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The Unrefuteables

Posted on February 25, 2015 by

On the left below is part of a Scottish Labour election leaflet that’s currently being put through Scottish letterboxes, featuring an alleged quote from an alleged NHS Scotland nurse identified as “Suzanne” from Clackmannanshire.

On the right is the CastingNow profile of an actress named only as “Suzanne” from Clackmannanshire, who describes herself by saying: “I’m very good at making people believe things which aren’t true hence why I’ve always been told to pursue acting.”

suzanne

While they have very similarly-shaped faces and features, we have no idea whether the two Suzannes are the same person or if it’s just a strange and potentially amusing coincidence. But the point is, there’s no way of finding out.

Labour Suzanne doesn’t talk much like a normal person. She talks, curiously enough, exactly like a political party leaflet. She appears in her NHS uniform, something that numerous NHS employees have told us is not permitted for real nurses because it would link NHS Scotland itself to a party-political campaign.

(We haven’t yet been able to find out for sure if such actions are banned, partly because NHS Scotland weirdly doesn’t seem to have a website, but it’d be unusual for any public-sector employee to be allowed to promote a party while in uniform. While not specifically prohibiting politics, the Scottish NHS dress code does stipulate that staff should in general not wear their uniform off-duty.)

Neither of our two Suzannes has a surname, making them difficult to verify, although Labour’s ostensibly shows her face so it can’t be in order to protect her identity. Nowhere on the leaflet does it suggest that the photo has been posed by an actress. And we know that the law permits political parties to lie freely in election literature.

So it would be perfectly possible for Scottish Labour to have put an actress in an NHS uniform, invented a completely fake quote for her to say, and put it on a leaflet to create the impression that NHS staff backed Labour, all without ever admitting that not a single word of it was actually true.

We haven’t a clue whether that’s the case here or not. But we suspect we’re not alone in being disturbed by the fact that if it was we’d have no way of knowing. Alone among advertisers, political parties can invent fake people out of thin air, create opinions for them, and pass them off as being absolutely real without any fear of detection.

(Unless they make a completely incompetent arse of it, of course.)

It’s an odd way to run a democracy. We can only hope that if Labour ever finds itself in a position to implement Jim Murphy’s “1000 more nurses than however many the SNP say” pledge, none of them will be imaginary.

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Auld Rock

Never, ever forget PHOTO-SHOP.

Auld Rock

Findlay Farquaharson

“oh suzanna, dont you lie for me”

auldmcintosh

I do believe this young woman might be the same one that was in a number of Scottish Labour adverts on the BBC she was always “front and centre” I wonder if her tax returns show her employment by the branch office.

Author_Al

Having family working for NHS Scotland I can categorically say that politics and work are not allowed to mix. Those I know who want to have a voice go online and use the likes of twitter to express their views, but with pseudonyms to preserve anonymity. The Indy Ref was a definite case in point where it was expressed by some in NHS management – verbally at least – that no reference to Independence views could be made, and thus it was frowned on at work – regardless of political allegiances.

Joseph Robinson

As laughable as this is, and its no surprise really, there will be many people out there that will believe it.

Its websites like this that tell the true story of Scottish politics and its this content right here within this site that we must get out there.

So “the people” being lied to, can see the truth and the true nature of the politicians in Scotland.

I say to you all that connect and read this website, that we all everyone of us have a duty to our communities to make sure the information they get is correct, only when we have such info, can we collectively be empowered to make a positive difference in our society.

WE JUST CANNOT AFFORD TO ALLOW THESE PEOPLE TO MOCK US ANYMORE.

[…] On the left above is part of a Scottish Labour election leaflet currently being put through Scottish letterboxes, featuring an alleged quote from an alleged NHS Scotland nurse identified as “Suzanne” from Clackmannanshire.  […]

Joemcg

Surely only a matter of time that the truth will come out about this “nurse” and her identity.

Fred

I’ve just had this Jim Murphy leaflet through the door, the first of the campaign, printed in Essex strangely! & promising, “no more 12 hour waits on a trolley for treatment”.

Bugger (the Panda)

So, that is the way Jim Smurphy will be able so easily to get his 1,000 extra, extra, extra nurses, Central Casting.

All of them virtual, like Jim’s brain and his party’s policies.

Grouse Beater

Like the non-attributable Vow, Complaining Nurse may well be fiction from the fevered imagination of a disgruntled Labour spin doctor.

Barry Blust

Way passed time for medical care to be banned from all political rhetoric. The NHS/Scotland needs ring fenced funding and the rest up to the professionals who serve us every day. No one in politics should be speaking for or against the NHS. It must be locked in place and allowed to flourish.

Tony Little

The curious case of the nurse that didn’t work in the night (shift).

I don’t think there is an answer to the broken beyond repair political/constitutional system we now have in the UK. MPs can lie with little resource, they can abuse their positions with little recourse (even getting “elevated” to the Lords as some form of compensation) and they can apparently propagandise on a totally false premise and our “democratic” system allows it – even encourages it.

If we had a remotely serious media then these liars and chancers could at least be brought to book in the court of public opinion, but this we do not have. (While I applaud the National, this kind of story should be a gift to a genuinely pro-Scottish paper. But like other similar stories over recent days, it seems strangely reluctant to have a real go at UK Labour in Scotland. Old habits die hard, it seems)

There is no solution to this except to continue to applaud your efforts and those of other online media, but against the mountain of the pro-Unionist bias (especially the BBC) it remains a daunting task.

Thanks Rev. power to your keyboard

Nation Libre

I see there’s a ‘contact me’ on her profile. I’m sure you have Rev, but just in case, has anyone asked her?

Stoker

Here you go folks, the contact details for Forth Valley NHS Complaints & Compliments.

Lets find out how genuine “Suzanne” is!
link to nhsforthvalley.com

Lets give “Suzanne” and The Labour Party a headache, flood NHS Forth Valley with enquiries/complaints.

Bob Mack

I have already posted on another site, my contempt for Labours current attack on the N.H.S..They have not just weaponised the Health Setvice ,but they are well on the way to demonising the N.H.S. and all its staff ,we so value.Tawdry politics,with no foundation in fact.

Kenny

If you’ve found her casting profile, why not just contact her and ask her?

However, do be prepared to get hauled up on Scotland 2015 for MONSTERING AN INNOCENT ASPIRING ACTRESS. How dare you, “Reverend” Campbell, lead this brutal, unprovoked attack by your CYBERNAT TERROR ARMY on someone just for expressing an opinion that’s been bought and paid for by the SCOTTISH Labour Party?

john king

If you look at both pictures you will see on the actress picture the girl has a mole, look at the nurse picture you will see a smudge where the mole is on the other picture, badly airbrushed!

Roger Mexico

But the problem is that if SLab are prepared (and allowed) to lie about the girl’s occupation and views, why didn’t they just invent a name for her as well? The whole point about actors is that they appear as characters not under their own names.

Even when you do the ‘posed by models’ thing (and if caught out, anyone with an ounce of cunning would just claim that’s what they meant to put), you don’t put the model’s name on the shot.

So it’s either a coincidence or those running Scottish Labour are even more awesomely stupid then we imagined.

MolliBlum

Got mine through the letterbox today… tucked neatly inside was a same-size Dominos Pizza leaflet offering superduper deals on stuffed-crust pizzas, doughnuts and fizzy drinks — well, that’s a diet that should keep the NHS busy!

No no no...Yes

My leaflet arrived this morning. Just like its content it’s too slippery for any other useful purpose.

Perhaps this actor is in the BBC’s Casualty drama, which is appropriate given Labour’s prognosis for the GE.

ronnie anderson

Westminster pantomime show due to begin with Scottish Questions

Stoker

If you go to a recent article, done here on WOS by the Rev, i think you’ll see a picture containing Dim Jim, Squint Eastwood and our actress friend (who appears in the photo at the top of this article).

I’d put money on them being the very same person.

Have a look, what do you think?

Morag

Do you remember the iconic “Labour isn’t working” poster in 1979?

link to upload.wikimedia.org

Now I can’t see how anyone could possibly imagine the people in that posed queue, quite obviously symbolic rather than actual, and none of them identified in any way, were actually unemployed people queuing for the dole. However.

‘When the poster was released, the way the photo was taken was leaked and Labour’s Denis Healey criticised it in the House of Commons by claiming the people in it were not genuinely unemployed and said that the Conservatives were “selling politics like soap-powder”.’ (Wikipedia)

Apparently the people in the photo were about 20 Young Conservatives who had volunteered to help with the mock-up, and as there weren’t enough of them it was photoshopped to show each one more than once.

I never really saw what was so reprehensible about that. It was a symbolic dole queue, obviously, not a real one. But Labour made a huge fuss about its being faked, and the people in it not being genuinely unemployed.

Now look. Whether or not that photo is the actress in question, and I’m inclined to think that it is, it can’t be a real NHS employee for the reasons Wings points out. It’s “posed by an actress”, inevitably.

Labour were outraged about a few Tory activists helping create a symbolic poster, with no false claims of the identity of any individual. How can they defend this, now?

Stoker

Sorry, should have included details of previous article i was referring to. It appeared on WOS on the 15th Feb 2015 and was titled; An apology to Scottish Labour.

PRJ

As a nurse within the NHS you are not alowed to promote political view points as a registered nurse. This breaks so many rules including the NMC the nurse regoritry athority.
This person could face displinery action and investigation for her action.

dennis mclaughlin

In this ‘phoney war’period Propaganda is King.

the way things stand it’s like fighting Cassius Clay with one hand tied behind your back…

I am fed up to the back teeth with this softly softly approach of the SNO Government in dealing with the a avalanche of bullshit from ScotLab.

I really am despairing because this is a re-run of Indyref,and although I supported the YES campaign their ‘don’t frighten the horses’ was no match for Lies Inc Westminster..

I’m away fur a liedoon noo..

Grouse Beater

How many hospitals in Clackmannanshire? Can’t be many that would that require more than a day to phone check.

An e-mail to the head of the hospital complaining a nurse breaks the non-politically partisan regulation is enough to find out truth from fiction.

Another hard working single mom? Actress fake more likely.

(Shum detective work needed. Editor.)

Desimond

(adopts smarmy Blair McD voice)
Oh Rev, looks like you have jumped right in with the size 8 doc martens again.

Look:

She says
“Working as a nurse”

She does not say an NHS nurse. She does not state she is a nurse in the NHS. She doesnt say what type of nurse. She could in fact be an actor working as a nurse in a role taken from that statement of simple fact.

“I see the strain our NHS is under”

We all see the strain of our national ( not nationalist) institution is under thanks to the excellent daily coverage from the BBC and the worthy FOI requests sent constantly from a BBC based Labour Party afficianado

Please not all requests to equate the claim about inadequate resources in a devolved NHS with a Get the Labour Party into Westminster will be rebuffed

scotspine

Will the real Suzanne please stand up, please stand up?…..

Training Day

@Stoker

That looks like Red Tory MP Gemma Doyle in the picture you mention.

Morag

What Roger said is what I was thinking too. Why the bloody blue blazes put the model’s name on the leaflet? I go with the second explanation. “…. those running Scottish Labour are even more awesomely stupid then we imagined.”

That they did this is pretty much proof that the whole thing is imaginary. If they had a real nurse who didn’t want her picture shown, they’d have used her name. It’s only the Christian name, so unless she was called Euphemia-Esmeralda or something like that, she still couldn’t be identified.

Do we have any investigative journalist prepared to research this and splash it in an actual newspaper? So that it might get picked up by the BBC or ITV? What a stupid question.

Will the SNP come down off its “positive campaign” high horse long enough to have a go at this? Our own WM candidate is a nurse. She’s aware of this because I tweeted it to her last night and she favourited the tweet. But I have a sinking feeling that attacking the lies and hypocrisy may be seen as “negative”.

So they’ll get away with it. Again.

One_Scot

OMG, it’s one after another, after another, after another.

It’s getting beyond the joke. How are they allowed to get away with constantly lying to and deceiving people.

Are they getting away with it, please someone tell me they’re not getting away with it. Please.

Bootsy81

Could a well placed Freedom of Information Request help she’d any light on things? Perhaps to an employer, or to Scottish Labour for payments to her agency, or even HMRC for some kind of info to trace her?

I’m afraid I’m nowhere near clued up enough to know where to direct such a request or exactly what to look for but maybe someone does? I’d have thought Labour would have records of how campaign funds are spent that may be available with a request?

Just a thought.

Mosstrooper

Has anyone else noticed the strange correlation between Slab spokespersons and the findings of Russian behavioural scientist Ivan Pavlov regarding conditioned stimulus?

It appears while Pavlov got his dog to salivate at the ringing of a bell. When Slab hear or refer to the SNP they sound like sheep.

Just say SNP and we get Baaad, Baaad, baaaaad baaa.. baaa.. BAAAAD! baad baad

Perhaps there is a Phd. awaiting a dissertation.

scotspine

Called Clackmannanshire NHS complaints (01324 566660).

They are in a meeting currently (I wonder why?)

It would be great if others called to complain…

dakk

I’m not sure people are really that interested in all the BBC Labour scaremongering about the NHS.

People say it’s the most important factor for voters etc but for many its just posturing to make them sound/look compassionate.The NHS is the usual mixture of good,bad and indifferent like any big organization,whether you throw money at it or not.

Not many people will judge any party with micromanaging the NHS and most people know just throwing money at it won’t work anyway.

Its a hackneyed and tedious line of campaigning which bores me rigid.

Stoker

“We’ve had some lovely feedback from our services users regarding the quality of care they’ve received from NHS Forth Valley.”
link to nhsforthvalley.com

And that, ladies & gentlemen, is straight from the horses mouth and flies in the face of the bullshit from Labour Sue.

Steve B

Stu: For info NHS Scotland website is scot.nhs.uk but I haven’t had enough time to search to see if it has the relevant info.

Bootsy81

@PRJ

While I’ve no wish to see a no doubt hard working nurse dragged over the coals for this (even if she is daft enough to vote Labour, or even genuine) where would we direct complaints to so we can get to the bottom of this?

In all honesty it’s Labour who should be punished, not the nurse. They should know better than to take advantage of NHS staff and put them in potentially career ending positions. The nurse may have assumed it was ok if a party told her it was. If she is indeed a nurse it’s a disgrace Labour have put her in the situation.

starlaw

the photo of the nurse on the leaflet has been taken in a studio, light reflections and shadow can be seen and there is no glass in the spectacles.

Stoker

If you go to a recent article, done here on WOS by the Rev, i think you’ll see a picture containing Dim Jim, Squint Eastwood and our actress friend (who appears in the photo at the top of this article).

I’d put money on them being the very same person.

Have a look, what do you think?

The previous article i am referring to appeared on WOS on the 15th Feb 2015 and was titled; An apology to Scottish Labour.

galamcennalath

Ah, that explains it. Murphy will hire actors to pretend to be nurses, 1000 of them. They will dress up in uniform and wander around hospitals so the casual observer sees all the ‘new staff’.

What a bunch of despicable scum bags Labour have become.

This story should be news headlines across all media. Oink, oink … Flap, flap.

Morag

Desimond, she’s wearing a uniform with the NHS Scotland logo on it. There’s no doubt they’re representing her as an NHS nurse.

Les Wilson

Where is the BBC hand in this, they are always going FOI to find ANYTHING they can twist , and I feel sure that they pass the findings on any trivial point, to rubbish our NHS and the SNP. There hand will be somewhere………….

cuteweenumber

@desimond

It is an NHS Scotland uniform she is wearing which would indicate that she IS employed by the NHS.

Rebecca Latchford

Well done for highlighting this, really there are no rules against lying on election material? Democracy is joke in the UK and the joke is on us and we don’t even know. Yes while I am sympathetic to someone above saying it will target this individual actress. No one is having a go at her, she is being paid to do a job, its the fact that a political organisation would lie and hence try and ultimately influence votes with non-truths. The woman while it will be unfortunate for her personally we cannot ignore this as we are talking about the foundations on which our countries governance is being based.

PRJ

NMC Guidelines:
Uphold the reputation of your profession

59. You must not use your professional status to promote causes that are not related to health
60. You must cooperate with the media only when you can confidently protect the confidential information and dignity of those in your care
61. You must uphold the reputation of your profession at all times

Lollysmum

John King
I agree I blew up both pictures to 200% zoom & you are right there is a smudge in exactly the same place as the mole on the other picture. Too much of a coincidence to not be the same person.

It would appear that there are no laws that apply to political parties or to members of HoC, HoL or for that matter any of the Establishment. The laws of the land only apply to us plebs.

gillie

I suspect that the real Suzanne will be ducking for cover.

If she is an actual NHS nurse she will face disciplinary procedures.

Is she is an actor then this is another almighty gaffe by Scottish Labour on the NHS.

Submit a complaint or a FOI to Forth Valley NHS.

PRJ

Uphold the reputation of your profession

59. You must not use your professional status to promote causes that are not related to health
60. You must cooperate with the media only when you can confidently protect the confidential information and dignity of those in your care
61. You must uphold the reputation of your profession at all times

Jamie Arriere

Say what you like about whether it’s the same person or not, but you can only deduce that the ‘nurse’ looks infinitely happier in her work than the ‘actress’

For the leaflet, she should have got petted-lip training from Kezia Dugdale.

If they are the same person. my goodness that actress has range!

BrianW

Funny. I thought nurses weren’t allowed to wear there uniforms outside work due to Infection Control Procedures (unless she then went onto wash it at 60 degrees or above, never to be worn again until she was in a ward environment – other wise Labour would be guilty of assisting in a breach of Infection Control – something for Eleanor Bradford surly to not investigate).

I’m also puzzled how the NHS would be happy for a member of their staff to be photographed in an NHS uniform pontificating Political Party Rhetoric. Have any other parties used this approach before using NHS Staff (real or fake)?

Ironic that she’s an actor and used to “..making people believe things which aren’t true..” Perfect for the Labour Party.

Not sure if linked. But I did hear that Glasgow City Council Staff were forbidden from showing any Referendum YES/no stuff – there were memo’s from up high (delivered directly from Gordon’s Linn Park Office – it had to be written down as no one could understand him mumbling with his mouth full) to all staff to check council vehicles for stickers etc – all this after a member of the public complained about a yes sticker on a van.

PRJ

NMC Guidlines:
Uphold the reputation of your profession

59. You must not use your professional status to promote causes that are not related to health
60. You must cooperate with the media only when you can confidently protect the confidential information and dignity of those in your care
61. You must uphold the reputation of your profession at all times

Stoker

@ scotspine (11.54pm)

Did you make sure they took your complaint and that they would get back to you?
____________

@ Bootsy81 (11.57pm)

Nobody wants to see a genuine hard working nurse get her erse kicked but the complaints to Forth Valley NHS are to ascertain whether or not “Suzanne” is a real nurse etc.

If not, then Labour are in so much dung the smell around them will last for decades.

If she is a genuine nurse then she deserves the boot for expressing political views while wearing her uniform, therefore aligning OUR NHS with a political party.

It’s against the rules, no ifs, buts or maybes.

All these professionals know the rules, they sign up to them when they sign their contracts of employment.

DavieC

“I played the lead in many school plays. Had to take a break when I got pregnant”

Lol. 🙂

Patrick Roden

As an ex-employee of the NHS, one of the biggest concerns and one that a lot of money was put into to rectify, was the spread of infections, in hospital wards.

One of the things that was causing problems was that although nurses may have been careful to wash hands etc, if they left the ward and returned they would pick up bacterias, from door handles etc.

Another issue was nurses wearing uniforms into the ward!

It was therefore an NHS policy that hands should be washed whenever you left the ward then returned and you should not wear uniforms to and from work.

I know Jackie Bailey has had a keen interest in cross contamination in Scotland’s NHS in the past, so I’m sure she will want to find out if this nurse has put her patients at risk?

Desimond

Cue tomorrows headlines / news coverage “Brave wee lassie target of nasty Cybernats!”

David

Eh Stuart they are definitely not the same girl sorry to say Suzanne actor I know personally and isn’t a labour supporter!

Desimond

Was the actress pregnant in school?

Best hope the tabloids dont pick this one up!

Muscleguy

And of course the much greater scandal over this leaflet is that it is a lie in another sense: the Scottish NHS is not at issue in the general election. So voting SLAB in the GE can have no bearing on the Scottish NHS.

So either SLAB are campaigning in Scotland on the English NHS or they are being highly dishonest with the voters.

Gordon Kirk

Scottish NHS web site: link to scot.nhs.uk

Patrick Roden

The picture’s are interesting, in as much as the Labour Nurse is wearing specks and has her hair tied back, and it’s remarkable how different a person looks when they have their hair-style changed.

So I looked carefully at the eye-brows, something that tends to be remarkably unique in people, yet something people who want to change a pictures appearance wouldn’t tend to think about.

Have a look and see what you think, they look exactly the same to me, so I’m convinced it’s the same person.

One_Scot

Seriously, can you imagine if the SNP tried to pull a low life stunt like this just once, BBC Scotland and the unionist rags would make it headline news for weeks, if not months.

Surely there must be laws to stop politically corrupt output from the unionist parties.

Dr Jim

Is she not just an ordinary housewife and mum?
If she’s not i would be truly shocked and horrified that the Labour Party could stoop to such duplicitous behaviour
in order to curry the favour of the uninformed voter by these nefarious methods
Sumdy needs tae fund oot hoo the bastirt is

Cuilean

‘Irrefutable’, Stu?

john king

I wonder if Eleanor Bradford has ever bothered her arse to look at the feedback from (real) patients,

The difference between Bradfords doom and gloom reports and peoples actual experiences you would think they were talking about two different countries.

Heres some REAL SNHS experiences

“THE BEST TREATMENT POSSIBLE”
“Hi I felt compelled to write this, after a short stay in your cardiology ward. where do I start, the care I received was first class, everyone took time to explain things, even the very very busy nurses took time to talk and explain things, make suggestions and basically go above the line of duty to make my stay even more comfortable.I felt these nurses all worked together, which I realised when my nurse was busy doing something, another came to my aid, this does not happen elsewhere !!! you normally have to wait until your nurse is available. 10/10 for care.

The place is spotless, It is cleaned to a high standard and kept that way 10/10 for cleanliness The meals are good, I honestly can say I am a fussy eater, but I always found something to eat and it was good, and there is always a cup of tea around.10/10 as far as Hospital meals go.

My wife was asked “can I not be moved closer to home” she replied ” no, he is having the best treatment possible where he is , why would I want to give that up to get him nearer home”

So It only remains for me to thank Sara, Mary and all at the cardiology ward, you are a credit to the NHS”

“FIRST CLASS”
“I recently suffered breathing problems due to a bad asthma attack and contacted Nhs 24 seeking medical attention, After a short few questions by the nurse I was made an appointment within 30 mins and referred to Forth valley Royal Out of Hours Department The staff were professional from the receptionist to the Lady Doctor who was first class and very concerned about my well being and couldn’t do enough for me.

Excellent service

Well done NHS”

“NOTHING HAS BEEN TOO MUCH TROUBLE FOR ANYONE”
“As a daily visitor in the past ten days to neonatal I have nothing but praise for every single person I have encountered from the domestic staff to the medical staff. Nothing has been too much trouble for anyone. It is a superb building but the wonderful people who work there make it a great hospital and made our difficult time so much more bearable.”

I have a question
why doesn’t Bradford report these comments?
Oh?

Stoker

Training Day says:
@Stoker
“That looks like Red Tory MP Gemma Doyle in the picture you mention.”
_______

TD,
Just looked up Doyle and your 100% correct.
😉

john king

Cool your jets there Dr Jim that young woman may have done a photo shoot without even knowing to what use the pic would be put,
I would be willing to bet once shes paid for the session the ownership of the pictures lies with the client to do with as they wish,

She may not have even known who the client was.

Sunniva

Arrived through my door in EH10 and went straight in the bin.

Joemcg

Look at the curve on her left cheek. (Right side of both pictures) The curve of the contour is identical. It’s the same person.

john king

Dog @ 12.08
idiot.

Jamie Arriere

And Murphy was a sailor
When he walked upon the water
And he spent a long time watching
From his lonely wooden tower
And when he knew for certain
Only drowning men could see him
He said: “All men will be sailors then
Until the sea shall free them”
But he himself was broken
Long before the sky would open
Forsaken, almost human
He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone

from Leonard Cohen’s ‘Suzanne’ – I’ve changed only one word!

@Stoker,

No, that was Gemma Doyle MP

[…] The Unrefuteables […]

Joemcg

Notice Kaye “jungle bunny” Adams on loose women is leading with NHS in crisis and slating the Green Party leader on a shite no brainer programme like that. Hidden agenda Kaye with an E?

One_Scot

Other than the mole, which could easily be photoshopped from the lip to the other cheek, the face is physically very similar. If anyone cannot see that, it would be advisable to check how long it has been since they last visited the optician.

Lets face it, if it was not the same person, how much of an open goal would it be for the knuckle draggers to get one over on ‘Wings’.

My work here is done. Case closed.

Cadogan Enright

I wonder what Suzzannes real opinions are? It was hilarious when the lady actor on the bitter together broadcast last year came out in favour of ‘YES’

Stoker

“Suzanne” is wearing a ‘NHS Scotland’ uniform, i can’t be 100% sure but if she’s from “Clackmannanshire” would her uniform not state NHS Forth Valley?

No matter what way you look at this its blatant deception.

Are the unions condoning this trashing of our NHS staff?

onelessday

There are not too many Suzannes going around.

I worked for over 30years in the NHS and worked with, at the most, 2 Susans. I don’t even remember a patient with that spelling

I have never met, to my knowledge, anyone called Suzanne

Luigi

Nurse Suzanne reminds me of The Vow.

She may or may not exist, and “ownership” will never be claimed.
Everybody whistles and looks the other way.

Another fart in the red tory lift.

Desimond

Morag

Sometimes I wonder why I bother trying to bring humour to this shire!

Sandra

I’m pretty sure all of them would be imaginary, Stu. Scottish Labour seems to inhabit an imaginary world these days. Or delusional.

Stoker

@ Patrick Roden (12.21pm)

Yip, checked out the eyebrows and they appear to be identical.

Well spotted, good call.

Matt

Content of my email to complaints at Forth Valley NHS:

Dear Sir or Madam,

A political leaflet is currently being distributed by the Scottish Labour party, containing an image of, and quote from, a nurse by the name of “Suzanne, from Clackmannanshire”. In the image she is wearing her NHS Scotland uniform. It is my understanding that it is strictly against the rules for NHS staff to endorse political views in a way where they could be identified as NHS staff.

This would seem to be a serious breach of that code, and one which could potentially bring NHS Scotland into disrepute. However, I am aware that there are no restrictions on the falsehoods that political parties are allowed to include in their campaign materials, and that therefore there is every possibility that the person pictured in the leaflet is not in fact a nurse at all.

Could you please investigate this incident, and update me on the outcome? I assume that, if it does turn out to be the case that the individual pictured is not a member of your staff, that you will be making a public statement to that effect in order to prevent anyone from being misled by the content of the leaflet.

Yours faithfully, etc.

Nana Smith

Sorry for off topic but does anyone know if this is a labour scare tactic.

link to commonspace.scot

William

If you are Scottish please fill in this survey which is in regard to the effect of social media on the Scottish Independence referendum – link to surveymonkey.com

It will take about 3 mins complete.

Thank you!

Dog

@ john king

Nice one.

In my opinion they look nothing alike which takes nothing away from the point the post is trying to make.

Lollysmum

O/T but good news

Scottish govt has awarded £14.3 million contract to 12 former employees of Polamis to develop Wave Energy technology

link to news.scotland.gov.uk

Graham MacQueen

Just a thought Rev,and I’m sure you have probably already thought of it, but, is there any small print round the edges of the literature indicating where it might have been printed? If so, would it be worthwhile contacting them for any possible info about who/where it was formatted! May even be worth being completely upfront and asking them details regarding the photographer? Anything is worth a shot!!!!!!

Craig Macinnes

What are you all worried about anyway? As a good little Labour drone “Suzanne” will be voting Tory, or Lib Dum or UKIP or whatever unionist mob her party tells her to vote for. After all, it’s Labour’s new official election slogan…vote anyone but Labour!

Sam Addison

link to nhsforthvalley.com

This applies to all staff in NHS Forth Valley, and appears to be pretty much the same as the staff conduct guidelines across NHS Scotland.

Of particular note is page 27 (Section 11 – Conduct During Election Campaigns).

I don’t think that anyone would want to see a nurse sacked over anything like this, but I really doubt that this is a real NHS employee.

Either Labour has in fact recklessly persuaded a nurse to put her job at risk, or it has, yet again, just been peddling shite.

BrianW

Speaking on the NHS.. BBC are at it again.. But, look.. behold.. It’s no oor Eleanor (purveyor of all things keich in the NHS)

link to bbc.co.uk – Thousands of hospital beds blocked by ‘healthy’ patients

No, she’s passed the shitty bedpan baton onto their ‘Data Journalist’, Marc Ellison. So patients in hospital getting better are no more than Data Stats now? Not people recovering? Someones relative in need of care?

Just items of data over staying their welcome?

I can only take from the headline that the NHS branching out into B&B services? By offering “Healthy Patients” beds it can only be some kind of overnight stay for the right price kind of service?

It’s good to see that a ‘Data Journalist’ can transfer is Data Crunching skills to determine if people are well or not. I’m sure he is far more qualified than an NHS Consultant with years of training and expertise behind them.

But then, those consultants don’t work for the BBC and therefore have no real relevant experience of foresight I suppose. Silly old me.

Alastair Campbell

Probably fare to contact the Health Board but I don’t thing it right to bombard the young lady herself . It it isn’t her then this will be quickly turn again us harassing a potentially innocent young lady.
Def one where you play the ball and not the player. I am sure with some patience the true story will surface.

T222Deracha

The Record or the Sunday Mail, had a “consultant” slagging off the state of the NHS recently. No disciplinary proceedings for him?. If not, why not?

Gandy

Correct me if I’m wrong, but surely all SLab’s rhetoric about the NHS in the lead-up to GE 2015 is completely irrelevant anyway? They can do absolutely hee-haw about it if they’re elected to Westmjnster, because it’s devolved. Or am I missing something?

Bootsy81

Complaint sent to NHS Forth Valley at fv-uhb.complaints@nhs.net

“I received today a campaign leaflet from Scottish Labour regarding the NHS and the apparent “crisis” it is in.

On the back there is a picture of an NHS nurse, identified as “Suzanne from Clackmannanshire”, along with a quote attributed to her which reads as follows:

“Working as a nurse I see every day the huge strain our NHS is under. This winter A&E services reached breaking point because we simply don’t have the resources.

Our NHS needs real help now. I’ll be voting Scottish Labour on 7 May because they’re the only party who can get rid of the Tories and pull our NHS back from the brink.”

This sounds suspiciously like a quote from a political party rather than a real person and as such I would like to enquire if this is a genuine quote from a genuine NHS employee and if it reflects the view of NHS Forth Valley.

I was under the impression that the NHS nor it’s staff were supposed to be expressing political views or endorsing one party or another. Could you confirm if this is the case?

I see in the NMC Code of Standards article number 59 under “Uphold the reputation of your profession” it states “You must not use your professional status to promote causes that are not related to health.” Surely promoting a political party would contravene this guideline?

link to nmc-uk.org

Please find attached a photo of the leaflet in question.

I eagerly await your response.

Regards,
My Name”

Attached a photo of the leaflet I got through my door this morning.

If I hear anything I’ll let you guys know.

Steve Bowers

NHS Scotland complaints, ( I had to use Greater Glasgow region cos you have to pick one ) Hi there, I’m wondering if you can tell me why the Labour party have an NHS nurse , in uniform on their election campaign material. It was my understanding that NHS Scotland is not a political organisation ! Can you confirm if the woman in question is an employee of NHS Scotland and if so why is she promoting a political party while in her uniform ? Thank you. I await your response

link to nhsnss.org

Betty Craney

Just seen this on FB and a commenter ( with an SNP Twibbon ) states that she knows the nurse personally and she’s genuine .

Author_Al

@Nana – if it is true that the water contract goes down south it will be because of EU procurement rules which take into account cost as well as ability to deliver. The Scottish Govt’s hands will be tied if someone sneaks in with a better bid than the incumbent. No mystery here, we are part of the EU…

arthur thomson

I can’t work out whether cynicism or stupidity is the primary characteristic of SLAB. Judging by their leaders I guess it’s a finely balanced blend of both.

ronnie anderson

Am very sure WOS could create another leaflet with a certain lady from Brechin posing,she will surely hiv a Nurse’s uniform in her closet,ah mean Dungeon.

Dr Ew

How dare you attack her, you evil Cybernat! She’s not a politician, she just an ordinary housewife / nurse / actress (delete as applicable).

I’m sure there must be an alert reader out there who can tell you which.

Jojobear

Working for the public sector as I do, I can confirm that there are restrictions on the type of political activity we can participate in. For some things and as private citizens, we need to seek permission but we are absolutely prohibited from doing anything political in our official capacity. Public sector bodies will all have a policy on this so if you really want to know where the NHS stands, FOI it.

Desimond

And so Jim Murphy, what do you say to claims that it isnt a real nurse on the literature, will you resign?

Does anyone care about a little leaflet? lest look at the big p[icture. All I know is that those wonderful nurses out there are needing our help and as promised we will give 1000 more if and as expected when elected

But didnt you promise 1000 over what the SNP will pledge

F*ck off F*ck Off F*ck Off!

David

Hey Stuart I’ve asked Suzanne she has never posed in NHS clothes like I thought and doesn’t never worked for NHS! I have emailed you why I won’t say much more! I hope you find out who is on the leaflets but I can guarantee it isn’t Suzanne!

Dr Jim

@john king 12.30
Only meant as ironic humour John
I’m not in the least being genuine, my fault for not being funnier

Morag

I can’t find the tweet now, but someone tweeted a picture of a No Thanks leaflet from last year with the same photo on it. It was a collage of several “real people” gicing their reasons for voting No. The nurse wasn’t named, but the NHS logo on the uniform was shown, obviously.

Does anyone know where to find that tweet, or the picture of the leaflet?

Scots Renewables

I suggest as many of us as possible ask NHS Forth Valley for clarification on this.

fv-uhb.complaints@nhs.net

Sinky

Labour’s Health leaflet was printed in Essex by Anton Group
link to antongroup.co.uk

Also Labour had stiff printed in Germany

link to printweek.com

Tangent’s digital and creative agency Tangent Snowball secured a five-year extension to its contract with the Labour Party last year. It created the iCampaign mobile app used by party activists.

Tangent may be good at Photoshop!

Author_Al

Have to be sure of facts here. If she is indeed an NHS nurse and has given permission for her image to be used then she will likely be disciplined. If an actress then there is definitely misinformation being spread by SLAB. I am not comfortable with singling out individuals unless they happen to be the likes of Jim Murphy.

Stoker

@ Morag (1.30pm)

I’ll have a play-around on Google images and see if i can find it.

ronnie anderson

BBC News Scot NHS NHS, they should be looking at the Health Boards & the numerious Labour / LibCon placemen/women appointees. Chauffeur & Hobnobs spring to mind in a Labour controlled Health Board.

TJenny

Nana Smith – see the BTL comments in that piece you linked to re selling Scottish Water:

‘old news from 2010 and just another way of trying to scaremonger …typical Labour Party lies…. this never went ahead!’

and

‘I’m now told that the legislation at the root of this, opening up the non-domestic water market to competition, was passed in 2008 by the Lab-Lib Dem coalition. I’m not sure the two CommonSpace articles make this clear enough (unless I’m alone in not realising this).’

Googling finds latest articles are from 2010 and one in the Herald seems utter gobbledygook and its total lack of paragraph breaks would have invoked HAMMERS for the author from the Rev, if posted on this site. 🙂

ps I think it was Her Maggie sold Seafield sewage works to Thames Water.

liz

@Nana Smith, I haven’t read through this properly but someone has posted up an explanation of the water privatisation story.

link to facebook.com

HandandShrimp

Nothing wrong with an actress securing work, fair play to the lassie….but please let her be a Yes supporter 🙂

Any dishonesty is entirely with the maker of the leaflet.

Jamie Arriere

Hello….

link to flickr.com

Morag

Printing? We can’t use the local printer we used to use, because he’s now a Tory councillor! But we found one in Penicuik I think, no need to go to England.

Robert Bryce

In the unlikely event Suzanne is actually a nurse, she’s just got herself the sack. Well done Labour, that’s one less nurse in Scotland thanks to your bungling incompetence.

Haw Murphy, you need 1001 noo!

Another Union Dividend

The “Nurse” is of course talking bollocks as NHS in Scotland has been devolved since 1999 and has always been separate from the English NHS which is what the Westminster election is about.

Therefore voting Labour in 2015 won’t change a thing as they have signed up to the Tory austerity plans :

List of Scottish Labour MPs voting with the UK Tory government on further cuts on 13 January 2015:

Douglas Alexander Paisley and Renfrewshire North
Willie Bain Glasgow North East
Gordon Banks Ochil and South Perthshire
Anne Begg Aberdeen South
Russell Brown Dumfries and Galloway
Michael Connarty Linlithgow and East Falkirk
Margaret Curran Glasgow East
Iain Davidson Glasgow South West
Thomas Docherty Dunfermline and West Fife
Brian Donohoe Central Ayshire
Frank Doran Aberdeen North
Gemma Doyle West Dunbartonshire
Tom Greatrex Rutherglen and Hamilton West
David Hamilton Midlothian
Tom Harris Glasgow South
Jimmy Hood Lanark and Hamilton East
Cathy Jamieson Kilmarnock and Loudoun
Iain MacKenzie Inverclyde
Michael McCann East Kilbride , Stathaven and Lesmahagow
Gregg McClymont Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch
Anne McGuire Stirling
Graham Morrice Livingston
Ian Murray Edinburgh South
Pamela Nash Airdrie and Shotts
Fiona O’Donnell East Lothian
John Robertson Glasgow North West
Frank Roy Motherwell and Wishaw
Anas Sarwar Glasgow Central

link to snp.org

Jamie Arriere

And again

link to flickr.com

Michael McCabe

If it is an Actress on the Leaflet ? (I Think so) Can we not hire the same Actress to say Labour paid me to Lie about the Scottish NHS. Put it on a Leaflet. And then get it posted through Doors all around the Country. Just a Thought.

Dr Jim

Thousands of patients cured by NHS Scotland and ready to return home
Scottish Government introduces new and innovative plan for even more efficiency to speed up the process on behalf of Scottish citizens
Now doesn’t that sound a lot better BBC

Try as hard as you may MSM Scotland will win

Morag

Well, it’s either posed by a model and so a misleading scam (like “Labour Isn’t Working”), or a nurse is breaking the terms of her contract.

If she is a real nurse, she also broke her contract during the referendum by allowing her picture, in uniform with the logo visible, to be used in a BT leaflet.

Kevin Evans

This has got that prick Blair macdoggls finger prints all over it

Archie

Lollysmum says:Scottish govt has awarded £14.3 million contract to 12 former employees of Polamis to develop Wave Energy technology
Maybe we have enough wind reliant energy:)

Bugger (the Panda)

Of course this could be a set by McTermnan etc.

They hooked us one few days ago and as there was the famous ordinary Mother with a handicapped child fiasco before the Referendum.

Putting her name up with a nice wee trail to another Suzanne in the same town?

Either she is or is not a real nurse. If she is not, it is a porkie pie.

If she is a nurse then she is in trouble.

Bugger (the Panda)

OT

Is Jim Murphy also in charge of FIFA as well.

Seems to be equally gaff prone.

Craig P

Muscleguy is right. Whether or not an actress was used is neither here nor there. The main point to take from this leaflet is that Labour are campaigning for a Westminster election on the NHS, an area that Westminster has not had responsibility for for 15 years and counting.

It’s a mystery why they don’t want to campaign on supporting austerity, Trident, and foreign wars.

Jim

Funny seeing the SLD leaflets which are headlined, “The SNP are bad for your health.
No real policies are offered up, just a slagfest of the SNP.
They really hate the SNP and with good reason as they are about to be made extinct by the same party.

GrahamB

My first instinct when one of the leaflets came through the door this morning was to annotate it with corrections and send it back to them e.g. The NHS is devolved therefore irrelevant for the 2015 GE; their proposals for the NHS were dependent on them winning power at Holyrood in May 2016; etc.
Unfortunately the paper they have used is different from the BT/UKOK stuff and my annotation smudged badly. In addition there was no freepost address to use (anyone have a usable one?) so I intended sending it back in an unstamped envelope if I hadn’t messed it up.
No doubt there will be more rubbish appearing in the future.

gillie

Labour and Better Together have used the same person multiple times in their leaflets.

Suzanne from Clackmananshire may wish to hide from view because if she is a nurse then she is almost certain facing an internal investigation and possible disciplinary action by her bosses. If she is not what she appears then Labour are in big trouble again.

Jim Morris

Looks like the lady from the Forth Valley NHS page.
Clackmannanshire has only a 45 bed 2 Ward Community Facility
To help people mainly get back home from acute hospitals.
http://www.nhsforthvalley.com

Valerie

Liz@ 1.47. That is a good account by Derek Tulloch.

Commonplace have got everyone’s back up with this, as it appeared in my anti fracking group, so it’s going far and wide. This type of EU procurement regime has been under way for decades, but some newly engaged people in these things go off on one.

Not helpful.

Morag

I very much doubt that they’d sack a nurse for that. I’d imagine she would be subject to some sort of discipline of the “don’t do that again” type.

If she really is a nurse, I can only imagine she’s one of these people who believes in the rightness of the Labour Party’s claim to all Scottish votes that she doesn’t even see it as improper behaviour.

I still think it’s an actress though – if not the Suzanne in the casting sheet, then someone else. The whole thing is entirely invented.

Rob James

@Jamie Arriere 1:50pm.

Reminds me of the recent Slab scam – Mark has signed, Suzanne has signed, Mark has signed etc.

What happened to all the Cordelias?

onelessday

The picture posted by Jamie A @1:54 Suzanne would appear to have a fine gold chain round her neck, if my eyesight is not fooling me

No NO No to jewellery on the wards Infection control

Matt

Well, it’s either posed by a model and so a misleading scam (like “Labour Isn’t Working”), or a nurse is breaking the terms of her contract.

If she is a real nurse, she also broke her contract during the referendum by allowing her picture, in uniform with the logo visible, to be used in a BT leaflet.

But in the referendum leaflet the logo isn’t visible, which is really really weird. It definitely appears to be the same photo just cropped differently, or another photo from the same shoot, and yet in one photo you can see the logo and in the other one you can see the same part of the uniform, but there is no logo on it. So either the logo was edited out in the first leaflet in order to avoid breaking the rules, or it was edited in in the second leaflet in order to emphasise the attack on the Scottish NHS.

(The leaflet I’m referring to is this one: link to flickr.com )

jackie g

Nana@12.51pm

This is Labour scare tactics and total bollocks..

I can assure you this was 3 years ago and as far as i know it did not go ahead.

I have heard nothing regarding Anglian Water taking any contract, i am also a member of Unison and if any huge contract was being sent to England we would know about it.

SW also have SW international who have contracts in various places but this is on a consultancy basis only.

Stephen

FFS! Given the rate that BBC Scotland are gunning the NHS at the moment perhaps they should take it on – they seem to be fucking experts!

On another angle, it always seems to be prefaced with ‘Data obtained by the BBC reveals…….blah blah ad nauseum’.

Is it an idea to make and FOI to the BBC asking them for the number of FOIs they have made along with their content? Just a thought

Nana Smith

@TJenny & liz Thank you ladies.

PFI strikes again. Rather poor stuff from commonspace.

jackie g see Liz’s comment at 1.47

Fred

@Graham MacQueen, the leaflet is printed by Anton Group, Essex SS15 6TR & promoted by Brian Roy at Labour’s HQ in Bath Street.

The Health Secretary’s constant critic Jenny Marra, as far as I can garra, has never run as much as a whelk stall,

Stoker

Craig P says:
“Whether or not an actress was used is neither here nor there.

I beg to differ – If she’s genuine she should be sacked for breaking rules and using her position to promote a political party. If she’s a Labour fake then they are guilty of deception.

“It’s a mystery why they don’t want to campaign on supporting austerity, Trident, and foreign wars.”

Because that would truly expose Dim Jim and his branch as being controlled by London.

You are, of course, correct when you state that NHS Scotland is not a Westminster Election matter. NHS Scotland is under the control of the devolved Scottish Parliament, and they know it.
😉
________

@ Morag,
Sorry, no joy, maybe someone else will come across it.

gillie

BREAKING: Jim Murphy to crack down on moonlighting MSPs

Oh dear!

Richard Simpson, Labour MSP will have to give up his second job as non-executive director of Nursing Home Management Ltd with an annual remuneration of between £5,001 and £10,000

jock mc X

Saw a short video on youtube recently of Mahri Blacks father
giving perfectly reasonable views..came across it by accident and it does not have a huge number of views.

But i was struck by the comments,i think one was positive and
the rest were by haters.

Question:Why were these people looking for video’s of Mahri or her old man…what’s thier game?

Stoker

@ Matt (2.25pm),

Well done, good find.
🙂

Jamie Arriere

@Rob James

Haha yes, not to mention all the Santas, Elvises & Jesuses

It is noticeable on the second photo that she’s obscuring the logo for some reason – so maybe they were aware of the rules?

One_Scot

Wow, to photoshop a spot is simple, but to photoshop the NHS logo onto another uniform with all the contouring, that’s good work.

No wonder the silence for the unionist camp is deafening.

Author_Al

jackie g – I would not be so sure. The NHS is always having to put stuff out to tender. If true, then as in my last post, the Scottish Govt have to go by EU procurement rules. That means that anyone can put in a bid – and win it – usually if they are the cheapest…otherwise it is discriminatory. There are a lot of rich lawyers who make a good living picking apart contracts, so the NHS and Scottish Govt have to be squeaky clean. I think Labour introduced this system…so let’s blame them!

Morag

Matt, that isn’t the leaflet I saw on Twitter earlier, although it’s very similar. That one had a circle overlapping it with a picture of an elderly man. I think the NHS logo was visible on that one.

I wonder how many different leaflets we can find with that photo?

Clootie

Any moment now a Labour spokesperson will refute Stu’s suggestion and produce the evidence.

…any moment now

…just coming, any moment now

…I think it’s just coming through now.

…Oh dear! I think Stu was right.

call me dave

Another example of labour not looking ahead!
Seems the labour planning is the same down South as in Scotland.

George Galloway breathes sigh of relief. 🙂

As reported in the Herald.

Amina Ali, who is a councillor in the London borough of Tower Hamlets, said today she was stepping down because the campaign for the seat 200 miles away in Yorkshire would cause “massive disruption” to her children’s lives.

Mc Boxheid

Possibly the same Suzanne sung about by that equally depressing singer Leonard Cohen?

Neil

Maybe “Suzanne from Clackmannanshire” will also reveal herself to be the mysterious author of the Vow and we can wrap up two threads at once. Okay maybe not.

NovaScotia

OT

Eastwood SNP now has 1000 members!

Ronbon

Hope I’m wrong but I smell a rat! Either Labour are very stupid or this has Blair MacDougall’s fingerprints all over it.

If Suzanne is an NHS nurse then she may be subject to disciplinary action. Perhaps Labour are gambling on those horrible cybernats bombarding health boards (who are already under pressure) with complaints and making this young woman’s life hell.

Hopefully she is an actor and Labour will reap what they sow!

Clootie

Rules on restricting political comment using your company/organisation name apply far wider than the NHS.

I know of only one organisation that permits those holding official positions to make political comments in direct breech of said organisations rules – that organisation is the Labour Party.

Iain Gray's Subway Lament

The best way to tackle the NHS is on the doorstep and in the streets explaining patiently and clearly to scottish voters that the creeping privatisation of the NHS was and is a westmisnter problem in which Labour the tories and the lib dems are implicated.

We have a great many NHS workers and care workers on our side from the referendum and they will be quick to slap down any lies from the red tories, blue tories or yellow tories.

People want to be able to trust their lives and their loved ones live to our scottish NHS without constantly worrying about the level of care being driven down or eventually being charged for it thanks to westminster politicians.

Scotland’s voters will have to ask themselves..

Who do you trust to best look after and improve scotland’s hospitals and the scottish NHS?

David Cameron, Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg, Nigel Farage or Nicola Sturgeon?

I am confident they will find that a very easy question to answer in May.

bookie from hell

Tax structure allowed McDonald’s to divert revenue for years, costing European countries over €1 billion in lost taxes between 2009 and 2013.

Today in Brussels, a coalition of European and American trade unions, joined by the anti-poverty campaign group War on Want, unveiled a report about McDonald’s deliberate avoidance of over €1 billion in corporate taxes in Europe over the five year period, 2009-2013.

The report outlines in detail the tax avoidance strategy adopted by McDonald’s and its tax impact both throughout Europe and in major markets like France, Italy, Spain and the U.K.

The practice essentially consisted of moving the European headquarters from the UK to Switzerland as well as using intra-group royalty payments and channeling them into a tiny Luxembourg based subsidiary with a Swiss branch.

ronnie anderson

O/T ah wee bitty. £6 billion to run Greater Manchester NHS across 10 Labour local authorities ,& Privatisation follows thereafter. Labour conned again by the Tories,privatisation by the back door.

Molly

Ronnie Anderson
I saw this about Greater Manchester and wondered how do they negotiate next year? Didn’t hear any interviewer ask this?

Stoker
liz

Apparently she is a nurse, her family have got in touch, she’s been used before,

link to twitter.com

”An apology from us is due to you, the good people that follow YES Giffnock.
The Nurse in the Labour Party leaflet is indeed a real nurse not an actress. We have been contacted by a family member, who has confirmed she is indeed a Nurse and a real Labour supporter.”

If that is true she should be disciplined for wearing her uniform

Brian Doonthetoon

Thanks for that link Matt.

While exploring, I found another leaflet that shows Suzanne with her hair down, declaring that she’s a nurse.

link to flickr.com

Stoker

This “nurse” gets about a bit, eh!
link to archive.today

jackie g

O/T

Meanwhile in other news.

HSBC bosses have apologised for “unacceptable” practices at its Swiss private bank helping clients to avoid tax.

Oh well thats okay then eh, are these people for real?

Domhnall

My e-mail to Forth Valley NHS

To whom it may concern:

A current Labour Party leaflet is being posted through letterboxes at present.
Being a Public Servant myself, any association with me wearing my uniform and any political party is totally disallowed.
How is it that ‘Suzanne from Clackmannanshire’ supposedly working as a nurse in your region of the NHS, is allowed to be portrayed in this role?

Is this truly the case, or is this a political garbage which brings the caring service that is my/our/your NHS into disrepute?
Is this in effect an illegal stunt in the guise of a real nurse making statements she is not allowed to be publicly voicing, and published for political gain?
If so, I expect your Health Board to roundly condemn this, and an official announcement made refuting the leaflet in question.

ploddingcyclist

Has the NHS Scotland logo been dropped in, because it is the same photo that appeared without a logo(just look at the folds in the uniform to confirm it is the same photo).The logo does appear to have been distorted at the “D” of NHS Scotland, but not at the “H”, looking at the pixelation round about the logo it does not look right. I am sure there is a site to check if a picture has been photoshopped.

Macart

@ Liz

As a nurse and a Labour supporter the young lady should also be aware of the £30bn pounds worth of austerity cuts members of Labour voted for. The young lady must also be aware by now how this will directly affect the Scottish block grant and of course funding for the SNHS.

How much better together can that be?

Just amazing.

ronnie anderson

JHC how many Suzanna,s ur there.

Oh Suzanna I could Cry Fur You ( lyrics changed ).

heedtracker

“They’re the only party that can get rid of the blue tories” so vote red tory. No thanks you clowns. You had your chance and for 70 years, 70 years of honest voting that’s collapsed into fraud campaigning and ever dwindling numbers of raging party loonies and zealots, over paid shills, a deeply corrupt BBC vote SLab or else Scotland.

See Manchester now has devo over their £7bn HNS funding, so cue BBC Manchester monstering NHS Manchester day in day out?

link to bbc.co.uk

Trying to make vote SLab a Pavlovian response is not unique, see FOX in America doing same to Obama but if Scottish polls do hold, public broadcasting in Scotland has got to be devolved.

Like that’s ever going to happen.

Its nice to dream, of turning on the tv and not watching a smirking shill tell you how shite Scotland land really is, your hospital visit probably will kill you and, but, etc, let England run it for you, because England really loves you:D

Stoker

Attempting this one again
comment image

Giving Goose

There is a fundamental point that needs to be clearly understood and reiterated on a regular basis regarding politics in Scotland as practiced by Labour.

And it is this;
Labour in Scotland are not a Political Party as understood by the definition, i.e. an organization which seeks to achieve goals common to its members through the acquisition and exercise of political power, while possessing an ideological core.

Instead, Labour in Scotland are an organisation that misuses politics as a vehicle and/or front to mask it’s real intention; the accumulation of personal wealth and social advancement for it’s members.

There are no policies, nor big ideas on offer.

There cannot be, since that would involve Labour moving from it’s present Right Wing position into the space occupied by real people, with real concerns, real needs and requirements.

The current Labour position on the Right of the “political spectrum” is the default for an organisation as described above.
An organisation that is essentially mirroring and deploying the tactics of an organised criminal gang, or that of a totalitarian regime, or a Business devoid of morality.

We can forget about seeing anything other than negative campaigning by Labour because to hope for positivity is to misunderstand what the their true intentions and raison d’être are.

The Pursuit of Personal Wealth through a Political Front/Mask does not allow for an ideological core and hence no real policies of substance. Hence the aping of Tory, London beliefs.

Chic McGregor

Interesting one.

I don’t think she is the actress, though very similar.

However I looked at ‘Matt’s’ leaflet and I do not think the logo was photoshopped out.

It is definitely the same base photograph since all the cloth folds are identical.

In my opinion, looking at the one here, the NHS has been photoshopped in – badly.

First of all, the letter warping does not follow the cloth fold contours.

Secondly, I Googled for Scottish NHS nurse uniforms and that type all seemed to be very similar re text size and position. Hardly surprising, since on close inspection, the logo is actually enbroidered on (So probably easy to physically remove from a uniform if required).

I downloaded a picture into photoshop for comparison with the one here.

Even erring to make the comparison nurse bigger than Suzanne (in case she happened to be particularly small) the logo as depicted on her would appear to be significantly larger.

It also seems to be further away from the horizontal seam and closer to, if not actually overlapping the breast pocket.

Here is the comparison:

comment image?dl=0

Desimond

Can we stop the pish talk about wanting people sacked.
This isnt http://www.Pitchfork.com after all.

cynicalHighlander
Edward

Further on the mysterious case of nurse Suzanne

There was a NHS Nurse Suzanne Duncan quoted last year on Better Together Facebook feed
link to facebook.com

I think their may be a connection, considering the post from Brian Doonthetoon

David Wardrope

@ Jock mc X

Question:Why were these people looking for video’s of Mahri or her old man…what’s thier game?

To be fair, you have posted this question bang in the middle of numerous comments from folks digging for the identity of a ‘Labour supporting member of NHS staff (alledgedly).’

I can only assume that given Wingers’ success at debunking mythical opinions/supporters and uncovering some questionable backgrounds, the other side would naturally try to do the same (with very little success so far it would seem)

Lollysmum

Just been onto CommonSpace

Two points
1)you can’t sign out. I don’t want to be signed in every time I take a quick look at one of their pages. It smacks of tracking everyone & we have enough trouble with govt doing that. It can’t be for analytics either as we don’t sign in here but Stu can still produce the stats for usage.

2) I find it amazing that they have 2 articles on ‘cash for access’ about Rifkind (a tory MP) but none about Straw (Labour)so is Commonspace following the MSM lead in not reporting Labour related stuff too? Strikes me that if you cover one story you must cover both.

Think I’ll be giving Commonspace a wide berth in future.

Bootsy81

Got a reply from NHS Forth Valley. Not much yet but they are investigating. I’ll keep you all posted:

“Good afternoon Mr Myname

Thank you for your e-mail and for bringing this to our attention. We will investigate the concerns and respond to as soon as possible.

Kind Regards

Cate

Cate Brown
Patient Relations
Forth Valley Royal Hospital

Telephone: 01324 566112”

peekay

I could swear we’ve just spent two years being told ScotNHS is protected from Tory cuts down South anyway

Edward

I note the cropping and photoshopping between the picture used by Better Together/No and the one used by Labour (no NHS badge on the Better Together picture)

Anyhoo, if it really IS Suzanne Duncan, then the plot thickens as there is no Suzanne Duncan registered with the NMC for the Forth Valley. There is however one for Argyle & Clyde

As stated elsewhere, if the person in the picture is a genuine NHS nurse, then she will be subject to disciplinary action, once she is identified. For appearing in a political campaign. By the way the nurse featured in the Better Together picture should also have been disciplined for appearing in uniform (perhaps the reason for the NHS badge being photo shopped out)

laukat

@Rev Stu – I’m assuming she is an NHS forth Valley employee give she comes from Clackmananshire.(I can’t see from the image but it should say the name of the health board under the NHS Logo on her left.)

NHS Forth Valley web page is here link to nhsforthvalley.com their uniform policy states ” Uniforms are the property of NHSFV and must not be worn out with the premises
unless on official NHSFV business.”

So if she is genuine NHS forth Valley employee she is in breach of policy. If she is a fake and its a NHS Forth Valley Uniform Labour are in using a uniform illegally (I can’t see from the image but it should say the name of the health board under the NHS Logo on her left.

Suzanne

It’s not a mole it’s a piercing. I am not a nurse but I will be suing the people behind this. Why my mug was brought into this I have no idea! Pretty annoyed if I’m honest.

Brian Doonthetoon

Hi Edward.

Your Facebook link…

There’s a link to bettertogether.net in there, which, obviously, no longer works.

However, bettertogether.net was trawled by the Internet Archive, just before the referendum (12th, 13th and 14th September).

You can see the page, with a pic of Suzanne Duncan, here:-

link to tinyurl.com

Morag

Stoker, that’s the one. I can see in this better scan that I was mistaken about the NHS logo being visible on that leaflet.

call me dave

J. McClelland: Scottish Newspaper Society

Asked for comments on the dramatic drop in the sale of newspapers in Scotland by BBC radio Scotland he had little to say but commented positively on the Sunday Herald being the only one to increase it’s over the counter sales.

When asked about the National and why the sales had dropped slightly since the referendum he said sales were greater than initially expected and that no newspaper launch in UK history had shown a ‘no dip’ after launch. It was doing well.

Not bad for ex editor of the Scotsman and a tory communications director. They have a web site.

link to scotns.org.uk

Edward

So as we are clear

Anyone can appear in ANY political pamphlet or promotion

But the minute they appear in full uniform complete with identification of employer, then that’s when it becomes questionable.

That by the way goes for any uniformed person, be it airline worker to Policeman, as appearing in a badged uniform insinuates that the person is speaking on behalf of the organisation the uniform is for and not for themselves

Lollysmum

peekay
Labour introduced both PFI & privatisation in England. Tories then came to power & expanded it massively & left us with a huge mess.

One privatised hospital has had to be bailed out by the taxpayer. A private company carrying out cataract operations has harmed patients & ruined many patient’s eyesight. A privatised surgery in my area has had to be shut down by NHS because it’s service was so apalling.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg in English NHS. There are many more examples happening every week. Believe me you don’t want privatised services in Scotland.

I almost forgot-we are also being told we need to buy health insurance as well. There won’t be many families, single people or pensioners who can afford those premiums every month until they die.

All the parties are committed to introducing US style health services. WHY? Because after US, the UK is the world’s biggest healthcare market & our so called betters in HoC & HoL want their share of that dosh. 30% of MP’s & lords hold directorships with healthcare companies. Rifkind has 2 of them.

Seeing how they are trashing NHS England sickens me.

Scots Renewables

@Bootsy81

I got a similar reply.

Derick fae Yell

Lollysmum says: 4:06 pm
Think I’ll be giving Commonspace a wide berth in future”

You and me both, LM. Never a good idea to leave the teenage Trots in charge of the shop.

And thanks TJenny & liz for sharing my rantings about the drivel on Commonspace. If it looks like ignorant ill informed shit-stirring, it usually is.

liz

She is a nurse according to her family.

She can say what she likes and support whom she pleases, but NOT in uniform.

We had a large number of fire fighters who were pro Yes and canvassing for Yes, they were told they were not allowed to appear in uniform.

It is emotive if a nurse appears in uniform to criticise the NHS or also a fire fighter saying how appalled they are at the poverty encountered when attending fires and how this directly led to some fires, ie old folk using candles instead of lights to save money.

So I don’t feel sorry for her she is abusing her position IMO

Roger Mexico

Jamie Arriere says:

And again

link to flickr.com

Good find, though if she is the lady that Liz referred to above, Stu probably owes a small apology to actress Suzanne, though on the “all publicity” principle maybe it will help her find extra work.

You do however wonder if Labour actually checked with nurse Suzanne as to whether she was happy with them using that photo. Whether one of the images was photoshopped or if it came from the same session, the fact they made an effort to obscure any identifying logo in the one used first suggests they were aware of the problems it might cause her. (Of course you also wonder just how responsible she was for the words as well, but presumably even they wouldn’t be so daft as to not check those with her).

Not that I think anything more than a quiet word is appropriate anyway, we should be all uncomfortable about restricting anyone’s political activity, even if we disagree with it. But it’s bad manners at least to put one of your own supporters at even the slightest awkwardness.

Macart

Well, well found the leaflet waiting for me at home.

It is now residing in many, many pieces at the bottom of a recycling bin unread.

Labour doesn’t speak for me or to me. They’re too busy speaking over everyone else to care and their utterly hypocritical stance and completely reckless bullshittery on the SNHS is something I don’t have time for.

Frankly I’m done listening to anything they have to say on pretty much any subject. They gave up the right to command any respect some time ago IMO.

roy

any staff employed by the civil service (NHS) comes under the code of conduct, and to be seen to link the civil service with any political party is a disciplinary offense of gross misconduct.as a X union rep for 15 years i have been involved members being sack for less a letter in a local paper no pic just the part of the civil service they work for

Edward

@Brian Doonthetoon
So it is the same person, Suzanne Duncan, as identified by Labour.

As Liz states above in her post of 4:49pm ‘She can say what she likes and support whom she pleases, but NOT in uniform’

This mirrors what I stated in my post at 4:41 pm, that the individual can campaign, as long as its not in an identifiable uniform

It will be up to her employers (either Forth valley or Argyll & Clyde) as to what action they want to take.

I think Labour need to apologise to both her and her employers for placing her in this position

Edward

I see from WOS twitter feed that Richard Simpson, or as I like to refer to him as ‘Dick’, has jumped in with both feet.

Thankfully Dick is a Doctor, so can heal his own feet that he has successfully shot

Norval Smith

“http://nhsforthvalley.com”

I thought that the .com internet abbreviation referred to commercial enterprises. There’s an .org.uk. suffix for public organisations.

Grouyse Beater

Stuart: I had it on good authority last year that one of the guys [actor] in the Vote No Borders videos was actually a Yes, but work is work.

Disreputable dork.

Stu, why not approach the casting now website to find out how much it would cost to have Suzanne pose as a nurse for a few photos. That way you could easily compare the leaflet Suzanne with the real Suzanne.

davidb

But most important of all. Health is a devolved matter. No MP has any influence over its provision in Scotland. Why are Labour fighting a Westminster election on a subject that is none of Westminster’s business?

Except in the Barnett consequentials, Jim Murphy’s promises for Westminster regarding the NHS carry no more weight than a bloke in a pub you met, or a ranting smackhead at a wet bus stop. He has zero influence.

G. Campbell

If the Better Together campaign paid a photographer to take the image of nurse Suzanne for the “I’m voting No” leaflet, are Scottish Labour breaking funding rules by reusing the image on their own election literature?

Mealer

Suzanne says she works as a nurse.She doesn’t claim to be an NHS nurse.Maybe she is a veterinary nurse.If she’s a veterinary psyciatric nurse there’s plenty work for her on the Labour Party.

MolliBlum

Urrrgh… not entirely O/T: in the same vein and on the same day I received the “nurse Suzanne” leaflet (together with a Dominos Pizza leaflet for healthy eats like discounted doughnuts), I also just received the latest “Labour has a Plan” video in my email box — starring Saint Jim himself whispering softly and reassuringly about “hard working families” and promising a celestial choir of 1000 Nurses. I have absolutely no idea where Labour got my email address, but they’ve been bombarding me pretty relentlessly lately. I’d complain — but I’m actually quite curious to see what else they come up with, so I won’t.

G. Campbell

Ah, looks like it was a Scottish Labour vote No leaflet.

Anyway, Stu needs to get his eyes tested. Those women don’t look alike at all.

Cag-does-thinking

Who says the post office don’t do irony? My copy of the above leaflet by Labour on the NHS just came through the door accompanied by a flyer for the local undertaker……

Gordon in australia

Extract from the nursing and midwifery council code of practice nurses cannot appear in political adverts they can lose their registration and their job if they do. Sorry if someone already pointed this out….

Be impartial
l57 You must not abuse your privileged position for your own ends.
58 You must ensure that your professional judgement is not infl uenced by any commercial considerations.

Uphold the reputation of your profession

59 You must not use your professional status to promote causes that are not related to health.

Bryan Weir

The Record now have it. More research required before blogging.

link to dailyrecord.co.uk

Bootsy81

Received a reply from NHS Forth Valley just a minute ago. It reads as follows:

“Good afternoon Mr MyName

Please see the statement below

“All staff working in the NHS are obviously entitled to their own personal views and opinions and can support any political party of their choice. As the majority of NHS nursing staff in Scotland wear a national uniform which bears the NHS Scotland logo, staff should avoid wearing their uniform in any situation which could potentially align NHS Scotland with any political party or campaign. NHS staff should also follow organisational polices and relevant professional codes of conduct, which for nurses are set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. We are aware of the leaflet and are work is underway to establish the facts and circumstances surrounding this issue”.”

John Young

Why don’t WingsoverScotland submit a formal complaint to the NHS to investigate if this is a breach of NHS rules that way you will at least find out if she is indeed a nurse and secondly confirm whether or not action has been taken to address this breach of NHS rules? That might mean however that Jim Murphy will be looking for 1001 new nurses!

[…] “1000 more nurses than however many the SNP say” pledge, none of them will be imaginary. link to wingsoverscotland.com […]


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