Their mouths and your money
The gigantic-clown-shoed bunglemuppet that is Scottish Tory MP Ross Thomson was galumphing around social media yesterday, quoting a notoriously dim-witted Yoon troll to the effect that the Scottish Government could (and therefore presumably should) use its own money to compensate the “WASPI women” – a group who’ve been robbed of years of rightful pension payments by the UK government changing the rules after they’d already qualified for their pensions.
Which throws up a whole series of questions.
1. Pensions are reserved to Westminster, which is where Thomson sits. If he believes these women have been wronged – and they have – then shouldn’t he be demanding and fighting for his own party’s UK government to right that wrong, rather than calling for the Scottish Government to clear up the mess using funds that are supposed to be for its devolved responsibilities?
2. If the Scottish Government were to do so, WASPI women elsewhere in the UK would be worse off than their Scottish counterparts, despite their having paid the exact same pension contributions to the UK Treasury. As a Unionist, why does Thomson think English and Welsh and Northern Irish women don’t deserve the same treatment as Scottish ones?
3. If the matter was to be resolved – as Thomson seems to want – by the Scottish Government unilaterally using its new welfare powers to create a benefit to “top up” the WASPI women’s pensions, how would he propose to deal with women who may have worked for years on either side of the border?
Would they only be compensated for those years that they’d worked in Scotland, creating yet more sub-categories of UK women with lesser pension entitlements than other seemingly-identical ones?
4. And of course, which devolved Scottish public services would Thomson cut, or which taxes would he hike, to pay for picking up Westminster’s tab?
It all sounds very tricky. No wonder he’s so angry about it.
But as it happened, the issue was yet another that we’d raised in our most recent Panelbase poll, so let’s see what the Scottish public thinks.
Oh. Just a third of Scottish voters – and only a tenth of Tory voters – think that it should be the Scottish Government’s job to extract more money from Scottish taxpayers to subsidise UK government policy decisions.
By an enormous margin – over 7 to 1 – the Scottish Tory voters that Ross Thomson was elected by oppose his demands that Holyrood should have to replace money taken away by Westminster by putting up Scottish taxes.
And interestingly, most Scottish Labour voters also reject their own party’s policy of tax increases to fund public services like increasing public-sector pay and mitigating the bedroom tax (a Scottish Government policy Labour tried to claim credit for after years of doing nothing about it).
Only SNP voters – by almost 2 to 1 – along with a very small plurality of Lib Dems are actually willing to pay more tax to protect Scotland from Tory cuts.
We don’t imagine any of this will penetrate Ross Thomson’s tiny sub-prehensile brain. But the Scottish people seem pretty clear that they’re not willing to be held hostage by Westminster in an attempt to blackmail Holyrood into bankrupting itself and damaging the SNP government.
As we warned endlessly in advance, of course, this was always the true purpose of giving the Scottish Parliament “more powers” after the independence referendum. And the Unionist parties tried to be more subtle about the plan by retaining the Barnett Formula while cutting the budget in other ways. But it doesn’t look like voters are going to be so easily fooled.
It speaks volumes about those qualities which Thomson, the flag waver, and the other Scottish Tories who were elected to Westminster have brought to the Party that, Fluffy has not been replaced in Mother Theresa’s latest shuffling of the deck chairs.
When his boss is telling the likes of Thomson – sorry, you are still not good enough to replace Fluffy, wow! what a kick in the goolies.
They dont like it up em do they?
Its the hypocrisy, the doublespeak and the shuddering stupidity that makes me wonder if Tory voters are actually alive!
Prehensile? Seems rather a positive description. Did you mean vestigial?
Scotland please vote Yes, I can’t suffer much more of this.
The nodding donkey strikes again. What an excuse this man is for a politician.
Get rid of the lying Tories, especially in Aberdeen and the North East.
Simple.
Stop paying taxes to Westminster.
He’s definitely got a vicious psychopathic looking fizzog.
Dear God! What a complete a*** of a man.
The devolved parliament doesn’t exist to continually clean up the epically idiotic errors, or heartless legislative twattery of central government.
Maybe Ross Thomson thinks Scottish people are less deserving of pensions NI contributions payments they paid into the English government or he doesn’t understand the power to create an extra tier of payment to folk isn’t the same as the power to fund payments from an existing budget not designed or funded for that purpose which of course has always been the anti devolution plan
One would certainly hope the more intelligent of Ross Thomsons voters who elected this charmer might be seeing the purpose of his behaviour for what he is, a jumped up little suck up careerist who hopes his English masters will praise him for attempting to be one of them and not one of us, so did Mr Thomsons constituents realise when they voted for him the first thing he would do is NOT represent them
Judging by his previously seen expression I don’t believe he likes Scottish people very much and doesn’t want to be one or work for his Country either
So fairly typical Tory really
Let’s keep it simple, “Thick as two short planks will suffice”, with no offence to wood.
The UK Gov would be happy for us to mitigate the WASPI pension disgrace. The responsibility would be handed to ScotGov and would amount to us holding the nail steady as they hammered it home with “ScotGov has assumed responsibility”.
It would also be used to point out that we would have reduced expenditure elsewhere in order to accommodate the mitigated cost.
The (idiotic) unionist’s twitter argument is that an extra £1.2 billion was provided, use that. The truth however is that the cost of doing the right thing would be £30bn (Conservative Party Figure) or £8bn (SNP figure). I suspect the Tory figure is intentionally inflated to render the WASPI repair bill non-viable by sheer weight of expenditure.
Ross Thomson is a gift to Indy.
My tweet to @RossThomson_MP and @HouseofCommons
Lying, you know pension is reserved to Westminster. What a waste of space you are [Saltire] independence this year.
Ross Thompson is a shockingly poor thinker, even by Tory standards.
If the Scottish tory buffoons are saying that the Scottish Government should raise the necessary funds, then they must agree to hand over the power to control pensions and affiliated tax raising levers necessary to fix this without damaging the budget we have to pay for all the powers that we do control. Either they agree to introduce a new scheme to compensate ScotGov (which be undemocratic and unfair for those affected in rUK) or they hand over the reserved powers necessary to solve this issue. They won’t hand over any new powers, because that would end up being close to a full federal arrangement which would either suit no one, or be an independence hastening policy, which the establishment do not want at any cost. Lose/lose for Scottish tory numpties either way.
On the subject of lying Tories have just seen a picture of the newish Tory Cabinet. Fluffy is somewher on the sidelines but no sign of truthless ruth.I thought she attended every Cabinet Meeting or only the ones where she serves the drinks
Auld Rock @12.17pm
I fear you are under-estimating Mr Thomson there. I would say he was as thick as at least four short planks.
Tories like Ross Thomson are not there to represent their constituents, they are in place to provide votes in London for a Tory government. They will not rock the boat or say anything against their party or its policies.
That Tory government rules Scotland in on behalf of interests outside Scotland.
Clearly the Tory footsoldier here have the additional role of attacking opposition to London rule by any means. Whether those means are logical, sensible, honest, or meaningful is totally irrelevant. Attacking relentlessly is all that matters,
Bottom line …. Westminster interference in Scottish affairs effects absolutely everything whether devolved or reserved. And the effect always seems negative.
What does Westminster do for Scotland? Nothing positive!
Independence won’t solve all our problems, but it will remove a Hell of a lot of hurdles to progress in an instant!
Thomson is a seriously odious individual, in a party that provides serious competition.
He’s as good a politician as he is a referee, and that is no praise. Philosophy these days is akin to me taking a relatives pension and telling them should they require anything from the food shops they should ask a kindly neighbour to buy it for them.
Often when we describe something that is awful we use colourful language to emphasise emotion or feeling.
However in all honesty, if you can vote Conservative and willingly ,knowingly put a x in a box to elect them to power, then truly you are one of the more despicable inhabitants of these islands. They are utterly heartless,stone cold murderers of the poorer members of society, to nurture a class of society they support.I. E. The already wealthy
That is no embellishment of the case. It is just the truth.
On a technical note, I’m not sure that Scot Gov has the ability to create a new benefit of the kind envisaged. As Rev has noted, it couldn’t be a pension, so what would it be & where would it fit within the overall benefit provision?
My understanding is that creating a new benefit for women only would not be allowed on grounds of sex discrimination. It would have to be framed in terms of need & I don’t see how that could be done in way that targets specifically the WASPI women rather than a wider group.
On a practical note, assessing the appropriate level of benefit for each affected person (the putative shortfall) in each case needs information from the UK
… bodies (HMRC and others) to make this idea work – as well as the potential qualification issues Rev notes – which just isn’t likely to be a feasible proposition.
Has to be sorted at a UK level.
I think you have covered this tactic when discussing Headlines in the Press.
Dont let the facts get in the way of any slamming attempts etc
Has Ross Thomson put his deceptive plans to WASPI? C’mon Ross, let us know the outcome……ROSS?……ROSS?
Thomson is my MP. God help the voters I live alongside.
I am one of these women. I took early retirement and this change in policy happened just months after I left work. There was no warning and I had made a financial decision based on lies – the Tories/Lib Dems ruling affected me.
I was lucky as I have a husband but if I had been on my own I would have really struggled as my private pension is not enough to live on and would have had to try and find a new job after having had serious health problems (at that time).
This Tory disgusts me but the Lib Dems even more so as they sat alongside the Tories agreeing to everything but pretending otherwise.
The challenge to Mr Thomson is surely this: do you support in principle the Scottish government introducing a measure to mitigate the effect of these pension changes?
If he says yes then he is the real separatist as he implies that a Scottish women of a certain age is worth greater state aid than one from other parts of the UK.
It would be interesting to know if there are other photographs of him similar to the one shown when debating other issues not related to gender. If not this photograph says everything about his approach to women. I’m sure Eddie Mair would relish asking him if he is a thoroughly nasty piece of work.
Not sure how you can top up a pension that doesn’t exist. Even just a superficial examination of this statement can see it is nonsense.
Off topic but I see the BBC are still on the SNHS bad theme, not unexpected. But I had a look at the Wales and NI pages, surely as their figures are worse then it will be splashed across these areas pages. Nothing, zilch on the front page, I wonder why?
The only reason I can see is we are led by the SNP therefore everything must be reported as bad. Wales page is amazingly positive compared to the Scotland page. keeping an eye on how the various nations in the UK are being reported by the BBC is another worthwhile exercise.
Holy toryboy fcuk. Tragedy is, we will never ever see anything like this kind of journalism anywhere in teamGB. Its like an alternative yooniverse of toryboy spin out there.
It appears to me that the voters are still acting like fools – I see no great movement to the obvious view that there is one easy route out of this mess.
It was Leonard’s turn at the New Year interview today. I see the BBC are running yet another SNHS doom and gloom, SNPbaaad story for the Tory trolls and poor Leonard’s story took second billing and was quickly dropped to fifth.
I didn’t listen…was it really that bad? Are the BBC still pushing Mad Col Ruth McMad as their SiU messiah?
The BBC are a journalistic joke.
I’d love to see polling specifically from his constituency to see if they’re happy with their (poor) choice. Being a Scottish Tory MP basically involves defending the indefensible. Ross is quick to redden in the face and go through angry contortions when confronted by a better mind arguing from a factual basis and with true belief – eg Mhairi Black.
When the people of Aberdeen South turned out to give this donkey a winning margin of 4572 votes, based on a No Surrender to Indyref2 ticket, did they anticipate him voting against their wishes – eg with Brexit – and against Scotland in general? Would they now boot him out – and maybe feel a bit silly for electing him at all?
Off topic but I see the BBC are still on the SNHS bad theme, not unexpected
You are never going to hear or see anything positive about Scots gov on the BBC, anywhere, anytime. Last night bbc r4 gimps mentioned NHS wait times were better in Scotland than England and the radio exploded with toryboy beeb gimps trying to shut it all down.
Ross Thomson should go back into his box…..no intention of doing anything to assist the people of Scotland….there again he would be a good runner for someone requiring toys…..dont know if Im permitted to use a three letter word beginning with “s” and ending “x” with a vowel in middle
Ca canny on Thomson, give him a bit of space to fully express his opinions.
He is our top man for recruiting new SNP members.
link to wingsoverscotland.com
Aye…. If only somebody had seen this coming….
So will the headlines be, ‘SNP refuse to pay (bridge UKGov gap) for women’s right to fair pension!’, something like that. Every single cut to individuals coming from the UKok Gov, and it’s getting worse by the day, is a cut to the Scottish economy, it’s money taken that would otherwise be spent and put into the local and wider economy.
What do the UKgov do with the billions £s they take from the most vulnerable and poorest I wonder.
So, the ScotGov are meant to spread the butter even thinner on the couple of thinly cut slices of bread left over, after WM and London treasury have taken the rest of the loaf and the ingredients for tomorrows bread as well.
Aye, where are the Mary Whitehouse’s when you need them eh. She ‘elped the Daggenheim girls, eventually, but wait who was there from Laaaabour to ‘elp the women council workers in Glasgow.
Where’s laaabour when you need em. Oh I forgot, they are learning their SNP bad lines and talking to the daily rags on the phone about which lies they should print next.
Artyhetty says:
I think you mean Barbara Castle, perhaps?
MW was something quite different! 🙂
Thomson, is a amoeba, in the world of politics, he hasn’t a clue. I also believe he doesn’t give two hoots about his constituents.
The BBC Scotland 6 O’Clock news is known as NHS Bad Update in our house.
I had to turn it over altogether the other night as its gone beyond tiresome and clearly heading into attempted brainwashing territory.
STV are not much better, im sure they will catch up, but at 18:32 on BBC you can almost guarantee you will hear Jackie Bird say “Over to our Health correspondent Shelly Jofre, or as we like to call her “The hardest working woman in Showbusiness!, for more on this story”
I was in a National Union for 30 years and voter Labour,
But when I am asked for my opinion now, I say, I would never recommend a Union, other than for Health and Safety, and as for Labour don’t.
Once they are in power, they only look after themselves, not the people they are supposed to represent.
O/T.
Toby Young’s now history.
link to thenational.scot
This is a post (source below) which addresses this critical essence of this subject – the project involved is planned to be started in February, it will show how YES grassroots can challenge the UK State imposed cuts to welfare, and raise the funds to do so – but not through taxation. The very obvious question then is how, if not taxation? It involves a very simple choice, one which each individual YES grassroots supporter can make, it does not require legislation, nor Parliamentary approval either at Westminster or Holyrood – and will be explained in detail (via a video which will be available from the source Facebook page below) when the project is launched.
Welfare cuts – austerity was item 3 in my letter to all 129 MSPs in June 2016. What is planned will show how YES grassroots can start to provide funds to mitigate the effects on the most vulnerable, and go beyond the limited powers of the Scottish Parliament. YES grassroots can show to all those who recognise how wrong these cuts are, including those who may need a practical not political explanation of why it is independence from Westminster that is the ultimate solution. Details are being discussed and planned and will follow.
June – 2016 – I delivered 129 letters, one to each MSP, these are extracts:
1 – A detailed explanation of the currency options available to an Independent Scotland, and to instigate as wide ranging a debate as can be achieved on such options.
2 – A practical example of how these options can benefit Scotland, within which we intend to produce a demonstration (in Beta form) of how to establish a Scottish National Bank, and a Scottish Investment Bank.
3 – A series of steps which will allow for money to be made available to challenge and mitigate the current austerity regime.
Post Source: link to facebook.com
@Alex Monaghan says: 9 January, 2018 at 12:03 pm:
“Prehensile? Seems rather a positive description. Did you mean vestigial?”
Seems about right to me, Alex, far as I recall the dictionary defines the term, and I paraphrase here:-
Prehensility is the quality of an appendage or organ adapted for grasping or holding.
I would venture to suggest the MP in question fails to grasp the implications of what he suggests.
just been looking through the Rev’s twitter thread, and saw the tweet about the Blessed eremy’s non-appearance at the SNP’s multi-party strategy meeting this morning.
Such a pity they didn’t, instead of merely empty-chairing him, place a tub of lard on the table in front of his empty seat.
Why, even the Daily Heil would have noticed that one.
@Az 1.07pm
The constituency voted 68% I think to remain as well. I wonder if all those who elected him knew his role in Leave Scotland. No surprise he got in over the SNP in June sadly, our constituency is full of the ‘no to indy ref 2’ folk and traditional tories who voted Labour pre 2015 all went home this year. I almost had the displeasure of meeting him and Ruth no surrender Davidson in our street the weekend before the election when they were canvassing, needless to say they did half the street then turned the other way when they saw our giant vote Callum McCaig poster in the window.
Ross Thomson is a maggot
His job is not to protect or represent his constituents who did or did not vote for him it’s to further his career in the Conservative party and defend the Union at all costs, knowingly or unknowingly that’s what they voted for and that’s what they’ve got.
There is a name for people like Ross which I’m not allowed to use on this site but we all know what it is, there’s also a name for those who voted for him and we also know what that is and I am allowed to say it
IDIOTS
[…] Wings Over Scotland Their mouths and your money The gigantic-clown-shoed bunglemuppet that is Scottish Tory MP Ross Thomson was […]
This charlatan can muddy the waters all he likes and play mr angry but this shows up the truth of westminsters sinister policies….everything is now a game of asset stripping, from pensions, health, protection rights under the eu, all being systematically dumbed down to the lowest level or removed despite us voting to the contrary…its a wonder Nicola has the patience and fortitude not to down tools, say I’m done now..cheers….
This charlatan can muddy the waters all he likes and play mr angry but this shows up the truth of westminsters sinister policies….everything is now a game of asset stripping, from pensions, health, protection rights under the eu, all being systematically dumbed down to the lowest level or removed despite us voting to the contrary…its a wonder Nicola has the patience and fortitude not to down tools, say I’m done now..cheers….
@Az says: 9 January, 2018 at 1:07 pm:
“I’d love to see polling specifically from his constituency to see if they’re happy with their (poor) choice. Being a Scottish Tory MP basically involves defending the indefensible.
Och! Az, You are wasting your time. Thompson is a football referee. Even if he was a good referee he would still be very used to being always wrong and hated by one and all.
Ross has no principles, except in the morning if his face is a little puffy he’ll put on an icepack while doing his stomach crunches. He can do a thousand now. After he removes the icepack he uses a deep-pore cleanser lotion; in the shower he uses a water-activated gel cleanser, then a honey almond body scrub, and on the face: an exfoliating gel scrub. Then he applies a herb mint facial mask, which he leaves on for ten minutes while he prepares the rest of his routine. He always uses an aftershave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older.Then moisturiser, then an anti-ageing eye balm followed by a final moisturising protective lotion.
Playing mr angry is his way of deflecting his parties cruel policy towards the waspi women…straight forward situation..they have paid their contributions so where’s the funds..doesn’t have anything to do with holyrood despite his protestations…it’s a case of dumbing down everything that’s not nailed down..pensions, European Union protection rights, all being systematically removed or minimised…Nicola has some fortitude in staying the course, many would’ve had enough by now…
Surely he can’t be that stupid-wait a minute.!
Robert Peffers 2:09.
The football referee is Douglas Ross MP. Another tory shite.
apologies for repeat messages…must’ve been the cold hands or nervy angst..
Apologies for repeat messages..laptop malfunction or angsty cold hands ha ..
jfngw ended post at 1:01pm:
“Wales page is amazingly positive compared to the Scotland page. keeping an eye on how the various nations in the UK are being reported by the BBC is another worthwhile exercise.”
Agree with you,that’s why from Scotland at 10:30 pm weekdays I tune into BBC London Local News where the content and ‘experts’ are not making a political point.
The difference between BBC MisReporting Scotland’s agenda and BBC London Local News is startling!
The latter has quality with very strict editorial control keeping most content firmly fixed in the Centre Ground.
The absence of a political agenda by the editors and team is a breath of fresh air.
Ot. Apologies
The Daily Mail is unhappy!
link to archive.is
That last link in the article was a good reminder of how the tory media are primed to lie and obfuscate when it comes to Scottish fiscal matters.
How is Brillo these days, has he been punted or having his next 2 years anti Scottish propaganda implanted, Johnny Mnemonic style ?
@tatu3
Virgin Trains ban the Daily Mail for attacking people, so Daily Mail attack Virgin trains in response…!!
And they wonder WHY they were banned in the first place.
Having said that…Virgin has a bloody cheek here, the Daily Mail seem ideal bedfellows for the Virgin group, both want to shaft the poor the sick and the vulnerable.
The Mail by slashing welfare benefits and Virgin by privatising the NHS.
Aye we get the plan son , every right thinking person can see what you and your scabby lot are up to ,
The attempt to make sure that the SNP government are having to allocate money set aside for areas such as health and education to alleviate the more repugnant parts of this Tory vendetta waged against ordinary people in this country is a reflection of the Psychopathic nature of this Tory party absolutely no empathy or consideration for other people ,
This is where the media in Scotland fails everyone , their abject failure to highlight the money that the SNP government are having to use because it’s morally right to try and protect the vulnerable in society , this acceptance in the use of food banks is disgusting , and the idea of promoting a charity to assist poor Scottish children in this day and age is beyond belief , charity is being used to supliment funds that central government should be providing .
Our compliant media will be more than happy to run this Tory clowns twisted logic rant , but will never go near the lasting harm the worst government in living memory are doing every day . The Labour Party in their hatred of the SNP have lost the plot , the SNP are not the bad guys here it’s this scabby Tory government .
Of course, Clowns like Ross Thomson should be careful what they wish for.
The Scottish government are happy and willing to remove ALL responsibility from WM and take FULL control of everything.
It is called INDEPENDENCE.
Depending on how many Waspi women there are. It might be possible if Scotland had the powers and the information to compensate the Waspi women. Scottish taxpayer pay their own UK pension and welfare benefits. They are taken from the Scottish budget revenues and then come back. At time £16Billion when unemployment was higher 7%. The sum must be lower. Unemployment is 4%
If Waspi women are unable to work longer. They might/must be able to get sickness, unemployment or welfare benefits. Sent down and then back. Or Council tax exempt. To supplement their incomes. If the Scottish Gov could /have the powers to mitigate it. Probably not. It might be less than the Waspi women have to claim in other possible benefits. If it was possible it might be better for the Scottish Gov to mitigate it once again. Instead of paying (higher by comparison) benefits. Instead of the money going down and coming back. What a coup that would be. The Kudos for the SNP Scottish Gov.
Ross Thomson is just an imbecile. Left Aberdeen City in £1.2Billion of debt. wasted public money like there was no tomorrow. Along with the Labour/LibDem hypocrites and liars. On groteque projects of no value. No one wanted. What a mess. £200Million. Causing traffic chaos. Along with the Labour sychophants. Crooked and thieves. Cut essential services. Building a Conference non mandated with no business case. £300Million. A total waste of public money. £30Million they haven’t got destroying an Art Gallery. Shut for years. Total unnecessary public waste. Aberdeen Artist Exhibition has no where suitable to show. Refused a gift of £80Million to pedestrianise and renovate the City. The list is never ending. A bunch of unionist liars.
Compensation for Waspi women if possible. What a vote winner that would be. Vote for SNP and Independence. Definitely would get over the line. A win, win.
Ross Thomson and his cohoots would lose, lose. Feck off.
Sleekit wee shite. That’s all I’m saying about him.
Folk have mentioned the waiting times report on BBC. To me, the more incredible thing about it was it came on main news programme not far down the list. It was also about 1 week when flu cases had doubled.
And once again the waiting target was not explained correctly.
But hell, they needed a Scottish bad story quickly…
link to facebook.com
And the Architect walks away with the golden goose .
I am a WASPI woman, diddled out of over £30,000 of my pension entitlement over the six years I have to wait for it.
I vaguely knew there would be equalisation coming down the line and was prepared to have to wait perhaps a couple of years extra. Being a fair minded person who considered herself very lucky to have some occupational pension and a husband with a pension I accepted the inevitable.
But in 2012 the Tory/ Lib Dem coalition decided it would be a good idea to accelerate the timetable with less than three years until my retirement. I will have to wait until I am 66 before I get the pension I paid 41 years worth of NI contributions for. This is not a benefit, this is my entitlement. I paid in and the WM government should pay out.
I know where the responsibility for this gross injustice lies and it’s nothing to do with the Scottish Government. Slimeballs like Ross Thomson couldn’t care less about me or any other WASPI woman. His life experience (or lack of) is about as far it’s it’s possible to get from mine. His only aim is to make political capital out of a situation his party created.
The real tragedy here is not how it has affected relatively better off women like myself, but what it has done to the lives and retirement dreams of women who have been left destitute in some cases.
Many women retired early to care for relatives, thinking they would get their pension at 60. Many are trapped in jobs they are no longer fit to do. Many have had the indignity of having to sign on, after working since the age of 15, and told they should apply for an apprenticeship. It’s beyond outrageous.
Hats off to the SNP Government. By mitigating the bedroom tax and continuing to provide the bus pass, free prescriptions etc life here is made just that little bit easier for women struggling to get by.
And at WM the amazing Mhairi Black is fighting hard along with the other SNP MPs to force the Government to provide transitional arrangements for those affected.
Vote for a just society. Vote for the SNP. Vote Yes.
@Highland Wifie
Well said.
The average non politically aware Scot doesn’t know what powers are devolved and which are reserved. So the Tories blame the SG for anything under the sun. Your average Scot sees the headline and hey presto the SG are the bad guys.
It’s a game to them. They couldn’t give a toss about the so called victims of WM bad policy decisions. Their aim is to pin anything bad on the SG not to try and change the policy.
The eejits who voted for this guy and his party won’t even know what is devolved. They just know that they hate the SNP and the Scotland they live in. That’s all that matters. Fundamentalism needs no logic or truth.
Well they’d be determined to rid themselves of Callum McCaig; intelligent, decent and knowledgable. More than anything a politician that represented all Scots in his constituency. Not a Westminster lackey.
link to youtube.com
And replace him with a man who’s proven to be an absolute embarrassment in the Commons: One who doesn’t even know the basics such as what’s reserved to Westminster (80% of powers) and what’s been devolved to Holyrood (20% of piecemeal powers).
Not surprising to know that he was rejected by the Aberdeen Electorate on six occasions and saved from the political scrapheap by being added to the North East of Scotland list by Ruth Davidson.
link to caltonjock.com
As the saying goes ”you get what you pay for.” Too bad that folks on the East Coast of Scotland seem to have no idea of what’s going on.
link to opendemocracy.net
@Artyhetty says:9 January, 2018 at 1:22 pm:
“What do the UKgov do with the billions £s they take from the most vulnerable and poorest I wonder.”
You can now stop wondering, Artyhetty, for the answer has been in the official Westminster statistics for years.
The plain facts they expose is that the poor, the not quite so poor and the lower middle classes have, since the Labour Government first made the main taxation of the United Kingdom indirect taxation that was previously PAYE, the main form of taxation.
The Conservatives and the LibDems accepted the Labour
Party initiative with great gusto and all three Westminster unionist parties have continued the drift from direct to indirect taxation when they too were in power.
It is a long ago and well documented economic truth that indirect taxation imposes the main body of taxation upon the poorest who are least able to pay tax and takes more of the burden of taxation from those best able to afford to pay.
Those statistics I spoke off show that has indeed been the case and in spite of the deliberate lies of succeeding Westminster governments that, “We are all in this austerity thing together.”
While the poorest and most vulnerable continue to become more poor and vulnerable due to austerity, (and many have died due to austerity measures), the richest strata of society have more than doubled their personal wealth and factually you cannot suffer austerity while increasing your wealth.
In point of fact the Tory and Tory/LibDem administrations not only increased indirect taxation and brought even more things into such as the indirect tax of VAT but simultaneously gave the riches strata’s even more tax allowances and even more forms of legal tax evasion.
So in effect the Westminster unionists have picked the purses and pockets of the poor and transferred that money into the, often off shore bank accounts of the rich. That is also a problem for money in off-shore accounts grows only the wealth in the off-shore account and the coffers of the off-shore country. It does nothing for the UK government and the people without off-shore bank accounts.
These two posts, standing side by side on here, just sums it up for me. This is what Tories, such as Ross Thomson, support and promote. It IS beyond outrageous Highland Wifie (great post by the way – thanks for sharing).
When will the Scots waken up to the reality?
@ ronnie anderson says at 3:14 pm … ”And the Architect walks away with the golden goose.”
link to facebook.com
…………………………….
@ Highland Wifie says at 3:34 pm …. ”I am a WASPI woman, diddled out of over £30,000 of my pension entitlement over the six years I have to wait for it…….
I will have to wait until I am 66 before I get the pension I paid 41 years worth of NI contributions for. This is not a benefit, this is my entitlement. I paid in and the WM government should pay out…..
Many women retired early to care for relatives, thinking they would get their pension at 60. Many are trapped in jobs they are no longer fit to do. Many have had the indignity of having to sign on, after working since the age of 15, and told they should apply for an apprenticeship. It’s beyond outrageous……”
The Scottish Government should send a leaflet to every household in Scotland with a list of devolved to Scot Gov and retained by UK Gov powers,
they should also send a leaflet to all media outlets (esp BBC) and political parties MP`s,MSP`s,MEPs Councilors ,unions ,businesses,charities etc `cause they don`t seem to know what`s devolved and what`s retained,
The Scottish Gov need to be more proactive in educating Scottish citizens on the process and procedure of the political world,
educate the people.
All UK taxes and benetits paid in Scotland come from revenues raised in Scotland. It come from the £54Billion raised in taxes. It was £16Billion. £6Billion (UK) pension payments. £10 (UK) Welfare benefit. When unemployment was 7%. It most likely to be lower now because more people are working.Unemployment 4%.
Pensions (UK) Gov £6Billion in Scotland (Lower pro rata) people die on average earlier. Rest of the UK (UK Gov pensions) £72Billion. More pro rata. They live longer. As a proportion % of the population. Scotland 1/12. Rest of the UK 11/12. Also considering retired men/women as a % proportion of each country.
Some Waspi women must be getting other welfare payments. Unemployment, sickness, exempt Council tax in order to manage. Scottish funds/revenues have to sustain. That has to be paid by Scottish revenues. Money raised in Scotland. Depending how much by comparison. It might be possible for the Waspi women to be given some form of compensation. It would be a yearly amount one off payment. Not forever. It is just for a few years paid yearly. Instead of paying compensation welfare benefits.
@Kat hamilton says: 9 January, 2018 at 2:21 pm:
“apologies for repeat messages…must’ve been the cold hands or nervy angst.”
Ach! Kat we all do it from time to time but maybe it was, perhaps, cold angst and nervy hands?
;-))
Hands up if you just know Thomson had to Google ‘prehensile’. Arse of a boy.
Tjomson like all otger Tory MPs in Scotland are so out of touch and inaccurate in all tgey say that they should be an embarrassment to their party and Westminster. Sadly many of the reat of the Tories and Labour and Liberals are the same deluded and less than truthful about much.
British nationalists like Thomson hate Scotland so much they’d put their so-called united kingdom at risk just to try [and fail]to make a pathetic political point.
Ra*e-clause Ruth thinks Thomson is tops. So does the bbc.
Uh oh, looks like BBC Scotland are using a plant for their SNHS A&E story, you’ll have seen the guy with the fractured ankle who was asked to wait but longer than he would have liked so went home for a week then came back had his ankle fixed then claimed he had waited a week and that meant the SNHS gave him bad advice making his ankle even more worser than it was already coz he had to go home for, well no reason at all really except he didnae want to wait while folk were having their heart attacks and such fixed
The BBC are showing this guy over and over and you wouldn’t mind if you were sure this guy was genuine but when he opens his mouth to speak the games a bogey, if it was any more political it could’ve been written by, at a guess Neil Findlay
Another ordinary housewife like Claire going on or the Nursey who wasn’t poor but was
Hannah Bardell doing a fair shift in the UK Parliament today,
Hannah had an Urgent Question this morning on the institutionalised misogynistic state run BBC and their refusal to give woman the legal right to equal pay with men,
and later representing Scotland`s corner replying to the unionist lapdog Liam Fox trade bill fiasco/catastrophe for Scotland,
which Hannah finished of with a Limerick or more like a Rap much to the enjoyment of commons,
obv no sign of the dunderheid Ross protecting his constituents and Scotland.
Nick Eardley of the BBC informing us that the powers to be repatriated to Scotland after amendments by the Commons, wont be coming to Scotland but will go directly to the HOL for amendments, So NOT as Mundell promised but here’s Nick Eardleys version of that
The UK parliament have “dropped” their promise
Who ever says that “dropped” a promise, you break promises you don’t drop them
But I suppose when you have to make it sound nice and BBC gentle so’s not to upset your biased Unionist supporters you know the ones, they’re all called BoB the Goldfish
Just for the sake of honesty and integrity Nick are you or have you ever been a Unionist toadying snivelling Bastirt like the rest of your BBC Scotland colleagues
@Dr Jim,
So an idiot with a broken ankle could nae wait for four or five hours for treatment,but decided on his own volition to wait a week instead.
You would imagine the BBC would be looking at his stupidity rather than the SNP.
When the media are reporting their lies of how bad theSNHS is and are interviewing Shona she should start by always saying we are still the best in the UK by a mile so why are you running down the best do not let them of with asking you questions ask some back
Call his bluff and raise taxes!
He’d soon change his tune!
Could we crowdfund the printing of a leaflet to be distributed by workers of the SNP branches to tell people what is devolved and what is not, including percentages.
People are more likely to read it just now, rather than when they all the junk they get through the letter box when a election is called.
Great post, Rev.
I know it’s early days but I think Ross Thomson could be a contender for the Yoon Plank of The Year Award, although there will be plenty of competition by December, as other Wingers have mentioned.
To think his constituents recently had a real MP who served them conscientiously.
If my wife, a WASPI woman, ever met him, I suspect he’d be walking kinda funny afterwards, on a no-mess-no-fuss basis.
Still remember George Robertson, who was once our MP (though no-one noticed), asking the Home Secretary if he could rely on her vote while she had a gardening trowel in her hand.
George could shift it, believe me…..
The chap is an utter nutter.
Hang on to your hats folk and prepare yourselves for an orgasmic SNPBad Fest on tonight’s Misreporting Scotland.
wull2 says:
9 January, 2018 at 5:42 pm
‘Could we crowdfund the printing of a leaflet to be distributed by workers of the SNP branches to tell people what is devolved and what is not’
Not necessary to crowd fund, my MP delivered flyers saying basically hi I’m here if you need me, here is what is devolved and what is not devolved, I deal with not-devolved stuff.
Did May promote any of Davidsons stupid lot??????????
So he thinks we should be taxed twice – once to pay into the Westminster Treasury which they spend on armaments and tax cuts for the rich – and second into the Scottish budget to pay for the public services and pensions which we have already paid for.
Stv’s opening news Ineos to challenge the Fracking Ban that was always on the cards , the Moratorium on Fracking in Scotland was the correct action & was sufficient in stopping fracking , now the Scottish Gov will have to fight a court case costing millions .
STV news though there’s nothing Scottish about it, in its 6pm programme has attacked the Scottish government over A&E waiting times for the last week in December.
Even though Shona Robison told them that it had been a particular busy winter period, and that the Scottish NHS has the best target reaching figures in the UK for the last two and half years.
The unionist pillocks reporting the news, asked if Robison would survive in her job.
STV news is no better than the BBC news, Scotland has no indigenous news channels only unionist propaganda channels.
‘STV news is no better than the BBC news, Scotland has no indigenous news channels only unionist propaganda channels.’
And that is what unfortunately is going to make #ScotRef very difficult.
Unless the Health figures were revealed no should believe a word the Press are saying about the SNHS. Every figure they have been released so far shows how far they have got it wrong. They can’t count or read a balance sheet. They are ignorant and incompetent onan extraordinary scale.
So far the figures that have come out have show how well the SNHS is doing. Less than one person a day in Scotland being attended by a one man Ambulance. In an emergency with a follow up coming. That is an amazing achievement. Showing how well the SNHS is doing.
1+ person dying in the whole of Scotland while waiting for a discharge. Often involving extremely sick elderly patients. That is an excellent, good achievement.
These Unionist politicians and Press trying to make capital out of the Health Service to falsely attack the SNP are despicable. Most of them are absolute liars.
.
@ Dr Jim says at 5:04 pm … ”Uh oh, looks like BBC Scotland are using a plant for their SNHS A&E story ….”
For goodness sake Dr Jim give the BBC a break, lol. They HAVE to spout lies and exaggerate to ensure that they get their dough from the Westminster Treasury. They have to follow orders in other words. Orders being to support the Union at all costs and attempt to decimate the SNP on a daily basis.
As doctors in England apologise to patients for 3rd World conditions in their hospitals the BBC will scrape the bottom of the barrel and focus on the 4 hour treatment deadline in Scotland. This is to detract from the fact that some people in England are waiting for four hours or more for an ambulance to arrive. Never mind the wait to get treatment. Many poor souls are often found to be dead when the medics arrive.
Some people in England can’t get an ambulance at all, get to the A&E, as they are parked outside hospitals due to there being no beds available to receive them.
If anyone is interested Google ‘Wait for ambulance’.
Some examples of MANY. Note if you are conscious and breathing in England when the phone call is made you are classified as a ‘Category Two’.
…………………………….
A gran lay face-down in a freezing Aldi car park in Sittingbourne for three hours as she waited for an ambulance after being mowed down by a car (found to have a broken pelvis)…… Almost 24 hours after the accident, she was still waiting in A&E.
……………………………….
A failure to take hourly rounds in North Middlesex University Hospital meant that one patient had lay dead for up to four and a half hours before being found – whilst they noted another patient had to wait three hours to see a doctor after arriving into the department with chest pains.
……………………….
A former soldier died of a suspected heart attack after waiting 98 minutes for an ambulance, it emerged yesterday. Peter Wilkinson, 61, dialled 999 at 6.07am on Tuesday complaining of chest pains. The call was flagged as a ‘category two’ because Mr Wilkinson was conscious and breathing – meaning the target response time is 18 minutes. But paramedics didn’t arrive at his home, in Chorley, Lancashire, until almost an hour and a half later – at 7.45am. By then it was too late.
…………………………….
A bewildered and frightened two-year-old girl stricken by an asthma attack sits on a thin mat under a blanket on a cold hospital floor (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, Kent) for EIGHT HOURS before being moved to a ward.
A crying six-year-old boy is seen slumped on two chairs under a black blanket AFTER an operation as his parents wait for SEVEN HOURS for him to be transferred to another hospital – because the one he was at had it’s children’s unit closed the previous year.
Another toddler, aged two, lies under a white blanket while waiting more than FIVE HOURS for treatment for a throat and ear infection.
……………………
***** Just want to point out that BBC News has just covered T May’s reshuffle, North / South Korea and then a VERY long spiel on the SCOTTISH NHS – such as ”figures in Scotland are described as being a disgrace.” Not a DICKY BIRD about the NHS in England. Not a mention.
Most definitely a case for OFCOM.
gus1940
Nothing would induce me to watch STV or BBC news. 🙂
Is it not a fact that the numbers treated by A&E are at a record high, its the unprecedented demand that’s bringing the % figure down.
It’s not Shona Robison that should resign. It’s Colin? MacKay. et al. They are appalling at their ‘job’. A disgrace.
The Bbc /Stv can carp all they want about our SNHS & the Dedicated Staff , here’s a appreciative patient . Over to Bruno .
link to facebook.com
O/T
Disreporting…. SNPBAD for everything. How Union Jackie wasn’t given a damehood in the new year’s honours, I’ll never know.
I know this isn’t very ‘scientific’ but today’s SNP-bad efforts from GMS and Drivetime re SNHS A&E waiting times seemed, to me, to be the most blatant yet.
It’s as if the usual suspects are becoming lackadaisical, or perhaps finding it increasingly difficult to cough up this bile. It’s sloppy, amateurish, transparent embarrassing shite.
Shame on everyone involved in the production and broadcasting of this rubbish.
ProBably the worst BBC anti-SNP News day.
Both on the main news and Scottish News, about how badly the Scots are doing without any comparison with Wales and England. Implication being Scotland is the worst and the SNP are incompetent. Blatant propaganda but turned up to eleven.
Anyone else remember this particular incident:-
link to theguardian.com
History, especially of the Labour unionist kind, has a wee habit of constantly repeating itself.
You’ve spent loads of money upgrading the A9,SNP government, but couldn’t give a toss about the A82 and all the deaths, says English local councillor.
I have been watching the news,the usual rubbish,on the B.B.C. All those that were interviewed were English,do the TV.companies go out of their way to find these people.If they are fed up, that the N.H.S. in Scotland is so bad why our they up here?? Normally they state how bad things are south of the border,that tells the people of Scotland what is going on. Surely they would be better putting their stories in to a loop system,and just keep playing it every evening,saving money. The people have also told Ineos,we do not need or want fracking,the people in London where their water is awful would not notice,they always suggest every where else to frack. Also the water for the whisky industry is more important,although most of the revenue goes to London !!
Colin Mckay bullying Shona Robison on STV news. C’mon Shona why are you not preventing winter flu and accidents caused by ungritted (Cooncils responsible) pavements? Overindulgence in alcohol at this festive period.Heart attacks, strokes, C’mon Shona whi ur ye gonnae dae aboot this?
Seems more attention on Scottish NHS than usual. Must be really afraid of losing some MPs in an surprise election or something. Don’t forget to watch the Tories while they think everyone isn’t looking.
*Should read ‘a surprise election’.
Wings should put out a list of things an independent Scottish Government would not be spending taxpayers money on, eg, weapons of mass destruction, Repairs to Westminster buildings, wars that have nothing to do with Scotland, London Crossrail and many more.
When the bbc are running down the Snhs and are interviewing the SNP about it right away they should point out it is still the best in the UK so why are they running down the best??? Don’t just answer their questions ASK some to them
O/T
Has Fluffy ‘crossed the floor?’
Just noticed him sat on the SNP Front Bench deeply engrossed in conversation with Stephen Gethins.Hmmmm….oh to be ‘a fly on the wall.’
Carol says:
9 January, 2018 at 12:54 pm
I am one of these women. I took early retirement and this change in policy happened just months after I left work. There was no warning and I had made a financial decision based on lies – the Tories/Lib Dems ruling affected me.
Carol my wife is in the same position as are many women , to me this is just an indication of the heartlessness and psychotic attitude of the three unionist parties .
Their ultimate aim IMO is to emulate a certain German dictator who was very precise in his treatment of what he considered to be the underclasses
The rest of the UK are the ones who elect these cold hearted psychopaths , yet we the Scots have to continuously just accept being their guinea pigs when they want to introduce life damaging regulations and rules.
As for Ross the toss (er ) would it be okay if the SG used the farming subsidy allocated to rich landowners from the EU to mitigate and ameliorate welfare cuts and rectify the shortfall to the WASPI women , because lets face it these rich landowners don’t need this HANDOUT and most of them don’t live in Scotland or pay TAXES in Scotland
Is that not a good idea Ross
@Tam the Bam 7:22pm
Don’t know about the Fluffy/S Gethin’s chat but this might shine some light on things:
link to twitter.com
Fluffy asking for favours? Tell him tae GTF
@TheWasp
I noticed that one too! Backed up by auntie shortbread saying the accident rate is higher on A82 than A9.
Implying were on the wrong road and wheres the money etc etc.
The SNP SG can never do enough for some. 🙂
Have to agree with “Andy-B@0613pm” the impression given by Colin Mackay on STV news was
that the 78 percent A&E waiting time figure should be linked to the Health Secretary as a “ resignation issue”. This is frankly outrageously ridiculous .How on earth can ONE WEEKS A&E figures at the height of the winter “ flu season” with all the additional demand on the SNHS and with a spate of slips trips & falls on icy payments inundating A&E units ( Aberdeen city council’s abject failure to grit city roads& pavements prior to Christmas caused in excess of 300 A&E admissions over that particular weekend), be any thing other than “ statistical nonsense” from Colin Mackay as any “ fair minded person “ would judge performance over a significantly longer period ( at least a year) and as regards the “ personal performance” of our Health Secretary over the full period of her tenure. The STV “ performance” tonight would rate at significantly less than 78 percent in my opinion in “ impartial broadcasting” and for once was the “ clear winner” against the “ Shelley Jofre Pathetic Quay offering” .
Spooky how all this Essenpee badness has appeared the day after the FM stated a Scotref is not off the table.
You can smell the fear and panic.
Oh well I posted something hours ago and it still hasn’t appeared. No links etc.
Just to say that the BBC, STV and ITV ALL reported on the ‘dismal’ SNHS tonight … big long spiels … and didn’t make ONE mention of what’s going on in England. NOT ONE WORD.
Ofcom should be looking into this.
And if there are any half-decent Scottish Unionist politicians left out there do you remember a time when you promised to serve the people and not yourself … far less a wee man or woman in London. If so buck up and put a stop to this, that is your party members lying to the Scots via the corrupt MSM in this country.
The health payback
There is maybe one crumb of justice post Brexit in that all the damn drunks who helped clog up our A&E departments over the festive period will have a hell of a job doing the same thing when they go their holidays in July and August with their nice new passports to Europe
Ya think the Amulance workers in Spain or France will pick them up off the street, I used to live there and the answer is as soon as they see their Britain is best passport… NaaH! The cops’ll stick the boot in and leave them on the pavement
That’s Karma Brexiters
Whit? Did yeez no think o these things, If you keep telling the nasty furriners you don’t want them in your country how happy do you think they’ll be to see you asking for help in theirs
@ North chiel says at 7:57 pm …. ”Have to agree with “Andy-B@0613pm” the impression given by Colin Mackay on STV news was that the 78 percent A&E waiting time figure should be linked to the Health Secretary as a “ resignation issue”.”
This is WAY beyond a joke now. The NHS in England is on a par with 3rd World countries with toddlers and children lying on hospital floors for hours on end and yet Hunt has not only held onto his job but been given additional responsibilities.
As mentioned already the BBC, STV and ITV all giving it, the SNHS, big (nasty) licks with not ONE mention, not ONE word, about what is going on in England. Are we to believe that all operations are being carried out now, all A&E targets are being met and that loads of vacant beds have suddenly appeared out of nowhere?
It’s also high time that the Freedom of Information obsessors made enquiries about how many elderly, sick, homeless and disabled people have made their way to Scotland from south of the border over the last couple of years. Fled from Tory ‘policies’. Does that account, to some extent, for the 20% rise on figures from last year? They’ve got plenty to say about ‘furriners’ putting stress on their NHS. What about ours? If the accents of 90% of people being interviewed on the news are anything to go by the word ‘Exodus’ comes to mind.
This ‘propaganda’ situation is getting markedly worse now, absolutely blatant, so let’s try and combat it by getting on to the phone folks, email or write to all MSM outlets, send letters to newspapers and complain to Ofcom.
May not work but worth a try and better than doing nought.
Dan Huil @7-45pm
Thanks for that Dan.Yes I caught the Points of Order made at the end of the Trade Deals Debate..all relating to ‘rumours’ circulating that the gov still hadn’t tabled any amendments to the Withdrawal Bill (despite promises made)…no surprise there then.Seems like they want to….’take their time to get it right.’….i.e. Let it move on to the Lords where only UNIONISTS live.What a shower of inveterate liars.Tory promises?…lol…Mike Russell is furious….I don’t blame him.
BBC colonials going their dinger earlier the night, eh?
“NHS crisis” SNP bad..
“Fracking ban” SNP bad..
“A82 needs upgraded” SNP bad..
“Less diesel car sales in Scotland” SNP bad
What a pathetic hypocrite Ross Thomson is. In his tweet he states that the “SNP have the power to support #WASPI women”.
So Mhairi Black together with Alan Campbell an English Labour MP put forward a motion in Westminster calling for improved transitional arrangements for those affected:
“State Pension Age: Women — Improvements to Transitional Arrangements — 29 Nov 2017 at 17:11”
Ross Thomson however decides that he has better things to do that night and doesn’t even bother turning up to vote.
Ross Thomson MP, Aberdeen South did not vote.
link to publicwhip.org.uk
As a member of the Tory party he along with the other dishonourable members in the Tory party DO have “the have the power to support #WASPI women”, unlike the SNP who don’t.
Guess he just couldn’t be arsed to put his money where his mouth is.
Full marks to that Scottish NHS nurse interviewed on British Propaganda Channel this evening!
Interviewer: Is this the worst period you have experienced?
Nurse: It is the BUSIEST period!
Quite a difference of emphasis!
The ‘scottish’ sun’s front page had the story of the poor Aberdeen man who is having to move to Arbroath to give himself a better chance of treatment with NHS Tayside, having copd myself I was in deep sympathy reading how he’d waited 13 months for op to help his severe breathing difficulties.
Was only reading further that his breathing problems stemmed from a nasal problem,it would now appear polyps are life-threatening in Yoon land.
A wee bit of mathematics;
An A&E unit of a fixed resource has a target 95% waiting time of 4 hours or less, for say 100 patients. over a measured period of time. Oops, an upsurge in demand, 120 patients check in over the measured time period, a 20% increase in demand for A&E services. Statistically the A&E department performance measure will drop to 79.1% for the 4 hour or less waiting time to cope with the increased workload. Reports out indicate that in fact the performance measure was found to be 83.3%, so the A&E dept well exceeded it’s targets.
I like to think of WoS readers/contributors as being mostly clear thinking folk, not easily duped,so why does the MSM/BBC/STV think the opposite.
Now I like info,before making rational decisions or forming an opinion one way or another…luckily I have some,but not enough….
It was December and there was a distinct lack of unslippy pavements to walk on,treacherous even in daylight hours….councils failure to grit- icy underfoot conditions – check.
It was December and people out and about shopping for presents etc. lots of works night out,lots of alcohol consumed,hey it’s a celebration,let’s party – people drinking too much- icy underfoot conditions- check.
Not yet seen the figures for drink driving offences or people attending A&E under the influence but going to call it anyway – people drinking too much – icy underfoot conditions – check.
There was big sporting events on,football matches,again not seen any figures on this but going to call it anyway – people drinking too much,after the match,hey we’re on holiday,no work tomorrow-icy underfoot conditions – check.
Is there a pattern here ? is it just the same as every other year ?
I would like to genuinely know, if anyone has any useful data on any of this.
#joiningthedots
I have been prepared personally until now to defer to the SG/SNP’s chosen form of response to Scottish media coverage of our NHS – on the basis that the SG/SNP have the knowledge, expertise and strategic insight to inform their framing of an appropriate response. But I no longer feel content with this. Something has to change – for the sake of SNHS staff and for the efforts of SNHS Boards and management; for the reputation of the competence of the SNP Government and that of the Cabinet Secretary for Health, and, very importantly, for the reassurance of people in Scotland and their relatives and friends of the quality of care they will actually get from our SNHS. This (politicised) negativity and scaremongering has got completely out of hand in the media.
The SG/SNP has to take stock, urgently, of its communication strategy – and to do so, importantly, not only for party political reasons.
Let’s have a ‘state of the Scottish health and social care system’ address aimed at the people, warts and all – the full picture – from the FM and Cabinet Secretary at Bute House, plus an address to Parliament – that the media can’t ignore. This is a really difficult, challenging issue – let’s get on the front foot!
10%? of English people in Scotland paying taxes etc. Paying their way. 1/4 + (plus) supporting SNP and Independence. Portionately students from elsewhere. Less likely to be using the SNHS. Young fit and healthy. Scotland’s population has gone up 200,000 over a number of years. From year 2000 Devolution. From other places in EU etc. Nearly 20 years. Average 10,000 a year. Quite manageable. Pensioners pay tax.
10% of people from Scotland in England EU etc. There are not swarms of people flooding across the border. Scotland needs people. Victimising others is unhealthy and unnecessary.
Ecuador, says Assange’s holdup in embassy untenable. Britain could be mediator in Assange’s case, as of 2015, it’s cost the British taxpayer £11.1 million quid to keep an eye on Mr Assange, it can’t continue.
link to theguardian.com
UN added that Assange is under arbitrary detention.
…the people of Scotland voted for idiots like Thomson!
Unfortunately many people will still vote for “Unionist” parties despite all of the broken promises.
Issues such as the WASPI woman being fiddled out of their entitlement are very important but nothing in comparison to the UK having the second worst pension in Europe. Everyone is being fiddled EVERY day.
Do people realise the spiral of doom the Unionist parties are trying to push us into. The more you mitigate Westminster cuts, the more you rob pocket money from a key service. This will drive ALL taxes higher and another cut in pocket money will follow then as services are cut we get SNPbad plus too small and stupid rants from the same Unionist cheer leaders.
…but why are so many Scots still voting for unionist parties???
Did you, by any chance, also ask people how they felt about paying more tax to fund positive improvements in services and investment in devolved areas?
@ carjamtic Drink drivers for Dec 539 Police Scotland
People use the SNHS every day. They do not believe the Press hype. They know it is not true. They use education every day and know the Press hype is not true. It is the unionist politicians/parties who cause the problems. Lack of funding etc. Funding cuts affecting Scotland They are getting desperate.
@Clootie
Because they don’t know any other way.
They accept the establishment narrative of power and empowerment. The folk these releases are aimed at believe themselves power…less. That they should put their faith and trust in the very system which is effectively both impoverishing and killing them.
Our job is to give folks the belief that they (to coin/rip off a phrase) have the power. They can have the country, the government and the constitution they want. All they need do s stand with us and it can be theirs.
These broadcasts and press releases aren’t aimed at yoons, but the institutionalized. These are the folk who believe themselves, that independence is inevitable, but that they are somehow incapable of delivering it for themselves. They can have it. All we need do is stand with them and show them how it is possible.
I really do hope we are moving to the end game and vote for independence:
The SUI scandal, of Yoon commoner lackeys sweeping up English and AngloScot “nobilities” donations to use the funds against their own people in Scotland.Labour notables, Pearson and Nash engaged in admin for SUI.
Derek Bateman’s feeding revelation of the collusion between the media and “Scottish” Labour.
The WASPI scandal
Toby and the (BBC’s words} twitter MOB causing his resignation.
How are the UK troops doing in Yemen?
Are arms sales to saudi Arabia holding up?
Still no news of oil and gas discoveries West of Shetland? But the North Sea is on it’s last legs, though the oil companies are OK there due to tax concessions.
Food bank use surging.
And the Daddy of them all, the “star Brexit team” seem to be limping/hoping towards a customs union deal, at a cost of £50 billion. Yes yes I know, as current EU members we already have that deal.
But “We joined as one nation, we will leave as one nation” declares useless May. But we are four nations, and two disagree. Outnumbered, out voted,shake the UK Money Tree for £50 billion.
The guy is either thick or ignorant, or totally dishonest and without integrity.
Yes the Scottish Government has the power, no, it is not given the money by the UK Government, so it doesn’t have the money.
Time we all became much more blunt with these chancers.
Ross Thomson, whether through ignorance or deceit, what you say is effectively a lie.
At least the BBC has moved on from the Labour xmas box, they seem to have now outsourced their news copy to Scotland in Union. Watching Rep Scot feels like reading the letters in the Scotsman. Down side for them of course is I don’t believe anything that now emanates from PQ or from that bastion of impartiality that is the Scotland Correspondent.
@Rev
I wonder if it’s getting near time to make your article titles explicit?
Thanks Ronnie that’s a lot,over 17 a day or about 1 every hour that folk are wakened.
I don’t how much more anybody can do,zero tolerance for driving is the correct thing,increasing the price of the cheaper more damaging alcohol is another step in the right direction.
The public services employees (firemen,police,NHS workers) are the front line witness’s to most of this drunken behaviour (as well as bus and taxi drivers….) and have to manage it.
My sincere thanks go out to them (the normal law abiding average Joe/Jean,who for 11 months of the year behave themselves,let themselves down and can be the worst,the rest are just areholes in my book) I have worked the front line,so have witnessed many tragic things and seen lots of tears at Christmas and New Year.
As a rule of thumb,at any accident or incident,anyone squealing,say about a sore ankle goes to the back of the que,it is the quiet ones that usually need your life saving attention,immediately.
I have no doubt the public are Well aware of the agenda here and the politicising of all of this,I think the broadcasters ,do themselves no favours and should really hang their heads in shame.
#SilentNight
I remember Asimov’s Foundation trilogy, and the idea was that the centre of the Empire keeps rattling away like there’s no tomorrow, while the empire loses its grip on the edges, which are the first to descend into anarchy, but the first to recover. Meanwhile the centre carries on partying, but is actually rotten at the core.
That’s the BBC for you!
Ha! There you go, the Empire rotting. Virgin trains to no longer stock the Daily Mail.
Is it the beginning of the end, or the end of the beginning?
O/T
For those interested: Brent Crude….latest price = $69-25 per barrel.
Indy Ref2
Has Virgin Media also banned The National….. just like BBC/ SKY newspaper reviews
Just listened to that Alan Browne ( he of the fractured ankle ) there’s all kinds of wrong in that Bbc interview , no mention of a Doctor examination ( a nurse told him he had a fractured ankle ) Doctor must be surplus to requirement in that Hosp lol.
Bbc arseholes .
yesindyref2@10.28
Aye there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
Today the massed forces of British media launched a full frontal assault on the Scottish National Health Service – still the best performing NHS in this “united” Kingdom. No comparisons with the three poorer performing health services, no overall context for increased pressures, labelling “busiest” period of the year as the “worst” and so on ad nauseam.
For the record: yesterday my wife attended the local hospital, as scheduled (not postponed or delayed), for an examination under sedation where she was cared for over a three-hour period. The procedure was carried out meticulously and considerately, with her choice of sedative and pain relief, and aftercare with very good quality refreshments. All staff were attentive, courteous and cheerful and my wife left with a full report that will also be sent to GP and Infirmary consultant. In East Lothian we enjoy first-class care from primary to emergency care. It would be refreshing – and most surprising – if this were ever to be reported by the unionist propaganda establishment.
Emily Morgan of ITV “National News” putting the boot into the SNP over NHS. Strange BBC/ITV national news didn’t cover NHS Scotland figures when they have been better than England for EVERY month since 2015
The Herald to-morrow claiming support for Indy has waned also most Scots want to curb immigration after Brexit.
I wonder what questions was asked and to whom?
Wonderful hatchet job on SNHS by STV/ITV
Bloody raging at the bastards!
“US to loosen nuclear weapons constraints and develop more ‘usable’ warheads”
MORE USABLE!?
link to archive.is
Brilliant, Stu.
This lad is a complete waste of space.
I sincerely hope that all those who voted for him, especially tactical Red and Yellow Tories are happy that they have appointed a complete loon to look after their affairs for five years.
My wife’s a WASPI, worked hard all her days, and will be 60 next year.
This bastard Thomson stole tens of thousands of her pension, as he is part of the Evil Hellish Diabolical Blue Tory Right Wing Fascist Regime that now runs England and treats Scotland as a conquered colony.
She’s also Irish.
What a fucking idiot.
Given today’s universal all-out assault on The Scottish NHS does anybody still believe that the agenda of UK news media both broadcast and print is not subject to centralised control by our colonial masters?
At least as far as Scotland and the campaign for Independence is concerned.
Also, I see Prof John Curtice, the smirking Brillo Pad, is featured in The Scotsman with one of his ‘polls’ showing that the majority of Scots oppose Freedom of Movement in Europe post Brexit.
It should be noted that 2/3rds of Curtice’s Polling Organisation’s funding comes from the Blue Tory Govt.
‘He would say that, wouldn’t he?’, to quote Mandy Rice Davies.
Not long now until the Hootsman folds. Shite like this will merely hasten its demise.
Why are people here so surprised and angry that the Labour and Tory House journals and media carry on the way they do – they are protecting their own.
Here is Prof Curtice sample
link to blog.whatscotlandthinks.org
ONE big qualification It is based on interviews conducted in October with members of ScotCen’s unique mixed-mode random probability panel, it suggests that politicians on all sides of the debate need to do some rethinking if they are broker a post-Brexit constitutional settlement for Scotland that will secure majority public approval.
May’s comment “We joined as one country we’ll leave as one country” shows the predicament of NI and Scotland.
Wales is different. They coincidentally voted the same as England.
All three “captured” nations combined are Outnumbered outvoted and overruled on all occasions.
Replacing May with Corbyn doesn’t solve # Overrule.
It’s official. Both STV and BBC announce that Scotland’s nurses, doctors, hospital porters, and ambulance crews are shite at their jobs.No really crap.
A young man in his thirties had to wait 3 3/4 hours to have his fractured led set.
I wonder how BBC PQ got a hold of him? Is he a Yoon Party Member?
And on the front of the Daily Raggard, a 49 year old joiner is sleeping rough in a wee tent in -7 degrees because well..I didn’t get any further as I was reading the headline on a very full newsstand in my local supermarket tonight. Not many takers for Clegg’s Clanger today down our way.
A 49 year old joiner cannae get work? Can’t get a roof over his head? Aye right.
BBC PQ features an ostensibly healthy young man who it is reported had to wait over 3 hours to have his broken leg set? Aye, right.
What an evil bunch the Loon Yoons now are.
I wonder how many medical staff will vote for the Loon Yoons next time?
They really are getting desperate.
Oh, that some body could produce a bumper sticker with something like “I don’t care what the BBC say, I’m backing the SNHS.”
Would sell like hot cakes.
He looks and sounds like the sort of chap we want on the BBC a lot.
Would do the Indyref2 campaign a lot of good
These English Tory Land NHS A & E figures are reported in the Independent and represent the first 3 months of 2017:
“The number of patients who have been kept waiting in A&E for more than 12 hours in England has soared by 10,546 per cent in five years, figures show.
Quarterly performance figures from NHS England show that in January to March of this year, 1,597 patients waited for over 12 hours to be admitted, compared with just 15 patients in 2012.”
Now with England having the Second Best UK NHS figures in the UK, After Scotland, how is it the BBC and ITV make a epic drama out of 1 in 4 Scots waiting over 4 hours during a Flu Epidemic and at a peak time for accidents caused by snow and ice, but 12 Hours in England and a 10,546% increase in those waiting that time, never appears on TV.
I really do despise and hate the corruption behind Westminster’s UK Media Mafia.
On an arithmetical correct from an earlier post, if NHS Scotland aim to treat 95% patients within 4 hours under normal circumstances, then surely the unprecedented 20%
requiring treatment due to Flu and Ice means that we can expect that target to drop by one firth/or 20% of 95.
If they treat 76% within 4 hours, which they did, they are doing as well as anyone can expect them to do.
Congratulations to All, and Thanks, to NHS Scotland and the SNP Government.
Westminster Media is Dead. Long live the Truth!
Re Curtice (sir) article in Scotsman and free movement which Scots “oppose” BUT 63% of Scots support free movement if linked to free trade. What else??????
‘The LDP standard-95 per cent of patients to wait no longer than 4 hours from arrival to admission, discharge or transfer for A&E treatment. Boards to work towards 98 per cent.
In November 2017, 93.3 per cent of patients waited less than 4 hours.
The most recent report showed that over the week ending 23:59 on Sunday the 31st December –There were 25,865 attendances to Scotland’s 30 Emergency Departments. The proportion of attendances to those 30 Emergency Departments that were seen subsequently admitted, transferred or discharged within 4 hours was 78.0%.’
link to gov.scot
Of course accidents and emergencies are being seen with as little delay as possible, non- emergencies are triaged and seen by a Dr in about 1 hour with the patient investigated and treated within 4 hours.
The delay in admission or transfer from A&E might have something to do with the current flu epidemic. Informed journalists can go onto these sites and see for themselves the science behind the winter flu planning and response in Scotland and internationally- if interested in facts and reporting the truth.
‘So far, this season is being dominated by influenza A(H3N2) viruses which usually means a disproportionate burden borne by the elderly. For secondary care, this is a particular challenge as multi-morbidity in this age groups means that this poses particular difficulty for patient management. This may explain why there are differences in perception of the impact of the season by different parts of the NHS’
link to hps.scot.nhs.uk
link to who.int
Scotland’s NHS and its extremely hard working staff are coping as they always do in times of peak winter flu and managing demand-they work harder and for longer hours. The frail and elderly who cannot be safely discharged back to the community are admitted for treatment until they are able to mobilise independently and go back to their place of residence. Which any health journalist could educate themselves about if interested in the epidemiology of the flu virus rather than repeating disingenuous scare stories, trying to undermine Scotland’s excellent universal and nationalised health service.
@Famous15
Yes, Curtice’s conclusion doesn’t make sense in that report (at least as reported by the Herald), not his finest hour.
It also reports that 49% voted YES in 2014 but 44% would vote YES now. Does it do the same thing with the NO voters? We know from Rev’s poll that the same percentage of NO voters have swiched, actually giving YES an advantage as NO were higher.
Cack-handed rwporting as usual. Accidentally, I’m sure.
“I don’t care what the BBC say, I’m backing the SNHS.”
Like the sound of those bumper stickers. Get some for bike bags too.
Richard Branson is definitely a WoS btl reader having banned the Heil shitrage from his trains, he no doubt got the idea reading about my ongoing ban the Heil’s free Metro giveaway, I have banned it everywhere:D
BBC r4 PM gimps were funny tonight about it all, with Heil nazi on the show very angry about Branson ban and the Heil is not nazi because he is gay and not a racist because…
Fascists say the funniest things, to each other. BBC r4 are neo nazis, there’s no other way to describe great Brit fascists like them in the early 21st teamGB century.
@Heed
They were similar on BBC1 with like “It’s suppressing free speech”.
You couldn’t make it up.
Ronnie Anderson @10.29 pm.
Could Alan Browne be a Yoon member?
This and the 49 year old homeless tented joiner on the front of Clegg’s Daily Clanger stink to high heaven.
They are getting fucking desperate. They know the YooKay’s days are numbered.
The good news is that NHS staff in Scotland (170, 000 with hundreds of thousands more family, friends and 90% plus of extremely satisfied patients – into the millions now) would have been totally enraged watching the news yesterday. They know only too well, as we ALL do, what’s going on in England even although the BBC, STV and ITV won’t report on it. Know that Scottish Unionist politicians, with Westminster and the Media calling the shots, are making a meal of it (not for much longer).
Then you’ve got so-called Scottish journalists. A bunch of mendacious barrel-scrapers. No doubt ABSOLUTELY despised by half-decent journalists the world over. How on earth can they live with themselves? Sleep at night knowing that they are ruining millions of Scot’s lives and their futures? More so the vulnerable poor, sick, disabled, elderly and young children. Even babes in arms FGS. To be honest I’d rather do myself in before I’d stoop so low (then again I believe in karma in this lifetime followed by re-incarnation), so they had better watch their backs.
Mr Curtice from sunny St Austell in Cornwall, England now resident in Scotland (you know that absolutely shit*y country) tried to scupper the GE with his don’t give the SNP your second vote (won’t be duped with you or that one again John boy).
Next move now especially since he has been ‘knighted’ is to focus on immigration. Westminster experts tell him to do so. That’ll put the Scots right off remaining in the EU they say. Scaremonger 2. Last time round, Scaremonger 1, was that we would be booted out of the EU if we voted for Independence.
Meanwhile no one is telling anyone, including another Sir John of England, that Theresa May as Home Secretary allowed hundreds of thousands of Commonwealth citizens, from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Jamaica – to name but a few Commonwealth countries – into the UK year on year. Into Scotland too of course. No EU restrictions involved there. So why? Some say to bring Cameron down. This was the ‘group’ more than anything that resulted in the Brexit vote, although they try to massage the facts. She will now find herself filling vacant EU posts with the same dark faced people, especially when she has to kow-tow to every country on the planet to get trade deals. And like a game of chess next move will be down to Ukip and around and around we will go. Diane Abbott of all people tried to point this out pre-EU referendum but was ‘shut up.’
Well this is it folks. They know that Nicola Sturgeon will be holding a referendum later this year and that we’ll win it, if they don’t go ALL OUT to scupper it. The gloves are well and truly off now. Expect more of the Nicola canny dae the day job statistics, the immigration scapegoat fiasco and some ‘security’ issues, on a daily basis, appearing out of nowhere with English forces and intelligence bailing us daft Scots out, even although Scots make up a large percentage of their intelligence forces (including heads of MI5 / 6 and NATO. Not willing to tell us right enough. That wouldn’t do). Add to that many from our Police Scotland executive being ‘investigated’ right now by forces from Northern Ireland and England (corrupt as can be). Well timed right enough. They must think that we all came up the Clyde on a banana boat. 300 years on. We’ve got their measure now.
……………………………..
Tam the Bam says at 10:32 pm …. ”For those interested: Brent Crude….latest price = $69-25 per barrel.”
Thanks Tam. Another issue that the MSM have gone quiet on. In fact they’ve now reared their ugly heads and are scaremongering about continuing with fossil fuels, that is until they win the next Indyref2 which they won’t.
Another ”duplicate post being detected” and not appearing on here. Strange as no one has posted on this site for two hours now.
Does anyone have any idea of what’s going on?
No posts getting on here now?
In case anyone gets the usual nonsense “Scotland’s currency will need some ridiculously large amount of reserves in the central bank like £50 billion”, apart from the Rev’s article some time ago, here’s a couple of examples I baked earlier from tradingeconomics and GDP, plus currency exchange courtesy of google.
link to tradingeconomics.com
Sweden has reserves of 507936.00 million krona = £46 million, but for a GDP of £400 billion (11.5%), that’s 2.5 times Scotland so for Scotland that would be £18.5 billion. (our GDP £160 billion).
But then there’s the Czech Republic with 148020 million koruna = £5.1 billion for a GDP of £144 billion (3.5%), Scotland equivalent £6 billion.
“Standard & Poor’s credit rating for Czech Republic stands at AA- with stable outlook. Moody’s credit rating for Czech Republic was last set at A1 with stable outlook. Fitch’s credit rating for Czech Republic was last reported at A+ with positive outlook.”
Sounds good to me.
Booger, £46 billion not million for Sweden, I keep doing that.
Scotland’s natural resources can help support a currency. There’s lots of it and today’s price is nearing $70 a barrel.
Galamcennalath @10.59
Scary stuff to read that the USA wants to create more ‘usable’/ useful? nuclear weapons. WTF?
There are way more nuclear warheads in existence just now than we can ever utilise – why create more?
How much money will be wasted on these fancy fireworks; $5bn per submarine is already an obscene amount.
And they want to fit them on Trident missiles – Oh Lord!
Bring on Indy and let’s get these abominations out of Faslane ASAP!
@Meg merrilees
If it’s any consolation the UK turned its back on “battlefield” nukes years ago, when it got rid of the UK Lance based nukes, and its own arsenal of WE 177 low-yield freefall warheads. It only has “strategic” warheads for the Trident. With just one CASD boat out, if it’s madness for the Yanks to fire just one tactical nuke from a boat and give away its position, with others available, it would be absolute raving insanity for the UK to do so and reveal the position of the one and only (apart from standby) boat.
Therefore the UK won’t go for it.
The Yanks would be truly daft to go for it, as it would legitimise tactical nukes for other countries like North Korea. Hopefully the purpose of the leak is to forestall such rank stupidity. A deterrent is a deterrent, once “usable” it becomes a weapon, not a deterrent.
Ross Thomson gets plenty of opportunity and airtime at Moron’s Shots (anagram fun again.
Andrew @ 1.09pm
I shudder at the thought! And it still makes me angry that Calum seemed like an excellent young MP to be replaced by such a moron.
Robert Peffers @ 2.09pm
Ah! I think it’s the other guy Ross, Douglas Ross, who’s the referee. He doesn’t lose it with near face-popping pressure under light prodding, for the reasons you suggest. I believe he’s considerably more articulate than the Thomson one, and comes across as more intelligent as a result. Not to say he’s a better MP – I imagine them both being bad for differing reasons.
Well my posts aren’t appearing on here. I’m just wasting my time. Is the monitor blocking them or is something else going on? Who knows?
Meanwhile I’ve just complained to Ofcom re. yesterday’s SNHS news versus absolutely nought about the ENHS.
BBC news this morning is all about experts stating basically that we should forget about our oil industry. Going from SNP Baad to Scottish oil Baad now. For around 50 years our oil has been an absolute Godsend for Westminster. All of a sudden with another Independence referendum on the horizon our oil has joined our lousy education and NHS system. What next? Oh right immigration. I forgot! Followed by terrorists lying low in every village in Scotland. Geeza break.
Wow! Goodness gracious me. I must have done something right this time round.
Automated response from Ofcom. I didn’t complain to the BBC and have told them why. Total waste of time, as per the outcome of numerous prior complaints. Let’s see if they carry out an investigation at all. Or is it just more of what people have been putting up with since 1927? Hoping that others on here will take the time to complain to them too.
‘Thank you for contacting Ofcom. Your views are important to us as they help us to ensure that TV channels, radio stations, and on demand services follow our codes and rules.
What happens next.
If you’ve already complained to the BBC
Ofcom will not normally write back to you with the outcome of its considerations.
However, please be assured that if your complaint does raise a potential issue, we will start an investigation. Whether or not we believe an investigation is required, your comments and feedback will be considered, and all our decisions are published in our Broadcast and On Demand Bulletin.
We publish this every fortnight, on our website: link to ofcom.org.uk. It includes the latest decisions about the complaints we’ve received.
If you haven’t complained to the BBC first
Other than in exceptional circumstances, Ofcom can only consider your complaint if you’ve already complained to the BBC first. Please follow this link link to bbc.co.uk to make a complaint to the BBC.
For information about how Ofcom assesses complaints and conducts investigations about BBC programmes, please visit this page link to ofcom.org.uk.’
Rubbish oil again, eh?
**A message from BP: The North Sea is a growth region for BP. We have 50 development wells planned over the next 3 to 4 years. Find out more about BP’s plans in the North Sea.**
A message from BP: This year, we started up Quad 204 in the North Sea, one of seven major projects in 2017. It will extend and expand the recovery of oil from the Schiehallion field area through to 2035. Find out more about BP’s plans to grow production.
link to bp.com
Perhaps someone should send the beeb the link
Y’know, it strikes me that there is an inherent flaw in the current avalanche of Essenpee badness coming from the usual suspects. As Ian B above notes, it’s not even good quality fertilizer. It’s basically hastily cobbled together shite at this point.
I suspect Decembers revelations on the SiU, These Islands, the laughable Unity thingy followed the Christmas box farago really hurt. Conspiracy theory turned confirmed conspiracy fact. Grassroots exposed as entitled astroturf, raving loons and the bottom end naked thuggery. Yer meeja exposed as at best, lazy and stupid. At worst, self interested, overly invested, willing accomplices to the undermining of democratic will and free choice.
The capper after all their efforts of recent years? Scotref is not off the table. Mr Corbyn declares that Brexit means Brexit. May cabinet collapses. Eu publicly slaps down Mr Davis’ letter and both declared positions of Tory and Labour. The Holyrood constitution committee throws the UKs Brexit deal oot the windae and there is a constitutional crisis looming. Cue panicked avalanche of made up poo.
Now here’s the thing, and it’s a danger for everyone. The boy who cried wolf springs to mind. The idiotic, half arsed, metrocentric fuckwittery of their strategy makes valuable public information assets both pointless and useless. For the life of me, I now can’t believe a word the media utters and double that attitude when it comes to the statements of establishment parties and their support.
Their strategy has become so transparent at this point. Their attempts at deception uncovered and/or debunked so regularly. The sheer volume of their assaults from all available assets so unrelenting over such a long period, they’ve totally devalued those assets and undermined their own credibility.
The SNP could literally be the demon spawn of Hell yer raving yoon zoomer claims them to be at this point. They could be sacrificing Killie pies and kittens on dark alters beneath Holyrood in exchange for budget deals and few (other than aforementioned zoomers) would or could believe it at this point.
Just sayin’ like, but they really have gone too far.
OFFS! Literally just had a look on twatter.
Q.E.D.
link to twitter.com
To be fair excellent article in Hootsman by Martin Mclaughlin on reality of personal experience of hospital during New Year period.
However they printed idiot Yoon letter saying reason Norway is happiest nation in the world is because they are not facing independence. LoL
yesindyref2 says:
10 January, 2018 at 12:56 am
@Heed
They were similar on BBC1 with like “It’s suppressing free speech”.
You couldn’t make it up.
Never watch it now:D
BBC r4 news creeps are merely tories, high tory England, waffling away to itself. With Scots like Eddie Mair, cheap at £400k delight to fluff them all.
“The Daily Heil is not fascist because I am gay,” should have at least been challenged by Mair, on national BBC radio news but a few days ago, one beeb creep, not Nic Robinson, shouted down a Brit medic in the middle east who criticised the UK gov fails on aid to children victims.
Ultimately if the right in the British media, England and Scotland are this intolerant of non hard core Cons and Britnat anything, they’re either gearing up for war or they think they’re losing one.
Keep asking our resident WoS btl yoons, Rock and Colin A etc, are massed ranks of beeb Scotland gimps going to be able to take down SNP Scots.gov, Thursday 6 May, 2021?
We recognise anti-independence propaganda when we meet it.
The anti-unionist variety seems more difficult to find.
Indeed, you might speculate whether such a species actually exists.
The authentic history of British Unionism should be fully exposed to our electorate.
Our citizens need to be apprised of the gory details.
The rather too nice SNP should sharpen its claws.
Based on the price reaching $70 a barrel today and on production averaging 2,000,000 barrels per day, it would be worth..$140 million a day..$980 million a week..FIFTY BILLION NINE HUNDRED AND SIXTY MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR!
It’s tin foil hat time. The clock has almost stopped ticking.
Time to get rid of the flu virus that appears to affect Scotland more.
Vote YES next time and protect Scotland.
@James Caithness says: 9 January, 2018 at 2:21 pm:
“Robert Peffers 2:09.
The football referee is Douglas Ross MP. Another tory shite.
My mistake, James, but it is an easy one to make. As you describe him as just, “Another tory shite”, you will realise that I made the same mistake as we so often hear while campaigning and the occupier says about politicians, “Thir aa the same.”.
I say that same thing about all Tories and even all unionists.
The truth, of course is, I was just far too busy to check my facts.
The rather too nice SNP should sharpen its claws.
Its the UK 4th estate and they are coming for the SNP big time now.
Classic example of BBC attack propaganda, unbridled, out of control, because there is no control, or how it works in Pacific Quay, the gimps have even deigned to allow comments too.
link to bbc.co.uk
How can BBC Scotland possibly lose this time, in 2 years I mean:D
One of the things that affected the Winter Holiday A&E figures in Scotland hit me hard over Christmas week. I had my ‘Flu jag as usual but in spite of that, for the first time in decades, I caught a dose of the so called Aussie ‘Flu. I wont go into it in detail but I am very vulnerable to any virus because of my other medical conditions.
As it happened I was able to tough it out without calling upon the SNHS services but I was in very great pain due to my other conditions being aggravated by the ‘Flu bug.
It turns out that this particular ‘Flu bug is able to overcome this year’s ‘Flu jag so there are now lots of vulnerable people, who normally would be ‘Flu free, who needed hospitalisation and who would normally be protected.
The ‘Flu jag does help by easing the effects of this particular bug but it doesn’t stop it being caught.
But of course the anti-Scottish Government media do not want you to know that.
heedtracker thanks for the bbc link , it should come with a warning of infiltration by scotland in union arsewipes , need a shower now after that visit .worse than the scotsman comment page .
Robert Graham says:
10 January, 2018 at 9:38 am
heedtracker thanks for the bbc link , it should come with a warning of infiltration by scotland in union arsewipes , need a shower now after that visit .worse than the scotsman comment page .
Another example of how the BBC is THE enemy of democracy in Scotland.
Should be interesting to see if they can win though. We have to assume they will. But then FM Colonel Ruth seems unlikely. Their SLab dude is certainly their new and next great white hope to stamp out vile sep Scots from their Scotland region.
I get all my news from the BBC and I am not going to vote red or blue tory. So they’re probably up against it on balance.
Its probably the same kind of mindset in Pacific Quay as say the Leave campaign had, in that, if they can just get 51% of the vote, that’s enough. That is a viable beeb gimp target too, considering how BBC dominate the whole UKOK cultural and news media content in Scotland.
I also “take” The Graun, with adblock, most striking UKOK tory journo thingee about their endless monstering of Scottish democracy? how they cannot even begin to stomach actual real live Scots, in their very empty Scottish section, doing stuff, even if it is worth a wee mention in or on The Graun.
Mostly Severin of The Graun just gives Scots weather stuff but just looking a the great Prof Curtice’s daft face right the noo, on The Graun’s Scottish section, the only politics dude in the whole of the UKOK yooniverse, the great British world of teamGB.
As usual, its Anyone but the Scots, a Scot, any Scot, just do not mention one, doing anything, in our The Graun Scotland region.
Yours sincerely,
Severin Carrell, Scotland region ed, biggest doss in UKOK hackdom, in Sunderland:D
@heedtracker says: 10 January, 2018 at 9:20 am:
“The rather too nice SNP should sharpen its claws.
Its the UK 4th estate and they are coming for the SNP big time now.”
I do wish commenters would wise up and stop with the Yoonyoonist mantras that the SNP SG are just being, “Too nice”. It’s not only sheer bollox but is only aiding the Westminster Establishment propaganda. It also highlights the simple fact that these commenters are either part of the yoon propaganda machine or they have been paying far too much attention to the Westminster propaganda.
The SNP members who have been elected to councils, Holyrood and Westminster work very hard attacking the unionists and the statistics for both Westminster and Holyrood prove that to be a fact. The SNP Westminster faction are the hardest working members in the Westminster chamber and, if their detractors were to pay more attention to actual Parliament TV rather than the pre-biased BBC and Westminster controlled commercial channels or the anti-SNP Scottish newspapers they would know the SNP is not being too nice.
Are you numpties really so naïve? I note that those making such claims never make any suggestions for how the SNP are expected to, “Sharpen their claws”, or force the unionist controlled media to stop simply re-propagating the Yoon press releases while simultaneously ignoring, mis-reporting or changing even SNP good governance as being SNP BAAD.
The SNP do hit them at every opportunity – the problem is that the SMSM will not report the real facts and to blithely report, on such as Wings, that the SNP are being too nice and are not thus not fighting Scotland’s corner is, without doubt, spreading unionist propaganda.
Social media is full of examples of the SNP elected people hitting the Yoons hard. Live Westminster TV has no option than to show the SNP members in action as does Holyrood TV and to a lesser extent the BBC’s Parliament Channel also
Instead of augmenting the Yoon propaganda why not make suggestions of just how you expect the SNP to force the SMSM to report the real truth. How come I never read any of you making suggestions of just how you expect the SMSM to report the SNP attacks on the unionist as prominently as they report the attacks by the unionists upon the SNP.
O/t
Mornin’, they’re ‘laying down the lawn’ and breaking up the festive decor on Glasgow’s Freedom Square ra now.
New rolls of lawn get laid down every time after there’s been an event on, it’s a sand pit underneath.
See for yerselves if yer interested:
link to glasgow.gov.uk
The outrage!
I had to laugh this morning at the news item on the BBC text service on Radio Jockland.
“Adoid saying, ‘drug users’, to combat stigma.”
They claim that policy makers and the media should avoid using the terms like, Drug user, addict and Junkie. And who is it that makes these idiotic claims? “The Global Commission on Drug Policy”, (note they are, “Commissioned”, a.k.a. paid for), have drawn up a check list of what language should or should not be used.
i.e. these wallies are drawing up a list of words they want banned as used by people. They are attempting to dictate our language use.
Their membership includes – Former UN General Secretary, Kofi Annan, Sir Nick Clegg and Sir Richard Branson.
These are, “Commissioners”? Paid for to tell us how to think and how to speak? Lets be clear – no one forces anyone to take so called recreational drugs, including alcohol, they make a free choice and that often involves breaking the law.
Forgive me if I place a lot more importance upon avoiding the use of, “negative language”, that the Westminster Government and the more affluent people use against those members of society who, through no fault of their own, are old, sick, disabled or simply just poor or out of work that the Westminster Establishment multi-coloured Tory unionist political parties have stigmatised over a great many years while simultaneously giving tax allowances to the rich.
There is no, “All in this Austerity Together”, in a UK society where the poor are becoming increasingly poorer while the rich are more than doubling their own personal wealth.
I see Sarwar has press statements in various newspapers
claiming NHS Scotland in crisis.
I have already had two of my letters published over the last four weeks in my local newspapers highlighting how badly the Tories and Labour are managing the NHS in England and Wales.
I intend to submitting another letter to my local newspapers giving even more example.
Following the Gina Miller v UK Govt Brexit court case, what’s the point of a S30 and any Edinburgh Agreement?
At the end of the day, political agreements between ministers cannot bypass Westminster MPs deciding on matters.
They may respect England’s majority vote in England for Brexit but, don’t expect them to do the same if Scotland voted YES to independence.
However, whether another Indyref will happen remains a matter of uncertainty.
It may be postponed indefinitely, if the SNP can use that as the carrot to get people to keep re-electing them to administer devolution and thus keep them in extremely lucrative MSP (and MP careers); jobs for life, just like Labour had.
So you would get the same gullible mugs, where loyalty shuts down their judgement, that used to say: “keep voting Labour, no matter what”, that now say: “keep voting SNP, no matter what”. Like sheep who are totally uncritical of any aspects of political performance by politicians.
These same people would continue voting SNP, even if the SNP reneged on their indyref promise.
Obviously the Scottish Gov can’t do something for the Waspi women because it does not have the power. There is no doubt if they did they would do something to help the Waspi women if they could. It would be relatively easy to sort it out. To sort out the welfare system to be fairer and more just. Not sanctioning and starving the most vulnerable. Absolutely appalling. There is absolutely no justification for starving people or illegal wars.
All (UK) Gov pensions and welfare in Scotland is paid by Scottish taxpayers and revenue raised it Scotland. Totally and absolutely. The (UK) pensions lies perpetrated by the unionist politicians in Sept 2014 were so despicable. They knew it was a total lie.
O/T
Delay to Brexit bill amendments confirmed
Remember Hammond saying he had his ear bashed by Scot Tories over the Police vat,well is this just not a ruse by Mundell so he can tell us he had his mind changed by Davidson and her followers and the amendments will be done before going to the Lords if this happens remember you first heard it on Wings.
Macart @ 8.29am
A&E figures. The 100,000 waiting longer than 4 hours does look suspicious so I had a look at all the monthly A&E reports for 2017 produced by the ISD. The monthly reports tend to be more accurate.
The reports cover the period from Jan 2017 up to and including November 2017.
Total visits 1,501,563
Total waiting more than 8 hours 8,019 (0.53%)
Total waiting more than 12 hours 1,561 (0.1%)
So 9,580. Round it up to 10,000 not 100,000.
Over those 11 months the percentage being seen, treated and discharged within 4 hours ranged from a low of 91.8% to a high of 95.7%
Be delighted if someone would like to check the figures just to make sure.
Not even in a parallel universe lol Hammond & Davis are on a visit to Germany to promote a Bespoke Trade Deal with the EU , what ever happened with Brexit means Brexit , omnishambles still on course for 19th March 2019, we Scots should be well clear of the cliff by then .
@Legerwood
Pretty much. Here is December’s figures as posted by G.A. Ponsonby on his tweet.
link to isdscotland.org
The ‘journo’ lies continue. They can’t count read a balance sheet. Do the slightest bit of research. Quite easy on the internet. Sarah Smith quotes the figure 100,000 waiting more than 4hrs for any treatment to be concluded – in a month. An extremely low for figure in any case in complicated cases out of a population of 5.2million people. An extremely low percentage. Other unionist politicans who can’t count or read a balance sheet or analyse figures correctly. Claim this is the figure for a year. An even more percentage as to be non existent. Collusion between the ignorant incompetent Press and ignorant incompetent politicians. Complete imbeciles.
A marvellous performance by the SNHS in any case. They are absolutely magnificent. As for the elderly waiting for hip/knee replacement. Even if the procedure is carry outl In some cases it will not make much difference to any minor pain issues. In some case the body is worn out – done. The procedure will not solve all the pain, uncomfortable issues. They are fortunate to be getting the treatment. Any wait in the list is for people in minor pain mobility issues. Otherwise they would have been seen seen referred as an emergence, The Doctor’s could refer them sooner. To cut out extra work but c’est la vie. The SNHS is still marvellous. People are often reluctant to have many procedure. Go under the surgeon’s knife. Unless it is absolutely necessary. They fear not waking up,
Colin Alexander says:
10 January, 2018 at 10:38 am
Following the Gina Miller v UK Govt Brexit court case, what’s the point of a S30 and any Edinburgh Agreement?
Hi Colin A, you’re a very very anti SNP kind of dude, so, do you think the BBC can get the SNP out of government in Holyrood by the next Scots GE in 2 years time?
Someone just facebook posted BBC Yorkshire news tv yesterday, totally savaging Scotland’s NHS for wait time fails, classic beeb ligger and gimp, BBC studio to Clydeside, very dreech miserable Glasgow morn, a back and fore, “how shit is it up there really dear beeb gimp colleague?”
“Its really really shit, SNP are really really shite. everyone’s fcuked in the Scottish hospitals and its not just cough and sniffles, they’re all fcuked, back to you in the studio, in Yorkshire.”
So have at it Colin A, what’s your insight in to how hard the whole beeb gimp network’s going to aid your ongoing SNP bad campaign, WoS btl:D
PS,
Colin A, do you know why beeb Scotland gimpery means they have to go outside and onto the Clydeside walk and cycle track, when its clearly freezing here and very wet and dull and grey and just urgh, when exact same gimps can do their SNP bading inside, even just in the entrance to their half a billion quid glass box of SNP bad?
Tis all a great UKOK media mystery eh Co?
Re the more relaxed approach to nuclear weapons mentioned last night
link to archive.is
Looks like this American highschooler is on to something!
link to archive.is
Is it time for me to buy a new t-shirt?
link to archive.is
Statistics for a week do not cover the average of statistics for a month or year. To give an average outcome. That is just a total misuse of statistics. Completely irrelevant to overall performance. In exceptional circumstances, Totally misleading. Ungrateful and selfish for so many reasons. To try and damage the SNP government attacking the marvellous SNHS. These imbeciles are appalling.
The misleading Press and unionist politicians should resign. They could get voted out but they have manipulated the electoral system without authority. 3rd rate rejects. They should resign.
o/t
A bit hard on heedtracker mr peffers calm down ,
I doubt very much if heedtracker is helping any unionist cause, he is i believe merely echoing what at lot of people are seeing and that is a one sided deluge of unionist pish with little or no return of fire
Ok we get the unionst MSM wont assist the SNP but as they are not tied up and gagged and the silence is deafening . Must try harder
Colin piss off your becoming f/n boring in my humble opinion .
Chinese business chiefs pay £12,000 for dinner with David Cameron
What say you Ruth Davidson should there be an investigation and who gets the £12,ooo no point in emailing her about it as she never answers them.
This Physiologist wonders what a sub prehensile brain might be. Apart from a normal brain. If your brain is prehensile Rev you should seek, amazed, medical treatment forthwith.
I respectfully suggest you do not understand what prehensile means but I am at a loss as to what term you intended.
I agree that Ross Thompson’s brain is substandard or perhaps under utilised and therefore atrophied as a thinking organ. But I would hope it too was sub prehensile.
Driving the anti-independence shtick is the plainly racist notion that Scots lack the ability and the capacity to make a success of life beyond the confines of Ukania. We need to be saved from ourselves. Hence the media conceit that we are better cared for, our country better managed, our status more elevated protected by the forces of contemporary Unionism.
For those who have matured and climbed out of the nursery toybox all this amounts to self-damaging fairy tale. For the slow learners still inside the box the rude awakening of a sustained shaking into the real world is long overdue. No more Mr Nice guy please!
The ‘expert’ pollster who gets it wrong more times than getting it right. Deliberately? for recompense and remuneration. A chancer. Multimillions and honours for gerrymandering. The piper calls the tune. Head of the polling association which has been censored and fined more times than it has got it right. For poor data collection, collation and methodology. Not following proper guidelines. Getting funded by £Millions of Scottish taxpayers money to try and destroy the Scottish economy. In supporting a regime that have people being sanctioned and starving and dying on the streets. A regime that supports illegal war, tax evasion and financial fraud.
With manipulated poll results. Gerrymandering for money. How low can they go. They use the ‘polls’ to influence the vote. Result.
More nonsense Polls on Brexit in Scotland, Manipulation. Wasting £Million of private and public money. Lining their pockets. They should resign. Or be given their jotters. They should be put in prison for gerrymandering. Or censored. Dishonourable people. Disrespectful cheats.
Now that the 111 powers are being decided upon in the HOL Michelle Moan really does have more say in Scotlands affairs than the Scottish parliament
I wonder if she’ll do another song in her contributions as she calls for all of these powers to be witheld from Scotland
Muscle Guy
I’m guessing ‘primordial’ which is kinda what my brain still feels like after two Weeks of Aussie flu.
Firstly, a very happy and very belated New Year to everybody on here.
I didn’t see the Sarah Smith report but I think I may have found the source of the 100,000 figure. From the EBC no less! On their piece about the absolute state of SNHS, the very last sentence.
“The situation elsewhere in the UK
Last month, BBC analysis of NHS data showed that fewer patients in Scotland were waiting longer than four hours in A&E than they did in 2012/3 in contrast to England where the number had more than doubled.
It found England had a 155% rise in long waits between 2012/3 and this year, up to 2.5 million a year.
Hospitals in Wales and Northern Ireland also saw an increase over the period.
In Scotland, the number of patients waiting more than four hours fell by 9% to just over 100,000.”
So the 100,000 is actually a 9% FALL to this figure AND it’s since 2012/13!!
Sarah Smith – Misreporting Scotland!
I don’t ‘watch’ the news as such, but can’t help catching some of it. When May was re-shuffling, I think I heard somebody (toodleoothenoo?) saying that even although she was ‘busy’ she still managed to say that there would be NO referendum for Scotland.
Does anybody know any more on this?
heedtracker
I’m not anti-SNP. Constructive criticism of them is my way of giving them my support.
If the SNP don’t try and deliver on indy within the term of this Scot Parl, when they have the democratic mandate, I think many SNP voters will abstain or switch votes, such as happened at the 2017 GE ( I wasn’t one of them – I voted SNP).
They would then be forced rely on unpopular policies such as the shambles that is the Named Person Scheme and anti-smacking ban for votes.
Of course, you will always get the sheep voters with unthinking loyalty to any political party. That’s the same mentality that allowed Labour to get away with murder ( literally, in the case of Iraq). Following the illegal Iraq war their vote increased in Scotland.
Credit to the SNP, they totally opposed that immoral and illegal war. If only Scotland – and the UK – had listened to them.
What do you think about my point about the Gina Miller case and an indyref?
Sarah Smith actually said “Last week over one hundred thousand patients waited more than four hours to be seen.”
That’s in a week not a month, ludicrous.
@ Legerwood at 10.46
Does the “total waiting more than 8 hours” include those waiting more than 12 hours, or is it restricted to those waiting 8-12 hours?
It may not be necessary to add the figures together, if the former interpretation is correct.
The SNP are bad because I say so and because they’re not fair to the Scottish Conservative Labour and LibDem party, it’s not fair that they got an overall majority in a system fixed to prevent them from doing so, SNP are bad, then they forced an Independence Referendum on an unwilling Scotland that voted 45% YES at the time and the SNP are bad because they want another Independence Referendum because there are being material changes and the UK Government is so strong and stable so it’s not fair that the SNP attack them and try to get the best deal for Scotland and the SNP are bad for doing that they should be bending the knee to the great Tories at Westminster who are doing their best to bankrupt the whole UK never mind Scotland and the SNP are bad because they don’t want the UK Government to bankrupt Scotland or the UK for that matter as Scotland likes to do business and take all the money we can get and the SNP are bad because they are going to give us another chance to escape the hell-hole of the UK when the time is right leaving the rest of the UK to do its suicidal Brecit on its own and the SNP are bad to wait until the time is right which is probably later this year or early next year and the SNP are bad for not going for UDI and causing rivers of blood on the streets of Scotland, the SNP are bad for doing that or not doing that I forget where I am sorry Rev for making you use your hammer.
@Yesindyref2
I could have sworn you were channeling Ruth Davidson. It was just that spooky. 😮
@Macart
You don’t want a second referendum you don’t need a second referendum a second referendum is bad for you your eyes are getting sleepy, I will send out lots of people with two christian names to guide you into the light your eyes are getting sleepy you don’t want a second referendum because we will lose it will be a YES vote I mean a NO vote your eyelids are dropping you don’t want a second referendum you want to stay part of the UK Sturegon is a dunce and the SNP are the enemies of the UK I mean the people your eyes are shut and you can see people with two christian names all over the forums telling you your eyes are getting sleepy you don’t want a …
… slap slap, what happened there? Did I say something? What’s going on Ted?
Where does the 100,000 figure come from?
Could be this article
link to bbc.co.uk
“The situation elsewhere in the UK”
(It’s at the end of the article.)
If the number of people waiting more than four hours FELL by 9% to 100,000 a year since 2012/13, then clearly NHS Scotland’s A&E performance has improved.
@Yesindyref2
It’s getting a bit like that right enough.:D
They should know however that I mainline coffee and listen to Mac junior’s death metal kicked up to eleven daily. 😉
@Macart
Ah, that’s my problem, I drink tea. Maybe I should go for a streak in the garden every mug, that’s keep me awake.
Shame about the neighbours all the same.
Where does the 100,000 figure come from?
Could be this article
link to bbc.co.uk
“The situation elsewhere in the UK”
(It’s at the end of the article.)
Basically, the number of people waiting more than four hours FELL by 9% to 100,000 a year since 2012/13, proof that NHS Scotland’s A&E performance has improved.
Seems I hit the submit button twice?
Was distracted watching Miriam Margolyes in America.