This is how you tell a lie
Below is a tweet made by Scottish Labour yesterday.
For the true version, keep reading.
Politicians like to take advantage of the fact that almost nobody pays much attention to what actually goes on in the day-to-day business of parliaments, and of the fact that anyone who IS interested will have to navigate painfully labyrinthine records in order to try to find out.
Both Holyrood and Westminster have acres and acres of transcripts which constantly refer to texts and amendments but don’t tell you what they are, forcing you to hunt through their websites to find the actual thing the debate is about.
In this case we’ve dug them all out so you don’t have to, but it’s a miserable chore and politicians like it that way, because it means they can utterly misrepresent events as Labour have in the tweet above.
This is the Official Report of the debate referred to in the tweet:
Meeting of the Parliament 03 March 2015
This is the relevant section of the welfare bill under discussion:
And these are the defeated Labour amendments:
We’ve provided you with the direct links so that you can easily follow the debate and reach your own conclusion, but on that proviso we’ll summarise it for you now:
1. The Scottish Government has an emergency welfare fund, administered by local councils, of £38m. It provides that councils can give extra help to people in exceptional need, and that that help can be given as cash, or other assistance.
(For example, a large family could be given a washing machine if their own breaks down and they can’t afford a replacement. Sometimes councils can make the emergency fund go further by buying such items in bulk at discount prices.)
2. Labour wanted to remove councils’ flexibility to decide in what form to give the help, by having the Scottish Government impose rules forcing councils to give such help in cash only.
3. The SNP disagreed and voted down the amendments. Councils will retain the ability to decide which forms of help are most suitable in each individual case.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with any of that. We don’t doubt that Ken Macintosh’s motives were entirely honourable and aimed at reducing the stigma often felt by those in need. There’s a respectable argument to be made for both positions, and readers can decide for themselves whether the Scottish Government took the correct view.
But to misrepresent the outcome as “the SNP teamed up with the Tories to demand welfare payments are made in vouchers” is dishonesty of staggering proportions. (Quite apart from anything else, the SNP control just two out of 32 Scottish councils outright, and seven others in coalitions. Labour run 16, four of them outright.)
All the SNP argued for was that councils should have the flexibility to choose. In other words, they wanted to keep the power devolved to local authorities – something Labour have been demanding for years – rather than impose one-size-fits-all diktats from Holyrood that ignored specific circumstances on the ground.
The inner workings of government are often far too opaque. But to use that fact to tell absolute lies, counting on not being found out because it’s too much work for voters to establish the truth, is the sort of behaviour that’s got Scottish Labour into the parlous state in which it currently finds itself.
The people of Scotland just don’t seem to trust a word they say any more. And the party has nobody to blame for that but itself.
And people wonder why we crowdfund you Stu, you dig at the heels of Slab bullshit so we can read it easy.. well done 🙂
You don’t get paid enough for digging through all that doublespeak,but thank god you are.
Labour should be held to account for every single lie they contaminate our letterboxes and inboxes with, and it’s only going to get worse in the next 2 months.
[…] Politicians like to take advantage of the fact that almost nobody pays much attention to what actually goes on in the day-to-day business of parliaments, and of the fact that anyone who IS interested will have to navigate painfully labyrinthine records in order to try to find out. […]
Oh for goodness sake. Just how much lower will this crowd sink. Labour in Westminster are shocking but the MSP’s in Holyrood are beyond disgusting.
They will lie about anything & everything. I am so pleased voters are waking up & hopefully will remember this for GE15 & next year for ScotParl elections.
O/T
I see T Bliar has donated to some Scottish GE15 campaigns but not Curran or Murphy’s-I find that odd or is that his acknowledgement that it would be throwing good money after bad aka conceding they are lost causes 😉
I guess this is the Full McTernan then.
I’m furious, absolutely furious. They have zero respect for the Scottish public, they can’t possibly tell lies on this scale and have one iota of respect for us.
They assume we’re absolute morons, devoid of any political awareness.
Let’s hope that Scottish Labour are soon devoid of all their seats, and are left only with their necks of pure brass.
Every word Unionists politicians utter is a lie. Wedtminster secrecy and lies. The Official Secrets and Liars Act.
The SNP Gov has put up a £38Million Fund to mitigate the effects of the Westminster welfare cuts. Looking after the most vulnerable. Just as they mitigated the ‘bedroom tax’, so the vulnerable were not evicted by Labour/Unionists.
All the Labour/Unionists can do is lie, lie, lie. Trying to make political capital, to line their own pockets.
I’m perplexed, I’ve just read Ken Macintosh’s bio on wiki to balance my opinion that he is a complete Numpty.
No balance necessary my opinion stands from related observation of his performance during televised parliamentary coverage.
It is overly evident that his hand does not move the pen that writes this amending guffe.
So, dear Rev. or others, who does this hackneyed writing behind the scenes for their frontspeople?
What is the internal structure of SLAB that has these presumed legalistic trolls to command?
Another day, another Labour lie.
Wings is great, but I wonder if it’s also worth making a simple “LabourWatch” site, where every one of these lies is shown, alongside a short paragraph that tells people the truth?
Given the sheer volume of them, they’d need to be categorised: Lies about the NHS; Lies about Austerity; Lies about Education, etc.
Nice one Rev, go have a shower , you must feel clarted by now
The people of Scotland just don’t seem to trust a word they
(Labour) say anymore
That’s in large part thanks to you and your diligence Stu…
and a big thanks from us that you do it so that the news can be spread…
Anyway, why are the still continuing to call themselves Scottish Labour when they’re clearly not?
I once knew a Guy who blowed about being high up in the Labour Party and a Trade Unionist to boot, totally disparage welfare recipients by saying they should get bashed tins and out of date food and ragged clothes instead of money.
That is just evil.
Do they know what is moral?
Does their High Command sanction this?
If so, and I have no reason to believe otherwise, is it any wonder they have less than zero credibility every time they open their mouths and are hence destined for the compost bin of Scottish history.
Hopefully, in light of the Ashcroft polls, the gloves should come off tonight on the MS entertainment show.
Why am I not surprised by this behaviour of SLAB. They lie constantly. And they just don’t get that their lies will be exposed in minutes and the truth disseminated all over the net just as quickly.
SLAB – do yourselves a favour. Understand that we live in the digital/information age. You could get away with your constant lying yaers ago because your lies back then were simply too difficult and time-consuming to uncover and too costly to expose and distribute to the electorate. Not anymore. Do you get that, SLAB?
Clearly not. But please–do keep it up because your utter contempt of the electorate in Scotland is why you are heading for a severe boot in the stones in May. And a thoroughly well deserved booting too.
The Scottish media has no reasonable excuse for not investigating this chronic & pathological lying by Labour’s North British Accounting Unit.
Unlike you, they have plenty of resources to examine statements made by any politician from any party & then aggressively take them to task when they have been caught lying.
Regrettably, the foreign controlled media in Scotland has no interest whatsoever in revealing & explaining the truth because its motive for retaining its cosy relationship with the British Establishment in London, over rides all other raison d’etre.
Im sorry: but this deliberate ‘lying’ pxsh must be outlawed from politics by a reasonable / sensible civic democratic country.
If it takes independence to get this then vote for it Scotland !
Do people wonder anymore why the Labour party in Scotland is despised so much? Great work from WOS. This is the stuff The National should print.
How does he make that look so easy?
bish bash bosh!
mucho respecto Padre
Labour side with the Tories, day in day out. And did so with gusto, for over two years, to rob people of a better future, so they could get paid cold hard cash, for siding with the Tories; in the whore of all parliaments.
O/T – The Ton is on folks; check out fundraiser page !
Pretty clear where the peoples trust ‘resides’ now
Well done Rev,you must be knackered,dealing with this on a daily basis,to all fellow wingers we have a duty to share this,accusations of just talking to each other on here as one reason no voters failed to “get it” ,please share/inform/educate.People if fully informed of the facts,can make up their own mind,let the truth be told.
We need to talk about BBC Scotland
The something for nothing country
This is how you tell a lie
Can someone please phone the Bath Fire Department coz Stuart Campbell is on fire.
He’s done a this and it’s no even teatime. The man’s a superhero.
(Now trying to think of Stu’s superhero name) Cap’n Scotland???
So what Iain Gray was tweeting about yesterday was total bollocks. Surprise, surprise.
What kind of people must thier mp’s and candidates be to stand behind this sort of crap.
It may only be a campaign leaflet,but this is ALSO
corruption,vote for us,give us more power to be even more
corrupt presumably.
Some people are saying that an independant Scotland will
need a reformed labour party.
I go with Michael Sheen,”peoples march for NHS speech” on
(youtube now).
LABOUR….you have made us ashamed of things of which
formerly we were proud,there is only one way to even
begin to restore your tarnished reputation…. LABOUR!
get out! get out! GET OUT!……get out of our lives.
Ugh.
While I appreciate that the attack on the welfare state needs some response, it is sickening that it comes in the form of food banks etc. This legislation falls into the same category, so far as I can tell, though the need for it is not at all obvious to me. It is already provided for in the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 where S22 (1) reads
A Local Authority shall –
(a) safeguard and promote the welfare of children in their area who are in need
[ …]
by providing a range and level of services appropriate to the children’s needs
[….]
(3) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) above –
[…]
(b) the services mentioned in that subsection may include giving assistance in kind, or, in exceptional circumstances, in cash.
Adults are covered by S12 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act, 1968 which provides
(1) It shall be the duty of every local authority to promote social welfare by making available advice, guidance and assistance on such a scale as may be appropriate for their area, and in that behalf to make arrangements and to provide or secure the provision of such facilities […] as they may consider suitable and adequate, and such assistance may, subject to subsections (3) to (5) of this section, be given in kind or in cash to, or in respect of, any relevant person
In the past there was a major fight led largely by social workers and welfare rights officers because the DHSS, as DWP was known at that time, routinely refused to meet its obligations to claimants and passed them on to social work departments to be helped on the basis of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 ( this was before the CSA was introduced and so only SWSA was in play). The fight was possible because of a further provision in S12 which required the Local Authority
Before giving assistance to, or in respect of, a person in cash under subsection (1) of this section a local authority shall have regard to his eligibility for receiving assistance from any other statutory body…..
As with the DWP now, the DHSS was extremely reluctant to let claimants know about help they could receive (see the scandal of lack of hardship payments which have been in the press recently for a current illustration of the problem). That meant that clients had to be used as cannon fodder in a most distasteful way so that the DHSS would meet its obligations, but the fight was won at that time and central government was made to pay what they ought to pay, rather than passing the buck to local authorities as they had been doing
As ever with this field, when the government loses because what they do is illegal, they change the law
By now the DWP have few obligations left. And so once again LA’s are to pick up the tab, and I assume this piece of legislation aims to give them a budget to do that on
Wrong move, IMO. Though it is possible there is no alternative
The fact remains that meeting the cost of providing the necessities of life is one for central government and is a right. That makes it a DWP responsibility
Back to the future, right enough
It is not for social workers to be involved in this because it has an adverse effect on their ability to do their core functions: just as involving GP’s in decisions about income would and will.
This just frankly disgusts me. It is deja vu all over again. I appreciate that providing a budget is essential. But far from being concise this legislation required no more than a provision to provide a budget to be used solely for those purposes enacted in the two existing bits of legislation quoted above.
Since this has been the position since 1968, what is bothering labour now?? Hypocrites!
On the subject of local authorities the elections will be in 2017, should have been 2016 but because there is a Scottish parliament election it has been put back a year.
In May I pray that Ashcroft’s polls reflect reality and the unionists are wiped out. Then we move on to 2016 and inflict another hammer blow and in some ways more importantly in 2017 we clean our local authorities of the unionist parties.
After May, if results reflect the polls, these little despotic unionist councillors will try to work against the Scots gov and in turn against their own constituents because with them it will be party first.
Let’s clean Scottish political life of unionist shills at every level of governance.
Its like shooting fish in a barrel (no disrespect to your hard work) when it comes to Labour guffs
Is it part of a wider strategy of confusion and smoke?
If so i think they under estimate the electorate?
Many thanks and glad i chipped in some £
Wings is pure Best Value (if that can be defined)
Wee Jonny says
“Can someone please phone the Bath Fire Department coz Stuart Campbell is on fire.”
Snigger
yer smokin yersel there Jonny. 🙂
Interestingly enough in the Guardian that unionists who voted no at the referendum are setting up grassroot movements in order to promote tactical voting in order to keep the SNP out.
It must be uncomfortable for Labour voters to knew could have Tories as bedfellows north of the border. I wonder how it sits them them when they hear things like this when it could well be Tory voters that gets their party elected?
I don’t normally leave comments on the internet although I read quite a lot, but I have to comment on the sterling job that WOS is doing to inform the public regarding what is really going on behind the scenes, so to speak.
I come here first to get my daily updates and will never buy into what I see in the newspapers and the msm ( stopped watching the BBC in the run up to the referendum when I couldn’t take their negativity anymore).
I had my eyes well and truely opened in the run up to the indyref and there is just no going back.
The continuous attacks to the SNP will only make my resolve stronger that people like me, who was not in any way politially minded, have to play our part in bringing about a Scotland that is fair, just and equal for all, and not just the few.
I would also like to add that you really should have a lol button as the amount of times I have laughed reading some of the comments on here are uncountable! appreciation needs to be expressed, keep up the good work freeing peoples minds and showing them both sides of the coin.
I saw that yesterday too, and even though I was following the debate, I was so perplexed by NuLab’s statement that I felt I MUST have missed something.
Such is the nature of the Big Lie: make it outrageous enough, and people are less likely to question it, because it seems ludicrous anyone would lie so brazenly.
O/T
Labours candidate for Kirkcaldy Kenny Selbie says
“I think there’s a lack of understanding by the electorate about Labour’s message”
There you go we’re to blame again
ARE YOU LOT LISTENING AT THE BACK?
You keep digging them out Rev, we’ll keep funding you
“Politicians like to take advantage of the fact that almost nobody pays much attention to what actually goes on in the day-to-day business of parliaments, and of the fact that anyone who IS interested will have to navigate painfully labyrinthine records in order to try to find out.”
Actually it is not difficult to find the Parliament record which confirms that the SNP and Conservatives DID vote together on this issue. So, in that respect, the tweet is correct.
Currans made a short vid release on this as well, so they collaborate fully in the lie.
As well as this behaviour being second nature, I think they aim to get disputes going on social media, as the page I saw it on was getting heated.
Thanks as always Stuart
For the avoidance of doubt, I do agree that provision of assistance in kind is demeaning in most cases and I have never been happy with the legislation as it stands, for that reason.
But you will note that the Labour party was in power in rUK and in Scotland for a very long time. Their new found sensitivity to the dignity of people is unconvincing at best.
They have not voted against the so-called “welfare reforms” which have resulted in fewer entitlements for those they now care so much about. They have not opposed sanctions which throw people back on the welfare fund under discussion. Not they! They are the people who helped IDS to change the law retrospectively when he was found to have acted beyond his powers in attacking claimants, don’t forget. They gave him parliamentary time so he could get his way.
This makes people dependent on differential assessments of need in different authorities and is not a patch on universal entitlement: it is indeed demeaning. The best they can think of is to tinker with a welfare fund which should properly be there as a rare safety net for people in very exceptional situations: and is now to replace the entitlement to benefit which secures the dignity they pretend to respect
I am raging about this.
Labour – the party of local democracy….not 🙂
Poor Labour really are reduced to scraping the bottom of the barrel. They have nothing to offer.
Hud awn. I thought labour/Murphy WANTED to devolve power to councils? So, why not let them decide how to pay?
Well done Stu, you do Scotland a great service. Im glad that the Professional liars are found out time and time again.
This GE is a new experience for SLAB. Never before have they been held to account. They don’t know how to approach it and they have adopted their tactics from the Referendum – lies, smear and fear. The way they are going they might just get wiped out in May.
Going by their vile debacle in Iraq and Afghanistan I don’t suppose they have an exit strategy either. Just f… off would be my recommendation. Perhaps I am being unkind but when I think of how they have exploited Scotland and its people I don’t feel any compassion for a single one of them.
@arthur thomson
Compassion? Compassion? They couldn’t spell it!
Pop over to newsnet where the mysteries of FMQs are explained.
Drinks away from keyboard! 🙂
The Welfare Bill is like gobbledygook to me! Thanks Rev Stu for all your hard work educating us in all these shenanigans!
I can’t express the feelings that I now have for the Labour Party in Scotland. I dislike the Tories and the LibDems but at least you get what you see. However this bunch of political agents calling themselves the Scottish Labour Party are so loathsome, I being a nice middle class Lady, could not find a word or phrase bad enough to describe what I think of them.
Our day will come, but as surely as eggs are eggs, so will theirs!
The inner workings of government are often far too opaque. But to use that fact to tell absolute lies, counting on not being found out because it’s too much work for voters to establish the truth, is the sort of behaviour that’s got Scottish Labour into the parlous state in which it currently finds itself.
My experience is, it’s been Labour’s tactic for years. Their handbills and fliers are statements of fabrication.
Using social media allows you to chuck any amount of statistics at people knowing they are unprepared for the research needed to verify them.
Unionist trolls do it as a matter of course.
OT – Tears and smiles in equal measure with this one. If we have young folk like this then Scotland will be free…
I wont let my future be stolen again. Will you?
link to bellacaledonia.org.uk
Wee Jonny,
how’s it going? Hope over fear,friend.
“Vote SNP, Get Tories, Put Up With a Couple Of Years Shite, Get Independence”
sounds a pretty good worst case scenario to me
Croompenstein says:
And people wonder why we crowdfund you Stu, you dig at the heels of Slab bullshit so we can read it easy.. well done 🙂
Absolutely spot on! That is the reason why many of us come here …because we get to the truth of it all.
What surprises …nay …shocks me, is that Labour still trot this drivel out on a daily basis, and yet know full well …that it will be utterly destroyed within a short period of time by Wings.
Seriously , do the Labour Party not know how modern day social media and communications work. This isn’t the media works of the 50’s, 60’s 70’s 80’s or even the 90’s anymore. Since the millennium, the explosion in media output, as in the speed of it, the manipulation in sending it, as well as the lack of actually controlling it, is off the Richter scale! Are they not getting the recent polling figures and wondering why they are facing not just annihilation, but complete oblivion in Scotland?
They truly are a Party that is lost. Bereft of idea’s, hope and truth.
For any Labour researcher or politico having a scan? Actions like this are why you are unfit to govern. Pretty low and absolutely hypocritical from the party who has guaranteed future Conservative governments for the Scottish electorate through their referendum campaign strategy. Well done on that by the by. 🙁
I would have said future Tory governments, but through your own actions you’ve already proven you fall into this category. Clearly there is some part of playing well with others and government by consensus which escapes your grasp. What does come through LOUD AND CLEAR from Labour campaigning is the message;
Me myself and I
This with a liberal sprinkling of the electorate just don’t understand. I think you’ll find that we may be slow learners, but we understand you just fine now.
@ Wee Johnny Dont gie the fekers any ideas noo.
Wee Jonny says:
5 March, 2015 at 5:47 pm
We need to talk about BBC Scotland
The something for nothing country
This is how you tell a lie
Can someone please phone the Bath Fire Department coz Stuart Campbell is on fire.
He’s done a this and it’s no even teatime. The man’s a superhero.
(Now trying to think of Stu’s superhero name) Cap’n Scotland???
How about, wait for it,
Bat(h)man
I’ll get ma coat.
test
Bailie spouts an out and out palpable lie in Holyrood in saying the largest party will form the next government and surprise surprise the BBC stops the tape as she gives way to allow a response.
I pray to GOD that arsehole Murphy holds his seat by a couple of votes so he cant parachute into Holryrood in a list seat with a guaranteed Westminster pension to soften the landing!
Wow, they just cant think of another strategy. You can imagine smurph speaking to the faithful. “If plan A fails we shall resort to plan B and if B fails, it shall be C.” They must be on plan Q by now and no-one has realised its the same plan. Lie, distort and SNP bad!
If they acted like a proper opposition with proper debates and…… shhh, better not give them ideas.
So sticking with the broken washing machine example. Someone who asks for assistance is liable to be in dire financial straits. If labour had their way there’s a fair chance that money for a new washing machine would be paid into their account and promptly used by the bank to pay off exorbitant unauthorised overdraft fees, leaving said person without a washing machine.
Or maybe their learning difficulties mean they would struggle to choose and purchase a new machine. Maybe they suffer with a serious addiction and would struggle with the temptation of having £300 cash in their hand.
Yes a lot of the time help should be given in cash. But in some cases that help might be no help at all.
[…] This is how you tell a lie […]
@Phil Robertson
Actually it is not difficult to find the Parliament record which confirms that the SNP and Conservatives DID vote together on this issue. So, in that respect, the tweet is correct.
Hi Phil, did you ever donate to the Maryhill Food Bank? Or are you so busy defending the indefensible that you haven’t got time for the poor and the vulnerable? “By their fruits you shall know them.” Actions speak louder than words, Phil.
This is why they hate you and try desperately to demonise you and the site. A trash end newspaper joining in.
This is the dreary legacy Labour and much of the media are leaving. Reduced to lies, compounded by stupidity.
They could have been part of all that is happening.
Phil Robertson at 6.13
Except they didn’t “team up to demand payments are made in vouchers”
I wish you’d told me you were going to highlight this. It would’ve saved me spending the last two hours trawling through the same tedious parliamentary records as you have.
Great stuff however.
@Ben roberts
At one time DHSS would provide a grant for a washing machine
Then the law was changed so they would only provide a loan
A loan is not available if the claimant is deemed not to have sufficient income to repay it: no matter how great the need.
I very much doubt that the budget allocated for the welfare fund is going to come anywhere near meeting the need
And that will be the local authorities’ fault rather than the fault of the central government. Again!
Stu, the “salary” you have decided to pay yourself is a hot topic.
i amongst a lot of contributors to this site believe you should pay yourself a decent amount for the excellent job you perform.
please reconsider this paltry amount you mention in the crowdfund info.
anyone else like to echo my appeal?.
I pray for the day the early morning flight to London sees Murphy hiding at the back of a flight filled wholly with SNP MP’s 🙂
Dave McEwan Hill says:
Except they didn’t “team up to demand payments are made in vouchers”
Precisely. But the Labour party did nothing to overturn the existing legislation which makes exactly the same kind of provision as the welfare fund legislation. And they were in power for a very long time at Westminster. Funny they are all hot and bothered about it now.
They have nothing. Disgusting bunch of clowns
And if you haven’t seen the earlier article by Chris Silver on his media project, here’s a link to his fundraiser, over the total, but I’m sure every little helps.
link to indiegogo.com
There devious parasites will be ramping up complete nonsense like this all the way up to the election, and their Better Together,If you are one of the Elite, pals at the BBC and Daily Rancid will pitch it there for them, right left and centre.
Their whole party policy is “Lie to Deceive”.
Couple of weeks ago Fud Smurphy- “We want to give more control to local authorities”
Now party his colleagues demand local authorities should have control over charitable washing machines?
I will never again vote for that scum as long as I live!
That Vow will be delivered, and the second party is due on the 7th May!
A new low from SLab, from a personal perspective. I’m a welfare rights officer for a Housing Association in Glasgow and do Community Care Grants for tenants every week. The DWP only ever offered cash but when that bit of the Social Fund was devolved in April 13 the council hooked up with local providers of decent providers of refurbished goods. Aside from things like mattresses and clothing, second hand stuff is the default award, which folk are fine with.
The vast majority of people are just happy to be able to wash clothes at home or cook a decent meal for their family. Dignity? Most people asking for a CCG have had that robbed of them long ago. The option of using refurbished goods makes a diminishing fund with ever increasing demands placed on it help more people.
Labour turned away from the principles and purpose of a decent social security system a long time ago, all to appease the right wing tabloid hate mongers and bag more Home Counties votes. Scoring political points on the subject with this sort of wilful misrepresentation makes me sick.
Another good expose Rev, thank you.
As i keep saying, they’re well named – The Labour Party.
A bunch of lying boring ("Tractor" - Ed)s.
_____________________________________________
Wee Jonny says:
“The man’s a superhero.”
“Now trying to think of Stu’s superhero name: Cap’n Scotland???”
How about: The Revelator.
It’s a play on words – The Rev and all the revelations he brings us.
🙂
@dennis mclaughlin
Rev Stu is all grown up. Should he find he needs more money I am sure everyone here would be happy for him to take it. I assume he is living his principles and that has to be respected. There is too little of that about
I had to claim JSA recently and having worked for the past 30 years I thought I would be treated with a modicum of respect.What a laugh.They treated me like shite and I felt like a criminal going in every fortnight to claim the most measly sum imaginable handing over a pathetic school report type job hunting form. Luckily I have found some part time work but I would not wish that experience on my worst enemy. I applaud anyone who can go through that hell on earth for any length of time.
@ call me dave.
Enjoyed that FMQ. Cant be too far off the mark
I truly admire your forbearance and pertinacity, Rev. Thank you for everything you have done, do and will most definitely continue to do! I take my hat of to you Sir!
“Hi Phil, did you ever donate to the Maryhill Food Bank? Or are you so busy defending the indefensible that you haven’t got time for the poor and the vulnerable? “By their fruits you shall know them.” Actions speak louder than words”
As it happens I dropped off a bag today for the local foodbank. However I’m not sure what relevance that has to matter of the SNP and Tories voting together to defeat the Labour amendment.
It’s all the detail isn’t it.. not the tweet*/headline*/Jackie Bird read headline accompanied by drumming music*
(* delete where appropriate)
But how how many folk read beyond the tweet/headline? That’s the worrying thing.
dennis mclaughlin @ 6.50
Stu knows his own mind Dennis, and he doesn’t need our permission to pay himself what he needs to live in the style he expects,
The money has been donated, he has full authority to spend it as he sees fit.
@dennis – As Fiona says Stu has principles which is completely alien to most unionists. They can’t get their heads round the fact that we crowdfund and Stu doesn’t stuff some behind the sofa because that is what they would do..
If,however, Stu found an outlet selling pickled onion flavour doughnuts that cost a little more than usual then not one person here would grudge him an indulgence but as Fiona said Stu has principles.
GUESS QUESTION TIME QUESTIONS
Here’s three as starters…
1. Should BBC offer 7 places to parties in a TV debate?
2. Will 50 SNP seats be good or bad for ‘our’ democracy?
3. Is Ukip’s 50,000 immigrant limit workable?
I spoke to a friend that lives in East Renfrew, Fud Smurphy’s pitch. I explained how shocked I was that he
had a 1% lead in the latest poll.
He explained that a high percentage of the population are Jewish, and that was why he attacks Palestine at the drop of a hat.
He has no empathy for anyone or anything other than his pocket and his expenses account.
If the population was mainly Arab he would be wearing the Dishdasha down the supermarket.
I considered the Jewish race to be intelligent and thought
that they would see right trough him.
He’ll be down the supermarket now with a Maccabi Tel aviv Footbal Top on,just one more team he has always supported! Aye Right!
He is a modern day Uriah Heep, a Toady Sycophant!
OT Alex Salmond on Sky news. Good use of the word “sleekit” when he describes Cameron’s refusal to appear in television debate.
Liberals at it as well up here in Gordon, latest leaflet verging on slander.
SNP BAD NHS Bleh!
Coming thick and fast with 1 a week since St Andrews day.
Duly returned to sender.
Thank God we’ve got Wee Willie Rennie though and his team of stalwarts to save the world
Sarcasm…in case anybody thought i was serious
It is no use complaining. Labour have no other tactic. They abandoned policies / morals / judgement / caring etc many, many years ago. The “New Labour” mantra was – “get elected at any cost”.
Under Blair/Brown/Darling/Murphy etc they became Red Tories and Middle England voted for them – it worked and Westminster was theirs.
It was easy – tell voters one thing in Scotland and another in England. Avoid using the word socialism at all cost. Put on a suit and dump the workers for the bankers.
The only campaigning tool they now have is out of date American negative dirt. They will soon launch their only variation – the personal attack.
Do you want a fair society?
Do you want the powers promised in the vow?
Do you want more powers that enable us to get rid of foodbanks, protect our NHS and maintain free education?
Do you want the removal of Weapons of Mass Destruction?
Then it’s easy – make sure you forward this article and discuss every lie uncovered over the next two months to a voter in doubt.
…remember the recent lie. If 300 MP’s is enough to kick out the Tories it doesn’t matter if it’s 300Labour OR 250Labour + 50SNP. However the latter construction will force Labour MP’s to regain a backbone.
One Labour MP less and One SNP MP more gives no benefit to the Tories.
However it could make a significant difference to Scotland.
“the SNP and Tories voting together to defeat the Labour amendment.”
repeat it three times while clicking the heels of your ruby slippers Phil, maybe you’ll end up in 1967 eh? 🙂
O/T Salmon just on Sky news playing a blinder for Nicola and the SNP.
Says broadcasters should “empty chair” Bentmouth and go on with 3 debates without him. Suggests a tub or lard or a bottle of Champers could be placed in the chair instead of Bentmouth,
Worth watching for some of his quotable quotes . . . starting with “As our party leader Nicola pointed out…” Able to explain what progressive politics would look like in WM with the SNP in the driving seat, and advocating the need to have vibrant women like NS, Green leader and PC leader as a contrast to middle aged posh white men “like us”.
you could only love him – my Council PC won’t let me grab media links so I cannot share it with you.
Great article.
It can be a very long and boring process going through official documents and so I salute you sir for not only sifting out the relevant document but in also finding the time to show it to others. When in doubt always go to the source.
I would like to see more articles like this in the National, which I enjoy reading but which I find lacks the bite that this site has.
Keep up the great work.
What a bunch of gits. This is what end of Sab empire really looks like. If there’s a Pulitzer prize for blogs WoS, you deserve it because this kind of journalism just doesn’t exist in Scotland.
@ Phil 7.06
Obviously they voted against labours amendment cos they thought it was shite. That’s what happens in parliaments, labour vote with the tories all the time in WM.
That’s not the discussion, its labours blatant lies and hypocrisy that’s the topic.
Grouse Beater
I hope during QT tonight, WHEN Kezia repeats the Scottish Labour Party line of,
“The Party with the largest amount of MPs forms the next Government”,
is duly shot down in flames by a quick thinking member of the audience.
The Murph mentioned it again on STV news tonight without being challenged. Surprise, surprise.
STV also said Murphy would “hold” his seat. But Bernard Ponsonby forgot to add that Murphy has a mere 1% lead.
@ John King 6:50pm
hahaha that post just evoked the image of 57 SNIP MP’s turning to Smurph (plus 1) and singing that basic and direct footy chant of ‘Murphy, Murphy, shut yer puss, Murphy, shut yer puss!’ Cheers!! As for the post my response in a footy chant – ‘Same old Labout always lying!’
When you think about the formation and the early decades of the Labour Party – the integrity, the honourable intent, the aspiration for the wellbeing and personal fulfilment of ordinary people – you think: how far it has fallen!
The party representatives seem to have no honest point to make: it’s just one lie after another in pursuit of an electoral advantage, and for a long time it’s been evident that any success in that benefits none as much as themselves.
Talking of Question time tonight, wonder why the SNP haven’t put an MP, surely it’s about GE 2015, and for anyone that doesn’t know the SNP make the choice, no one else.
What other Internet site would you hand your money to Unquestionably & dont know for certain what your going to get or if your going to get anything.
Faith reputedly moves mountains
Believe in Rev Stuart Campbell’s abilities people get information they otherwise would never see & mobilised people to get involved who otherwise would’nt.
More bang for your buck,rite who,s puting in $$ ah hope you,s have taken the exchange rate intae account,nae short changing WOS.
Phil Robertson
Of course the SNP will vote with the Conservatives if they both agree or disagree with a proposal. They leave it to Scottish Labour to petulantly vote against any motion the SNP puts forward as a point of principle.
The Rev has highlighted this moronic situation before – I think it was Jimmy Hood that highlighted the practice.
Good on you for supporting the food bank though. God knows they need it.
By the way – is Mhari no on QT the night? I was looking forward to her getting a platform
#AspirationalAdvice
Sorry O/T – diving in so apologies if already posted
Live Independence
“The Edinburgh North & Leith Common Weal are hosting an evening with inspirational speaker and writer Tariq Ali in the Out of the Blue Drill Hall in Leith.”
link to tinyurl.com
@Tam Jardine 8:18pm
QT seats filled by:
Danny Alexander, Humza Yousaf, Ruth Davidson, Kezia Dugdale, Toby Young and Val McDermid
So, four against two (and that, btw, make SIX seats plus Dumblibot) when was the last time you saw SIX + chair?
You will need to take care Rev. these people dont like it when you show them up, they will turn their attention to you and try to blacken your name. Please be careful.
Is Mhari still on QT tonight
Humza Yousaf is on QT tonight for those of you wondering.
Stew,
Do you believe that any of Scottish Labours candidates would accept Blairs (blood) money for this forthcoming election?.
We all know that your a busy, busy chappie, but this may be worth while following up.
John King @ 6:11 pm.
Shouldn’t he have said? “I think there’s a lack of understanding by Labour about the electorate’s message”.
OT Just wrote a complaint to IPSO regarding the record’s NHS Scotland misdirection when referring to Huddersfield bed in toilet story, under the Editors Code of Practice.
Clause 1. Accuracy
i) The Press must take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information including pictures.
I’m now thinking of writing another complaint re the name of the rag, which is also completely misleading.
@jim thomson
You’re right, as per my previous post the SNP should have someone like A Salmond on, he’d at least raise the game.
I say ‘someone like’, but actually who else is there of that calibre, mmm that is a problem. Interesting the other parties have gone down the MSP route too, other than the Lib Dems, but of course in QT terms he’s the UK Gov representative. Always has to be one.
Of course instead of Toby Young they could easily have had a pro indy/SNP type.
Voting against Slabber is not the same as voting with the Tories. Why is it not that the Tories voted with the SNP.
That is the problem with being a Tory Fag (Educational reference), nobody pays any attention to you.
Slabber had better get used to loosing votes.
Jim Thomson
Val is worth 2- evens it up a little
Just read through Ken McIntosh amendment proposals in full. What a complete waste of Parliament’s time. If those responsible to make awards cannot make the right judgements, then they shouldn’t be in that position.
I know for a fact that if they doled out cash near me, there would be a lot of empty flats. However, the heroin dealers, off licences and bookmakers would be onto a good thing.
These people need help to get out of their situation, not a licence to go on a weekend bender.
@Albalha Humza is a pretty good option and I just hope he takes no prisoners tonight (although it’s obviously already been recorded and will be getting editorially minced as I type).
@Tam Jardine agreed about Val. She’s a feisty lady and I hope that she also takes no prisoners.
I didn’t know that Mhari was planned as a panelist. Now THAT would have been interesting 😛
@ Phil Robertson
As it happens I dropped off a bag today for the local foodbank. However I’m not sure what relevance that has to matter of the SNP and Tories voting together to defeat the Labour amendment.
The relevance it has, Phil, is that it’s Blue and Red Tory policies which have pushed people into needing food banks in the first place, so it’s totally hypocritical of you to be trying to defend SLAB by criticising the SNP for voting against a Labour amendment. And if you’re bright enough and decent enough to donate to foodbanks, then you ought to know better than to defend the telling of lies by greedy self-serving hypocrites.
The SNP have consistently acted to protect the poor and vulnerable in Scotland; SLAB have consistently acted to protect their own interests over everything else. If the Tories happened to vote the same way as the SNP, that’s not something for the SNP to be ashamed of; unlike SLAB, the SNP vote to achieve what’s best for Scotland, not to spite another party.
The only person you’re fooling is yourself, Phil, and I suspect that deep down you’re not even managing that. That’s probably why you keep coming back for more kicks in the teeth; on some level you know you deserve them.
@ Clootie
Well said and couldn’t agree more. 🙂
@ Albaman 8:49pm
SLABERS will take money from ANYBODY the old,infirmed, and the dead they have NO scruples nor concience in my experience. They couldn’t have a better teacher and example than Tony, Gordie etc etc
Two very ” Christian” gentlmen. Deo Gratis.
It’s not just the bare faced lying that offends and angers. It’s the dark and devious devotion to manipulate facts, deface them in some way,and then without hesitating, attempt to obfuscate and misinform the public. Labour are masters of the dark arts of prevarication and subterfuge.
The Twittersphere is alight with ecstatic unionists citing a Daily Record article claiming that Jim McColl has renounced the EVILS of SEPARATISM, mostly because this is one of only a handful of cases where a Yes has turned to No compared to the dozens of high-profile No to Yeses.
Here’s what he actually said in Financial Times:
Asked whether he still hoped Scotland would move towards independence, Mr McColl told the FT: “No, the decision’s been made.”
Erm, wow. What a heartfelt, resounding endorsement of the union.
Of course, the FT didn’t actually reveal the wording of the question. For all we know the actual question was leading or has nuances not reflected in the FT’s wording (i.e. “would you support the SNP declaring independence in some other way besides a referendum despite the No vote?”).
Hopefully Mr McColl will clarify what he meant and put us all out of our misery. Even if he has changed his mind (as people are in fact allowed to do), it’s just another example of the kowtowing-to-business that is endemic to the British establishment. Mr McColl may believe “the decision’s been made,” but according to all polls the people of Scotland disagree, with a clear majority wanting another referendum within the next 10 years, and even a slight majority wanting one in the next 5.
Plus, even if Mr McColl has fully converted to Unionism, you probably won’t notice the likes of McDougall or McTernan tweeting these little snippets from the same interview:
However, he said the UK needed a much greater transfer of powers to its nations and regions.
“I don’t think this is a Scotland-England issue; this is a London and the rest of the UK (issue). This is all about centralisation,” he said.
Mr McColl claimed the Smith Commission did not include powers that would help create Scottish jobs and there was a great need for change in how the UK worked.
“I think having income tax doesn’t mean anything. All of the stuff that we’re being given, I don’t think is going to make any difference to our ability to attract businesses,” he added.”
It seems pretty clear to me that Mr McColl does not consider the Vow delivered in any way, shape or form, and in fact seems an advocate for the sort of Home Rule that none of the Westminster parties are remotely interested in giving us – least of all New Labour.
@ Albalha 5 March, 2015 at 9:03 pm @jim thomson
As Salmond pointed out on Sky News tonight – people need to see vigorous women advancing progressive politics and challenging the middle or upper class typical political leader in Britain.
You don’t build a political movement without blooding younger and especially female up and coming stalwarts.
As my mother used to say “An fear a rinn riamh mearachd riamh, rinn rud ar bith.”
Or perhaps in this case it should be “an cailín . . . . “
@Alexandra-M- says:5 March, 2015 at 5:23 pm:
” … They assume we’re absolute morons, devoid of any political awareness.”
I suppose, if you are an elected London Labour in Scotland person, mixing mainly with only your own kind and meeting mainly only those daft enough to elect you in the first place then you may well form the perfectly reasonable opinion the rest of the Scots population are roughly of a similar moronic mental disposition.
Considering too that their backers include such as the Delayed Wrecker and Biased Broadcasting Clique it is understandable they imagine we are all politically moronic too.
WGD on form..
The English poet John Dryden once wrote: beware the fury of a patient man. Scotland has been patient far too long. The fury of a patient people is about to arrive
link to weegingerdug.wordpress.com
Caz-m: STV also said Murphy would “hold” his seat.
I think he will too; tends to be the way with politicians continually able to hog publicity. Voters get the false impression attracting media interest means you have some sort of authority, and will get things done.
After Brown’s terrible premiership and turning his back on Scotland – he never hid his detestation of the SNP and shunned our parliament – I couldn’t understand why anybody would want to give him another term as their MP, but they did.
O/T
Earlier in the week, I read that Humza was to be on QT, alongside Val McDermid and, of course, some obvious unionists (but at least it wasn’t going to be 1 v 4 like Nicola down south a couple of weeks back).
Now, I have just read elsewhere that, in fact, it is going to be a unionist love-in with Ruth, Kezia, Danny Alexander and some idiot journalist put in along with poor Humza. For god’s sake.
@taranaich
I wonder if Jim McColl is going to join the new board at Rangers. He was not that popular when he was interested before because of his Yes credentials.
Ah, I see upthread that Val McDermid is still on. Still, clear that they have shoehorned more LibLabCon on for no good reason (well, they’ll think it’s good reason, but it’s not).
I hope someone will give us telly-less folk updates as and when* Danny Alexander makes an arse of himself on QT.
(*It’s not a matter of ‘if’…)
Johnny
Kezia’s a total liability
Danny’s a total liability
Ruth can be dismantled by making reference to the police investigation
Toby whatsisname is bright enough but I canny see him being too popular with a Glasgow audience.
Humza and Val McDermid have nothing to fear from the panel. Of course there will be plants in the audience but they are both intelligent and passionate about Scotland.
keep it up. Is it just me or is this election even more of a tissue of lies than any other? Apart of course from the referendum.
I see from a tweet from Bella Caledonia that they have had an noticeable increase in unionist trolls since the referendum. I noticed it fairly recently. They seem to think it is organised, cannot say I am surprised.
Asked whether he still hoped Scotland would move towards independence, Mr McColl told the FT: “No, the decision’s been made.”
Taranaich
Seems like a straight answer to a simple question. It doesn’t speak to me of someone changing from Yes to No but rather someone accepting the vote last year and looking forward to what happens next. I don’t think Nicola’s position is radically different.
Just watching the start of Question Time and the audience is tiny, there must be only a few two hundred people there. What has happened to the normal studio?
I’ve been reading too much Greg Moodie. My brain refuses to accept that Kezia doesn’t have a TV round her head.
QT has started – I see the Young Conservatives have all been invited.
on Q/T Every one of the Glasgow student young Tories managed to get a ticket. Hardly a balanced audience.
@Cadogan 7.34 pm
I think you have your “bents” mixed up – Cameron is “bent nose”.
Us Mackintoshes know them well as we had the longest running feud in history with them – over 360 years – longer than the Union!
I would not go on too much about Bent Mouths or you may get killed with hammers!
🙂
Only a few two hundred people there as I suspect that the QT producers so didn’t want an audience representative of Scottish voting intentions.
Wha telt Kez that was a guid look the night? Jesus Christ.
Good lord, Kezia Dugdale is still trying to say that the largest party forms the government. This is really dire stuff.
Slab use the party with most seats argument, someone has to nail this lie.
Confidence is key.
Toby Young should have his background explained to the viewing audience.
So far Val and Humza are doing really well.
Lots of TOries in audience making lots of noise.
Will try to stay with it but it’s painful stuff.
On topic of creepy liars and con tricksters, Rancid old Guardian giving huge boost to VOTE NOB Orders 2.0 relaunch tonight and LibbyCarrell wheels out poor wee timorous Prof Adam Tomkins who’s really frightened now, after his stint on the UKOK side of that infamous Smith Commission fraud on Scotland
““People who voted no [to Scottish independence] are really scared,” he said. “There is a real anxiety amongst people who may not like the current direction of government but don’t want to see the country broken up and don’t know what to do about it. The referendum was supposed to be decisive and yet the current mood is that nothing is settled.”
Its only noteworthy as reading all kinds of BetterTogether buffoonery on his blog glorying in the triumph of 2014 unionism and how the real threat to his union is really England, at the turn of the year. Now its all this awful UKOK democracy that’s “really scared” the good Prof. Very strange characters coming out of the woodwork these days with Ashcroft merely polling interesting teamGB constituents.
Anyway
link to yorkshirepost.co.uk
Alan Bennett was interesting lately over English hypocrites but he wants to check out the ones that moved to Scotland and told us we were too poor, stupid, small to run our country. Wish people like Bennett would move to Scotland instead of the current lying toadies that think they can order other countries around.
@Hoss Mackintosh 10:58 pm
right – for some reason Campbell (béal) rather than Cameron (srón) was in my mind
David Campbell – or Alister Cameron – they all look and sound the same – all lying and cheating – bad cess to them all
Remind labour that Gordon Brown and Ming Campbell attempted to stop the largest party from forming the government in 2007 and Labour entered into negotiations with Lib Dems to try to stop the Tories from forming the government in 2010 and only refused to proceed because the lib Dems didn’t want toxic Gordon Brown to remain as Prime Minister.
Humza is doing pretty well. He has batted off the silly Vote This Get That argument with barely s shrug.
I thought Kezia would find herself in a difficult place. She looks permanently angry which isn’t a good look, although to be fair she has had to take a few pelters from disgruntled ex Labour voters and Toby Tory is gunning for Miliband which means she fighting on two fronts.
Toby isn’t all that interested in Scottish politics other than to wave the SNP as a bette noir for the Tory voter in Englandshire.
Val speaks well and clearly and Ruth is Ruth.
Danny is trying quite hard to be reasonable.
The audience has a surprising number of Tories for a party with so few voters but I guess the BBC aimed for balance.
Guys you have to have caught on to the BBC by now.
If you want to take part in events like question time, the name you use, the phone number, and the e-mail address you used to support anything pro Scotland is likely known to them, so you can forget it.
I call Oh Kaye UK and show my political leanings are to the left,. so when you call to participate in another show, they immediately know who you are and where you live.
I’ll be at a BBC Broadcast at 12 noon tomorrow, most likely
because I have used a new e-mail address and a new mobile number.
I am ashamed to say that I also suggested that I’m a tory.
It seems to have helped them select the type of person they want
They may find that my comments don’t match that profile.
Can it be that the BBC were unable to find enough Labour voters, who were prepared to appear on National television and back Labour?
I mean, what a complete minter:
‘Eh, E’m’ pure voting Labour. that Jim Murphy is a pure patriot ‘n nat, saw him in the papers running doon the road we ees Scotland tap oan. ‘n nat.
E’ll gee the last drap oh meh blood…in the name oh Jesus!
One of the best Question Times from Scotland.
Crisis in NHS came up but it backfired spectacularly on Kezia. Ruth was up first and gave a reasoned non party political answer. Kezia reverted to type and a couple of medical professionals ripped her to shreds.
A good performance from Hamza and Val.
I found QT interesting tonight.The panel was well chaired and were able to make their points without interruption.Kezia Dugdale clearly isn’t as able as the others and its amplified when her party is under such intense scrutiny for its abysmal performance.
Toby Young
Mansion Tax spent 3 times over pmsl.
“What would be the effect of 50 SNP MP’s going into parliament”
Kezia doing her biggest party wins the election – a vote for the SNP is a vote for the Torys
🙂 Ruth Davidson disagrees
Humza Yousef representing SNP “Labour have abandoned the people – the people did not abandon Labour”, Trident, etc
Kezia frothing at the mouth
Humza lost it a bit – but rescued by a member of the audience
Danny Alexander struggling
Humza seems to have forgotten that its is the alliance with the most MP’s forms the government
Member of the audience rescues them all – and asks why the SNP are polling the way they are and why Scots don’t want the rest of them “Vote SNP get Scotland” “I voted Labour for 40 years, I will never vote Labour again” lots of applause
Guy from the Spectator better than Ruth on why Torys are good – more new jobs in Scotland than in France….
great craic
Ruth did well, interesting proposition she’s making, that labour and lib dems are power hungry liars, and that Tories and SNP have opposing political stances but are both being honest in their views.
She’s going all out for the unionist vote and doing it by being honest.
Interestingly I think she can get away with that in Holyrood, doesn’t have much credibility when you look too closely at Tory mps at Westminster.
Humza made a few good points, but I thought it was noticeable that Val wasn’t invited to speak much.
Kezia pretty much sticking to the party line despite much of that stuff having already been debunked. Given all the Daily Rancid stuff I thought the NHS question was laid on for her but I was surprised how badly she fared on that topic. The medical staff in the audience were having none of her pish either.
Danny tripped himself up by saying that Barnett is a block grant and health is devolved and then tried to say that the SNP did not pass on health money from Westminster. Cake and eating it there.
All in that was a pretty good QT.
Site refreshing really slowly tonight btw 🙁
@Ian Brotherhood
I just watched it via Filmon in a private window and Kezia was done up from a Hammer movie from the past.
Dugdale took a hammering tonight, and Humza hardly had to do anything. She managed to get most of the audience against her all by herself. Brilliant.
I have to give Ruthie credit for some good quality answers e.g.
Willing to stand by her NO campaign stance
Her answer on NHS waiting times
I disagree with her politics but credit where credit due.
Kezia – oh dear. Question on Labour Changing GP out of hours contract. The opposite of Ruthie. She just answered a question that hadn’t been asked.
….The vote SNP get Tory speech again
Danny Alexander – a beaten man and he knows it!
Humza going well on the anti-austerity
Member of Audience suggests that there could be 3 Pandas in Scotland by election day – and that they will outnumber the Torys/Labour and LIB Dem MP’s
QT not quite the humdinger that was expected. Humza did well but Val came across strongly. Wise and succinct, like the many other impressive Yessers from the creative arts.
Audience seemed to be penned into their respective tribes. Tories must have hired a bus, probably with a big union jack draped over the back seat.
Audible groan when Kezzy mentioned Mansion Tax which (I think) the Toby Jug bloke interpreted wrongly.
O/T
Anyone else seen this?
link to atrueindependentscotland.com
@HandandShrimp
Pains me to say it, but Ruth Davidson always comes across well on these shows.
She made a good point about no-one knowing what Labour stands for any more, compared to the Tories whether you like them or not.
Humza came across well too, but upper lip sweating was distracting.
BTW, How many times did Danny Alexander mention the Highlands – you would think he was worried about his job or something..
@cynicalHghlander –
Hmm. I find KD strangely attractive anyway. The idea of her being made-up a la Hammer HOH glam-bomb is interesting. (I wonder now…who would she have as a butler?)
Ping-Pong!!
“You called?”
@HandandShrimp
Kezia must have decided to use the Greg Moodie look tonight.
The guy at the end telling Labour to rule out a deal with the SNP..
Problem is not a SINGLE person would believe it!
Say Labour end up a handful of seats behind the Tories.
Does he honestly believe Miliband would throw away his dream of being PM, by refusing to deal with the SNP, and making concessions to Scotland?
@Cadogen
Some Campbells are Ok!
🙂
Humza wins on National Security and Freedom of speech – Ruth and Kezia agreeing with him
UKOK Better Together seems to have a new lease of life through the current Westminster “Smith Commission” advertising campaign. Regular run-outs on radio (Classic FM) tonight and full page spread in the Rutherglen Reformer yesterday. We get to keep all the Ps…. UK Pension, Pound and Passport. And all the UK Pish too….
Cannae wait for the leaflet to come through the door. Our taxes get to pay for the Unionists to re-pimp their bullshit propaganda.
Ruth did very well tonight but it’s quite easy for her.The Tories have their policies which are supported by their voters.Its quite simple.Kezia is up to her neck in a beggars muddle of policies which many traditional labour voters were forced to think about during the referendum and now reject.Often vehemently.
Kezia looked nice tonite, like a extra fur Morticia in the Adams Family.
QT showed that Scotland has changed!
Oh Yes!
Our day shall come!
SOON!
I think a problem made by our politicians that causes them to falter and stumble, is they try to do an impression of a Westminster politician.
And that is another hallmark of a subservient nation.
We really ought to be a new kind of parliament, a radical debating chamber, not a facsimile.
Morag on radio 5 live,well done morag.
Scottish Hospital waiting times. Ruth Davidson supporting SNP actions to reduce waiting lists . . . ?
Kezia tripped up by member of audience on Labour introducing GP contracts as cause of waiting lists – forgets to attack SNP as another audience member jumps in and asks her if it is ‘1000 more than SNP or 1000 more than now’ hur hur ha ha
even Dimblebum points out that Labour are to blame in Wales and Tory/Lib-Dems in England and interrupts Alexander when he attempts to bring up SNP (must take note to complain to BBC about pro-SNP bias)
Humza thanks Ruth for her constructive comments and attacks privatization of NHS
gor blimey, its Christmas, and I ain’t hung up me stocking
Question time extra radio 5 live.
I did find Kezia’s look a bit strange but what do I know? She is young and the goth look is a thing. My daughter is a recent art school graduate and I certainly can’t talk about unusual looks….although I do think my lass carries her hair colour and clothing eccentricities with more aplomb
Difficult to know if it was the audience or the SNP that won QT
off to bed happy
I must have forgotten to take off my rose-timed spectacles this evening – did I just watch a Question Time which wasn’t a complete anti-independence stitch up?
I can’t remember the last time I watched Question Time and didn’t want to throw the nearest object through the tele. I guess it’s all relative, and the benchmark is pretty low these days so better not get to ahead of myself.
It would have been nice if they had managed to stop Kezia from continually interrupting Humza every time he was given the chance to talk (my god, she’s worse than my kids), and there did seem to be a couple of ‘randomly selected audience members’ who quickly turned the discussion round when it went too far in the SNP’s favour. But on balance, that was much closer to the standards we should expect from an impartial broadcaster.
I have to say, despite myself, thank you to Ruth Davidson for being a principled politician. I may not agree with her political ideals, but at least she believes in what she says and can argue her corner with some rational thought. I don’t think she was being tactical, but if she was, it wouldn’t be a bad tactic. The Tories have little chance of many Scottish Tory MPs in Westminster (unless they luck out on some split voting) and her focus is on boosting support in Holyrood. So it does her no harm to sit back and let Labour and the Lib Dems make fools of themselves – they’re quite good at that.
I think I’d better turn off the BBC now and get myself to bed before cynicism returns and slaps me back to reality.
FFS ! Any more Ruthie an ah be back in time votin Tory !
Ha ha Yes in ’79 an Yes ever since .
Still I agree above Ruthie was playing a good hand . She knows beatin up the NHS is only getting staff backs up . We all know A&E is actually doing a good job and 99.99% of urgent people are treated urgently etc etc
I was pleased to hear the GP contracts were changed under Labour , that was my recollection too .
Toby spoilt the party with his Pro Tory speeches, to a degree Danny was electioneering.
Beaker is busted ! Numpty !
Apart from KD being nippy , no interruptions , altho I did notice Ruth’s mic was often left on when Hamza spoke … Grrrrr.
All in all one of the better QTs since a whiley .
Humza and Val did very well and the audience responded well to them, most points for our side put forward well
The Babe took the honesty approach, she’s on the wrong side but credit to her for not trying to twist
Kezia was unfortunately Kezia “Nuff Said” oh, apart from the Geisha face mask
Dumbledim was even handed, never thought i’d say that
Danny Alexander was…..Flamin dire…
The Tory Boy was only there for the payout, couldn’t have cared less, little pretense nothing more
All in all one of the better QTs i’ve seen in a while
Just Anti Beeb attempting to reset their impartiality rating before the campaign proper, or am I being unduly cynical?
Off topic but very disturbing news that even if the UK govt hand over the Crown Estates as per Smith, they will in effect create another Crown estate to draw money off into the UK treasury?????
I wonder if this is a move to stymie what the SNP want to do on Land Reform? How can this even be legal, never mind morally bankrupt? Will they never be done with draining this country?
link to snp.org
Did you see how they ended QT with a question about A&E waiting times.(Planted)
It backfired spectacularly for Scottish Labour.
I would say the 1% lead Murphy had in East Renfrewshire before the programme started, has been well and truly wiped out.
Hamza and Ruth are able to articulate policy clearly and folk make up their minds whether they like it or not.Kezia havers a lot of drivel because Labour “policy” is a lot of drivel.Libdems have lost most of their members and voters.If they’d pushed a federalist agenda before,during and after the referendum it could have all been very different for them.
Well-done, Stu
Absolutely top-class work – you are the reward we’ve deserved in Scotland for being subject to so many years of misinformation and disrespect. We are indebted to you.
Labour must now be thinking twice about lying, either blatantly or surreptitiously.
Great work.
Ruth did well, interesting proposition she’s making, that labour and lib dems are power hungry liars, and that Tories and SNP have opposing political stances but are both being honest in their views.
She’s going all out for the unionist vote and doing it by being honest.
Interestingly I think she can get away with that in Holyrood, doesn’t have much credibility when you look too closely at Tory mps at Westminster.
Humza made a few good points, but I thought it was noticeable that Val wasn’t invited to speak much.
Honestly, I’m glad that the Scottish branch of the Tories made a huge strategic mistake back in 2011 and didn’t declare independence from the English party and rebrand as Murdo Fraser wanted. If they did, they’d be hovering up the remaining unionists and we’d have a Stormont like political divide.
Thanks for all the excellent commentary on QT, honestly Wings is so much better for the News Where We Are 🙂
“Vote SNP, get Scotland.”
Says it all.
@ Dr Jim 12.34 >> Snap !
@ Ian B , KD an Jenny Marra scrub up Nae bad , but ……
Page 3 anyone ……. Tatties ooer the side !
“If there’s a Pulitzer prize for blogs WoS, you deserve it because this kind of journalism just doesn’t exist in Scotland.”
Nor pretty much anywhere else. Campbell has shown himself to be an outstanding investigative journalist of [i]the[/i] very highest calibre. That is something I have never written or said about any other journo anywhere at any time.
Now, here’s the thing about Pulitzers that you may or may not already know. Anyone can submit anyone else’s name for a Pulitzer.
Once done, the nominee could legitimately banner his blog “PULITZER PRIZE NOMINEE”. As folk have done, he could splash it on the cover of his first book detailing the phenomenal rise, explosive growth, and influence, of his Web site. He could even stick it in his wiki entry.
Now I’m sure the creator of this blog is shrewd enough and ethical enough NOT TO DO THAT. However, I see no reason why others, referring to said individual, could not do so.
A bit of fun you understand. An opportunity to out-McTernan, McTernan.
More watering down – ‘Who’s sorry vow?
PLANS to hand power over the Crown Estate to Holyrood in line with the Smith Commission devolution blueprint are a “recipe for chaos”, MSPs have been warned.
Nationalists even accused the UK government of an “abandonment of the Smith agreement” after it emerged the Crown Estate could make future investments in Scotland – with any profits going to the Treasury.
Leading land expert Andy Wightman said the UK government proposals don’t meet the terms of the commission led by Lord Smith to hand Scotland more powers after the referendum No vote.
The Crown Estate manages Scotland’s seabed and half the coastline, meaning it has a key role in fishing and renewables industries. A key Smith recommendation was for the administration and management of these interests – to be handed to Holyrood.
Mr Wightman suggested yesterday that the plans drawn up by the UK government only suggest the Treasury “may” devise a scheme for this transfer – and it would be conditional on powers being further passed on to local authorities.
He said: “There’s some suggestion these powers will not be transferred until such time as the Parliament has itself developed a scheme of decentralisation.
“That is not necessary in order to implement the Smith Commission.”
The land expert added: “It’s up to parliament how you then decentralise these functions to local authorities, how you might have a scheme giving ports and harbours the right to take ownership of the seabed etc…” he said.
“I just think this is a recipe for chaos.”
This is quite amusing:
link to archive.today
Has it been posted already? It reports Scottish Labour in civil war over strategy.
I especially liked the bit where a “senior” source said that Willie Bain might have to be Secretary of State for Scotland, since he looked as if he might be the last man standing. This presupposes that Labour is the (major player in) government – so it seems that voting SNP does not get Tory after all.
Margaret Curran is accused of diverting resources to defend her seat; a source “close” to her disputed this on the grounds that she is “sharing an organiser” with other Glasgow seats – a rather telling admission.
As for their supposed targeted gains – they appear to have given up on those.
QT is not always on my must listen to list but tonight I made a decision to tune in to the radio 5 output.
It all went very well as a programme in it’s own right and our representatives in the political parties did quite well except Kezia D & D Alexander.
Kezia D still does not realise labour is not trusted and have nothing to offer the ordinary voter in Scotland and the doomed Alexander who was blowing his own trumpet too much, and from the wrong orifice. He’s toast!
Ruthie went up a notch IMO giving a fair account of the Q on the A&E crisis. Fair play there…still puzzled about it but there it is.
Overall good stuff and many listeners / viewers down South must surely see that we are not bare arsed savages intent on ravaging the land of Eng. We will however be going down in force and unlike the last panic, moving right to London and not stopping at Derby to think again.. 🙂
@crazycat
Thanks that link sure starts the day off in good style.
Non elected naive politicians/broadcasters make people sick. Cold, malnourished, angry worried people get sick. Sanctioned people and having them walking to food banks is crinminal. Along with the perpetual illegal wars. Blair and Briwn should be in jail, along with the rest of them. A complete and utter disgrace.
Meanwhile back at the coalface, Unionists are destroy Aberdeen City. Labour/Unionists aided by a naive Green are destroying Aberdeen City Centre with an enormous carbuncle totally against the majority public interest and wasting £Millions of Public money. A complete and utter disgrace, causing even more traffic chaos. They sent out illegal Council letters telling taxpayers to vote NO. Wasting public money while lining their own pockets. Willy Young is public disgrace, not fit for
public office.
They cancelled the majority supported, UTG Project and rejected a Gift of £80Million to pedestrianised the City. Now turning the City into carbuncle City and putting the City into £Millions of debt. Labour/Unionists are a public disgrace who make the public even more angry. They cancelled a fully funded new community football stadium and are now advocating a entertainment stadium which will require £Millions of Public money and put the City into even more unnecessary debt, against the public interest. All decisions are taken secretly and totally against the majority public interest. Last time they were in Office they nearly bankrupted the City and had to be sanctioned. Thry should be sanctioned now, before they can do any more damage to the City. They are not fit for public office.
QT
Kezia needed a hug,after she mentioned Mansion Tax
Good to see Jim Murphys number 1 manifesto commitment went down like a lead balloon
Aberdeen council bid to ban begging on city streets is rejected
Labour and their interaction with people who have nothing.
The wordings are nigh on indecipherable. Government is not transparent. Labour seem willing, however, to abandon any policy for a vote. Veering off course – I have dealt with many, many people living in difficult circumstances. Various governments have decided to give claimants their housing benefit instead of paying direct, pay benefits monthly etc instead of weekly. At this level of income you are on a knife edge. People need their bills paid/needs met and the balance to pay for day to day items. The reality is so harsh that it does not allow for proper budgeting.
@crazycat
Brilliant link. Fair put a sparkle in my Friday morning.
Curran, yer tea’s oot!
Panda suit for Bain . . .
Looks like Tory MSP Alex Johnston is a late candidate for Banff and Buchan against Dr. E. Whiteford SNP MP
Ronnie Anderson says
“Kezia looked nice tonite, like a extra fur Morticia in the Adams Family.”
Really?
I thought she looked more like this more like this
link to youtube.com
The musics stopped Jim!
Alex Jonstone, another non-elected, lying, motor mouth. Wants to reap the gravy train by going south, ripping off the taxpayers. Who would be a member of a Unionist Party In Scotland. Another one to bite the dust? Not heil Siller but pronto.
KD reminds me of this
link to youtube.com
Smugurpys translator! 🙂
Kezia should get a job in a mortuary. To find out about Labour/Unionist policies, Or as a painter to watch paint dry. Or as an engineer, there’s not many of them? Anything but trying folks patience with the patients inaccurate analyses report.
Or a job in the NHS for Dugdale, Murphy and Marra to eat their words and stop complaining about the health care workers. Cold, worried, malnourished vulnerable people get sick. Unionist politicians make people sick.
Just get a job and get off the list, instead of reading crafted nonsense every week.
BBC Scotland seem to be repeating the line, “Vote SNP get Tories” even more than Scottish Labour these days.
The penny has dropped with them that a strong SNP contingent at Westminster would push for powers regarding the media in Scotland being devolved. Something BBC Scotland DON’T want.
Thanks John King
Can’t get the Adams Family theme tune out of my head now. lol.
@Clootie
But will he give her a “doing”?
Enjoy
Jim Swift tory councillor for Newton Mearns was in the QT audience last night.
Someone tweeted
BBCJamesCook James, why did the BBC plant Tory councillor Jim Swift in the #bbcqt audience tonight?
Hoss Mackintosh says:
6 March, 2015 at 12:09 am
@Cadogen
Some Campbells are Ok!
🙂
Yes some of us Campbell’s are okay (the Wee ones????)
Mealer – I’m great thank you.
Thinking if they made a movie aboot Wings would they call it The Somerset Redemption?
Taxi!
Liking the superhero names for Cap’n Stupot????
Found this
pity its too late to use it 🙁
link to tinyurl.com
damn!
Further to my last post…
link to atrueindependentscotland.com
Murphy implodes live on GMS.
Bill whiteford grows a couple of vertebrae.
The ID nonsense. It aleady exists. Everyone born in Scotlsnd gets a unique NHS number. Along with anyone who access healthcare by registering with a Doctor/Health surgery. The system has been in place for years. Police and tax authorities can access any details or records that they want (UK policies). UK gov polices recently extended by Westminster. The Scottish Gov policies could tighten up the system and give more transparency, as to the means and rights authorities have to access citizens’ details. Increase accountability and protect peoples’ rights.
Murphy lying through his teeth on radio Scotland right now saying that SNP have ruled out working with Labour after the election and that the biggest party always forms the government.
Also making the argument that Tory NHS England cuts directly effects the funding of the Scottish NHS. The polar opposite of what he said during the Indy ref.
@nanasmith
Not sure why anyone thinks James Cook would have anything to do with QT audience selection, suggest they try Mentorn the independent company that produces the programme.
It was St. Pirans Day yesterday (Cornwall)
Anothing growing Independence group
link to bbc.co.uk
link to piratefm.co.uk
The Labour Party in Scotland are finished because we don’t want a ring wing, London centric English Party ruling over us anymore. It just doesn’t work.
As the lady in the BBC QT audience said last night,
“Vote SNP, get Scotland”
Vote SNP get SNP
Vote labour get Murphy!!!
@ Tobias
Well he is dancing cleverly with truth there isn’t he?
Standing SNP policy is to support Labour on a vote by vote basis not by coalition and of course they’ve categorically ruled out providing support for any Westminster Conservative government.
As we’re now very well aware. In the event of a tight commons the largest party does not get to form the government. With no clear majority the incumbent gets to have a poke at running either a minority government or cut a deal with other parties to decide the issue. So yes Mr Murphy is indeed talking utter bollox on that score.
The creepy one is the last one on the NHS. Never mind the fact that as a statement it flies completely counter to anything he said on his Irn Bru crate during the referendum. No, he’s basically stolen the line from the SNP. This very example is the scenario cited by the FM as to why the SNP would put aside their long standing reluctance to vote on English only issues. Or in other words join in where one country’s policies inadvertently have a knock on effect which directly impacts on the policies and electorate of the partner.
Just listened to Murphy’s car crash interview on GMS, where he tried to talk over Bill Whiteford, when being pressed on pertinent points regards the election.
Murphy lied again and again, peddling the ‘biggest party’ crap. The ‘vote for SNP means a Tory government’ (2010 same crap that Scotland fell for and still we got a Tory government!)
Whiteford pressed the point that its the incumbent Prime Minister who has first choice in the event of a hung parliament – just like Gordon Brown had in 2010, a point that was ignored by Murphy
But the gem was when Murphy blurted out that NHS spending in England affected the amount of money going to Scotland for health – want that something that Murphy denied during the referendum?
Pity that Bill Whiteford didn’t drive home his questions, then again Murphy would just talk over him more as Murphy was devoid of any answers
GMS this morning at 8.12 proved that Murphy doesn’t like cross examination and constantly interrupted Bill Whiteford.
A pity BBC didn’t remind him of the 27 Scottish Labour MPs who voted for continuing the Tory Austerity plans on 13 January 2015.
link to snp.org
List of Scottish Labour MPs voting with the Tory government for £30 billion extra cuts on 13 January 2015 which will take another £3000 million off the Scottish government’s budget, yet they complain about NHS cuts in Scotland.
Douglas Alexander Paisley and Renfrewshire North
Willie Bain Glasgow North East
Gordon Banks Ochil and South Perthshire
Anne Begg Aberdeen South
Russell Brown Dumfries and Galloway
Michael Connarty Linlithgow and East Falkirk
Margaret Curran Glasgow East
Iain Davidson Glasgow South West
Thomas Docherty Dunfermline and West Fife
Brian Donohoe Central Ayshire
Frank Doran Aberdeen North
Gemma Doyle West Dunbartonshire
Tom Greatrex Rutherglen and Hamilton West
David Hamilton Midlothian
Tom Harris Glasgow South
Jimmy Hood Lanark and Hamilton East
Cathy Jamieson Kilmarnock and Loudoun
Iain MacKenzie Inverclyde
Michael McCann East Kilbride , Stathaven and Lesmahagow
Gregg McClymont Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch
Anne McGuire Stirling
Graham Morrice Livingston
IAN MURRAY EDINBURGH SOUTH
Pamela Nash Airdrie and Shotts
Fiona O’Donnell East Lothian
John Robertson Glasgow North West
Frank Roy Motherwell and Wishaw
Anas Sarwar Glasgow Central
Murphy on GMS talking nonsense. Now he says that the biggest party forms the government because that’s what’s always happened since WW2. We all know that’s just fluke – the rules suggest other outcomes.
Here’s a question for Labour/Murphy …
The most likely outcome is Con getting slightly more votes than Lab, but not a majority. Two realistic possibilites. Firstly, the biggest party ie Con forms a government with Lab support. Or secondly, Lab forms a government with SNP support because jointly they have a majority. Just support in both cases, not a formal coalition.
Which of those scenarios does Labour choose?
Nana Smith @ 08.19
I watched that idiot this morning,
a tory saying if “Milliband wasn’t so utterly unprincipled”
the SNP would be an irrelevance in Scotland”
talk about cognitive dissonance sheesh.
Murphy fever and vote SLab or else rage pulsing away down here in England with John Major demanding vote SLab silly sweaties. Scots council’s in giant debt and its all Alex Salmond’s fault but Aberdeen council just pissed away well over £100 million on their new office renovation, currently destroying our stunning Victorian art gallery with a £40 million renovation nightmare and so on…
link to archive.today
Hearing the latest Ashcroft polling, even this ferocious old Graun shill channels Abraham Lincoln on his hols in America to stop the Nats.
Exchange “Nats” for “reform” and “get over it, you won” and its another very weird day in teamGB.
I agree with other folks here that QT last night was a bit of a Tory Show last night.
Humza and Ruth were both calm, professional and expressed their policies well. Alexander spent his time begging ” the highlands” for his seat….toe curling!
And as for Kezia….car crash TV. Shot down by the audience repeatedly when spouting Slab doublespeak. She was so far out of her depth that a pair of water wings couldn’t have saved her.
Also Murphy on GMS this morning, got nailed constantly for telling the usual porkies. Had to revert to the Slab two minutes of SNP hate.
Y’know, after listening to that Murphy interview this morning, in which he veered wildly, and often within the same sentence, between the usual forced self-control and the kind of aggressive hysteria we witnessed atop the irn bru crate..
..I’m beginning to think we need to see and hear more of Murphy, not less.
Had to laugh at Ruths (attempt) at taking the high ground by telling people not to vote tactically but to vote with their convictions,
She recognizes that whats sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, and “tactical voting in Mundells seat would see the tories with no representation in Scotland at all.
For those of you who might have missed the car crash interview of Jim Murphy this morning.
link to bbc.co.uk
starts at 2:10:30
Two pertinent reasons to vote SNP on May 7th.
1. In the likely event of a tight parliament with no clear majority, the SNP will be able to support, quite effectively, left of centre parties and yes even Labour, on a vote by vote basis. Doing this they will be able to leverage concessions and of course hold Westminster to account on the matter of Home Rule.
2. In the less likely event of a clear Conservative majority a bulk Scottish representation of SNP MPs in concert with our majority SNP Scottish government means that to all intents and purposes Scotland becomes ungovernable by Westminster. Or in other words Westminster has to ask really, really nicely to enact any legislation north of the border.
A partner acting as a partner as opposed to a useful, but compliant appendage kinda thing.
The Unionist BBC have no shame. Non representative. It just makes people even more angry.
As commented above, this was a pitiful Jim Murphy interview suggesting he is in a time warp.
@John King
All the way from Surrey I give you the tory candidate for Easter Ross.
Out of touch!
link to ross-shirejournal.co.uk
Wee reminder.
Jim Murphy 29th Jan 2015
Jim Murphy, the new Scottish Labour leader, has described the Scottish Nationalists as “sluggish, lethargic and off the pace,” saying he has been “amazed” at how easy it has been to take them on.
Why do Labour Scottish Labour say its SNP’s fault that the mighty UK Labour or Conservative parties can’t win an overall majority. It’s a crazy hypothesis .
QT
Mr Hamza, I was pleased to note, asked Ms Dugdale if her party would rule out, (as the SNP have done) a coalition with the Tories. She refused to answer.
I loathe every word Ms Dugdale utters but I loathe her politics; not what she looks like or what she wears.
Danny Alexander:’Red Man Walking.’
If you want any more reasons to vote SNP, here is a nice wee rant in the Fail
link to dailymail.co.uk
Re: QT.
I was pleasantly surprised at the show – and it IS a “show” now, more theatre than serious politics – Dimbo obviously couldn’t pull the same trick he did with Nicola in Stockton this time. So mostly the panel got to speak without HIM interrupting. Didn’t stop Kezza though, every time Humza said anything. The UK Labour in Scotland hatred is there in all its blood and claw rawness. “How very DARE the Scots not want to vote for us!”
Ruth came over very well IMO. But I do have more time for her than the other two muppets in Holyrood. At least she comes across as believing in what she says and in the last few weeks (actually even before Nicola’s ascendancy) had appeared supportive, in the sense of wanting to make constructive criticism. That’s what I want to see from the opposition, not the UKLiS “Bain Principle”.
She made a good opening with the A&E situation which completely undermined Kezza’s subsequent rant. I think she might well be positioning the Conservatives as the REAL opposition party for 2016 Holyrood, with a view to picking up some disaffected LDs who can’t bring themselves to vote UKLiS and former Labs who were No voters/Blairites.
Humza really should be more alert to UKLiS lies – he should have completely nailed the “largest party” bollox by Kezza, but over all he was sound, professional, kept his cool (especially considering he was seated between that loony Toby and the Nowhere-man) and got across some clear policy differences and the SNP position.
The “star” was Val. Clearly expressed a rational and sensible approach and seemed to get most audience approval.
All in all a surprisingly good show. However, the audience certainly didn’t represent the political reality of Scotland – where did all these Toryboys come from? And the BBC complicit in allowing Tory Councillors to talk bollox. But apart from that, good one. (I won’t bother with the ones back in England, though!)
More on the John Major story of him telling Miliband NOT to go anywhere near the SNP after the election.
Tories advising Labour on tactics, The “Grand Coalition” is not as far fetched as some think.
The Huff Post,
“John Major Warns Labour Against Coalition Deal With SNP Who Would ‘Promote Grievance’ To End The Union”.
link to huffingtonpost.co.uk
Murphy videos included as a bonus.
Just watched a recording of last nights question time .
Ruth Davidson came out of it with my respect , and as others have commented , Dugdale was an absolute cringeworthy embarressment.
Laughed when the spectator guy said labour have already spent the “mansion tax” three times over.
Watching the end days of a once great party. Dribbling back stabbing clueless idiots.
Easter Ross candidate from Surrey. That will go down well, making people even more annoyed The Tories scrapping the bottom of the barrel.
Jim Murphy describing Scottish Nationalists as ‘sluggish, lethargic an off pace’?. That will make people even more annoyed. Murphy scrapping the bottom of the barrel. Empty barrels make the most sound.
I wouldn’t advise anyone to read the daily mail, today’s article is pure racism and quite honestly made me feel rather sick.
I used to post regularly but lately I am finding the hate speak coming from unionist rags worrying to say the least.
“Just listened to Murphy’s car crash interview on GMS, where he tried to talk over Bill Whiteford, when being pressed on pertinent points regards the election.”
Worth Wings posting a recording.
Nana, a conservative candidate in the Highlands all the way from Surrey. That should go down well, not. Out of touch doesn’t even begin to cover it.
De Valera, Max Hastings is an old dinosaur, only fit for the rabid Daily Mail. Best left alone. Mind you it shows just how silly and out of touch they are. They have the unmitigated cheek to question where Scotland would get the money to look after ourselves. Time they should be asking, how do we survive on our own with Scotlands resources.
Onwards and upwards folks. Like the man said It’s coming yet for a’ that. Sonner, rather than later I think.
More on the John Major story of him telling Miliband
NOT to go anywhere near the SNP after the election.
This is the same John Major who was advised
not to go anywhere near Edwina Currie.
But, John then did just that, and had a four year long affair with Edwina.
It may well have been during those years
when John was cheating on his wife,
that he learned which parties would not be good together.
For the sake of the Union, naturally.
@Macart –
A partner acting as a partner as opposed to a useful, but compliant appendage kinda thing
Absolutely spot on Macart, what a union should be
Caz M – The message is to stop Scotland at all cost. The unionists have no powder left in their guns. They used it all in the referendum.
Guess what Scotland has come back from the battle. Not weary or capitulating. Instead we have come back hungry and stronger. Nothing can stop Scotland from leaving the union and they know that.
Completely off topic, which, I know, is unlike me.
We’ve got a crowd funder going in East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow to help our fantastic candidate @lisacameronsnp overcome Michael McCann’s 14k+ majority.
We all know what the polls are saying but this ain’t going to be easy and we know that somewhere out in Wings ether world are some fantastically generous people, so if toppling the said incumbent rocks your boat please give what you can to help us.
link to crowdfunder.co.uk
All funds will be very wisely used
Unionists have moved from the opinion, a Scottish accent in the corridors of Westminster is to be deplored, to, Scots holding sway over England’s destiny is a vile threat.
Remember, “Stay with us Scotland. We love you”?
So the true story is “Labour u-turn on more autonomy for local councils”?
Marie clark says:
“Like the man said It’s coming yet for a’ that. Sonner, rather than later I think.”
Indeed. Through the referendum and now the GE campaign, Unionist behaviour focuses the mind. On the one hand they want to keep Scotland in the Union for reasons of prestige and resources. On the other hand they behave in a manner where no right minded person would want anything to do with them and their Union!
I sincerely hope this WM GE will be the last one Scotland EVER takes part in !
@ Nana
You sometimes wonder what the haters hope to achieve by stirring resentment and animosity?
They cut themselves off from everything and everyone. They alienate themselves and this achieves what? Do they think that they will engender respect, fear, acceptance? Do they think that somehow if they hate enough somehow things will magically get better and they can return to a time when the world was just peachy in their eyes?
All you can do is walk away from that Nana.
Edwina Currie knowingly, covered up child abuse by members of the Tory Party. Thatcher said, ‘boys will be boys’, when informed of child abuse by Tory Party members and covered it up. Thatcher let her son benefit access £Millions of public money and gave her son access to false honours.
The UK Gov regularly uses illegal surveillance to collect citizens data and share it illegally, with others. Westminster secrecy and lies, uses the Official Secrets Act to cover up their corruption and lies.
@thomas,
Ruth Davidson lost ALL my respect (not that I had much) when I watched her live on TV gloating how she was confident about the Ref polling because she had inside info as votes had already been assessed. Don’t remember the exact wording but I felt it was akin to vote tampering. Plus she has barely any mandate politically in Scotland yet gets equal airtime with the SNP, spewing her biased, ill founded, self seeking views. Question Time was full of plants, so called ordinary members of the public all set up to keep Scotland down. Ruth Davidson should not be allowed to take part in any electioneering until her duplicity and illegal involvement…allegedly…has been fully inspected.
Max Hasting doesn’t do democracy.
@Valera
Hastings Shmaistings
link to archive.today
@Valera
Haishtings Shmaistings
link to archive.today
Its been a real joy and an uplifting experience reading the many well informed contributors to this site.I hope you are all able to take your obvious passion,enthusiasm and knowledge onto the streets and free our country from this odious union.
I hope we never loose site of the ultimate goal of complete independence,308 years has been ample time to make the union work and for many obvious reasons eg different cultures and the deep ingrained sense of superiority of the establishment in England its never going to work.
Living abroad you get a better idea how we are seen by others and its not altogether positive.The assumption is always made that we are all English unless corrected and even then whisky,kilts and bagpipes are mentioned we are not taken seiously.We are some sort of quaint tourist destination where it rains all the time or you get eaten alive by midges.This is a country that has contributed more than most considering its size in inventions,thinkers,explorers ect.If we shackle ourselves in anyway to England we will always be regarded first and foremost as English.
My greatest fear is that we accept Devo Max as the end game. English foreign policy is exactly the reason that we are looked on so negatively by many in the world and for good reason.And anyway its quite clear that the quality of the politician in Westminister is so low grade why would we want them to have anything to do with running our country.
We have been a bit short on true national heros of late but people like the Reverend,Alex salmond,Nicola Sturgeon may well be the ones to fill that gap.
I’ve always thought that the EBC were Tory biased, and that the SBC were labour biased.
Surely the abundance of Tories in last nights QT could be explained by the fact that the EBC would have organised it
Still a great night for Scotland.
You can’t beat having a live audience to get to the truth and expose the idiot politicians.
They must be learning their skills from WOS.
Ah luv this site.
Nana, your man Graham looks as if he’s been a factor or an under-factor at Suisgil, which was Barbara Cartland’s estate if I remember aright? so he’s straight out of central casting for a Heilan Tory candidate. It was Hamish Gray MP in my young day in Ross-shire, many a workmate told me that he didn’t vote Tory but for Hamish Gray the man! 🙂
Someone upthread suggestd Stu the Revelator. Apt!
He and Eck the Separator make good team.
@ Heedtracker. Re the Martin Kettle piece desparately casting about for a British Abraham Lincoln orator to save the Union. Doesn’t he know the US is a Federal system? Tends to show up the amazing ignorance of MSM journalists, even in the “quality” press (or else duplicity!).
@ Author-al
Totally agree pal. Never voted tory in 42 years of life on this earth and never will.
What i meant was by “respect” was within the context of this question time show , where she seemed to have the courage and belief of her convictions , however much i loathe and disagree with her and her party.
Respect for an enemy , and say what you like about the tories but they look you in the eye when they stab you , unlike the arm round your back as they stab you labour party.
The tories are a pro british unionist party and we know who they stand for . Unlike labour , who claim to stand for the working man , nhs , scotlands interests whilst clearly only being interested in power and their own careers.
@Macart
My thoughts exactly Sam, you put it so much better than I.
This week’s media has really shamed the UK, finding any real, true analysis has left me trudging through slime.
If I’m seeing this after so long reading so much drivel and bias, I hope those no voters are reading it also and coming to the right conclusion.
Why would any sane folk want to stay within such a truly wicked union.
I thought it was interesting that Ruth distanced herself, from blaming the SNP for the alleged NHS crisis! Just what is she up to?
Meanwhile Deputy Dug blamed everything on the SNP, witholding money to the SNHS. Is Ruth trying to build bridges with the SNP?
I smell something in the air!
Ken500 Max Hasting doesn’t do democracy.
The Falkland’s mini war made his name. Until then he was a nonentity. Afterwards he was a known nonentity.
Humza Yousaf did a very good job last night –
but might have done a little better,
and probably will next time.
For a show like QT, preparation is everything.
Ruthie and Kez were dolled up to the heavens.
Danny and Kez were either side of David D –
that didn’t happen by chance.
A big contingent of Unionists in the audience
was no accident either.
And four Unionist voices on the panel
didn’t happen by chance.
Preparation, everywhere you looked.
But it is not enough merely to look good and speak well
while maintaining your composure,
all of which Humza did well,
but that is all par for the course.
In order to make an impact on the viewing & studio audience,
one needs a phrase or saying which is outstanding.
Something that really strikes a chord with the listeners.
A sentence which leaves the viewer thinking
‘that’s how I feel’.
As has been alluded to earlier,
two points were levelled at the SNP –
and will be again frequently –
without being dealt with effectively.
The first was the ‘largest party’ argument;
the other is the jibe that for the SNP
to ‘share’ in the government of the UK
as a party whose sole aim is to destroy the UK,
is totally unnacceptable to the English electorate.
This point in particular is very damaging to the SNP’s
prospects of acting in tandem with Labour at Westminster.
But Westminster and the English ought to remember
that these are the rules Westminster created
and they have to live by them.
We can’t be ‘Better Together’ one minute
and ‘Absolutely Unnacceptable Together ‘ the next.
They have to choose – which is it going to be.
They shouldn’t vote for strawberries and cream
if they don’t like strawberries –
many of which are grown in Scotland.
Whoever sorts these things out for the SNP in Edinburgh,
needs to just cancel their week-end
and get to work on these two points.
They are big and they will be used frequently against the SNP.
And finally, the link between the so called A&E crisis
and the organisation of appointments at GP practices
ought to be explained in detail – and regularly.
It is clear that A&E is being used
as an extension of General Practice.
This is the issue – NOT waiting times.
The SNP is being damaged by the flood of NHS stories,
whether real or made up by McTernan,
but the SNP needs to up their game
and get their answers out there.
QT was a golden opportunity last night –
but it wasn’t really siezed and acted upon.
Agree with all the analysis of QT, I think Humza comes over very well, and I’m sure he will be a senior figure in the party soon.
I have a little bit of grudging respect for Ruth, as she generally tries to prepare for her work of opposition. I want a good opposition in the future, that’s healthy.
Where Ruth has let herself down badly, is the gloating debacle in the postal votes. I can’t get her hysterical performance in a debate out of my head, when she said Russia would invade if we became independent. Patrick Harvey’s face was a scream, and there was loud laughing from the audience.
I think she does try to be honest for the most part about her position.
O/T
Anyone who remembers my postings about how many Government ministers, elected members, (and the vast majority of the electorate), have no clear idea of what the Barnett Formula is, how it works or what it is supposed to do please note today’s morning news.
You will find it is being reported that Leanne Wood, (Party Leader of Plaid Cymru), is to demand Wales be given equal funding with Scotland in any coalition talks taking place after the General Election.
Now, for those who don’t remember the simple explanation I gave about what Barnett’s Formula does, I’ll briefly repeat it now :-
Barnett’s Formula is intended to work out the extra funds that are granted to Scotland to cover the costs of the Scottish Governments responsibility for running the EXTRA devolved Functions that only Scotland has. As Devolved functions to Scotland, Wales and N.I. are all different so, when Westminster devolves a function, they also must devolve the funds to cover that function’s costs to the devolved administrations. It would be idiotic to devolve a function, that Westminster previously ran and funded, without also devolving the funds to run that devolved function.
So as Leanne Wood is demanding the extra funding, but without demanding the extra functions it won’t put Wales on an equal footing with Scotland. It will give Wales a very great financial extra benefit. This proves, beyond doubt, that the lady, and Plaid Cymru, have no clear idea of what she is talking about.
To reiterate – “Barnett’s Formula calculates the cost of each individual devolved function and allocates the correct funding for government functions previously done and funded by Westminster to the devolved administrations”.
As each devolved administration has different devolved functions then the per-capita funding to each devolved administration is of necessity at different per-capita levels. Thus per-capita funding is correct and does not indicate that a higher per-capita funding is a subsidy.
Thing is that as so many elected members, within every layer of government and the general public in the United Kingdom, are as totally
pig ignorantErr!, unaware of how Barnett’s Formula works, there will be much support for her absolutely idiotic demands.Perhaps this will turn out to be a good thing in the end, for it will force the drip, drip, drip claims that Scots are being subsidised by England to be examined and the truth will become the real winner of this whole sorry matter of how the Barnett Formula is seen as giving the Scots a per-capita subsidy when it does nothing of the sort.
In fact it probably actually means we are underfunded.
Ms Davidson understands that traditional tories in Scotland have been abandoned by their party as much as traditional labour voters have. She may even be a traditional tory herself, for we have many of those in Scotland. What I mean by traditional, I should add, is rather limited: I refer to those tories who subscribed to the post war consensus – they were not in power within their party for very long in the scheme of things, but that consensus persisted long enough to make the term valid in this context.
She is appealing to that potential support, and although she cannot openly criticise current tories in those terms (and she does not) she is playing a more successful strategy than Jim Murphy, who is now attempting the same thing. Tis not surprising: the tories have had much longer to get their heads round the fact that Scottish voters despise plutocrrats, of whatever colour
The question is, does she actually represent that thread of tory thinking, or is she just varnishing her views for electoral reasons? We know the answer to that for Mr Murphy, but not for Ms Davidson.
She is cleverer than Ms Dugdale, as her approach to the alleged NHS crisis showed. The discussion was framed in such a way as to make hers the only possible response. I watched that part of the programme on i-player and what I noticed was that someone (Mr Dimbleby?) made the problem she managed so well quite explicit: he said that the problems was blamed on the Labour party in Wales; the Tories in England; and the SNP in scotland. In other words, whoever is in power takes the blame in the minds of the people. But the problem (such as it is) exists everywhere and the party makes no difference whatsoever. We must look elsewhere for the explanation, therefore: and the audience were very well aware of that. Party political sniping is not just useless in that situation: it is counter productive in the extreme.
Ms Davidson preferred to attribute the problem to things like demographics etc, and to pretend that it is possible to sort it out through a rethink on how the service is organised. Sadly for her such things as a greater focus on prevention is hardly a new idea: it has been mooted since god left partick, and if it could be done it would have been done by now. It can’t. The reason it can’t is complicated but the bottom line is the problem is there is not enough money.
And therein lies the problem for all of the Westminster parties: for they are all wedded to the obscenity that is austerity.
She is at least smart enough to know that if you do as Ms Dugdale and Mr Alexander did, you are on a hiding to nothing: because you cannot reconcile and austerity agenda with criticism of any party on grounds of withholding money. Even if they are correct and the SNP do not spend all they should on health (which is not evidenced), there is not enough money in England or in Wales, either. Assuming that at least one of those health services does spend all the money it should on health why are the problems (such as they are) the same? They cannot answer that and maintain their austerity agenda at the same time.
Folk know that and Ms Davidson knows it too: why don’t Labour and Lib Dem politicians know it? Oh, they do. They just can’t think of anything else to say, I suspect
@Fred
Here’s the opposition.
link to paulmonaghan.scot
who is an excellent choice.
The tory chap well why would anyone up here vote for a tory who would like to take the country back to the dark ages. That’s their ultimate goal after all.
As for the current mp for this constituency Thurso …least said!
Brilliant bit of journalism. Think I’ll bung a bit more to the fund raiser
@Nana, Thurso a typical chinless wonder, hope Paul cracks it. Danny Alexander, on the other hand, has got three chins, his former job at the National Park is probably done on a zero-hours basis now, so a big cut in wages if he manages to get it back. 🙂
Danny Alexander, on the other hand, has got three chins
I was under the impression his nickname, ‘Beaker’ is derived from his neck merging into his head seamlessly therefore rendering redundant the need for a chin.
@ Nana
“Why would any sane folk want to stay within such a truly wicked union?”
They shouldn’t Nana. Because clearly and by any measure, any definition, that is an abusive relationship.
I’d be interested to know how widely vouchers are used and what form they take.I suspect they’ll be store gift vouchers which when bought in bulk generally attract a discount. Hence why some local authorities might prefer to use these to make funds go further.
Personally I’d far rather folk in need were given cash but when both the Scottish Government and local authorities are trying to make their pocket money go further, needs must.
I find it astonishing that Murphy is concerned about needy people being stigmatised by using vouchers. I don’t recall him complaining about the stigmatisation of asylum seekers who had to present their entitlement card in supermarkets to buy food under the last Labour government.Then again, they didn’t have the vote.
Thank you for this excellent piece of research – so valuable.Keep up the good work – I’ve sent a small donation and I hope lots of other people do so too! We need this kind of careful monitoring.