing in property.
Here in Aberdeen there’s a huge struggle to close down SNP vote but its easy to see why, maybe.
link to news.stv.tv
Aberdeen SLabour boss Councilor Willie Young’s famous for banning Alex Salmond from any city council property, banning the Saltire from Aberdeen council property, sending every council tax payer their tax bill with a formal council letter telling they were to vote NO or else etc
Anyway Councilor Willie is also a millionaire lawyer, landlord and house builder. He’s not on the Stewarty Milne league but he makes a UKOK fortune anyway.
So Aberdeen under Slabour reign of loadsamoney, have built virtually no social housing for at least 30 years. Right to buy caused rents to rocket in oil capital for obvious reasons. Aberdeen’s currently undergoing a house building boom but most if not all of it is way beyond social housing prices. Builders are under some legal obligation already to build a mix of low and income housing but its almost entirely ingored
link to bbc.co.uk
SNP end right to buy. Does this matter to rich socialist firebrands like oor Wullie Young? We’ll never know, he’s jacked it in.
Super rich dudes like Stewart Milne makes his fortune building acres of expensive cooky cutter housing estates. Is he an SNP vote? Probably not. Wullie banned Salmond from Aberdeen not because he’s corupt, he’s merely a business man,an entrepreneur, protecting the future of his business from changes that might affect his market. Its what SLabour dudes do.
If it makes me lots of money, it ain’t broke. Vote SLabour.
Like Stu, I’ve no idea whether Michelle Thomson is guilty or not. Let any Investigation take its course.
A property portfolio of £1.7m is not big-never mind huge.
Perhaps the real reason is the saviour the Union, aka Jeremy Corbyn, is, as described by Iain MacWhirter, “beginning to look like a waste of space”.
No need for an investigation, like everything else these days, its ‘get this message out there’ politics.
However, every time they do this a few more people see through it and lose faith/trust in the MSM.
Only a question of time now until the tipping point is reached, it may not seem or feel like it, but we are winning here.
We are winning.
Anybody want to bet that the forthcoming Panorama programme will be a whitewash or worse.
@Lesley-Anne says: 4 October, 2015 at 2:03 pm
“How do you fill a lot of dead tree product?”
The last time I filled a dead tree news product with anything useful was with a Chicken Supper from the local chippie – and that was in the days before the use of newsprint was legally banned for such purposes.
I wouldn’t have done it then if it wasn’t that my gas cooker was waiting to be connected to the Mains supply.
Now, if memory serves they stopped wrapping chippie food I Newsprint I the 1980s after EU regulations banned the practice. Jings! Is it that long ago since I’d had enough of the MSM’s lies?
“This article is critiquing journalism, not commenting on Ms Thomson’s business activities, about which we know absolutely nothing.)
…
it’s a disgrace to the trade of journalism.”
Boy, would Richard Nixon loved to have had you on the team! Are you seriously suggesting that the press should auto-gag until everything has been established in court?
Without the Sunday Times, this matter would have been left in the attic.
I have to agree with everything said here, the treatment dished out to Michelle Thomson today is astonishing.
I can’t imagine that this site for example would have devoted such derisory coverage if there were, let’s say, a prominent businesswoman named Michelle who supported the No side during the referendum, and that since then that same Michelle had been “rewarded” with a political position to speak on business matters.
I would guess that if this site sought to attack this other Michelle, writing article after article after article for no reason other than to “make the No voting Michelle look bad” that the good readership of WoS would take The Rev to task.
(wee bit of satire folks, don’t get too annoyed)
What I find a bit disturbing however is the Herald article which details the email exchanges between the Business for Scotland members. Who would have leaked these emails to a journalist? What would the leaker’s motives have been?
I honestly didn’t expect that the SNP would have had in their employ individuals who practised the “forces of darkness” type of politics.
The woman could easily be guilty for all I know or care. The trouble is that the Brit Nat Press and Media isn’t just filled with uninformative garbage it is filled with downright lies, that is why I gave up on it all. I lost faith I the Brit Nat Press and Media a long time ago. All of it even my local weekly paper.
The Sunday Herald is no more pro independence than The Mail, and The Herald is now a proclaimed rabid Unionist rag with the supposed pro independence National printing soft and meaningless articles gleefully picking up YES voter business. The purchasing of any of these papers is quietly funding Unionism and I urge people not to do so.
Once again Stu puts his “foot on the ball” with some studied analysis of the MT story. Have to admit that Paul Hutcheon story is pretty thin stuff.
I usually buy the Sunday Herald but not today.
Hope this isn’t the shape of things to come under neil mackays stewardship?
Double Troll klaxons !!!!!!
Rev must be tweaking unionist nerves – hunting in packs again!
Boy, would Richard Nixon loved to have had you on the team! Are you seriously suggesting that the press should auto-gag until everything has been established in court?
More Britnat rule Britannia jibber jabber. Vote SLabour UKOK propaganda is what is and ordering people to shut up probably isn’t the way forward, but keep doing it though Phil.
Freedom of expression Britnat style is only hastening devolution, or not. What happened at the polls in Aberdeen this week Phil:D
The Brit Nat Banks are worse offenders. They loan money to individuals via mortgages etc that they know many of them will never be able to pay off especially with the ever present housing bubbles in Shithouse rip off Britannia.
When the unfortunates cant meet the payments the Banks move in on them like sharks that haven’t eaten for years and pick up land and property on the cheap that they can then offload for a tasty profit.
Their waste expulsion pipes must be nipping with the amount of shit they spew out
We had some elections this week. Labour down in all, SNP up. Tories up curiously too.
So the voters obviously don’t factor in this “scandal”, excepting perhaps Tory ones who maybe want to add Housing Association properties to their portfolios.
Still nothing to see here. Press prints lies. Who knew?
“..but the above parade of innuendo, implication, insinuation, hearsay, gossip, grudge, lazy plagiarism and smear reeks to the heavens of the toxic stench that has driven away newspaper readers in their millions”.
I love that summary 🙂
IMHO This bunch of parasite are most certainly being controlled and directed by some upper echelon of “THE WESTMINSTER ESTABLISHMENT” per chance a sub committee of the security services like what Rifkin and Straw (innocents) were up to their armpits in.
Another little thought, how many of these top journalists work with the security services like I think Hamish MacDonell did. As the mafia used to say “once your in your in till death”
This I believe is going to be the m.o. of our State propaganda units from now till next May and beyond. The Scottish Nation is going to be attacked non stop by the English Establishment full on using all its tools of fear and threat. EBC STV MSM ET AL.
I think they are “NOW COMING TO FIGHT US” as Mahatma Gandhi said they would, then we win.
@Davy 2:49
“If that was my old relatives I’d be really angry.”
You’d have to express your anger to your old relatives’ solicitor, then. The solicitor who acted for the elderly lady was NOT the one who was struck off, and should have given her advice about the offer(s) she received for the property, although she would not have been bound to accept the advice. If she used an incompetent solicitor that’s hardly the purchaser’s problem. Conveyancing deals in Scotland can’t be completed without a solicitor, since only solicitors can present deeds for registration.
It looks like smear after smear after smear is the name of the game.
Let’s use this one as the start of a dossier to be presented before the next election for Holyrood.
We really need to ask how much work is being done to smear the SNP, research to dig the dirt, articles to enlarge on any found, real or imagined and so on.
Then get people to ask “why?”
@Phil Robertson says: 4 October, 2015 at 3:13 pm:
” … “Boy, would Richard Nixon loved to have had you on the team! Are you seriously suggesting that the press should auto-gag until everything has been established in court?”
Now I’m absolutely certain the Rev Stu is more than able to answer your idiocy, Phil, but I’m going to throw in my tuppence-worth anyway.
The first of which, (I suppose it could be called a penny-worth), is that nowhere has Stu said, or implied, such a thing. Whatever made you imagine he had?
The second pennyworth is that there is a great difference between a reputable journalist, reporter or columnist, reporting a factual story and the utter lies, innuendo and attempted character assassination of the despicable and criminally inclined MSM scum that passes for journalists these days.
“Without the Sunday Times, this matter would have been left in the attic.”
No the truth of it would not by left anywhere but the stuff being propagated by the United Kingdom Press should be left in the cesspit. Along with those who knowingly produced it.
Just what is this, “matter”, you seem to imagine the World should be made aware of, Phil?
What is it you, and the rest of the scum, are attempting to propagate as factual news?
What is it the victim of this blatant abuse has done that you have evidence to support?
Facts: The woman has a property portfolio. Is that illegal?
Fact: She employed a Lawyer to buy and sell property. Isn’t that a legal requirement under Scots law?
Fact: To run a business buying and selling property will go into bankruptcy unless it can sell for more that it pays for the property.
Fact: Not even the lawyer has yet been charged with a criminal act and the police are not even interested in the accused woman’s involvement.
So just what are the real proven facts?
A politician has a property business and as far as can be proven has done nothing wrong. Her Lawyer has been dealt with by his trade association for breaking their rules but has not been proven to have broken the law as yet.
Decent people, which you seem determined to prove not to be, do not say people are guilty until the have been found to have done something wrong, been charged and found guilty. Even then it is customary to also wait to call them guilty if there is an appeal.
The press feel they need not print the truth, its not salacious enough.
Facts don’t sell papers gossip does.
Charles: Just think if she had been on the better together side she would be in the House of Lords now.
And had a big balcony with a great view of her natural home – London. 🙂
Kevin McKenna is deep roots Labour. Duringthe Ref campaign labour left him, but he didn’t leave labour. He presumably saw that Indy was going to be the only possible way of what he saw as neccesary for Scotland, happening. Same as a lot of Indy posters I’ve read. He has never supported the SNP as a party, only on issues. As far as I can see he’s consistent with that, read the article, and so is it.
When the Sunday Herald came out for Indy it said it was going to be balanced. Just about every week Tom Gordon writes one kind of anti-indy or anti-SNP article, and one that’s pro-indy, but not neccessarily pro-SNP. The National is roughly the same except it’s more pro-indy, and more pro-SNP – or at least, it gives the SNP a platform.
Paul Hutcheon used to be good, a straight investigative reporter wherever that led. Often two balanced articles on a Sunday, one perhaps anti-indy, one perhaps anti-union. That;s investigative, and his job title. But he has a bee in his bunnet about Sheridan and that’s his weakness. He put most Indy supporters hacklles up by throwing a huff when he was told he couldn’t inhabit the stage all day long, didn’t cover Hope Over Fear, and so far isn’t man enough to get over his own mistake of not covering HoF fairly – or even at all. He needs to give himself a good kicking, I’d suggest 30 miles for charity.
That’s my opinion!
@Davy
Of course it’s a SNP issue, that’s all it is, not a single “Journalist” on the planet cares who buys or sells anything or the SO Called “Newspapers” would be full of Estate Agents Car Dealers or maybe, just maybe Multi Millionaire Politicians who stick their bits into farmyard animals or snort Cocaine with prostitutes while they’re telling them anything they want to hear, whilst others are busy covering their tracks of years of child molestation
This is Slime Journalism of the lowest order to smear and destroy the reputation of an MP “Before” there’s any evidence either way, concocted by a particular group of people with a personal axe to grind and that if this goes to legal might get what they didn’t wish for and they know it
That’s why the emphasis is now on morality instead of evidence
If and or when Ms Thomson is exonerated my hope is that she will purse her pursuers to the full extent of the law and expose this obvious Witchhunt
Ms Thomsons conduct so far in this affair, it has to be said has been exemplary unlike other proven Liars like Carmichael who’s finger nails must be chipping off by now
and will cost his party any votes they might have hoped to gain at the next elections
Now I don’t know this lady personally but I do know the Media and all of it’s works as do many in this country that dare not speak it’s name, and that’s another example of the shit thrown at the people of Caledonia The Tories in all their forms have been sussed and we know it, and it will not stand
This attack is on our administration and our First Minister exactly in the same way used by Carmichael, to undermine confidence,and it is being seen as that by the majority
When that happens the attitude engendered is “Bring it on” an attack on one is an attack upon us all
So innocent or guilty the Unionists will lose because they are attacking the voters choice and not the issue as seen in voters eyes as the establishment making fools of them NOT Ms Thomson even if she is guilty of something
I’ve been getting more and more fed up with Paul Hutcheon, who’s happy to take a good salary, but sounds like a Unionist mole (are you reading this Mr Hutcheon?).
Perhaps he’s angling for a job with the ultimate SNPbad Daily Heil.
If the Herald/National had any guts or are truly backing a pro-independent they would sack him.
Hi,
I. came across a con a few years ago re buying council or housing association homes, they are homes and not just houses.
Anyway, a house owner would get a visit from a company that said it could provide them with a mortgage so they could buy their house. They demonstrated to the house owners they could afford the payments. They failed to mention a number of costs etc. which made it more expensive to manage.
After the transactions took place the householders started paying their monthly amount. Then financial problems started to arise as they tried to maintain the payments. They contacted the people who had provided the mortgage advice etc. To try to get things under control.
The mortgage people then tried to help them, but not to the extent they needed. Eventually it was suggested to the householder that they would have to sell their home and the mortgage people would buy the property back. The householder had no option and they lost their home and had to go back to council or housing association renting.
Lots of poor people lost a lot of money. Someone got richer.
“Readers will doubtless be astonished to hear that there are people on Earth who sometimes buy houses and then sell them on later for higher prices.”
I had a family member do it to me – and he hasn’t even paid me yet – after 8 years.
link to bbc.co.uk
Ruth Davidson predicts ‘best ever result’ in Holyrood vote
“In Holyrood vote” eh? Cant even say Scottish parliamentary elections at the Pacific Quay freak show.
With all the Britnat monstering going, they have to believe it can work, for the next 7 months:-(
The unimportance of this “story” is staggering. If that’s all they can dig up on an SNP MP, they should give up. If the readers of these rags actually believe the innuendo behind the misleading headlines, there’s not much hope of convincing them they’re being misled on politics too.
One outcome of the revelations is that MT is a successful businesswoman – now that’s no way to get a peerage!
No, I won’t be buying a newspaper anytime soon either.
I don’t think they are in any doubt why they aren’t trusted either, they simply a. refuse to accept it and b. are using their remaining influence to cause as much damage as humanly possible
People are simply tired of being manipulated by the press and their political chain tuggers.
The whole thing stinks of a gchq orchestrated plot.
I wonder if they do d notices that force papers to carry these stories?
Never seen this hugeHeadline anywhere today:
SHAMEFUL ENGLAND RUGBY TEAM FIRST HOST NATION TO BE KNOCKED OUT IN GROUP STAGES IN HISTORY.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Undeadshaun says:
4 October, 2015 at 4:21 pm
The whole thing stinks of a gchq orchestrated plot.
Their main job is watching everyone. This is a toryboy world, red and blue. We just live in it. Toryboys do not like change and like all shithead regimes since the beginning of time, they think they’re here for ever.
Been away from the internet for a few days,
just home switched on the computer, then wings.
Cheers Stu for yet another brilliant dissection of the UK media Bollocks.
In 2012, campaign group pricedout published research which showed that 83 out of 305 Conservative MPs at the time owned rental properties. Did they all pay market value for every one of those properties?
Somehow I doubt it.
So the Tory conference has started in Manchester. Is it too early to post this? 😉
link to youtube.com
Folks selling houses use an estate agent or solicitor, who tries to get the best price. Maybe I’m missing something but this matter stinks!
SNP/SNP in May, that’s my answer.
Newspapers support and print the views of their owners. They are not there to provide balanced journalism. They are not interested in reporting news they are more interested in manufacturing news to promote the agenda of their owners.
The press complaint commission, the industry body which is meant to police what the print media do is spineless and toothless. When they try to intervene on an issue (very rarely) the print media re up in arms crying “Freedom of the Press”. The Press firmly believe that they can print what they want without and get away with it.
Until such times as the print media are brought to heal with laws that compel them to give equal and balanced coverage and a meaningful right of reply they will not change.
Don’t get me started on the BBC, the government organ of disinformation and the State broadcaster. Pravda had nothing on this lot.
Having read Derek Bateman’s take on this a couple of days ago I have to agree it appears to have been lead by a clique of disgruntled Edinburgh SNP members who didn’t get nominated or didn’t get the candidate they wanted. Looks like the high heid yins should be investigating this and heads rolling and not necessarily Michelle Thomson’s.
Robert Peffers:
“do not say people are guilty until the have been found to have done something wrong, been charged and found guilty.”
Which is true of alleged criminal behaviour. However not all reprehensible behaviour is criminal e.g. hypocrisy. I understand that the SNP policy is, laudably, to end “right to buy”. Ms Thomson’s website for Your Property Shop (until it disappeared into the ether) praised the financial opportunities presented by that very policy.
And the question of hypocrisy extends to the First Minister who before the GE stated “Michelle knows what she’s doing , knows her area …”. Last week she was adopting a “I knew nothing” mantra. The two statements don’t sit well together.
Trident explained in simple terms. 😉
link to facebook.com
@ The Man in the Jar, don’t blame the Boogie Woogie Bugle Boys, they’re just ‘working for the Yankee Dollar’, and then spending it all on ‘Rum and Coca-Cola’. 🙂
I’ll get my fedora and trenchcoat.
“By the way, Stu, dodgy property deals involving solicitors is something I have been complaining about to every political party in Scotland for years. I can prove that any party attacking MT was NOT interested in addressing this problem before and I have the e-mail evidence to prove it.”
You know where the Contact form is, right? 🙂
Davy;
I knew someone many years ago who bought a house from someone for £ 100. Why so cheap? Because it was a pile of shit.
He fixed it up and sold it 5 years later for £ 2500.
It was sold at that price because nobody wanted it, but when he sold it on many were interested.
If the original owner then comes back and says ” we were done out of our nest egg “, then my take on it is tough shit you had your chance.
@Colin Rippey says: 4 October, 2015 at 3:14 pm:
“(wee bit of satire folks, don’t get too annoyed)”
I’m not annoyed, Colin, but I am deeply amazed that you imagine you were using satire.
As I cannot recall anyone on the forum accusing others of something they have not been proven to have done, or not denied having done, then whatever you imagine is satirical isn’t. Nearest I recall is the satire on Cameron’s relationship with pigs – a matter he refused, when asked, to deny.
What I find a bit disturbing however is the Herald article which details the email exchanges between the Business for Scotland members. Who would have leaked these emails to a journalist? What would the leaker’s motives have been?
Do we actually know they were leaked? I honestly do not know. Perhaps they were not meant to be secret? After all there really is nothing incriminating about them – other than the implication placed upon them by the journalist which actually is neither criminal or indeed wrong.
I may be wrong but it looked like perfectly normal office gossip and back biting to me. Certainly nothing criminal about them.
“I honestly didn’t expect that the SNP would have had in their employ individuals who practised the “forces of darkness” type of politics.”
Eh! In over 50 years of employment I never worked in a workshop, industrial environ or lab in which there was not office style gossip and petty backbiting. None of it, though, criminal activity. That’s the point, Colin, all this innuendo and as yet nothing proven as criminal activity that might warrant prosecution.
Maybe it’s time to take a wee look at Mandy Rhodes Stu the innocent and hard done by rejected candidate’s wife
Not that I would start the same kind of malicious slime that our beloved news journals indulge in
And being as I’m not from Edinburgh others will know better than me who’s behind what
Only saying, just like the newspapers, where there’s smoke
“HandandShrimp says:
4 October, 2015 at 1:31 pmI don’t get the house selling thing at all. If you want to sell your house it is easy, there are estate agents in every town. No one sells or buys (unless they are insane) without getting a valuation.”
It is buggery easy! At present someone with mortgage problems may have to come up with a considerable amount of cash to have a home report done: link to scotland.shelter.org.uk
Then of course someone has to actually want to buy your home. There’s no guarantee that someone will want to.
Perhaps there has been a financial crash. Perhaps you bought a nice house in a nice area which has gone downhill. Your neighbours have more white goods in their garden than you have in your kitchen. Perhaps the nice neighbours you had have moved on, selling their house to a buy to rent landlord, who moves in a succession of ner do wells, who like to party while you are at work, when you come home from work and when you are going to bed. Perhaps that leads to your other neighbours moving out, and selling their property to , yes, a buy to rent landlord. Before you know it property prices have fallen and you will need to sell your house at a considerable loss to get rid of it. Only no one is buying, even at a discount. Then perhaps you are made redundant and have to move away and to take up the job you need to get rid of the millstone which is holding you there…
This is where people like Ms Thompson come in. They are the we-buy-any-car of the property world. You KNOW they are ripping you off, THEY know they are ripping you off, but you will be over the moon when they do.
It’s their problem now, and the chances are they will make money on the deal, you would be BONKERS to expect otherwise. There is of course the chance that the property will devalue further, but that’s their risk, not yours. Just like any profit they make is theirs, not yours.
It’s undoubtedly a shitty business, and there is no doubt it relies on peoples desperation to sell. No one in their right mind would sell a house for £50K less than it was worth unless they were utterly desperate to be shot of it, and the one thing these stories fail to focus on is just how desperate were these people to sell, and at the time, how utterly relieved were they to be rid if that millstone round their neck?
The piece by Rev Stu, should be read by every so-called ‘journalist’ who would like to still have a career in ten years time. The sad fact is, that as Rev says, the papers are by and large full of unmitigated rubbish.
Like others, I believe it is clear, that their is now a quite concerted campaign to damage the SNP in the run up to the next elections. It is as clear as day. Can’t have them winning again, can we? The only problem is, they do not know how to attack Nicola, so they are now targetting those around her.
Sad to see the Sunday Herald descend into the gutter with the others. A sign of things to come, methinks.
We, who support independence, must be wise, and sharp and not fall for this kind of p*sh. It is exactly what we saw for years before the SNP came to power, and now here we are again. The media does not serve Scotland, and never has. It makes a mockery of the concept of democracy.
The key point however, is as stated in the article above, and it is bang, bang, bang on the money;
QUOTE: “This site has never believed that the ongoing steep decline in newspaper sales is a fundamental problem with the format. Rather, the truth is that people stop buying papers because they’re full of garbage.”
This nasty, coordinated and relentless media campaign will have three effects …
1) some people will be influenced and turn against the SNP and Indy.
2) some people will see it as Unionist dirty tricks and turn to the SNP and Indy in disgust.
3) a lot of people will simply reach saturation point and switch off from anything the media now says.
Net effect? IMO not in the Unionists’ favour!
“I can’t imagine that this site for example would have devoted such derisory coverage if there were, let’s say, a prominent businesswoman named Michelle who supported the No side during the referendum, and that since then that same Michelle had been “rewarded” with a political position to speak on business matters.”
What our Michelle Mone articles did were examine, using sourced facts, whether claims she made were true. The facts of the Michelle Thomson case are that so far she’s been accused of nothing, but is being subjected to a witch-hunt on the basis of hearsay and butthurt. The two could barely be more different.
@Andy-B says:4 October, 2015 at 4:00 pm:
“Facts don’t sell papers gossip does.”
Nah! That cannot be true for there is only one paper in the country that is increasing its circulation yet all those selling gossip are heading down the tubes.
“Boy, would Richard Nixon loved to have had you on the team! Are you seriously suggesting that the press should auto-gag until everything has been established in court?”
I’m saying they should stick to the facts.
And this weeks Pishtalker Award goes to…….
Phil Robertson! – well done you
I have stopped buying the Sunday Herald a while ago. I would advise others to do the same. I am still buying the National, but quite frankly, they are running out of time to up their game.
I was assuredly NOT impressed with their article on Police Scotland yesterday. Conflating the problem with police pensions with the creation of a single force was comprehensively trashed by the Rev yesterday. I do wonder if their attacks on the police are a warm up to trashing them if they do not charge Michelle Thomson with something.
Rev Stuart Campbell. Twitching corpses of truth.
‘People stop buying papers because their full of garbage’
Dishonest garbage at that.
Coincidentally I was helping arrange a funeral very recently and the undertaker even told me not to waste money on putting a notice in the paper as hardly anyone reads them now.
It’s good to see websites like Wings Over Scotland putting the MSM on the Liverpool Pathway and hastening their demise.
Keep up the good work Stuart.
Every consumer wants to pay the right price,no-one knowingly chooses to overpay.
Many people choose to underpay,thinking they have found a bargain.
Is the lowest price the right price ?
‘It is unwise to pay too much,but it’s worse to pay too little.when you pay too much,you lose money that is all.
When you pay too little you sometimes lose everything because the thing you bought is incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do.
The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot,it cannot be done,if you deal with the lowest price,it is well to add something for the risk you run and if you do that you will have enough for something better’
The British Press is owned by right wing tax evading non Doms who influence the political system for their benefit. The UK is not a Democracy without a balanced Press. A Democracy would prevent tax evading non Doms having control of the Press. Westminster is an illegal administration, which breaks it’s own Laws.
Without a free and balanced Press there is no Democracy. The Press are criminals who break the Law. They think they are above the Law, and they get away with it. They will not police themselves. The Scottish Gov should implement the Leveson Verdict.
Do we have any lawyers in the house?
Is it now possible that the MSM have made it unlikely that a prosecution could take place against Thomson, if she does turn out to have actually done wrong? They will have compromised the chances of a fair trial, perhaps?
Also, if Thomson is never charged with any wrong doing, she may have a good case to sue the arse off some of the MSM, yes?
galamcennalath says:
4 October, 2015 at 2:16 pm
The wider strategy is to damage the SNP enough to deny them a majority in May. That would remove the ‘threat’ of Indy for many years.
Smearing is the tactic of the moment.
If any actual crime has been committed, then I have little doubt that will be unearthed. The attack is being made on moral grounds, not legal (for the moment).
I wrote this next bit on the previous thread, but it’s far more relevant here …
There’s an undertone to the reporting and that is being a “successful business woman”, buying/selling homes, making a profit, ‘wheeling and dealing’ …. should be immoral in the eyes of the left. And the left in Scotland is primarily pro-Indy.
Therein, I believe, lies the object of the attack. They want to paint an SNP MP as quite clearly not being a socialist. They are attempting to drive a wedge between the ‘broad church’ SNP and the left.
————-
Agreed.
Unless there is proof that Thomson has pressured anyone into selling, then there is nothing illegal here.
If the seller has a problem afterwards when they see their old house sell at a higher price, then their complaint should be with whoever undervalued their property.
‘Buy low, sell high’ is the basis of pretty much every property business.
Does the SNP want to be seen as anti-business ?
What is the point fighting for votes on the extreme left ?
To be honest, Tommy Sheridan’s lot lose as many votes as they attract.
The SNP is a *moderate* left of centre, social-democratic party that understands business and social policies go hand in hand.
We need successful businesses to pay the taxes that pay for free personal care, increased child care, free bus passes, free prescriptions, free education etc etc..
On prominent Millionire ACC Labour Millionaire member dabbles in property with his property building associate. Hazelhead major development. Oakbank school sell off etc. has to leave meetings because of conflicts of interest. Wastes £Million of taxpayers money building carbuncles, against the majority wishes and the public interest,
@Phil Robertson says: 4 October, 2015 at 5:05 pm:
“Which is true of alleged criminal behaviour.”
Exactly!
“However not all reprehensible behaviour is criminal e.g. hypocrisy.”
For starters you have not even made a case of hypocracy.
In Scotland all house property must employ a solicitor for conveyancing. So the deal becomes the seller has a solicitor deal with selling the property and the solicitor should have a valuation done and put a price on the property.
Any number of offers may be made and the buyer must engage a solicitor why also must get a property valuation. It is then up to the seller if they accept a offer or even reject them all. The seller and buyer may never even meet and the buyer may not even know the seller is after a quick sale. In effect the seller either accepts a offer or rejects it – it is their choice.
“I understand that the SNP policy is, laudably, to end “right to buy”. Ms Thomson’s website for Your Property Shop (until it disappeared into the ether) praised the financial opportunities presented by that very policy”.
So?
“And the question of hypocrisy extends to the First Minister who before the GE stated “Michelle knows what she’s doing , knows her area …”.
So?
“Last week she was adopting a “I knew nothing” mantra. The two statements don’t sit well together.”
Pish! First statement perfectly logical. Michelle is a successful business woman – she wouldn’t be if she didn’t know what she was doing or know her area.
The second does not clash with the first and in all probability refers to not knowing anything about the particular transaction the press are attempting to blow out of proportion ad take out of context.
The facts have not, at least not yet, established either criminal or moral culpability. On the evidence presented so far it has been a perfectly normal property transaction.
We, the public, have no evidence that anyone has done anything wrong – other than that a solicitor has broken the rules of his professional body and these do not constitute criminal actions. He is not even being investigated for the actual property deals but for breaking the mortgage rules, (and that is still under investigation).
Sunday Herald just lost another reader!
And I would have no problem turning the spotlight on some of these msm trolls either.
The right wing, tax evading non Dom paper owners live in private islands and country estates and deal in property. Express, Telegraph, Mail. Total hypocrites. How about a list of all the properties and estates, the owners and journalists own. They own estates in Scotland to evade tax. Many self employed workers put funds into ISA’s and pension funds and lost value. Some put it into property instead.
Now this well researched and excellent written article is what true investigative journalism is all about, well done to the Rev Stu and the rest of the Wings team. In contrast a breath of fresh air compared to the utter drivel fed on a daily basis to us by the Unionist press barons.
Candidates should be vetted and voted for by the members, not appointed.
“The “story” would be dismissed as too lightweight by 13-year-old girls gossping in a school playground. It vanishes under examination like an autumn leaf-pile in a light breeze, but gets a full page in an independence-supporting newspaper for no apparent reason other than to join in the Thomson media pile-on.”
Don’t worry, The National will publish all this tomorrow. It must have already asked for the Rev.’s permission as I write.
Unless it is milking the independence supporting market to keep its sister paper The Herald in print to spout its anti-SNP venom.
Out of its 20000 buyers, how many are former No supporters who have moved to Yes?
Ken500 says:
4 October, 2015 at 6:45 pm
Candidates should be vetted and voted for by the members, not appointed.
I don’t know about any other area Ken but here in Dumfriesshire that is EXACTLY what happened in the lead up to the G.E. in May.
The members of the local Annan S.N.P. groups had the option to meet all the proposed candidates, quiz them and make their decision before voting for their choice. This is how we ended up with Emma Harper. 😀
galamcennalath
I was thinking along the same lines. Michelle’s solicitor in any hypothetical trial would have a field day producing all the prejudicial evidence to get a case chucked out.
I can’t help feeling the timing is a bit off. They are building this case up but the election isn’t for over 7 months – would it no have made more sense to put this on ice until April?
I suppose if they don’t have a stick to beat the SNP with they would have to invent one because otherwise they have nothing.
Like Gordon Brown being bigged up they need to find some old scarecrow to breathe life into, pump full of air and shove down our throats.
It’s a losing strategy… we had 56 MPs and we temporarily have 55 plus an independent. At this rate sometime around 2150 we may be in danger of letting slab back in. Hell, in 2 months time we could have 57!
The standards of journalism the Rev highlights are indeed appalling, and laughable. And so pious and precious about the sacred professional journalists of the ‘Scottish’ MSM who take their jobs so seriously, and must never be criticised lest free speech be endangered.
The press in Scotland have nothing to do with free speech- what’s free about an entire media class required to shove propaganda down the people’s throats 24/7?
Leask and Co think Wings is crap and were all ‘zoomers’ whilst the Herald and Sunday Herald are like some kind of gold standard. Well, this ‘zoomer’ used to buy the Herald (and laterally SH) everyday for about a decade. I stopped buying the Herald when it carried out the unionists bidding last year and have been buying the SH out of loyalty despite it being a shadow of the old format.
I suppose I’m wrong. It’s like the fucking labour party all over again – the voters/readers just don’t get it!
Good article. So glad I havent bought any papers for years apart from the National, nor paid a TV licence.
Rev Stu should give himself a payrise for ploughing through all that shite masquerading as news.
And, dear Better Together, MI5, CabinetOffice etc, Ive just renewed my SNP membership and increased the direct debit amount, so GIRFUY.
Ken500 at 6.45
SNP candidates ARE voted for by members on an OMOV (One Member One Vote) basis. This is true of all SNP candidates at council level, Westminster level, Scottish Parliament level and EU level.
The SNP is the only party that does this.
Michelle Thompson for instance won selection out of a panel of eight vetted applicants exclusively by the votes of the SNP members in that constituency. I think Michael Stewart (the ex footballer)was on the same selection list
They are making the preparations to quietly announce Carmichael’s innocence after a sham hearing.
Once hundred thousand pounds have gone down the legal sewer.
We won’t get social justice and fairness after independence if “Lawyers for Yes” and “Business for Scotland” have any influence.
The vast majority of lawyers, especially judges, are the lowest of the low.
Particularly disappointed in Paul Hutcheon on this one. Up to now he’s been a generally good investigative journo more concerned with facts that tittle-tattle, but his stuff on BfS today is just pathetic.
I guess, as part of the recent redundancies at the Herald group, he’s been told to get on-message by the likes of Gardham.
@Onwards says: 4 October, 2015 at 6:17 pm:
“Therein, I believe, lies the object of the attack. They want to paint an SNP MP as quite clearly not being a socialist. They are attempting to drive a wedge between the ‘broad church’ SNP and the left.”
As to that little conundrum it is not rocket science.
There has been more than enough different models of political set-ups from extreme right wingers like Genghis Khan, (or even Maggie Thatcher), to Joseph Stalin, (or even Jeremy Corbyn), on the extreme left to give us the information we need.
Too far right governments eventually fail & fall badly. Too far left governments also fail and fall badly.
Thus any administration that pulls too much in favour of the rich on the right or the poor on the left is going to cause too much strife in society that it is bound to fail badly. Furthermore, changing rapidly from one extreme to the other is actually far worse than extreme right or extreme left.
ATM: Labour are stuck in a wide divide between the two extremes and the Tories, (Red/Blue/Yellow), are moving too far right.
Wisely the SNP and the other independence supporting parties are sitting just about smack in the correct position. The trouble is balancing the needs of the right with the needs of the left and it often needs an extra ingredient to balance it out. That extra ingredient in Scotland is Independence.
If an independent Scotland is not to return to the right/left oscillations of former UK politics then we needs avoid swinging either more left or more right than we tend to be right now.
McDuff says:
4 October, 2015 at 3:25 pm
The Sunday Herald is no more pro independence than The Mail, and The Herald is now a proclaimed rabid Unionist rag with the supposed pro independence National printing soft and meaningless articles gleefully picking up YES voter business. The purchasing of any of these papers is quietly funding Unionism and I urge people not to do so.
*Sigh*
The Herald doesn’t own the National. They are both owned by American media giant Gannett, and will survive or fold on their own profitability.
Would you be happy with no pro-Scottish voices at all on the newsstands?
@Rock
…Unless it is milking the independence supporting market to keep its sister paper The Herald in print to spout its anti-SNP venom.
Out of its 20000 buyers, how many are former No supporters who have moved to Yes?
——-
For every buyer of the National, 100 others see the front page – many of which are hard-hitting pro-SNP, anti-unionist billboards. You know how much advertising £££ that would cost?
How many leaflets would have to be delivered to have that same impact every day?
Tory Conference
The Tories are doing what they always do when in power, organising another war to keep the United Kingdom from occupying their time with political dissent, boost the standing of their ailing leader, and remove troublesome citizens from public preferment.
War without an attack on British soil, or our consent, is one Better Together value No voters voted to retain in their rush to be ruled by Westminster.
@ Dr Jim
Calm doon. You’ll gie yourself a stroke. You sound like Peter Houston or Alan Stubbs after a pumpin. Look, all I mean is that the old folks should not have been taken advantage of. I agree it’s nothing really to do with Sturgeon. The gutter press are always at it. Biased, bigoted and corrupt. Relax dude.
I had a look around the twitter accounts of some of Scotland’s journalist today and they don’t like being taking to task. How dare ordinary folk question them or talk back.
Thank goodness for the internet. It may have a lot of disadvantages but it does allow people to bypass them. They no longer have the power they used to have. Shame ain’t it.
“Alex Salmond Barred From Flight” – false headline in various newspapers.
Actually, no.
He was held back for a short time until his security name, James T. Kirk (he’s a Trekkie fan) was confirmed as genuine.
He will need a new security name.
Recommendations welcome ….
I have to wonder though, if the Sunday Herald is coming out as a Conservative supporting newspaper.
With all the s***e being flung at Michelle Thompson could it perhaps be a failed attempt to turn people off from achieving this in Aberdeen?
link to twitter.com
@me
That, by the way, wouldn’t neccessarily be a bad thing, if it was done arefully with a faint pro-indy tone but generally balanced. Only 4% of Conservative voters voted YES last time, and there are others of a small c conservative nature who would also have voted NO.
Grouse Beater says:
4 October, 2015 at 7:36 pm
“Alex Salmond Barred From Flight” – false headline in various newspapers.
Actually, no.
He was held back for a short time until his security name, James T. Kirk (he’s a Trekkie fan) was confirmed as genuine.
He will need a new security name.
Recommendations welcome ….
Well I think there is an obvious answer here G.B. … maybe TOO obvious … Mr. Spock of course! 😀
Excellent article. I only buy the National and the SH. The two words which stoop out for me were innuendo and insinuation. Thank you Wings, for redressing the balance in some way and may your circulation soar while the right-wing gutter press plummets
If The National dies, the ones celebrating will be your Ian Smarts, Jill Stephensons and Scott Arthurs. If folk expect an SNP propaganda sheet that never asks difficult questions of the independence movement and its players, then they will continue to be disappointed. I used to buy the Record, and as pro-union as it was, it still gave prominence to some pro-indy voices, like Joan McAlpine. I don’t want a Scottish Pravda, thanks.
@Grouse Beater
Montgomery Scott? 🙂
Onwards,
“For every buyer of the National, 100 others see the front page – many of which are hard-hitting pro-SNP, anti-unionist billboards.”
Ten times that see the venomous anti-SNP headlines.
Do you think the unionist No voters will trust one headline against ten opposing ones?
Buy The National to keep The Herald alive.
@Ken500 says:
Candidates should be vetted and voted for by the members, not appointed.
Nonsense. They can rejected them by not voting for the party they represent otherwise you’ll have another UKIP party.
I said this a couple of days ago, certainly up until now, their smears are not working. Out canvassing earlier today, in a ward not particularly pre-disposed to the S.N.P, or independence, and yet the returns are as good, if not better, than this time last year.
Harry McAye,
“I don’t want a Scottish Pravda, thanks.”
You already have one, in broadcast form – Pravda GB.
Remember the “Home nations” competing at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games?
The National might make 20000 independence supporters feel good but it has not increased independence support and is not even interested in doing it, in my view.
All it has succeeded in is milking those who were already independence supporters so that the cash can help keep the loss making anti-SNP and anti-independence Herald in print.
Since the National started (and before), the Rev. Stuart Campbell has published dozens of articles like this one.
Have you ever found anything like them in The National?
If they really support independence, why don’t they publish all W O S articles in full?
For “balance”, they can always publish Ian Smart’s rantings.
@Grouse Beater
““Alex Salmond Barred From Flight” – false headline in various newspapers.
Actually, no.
He was held back for a short time until his security name, James T. Kirk (he’s a Trekkie fan) was confirmed as genuine.
He will need a new security name.
Recommendations welcome ….”
It’s the truth Jim, but not as we know it.
Beam us out Scottie!
OT I have been on the Herald website and maybe I have missed it but I see no report on the England/Australia rugby match.
Reports on others but not that one.
Perhaps they are scared that Scotland will guffaw too loudly about the HUGE match.
annie,
“Having read Derek Bateman’s take on this a couple of days ago I have to agree it appears to have been lead by a clique of disgruntled Edinburgh SNP members who didn’t get nominated or didn’t get the candidate they wanted.”
Derek Bateman wants the SNP to start a witch hunt from within does he, or do you?
The National and Sunday Herald are the only pro indy print outlets we have and until something better comes along wingers should buy or subscribe every day. Use it or lose it.
Dorothy Devine says:
4 October, 2015 at 8:13 pm
OT I have been on the Herald website and maybe I have missed it but I see no report on the England/Australia rugby match.
Reports on others but not that one.
Perhaps they are scared that Scotland will guffaw too loudly about the HUGE match.
Oh dear.
I’m getting the smallest of inklings here Dorothy that England may NOT have beaten Australia. 😀
link to youtube.com
Had to share an email from a French neighbour when I had a house in France.
” What is the difference between the English rugby team and a tea bag?”
” The tea bag stays in the cup longer !!”
Ha Ha Ha!
I’d have to say from reading the posts above that it does seem incredibly likely that the one who posts as “an object made of stone” does indeed only crawl out from under themselves to make mischief on behalf of the Union.
onwards
Are you seriously suggesting that the Sunday Herald or even the National are pro independence? The National produces weak middle of the road stories with just enough content to keep us YESSERS buying it.
The Sunday Herald which declared its backing for independence only at the eleventh hour joins the rest of the Unionist rags today with a tawdry piece on Thomson/SNP.
You are perfectly entitled to give these comics your money but I prefer to rely on the journalistic integrity of Stuart Campbell for my information.
fit’ll we call Alex noo ken?
link to youtube.com
Who gets tae be oohoora?
Fit aboot you L/A? 🙂
@ Marcia, talking about journalists, a Herald journalist, Martin Wiliams, decided to begin ‘following’ my Twitter account this weekend, and for the life of me I don’t know why. I’m not a big account, not a member of SNP or any other party, nor am I connected to any big names.
He is also following other indy-lovers, so perhaps he merely wants a sample of the pro-indy people, to get a sense of what is making our news on Twitter.
Or is this a way for the Herald to gather ‘juicy quotes’ using somtimes industrial language, in an attempt to smear the pro-indy movement?
Frankly, I can’t see that being successful, after David Cameron’s experiments with ‘makin’ bacon’. Nothing said or done on the internet by cybernats will ever come close to our PM sticking his sausage in a dead pig’s head.
But be sure that the media ARE aware of us, they are taking note of what we do and say.
We are aware of the media, and the media are afraid of us. They are right to be afraid. If they do not adapt, they will be washed away.
Another angle could be an attempt to ‘trash’ the profile of Business for Scotland. If you recall many sme’s joined BfS and their profile was high during the ref campaign. I think there could be an attempt to undermine the coherence of a powerful lobbying group who were very much the ‘turn to’ people for the Independence campaign making the economic case for Independence.
All in Michelle could be getting used as a ‘proxy’ to diminish their ‘stature’ in the lead up to ref2. I genuinely ‘feel’ this is as much to do with attacking the Independence movement as it is the SNP. Discrediting Michele’s business life and by associating anyone involved with BfS.
Business’s don’t like ‘bad’ press. It would be interesting to see if any of this has a ‘knock on’ effect for BfS’s reputation.
Dark arts indeed my friends.
I will continue to buy the National, despite the increasingly fervent ‘trashing’ it is receiving on these threads of late.
Dear main stream British media,
Sum total of fucks given in SCOTLAND = 0.
Tick tock.
“Only two things sell newspapers, Graham. Football & scandal.”
– Chief Executive of a multi title newspaper business, May 2015. (Name withheld to protect the guilty)
I once bought a house & sold it for a tidy profit. My name wasn’t dragged through the mud. What’s even more sinister that the smearing of Michelle Thomson is just the beginning of what is going to be the tactics used by all the enemies of independence right up to and beyond the 2016 Holyrood elections. Last thursday’s FMQT was an example of this. Labour, Tory & all the press must have held their meeting to agree on the next tactic to be used against the snp.
They want the election of 56 snp mp’s to be the party’s high water mark.
Let’s make them look not like a principled, cause driven movement but as corrupt, venal, self serving bastards like Labour, Tories & Liberals. Who knows, it might yet work, and if Sturgeon the she devil can be put in the frame by their friends in the press then all the better.
If the SNP sweep the boards in 2016 this distasteful tactic will only drive journalists employed by unionist newspaper proprietors onto yet more smears & innuendo. I include the BBC in this practice. It’s in labour’s DNA to hate the SNP & having all the press except the National as their in house publications will have them creaming themselves
Why are folk having a go at the National?
Would you rather it didn’t exist?
Seriously?
With all the papers making such an issue of this,what are they NOT reporting? What is happening that they don’t want us to know about?
I stopped buying newspapers years ago because I found them insulting.When The National was launched I started buying it but I’m finding it hard to get back into the habit of buying and reading a newspaper every day.
Things have taken a turn for the worse at the Herald. It is no different now from the Daily Mail or Scotsman.
Macart: Montgomery Scott.
Chic: Scottie.
Lesley-Anne: Dr Spock.
Excellent! I’m guessing a Klingons name is too left-field.
🙂
Dorothy Devine @ 8.27pm
The Herald does have a report on the England v Australia game, and it is listed on their website.
The headline is “Foley Inspired Wallabies kill off home hopes in Rugby World Cup”.
It is well down the list of stories, but, the Herald is a Scottish newspaper and, there are Scottish stories which are more-relevant to their core readership.
Remember when an egg was an attack on democracy? How things have changed.
Grouse Beater says:
4 October, 2015 at 10:05 pm
Macart: Montgomery Scott.
Chic: Scottie.
Lesley-Anne: Dr Spock.
Excellent! I’m guessing a Klingons name is too left-field.
🙂
No GB not Dr Spock but Science Officer Mr Spock. 🙂
If you are looking for a Klingon name would T’Pau do? 😀
Lesley-Anne: No GB, not Dr Spock
But Alex is great with babies. He kisses all he meets!
McDuff says:
4 October, 2015 at 8:36 pm
Are you seriously suggesting that the Sunday Herald or even the National are pro independence? The National produces weak middle of the road stories with just enough content to keep us YESSERS buying it..
Are you serious ?
Recent political front pages, with poster style images.
– ‘Labour at war’ – revolt over Trident.
– ‘The Vow Delivered’ – David Cameron’s claims ridiculed
– ‘Why did you lie’ – Carmichael with giant Pinocchio nose.
– ‘Come home to Labour’ in bombed out ‘better together’ warzone.
– ‘Same old labour’ – blocking debate.
– ‘Long time for a speech like that’ – Sturgeon speech praise.
– ‘Don’t let Osborne steal Scotlands cash’ – PSU
– ‘Next Stop Holyrood’ – the road to independence.
– ‘But the Tories promised me..’ – Brown on the vow.
Many pro-Indy columnists and bloggers, and letters.
Like I said, how much money and how many leaflets would it take get that level of advertising to the general public?
Are you prepared to help deliver them every day of the week?
If we don’t support the one pro-Scottish daily paper because it isn’t perfect, it will shut up shop, and we will all be back to complaining about the one-sided biased media.
Half the time I buy it and don’t even have time to read it –
but I consider it an investment in getting another SNP majority next year – without which we won’t even get the chance of a second referendum.
Websites like this are fantastic, but newspaper covers reach the eyeballs of the general public, no voters, and old folks not on the internet.
Rancid liar and hypocrites having a social democrats epiphany?
link to theguardian.com
Martha Kearney: ‘There’s a big problem the way politics is covered’
“I think it’s a problem within political journalism. I was very glad Laura Kuenssberg on merit was made political editor.
So, not enough frightfully nice upper class torygirls in the beeb propaganda machine, shock.
Kuenssberg’s thing of looking like she’s just stepped on dog shit every time she interviews anyone YES might have given her the nod, but who really knows with those nutters.
I think the MSM, and especially the BBC has already ‘jumped the shark’.
In this house tonight, she who shall not be named was watching the BBC. This will be the last of such occurrences. Unfortunately I was captive witness to the unfolding travesty on screen.
Now, not being used to the level of stiff upper lip, good old blighty, paul hollywood and old biddy cakes and bunting pish I though, god, how many people watch this stuff which is basically a british ‘mind wank’. The level of gushing, foosty fuddy-duddieness almost made sick rise into my throat.
ITV no better – downton abbey – WTF. I’m going to really go off on one.
Young people I know talk about this shit. They watch it. digest it, act on it and bake stuff. Cakes are good (especially if you’ve been mountain biking for four hours and need a ‘hit’) but I don’t want to munch on a rule britannia sponge cake with shit for filling and dash of sycophancy for icing….
That hollywood guy and the old bird are a greaseproof paper and cake tray himmler and goebbels.
If somebody offers me baked goods tomorrow I’ll stick the heid on them….
It seems that anything to do with Scotland in general is despised by the establishment media.
There can only be one reason for this, ” they are terrified that they no longer control the Scottish electorate”.
It like the classic school bully situation, he/she have their so called allies around them, and try and wear you down with constant jibes etc. then one day you wake up and say FU*K IT and fight back.
This what has happened in Scotland and the bullies can’t take it.
I am 100% certain this is only the beginning of the smear campaign for next year, it will get much much worse, but we can take any of the shit they throw at us, and still laugh in their faces.
Scotland “A great wee place don’t forget it”
Still pishing myself laughing at the England score.
Grouse Beater says:
4 October, 2015 at 10:19 pm
Lesley-Anne: No GB, not Dr Spock
But Alex is great with babies. He kisses all he meets!
I know nuffink about such behaviour! 😀
McDuff at 8.36
Are you seriously suggesting that Wee Ginger Dug, Mhairi Black, Gordon MacIntyre Kemp, Lesley Riddoch, Michael Grey, Patrick Harvie, Pat Kane,Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, Carolyn Leckie, Cat Boyd, Alex Salmond last week for instance “produces weak middle of the road stories”
What utter pish.
The National is obviously doing too well for some people’s liking. A few new trolls on here methinks
Agreed the article in the Sunday Herald is very poor. …..Probably the result of NOT having an EDITOR . Hopefully not a sign of things to come?
What’s the difference between the England rugby team and a pile of horse manure?
Horse manure works wonders on grass.
Rock – You seem to be obsessed with condemning the National, and calling any readers gullible and naive supporters of evil capitalist newspaper bosses.
It is not like that. We need exposure of an alternative vision of Scotland to the MSM and the National’s 20,000 copies every day must help that cause.
Would you really like to have NO independence supporting newspapers? It seems like that.
What do you suggest? Be constructive for once.
Let me see now;
person A wishes to sell a house
Person B buys said house at an agreed figure
Person B then sells the house for more than they paid for it.
Person A feels aggrieved at this and gnashes teeth.
Person A has obviously never heard the expression
“Caveat Emptor”
It is immaterial whether person A is a pensioner,young, male or female and no amount of breast beating will change market forces. Buy low, sell high it is what I did during my house purchases.
Anyone who thinks differently should get themselves a reality check.
Gary45% says:
” they are terrified that they no longer control the Scottish electorate”.
…. and in their eyes it has all happened suddenly and unexpectedly. With their sense of superiority and entitlement they just can’t see why we are sticking two fingers up at them!
The last significant outpost of Imperial Greater England won’t cooperate and tow their line any longer.
The prestige, honour and dignity of the mother country are all being challenged.
Those pesky upstart Jocks!
Aye, well get it right up yous!
Dave McEwan Hill says:
4 October, 2015 at 10:31 pm
The National is obviously doing too well for some people’s liking. A few new trolls on here methinks
Yep, when you have “concerned” individuals appearing from nowhere, urging people not to buy the National, the troll alarm should be sounded.
Lesley-Anne says: 4 October, 2015 at 7:04 pm:
I don’t know about any other area Ken but here in Dumfriesshire that is EXACTLY what happened in the lead up to the G.E. in May. “
Well unless the rules have changed since I last looked,each constituency gets to choose a candidate from the list of candidates and all card carrying members in the constituency get a vote.
Mind you the list of approved candidates must be stuck with but there really has to be limits.
Which of course gives the lie to the story of Ms M. Thompson, “putting her name down”, for several different seats and others causing bother within the party. The Candidate doesn’t get to choose. It is the Constituency members who choose their approved candidate.
re the National –
I remember asking Rev (via Twitter) if he’d do a column for the National if approached and he replied almost immediately saying ‘why not?’.
We must presume that they haven’t approached him. If Stuart Campbell is (still?) prepared to write a column for the National, why are some of the regulars on here being so thrawn and cynical. It’s ‘just’ a newspaper, aye, but it’s on our side.
Why is this even being debated?
Come on, those of you condemning the National – colours to the mast time: would you rather it didn’t exist?
Is it safe to go O/T at end of day? Serious stuff above but in Off Topic find the link under my name for todays photos of Wings presence at Dundee rally.
If the people desperate to sell went with the mandatory Home
Report and got their property valued before taking the best,
or only offer on the table, how on earth can they complain
about who bought it from them??
If the new owner spent money doing up the place and was desperate
to sell and took a loss, are the former owners suggesting that
they would have been receptive to giving the buyer a few £Thousand back in compensation?
I’d rather see an investigation into home flipper Darling, and
his many Westminster Cons who take our money for 2nd homes while renting out 2nd homes that they ow,
David Cameron is the first ever PM to rent out his own home while
Lording it up in No 10. Now there is a Moral issue.
Get off the Nationals back for God sake
What is it you want a paper that just shouts Labour Baad Tories Baad, we can do that ourselves, we need a paper that reads like a paper, in shops and on shelves printing our side in acceptable language
As for you Trolls, you don’t learn do you, and that’s why we’re winning
Even Kezia Dugdale admits the Media are biased and it’s turning more people towards Independence every day, so thanks for that
I wrote earlier, an attack one one is an attack on us all
I didn’t just mean the Independence movement I mean don’t give up our country to Media control and Manipulation
Even if the NO side were to win (God forbid) the media will turn on you, it’s what they do, they’re parasites
@Clydebuilt (10.33) –
The Sunday Herald does have an editor.
His name is Neil Mackay.
I’ve met the man a few times, and IMHO he is straight up-and-down 100% sound. My main reason for saying such is that he wrote a book called The War On Truth which, in itself, contains more than enough prima facie evidence to see Tony Blair, George Bush, and dozens of their chums incarcerated for the rest of their lives.
link to amazon.co.uk
He’s only been in the job for little more than a week. Let’s give the guy a chance, eh?
Comical Cockers Telegraph monstering is pretty straight forward. His sneering bile includes Sturgeon Scots although I’ve never heard her talk like this “She says she ‘didna ken ,She kens noo” Only a toryboy Scotch cringer can mock his own country.
Very creepy character and coward too, as he leaves out the whole of Scotland’s ghastly UKOK media and says its just red and blue tories trying to pin guilt on the SNP. Why would the sane and sober Cockers exclude all teamGB press like this?
What a bunch.
“But as well as this ‘guilt by association’, which the Tories and Labour are trying to pin on the SNP, Ms Sturgeon is also in trouble over her insistence that she knew nothing about the allegations against Mrs Thomson until she read them in a Sunday paper two weekends ago.”
Been reading everything on here for a few days.
As ever not much I can add..except..
The hammer now being used by the Establishment Media is a big blunt rubber one, badly swung, bouncing off many of us online..
..but nonetheless relentless, fooling just enough of the (formerly normal) people just enough of the time.
Game’s a bogey for all printed news, future will bring copiers/robot vendors into public spaces and we print off stuff to read (telly, travel, footie, entire newspaper, crossword) as required.
But will buy National as often as habit proscribes.
@Ian Brotherhood
There was a tweet last week on some page with the National from page I think (from a link in WOS) where McKay said he was looking forward to working with the pro-indy SH.
I’m guessing he hasn’t started yet, and while the cat’s away Paul Hutcheon plays with himself.
Looks to me the National is sound as a pound. It has a mix with some bad stories for the SNP, but that keeps a bit of balance and hopefully gets a few non-YES buyers hooked.
link to caltonjock.com
@National Bashers –
So?
What’s it to be?
National, or Nae National?
It’s a simple question, eh?
It would be ever-so nice if ye’s would respond on this thread, before we shift on and your traducing of the title and all the people who support and/or work for it is ‘forgotten’.
One year ago, the National did not exist.
You want us back there?
Yes or No?
Ah, yes, James T. Alicsammin, forever warping off to do battle against the dastardly UKlingons. What a hero. Somebody should do a comic strip…
Well said Ian
If it wasn’t for the crossword in the National on a Monday I expect it would have gone under by now.
A few commenters have mentioned orchestration from above. Earlier in the week whilst buying the National, I glanced at the covers of the gutter press to see what pish they were spouting. Needless to say that the subject matter related to Michelle Thomson.
What was more surprising, underneath vitriolic headlines, was the almost identical opening sentence in both the Express and Daily Heil. I know GCHQ supply the script, but at least the journalists used to make the effort to add a bit of literary or artistic licence. Nowadays it appears they can’t even be arsed to do that.
Ah, possibly explains Paul Hutcheon attack on BfS and Ivan McKee – McKee was voted the SNP candidate for Provan for Holyrood (21 Aug). Curiously a poster with the same number of letters in both names as PH had a dig at BfS a few days before, and replied to my clarification in the SH today. Wrongly but I couldn’t be bothered.
I’ve had little doubt for nearly 2 years the journos in the H do post belowe the line, to stir things up a bit at times.
@National Bashers –
Well?
I’m still waiting, tapping my fingers in proper Paula Rose style…
Not one of you able to rotate yer thumb when it comes to deciding the fate of the National?
I would just like agree 100% with Onwards post about the importance of The National. So much so, it is a reasonable idea to ‘bump’ Onwards narrative up the rankings…
———————-
Onwards says: 4 October, 2015 at 10:20 pm in reply to McDuff…
“Are you serious ?
Recent political front pages, with poster style images.
– ‘Labour at war’ – revolt over Trident.
– ‘The Vow Delivered’ – David Cameron’s claims ridiculed
– ‘Why did you lie’ – Carmichael with giant Pinocchio nose.
– ‘Come home to Labour’ in bombed out ‘better together’ warzone.
– ‘Same old labour’ – blocking debate.
– ‘Long time for a speech like that’ – Sturgeon speech praise.
– ‘Don’t let Osborne steal Scotlands cash’ – PSU
– ‘Next Stop Holyrood’ – the road to independence.
– ‘But the Tories promised me..’ – Brown on the vow.
Many pro-Indy columnists and bloggers, and letters.
Like I said, how much money and how many leaflets would it take get that level of advertising to the general public?
Are you prepared to help deliver them every day of the week?
If we don’t support the one pro-Scottish daily paper because it isn’t perfect, it will shut up shop, and we will all be back to complaining about the one-sided biased media.
Half the time I buy it and don’t even have time to read it –
but I consider it an investment in getting another SNP majority next year – without which we won’t even get the chance of a second referendum.
A very important point is that a significant percentage of the electorate do NOT read websites such as WoS and get their news from papers. We really NEED to reach those voters if IndyRef2 is to stand a chance. So Onwards final remark is crucial…
Websites like this are fantastic, but newspaper covers reach the eyeballs of the general public, no voters, and old folks not on the internet.
Well said Onwards. Thankyou.
Al.
Filing Honey – not tapping.
Can someone confirm if scottish flags are banned from T in the park but english ones are allowed at glastonbury
Journalist
noun | jour·nal·ist | \-n?-list\
Definition of JOURNALIST
A generic term meaning, variously;
Keyboard whore
Useful idiot
Purveyor of untruths
Shitebag
Last post for tonight
I’ll just put some names out there to see what you think
Mandy Rhodes Blogger and so called journalist, Paul Hutcheon so called journalist, Doug Thompson partner of Mandy Rhodes and unselected SNP candidate for guess what constituency
Michelle Thomson SNP MP for guess what constituency
I know nothing and at the moment have no evidence just as the opposition have no evidence Ms Thomson put a foot wrong
What’s the betting I find my name on Ashley Madisons dating website now or maybe they’ll sue me which is OK I’m open for that
Remember folks if the truth comes out,lets hope we have the National to print it in
All flags are banned – you can only wave approved flowers from now on.
Interesting comments about Alex Salmond’s trouble getting on a flight. I was listening to Radio Scotland early evening and it was portrayed like Alex was some kind of nutjob flying incognito as a kind of weird flight of fancy.
It certainly was not put across that Alex was u deploying a standard security protocol. ‘He likes to travel incognito’ they said.
It struck me as odd at the time – I see now it’s the usual disinformation..
I would also like to thank Stuart Campbell for another excellent article. If the MSM weren’t so stupid, they would understand why almost 50% of Scotland voted SNP last May. Because we can be stubborn and thrawn in the face of media-garbage. Now thanks to internet websites like WoS – DESPITE a vicious anti-SNP onslaught by MSM – the SNP and/or InyRef vote inexorably goes up…
1 May 2003 SNP wins 20.9% of the vote (list stats).
3 May 2007 SNP wins 31.0% of the vote (list stats).
5 May 2011 SNP wins 44.0% of the vote (list stats).
18 September 2014 IndyRef1 wins 44.7% of the vote.
8th May 2015 SNP wins 50% of the vote.
MSM has the penny dropped yet? Do any of your investigative ‘journalists’ notice a trend in the percentage figures for the SNP/IndyRef given above?
People like me – former lifelong Labour voters (well up until I rumbled what Blair was up to and then I lent my vote to the SNP in 2007) – now, partly because of being fed what Stuart over-politely calls garbage when it is really toilet paper with excrement as ink – I now resile from ever voting Labour or Westminster establishment parties ever again. Not only is my vote now permanently with the SNP, but I ended up joining the party as a member. This is written by an ordinary voter. One of those that MSM think will switch back to Labour. Aye, right!
It is precisely because MSM dead-tree media and BBC Scotlandshire take so many of us (50% of Scotland’s people) as fools that the papers are dying.
Long live the internet media.
@Paula Rose –
Here’s some flower-waving.
The Smiths, ‘This Charming Man’ –
link to youtube.com
Still buy the national every day have stopped buying the Sunday herald last 3 weeks as its no better than mail or express ,the non stop onslaught is in full attack mode from the msm as a whole and is very coordinated as they are all singing from same hymn sheet.
Shouldn’t affect SNP too much as we are immune to the bullshit that is continually foisted on us but it may result in a harder fight for a yes vote.
What Al-Stuart said – but with knobs on
I would just like agree 100% with Onwards post about the importance of The National. So much so, it is a reasonable idea to ‘bump’ Onwards narrative up the rankings…
I continue to buy the National. Sometimes buy two and leave them lying in buses, work etc. I’m a wee bit mischievous that way and I’m a sucker for anything that promotes independence for Scotland.
I’m also averse to shooting myself in the foot.
The owners may have a few more quid in their tail but the voice we have on the news stands is invaluable.
See the Herald is now going for Ivan Mckee. Odd, considering they were both board members of Business for Scotland.
It look as if someone from the previous BfS board has fed the story, along with copy emails, to the media so they could run with it and inflict maximum damage. And as it fitted their strategy and was aimed at their targets the media was only too happy to push it.
BfS is an indy supporting organisation so some person is willing to damage Michelle, Nicola the SNP and chances for independence. I wonder why, and who it could be?
One last point to make for tonight…
THE NATIONAL
Regarding the posts on this thread from those who have ‘issues’ with The National newspaper.
I know 5 people who have started to read my old copies of The National and as a result of this pro-Independence newspaper have indicated they have/are moving from either a NO voter/NON voter to a YES voter for IndyRef2 and a YES voter for the SNP at GE2015 and for Holyrood2016.
Has anyone else on these threads a similar experience?
Surely the positive effect that The National is having on the less-politically-engaged members of the Scottish electorate shows that the The National is a very important addition to the whole Independence debate in Scotland?
I’ve spent about £60 on The National – occasionally buying 2 copies a day so that friends can get into the habit of reading the paper. It is well worth every single penny given the decent level of pro-Independence and varied journalism and letters therein.
So, Paul Hutcheon with a new article in the Herald this morning, moving on full tilt to Ivan McKee, candidate for Govan MSP. G M-K was aleady targetted indirectly yesterday, it’ll probably be MR some time for some odd reason, and bit by bit PH attempts to wreak destruction on BfS at the same time as the SNP.
The sleeper awakes, perhaps.
@Dorothy Bruce
Indeed. And who’s next. I like the Rev’s article, and I think this is a vital line in it, bolded in the article: we have no idea whether Michelle Thomson has done anything wrong or not. The Rev’s no fool, nor is Sturgeon.
RE: the National
If its good enough for Alicsammin, that’s pretty much all that need be said. That is one fella who is very much aware of the media’s influence in our lives and I defy anyone to claim they have more experience of negative press than A.S. This is a man who has been vilified by the media for most of his public and professional life.
If he follows the National and claims it is a huge step in the right direction, then I’d not argue the point with him.
‘Sides I’d never miss either Greg’s cartoons or the dug’s weekly savaging of the pompous buffoon of the week. 😉
Good thoughtful article by McKenna in the National. I think he uncovers the real weapon in the campaign for Indy, and that’s the power of thought and talk. “Scotland has found its voice … the No camp can’t put this genie back in the bottle”.
Meanwhile it’s the beginning of October, there’s over 7 months to the Holyrood Election, and the anti-SNP camp has let its drone attack genie out of the bottle far too soon, to run out of fuel and dissipate in our windy winter, with all my mixed metaphors. But the SNP are going to have to autumn clean its house, from top to bottom.
News from the dying media…
link to archive.is
Taxpayers’ Alliance At The Tory Party Conference With Liam Fox: “Cut pensioner benefits ‘immediately'”
These Tory politicians are bloody cynical piles of lying and lethal excrement. Quote:
“Many of those hit by a cut to the winter fuel allowance might “not be around” at the next election, said Alex Wild of the Taxpayers’ Alliance.
And others would forget which party had done it, he added. At the group’s meeting at the Conservative conference in Manchester, former defence secretary Liam Fox said spending cuts must be “for keeps”.
Mr Wild said the Tories could not wait until a year before the next election to make the necessary cuts to the winter fuel allowance, free bus passes, the Christmas bonus and other pensioner benefits. The cuts should be made “as soon as possible after an election for two reasons”, said Mr Wild.
“The first of which will sound a little bit morbid – some of the people… won’t be around to vote against you in the next election. So that’s just a practical point, and the other point is they might have forgotten by then.”
He added: “If you did it now, chances are that in 2020 someone who has had their winter fuel cut might be thinking, ‘Oh I can’t remember, was it this government or was it the last one? I’m not quite sure.’
“So on a purely practical basis I would say do it immediately. That might be one of those things I regret saying in later life but that would be my practical advice to the government.”
‘Day of reckoning’
Mr Fox told the meeting that the government had to act now to make further cuts to pensioner benefits and welfare.
—————————
BETTER TOGETHER. AYE RIGHT.
This lot frightened many Scottish pensioners into voting NO during the run up to IndRef1 – 18 September 2014.
Now THEY are doing exactly what they threatened the SNP-Bad would do.
They are a bunch of lying Tory manslaughter merchants.
Come on The National maybe time to front page this dreadful indictment of Better Together lies?
Name and shame the Tories and their austerity acolytes as the pensioner nightmare that they are. Really, this lot saying the pensioners are likely to be dead, or suffer memory loss if the current Tory Government cut their winter fuel allowance, free bus passes, the Christmas bonus and other pensioner benefits.
Arch Tory Dr Liam Pensioner-Deaths Fox should away off with his special advisor Adam Werritty and disappear from public presence. The guy is a disgrace to politics and a menace to the medical profession, and now it appears especially the old and frail. He disgusts me. Utterly.
Lord Adonis returns to the mothership.
link to archive.is
Thanks Socrates – I” have another look.
Great Scottish run – did anyone see a saltire?
Delighted to hear the pipes in some areas.
The National is far from perfect – but, no newspaper is.
However, I believe it is showing the rest of the print media the way ahead. It is produced by a small (I would say too-small) in-house team of production journalists, working with copy provided by freelances. This, I feel, is the way ahead, if print newspapers are to survive.
Greater resources being spent on it would help, but, in difficult circumstances, the team is doing a good job.
And with its Unique Seling Point – its pro-independence stance, it deserves to succeed.
Regarding Wee Eck booking flights as: “James T Kirk”. I have never seen media scorn being poured on another weel-kent public figure – “Charles Chester”.
Who he? Well you ight ask, but, “Charles Chester” is one of the names which his staff use to make restaurant or theatre bookings for HRH the Duke of Rothesay.
One of Prince Charles other titles is: Earl of Chester, hence: “Charles Chester”.
Never seen him getting abuse from the papers for using that title, funnily enough.
@ al-stuart @stoker
those two links say it all. Impoverish pensioners even more, and do it now. Then spend £5 b on London and the SE infrastructure.
Lord Adonis to lead the planning.
Laura Keunsberg seemed slightly taken aback, for once.
@Al-Stuart 2.53. Oh my Al, what a bunch of charmers these Tories are Eh.
I have to agree with you 100%. They seem to think we pensioners must all suffer from some form of collective dementia. Or worse than that, they hope a wheen o us will a be deid. Mind you, it seems that they’re trying to get rid of some o us by cutting the pittance that is the winter payment and Christmas bonus. To a lot of pensioners these sums are vital. It’s not as if the state pension gives you a life of luxury, it’s barely enough to live on. One of the lowest pensions in Europe if I remember correctly.
Well I’ve got news for them. There’s a lot of us and the majority of us will remember, and what’s more, we all turn out to vote, and it sure as hell won’t be for the Tories.
Nice to know that the lying, cheating, pensioner frightening creeps care so much about us.
Better together right enough.
The National isn’t perfect but I love Moodie Day in particular and always buy two copies daily, one for the house and one to be left in cafés, trains, buses to corrupt the young, OAPs and drivers of second-hand Fords.
I still thing the words under the title should simply have been “The Paper That Supports Scotland”: it makes it seem less of an SNP cheer-sheet.
Let’s see how the new editor gets on and cut him some slack.
Looking at the headlines of the papers lying beside The National makes you realise how utterly sick and twisted the MSM is: their “journalists” must be down at paedophile levels of public trust, particularly by the young, who never soil their hands with the tripe.
Apologies to tripe, by the way. It can be nutritional if cooked properly.
Well. One thing is very clear:
They are really really panicking…
And another thing….
O/T but it’s a long thread: the irony of PravdaVision4!
After a puff for Marr’s Cringefest “We(!!!) British: An Epic of Poetry” we hear the Big Question posed by the female Humphrys-type.
“Should we now support Wales in the World Cup?”
Zut alors!
Scotland, GTF.
A couple mump because Thomson bought their flat for £21,000 and sold it a year later for £75,000.
First …blame your estate agent or solicitor for telling you to accept the price of £21,000.
And secondly …blame yourselves for accepting £21,000.
Years ago, I bought my first house for £32,000 (which I then sold for £34,000 five years later. As one can see …no real difference in price …and it was a cracking one bedroom house with garden and driveway for a car). It was recently valued at £90,000.
I then bought a flat for £49,000 which I sold 7 years later for £108,000 (almost same length of time in each place). Selling price – huge difference!! Why? …Gordon Brown’s housing bubble!
Sorry, but prices go up …and sometimes fast! There are just as many folk out there now, who mortgaged themselves to the hilt and beyond, and are now sitting on ticking time bombs praying that interest rates never ever go up!
Thomson at this moment in time has been found guilty of nothing. I suspect that she won’t be found guilty of anything, as I am led to believe that the problem lies with another company.
This is just unionist rags believing at long last that they have something to nail the SNP on. And for folk to comment within articles griping about selling their house at £21,000 …That was you choice! You are the only ones to blame!! (shake my head)
Paul Hutcheon in The Herald front page now attempting to smear Ivan McKee. Ivan was a star of the Indy campaign and will be a great asset to thd SNP so naturally it is imperative to prevent this. Jackie Baillie demanding his demise.
I have had a quick scan thro’ the thread and like JLT etc can impart a story.
In early 90′ I put a bid in for a property but was put bid. I skid-addled on holiday but on my return received a Tel call from my solicitor asking if I would still be interested.
The higher bidder deal had collapsed or something , clearly we were not privy to the detail.
Seller needed a quick sale , can I conclude quickly & what could I offer .
Fact ! The higher bidder offered £250k I was now offering under £150k my offer was accepted sale concluded . I would think everyone was happy , were they not ?
Or am I another effin bandit ?
Later in the 90’s A neighbour has an interest in part of the property so we had it valued to see if we could agree. It came in at £350k ( only a few years after my sub £150k purchase)
Ok I’m not in MT league but my point is, there are multiple parameters effecting the value of a product, especially property. To make any judgement ALL facts need to be in full view not the sketchy outline I lay out above.
So would I not bother putting myself forward to represent politically ?
The Telegraph, Times, Sun, Mail, Express, Scotsman, Herald are all owned by tax evading Non Doms who should not have their hands on the Press. Mirror/Record are blatant Unionist. The Guardian is run by Oxford Graduates making vast salaries. The Independent, Scotsman/Herald, no one reads in Scotland. Most of them are nonsense. The pork sausage had a ‘D’ notice placed on it or a warning. Not a squirm but sizzling away in the background. The alcoholic and the drug sidekick are ruining the UK economy so they can abuse public finances to benefit their associates and family. Illegally killing people at home and away.
There is no money fo public services the Tories have cut tax in the rest of the UK.
Labour raised £600Billion in tax and borrowed £120Billion. (@ Bateman £150Billion) = £720Billion
The Tories are raising £466Billion and are borrowing £90Billion = £556Billion
Scotland raises £54Billion Get’s £50Billion? Back. Cut Trident, a tax in ‘loss leading’ drink, stop illegal wars/tax evasion and Scotland would be £10Billion a year better off. Enough to eradicate poverty and have a happy, prosperous more equal society. It just needs a 5% swing and support for Indepence is rising. The National /Sunday Herald is good for those without Internet, and gives an alternative view.
The rest of the UK pro rata raises £39Billion and borrows £90Billion more. The Tories have ruined the Scottish Oil sector losing thousands of jobs. It is still taxed at 55% despite the price falling nearly half. Putting up the balance of payments deficit, more oil has to be imported. (Foreign) Multinationals are making vast profits and tax evading through the City of London. The largest tax evasion capital in the world, created by Thatcher. The tax laws are not being enforced by UK government.
Nothing in life is certain but two things I do know, the National is a pro Indy paper and I will keep buying it and I will never again vote for any Unionist party no matter what colour they are wearing.
Can’t believe all the reports re plastic bags today on telly,the charge has been around for ages but seems it only becomes news when it arrives in the largest of the family of nations.
Now if you want a real story about “old people being taken for suckers” there’s a doozy of an announcement by the taxpayers alliance under the headline Cut pensioners benefits immediately. “Ministers should waste no time to make unpopular cuts to pensioner benefits, a think tank director has said.
Many of those hit by a cut to the winter fuel allowance might “not be around” at the next election, said Alex Wild of the Taxpayers’ Alliance.
And others would forget which party had done it, he added. and how about these various thoughts from alliance member Liam Fox “We have a broken opposition. We have just won a general election and we need now to take the tough decisions we believe are right.” “We need to do what we all know deep in our hearts to be right.” “Older people would understand the need for cuts to their benefits to help the next generation, he suggested.”
Scandalous really. Nicola should ask Ruthie if she agrees with this conservative outfit! link to tinyurl.com
Funny how quickly media forget,
Labour millionaires, Lord Darling house flips, snorting Tories & freeloading Bra Peers. Fire starters etc.
So business interest & frollicking ok. But where SNP concerned fair game to smear any or all for unsubstantiated, anon allegations. So typical of Scot brit UKOK
@Al-Stuart 2.53.
Having read this I wonder if someone would ask Ruthie tank commander if she goes along with this a good question for FMQs I would think,at 77 I am one of the oldies but my kids will still have a vote.
Lord Adonis to resign Labour whip and chair George Osborne’s infrastructure body
In a coup to be announced by chancellor at conference, Tony Blair’s former policy chief is to advise on projects such as Crossrail 2, HS3 and power stations
Monday, rancid The Graun. Red tory changes colour, shock. Graun dude with this stuff also very big hammer of the Scots, says its Osborne will seek to portray the Tories as the real “workers’ party” in his speech to the Tory conference.
All of their giant projects have absolutely nothing whatsoever to Scotland, except taking Scots money. Maybe first class HS2,3 will have tartan shag pile carpets, to remind everyone who’s boss of teamGB.
Here, have a read of this – pop-up free
link to democraticaudit.com
Radio Sc…..d going with, “Should MPs/MSPs have a second job?”
The opening gambit was to mention the Michelle Thompson story and then keep mentioning property holding I suppose with the hope that someone will pick up the baton and beat Michelle Thompson over the head with it.
Skillfully they have turned it around, as I thought they would, to discuss Thompson.
Michael White and Kevin McKenna as guests says it all.
Let the hatchet job commence.
It seems Scottish business is under scrutiny, faux claims,we are not allowed practices used and accepted across the UK.
We are always wrong, or rather made to feel we are wrong.
Everything in Brigadoon is bad, all to encourage the cringe.
Latest attacks on Bfs is just the latest in bitter together thinking. We just need to ignore and ride it out. We can, as we are now aware of how they work.
However,we need to scrutiny of the Slab hierarchy and the dodgy stuff they have been involved in. I am sure there is much to pick from.
We need to compile a list with links to prove just as the Rev does, and get it out to social media.That would be a start.
Also looks like toryboy world’s learnt something from Norway and their near on trillion dollar state oil pension fund. We have toryboy Sir Ian Wood’s billions to admire too
“In his speech, Osborne will announce that he will encourage the 89 local authority pension funds to invest in infrastructure projects by pooling their resources into half a dozen British Wealth Funds. They will each control assets of more than £25bn.”
Everybody missed the point. All attacks henceforth, including this one, are going to be from that quasi-moralistic left wing perspective. It’s all part of the Corbyn package; they get to pretend they are on the left and have souls and concerns for silly things like democracy and the plight of the working classes…
We’ve got about 2 years of this nonsense, get used to it.
O/T
This made me laugh.
Just had an email from 38 degrees asking me to sign a petition to save the BBC 😕
Seriously! apparently George and David are planning to destroy the glorious institution that we all know and love by putting in adverts! golly we can’t have that can we.
Geez
Surely Klingon names are the reserve of *LAB?
Giant English infrastructure investment gets new blue Lord Adonis and partner Lady Narcissus, hopefully.
In their Scotland region, red tory britnats fight the good fight
Duncan Hothersall ?@dhothersall 13 mins13 minutes ago
So this week we’ve seen evidence suggesting SNP Chief Exec Peter Murrell worked together with Business For Scotland. @ElectoralCommUK aware.
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Duncan Hothersall Retweeted
Neil Lovatt (1845) ?@neiledwardlovat 2 hrs2 hours ago
So @Ivan_McKee link to heraldscotland.com …
buys through EISM properties
Paid £325,640, wonder what the sellers got?
Duncan Hothersall ?@dhothersall 14 mins14 minutes ago
If this investigation is conducted on the timeframe of the #MichelleThomson one, we should expect official action some time around 2019.
Scotland will have come home to SLabour by 2019 and then teamGB will be happy again in Scotland, run by SLabour, the honest party, after they;ve bayoneted everyone that made any money from selling houses and flats.
@ Angra Mainyu.
Spot on. The Tartan Tories meme getting dusted down for the run up to May. The SNP Press dept really should grow a pair. I doubt just soaking it all up will work this time. Why aren’t seasoned operators like Hosie and Wishart forcing themselves on air.
Call Kaye a bloodbath. Had to switch off pronto with McKenna touting SNP MPs should be in sack cloth and ashes if they are truly left wing tosh. Many SNP supporters will be disappointed blah blah. Subtle as a brick from auntie.
Great British news of the day via The Graun-
“Adonis will say: “Without big improvements to its transport and energy systems, Britain will grind to a halt. I am pleased to accept the chancellor’s invitation to establish the National Infrastructure Commission as an independent body able to advise government and parliament on priorities.
“Major infrastructure projects like Crossrail and building major new power stations span governments and parliaments. I hope it will be possible to forge a wide measure of agreement, across society and politics, on key infrastructure requirements for the next 20 to 30 years, and the assessments which have underpinned them.”
and
“Alex Salmond barred from BA flight after booking as Star Trek captain
Former Scottish first minister caused confusion at Heathrow after using sci-fi alias to book seat but was eventually allowed to boldly go aboard”
Are they trying to tell Scotland something UKOK?
Whether Ms Thomson is guilty of any wrong doing I don’t know, but the attack on her from the press.
Just shows how these rags will created facts out of thin air.
If the police do find any evidence against Mr Gilbride, this will only encourage the press and the attacks will become even more sustained and intense.
SNP are on the back foot on this again. Not the first time. Need to nip it in the bud. How do you do that?
You put the heat on some other unionist MSP’s and make them sweat. Maye they are working on it. However the press have had 5 free days to write what they want.
@Colin Church
I’m not sure Mr McKenna has grasped the fact that the SNP aren’t actually Labour with a new set of clothes yet. They are, if anything, centre left social democrats, but certainly nowhere near the socialist left. They have a good crop of socially left leaning policies which folk can get behind, but I don’t think they’re out to take on the evils of runaway world capitalism anytime soon. 😀
Perhaps Mr McKenna would like them to simply become an old socialist left Labour of the kind he himself would feel at home with, but that simply isn’t going to happen for him. They are who they are and so long as they have our best interests at heart and try do do some good in the world, that should be enough you’d think.
Calm doon, calm doon, calm doon! Relax with a good filum: link to grousebeater.wordpress.com
SNP National Conference Aberdeen 15-17 October 2015.
I think this shit is all designed to take the edge off of the SNP Conference in Aberdeen next week.
My professional opinion of Kevin McKenna is that he is just another vastly over rated Red Tory Wanker. (IMHO)
He is now a firm favourite with BBC Scotland and STV, the same as that other wee piece of shit Paul Hutcheon. (IMHO)
Neil Hay was slaughtered for supposedly making remarks about pensioners memory failings.
Today,it comes out as Potential Government policy to use their failing memory as a good reason to deprive them of allowances.
You could not make this shit up,
The Tory press previously had success with a “smear
campaign ” at the GE , hence the sole Westminster
labour MP.
Perhaps the strategy is now to repeat this for
Holyrood next year against certain candidates/ MSP’s over the
next 7 months with an overall aim of discrediting the SNP
in the eyes of the electorate.Hopefully the Scottish public
can “see through” this.
Crossrail cost £Billions to get bankers from Canary Wharf to Heathrow 20mins quicker. The vulnerable are killed and starved to death.
HS2 A non stop train from London to Manchester will cost £70Billion? (borrowed Chinese money – repayments) Despite high fare sit will always be subsided, No enough customer base. Itwill make journeys throughout Britain longer. China large mass, pop 1.2Billion needs bullet trains and can afford them.
Japan pop 100Million land mass. The most highly densely pop in the world needs bullet trains and can afford them.
There will be more road journey’s (cheaper) in the congested London S/E and more flights in the north (dearer)
Nuclear energy will be subsidised 50% higher than any other fuel. Leading to higher comparable energy prices. It will cost £Billions more pro rata. Nuclear plants built in France and Finland (7 years) were years late and over budget. Where will the waste go. Near the sea. The most costly and dangerous. The Japanese nuclear plant disaster cost the economy £Billions.
Osbourne and his associates will rake off £Million/Billions from these catastrophic projects. Increasing the National debt. Just like the Royal Mail pension fund and the RBS sell off. Brother-in -law and best man banker friends made £Millions in consultation and fees. Osbourne’s fathlaw in law is a consultant on HS2 making £Millions.
The only new rail line built in the rest of the UK has been built from London to Oxford, Cameron’s constituency.
@Al-Stuart says: 5 October, 2015 at 3:21 am:
“The guy is a disgrace to politics and a menace to the medical profession, and now it appears especially the old and frail. He disgusts me. Utterly.
Actually, Al-Stuart, Alex Wild is much more than, “a disgrace to politics and a menace to the medical profession”, he is a total disgrace to normal human beings as is former defence secretary, Liam Fox who says these inhuman Tory spending cuts must be, “for keeps”.
Of course any long term student of politics knows this has really been Tory Policy since ever there has been a Tory party. The difference is they are now being openly backed by both the Red and Yellow Tories of Labour and the LibDems.
The real truth is they that this is the whole rotten elitist structure that is, “The Establishment”, of the Kingdom of England who have always been at the roots of everything since ever we had a written history
They are more like the fictitious alien lifeforms from Dr Who – Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!
Look at history and the big picture shows the rich and powerful have always been there and have always though of their underlings as of less value than their prized animals. Modern slavery is not unknown in the United Kingdom of today.
North – Correct- They tried it and Murray is an MP because it worked. However it had the opposite effect on Mhairi Black. Remember Celticgate.
It depends on the area and people in the constituency. Do you think Edinburgh West residents are bothered about someone making profits on a flat. I doubt it!
People are boycotting the Herald. Should that include the National?
Anyone who voted NO now scanning this page, remember these words and and who said them. Burn these statements into your memory.
‘When people vote on Thursday they are not just voting for themselves, but for their children and grandchildren and the generations beyond.’
‘And you know what makes us truly great? It’s not our economic might or military prowess – it’s our values. British values. Fairness. Freedom. Justice.
The values that say wherever you are, whoever you are, your life has dignity and worth. The values that say we don’t walk on by when people are sick, that we don’t ask for your credit card in the hospital, that ,we don’t turn our backs when you get old and frail.’
That we don’t turn a blind eye or a cold heart to people around the world who are desperate and crying out for help.
‘Business as usual’ is not on the ballot paper. The status quo is gone. This campaign has swept it away. There is no going back to the way things were.
A vote for No means real change and we have spelled that change out in practical terms, with a plan and a process.
It really is the best of both worlds and it’s the best way to get real change and secure a better future for your children and grandchildren.
And speaking of family – that is quite simply how I feel about this.
We are a family. The United Kingdom is not one nation. We are four nations in a single country.’ David Cameron
Well? Do you feel part of the family yet? Do you think the likes of Cameron will ever deliver a safer, more secure future for young and old?
Its not too late and we can change this, but you’re going to have to help us.
Excellent National today with a very thoughtful (and amusing) contribution from Kevin McKenna and good stuff from George Kerevan and Carolyn Leckie, not to mention a Salmond profile.
It doesn’t seem to matter how often out is pointed out that the Herald and the National are different newspapers run independently of each other with different editors and different political positions which happen to be owned by a very large publishing company which owns hundreds of very different newspapers some people seem determined to confuse the two.
Robert Peffers
hypocracy?
“I understand that the SNP policy is, laudably, to end “right to buy”. Ms Thomson’s website for Your Property Shop (until it disappeared into the ether) praised the financial opportunities presented by that very policy”.
So?
Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear. Ms Thompson’s website extols the virtues of the right-to-buy policy while the official SNP policy is to abolish it.
Do you see nothing contradictory in that?
The article is excellent. The comments from the commentators though are knowledgeable, sharp, gold nuggets, priceless! I promise I will get some work done today !
O/T links
link to bravemany.com
link to ponsonbypost.com
link to nicholaswilson.com
link to thehighlandtimes.com
@Dave McEwan Hill
Yes, Keven McKenna is an asset, as is Iain McWhirter. Neither of them started YES, and both of them are unpredictable. But by being so they can speak to the undecideds and soft NOes as consistent strong YESsers can’t. Because they have their doubts and their niggles, same as the people they’re “talking” to.
@Colin Church says: 5 October, 2015 at 9:59 am:
” … I doubt just soaking it all up will work this time. Why aren’t seasoned operators like Hosie and Wishart forcing themselves on air.”
Perhaps, Colin, it may be because these excellent, wise and seasoned campaigners know just a little more than you and, “Angra”, about political strategy. In that you do not change a winning strategy but you also, “Never interrupt your opponent when they are doing something wrong”.
Allow me to explain it for you both as you seem not to understand the situation as it stands at this moment.
The SNP are presently winning the political arguments throughout Scotland. Only last week they won all bar one by-elections. With the odd one NOT going to any of the Unionist parties.
In the recent GE the Unionist Parties only manage to retain a single seat each and of those three winners one is in court with his political career in doubt and one of the others probable implicated in that court case. The other is a Labour Guy elected in a traditional Tory Constituency by Tory voters mistakenly attempting to tactically vote.
Clearly the Unionist backing media attacks are not working for the Establishment parties and the electorate are rejecting both the Unionists and their propaganda.
So, as Napoleon said, “Never interrupt your opponent when he is doing something wrong”.
Then there is the danger, if the SNP MPs act in the same manner as the Establishment, they may get the same treatment of, “Cold Shoulder”, presently reserved only for the Unionist dirty tricks.
“Call Kaye a bloodbath. Had to switch off pronto with McKenna touting SNP MPs should be in sack cloth and ashes if they are truly left wing tosh. Many SNP supporters will be disappointed blah blah. Subtle as a brick from auntie.”
Exactly, Colin, they are not getting believed except by either those who actually know it is crap but support it anyway or who are terminally stupid. Furthermore, as the opinion polls keep moving to show the support for independence keeps growing, their propaganda has become counter productive.
Whatever the ins & oots of this Thompson business is, it needs fixing & fixing quick!
Yes, The National was good today, particularly Moodie.
I thought the small article on Denis Healey was also entertaining, reminding us how one-dimensional are the career politicians who go straight into Westminster from Oxbridge.
This reminded me of his photographers joke. Two guys discussing their Turkish holiday.
” I saw this pathetic old beggar in the souk in Istanbul: thin as a rake, clothes in rags, saying, ‘Alms, effendi, alms for the love of Allah.’ It was awful, simply heart-rending.”
“So what did you give him?”
“1/125th of a second at f5.6.”
Don’t blame me, blame “Silly Billy”. It IS the end of the thread, you know.
Colin Church, Robert Peffers
There is perhaps another reason for Pete Wishart remaining silent – disapproval.
His view, and fair play to him on this, is “I believe that being a Member of Parliament is a full-time job. In fact, we have got two jobs: we have our responsibilities in this House, and then we have our obligations to our constituents. … The suggestion that this can be combined with a second job with outside earnings is something I believe our constituents would find very difficult to accept.”
And he went on to say … “No SNP Member has a second job, a directorship or a place on a company.” Well meant but now obviously incorrect.
@Bob Mack says: 5 October, 2015 at 10:23 am:
” … Today, it comes out as Potential Government policy to use their failing memory as a good reason to deprive them of allowances.
The Tories are getting mentally thicker as they get older and the actual facts stare the idiots in the face. They base their policy upon their idiotically wrong perception of elderly people. The Tory view is quite obviously that all older people are rather like their former idol, Auld Maggie. Who went doo-lally and had the memory span of an amoeba.
The truth, at least in Scotland, is that only a tiny proportion of the elderly are inmates of nursing homes, retirement homes or sheltered housing.
The vast majority live in their own, or rented, homes and form by far the largest proportion of the voluntary sector of charitable workers and child minders throughout Scotland.
“… You could not make this shit up.”
Oh! I certainly could make it up, but I’m not that bloody stupid.
Just caught the end of Daily Politics, and their vox pop on Europe from the Tory Conference.
A lot of these delegates scare me – and I played in Ayrshire junior football, before turning to rugby and playing against Scotland’s “Mean Machine” pack of the 1970s.
I don’t scare easily, but, these Tories – very, very scary people.
The UK Press.
The Media Reform Coalition published on 24th April 2014.
‘The Elephant In The Room’.
An extract:-
“The ownership of national newspapers remains concentrated in just a few large companies: 70% of the UK national market is controlled by just three companies (News UK, Daily Mail and General Trust, and Trinity Mirror), with Rupert Murdoch’s News UK fully holding a third of the entire market share.”
“55% of national radio listenership is held by the BBC’s channels, however news content for almost all commercial radio stations is provided by Sky News, giving them 43% of the national audience share for radio.”
Thoroughly worrying news,and should be a wake-up call to many NO voters in last year’s Scottish referendum. 🙁
Phil the Bitter Pill: “No SNP Member has a second job, a directorship or a place on a company.” Well meant but now obviously incorrect.
Shares in a company are altogether different from active participation in a company.
Phil the Bitter Pill: Ms Thompson’s website extols the virtues of the right-to-buy policy while the official SNP policy is to abolish it. Do you see nothing contradictory in that?
No. Because you exaggerate to make false claim, that is to say, you’re lying. Estate agents tend to encourage the purchase of property. Government policy on what used to be council houses is another matter.
If you followed Thatcher’s dictum and bought your council house, invariably it’s unsalable now because of the area it’s in, and the neighbours around it. You are trapped.
So don’t shovel us any more of your bullshit.
Thanks for the Ponsonby link, Nana.
A great article.
Come the revolution…..
Worth repeating:
Peffers: “The SNP are presently winning the political arguments throughout Scotland. Only last week they won all bar one by-elections. With the odd one NOT going to any of the Unionist parties.”
It’s not as if there’s another political party putting Scotland’s interests before all else.
Thanks Rev that is a fantastic piece on the state of the press, but we should continue to post on their websites, throw the truth into their faces, we need to reach out to no voters constantly. as great as the temptation is to retract into self congratulatory corners, that won’t help the cause. Personally i posted on the scotsman but the negativity and bile and madness of some unionists was frightening, but post we must!
The Sunday Herald telling lies about SNP. Shocker.
Clue’s in the name folks. 1 day a week nationalists? Don’t buy it.
I believe the problem the SNP HQ has, is it does issue press statements but the press don’t always publish them.
I for one would certainly like to know how many Labour Tory and Libdem politicians have bought their houses at tax payers expense.
How many MPs rented out their home while claiming housing allowance for another property they own.
And how many of those politicians who lost their seats or retired from politics sold their taxpayer paid homes profited financially when they sold these homes?
Sorry that should be profited when they sold their taxpayer paid homes.
Ian Brotherhood,
“I remember asking Rev (via Twitter) if he’d do a column for the National if approached and he replied almost immediately saying ‘why not?’.
We must presume that they haven’t approached him.”
Does that not make you wonder why they haven’t approached him?
The top most and most popular pro-independence investigative reporter in the country, publishing fantastic articles every day, not being invited to write a regular column in Scotland’s only “independence supporting” newspaper?
Buy the National to keep the Herald alive.
Phil Robertson says:
5 October, 2015 at 11:31 am
Robert Peffers
hypocracy?
“I understand that the SNP policy is, laudably, to end “right to buy”. Ms Thomson’s website for Your Property Shop (until it disappeared into the ether) praised the financial opportunities presented by that very policy”.
So?
Robert- Ian Murray and Jeremy Corbyn got voted in with an
Anti-Trident Banner, the Labour Party majority ARE keeping this appalling waste of limited funds.
Do you see any contradiction in this?
Scotland has never voted for a Tory Government in the last 60 years, but for 40 years they have had a Tory government.
Do you see any contradiction in this?
The £Millionaire leaders of the Tory Party are having to make “Tough” Decisions? It isn’t tough on them, not one bit, it is hard on the pensioners who worked all their lives and hard working families who are pre-cuts, having to use food banks.
Can you see any contradiction in this.
You are a grumbling troll Sir!
If you have the misfortune of becoming an invalid, a lonely pensioner, or have mental health issues, you will be on your knees begging for a fair and just society.
Oh, FFS STV!
Bernard Ponsonby warns ominously this is not going away. Even trot out Ian Murray with the big smelly smeary stick.
@Colin Church
True. Although he was careful to make distinction that it was Thomson’s lawyer under Police investigation and not her personally.
REV Says…we have no idea whether Michelle Thomson has done anything wrong or not”
That should tell everyone something, if REV Stuart has not been able to find proof of wrong doing.
The rest are just repeating lies spun by the first paper to break this non story. If there IS a story involving Michelle Thomson, I will believe it when it is printed on this blog.
Let this be a warning to Scotland. If they can abolish the Northern Ireland Assembly – which rests in part on an international agreement between the UK and the Republic and is registered at the UN, what’s is there to stop them abolishing the Scottish Parliament and reintroducing ‘Direct Rule’ from London at some future date?
link to theguardian.com