This isn’t the news
Sometimes there isn’t much happening in the world of politics, but it’d be a bit of a stretch to describe this week as one of those times. So we’re not sure in what context this article on the BBC website today counts as “news”.
Labour’s cynical attempts to score points against the SNP over the bedroom tax certainly aren’t new. They’ve been banging the same drum for months, demanding that the Scottish Government essentially subsidises (and thereby encourages) Tory cuts by taking money from elsewhere in the Scottish budget.
Hilariously, when challenged to say where Labour would find the £50m of savings required, on a special Newsnight Scotland debate on Monday night Jackie Baillie’s only suggestion (at 28 mins) was that £10m could come from the money she claimed the Scottish Government had spent on the Oscar-winning movie “Brave”.
The figure was in fact £7m rather than £10m (an exaggeration of a mere 43%), it was spent on investing in tourism generally, and it resulted in significant increases in revenue – although as the BBC’s Glenn Campbell pointed out, the more pertinent issue was that the money had been spent a year ago, before the introduction of the bedroom tax, and to go back and un-spend it now would require the services of Doctor Who.
Labour’s position on the bedroom tax hasn’t changed since we looked at it in depth more than five months ago. In all that time, they still haven’t managed to come up with the £50m. If and when they ever do, THAT will be news.
Sadly, too many will fall for her poisonous guff.
It was interesting to hear the number of times various Labour MSPs recited long lists of policies/bills during yesterdays debate – so it must be a push to prove that they do have some ideas. There is no point in them doing that if the press don’t pick up on it – and the BBC is usually very keen to help out where it can…
“But Labour said a single, Scotland-wide approach was needed”
Do Labour care more about Scottish welfare claimants than ones from Bradford (etc etc)?
this whole debate was P;;;;H
another way of looking at it is that £50 Million pounds is around a tenner for everyone in scotland.
Perhaps Johann could try have a whip round on the streets of greenock and see how many of the constituents there would feel happy to give a tenner to subsidise tory barbarism.
Nor have Labour done anything to mitigate the risk of eviction due to rent arrears that have arisen solely due to the bedroom tax. As is usual all mouth and no trousers
If Labour are having such problems with the ‘Bedroom Tax’ they should never have introduced it in the first place. Bedroom Tax – implemented by Labour, perfected by Tories.
YES Scotland.
If Jackie Baillie donates the price of a donut to a kids charity every time she visits Greggs, most of the bairns in Easterhouse should be out of poverty in about 3 months.
In the picture, is that an original thought passing through her head?
It’s looking increasingly obvious that Labour only exists now to attack the SNP at any opportunity. It’s getting more farcical and desperate and it does the Scottish Parliament no favours in working for Scotland’s best interests.
The fact that they can’t see that Scotland’s best interest is to be independent makes it all the more galling that they continue to claim to care about Scotland and it’s people.
The Labour in Scotland cupboard is bare, no vision, only ‘WE HATE ALEX SALMOND’, with the GMB news today, I’d love to see the STUC vote to support YES at their conference next year.
May be a step too far for them, of course.
If the London Labour’s Scottish branch want to un-spend money retrospectively, then the money for the bedroom tax could come from the £1.7 billion of Scotland’s budget that their Holyrood members handed back to Westminster.
Labour brought it in for private rents and now they don’t oppose it when it applies to council houses, why do they demand the SNP do something…
Please, no more pics of THAT woman. It’s bad enough trying to find a page in the Lennox Herald where her name or her face doesn’t appear :/
Jimbo
))) Claps (((
Wasn’t a Labour council the first to issue a conviction notice off the back of the bedroom tax?
Does anyone know the ratings for Newsnight Scotland?
Baillie accused the SNP of allowing bedroom tax evictions in Clackmannanshire – is this true? As far as I know the SNP policy is no evictions.
@creigs 1707 repeal…
Exactly, and that should be thrown back at them at every opportunity when Labour bring up the Bedroom Tax.
We hate Alex Salmond. Yessssss. I was struck last night by how much better he looks now he has lost some weight. Not just healthier, but friendlier and more approachable. I suspect someone is really riding him on the diet front. There will probably be a few bankruptcies among the Edinburgh curry houses any day now.
If he keeps this up, he could quite possibly get right down to a normal BMI by spring or summer. He used to be as thin as a rake, so go for it! Not only does it make him significantly friendlier in appearance, it would stop all these jibes about “fat Eck” and “the rotund curry-lover” and so on right in their tracks.
I’m not in favour of lampooning anyone on account of their weight, not even Jackie Baillie (though the temptation is severe), but I do think taking away the potential for that could put a significant crimp in the anti-Salmond rhetoric. How ironic if Scottish independence were to be achieved on account of the 2/5 diet!
“I was struck last night by how much better he looks now he has lost some weight. Not just healthier, but friendlier and more approachable.”
It’s weird, I actually noticed it too, and I never notice that sort of thing. He looked refreshed and a wee bit suntanned.
@Chalks…
>150,000 me thinks.
Reporting Scotland is around 500,000.
@chalks
100 000 plus, and funny you should ask …from the Scotsman
link to archive.is
These BBC debates are so poorly structured they’re a waste of time and only serve to frustrate anyone interested enough to watch. This one couldn’t even clearly define if they were discussing welfare now or in an independent future. Hopefully tomorrow’s head to head will shed a better light on things as Nicola shows Anas up as the blowhard he is.
Maybe they could unspend the money pissed away on Edinburgh trams, and use some of it for the bedroom tax? And dual the A9 as well.
OPTICAL ILLUSION
If you stare really carefully at the image of Jackie Baillie, after about 10 minutes, you will think you are watching Arnold Schwarzenegger in a disguise entering the Martian customs hall in “Total Recall”.
I suspect Andy Kerr et al at BBC will all set up for this pish as well at 2.30pm.
A good/terrible example of BBC publishing/megaphoning SLabour slavers.
Reads like a press release. If not published elsewhere yet another sign that Boothman is the circus-master of the whole of the Scottish MSM, or at least of the Glasgow media omerta – of which Mike Dailly of the Govan Law Centre (mentioned in the press release/BBC ‘report’), is a shadow member.
Labour’s bill, drawn up with the help of the Govan Law Centre, was part of a series of measures which also saw the party calling on the Scottish government to provide local authorities with extra funding to fill the financial gap caused by rent arrears.
Is it just me or is this persistent call by Slabour slaverers for the Scottish government to use some of the pocket money given to it by Westminster to offset/ameliorate anti-poor outcomes created by Westminster policies not one of the best arguments for independence/Yes? Have the Slaverers thought this through? Or do they just think that if the BBC/MSM reports it positively, and as a given, that it doesn’t matter that it undermines their own position?
As I am sure that the Scottish public are not as gullible and stupid as SLabour seems to think they are, we should be pleased that the SLabour/BBC tag-team are keen to give out this message.
The Labour front bench today again ignored the opportunity at Westminster PMQ’s to say they would abolish the Bedroom tax despite David Cameron asking them several times if they would do so.
They also wont reverse other welfare changes just as the have refused to reverse ant–Trades Union legislation brought in by Margeret Thacher.
I’m looking forward to their coming shadow cabinet meeting in Scotland which is what this daft interview was all about. To deflect their own impotency and lack of backbone onto others.
10 whole minutes? Are you mad?
They hate Salmond so much that I presume it will be back to the smug, arrogant, dictator stuff if he keeps on losing weight. Many in SLAB are only concerned with maintaining their positions and power. The abuse will continue because they have nothing to offer, no vision, no ideas, no principles (as seen by Bailie’s and co relentless and shameless lying), no integrity etc.
Stevie, I live in Clackmannanshire and there have been no evictions due to the bedroom tax, the SNP council policy is no evictions due to that tax.
Jackie Baillie, signed the PPP/PFI schemes that will cost the Scottish NHS a mind blowing £6.7 Billions in fees, at the time it was the biggest PFI deal in Europe.
And by god are we going to be paying for it for a long long time to come over 30 years infact.
I’m sure they will accuse of him using tax payers money to lose weight.
Thanks for the ratings stuff, that number is probably the hardcore politico’s of all parties….I can’t imagine floating voters watching it…so I wouldn’t get too upset about people ‘falling’ for it.
Most people have no idea who she is and when it is revealed she is Labour Shadow Health Minister, they will think its a cruel joke.
@beachthistle
Mike Dailly is formally part of the BT campaign I think, in a personal capacity of course.
@chalks
Indeed the people we need to reach are not watching Newsbollocks Scotland on a regular basis.
And for those that do, with Raymond B leaving, who will we have …… Gordon B and my guess Gary R, as Naughtie, I think, is taking his place on GMS, Thursday’s and Friday’s.
G H Graham says:
Arnold naw! Lou Costello …. well maybe…
We need to get out more.
————————–
Douglas Fraser BBC was giving dire warnings about whisky exports last week.
Today .. link to bbc.co.uk
Scotc
Can’t abide that woman, as a politician she’s up their with the worst in terms of duplicity and double standards. Doesn’t really matter the topic is, if its her gabbing, it’ll be disingenuous nonsense.
Grrr…
PS: I noticed something about Salmond during last night’s Scotland Tonight interview, in hindsight, what some here are saying was probably it, he just looked a lot less, ummm, less?
Labour repealed nothing of the Thatcher era. Nothing on anti-Union laws, nothing on selling council houses and not building new ones, nothing on all the privatisations. Under Labour more parts of the MoD were privatised than under the Tories. Quite simply they are not to be trusted to repeal anything the Coalition does. With the Unions cutting the funding to Labour they will no doubt look even more to big business to fund them.
Jackie Baillie is a shocking fibber when it comes to facts and figures. How the hell she got away with accusing the SNP of presiding over an increase in hospital infections when they had gone down and she had quoted stats from when Labour were in power beats me. If the SNP had done that the BBC would have been all over them Jackie does it and they accept a muted “my bad” as if it is no big deal. Now that is corrupt broadcasting.
Love it …Teee hee heee
G H Graham says:
4 September, 2013 at 2:06 pm
If Jackie Baillie donates the price of a donut to a kids charity every time she visits Greggs, most of the bairns in Easterhouse should be out of poverty in about 3 months.
If you stare really carefully at the image of Jackie Baillie, after about 10 minutes … sorry that is just not possilbe !!!
The most nonesnese and meaningless misinformed tripe from any politician today …..but Labour voters still listen to this mince anyway.
I watched Cammy taunting Milly about the bedroom tax on PMQ’s earlier. He challenged Milly to say he would scrap it. The silence was deafening.
Over on Blair McD’s twitter thingy, he’s saying
‘Good poll or bad poll: we need to work hard & reach out to undecided voters. Confident not complacent’
Their tune is a changing.
Jackie Bailie has a awful record of fibbing, from the super bug claim (which she has never had the grace to apologise for), to the loss of Trident costing 18,000 jobs, when the MoD put the figure at around 500! She is not to be trusted under any circumstances.
For those that are relatively new to this site – have a look at this from the vile woman! link to wingsland.podgamer.com
Sorry, OT again. It’s what I do though. 🙂
Apparently the BBC has run 94 reports re. the chemical weapons attack on Ghouta, all of them asserting the Assad ‘regime’ is to blame. This is despite the inconvenient fact that the UN investigation has not reported its findings yet.
link to globalresearch.ca
Is at wumin eric pickles twin.
Jackie Bailie is to basic arithmetic, what I am to watching Olympic synchronised swimming.
@Albalha
I can’t see their tune changing, just putting on a smiley face before mocking and distorting an independent Scotland.
Instead of Doom and Gloom it’ll be a hearty pat on the back with a smile on their, ‘ach come on, we’re too poor, stupid and small for all us’
Different mood, same message
I watched Cammy taunting Milly about the bedroom tax on PMQ’s earlier. He challenged Milly to say he would scrap it. The silence was deafening.
Either before or after a Referendum on Scottish Independence. No party at Westminster will abolish this TAX. Yet we know for a fact that it costs money to run with this policy rather than actually saving any.
The Tories are turning Labour into Tories North and South of the Border. The people with nothing to do with this policy are the ones that are affected. Its a stupid game played by politicians to set an example as to the value of those without sufficient work.
It is a government responsibility to ensure that there is worthwhile work for its population. Westminster has failed on many levels, this being only one.
@chalks
I was more meaning they now believe they’re going to lose this, which of course they damn well are!
chalks at 2.18 pm
Does anyone know the ratings for Newsnight Scotland
Scotland tonight 157,000 Newsnicht 80,000, scotsman recently
I struggle to understand folk like Baillie.
Her party introduced the Bedroom Tax, and her party, if elected next time, has no intention of scrapping it.
Yet she is able to stand up in public and say how terrible it is, and something needs to be done about it!
I think most folk tell the odd white lie, but what kind of creature is it that tells monstrous lies in public, knowing full well that most folk know they are telling lies, yet sleep soundly at night? Surely this must be some kind of mental problem? Do these kind of folk have no conscience? Do you need to be a sociopath to be a Unionist politician?
Mike Dailly is about as Labour as it gets, another BT lackie alright
link to govanlc.blogspot.co.uk
Here’s me switching the PC on, ready for a quick run-down of the latest indy news and BANG …….! got visually whip-lashed with a Jackie Baillie poison dwarf grin – fair unsettled my stomach. 🙁
His highness (Pat Stanton) told John Collins that “they’ll only kick you if they rate you”.
This is of course why they attack Alex Salmond and recently your good self. In fact their fear is turning into terror and desperation. I remember Alex Salmond saying that the Labour Party in Scotland are finished, not long after the 2011 election. Well if there’s a NO vote, I agree with him. There is the irony.
Johann Lamont was stupid enough to obey London’s orders with her “something for nothing society” speech, only praised by the tories. They’ve gone beyond clutching at straws. In Scotland they are currently on death row.
@Albalha
Over on Blair McD’s twitter thingy, he’s saying
‘Good poll or bad poll: we need to work hard & reach out to undecided voters. Confident not complacent’
The big problem for Project Feart is that the voting intention (VI) traffic is one way: there is no evidence of Yesses switching to No.
So PF/BT have to continually/repeatedly engage with many of their present Nos as well as all currently undecideds, as over time more of their guff is challenged and debunked. With a much smaller grassroots presence/network than Yes.
Whereas Yes just have to successfully engage with a voter once…
The concept of unspending money already spent must earmark Jackie Baillie for great things in Labour’s Treasury Team.
@albalha
Clear Eyes, Full Hearts. Can’t Lose.
: )
@Ronald alexander McDonald – Personally Ronald, I think Labour are beyond death row, they are in the box waiting on the undertaker!
Rev
My post at 3:12. What’s that all about?
“My post at 3:12. What’s that all about?”
Cutting and pasting from Microsoft applications is what that’s all about.
You’re lucky, Akismet usually dumps those straight into Spam.
@a supoorter
Well quite!
@chalks That’s what I’m talking about, the times they are a changin, YES they are.
@beachthistle – That is a really good point and one which will bring home a YES vote.
If the London Labour’s Scottish branch want to un-spend money retrospectively, then the money for the bedroom tax could come from the £1.7 billion of Scotland’s budget that their Holyrood members handed back to Westminster.
To be fair, I understand that the SNP managed to prise that dosh back out of Westminster’s greedy paws after they came to power in 2007. So it will have been spent on something useful. Or the trams, possibly.
O/T
Just spotted Jackie’s pet giraffe in Alexandra Park
link to videosforkideos.files.wordpress.com
im a man of pretty low ethics, standards etc but i wouldnt cross a street for big jackie bailey and i dont like anus sarwar either
@jond
You giraffe fattist, you, tsk tsk. Do you think it’s real, no I’m guessing not, though I’m prone to believe anything presented visually.
Sad really, or just an indication I’ve not progressed much beyond age four.
david says:
“im a man of pretty low ethics, standards etc but i wouldnt cross a street for big jackie bailey and i dont like anus sarwar either”
Anus is Mrs Lamont’s number two, is he not?
Talking of last night’s interviews involving Alex Salmond.
I am a bit of a student on body language ,did many courses on it in my working life.
The most notable things for me was the differences between Bernard Ponsonby and Buchanan on UBC (Unionist Broadcasting Corporation) .
While Bernard was being professional and rigorous in his questioning there was also a sense of balance and equitable behaviour in his manner.
Buchanan on the other hand could barely disguise his loathing of the man he was interviewing.
Watch his facial expressions as the FM speaks , Buchanan also is looking for the next so called killer question he had pre written as the FM answers his question.
He was not even listening to the reply.
He was not interested in anything the FM said he only wanted to ask what he thought were his killer questions.
The entire interview Buchanan exuded if not hatred ,massive dislike of his interviewee.
indeed his face seemed to say this c+++ has just done a s+++ on the carpet .
His contempt was never far from the surface, a total disgrace.
@RodMac
I’m not sure RB is that bad, though I didn’t see it, but anyway he’s off to Clyde Blowers/Weir Pumps soon I believe.
“Wow that was hot and steamy over on that link.”
Is ‘Fred’ Gordon in disguise?
damn. wrong thread.
Google Jackie Baillie and her fat face is displayed for all to behold with a warning on the first link that Labour will place cookies on your PC. I very much doubt there is any kind of biscuit left at Labour HQ if Jackie ‘liar’ Baillie is about.
I’m not sure RB is that bad, though I didn’t see it, but anyway he’s off to Clyde Blowers/Weir Pumps soon I believe
Please do not tell me Jim McColl has got him lined up for Rangers TV otherwise all my defence of us Rangers for Independence bluenoses will be for naught!!
@rod mac
Aye, the contrast in the interviews was striking. Ponsonby professional, prepared to listen, even a hint of banter. Buchanan edited in to look seething, mistrustful of the FM, interrupting. I felt Salmond’s body language accordingly differed between interviews too, as if he were expecting a stitch up from the BBC.
Watch this video from a Trades Union meeting in Clydebank, watch as Jackie Bailey gets ripped a new one. Watch the chairman as he squirms and wriggles as if his piles are bursting.
link to bit.ly
In an independent Scotland there will be no such thing as a bedroom tax. England’s chancellor, George Osborne, claims that in thirty from now Scots will be £2,000 per year better off if they reject independence.
If you’re on benefits, and are unfortunate enough to have a spare bedroom, you’ll be £500 per year better off in an independent Scotland. Following Osborne’s logic, that means that by opting for independence you’ll be £15000 ahead by the time Osborne’s thirty years have elapsed.
If you’re doubly unfortunate, and have two spare bedrooms, you’ll be £1000 per year better off in an independent Scotland. That’s £30,000 ahead – before having to wait for Osborne’s imaginary £2,000 thirty years from now.
This extra disposable income you’ll have will not only be of great benefit to yourself but also greatly benefit your country’s economy.
@RodMac
Now you’re getting into territory I steer clear of, I’m a Dundee supporter. However as you know chaps from the Western Isles are usually,either Rangers or Celtic supporters. Barra boys, or is it bhoys, who knows.
Rev I didn’t cut and paste from a microsoft app. I only copied and pasted chalk’s question.
Albalha says:
4 September, 2013 at 3:59 pm
@RodMacNow you’re getting into territory I steer clear of, I’m a Dundee supporter. However as you know chaps from the Western Isles are usually,either Rangers or Celtic supporters. Barra boys, or is it bhoys, who knows.
=========================================================
True , my family are originally from North Uist , my gran used to tell me the bad ones came from South Uist.
I was 15 before i realised what she meant.
Aberdonia does not have Old Firm supporters, only ("Tractor" - Ed)s.
I try not to be appearancist (lets face it glass houses and all that) but Jackie and Jabba? I actually feel a bit dirty for doing that…resist all but temptation
We need a Scotland wide approach to the bedroom tax! Aye right.
link to bbc.co.uk
Well a vote for independence should take care of that.
PS:
Christian Wright says:
Anus is Mrs Lamont’s number two, is he not?
—————————————————-
A double entendre surely!
I don’t like it when people snigger about Fat Eck, and I also don’t like it when people do it to other politicians.
Morag ‘There will probably be a few bankruptcies among the Edinburgh curry houses any day now.’ SAY IT AINT SO!
🙂
@chalks
What is Aberdonia, is it an Ian Durant thing?
@aperson I agree, carrying a few extra pounds myself, but nonetheless Jackie Baillie is a total waste of space, girth aside.
@Sneddon
Are you channeling Murray Head?
I really wish you wouldn’t do that with photos of that woman. I genuinely reeled back from the screen when the WOS site opened.
People should use that photo Bailey much as they have for the shocker of Linda Blair from the exorcist unexpectedly coming on screen !!!!
Sure to get the same falling off the stool results, and kids screaming for their Mum !!!!
I was in the audience of that program on Monday night! I said ” My question is for Jackie Baillie, how can we trust the labour party to abolish the bedroom tax, when most of them weren’t there to oppose it in the first place?” No reply!! But if looks could kill!
@Clare Gallagher
Interesting, I didn’t watch, was your point broadcast?
@Muttley79
Last week on a R4 news bulletin they trotted out the 18,000 number for Trident and the newsreader even emphasised it. I lost it and screamed ‘you lying bastards’ at the radio. Fortunately I was alone in the house.
Yes, it was, it’s near the end
“Is at wumin eric pickles twin.”
Naw, she ate Eric Pickles
Sorry to go off topic but there is an accusation on the Scotsman comments that a pro-independence web-site commissioned a Panelbase poll and encouraged its readers to join Panelbase in order to influence the vote. Surely, that is utter nonsense?
I love the way that Jackie (Liar, Liar, pants on fire) Baillie’s attacks seem to consist of disparaging the SNP government, because, while THEY are in power in Scotland, and Jackie’s Labour party are not in power either in Scotland or the UK as a whole, they are essentially advocating working WITH a Tory led policy. They claim that the Scottish government should divert funds from wherever to keep this unfair system working, yet if they were to do so, they would be criticised for it. Why can Jackie and her cronies not actually come up with some POSITIVE ideas for a change??? Are the SLABs actually saying that THIS is what THEY would do if THEY were in power???
Surely, that is utter nonsense?
Complete pish. Even if WoS members joined Panelbase you could wait years before being asked a WoS set of questions and be constantly asked to vote on favourite butters, insurance, newspapers etc., in the meantime. Desperate lies from desperate people.
Meanwhile over at the Guardian, it is all rather fun
link to theguardian.com
No mention of WoS though Bella, National Collective and Common Weal get a shout out, to be fair I’ve given cash to them all as well as here.
@Albalha
What is Aberdonia, is it an Ian Durant thing?
Just a way of saying Aberdeen. Nothing to do with Ian Durrant, nothing to see here…
this was a very poor debate except for Robin McAlpine who was outstanding, Jamie Hepburn needs to stop looking like he just swallowed a guppy and stop falling into the “blame the other party” antics and just address the questions(if only Genn Campbell would let him) people want answers to the questions they are asking and dont need to hear continual party politics its time the SNP and the Yes Campaign stepped thier game up a notch or two.
I wondered out loud why Jackie Baillie has such short hair as most women prefer their hair longer. My wife suggested that Ms. Baillie’s hair is of normal length but that she is actually growing faster than her hair.