To lie with impunity
We reported last night on the mealy-mouthed semi-correction the Daily Telegraph has finally been forced to grudgingly publish with regards to its incompetent and inaccurate creation of the “Memogate” scandal. The paper – we’re loath to prefix it with the word “news” – has now suffered the full weight, such as it is, of the press regulator IPSO, and will not have to answer any further for its actions.
And that just leaves us with the source.
Alistair Carmichael, the former Secretary of State for Scotland, has as yet suffered no punishment either for leaking a false document about the First Minister just weeks before a general election or for lying about it on national television. He’s imposed a financial penalty on himself by declining to accept a severance payment, but has so far been subjected to no exterior judgement.
Both a crowdfunded legal challenge by some of his Orkney and Shetland constituents and a Parliamentary inquiry are currently in progress, so we shan’t dwell overly on the details of the case – we can safely say that the leaked document is inaccurate because Carmichael himself has publicly admitted it, and has also publicly admitted lying about his knowledge of it, but as the UK government refuses to release the memo under FOI further comment would be speculation.
What we CAN talk about, though, is what the electorate thinks.
A Panelbase poll of 1002 Scottish voters last week, commissioned by this site, found that an overwhelming majority – more than five to one – of voters believe Alistair Carmichael should resign immediately.
Should resign (total): 71%
Should not resign: 14%
Don’t know: 15%
The opinion was shared by all voters in Scotland regardless of party, including the diehard few who voted Liberal Democrat in the May election:
CONSERVATIVE VOTERS
Should resign (total): 45%
Should not resign: 38%
Don’t know: 17%
(Margin: 7%)
LABOUR VOTERS
Should resign (total): 60%
Should not resign: 25%
Don’t know: 15%
(Margin: 35%)
LIBERAL DEMOCRAT VOTERS
Should resign (total): 49%
Should not resign: 36%
Don’t know: 15%
(Margin: 13%)
SNP VOTERS
Should resign (total): 91%
Should not resign: 1%
Don’t know: 8%
(Margin: 90%)
REFERENDUM ‘YES’ VOTERS
Should resign (total): 88%
Should not resign: 2%
Don’t know: 9%
(Margin: 86%)
REFERENDUM ‘NO’ VOTERS
Should resign (total): 58%
Should not resign: 25%
Don’t know: 17%
(Margin: 33%)
Right across the board, Scotland wants a by-election in Orkney and Shetland, conducted on the basis of knowing the truth this time. Opinion is divided only on whether Carmichael should subject himself to the judgement of his constituents or whether he should stand aside entirely and let the seat be contested by someone not tainted by the scandal.
(On which matter there’s a more partisan split, with Lib Dems and Tories narrowly feeling he SHOULD stand for re-election, while Labour and SNP voters want him out of the picture completely.)
It is, readers may feel, remarkable arrogance for someone who until very recently occupied the UK government’s most senior office for Scotland to so blatantly flout the wishes of such an overwhelming majority of the Scottish electorate. But so far, like the Telegraph, Alistair Carmichael seems determined to stick his fingers in his ears and pretend nothing has happened.
Only time will tell if he gets away with it.
Just shows that voters know when they see a chancer. Arrogance knows no bounds where some politicians are concerned.
I’d like to know exactly who is the “1%” SNP voter that thinks Carmichael should stay!
He does it because he knows he can get away with it.
Resign.Lost all credibility. Morally and financially bankrupt. Hypocritically lying and Gerrymandering. A total disgrace.
Any indication of what the people of Orkney and Shetland feel?
BTW, is that his best Kezia impersonation in the first picture?
So I must be in the 1% who voted SNP and think he should not resign. He is far more of a liability to his cause staying where he is…
Like THE VOW, it’s just one more UKOK historic fraud on Scotland and also shows that FOI is completely meaningless.
There probably is no actual memo anyway but they can leak it to IPSO proven liars of the Torygraph but not to their electorate, shock.
Even now Westminster corruption is trying to protect his appalling behaviour, by not releasing the Memo.
Grouse Beater
Morally I want him to give the Orkney electorate a second chance.
But many SNP supporters see party political advantage in him staying and a few may have succumbed to that.
Most people would assume they were being asked on a moral basis but not all.
That’s a great result Stew, you’ve done us proud there, what about “Fluffy” Mundell ?, did the refusal of the Freedom of Information request, was issued in order to protect Scotland’s only Tory M.P.?
Well done with the top freeze frame Rev. You captured the sneering contempt he has for the electorate perfectly.
That last picture was obviously from one of his more productive days as Scottish Secretary.
Nice to see that integrity and honesty are still qualities that Scots value in public life no matter where their political persuasion lies!
Hoping that the judicial review and Parliamentary inquiry back up these views and natural justice takes place.
Not holding my breath!
Such is British democracy! Under the Discipline Code of any self respecting organization this would be a Serious Offence subject to Dismissal #one law for some
Oh, he should get the boot, no question. Were it down to many, he’d see the back of a cell for abusing his position in that fashion.
Whether he does get formally punished or not? That’s another question and one I’m certainly not qualified to answer. What is an absolute certainty though, is that his name and party are tainted and tarnished, his standing and reputation mud.
In Scottish political history he’s forever going to be remembered as a ‘that guy’ who lied and a hypocrite.
I think this poll is a good bell-weather for the unsaveable hard core of unionist support. If only we knew who those were, it would save a wasted effort and concentrate our resources on the rest.
I would love to know the reasoning behind
the 14% who don’t think he should resign.
That is still an astonishing figure to me
given the circumstances.
this devious, lying , manipulative, underhand excuse for a human being can be in no doubt what the electorate feel about him.
Hanging on to his seat under these circumstances is however win-win.
If he gets kicked out by either the court case or the Parliamentary enquiry it is a good thing for democracy.
If he hangs on by some miracle the backlash will guarantee Tavish Scott is hoofed in the Scottish parliamentary elections.. That is also a win which comes with the added benefit of proving conclusively what a fantastic team player Carmichael is for his party.
Bottom line ??????
We loose one of the two worst politicians Scotland has seen in recent years.
The farce of the establishment and Westminster could not be exposed any clearer.
This lying deceitful money grabbing con artist is still referred to as “the Right Honourable Member” for Orkney & Shetland, as the rules of the Mother of parliament demands.
This character has benefitted from lies and deception of the people he is supposed to serve and pockets a great deal of money from the same people.
This clown was a procurator fiscal for god sake and a minister of the crown and privi councillor. This surely exposes the whole corrupt system for what it is, corrupt and not fit for purpose.
As Mick Magachy once famously explained, we all are allowed a piece of the pie it just depends on the size of your spoon, and the wee people only get wee spoons the rich get big spoons.
I can’t understand the 1% of SNP voters who feel he shouldn’t resign – did they misunderstand the question or is it reporting error? I wish we could see the original memo – I also wonder what’s in it that the government is not willing to release it.
I also will never, ever understand a no vote. I can’t get my head around the reasons why someone would be a no voter. It just doesn’t make any sense to me. Is it caution? or msm reporting that has scared people?…
Resign, man. Do the honourable thing. The after dinner circuit awaits you.
2nd photo.
Mork calling Orson! Mork calling Orson!!
“Conservative voters – Should not resign 38%”
So out of all the groups including the Lib Dems the Tories are the most comfortable about lying.
Now there’s a surprise!
It helps if you think of the damage being done to Tavish and Liam as they fight to hold their MSP seats…what goes around comes around.
While this affair is as a suppurating boil on the arse of the Scottish body politic, from an indy/SNP perspective the best out come would surely be for Carmichael to remain in office.
His presence would be a continuing source of irritation and grievance among the electorate, and would I think, boost the chances of bringing into bad odour, Tavish Scott and the other remaining Holyrood LibDem Carmichaelian apologists.
The stench of Carmichael’s festering reputation will, molecule by molecule, get up the nose of every swithering Scot.
Stu, there really is no other news site like this one in Scotland. In a fairer world, your investigative, fearless journalism would be commended and your efforts rewarded by badges of honour at awards ceremonies. What you do have as a result of your awesome work is a vibrant website and a grateful readership.
What is underneath this “look, no squirells” attitude to the Carmichael story, is that it is highly unlikely that Mundell was not involved in this leak, or that David Cameron had nothing to do do with it either. It was a tory-lib dem coalition, fighting to destroy the credibility of the snp and the labour party. Much as I detest how Labour has been behaving in Scotland for the past 8 years, the Tories and the Tory press have really put them out of business.
Next step, we need to know how much Mundell knew, and whether or not Cameron or any of his nearest and dearest sanctioned this leak. In which case, the UK general election of 2015 went the way of the Florida counting debacle in 2000.
Carmichael may indeed manage to stubbornly hang on at the trough for a few more years, but this will cause untold damage to what’s left of the Lib Dems in Scotland (not to mention WM and the establishment/legal process that may protect him. Tavish Scott and Liam Whatshisname must be feeling very nervous right now. If those two want to restore any credibility to their party, and have any chance of being re-elected next May, I’m afraid they have to publicly disown their pal and call for him to step down. It’s the only way, and there is little time left to do it. Tick, tock…..
Westminster is rotten to the core, propped up by very right across the board press. Even can’t stand the pretendy lefty guardian paper.
An utter disgrace that the liars are protected and promoted when people’s lives are ruined by these troughers.
Thank goodness for WoS. The msm is sinister and stifling in every way.
Oh and by the way my no voting neighbours are quite computer savvy, they just choose to buy expensive rags every day and take it for gospel, more fool them!
Meant very right wing, not very right!
What has still not been explained is how certain Labour and LibDem politicians got hold of the “leak” so quickly. Remember how quick off the mark they were to condemn the FM? Who fed it to them? Who received a copy of “that email”?
Good Morning all to our readers, including Mr.Willie Rennie.
This latest survey is great news for all concerned, except poor Tavish and Liam who didn’t have the guts to challenge their “leader” when the story broke. They in particular will feel the wrath of the island voters next year. As we discovered with the Greek referendum outcome, these pesky voters can be a dangerous lot. Roll on HR2016.
#CarmichaelMustGo
I think the Viceroy of Scotland Mundell is up to his neck in the whole Frenchgate debacle.
Carmichael should serve up the head of Mundell if he wants to retain any vestige of honour in Scotland.
Oh, he should get the boot, no question. Were it down to many, he’d see the back of a cell for abusing his position in that fashion.
Should our elected representatives go to jail for lying to us? Some have been sent down for expenses fraud
link to en.wikipedia.org
Tommy Sheridan ended up in Barlinnie. His prosecution witness Andy Coulson found not guilty of perjury on a technicality, slides back into the warm embrace of teamGB media land.
Talk about UKOK lottery.
Carmichael will end up in the teamGB Lords, like Lord Flipper of Darling or this red tory. Troughing for life.
link to en.wikipedia.org
many SNP supporters see party political advantage in him staying
As in, the neighbourhood thief not prosecuted keeps folk on their toes over security?
Here’s a politician of integrity to emulate:
link to grousebeater.wordpress.com
Love the last pic. Tingalingaloo.
Mr Carmichael cheated and then lied about it on national TV.He should not be allowed to resign.He should be thrown out on his ear.
I may be completely wrong, but I suspect the split in Unionist voters who think he should stay against those who think there should be at least a re-run, represent hard BritNat NOs versus soft NOs.
Some will put support for their Union above any moral considerations.
The others group of Unionists believe in fair play. They are our target for conversion!
Also, the small remaining rump of LibDems think like Tories. Interesting.
Grouse Beater says:
6 July, 2015 at 10:41 am
I’d like to know exactly who is the “1%” SNP voter that thinks Carmichael should stay!
Probably ticked the wrong box in error, or meant that he should stay till the court process finds in guilty of wrong doing.
Tingalingaloo
youtube.com/watch?v=ysFrt3V7nvI
Herald reports on the Telegraph lie.
link to archive.is
PS:
I (my partner really) had a wee rant about the BBC coverage of the tennis with more talking heads and UKOK flag waving than tennis.
link to archive.is
I have a suspicion that Carmichael is playing the long game here. The establishment have not said they will pick up his legal fees nor have the Lib Dems. In taking this stance they are applying pressure on Carmichael to get him to stand down. But instead Carmichael digs his heels in because he knows where the bodies are buried. He’s basically telling ‘them’ that I’ll take this all the way–even if it means taking some of ‘you’ down with me. Now make me a deal and it’ll go away. But the establishment obviously cant be seen to make any deal with a tainted former minister.
So, it’s basically a standoff between Carmichael and the establishment. Who will blink first?
BTW – can anyone tell me when the bits of the memo they don’t want us to see will be leaked?
Rev
I’m sure you are about to be able to report on a lack of establishment cover up and lies to protect one of their own.
You might even be telling us about others that have been rightfully implicated in this as all the facts are laid bare in court.
I, for one, am in the mood for a big slice of humble pie.
Jings, sorry, just dozed off for wee minute there.
O/T, sorry,
John Beattie to talk about re-naming of Glasgow hospital at 12:45 on Radio Scotland.
It’s not his ears Carmichael is sticking his fingers up at.
@Heed
Not nearly enough of them were nailed for expenses fraud Heed.
Not nearly enough.
Mind you they seem to be quite ambivalent about lies, abuse of post and naked manipulation from start to finish. Part of the game and all that. Don’t think they saw an electorate chasing him into court though. That means it doesn’t quietly go away.
Carmichael has been, and will continue to be, bad press for the Unionists. The court case and the parliamentary investigation both, will be win/win from a publicity point of view. The losers will be his Constituents.
As for the Tories, they don’t give a toss. With 5 years of power in the bag, no one in Downing St is even thinking about Carmichael. They have closed the door on FOI. Sorted.
We now live in a different world here in the UK. Getting used to it, or getting rid of it, is going to take time.
Meanwhile, by the sea, am enjoying some fresh cherries- from Greece.
Sturgeon welcomes IPSO verdict on Telegraph.
link to snp.org
@McBoxheid
I can understand the 1% – In some ways I would quite like him to stay as it would be a constant reminder in Westminster how poor the 3 Unionist MPs really are.
Carmichael would remain in parliament for 5 more years but without one shred of credibility left.
Also him staying on would mean the complete wipe-out of the Lib-Dems in Scotland forever – starting in SE16. They would simply never, ever recover from it.
However, I am not a voter in O&S and their views must come first. I would not like to be represented by a liar.
If the establishment manage to protect this fudd, he will still suffer from voters, who as exhibited here, are disgusted with him.
Only self interest makes him hang on, and not resign as a decent person would. He would at least show SOME morals if he did.
By not doing so he highlights his lack of morals, ie he has none.
We all see it, no hiding place for him and deservedly so.
Lord Carmichael of five flights to London per week?
If they make him a Lord, he’ll confirm to us that he has something to hide and the establishment are frit. He’ll also add to the general feeling of “rotten bastards” among the plebs.
There will be Lords whatever happens. I think they should add him. The more of his sort they have, the easier it gets to argue their very existence.
[…] We reported last night on the mealy-mouthed semi-correction the Daily Telegraph has finally been forced to publish with regards to its incompetent and inaccurate creation of the “Memogate” scandal. The paper – we’re loath to use the word “news” – has now suffered the full weight, such as it is, of the press regulator IPSO, and will not have to answer any further for its actions.And that just leaves us with the source. […]
I am convinced Fluffy Mudell and Camoron are up to their necks in this as well.
@R-type Grunt
That hospital name change is pretty controversial.
There is a petition against it with over 5000 signatures already.
link to t.co
Does anyone know who decided on the name change?
It seems strange that the people of Glasgow weren’t asked.
Did the royal family request it as a condition of officially opening it?
Naming it after a UK institution gives the impression that it was paid for by UK funding, yet the UK government paid bugger all towards it.
This was one of the Scottish Governments biggest projects.
Anent your first picture
link to youtube.com
Moral:- never trust the law, it doesn’t do justice.
Was Nicola a bit too quick in accepting this bastards apology, could she? should she, sue Carmichael after the court’s decision?
To Grouse Beater @10:41 and Boxheid@ 11:50.
Re the improbable 1% SNP figure.
I believe the figure to be fictional but not because of any intention to mislead. Isn’t likely that when the correct figure of zero was entered an automated prompt demanded a valid entry?
He is held up as a beacon of unionist corruption, his presence does his cause more harm than good.
Bit like the Duke of Stafford, known locally as the Duke of Sutherland, a symbol of the oppression, arrogance and brutality of the British state with a statue there to remind us all.
Would it be possible for the Scottish government to set up it’s own regulatory body re the press ?
Any upheld complaint would have to be given the same prominence as the lie told and the newspaper fined . Maybe this would make editors think twice before allowing propaganda and lies to be printed and get back to good investigative journalism .
Maybe I’m living in fantasy land .
Stu will be rewarded when Scotland is independent. We, the people, will see to that.
I’d love him to be shown the door – only so we can then prefix his name with “Disgraced former MP” at all times. But I have a sneaky feeling he’ll get away with it.. Teflon shoulders and all that. (other non-stick shoulders are available, and not all MP’s have the shoulder coating)
The galling thing for me is that MP’s sit in an Elected Chamber discussing and deciding the laws etc by which we (the proles) must all abide by, or face the consequences in a court of law.
Yet, they seem to fly in the face of any sense of decency, moral and/or legal, and do what they hell they like. All in order to save their own sorry arses. They don’t give a shite about the electorate. It’s all about them. If any MP gave a toss about the people rather than themselves or their party, the country wouldn’t be in the state it’s in.
I’ve said before on Wings. If I lie to my friends, I’m a dick. If I lie at work I get sacked. If I lie to the police I get arrested. If I lie in court I get jailed.
It seems that the only way to lie your face on a 24/7 basis is to be an MP (not all MP’s are the same by the way). That way you can say what the hell you like, safe in the knowledge you’ll never be brought to task on it. In fact, the MSM will even perpetuate your lies for you. Bingo!
The Glasgow Health Board would have chosen the name. Habitually stuffed by (Labour) Unionists by their Unionist (political) colleagues.
Anyone got a link to the petition on Queen Elizabeth University Hospital naming?
@Grouse Beater: “I’d like to know exactly who is the “1%” SNP voter that thinks Carmichael should stay!”
His Mum.
“Here were giving you this”
‘But…but we don’t want that’
“Have it anyway”!
‘No we want the other stuff’
“Not getting the other stuff – Here take it”
‘Why are we getting it ?’
“Because we can and it’s controversial and it’s a jolly wheeze”
link to archive.is
Macart says:
6 July, 2015 at 12:15 pm
@Heed
Not nearly enough of them were nailed for expenses fraud Heed.
UKOK Unionists will be rewarding Carmichael but pan back and where’s the Chilcot report
link to bbc.co.uk
Everyday we are stuck in this union, you can see why Westminster and the UK elite despise even an almost powerless PR democracy in Scotland.
Could a PR Westminster have gone to war with the neo fascist Bush administration?
Red and blue Unionists picked PR for Holyrood but look at how they relentlessly monster their own creation. BBC savages PR Holyrood, Westminster strips and protects itself with EVEL and THE VOW fraud.
Red and blue UKOK unionists won’t ever quit until Holyrood’s a Tesco 24.
Tom Kane @ 11:29
Excellent post.
WOS and the name Stuart Campbell are – if acknowledged at all by MSM/establishment – treated with contempt and portrayed almost universally in vilifying terms. We can rest assured, however, that history, following these times of political upheaval in Scotland and the UK, will treat them very differently indeed.
Grouse Beater 6 July, 2015 at 10:41 am – “I’d like to know exactly who is the “1%” SNP voter that thinks Carmichael should stay!”
Hi Grouse,
Firstly, it was NOT me that joined the 1% of SNP saying Carmichael should stay.
Though I reckon the 1% have a good reason to have this Lib-Klingon hang around…
To remind everyone in Scotland of the TRUE COLOURS of lying LibDem politicians..
It is a fact that MR Malcolm Bruce boasts MOST of his LibDem colleagues are liars, so to have a large, rotund totemic albadross like Carmichael hang onto his job by his greedy fingertips is worth considering. If only to have a visual REMINDER of how dreadful these LibDem politicians are.
By the way, has anyone noticed when Alistair Carmichael floats about the House of Commons he seems to have a “Ring of Repulsion” around him – in that nobody seems to want to sit or stand near to him. Wonder why that is?
O/T: 9 Myths about the Greek Crisis – interesting because of the chasm between nearly all MSM reporting and truth that we have also see regarding Scottish politics.
Meanwhile – in a case similar to Betfair’s premature pay out on a “No” outcome in the Scottish referendum – pollsters seem to have been so sure of a “Yes” in the Greek referendum that Paddypower paid out on it.
Walrus: His Mum.
🙂
BrianW says
“… only so we can then prefix his name with “Disgraced former MP” at all times”
In the meantime, the prefix “disgraced former minister” stands, supported by a majority of Scots voters!
Caught a brief mention on BBC Scot news that Torygraph had mentioned IPSOS statement.
Auld Rock
Justice like the CHILCOTT and WILLIE MCCREA, PAEDOPHILES, BLAH BLAH
AYE RIGHT
Clootie @ 1.08 pm
It’s Change.org – petitioning Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board.
Sorry don’t know how to do the link thing.
Over this last year, we are seeing with greater clarity on exactly how the UK State functions, and as we do so, I’m sure I’m not the only one who is feeling highly disturbed with not only what they are reading and seeing, but at the sheer arrogance of those in power who happily smile as they both flaunt the law, and then dismiss it when it should apply.
I can’t help but feel, that this is only going to go two ways; the first being, that the State will eventually win (first against the Scottish Nationalists) and then the general population of the UK overall, and thus nothing changes at all…
…or we are going to eventually see riots break out that was not too far from what we saw in London in 2011. Only this time, I think it will be on a far more ferocious scale.
Update on complaint to IPSO regarding the Times 6 fold lie
regarding the Scottish payment from the Crown Estates.
They really are doing their best to prevent you from making a complaint against their pals in the press.
I cut and pasted the evidence provided by the Rev and gave detail of how underhand it was and how we are continually subjected to lies and slurs on our SNP leaders.
They came back to ask if I had any evidence of my claim?
I again sent the cut and pasted no brainer article for their perusal.
They came back again to say that I must identify which Code I feel that the paper had broken?
This done, they came back again with-
“Before we proceed, I would be grateful if you could identify precisely all the alleged inaccuracies which you would like us to consider” ?
Yes I’ve cut and pasted and went through the lack of research, morality, apologies, retractions and repeated use of demonising headlines that are entirely proven to be false.
I don’t feel confident that they do reading or rebuttals!
link to shetnews.co.uk
@Anne Bruce
link to change.org
Staggering hypocrisy or another day of UKOK media progressive liberal hypocrites liars
link to archive.is
And their soon to be foregin correspondent, UKOK shill in chief gets a promotion too
Guardian Scotland ?@GdnScotland 1h1 hour ago
Guardian consolidates Scotland coverage by promoting @severincarrell to Scotland Editor & @libby_brooks permanent Scotland Correspondent
Congratulations hammer of the Scots Severin Carrell, the king of the “Sturgeon denies, Salmond accused, Scotland’s a non existant wasteland of vile sepratists” headlines
link to archive.is
Nicola Sturgeon denies saying she wanted David Cameron to win election
So a stonking majority across the political spectrum want the Right (?) Honourable (???) Member (one out of three isn’t bad I suppose) to stand down. A plurality don’t even want him to stand in a by-election.
I wonder what would have happened if he had stood down immediately, sought re-election and gone on a six-week apology tour of the Northern Isles. He may have held the seat, he may not. In either case, he would have kept his dignity and regained some respect. It is too late for that now and, frankly, it is too late for the Northern Isles MSPs to disown him. As a Nationalist, I should be happy about this, but part of me is sad that rather too many of those we send to represent us in legislatures forget that government is “Of the People, By the People and For the People.”
The hospital name petition is here:
link to change.org
@ Clootie, 1:08pm
link to chn.ge
Well done Rev. a very worthwhile poll, showing I have something in common with Tory and No voters! Most appropriate, as this morning, a No voter unfriended me on FB for dissing the Monarchy as Benefit recipients. That post broke the camels back.
Whilst it would be good to see Mr Carmichael sit in his seat, stinking up the atmosphere as per Christian Wrights post, I do feel for the electorate of O & S, who deserve a chance to elect a person in full knowledge of their conduct in matters of honesty at lection time.
I absolutely cringe when I see that tool sitting on the green benches, because he sits too near the SNP contingent.
We like to believe that we live in a country governed by laws which we also believe are written & enforced in a fair & balanced way.
In reality, none of these beliefs are necessarily true. Laws only have meaning when backed by incorruptible authority. Authority is the will of a government which may not require or even want the approval of the electorate to enforce them.
Indeed, the opposite is also true. That when a law is deemed to be counterproductive to the ambitions of government, it is conveniently applied selectively or interpreted from an unorthodox viewpoint or just plain ignored.
Furthermore, in some instances, no law at all is preferable. An example is the ability of Peers in the House of Lords such as Lord Geoffrey Archer & Paul White, otherwise known as Lord Hanningfield, to remain with a seat & title despite earning a criminal record. But if you want to run a Scout group or work in an old people’s home you have to be checked by the Criminal Records Bureau.
These types of contradictions belong to a set of cultural characteristics which the British fondly refer to as “fair play”.
It is obvious to anyone with nothing much more than a pulse, that the Britain we live in is anything but fair. It remains governed by anachronistic structures designed to maintain the status quo; one that preserves the ability to apply laws arbitrarily only by those who are tasked with executing our collective authority on our behalf.
So the next time you read the pages of an English newspaper that you know to contain lies & bullshit, just remind yourself that it is simply a reflection of the authority of the British Establishment to which newspaper proprietors still wistfully gaze up to, in the hope that one day, their devotion will be rewarded with a title.
You really are Better Together. You just don’t know it yet. So keep eating your cereal.
Just as an addition, and off topic, on the name of the new hospital.
Many on FB say, so what, we will always call it the Southern, but one suggestion I saw was – Alexander Fleming.
Thought that was quite good!
Afternoon guys. Hope all are well. I just signed the petition and I was number 5989 to do so. Why should the oil family have their tarnished name in conjunction with any entity that helps and cares for people?? She’s no more a queen than the boil on my arse!!
Valerie… I have to disagree with your closing statement. Tools work and serve a purpose…..Alistair Carbuncle fails on both points. Lol ????
Valerie… I have to disagree with your closing statement. Tools work and serve a purpose…..Alistair Carbuncle fails on both points. Lol ????
Well if nothing else he must have got one helluva shock when some O&S individuals started the fundraiser and more so when many people contributed to it. This also sends a warning shot across the bow of other would be blatant, scheming liars.
The situation now relates to whether or not his case will be halted, like Coulsons, to ensure that crucial evidence isn’t produced such as who knew what and when. I don’t see the Westminster cabal (politicians, law lords, judges and solicitors) allowing that to happen as Carmichael would never have authorised the release of the memo, which involved a French Ambassador, without getting the go-ahead from Nick Clegg and David Cameron.
I reckon if you had to choose one issue only the changed the course of the Election it was the release of that memo which attempted to undermine Nicola Sturgeons burgeoning popularity which was based, in the main, on her being totally transparent and honest.
I actually have a vision of them all, Carmichael, Clegg, Mundell and Cameron, sitting round a table planning and implementing the whole thing. High fiving each other and bragging about the brilliance of their ingenuity. Guffawing their heads off about duping the sweaties (with two of the treacherous eejits present) and ‘sorting out’ Brown, Miliband and the Labour Party in general. They had seven weeks to implement this so decided on the timing (shortly before Election day) and chose their favoured mouthpiece, The Telegraph, to be complicit in the act.
Once again, as was the case during the Referendum, they breached the International Covenant on Civil and Political (Human) Rights (Article 25 of the ICCPR and section 19 in particular) whereby they attempted ”to manipulate and interfere with the freedom of voters to express their choice fairly under the democratic process.”
@shiregirl says: 6 July, 2015 at 11:16 am:
“I also will never, ever understand a no vote. I can’t get my head around the reasons why someone would be a no voter. It just doesn’t make any sense to me. Is it caution? or msm reporting that has scared people?”
Ah! Then perhaps I can go some way to explaining things. I live in a former Fife mining village. I arrived here in 1962. This was a rock solid Labour area and the majority of the residents were either miners, Bus Workers in the Alexander’s Bus Garage or Dockyard workers. There was also a Kelty co-op that employed a fair few.
I soon found out that almost everyone in the village was connected somehow to a family that were connected to the Labour Party and today they still are. Nothing in this old World is going to convince those people to NOT vote Labour.
One of the, now retired, Labour councillors once remarked to me, “Aw Kelty ir easehole connections”. By which he meant that everyone in the village were connected either genetically or married into one of the Labour Party Families. So even today lots of the older people are still, “earsehole connected”, to Labour.
Dynasty has nothing on the Labour Party in Scotland but, outside of villages it is not so apparent. It is there in the towns but not so easy to detect.
@ Valerie says at 3:02 ”Just as an addition, and off topic, on the name of the new hospital. Many on FB say, so what, we will always call it the Southern, but one suggestion I saw was – Alexander Fleming. Thought that was quite good!”
I agree Valerie. Naming the hospital the Alexander Fleming is an excellent proposition. Promoting a famous Scot and Scotland in general. Promoting someone who actually made a massive difference, especially during WW11, by saving millions of lives versus someone who’s living off the blood, sweat and tears of millions.
Personally not going to sign that petition. Mainly due to the fact that it’s a blatant trap designed to raise the issue of, and conflate the SNP with republicanism. The time when this will be dealt with is in 2016 when the Holyrood elections are held and, more relevantly, in 2017 when the next council elections are held.
This and the whole Orange Fest debacle will see Labour out on there ear in Glasgow. Unless Labour reckon they can somehow afford to abandon their traditional support in the catholic community in Scotland in order to expand it in the protestant. Somehow taking over as the main unionist party in the central belt if not in Scotland as a whole.
It was the same kind of nonsense during the Commonwealth Games where the BBC coverage was run from London ignoring the whole point of it being, mainly, about countries once run from the UK standing on their own two feet. Like it or not the recent interference from the palace into Holyrood regarding the governance of the Crown Estate shows that there’s an element involved who feel they can interfere in politics. What they risk is that should Scotland become independent we’ll accept the Queen as HoS but on our terms and “ownership” of our sea beds will no longer be considered as Crown Estate, nor will large portions of her property within Scotland. She or her successor might choose to abdicate rather than serve in that case. Entirely up to them.
Who is shelling out for Carmichael’s legal fees? Lawyers believe that a man is innocent until proven broke. 🙂
New hospital:-
What about “The Eleanor Bradford BBC Death Star”?
Leave the ‘busted-flush’ where he is , he is doing more good for the likelyhood of a better outcome in place, and terminally wounded, than the possibility of a new more credible member of the ‘whishy-washy’ brigade.
If Carmichael does survive until the next election, we could crowdfund a poster in the Northern Isles with a picture of Carmichael’s trousers on fire, with the letters ABC underneath, with the explanation in brackets, (Anybody But Carmichael).
Stephen.
Chris F @ 1.11pm
Thanks Chris… And you’re right.
We won’t forget.
I must take my hat off to the 49% of Libdems who think Carmichael should resign.
It would appear that even they think Carmichael was/is wrong to remain.
Yet Carmichael himself still clings on liks a limpet, out of water.
“His presence would be a continuing source of irritation and grievance among the electorate, and would I think, boost the chances of bringing into bad odour, Tavish Scott and the other remaining Holyrood LibDem Carmichaelian apologists.”, wrote Christian Wright
That word Carmichaelian, makes me want to re-write the boy george song:
“Carmi, Carmi, Carmi, Carmi, Carmi Carmicheleon! You come and go-oh, you come and go-oh-oh-oh!” …
@Grouse Beater at 10:41 am
I’d like to know exactly who is the “1%” SNP voter that thinks Carmichael should stay!
Margin MacError
Scunterbunnet says: “Carmi, Carmi, Carmi, Carmi, Carmi Carmicheleon! You come and go-oh, you come and go-oh-oh-oh!”
LOL…
He wouldn’t have filed a defence unless he was sure of winning.
He will be cleared by the rotten to the core Scottish justice system, that is almost certain in my view.
60,000 pounds of independence supporters’ money will go down the legal sewer.
The question is what should the 71% who want him to resign do if he doesn’t?
In my view, all hell should break lose.
He must be forced to resign and to pay back the pay he has received.
We must stop playing according to our opponents’ rules.
The whole system needs to be held to account.
The Scottish people are “sovereign” aren’t they?
@Fred says: 6 July, 2015 at 5:24 pm:
“Who is shelling out for Carmichael’s legal fees? Lawyers believe that a man is innocent until proven broke.”
Fred, Carmichael is a lawyer. Mind you he will probably find a way to claim the costs as parliamentary expenses.
Robert Peffers,
“Fred, Carmichael is a lawyer. Mind you he will probably find a way to claim the costs as parliamentary expenses.”
You go on endlessly and pedantically about the people of Scotland being “sovereign”.
Where the hell is that “sovereignty” if 71% of the people want him to resign but he refuses to do so, soon to be backed by a Scottish judge?
In reality, this so called “sovereignty” has a value of zero.
That is why after more than 300 years Scotland remains a colony where the Tory Viceroy decides what is best for us.
“Sovereign” my foot.
Just listening to the Greek nonsense the BBC are trying to push.
Our holidays are at risk.
That’s what there really pushing. A country and peoples lives are at risk and the BBC is focused on holidays. Awful
The UK and European media are over complicating the situation in Greece!
The Greeks already see the sick and infirm dying for even low cost drugs and I’ve seen pictures of people who died as they could not afford the electricity for their nebuliser.
They have been told to hit these people harder and make high interest payments to filthy rich bankers their priority.
What king of human being could suggest this as the best way forward?
Michael Moore was my MP for 18 years, and although I disagreed with him on Independence, by and large he was a conscientious hard-working constituency MP. He was unceremoniously bundled aside in favour of Carmichael, perhaps because his masters at WM knew he would not sell himself at their bidding.I fear that a decent man has suffered disproportionately as a direct result of the political machinations of the ConDems and Carmichael’s own cynical ambition. Hell mend them.
Effigy 10.55
Yes its an utter disgrace.
What kind of human being? Their called creditors who are determined to destroy a nation to get their money back.
The only way for Greece to return to some normality in the near future is to leave EU. If the Germans & French do not write off most of Greece’s debt they will never recover to reduce the debt look at the UK Gov. they’ve been unable to reduce debt and UK is no where near the predicament Greece is in. They must realise whether they like it or not they have to leave EU. Their pain will continue but will eventually change but if they remain they are never going to pay the debt off and continue with austerity indefinitely.
Its the price we pay for being controlled by Neo Liberalists Capitalists in the New World Order the ultimate scum of the world.
Really makes you think about the EU now and who’s running it.
Lets hope they get a good result for the country in the negotiations in the following days.
Is it really sensible to have a bye-election in Orkney & Shetland right now? While Carmichael may have harmed his credibility with his electorate fatally, of the three unionist MPs, he’s the only one with either patriotism or imagination. Do you really think that at a bye-election if he should fall, Alistair Carmichael would be the LibDems’ candidate? Isn’t it more likely there’d be someone untainted with the scandal such as Jo Swinson or Chritine Jardine? Do you really at this point want to feed the myth that the Northern Isles are not really part of Scotland (because you can bet that’s what the Liberals (esp Tavish Scott) would make the bye-election about). Better to leave Carmichael in place, and unlike Mr Mundell or Mr Murray, he might actually bring his party round to do something useful for Scotland and we can avoid the harm a bye-election might well do.
“Isn’t it more likely there’d be someone untainted with the scandal such as Jo Swinson or Chritine Jardine?”
Christ, I hope so. I can’t imagine anything funnier than Christine Jardine being sent up there to wave the Lib Dem flag.
Helenearth…I want to know what part Mundell The Mendacious had to play in the whole unseemly event.
Given, that the present overlord was then Carmichael’s No.2 and sharing the same office space I think it highly unlikely that he was not up to his odious little neck in the affair.
Interesting that the lowest support for ‘resign’ is with Conservatives…what are they frit of?
Brian Forrest: Michael Moore was my MP for 18 years. Though I disagreed with him on Independence by and large he was a conscientious hard-working constituency MP. He was unceremoniously bundled aside in favour of Carmichael, perhaps because his masters at WM knew he would not sell himself at their bidding. I fear that a decent man has suffered disproportionately as a direct result of the political machinations of the ConDems and Carmichael’s own cynical ambition. Hell mend them.
That’s a very fair summation. And I think it’s correct.