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Wings Over Scotland


To the National Union of Journalists

Posted on February 18, 2021 by

I first joined this union in roughly 1992. On the very few occasions that I’ve sought its assistance it’s been worse than useless, but I’ve retained membership for most of the period because I believe in the principle of trade unions.

However, there are limits, and they’ve just been breached.

The above tweet is an appallingly partisan act. The NUJ has said nothing for the last nine years as I’ve been subject to an endless barrage of public abuse from numerous other journalists, including Neil Mackay.

It was silent when Chris Deerin (Telegraph/Spectator/Daily Mail/others) called me a “vile cretin” and a “human sewer”.

It was silent when Michael White (The Guardian) called me a “snake oil salesman” and a “low-quality propagandist”.

It was silent when Gillian Bowditch (The Times) called me a “spewer of invective”.

It was silent when David Torrance (The Herald) called me a “deranged maniac”.

It was silent when Peter Jukes (Byline Times) accused me of “enabling a new breed of fascism”.

It was silent when Murray Foote (the Daily Record) accused me of “fuelling a world of conspiracy theories, hatred and paranoia” and of conducting “nasty, sewage politics that debases public life”.

It was silent when a Daily Express journalist had me arrested, locked up and all of my equipment confiscated for months on completely fictitious allegations of “harassment” which the police threw out without charges.

The NUJ was conspicuously silent when the BBC attempted (temporarily successfully) to close down my YouTube channel.

It had nothing to say when a politician defamed me in a newspaper and on TV.

It refused to assist when Twitter closed down all of my social media accounts despite the fact that they had demonstrably not broken any of Twitter’s rules, saying that the union couldn’t help anyone who’d used the word “c*nt”, even when directed against another male journalist who was abusing and harassing a female writer.

It had nothing to say when Neil Cameron (The Herald) suggested that he’d like to visit physical violence on me.

And it had nothing to say when a BBC TV presenter and Scotsman columnist Darren McGarvey said of me only yesterday that people should “take a train to bath and punch his c*nt in”. (To his credit, Mr McGarvey subsequently apologised.)

I could keep listing examples of similar abuse against me by Scottish/UK journalists for days, all of which clearly breach the NUJ Code Of Conduct and absolutely none of which the union has made any comment on.

Yet now suddenly my own union has taken sides in a dispute with Neil Mackay, a man whose own conduct has often been despicable, such as the time he grossly offended and then insulted the mother of murdered toddler Jamie Bulger in the course of writing an article on the eve of Alex Salmond’s trial that was so prejudicial and in contempt of the fairness of that trial that the newspaper had to pull it within hours of publication.

I am no shrinking violet. I express myself bluntly and sometimes abrasively and I have no complaints about receiving the same in return. But I do draw the line at paying out hundreds of pounds a year in order to have my own union take sides with people who have abused me publicly and regularly for most of the last decade.

So you can shove your subscription up your arse, along with the jagged corners of this membership card.

Regards,

Stuart Campbell

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Mac

Did the NUJ stand with Denise Bulger when her dead son was used as a prop by Neil Mackay in his Salmond smear piece?

X_Sticks

I can only surmise that the NUJ is as british establishment as the SNP management now seems to be. I similarly cut up my SNP membership for much the same reasons.

Craig Murray and Tommy Sheridan are worth a listen though. Cheered me up a bit. link to twitter.com

Sorry for being lazy and just posting Tommy’s twitter for the link.

Kerfuffle

I would imagine you would have a reasonable claim to at least get back all of your subscription dues.

Bob Mack

Bravo Stu. Bravo.

Many years ago I saved the life of a toddler who was being swept down the river at Waterfoot Eaglesham. No one in his group even noticed he was gone. The police gave reporters my details and The press turned up at my school .

The reporter looked me straight in the eye and said ” What reason did you have to save him “. The Headmaster threw him and his photographer out immediately shouting” idiots” at them ,all the way to the gates.

They are scum of the earth with a pencil.

Margaret Lindsay

I didn’t expect much more th I when I saw them singing the praises of Daphne fae Scooby doo ( sorry Dr Jennifer M Jones) a few tweets below that one. You have many of us on your side. Take heart.

Captain Yossarian

Andrew Neil and George Galloway are watching how this unfolds. It’s odd to think that support would come from these quarters.

We’ll all see what happens later today when it is announced whether Ken MacIntosh has supported the release of Alex Salmond’s submission, or not. If he supports release then it will be released and if he doesn’t then it won’t be released.

I really have no idea what he will do. If he doesn’t support it then, in my opinion anyway, Holyrood is dead and it should be closed and investigated.

Strathy

The NUJ is not used to its less able members having to justify their badly/not at all researched, partisan, self-serving efforts.

Given that this group make up the bulk of the organisation’s membership; they have to protect their revenue.

BaronessSamedi

Twitter is a curse, as we’ve seen over the last day or two, on þhis site. Does it ever do ANY good?

The Dissident

Never mind Stu.

I know of another organisation in Scotland that is happy to take money hand over fist from its members in order to employ an army of self-serving, visionless cretins while doing nothing to pursue the interests of those members.

I’m sure they’d have you in the blink of an eye.

Ian Mac

This would be the same NUJ who have stalled on Craig Murray’s application to rejoin, thus making more difficult his very necessary and public service of court reporting, without which those of us who weren’t there wouldn’t have any idea of the deliberations carried out in public, but not reported in other media. And for which pains, of course, they are trying to fit him up. NUJ isn’t interested in journalism as a matter of public record, just jobs for the boys and keep the others out. Bloggers have done more for public information and debate than most of the highly paid cosy nostra who reprint press releases and attempt to manipulate public discourse.

McDuff

We now live in a country that is devoid of truth integrity or honesty. I trully dispair.
But be in no doubt rev there are thousands who stand with you and appreciate the tremendous amount of stress you endure on our behalf.
You really have become the voice of independence in the midst of the corruption and madness that has enveloped our country.

Craig Sheridan

It must be a relief not to be in the same org as that mob anyway. Besides, like some other unions I could mention, it seems some are more equal than others.

Astonished

The partisan NUJ Scotland should be ashamed.

They should defend fearless journalism. Instead they defend the indefensible Neil MacKay (who used his own daughter’s sexual assault to sell newspapers).

Is the NUJ motto “always shoot the messenger” ?

Bob Costello

It would appear the NUJ has been soliciting and receiving money under false pretences

Cath

OT but from Philip Sim

“The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body have had a meeting this morning to consider the Holyrood inquiry issues and the thorny question of Alex Salmond’s submissions, and have agreed…….to have another meeting in the afternoon.”

Caledonia

Always said best way to hurt the unionists is stop feeding them.
Don’t shop in unionist supporting shops
Don’t stay in unionist supporting Hotels
Need a tradesman go for an indy supporting one if possible
Don’t pay for the unionist licence

With covid hitting businesses hard some might not survive so make sure its unionist supporting ones that go first – this will also let them see what scot gov does to mitigate Tory policys

Jacqueline McMillan

Just shows you’re doing something right Stu.

Thank God for you, your honesty, intelligence and principles.

Thank You X

Bob

To be honest Stuart, I would take that post by the NUJ as a compliment. They clearly are finding it difficult to hide behind increasingly corrupt practices of UK MSM journalism.

Robert graham

eh need to look for a dictionary I don’t recognise or know what some of the abuse that’s being directed at Stuart Campbell acutely means ,
I blame the education system for my shortcomings it’s all their fault I ended up dumb but we live and sometimes learn every days a school day isn’t it .

Ha Ha it’s good to see arse wipes frothing at the mouth and see the veins bulging ha ha

David Lyon

Between watching Wishart debase himself and bully private citizens on twitter, Craig Murray being prosecuted, Robin McAlpine being let go of Source, Mark Hirst, the Crown office corruption, the Inquiry being rendered an utter joke… all without so much as a peep…

Scotland is being turned into the pathetic wind-up toy country unionists always claimed it was.

Republicofscotland

In my opinion the NUJ is a captured body, it really hit home to me when Craig Murray was very ill treated, by the NUJ during and just before the fit up of Alex Salmond.

Like Mr Murray you to are effectively a journalist with integrity that calls it as he sees it, and supports Scottish independence as well.

As for Mackay, an attack on the kings soldiers, is an attack on the king himself, Kevin McKenna in an recent article all but pointed out the silent code between journalists, that they don’t do each other down.

Its pretty obvious that Mackay has went bleating to the NUJ or some other hack has pointed him in their direction, to take action against you.

Like Mr Murray they’re trying to discredit you.

mr laing b. french

It’s not a spring cleaning the world needs, it’s a total disinfection in every nook and cranny to erase bigotry, liars, gluttonise careerists , fraudsters, bastardised journalists, corrupt politicians, incompetent NHS managers, inept members of local councils, warmongering generals, greedy pharmaceuticals, nasty bad banks and all the other quangos that help haemorrhage the distribution of wealth.
When you understand Gene Roddenberry and his look on our future you will realise we are inextricably all under the same roof and eating shitting and sleeping in safety is everyone’s dream. Long before career money and power. You want everyone to work and have jobs ?
Everyone should work for NASA! Fuck the CIA, fuck armies! Fuck nuclear weapons of mass destruction, fuck billionaires! And fuck politicians! the worse inhumane invention ever in our whole histories of power grabbing.
All that technology wasted on destroying profiting brainwashing and killing on mass instead of mastering our future in space and new supplies of raw materials.
Without this new horizon we will inevitably destroy ourselves. Hope is in such tiny quantities these days that we cannot even create our own miracles anymore.
Hopefully Hail Alba Ga snooker loopy!, before my time is up on this planet.

Janerivertay

This is so wrong, so unprofessional. Just Who are these people? Are they hiding behind an anonymous Twitter account to attack? How do we know that it’s not Neil McKay or one of the others? They are jealous of Stu’s fearless journalism, his habit of getting to the truth, large readership and support, that’s why they are trying so hard to stop him.

Frazerio

Rules and decency dont apply to the Imperial British Nationalists, only to foreigners who dont identify as British (meaning English). They dont even realise they are nationalists, that is what everyone else is. The Imperial British mindset places them as better than mere nations. They are world leading, world beating, not foreign, not the enemy. You Rev C, with all your pricking of pomposity, vile cybernattery and demagogling demagogery are the enemy. You just used the word arse, I hereby find you guilty of an affront of common British decency (the best kind of decency). So och aye the noo it back into your shortbread tin, what ho!!!

The very name, National Union of Journalists, like their FA or RFU gives away the mindset. No need for ‘English’ or ‘British’, thats for inferior nations like SFA (Scotland), PFF (Portuguese Football Federation), SAFA (South Africa) and so on.

They play the man, not the ball. Every personal attack on you is an admission of their defeat. Every time they ignore what you say and attack the way you say it, they lose. It cant be easy.

Unions, just like the Labour party, are a great idea. But Thatcher pulped them both in the 80’s. Theyve limped on through direct debits and misplaced loyalty ever since. But their time has surely come. There is now a Sir in charge of Labour, the head of the UKs biggest Union ‘hands back’ £400k used to buy a central London flat in a ‘shared equity agreement’ and the concept of a ‘trade’ is almost as arcane as the term ‘union’.

Captain Yossarian

It has just been printed in The Guardian that it is unlikely that the Holyrood Corporate body will go against the decision of the Fabiani Inquiry team not to allow Salmond’s statement to be considered.

So, the unilateral decision of Andy Wightman is, as was suggested at the time, going to stymie Alex Salmond.

What a disgrace.

I hope Holyrood closes for good. It is useless. Another 5-years of this is not acceptable to any of us.

George

In aboot them Stu

Robert graham

o/t
A funny comment I just noticed on the previous post
Never seen so many Nails hammered into a Coffin from the inside
ha ha fkn Priceless brilliant

Margaret Lindsay

Aye Stu really!

Margaret Lindsay

Meanwhile I have a clinically insane five follower troll insisting you’re an English MI5 agent to deal with. Later…

The Dissident

I’ve not been able to find ‘the rules’ online but I think the party reps on the SPCB have their votes weighted to reflect the size of the groups they represent. Therefore the SNP rep has 61 votes.

Willie Jay

A belief in “the principle of Trade Unions” – which I too once held, though no longer – often crumbles away when the Principals of many Trade Unions adhere to the very same principles as the Principals in the Scottish Government.

“[…] A parcel of rogues […]” etc.

Strathy

From The Spectator’s – ‘There is something rotten in Scottish politics’

‘Holyrood’s committee structure is plainly incapable of dealing with issues of this kind and Scotland’s political culture has — equally obviously — failed to produce or promote representatives capable of discerning the distinction between party interest and the public interest.’

Well, ain’t that the truth.

link to archive.is

Effijy

I read a story yesterday about a man caught speeding.

He was offered a £99 speed awareness course that would limit
his fine to £60 and prevent 3 points being added to an otherwise
clean license.

On top He would have lose a days earnings to take the course.

He wrote to to prosecutor to apologise for doing 35 in a 30 Zone
He explain the real cost of the course and accepted his first 3 points ever.

He goes to explain that he has enclosed his £60 cheque which has been rolled
up tightly in a cylindrical form so that they can shove it right up their ****!

Scotland faces so many fake English institutions that must work against us
if they are to flourish.

How about IPSO, the English joke press complaints office.

I was impressed too by Westminster’s Standards Committee on hearing that
Carmichael had repeatedly lied about French Gate, in aid of retaining his seat as an MP,
and how he had watched idly as £1 million was wasted in a enquiry before confessing,
that he had in fact not do anything wrong?

A Scottish Boxer came up with a good analogy equal to our fight.
He sad that in order to get a result against an American Boxer in America
a knockout can sometimes get you a draw.

I wonder if the NUJ has anyone who could comment on why they never batted an eye when
you are brutally abused by their members and how this story is classed as more serious?

You will have received the apology as the NUJ will have advised it before nailing you to the cross.

Good riddance to them and thanks for outlining just what a Scottish NUJ should never become.

Graham

There’s a long list of British Government departments and quangos, many based in/around London that are as equally useless or worse, corrupt.

Financial Conduct Authority
Financial Ombudsman Service
Office of Communications
Department for Work and Pensions
Independent Press Standards Organisation

Most suffer from the same systemic problem; headed and staffed by people who we would refer to as Establishment types – those with close links to politicians & political lobbyists, frequently gifted honourary titles & roles without genuine academic merit.

It’s not quite so clear cut at the NUJ but a peek at the ridiculous complexity of their structure is nevertheless typical.

link to nuj.org.uk

It’s no surprise then that complaints just end up being passed through a maze of chapels, branches, groups, councils and committees with genuine resolution & action rarely visible as an output.

It’s probably better to spend the membership fees on a 12 can case of Hawkshead Chuckleberry Sour. At least you won’t end up with a bad taste in your mouth.

Garavelli Princip

The ‘journalists’ that attack you are agents and shills of the billionaire-owned Propaganda Model outlets and of the Brit state propaganda machine.

(See Herman & Chomsky: link to amazon.co.uk)

Their function is not to provide news and comment, it is to be part of the social control machinery implicit in the process of ‘manufacturing consent’ of the masses for their own exploitation to the benefit of the owners of the organs.

They are nothing but pimps and presstitutes – MacKay even pimping his abused daughter for these ends.

The NUJ are just little helpers to the increasingly doomed billionaire-owned MSM.

You, on the other hand, are the real deal. You provide verifiable information and analysis that the Powers do not want the masses to see.

You do it in a glorious ‘fuck-the-lot-o-ye” style that infuriates the prim, proper, burgeois bampottery that really do not want that information out there – least of all in a funny, entertaining accessible format. They want nothing to change – and upset their nice lucrative tidy lives.

I have been a trade-unionist all my working life – and remain a member of my union in retirement – but I am under no illusion that the paid bureaucracy that is maintained in style by Union subs are part of a workers’ insurgency!

They are deeply conservative and always ready to collude with the bosses – a bit like formerly insurgent political parties. comfy-slipper- Petes – the lot o them. Members have to watch them and keep them on their toes. Members usually fail in this.

“Journalism is printing something that someone else does not want printed” George Orwell

You are the real journalist – and you do not need their Quisling union.

GlenIslay

@Margaret Lindsay

The twitler youth of lgbTQanon (let’s be fair, they hate the first three initials) are absolutely obsessed with the idea that this is all a dastardly deep state plot against Saint Nic.

David Earl

Good for you Stu. Get it right up ’em. Spend yer £s on proper beneficial stuff, like wine gums and Refreshers ?

SilverDarling

Well, Stu, you have lifted a rock and shone a light and they really don’t like it.

I remember watching in real-time as Mackay ran a successful newspaper into the ground trying not to offend unionists and then ran away to lick his wounds as there was no one to blame except him.

He has used his Belfast background when it suits and made a living out of it but woe betide anyone drawing attention to it. The Scottish Press must be really missing Ruth Davidson and her dog whistle.

Growing up in Glasgow I know like many here what is and is not sectarian. We see them.

ITB71B

Caledonia says:
18 February, 2021 at 11:48 am
Always said best way to hurt the unionists is stop feeding them.
Don’t shop in unionist supporting shops
Don’t stay in unionist supporting Hotels
Need a tradesman go for an indy supporting one if possible

What would you say to people doing the opposite? The only way to bring the country together is to discuss and debate. Not isolate and divide.

SOG

I heard the following in Aberdeen yonks ago. It was after a North Sea disaster, possibly Piper Alpha. Returning ships brought bodies, they were placed in a temporary morgue in a fish warehouse on the dockside. Late at night a supply boat crew were returning from a pub to their boat. They found a reporter and cameraman trying to break in through a window. They were knocked about a bit and the camera gear went for a swim.

The name of the paper was included at the time. I’m not confident about it now.

Margaret Lindsay

GlenIslay how true!
Stu for your delectation

link to twitter.com

aulbea1

Bang on, Stu – never pay any organisation that works against you/us.
OT – in my limited Twitter travels I have come across trolls/assets with good numbers of followers & of fairly lengthy memberships – e.g. 2012, 2014. Tentacles, tentacles grown deeply.

Grouse Beater

Quite dispicable, Stuart, revenge expected because you have shown up their errors and omissions for years and their concerted attempts to stymie Scotland’s freedoms.

The Scottish press has form. An example from the archive:

‘The Shame of the Press” link to wp.me

Breeks

To be blunt, after the shenanigans and propaganda that was going on unchallenged in 2014, I confess the NUJ didn’t strike me as a particulary worthwhile body, and was written off as just another component of the Unionist Establishment.

robertknight

Well done Rev.

As was heard on a battlefield many centuries ago…

“ON THEM! ON THEM! THEY FLEE!”

Josef Ó Luain

The evidence thus far will tell anyone interested in
Scottish politics and public affairs that the Scottish NUJ, and its membership, now perceive themselves to be victims-under-attack.That the sanctimonious creeps have clearly been confronted by their Nemesis, will delight the many.

Republicofscotland

Captain Yossarian @11.37am.

I wouldn’t put a lot of faith in what the Guardian newspaper says, Craig Murray pointed out years ago that its security services outlet.

Anyway, I wonder who the three BritNat MSP’s are on the SPCB I’m sure you said one is Ken Macintosh.

Alan Mackintosh

Grouse, so good to see you back here, Stay strong!

Lawrence

I went through similar actions with my old Union the GMB in 2013.

I worked in the Clyde shipyards and my Union the GMB came out strongly in favour of staying in the UK, so they advised all their members to vote NO.

I said, that will be chocolate, and phoned them next day. I told them to cancel my membership with immediate effect.

Told them I will not be paying into the funding of the Better Together Campaign.

It was one of the most satisfying phone calls I ever made.

To this day I despise the GMB Union. I think it is run by a guy called Gary Smith.

So if you are still paying into the GMB, then I would advise against it.

Robert graham

o/t
I trust you lot are pleased to learn you are contributing to the upkeep of the free and fair Press in Scotland , not only this year but next year as well.
Now I believe that deserves a hearty cheer you personally are giving away your cash so these people can throw shite at you and will be safe for the whole of next year .
Hip Hip and all that crap
Christ on a bike ,I see it I can’t believe it but I guess there’s a cunning plan afoot that includes this bribe to ensure the Independence supporters get a fair hearing of their point of view.

James

I take it these clowns are affiliated to the ‘Labour’ Party?

It’s not about you, Stu, it’s about them being yoons.

Lindsey

Exactly

Wendy

Well done Stu. I hope the jaggy bits rally hurt their tender bums!

Sue Varley

RepublicofScotland @12.30

Jackson Carlaw (Tory); David Stewart (Labour); Liam MacArthur (LibDem). Macintosh is there as Presiding Officer rather than party rep.

Wendy

*REALLY* ugh typos

ahundredthidiot

Desperation. Why would the NUJ even feel compelled to open their mouths, never mind take sides.

And in public too……Jeez…

I’m with Carlin – humanity really is circling the drain.

Republicofscotland

Don’t hold me to it but I think this might be the board of the SPCB.

The SPCB is made up of six members:

The Presiding Officer, Ken Macintosh MSP (Chair); Jackson Carlaw MSP; Liam McArthur MSP; David Stewart MSP; Sandra White MSP; and Andy Wightman MSP.

Portfolio Arrangements
The SPCB operates portfolio arrangements whereby members take a lead interest in specific issues. The current arrangements are as follows:

“Jackson Carlaw MSP – Governance: incorporating officeholders; legal services; internal audit; business continuity; and procurement. Member of the Advisory Audit Board.
Liam McArthur MSP – Resources: incorporating finance; allowances; pay and pensions; and human resources.
David Stewart MSP – Facilities: incorporating facilities management (including health and safety); events and exhibitions; visitor services; information management and governance; and BIT.
Sandra White MSP – Engagement and Information: incorporating international relations; public information and resources; media relations, web and social media; outreach; and the Committee Engagement Unit.
Andy Wightman MSP – Business and Security: incorporating security; committee and chamber; Official Report; and SPICe. Member of the Advisory Audit Board.”

link to parliament.scot

Willie Jay

Is there a single soul now in office in the SNP – In High Office, Low Office, or even Middle Office – who still has an ounce of integrity within their being? It certainly does not seem to be the case for *surely* someone would have broken ranks before now to declare: “Enough!”

Perhaps the whole crowd of them, whatever their true thoughts on the present turmoil in the Party, simply have not yet *grasped* enough pieces of silver to enable them to fade quietly from the scene and retire on their ill-gotten gains. Perhaps some need a new tractor for their wee simple Croft, or maybe *another* new car for the wee wifie afore it is time to call it a day.

I suppose another five years *may* see them happy to quit the scene, richly rewarded in the meantime beyond their wildest dreams.
Though never forget – greed breeds greed; so even in another 5 years they may not be willing to go quietly, allowing “new brooms” etc.
My votes will soon be cast come May and *NEITHER* of them will be for *ANY* SNP Candidate unless there are extreme changes before then. (And from what I can gather in my local circle, I am most definitely not the only one thinking that way.)

Republicofscotland

Thank you Sue @12.33pm

covidhoax

Considering the relentless lies about COVID in the newspapers everyday, the NUJ are the least credible organisation to be accusing others of utterly disgusting behaviour.

Angry Weegie

Strathy says:
18 February, 2021 at 12:04 pm
From The Spectator’s – ‘There is something rotten in Scottish politics’

‘Holyrood’s committee structure is plainly incapable of dealing with issues of this kind and Scotland’s political culture has — equally obviously — failed to produce or promote representatives capable of discerning the distinction between party interest and the public interest’

Yet another step on the way to allowing Westminster to cancel devolution because Scots are apparently incapable of running their own government. Be careful what you wish for. At the moment we have limited control over our own affairs. If the Spectator, and those who support it, get their own way, we’ll have none.

Matthew You

Just a thought, why not start a new union for journalists for new media. That way Craig, you a d anyone else can be accredited to a union

X_Sticks

Wonderful to hear from you GB! Been thinking of you over the past couple of days. That’s really brightened my day.

newburghgowfer

National Union of Jackasses wouldn’t recognise a Journalist it seems but a bunch of fannies it will have on the subscription list. Union’s are just money launderers in my eyes !!

Tony Little

Republicofscotland 12.35

Thanks. Given the make up of the SPCB and the membership of the Fabiani committee (i.e. Andy Wightman is on both)Mr Wightman will have to recuse himself as he can’t possibly be an “independent” arbiter of his own previous decision?

Lynn

Ken Macintosh sits firmly on the fence in my opinion . Not holding out for help from him .

Wee Jonny

“So you can shove your subscription up your arse, along with the jagged corners of this membership card.”

YES!!!

First time I’ve commented on Wings since yir bet we G. Hassan.

Captain Yossarian

@Angry Weegie – From George Galloway:

Dear @ElectoralCommUK
‘I have been a parliamentary observer at many elections around the world. If we had discovered an election as rigged as the one you are silent about in Scotland we would have been on the first plane home denouncing the poll as a farce.’

Robert graham

o/t
A very relaxed Mrs Murrell presenting her daily stay in yer hoose command

I wonder what exactly she has to be relieved about ? some good news maybe ? anyone aware of breaking news just now .

Oh Christ another Inquiry being talked about this time it’s about this plague, aw naw more cash out the window when will the drunken sailor tribute act call it a day we are running out of bloody money

The Dissident

Stu,

I certainly hope not.

That was based on a long-distant conversation with an MSP who was on the SPCB at the time.

Dorothy Devine

Delighted to see you Grouse – brightened my day too.

Jockanese Wind Talker

Good to see you posting @ Grouse Beater says at 12:21 pm

Hope you are doing better, and saw all the messages of support from across the Yes Movement.

katherine hamilton

Yossarian
Can you link to the article in the Guardian, or reference it, on the Corporate body please, as I am currently reading the website and can’t see it. Philip Sim tweeting they are having another meeting this afternoon.
Thanks

Christian Wright

Grouse Beater says: “[i]Quite dispicable…[/i]”

Great to hear from you! Made my day.

Rab Paterson

National Union of Presstitutes more like – they probably got their cut of Tricky Nicky’s 3 million quid bail out and this is their quid pro quo.

Fran

Sorry old chap but your just the wrong type of journalist to warrent support. Now if you fall into line and produce work more palatable, we may be able to do something for you.

Stuart MacKay

Caledonia @11:48am, ITB71B @12:17pm

A boycott of shops and hotels based on their adherence to “unionism” is too simplistic and probably not very effective with the exception of expressing wrath at the likes of Baxter’s or avoiding UK or multinational chains where the money is heading out of the country in any case.

Spend the money locally and tell them why you’re doing it. That takes the rough edge of the politics out of it and you send the message that we look after our own first.

Sharny Dubs

Well done sir, I feel your pain, I have a sister who is a member of the (cough cough) press (now retired) and the NUJ has never impressed me in many a year.

Mind you neither has my sister the baggage.

Seems to work like a bespoke club.

Captain Yossarian

@Katherine hamilton – I can’t find it Katherine. It was on yahoo mail’s cover page this morning. Anyhow, I read a more recent story saying that the Parliamentary Body (or whatever they are called) met this morning, haven’t reached a decision and will meet again this afternoon.

I do hope The Spectator and Sky News go after that bunch if they continually obfuscate. Ken MacIntosh is paid to do a job and not sit on a fence. If he doesn’t do that job, then I would hope he is door-stepped in the best traditions of investigative journalists the world over.

This is our Watergate and it should not be covered-up by Ken Mackintosh and Andy Wightman. Two councillors at best (and that’s being charitable to them both).

The best hope we have of a Scottish paper covering this is, believe it or not, The Sunday Post. Who would have thought that we would be dismissing The Scotsman and The Herald in favour of The Sunday Post, but that’s the way of it.

cirsium

Good to read your comment, Grousebeater. Welcome back.

Rev – what a contrast between the way in which the NUJ has treated you and Craig Murray and the support given to Mark Hirst by his union, the Chartered Institute of Journalists.

SilverDarling

Yaay! Grousebeater!

The Dissident

Stu,

Seems I might be getting the SPCB and the Business Bureau mixed up.

dpg

money is the thing .Print journalism is on its backside and flailing its limbs to no avail. All the people mentioned are invested in ‘traditional’ journalism. The other factor is professional jealousy. You have a big audience and most of them know that newsprint is not even used for bums anymore, and the paywalls they operate behind are well, not paying much. Its a problem, but not likely to be solved by shouting and complaining about ‘standards’ when the pace is set by the likes of the Sun,record,express,mail- all fighting over the gutter and fake news.The old broadsheets are now struggling for relevance. The quality of article in the guardian has declined steadily as it has found itself gradually eating into its trust money.How relevant is the Murdoch model anymore.

Ian Brotherhood

NUJ won’t accept subscription cancellations and accompanying explanations unless they’re in hard copy, double-spaced, with a title and accurate word count.

Peter Campbell

Quite right, Stuart.

I, too, believe in the principle of a Trade Union, but they make mistakes and should be called out when they do.

Though, this seems much deeper than a mere mistake.

Proud of you Stuart.

Jontoscots20

I think you need to follow the money and as this statement shows ( predictably enough under the usual tedious diversity boilerplate:

‘The Union in Scotland and Wales has successfully negotiated funding for member training from the respective governments.”

Obviously with that Danegeld in mind, union head office will be asked to up the ante much in the same way as Police State Scotland was pressured by Murell over the Salmond Stitch up, as was Rape Crisis. In our client is tic state it doesn’t pay to bite the hand of government.

Stu here’s a thought why don’t you or others set up a journo collective call it the Orwell Project for uncompromised scribes?

Jockanese Wind Talker

O/T

A VERY SCOTTISH COUP (PART TWO)

link to gordondangerfield.com

Jacqueline McMillan

Soooooooooooooo very happy to see Grouse!!!!

God love you x

David Caledonia

National Union of Jokers

Stuart MacKay

Grouse Beater – you’re back and better than ever.

Margie Davidson

No wonder the sales of newspapers are falling – the sooner more of them go to the wall the better. McKay was the one who brought his daughter into the spotlight!
More power to your pen Stu, I will look forward to seeing your stats for the month of February as many people on sm have sussed out your blog from the latest shenanigans.
Keep up the good work Stu – we appreciate it.

Alf Baird

Republicofscotland @ 11:54

“In my opinion the NUJ is a captured body”

This appears to be the case with most so-called ‘trade unions’ nowadays which seldom seem to operate in the public interest.

No matter whether its civil servants, teachers, RMT, police, lawyers, doctors, journalists or whatever ‘trade’ – they all seem to have an open door at Holyrood and are quite adept at influencing and lobbying for policy to be made in their favour, even to the extent of helping draft bills I hear.

Private rather than public interest and Regulatory Capture by the trade union ‘professions’ seems all too easy, and lucrative when there’s £30+ billion being divvied around every year.

Meantime ordinary trades-people can look after themselves.

John Martini

The government have made failing entities like the media and arts dependent on them for funding.

We should try to build better and bigger alternatives to these failed institutions.

Robert McAllan

The National Union of Journalists leaping to the support of the scum of the earth who seek to destroy reputations on the basis that they do not conform to their own prejudices and those of the editors and proprietors of the gutter press who employ them.

Have no fear Stuart, your conscience has delivered you from the association of sewer rats who would seek to aid the publishing of poisonous lies with no regard of consequences to their intended targets.

As for Neil Mackay, his daughter and family must be extremely proud of his Loyalty to truth and righteousness.

Effijy

Gary Smith of the GMB Union will, like so many
other union officials, live in hope of the upgrade to
Stand as a Labour Party candidate and get the easiest
well paid seat he ever had.

His pin up will that other great Union official Ian Darling.
The man who made a million flipping tax payers mortgage payments.
The man you strikes around the Lords in an ermine coat and makes
Quarter of a million sitting part time on a board of bankers.

Both men want Scotland in the Union as it’s a dream ticket for them.

winifred mccartney

Why do I think that it depends on who you support and what side of the indy debate you are one how you are treated by the press and many individuals and even some unions as well as so called unbiased organisations like the BBC.

Bob Mack

@Grousebeater,

Did the “Boss” tell you to get back to work? You’re much needed.

Stoker

If Ken MacKintosh (sp?) is a part of that group making the decision for this afternoon, as suggested further up thread, then i guarantee *that’s* where the decider to go against publishing comes from.

Cenchos

This would be the Jennifer M Jones that posted the Fred and Rose West Christmas card on her Twitter account on Christmas Eve? Ah, there seems to be a common theme with Mackay here. It seems that it is okay to use murderers and their victims for your own ends. Dead children seem fair game, it seems.

Something stinks in Holyrood

If you want to mount a legal challenge then I am happy to donate to the costs if there is a fundraiser. Union’s can’t take sides publicly in these cases unless your the UK union. This reporter from the Herald has certainly maximised his victim card privilege which has been mainly pushed by the twittler youth and folk like pension pete (union pete).
My concern here is the power the inner cabal have in Scotland. This woke group now running the show are oblivious to their fake outrage and have such a high level of entitlement meaning they think Wings should be closed down with no questions asked and anyone raising an objection should be instantly labelled a middle aged gammon and cancelled.

Lawrence

Effijy 1.30

The humble Shop Steward is the start of a glorious road through the Labour Party that leads all the way up to the corrupt House of Lords and the “to die for” Ermine Coat.

Captain Yossarian

@Stoker – We’ve endured weeks of skitter from John Swinney saying that he was ‘following legal advice’.

We now know what the legal advice is. It is ‘it’s up to the Holyrood committee whether to publish or not publish. Just don’t name the women who complained as ‘the complainers’.

That is not complex, is it?

If Ken MacIntosh takes the decision not to publish, then Holyrood is broken. We’re living in the Cambodia of western Europe. Any and every country in Europe has better and more accountable and honest parliamentarians than we have here in Scotland.

Lawrence

And Stu, as others have mentioned above, why didn’t you get a discreet, private phone call from the NUJ asking for your side of the story.

Instead you got publicly slaughtered by this shower of cowboys.

WhoRattledYourCage

Grouse Beater – top man, top writer, hope yer well. What is this thing aboot ‘Scotland’s lost film culture’ that Phantom Power mentioned? Sounds drool -worthy…

Stoker

@ Captain Yossarian on 18 February, 2021 at 1:45 pm:

I’m afraid if things keep going the way they’re going and he does sway it against publishing then your reference to Cambodia becomes more of an insult. 😉

vlad (not that one)

Gordon Dangerfield has now part 2 of A Very Scottish Coup on his site, with two more parts to come. Fascinating reading, kind of a real-life John le Carre plot.

Bob Mack

Grousebeater just posted on Denise Findlays site he has had biopsies and all bad. Having surgery to seem to try and prolong his expectancy for a short while.

Get this. He wants to finish two books to let his daughters have something for when he goes.

Guy’s a hero in my book.

SilverDarling

‘Beautiful Scotland’ has published its catharsis. I hope it helps Mike Small. He has issues.

holymacmoses

Fran says:
18 February, 2021 at 1:06 pm
Sorry old chap but your just the wrong type of journalist to warrent support. Now if you fall into line and produce work more palatable, we may be able to do something for you

I assume you mean that ‘Union’ has more than one meaning and Mr Campbell is refusing to accept the obvious one:-)

Bildo

I belong to a lot of social media Independence groups. Many of them seem to be deaf, dumb and blind to the truths you diligently seek out and publish on here. They seem to be of the opinion that you have become a unionist agent or have simply lost the plot. Unfortunately it is they who have lost the plot. I have read your posts for years now. You are the best. Don’t ever stop doing what you do.

Ebok

It’s surprising how small gestures can have quite an impact, like not renewing membership.
Having long since stopped buying newspapers and with few options available to combat biased ‘news’, last year my wife and I decided not to renew our TV licence.
So, it was with a sense of triumph that we read a recent report saying that auntie is concerned over the loss of £175 million in licence revenues.
I suppose all organisations would be concerned over diminishing membership and loss of revenue?

Quoth the Raven

Dear Rev Stu,

I’m new to this site, but am so thankful to have found it. I’d despaired until now of ever finding someone who can write clear, intelligent analysis of the current woeful state of Scottish political life, with a dash of bravery and wit into the bargain.

What I’ve not been prepared to see however, is the degree of vile abuse directed at you from so many quarters. It must mean that you continue to hit the mark, so possibly a back-handed compliment… Shameful though.

My old mum always taught me to thank those who deserved it. So thank you Stu! More power to your elbow. There are lots of us who stand with you.

Effijy

On Westminster’s BBC losing £175 million from licence fees,
Remember their combined efforts seen all our retired war hero’s
paying for the licence fee for the first time.

Captain Tom stung at age 100 to see Dad’s Army repeats for the hundredth time on
Peak viewing Saturday night.

The license fee must go.

John Cleary

Rev. Campbell, the past reaches up to today.

Rt. Hon. John Smith QC MP

In December 1993 MAI plc acquired Anglia.

The terms of agreement put to the shareholders incorporated this statement:

“The Board of MAI have given assurances to the Board of Anglia that all employee rights, including pension rights, will be fully safeguarded.”

On that basis the employee share ownership fund accepted the offer.

Two months later, Michael Heseltine, Minister of the Crown at the DTI and President of the Board of Trade opened an investigation into insider trading, by Lord and Lady Archer.

All the directors were questioned by the inspectors. All will have taken legal advice. All will have been told to discuss Anglia with NOBODY AT ALL.

Some bright spark at MAI realized, “hey, the Board of Anglia is paralyzed. They can’t do a thing to enforce those assurances we gave, on pain of self incrimination.”

So Lord Hollick put the squeeze on the Chairman of Anglia. A Board meeting was scheduled for 14 April.

Three directors of MAI were appointed to the Board of Anglia prior to the completion of the takeover, being Lord Hollick, Peter Hickson and Roger Laughton.

Another Board meeting was scheduled for 10 May 1994.

At that next meeting on 10 May 1994 the MAI trio took over. They outlined a savage slash and burn, pillage and rape, completely at odds with the assurances given employees prior to the takeover.

The meeting broke up in disarray. The “old” Anglia Directors fled and hid. The Chairman resigned and backdated his resignation to 30 April, that is, before that Board meeting of 10 May.

So far as the official records are concerned there was a Board meeting on 14 April 1994, then another on 21 July 1994, and nothing in-between. So far as the official records at Companies House are concerned there never was a meeting on 10 May.

(You see the parallels with the Scottish Government records of meetings with Nicola Sturgeon? There are more such parallels.)

The plan was then hatched to parachute in Malcolm Wall as the phony Managing Director. That is, on or just after 10 May 1994.

John Smith “died suddenly” on 12 May 1994.

I personally was dismissed by Mr Wall, representing himself as Managing Director, on 24 May 1994.

You see it wasn’t just about Anglia Television and the employees thereof.

John Smith was an unexpected leader of the Labour Party. Neil Kinnock had been widely forecast to win the General Election in1992, but the idiot messed it up.

If John Smith would not knuckle under for this, then he certainly would not go along with her plans to subjugate Scotland.

The phony parliament with the backdoor to the legal system we are watching with amazement today.

He had to be removed.

What sayeth the Bard?

If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well
It were done quickly

And that tells me that the assassin was very close indeed to John Smith.

I know the identity of that assassin. More importantly, so does Sarah Smith, John Smith’s daughter and prominent NUJ member in good standing.

And even though that meeting never took place on 10 May 1994, I have the minutes. How fortunate I am!

Cast of Characters:

link to find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk

Andrew F

Can anyone name one union that is worth a pinch of shit – with direct real world examples?

My several, useless, experience with them has only been as extortion rackets for fake left ultra-right-wing political parties with no concern for members’ real daily problems.

BTW, same applies for Australia’s version of NUJ the MEAA, useless racketeers.

See them all howling for the immediate release of Assange? Didn’t think so.

Can I call them all a bunch of useless cunts?

Ingwe

This the same supine NUJ that say’s little about the plight of Julian Asante and does even less?

The days of the union being run by paunchy, middle aged, hard-drinking, yellow-toothed men continue. I am in favour of trades unions who seek to protect and improve the lives of their worker members. Not these pompous, self-important careerists, with their bloated expense accounts and pension schemes. There is no longer a fourth estate for them to represent and they, with some notable exceptions like the Fire Brigade’s Union, have become probably the most reactionary element in our unequal society. Fuck ‘em.

Ingwe

Poxy typos and auto-correct. Says little…Julian Assange.

Big Jock

I had a similar experience with the MSM union in 2002.

I was made redundant and they took the side of the massive insurance company I worked for , rather than me the employee. I told them to stuff it and fought the case myself, and bloody won. Because I was right!

Then I found out 10% of my membership fee went to the Labour party. Then it all made sense. They take the side of the money in the relationship with their members.

The only good unions are staff unions these days. All the rest are politically motivated.

Dan Watt

Have the NUJ ever done anything good for “the little guy”? My experience with unions, having used them twice, is that they’re a bit like the police, in on in from the outset and scratching the correct backs for the same in return.

terry moore

Keep Rattlin’The Cages On Twitter Stu,

velofello

When the going get’s tough, the tough get going. All strength to you Rev.

Mike

Pissed myself at seeing your membership card torn up – I did the same with my SNP membership a few years ago.

holymacmoses

Did you see the results of Mackay’s flash poll Mr Wings. The man has his finger on the pulse OK

Who is most divisive for the independence movement?
Pete Wishart
63.9%
Stuart Campbell
36.1%

2,056 votes
·
Final results

It ran for a few hours:-)

Lothianlad

Yea, fuck that union Stu!! They are all in cohootscwith the establishment too. Check out unison’ and unite.

There for the management Not the members!

Your better off without them.

Derek

I’m sure I could do a jigsaw identification from those pieces of card…

Iain More

During the 2014 Indy Referendum the so called Journalists almost collectively subjected the nation of Scotland to a torrent of too wee too poor too stupid etc to be Independent abuse = fuck the lot of them. What goes around come around, Karma is a skanky bitch. Sympathy for any journalist = 000.

beflox

Maybe they’ve been taking into account the amount of abuse you’d give anyone on Twitter who used to disagree with you and decide to leave you to fend for yourself. Just a thought, not a criticism.

Al-Stuart

Stu.,

You seem to have broken the NUJ, or at least worked some of that Bathist Voodoo on it.

I tried to join on the NUJ joining page…

link to archive.is

It put up a code 404 and effectively told me to fuckity fuckity orf.

They are apparently being renamed the CIH (Corrupt Institution of Hacks).

I then tried to find the NUJ accounts to see if their revenue reflects the collapse of the newspaper industry.

It appears the NUJ use the same accountants as Nicola Sturgeon and the Fake SNP (where’s oor £600,000 YES money ya thieving crunts?)…

Ms Festering Fibber De Bendyrules, C.A.,
Woven Yer Funds Intae Oblivion, Chartered Accountants,
House of Peter’s Legal Fees,
27, Yer Fuckked Street,
Wokeratistan,
Edinburgh,
EH 6UNT

This is a shame as there is a Pulitzer Prize winning story to report…

“Turning a Country into a Banana Republic.”

Infiltrating the SNP and duping a nation into surrendering it’s parliament and jailing its dissidents.

holymacmoses

I think they’re looking to try and get you closed down Wings. The last call for the criminal Justice Bill is being hastily pushed through. Those example you quoted to NUJ could all be used against you in a corrupt world.


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