UKIP: MEDIA BLACKOUT CONTINUES
Much of the Scottish media today is full of (mostly right-wing) commentators bleating piteously about the dreadful carnage in Edinburgh yesterday in which, um, a couple of dozen scruffy student types shouted at a silly man for a bit. Here, for example, is the usually-sane Alex Massie wringing his hands about the horror of it all in the Spectator:
Suppressed? Are we talking about the same Nigel Farage?
THAT Nigel Farage, up there?
A colleague of Massie’s – on both the Scotsman and a right-wing Scottish blog staffed by some pretty senior professional journalists – put it even more melodramatically, in a piece so hysterical and ridiculous we can’t bring ourselves to dignify it with a link:
“Yesterday, in Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, just up the road from the cradle of the nation’s democracy, the leader of a mainstream British party was hounded, abused and bullied by nationalist protestors who might as well have been wearing brown shirts.”
While UKIP is certainly growing in England, “mainstream” seems a bit of a stretch at this point for a party with precisely 0 MPs out of 650 in Westminster, 0 MSPs out of 130 in Scotland, and 0 AMs out of 60 in the Welsh Assembly. But it’s the idea that Farage is being somehow silenced that defies all reason.
Here’s the coverage the minor incident got on the BBC website alone this morning:
Hostile demonstration greets Farage
Farage swarmed by angry protesters in Edinburgh
Farage: Scottish nationalism ‘pretty ugly’
UKIP’s Nigel Farage explains why he hung up on BBC Scotland
Nigel Farage blasts ‘fascist’ protesters after Edinburgh confrontation
Nigel Farage: ‘I’ve been in worse places than that’
Alex Salmond: Nigel Farage protest ‘needs to be put into context’
If we were to start listing all the other newspaper articles and blogs on the subject, we’d be here all day. For a man without a single Parliamentarian anywhere on the British mainland, Farage must be the most over-exposed politician in the country by a galactic distance. The notion that he’s being “suppressed” is somewhere on a par with complaining that Dara O’Briain is being kept off the TV.
(We love Dara O’Briain, by the way.)
Yesterday’s micro-scuffle ensured another bountiful airtime and column-inch jackpot for the UKIP leader. Who gains and loses from that is a vaguely interesting matter for debate. But if there’s one thing that can’t possibly be in the slightest doubt, it’s that Nigel Farage does not suffer from a freedom-of-speech deficit.
His opinions are broadcast to the British public a thousand times more often than those of the tiny handful of people who opposed him yesterday – indeed, had the protest taken place in England, most of them would probably be in jail at the moment, bruised and bleeding, for causing the poor man distress and alarm.
In Scotland at least, it seems freedom to speak still includes freedom to protest too. Some people would do well to remember that.
The man need only lift his leg to break wind and our media leap up to dance to the tune.
Yes, exercising your democratic right to protest is now anti-democrat and fascist. Weren’t you at that meeting then?
“In Scotland at least, it seems freedom to speak still includes freedom to protest too. Some people would do well to remember that.”
Absolutely.
I’m quite amused at all these right-wing Scottish commentators criticising the way Farage was treated. The reality is, it’s not really Farage’s treatment they’re angry about – it’s their own insecurities as right-wing commentators in a nation where “Tory” is just about the biggest insult you can level at someone. This little episode reminds them that their views are not about to suddenly become accepted into the mainstream any time soon, no matter how much Kenny “Mother” Farquharson tries to insist that the only thing stopping UKIP’s politics from gaining a foothold in Scotland is the lack of a UKIP-type party (what, you mean like, erm, UKIP?)
If there is one thing that encapsulates the difference between Scotland and England, it’s our propensity for bringing pompous gits down to earth, with an almighty crash. We’ll lose our parliament and our Scottish institutions long before we give that particular national trait up.
@ Doug Daniel
I have to say, Alan Roden’s wee face was a picture yesterday. Scone not just stolen but eaten as well.
Also, the good humour of most of the demo has been entirely missed (apart from bemusement at Farage being called a bawbag). Most folk had a smile on their face and when the polis van arrived there were a good few shouts of “here’s yer taxi now Nigel” before the “scum,scum,scum…” started.
It was a pillorying rather than a protest and lots of passers by stopped and joined in the fun.
The protest was just a handy peg on which the MSM could hang the “nationalists are Nazis” tag. If it hadn’t been this, it would have been something else. If there wasn’t something else, it would have been nothing at all but it still would have been said, because all that matters is getting that message out there to the undecided. If it had happened in England, there might have been something in the right-wing press about ‘loonie lefties’, but there’d have been no need for this level of manufactured outrage.
Do none of these commentators know anything about UKIP, the pasts of it’s high heid yins, and the attitudes of it’s support?
They should read this, then see how they feell about defending this “mainstream” party:
link to richardcorbett.org.uk
Nigel Farage blasts ‘fascist’ protesters
Pot kettle black comes to mind
At first when I read about this, and was satisfied no physical violence had been used, I was highly amused, and like many, the bawbag tag was a cracker. Also the suggestion where he could put his flag – with or without pole. But now its just plain boring. Although why is it when the Scots complain about comments made about them, they’re told they have no sense of humour. Surely farage hasn’t got one either… Damn that sounds as if we have something in common BUT WE DONT!
AND, according to Alex Salmond the poor we loon thought a quine was a lunatic! And he wants to get some votes in Aberdeen. He should learn the language first.
I only saw what was on telly,so no doubt missed a lot of humour etc.What I did get was “scum,scum,scum”.Scotland is relying on students and radicals to come up with something much more original than that.So,guys,thanks for your effort,but get your thinking caps on!
Apart from anything else, this whole episode shows up many commentators are far to keen to invoke the old ‘Nazi’ jibe. You do anything which is perceived to infringe a persons ‘rights’; you’re a Nazi.
The hand-wringing that’s going on just now is disappointing.
Some left wing students shout ‘scum’ at a right wing politician – so they’re Nazis all of a sudden, how the fuck does that work exactly?
Massey started off well enough. The hounding of Farage is a reminder that Scotland isn’t overly keen on right-wing Tory-esque politicians as evidenced by the 20-odd students who turned out to harangue him. The views of the other 20 odd people who seemed to be members of the press is less well known.
We should have a sweep stake to see who’ll be next for a spot of fabricated Scottish Nationalist, exaggerated vilification.
I’m off to oil my pitch fork.
What I did get was “scum,scum,scum”. Scotland is relying on students and radicals to come up with something much more original than that.
I don’t know: I’m in favour of calling a spade a spade. As, I suspect, is Nigel, for less savoury reasons.
There are no less then 6, yes that is right six article in the Daily Telegraph, there were four this morning so they have since added two, the original by Simon Johnson (Simple Simon I call him). Now has in excess of 4000 comments, most by English UKIP supporters calling the Scots all matter of names. and some one claiming to be a parliamentary sketch writer.
I was in my local W.H. Smiths today to buy a Private Eye and I checked out the headlines on the papers here in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, not surprisingly there was no mention of this despite UKIP polling second to the winner at the South Shields by-election in the Journal our local newspaper ( on par with Evening Times but the letters page is appalling) the Independent, the Times, and the Telegraph not a peep. It seems to be a non-story down here. I have to add I scanned the front pages only.
Furthermore anyone who considers the heckling he got as bad form and somehow reflecting badly on the Scots has no appreciation for the hard won freedoms that ordinary folk in Scotland and the rest of the UK currently now enjoy. Those freedoms were won in much the same manner as this protest, sometimes more violently, sometimes with the establishment’s over reaction creating bloddy scenarios; it was won by protest, martyrdom, suicide and exile. Farage wishes to destroy every part of Scottish culture until it truly represents a North Britain, and I think there is little one should draw the line at in terms of protecting the essence of your cultural institutions, heckling arseholes is hardly noteworthy in the great scheme of things.
Miss Britannia has a serious case of projection and projective identification.
The frustration that many Scots feel towards Westminster was harmlessly voiced by a group of Students, against a man, and a party whose rhetoric is generally corrosive, bigoted and divisive.
No harm was done, a message was sent.
Was the MSM going to seize on it and over dramatise it? Of course. Were other factions going to seek political capital? Of course.
After the months of bias, bile and perversity we have swallowed from Westminster politicians, the political capital was worth every damn penny.
If the debate had been fair to date… I might be inclined to agree that democracy dictates that he gets every opportunity to be heard.
Lets put it in context. We are brow beaten constantly by condescending politicians, and have little recourse. Sending him homeward to think again was the right thing to do in this case.
Lest you forget.. Scotland has a fine history of radicalism.
http://www.gcu.ac.uk/radicalglasgow/
Is there any truth in this Copied post from the ‘International Business Times’ It’s from an Article by James Kelly from ‘Scot Goes Pop’
If this can be proved i think some of our MSM labour Luvies will be spewing on there keyboards. lol
” From the BBC News website:
“During the protest, Max Crema, 21, Vice President of services at Edinburgh University Students Association, suggested UKIP has “a well documented history of racism”.”
Max Crema is a Labour Sabbatical Officer at Edinburgh Uni – a full-time student union official supported by the Labour Party. So it’s a Labour Party worker organising a mob, to intimidate one man and shut down democratic discourse.
Same old Loony Left Labour. Keep it up Nigel and UKIP – you’ve got the Three Failed Parties so scared that they’re resorting to violence and threats now. Cowards “
David Cameron has referred to UKIP as ‘fruitcakes, loonies & closet racists’ and ‘some pretty odd people’
Possibly the only time I will agree with the PM.
Farage in my opinion is a hypocrite of the highest order (and a nasty little shite too)
Scotland better be independent before he takes his place at the Westminster trough or we are well and truly f**ked
Gordon Brewer was very put out by it last night on Newsnight. I don’t think I have heard him speak out about Alex Salmond being called a dictator of the fascist or a Nazi variety though…
Just catching up on all the Farage-baiting fun. The comments from the Ukippers on the Guardian website are utterly hilarious and provide the bonus of allowing one to have a jolly eventful game of anti-Scottish insults bingo.
This one is a particularly impressive example of the genre. I admire the writers skill in bringing the subsidy junkies slur together with the deep fried mars bar in such a vibrant and exciting way.
However my all time favourite comes from this splendid lunatic who believes the whole incident was set up by the ever cunning Salmond.
‘So the true nature of Alex Salmond’s SNP becomes clear. Just like NuLabour, they send out their thought police to disrupt the democratic process in its steps.
Alex’s real problem is, now there is a new kid on the block, Alex’s SNP is no longer the only viable alternative to Labour and the Conservatives.
Nice one Nigel, you’ve even got the SNP on the run.’
Some folk think Farage is scum.Some think he’s a bawbag.Many think he’s both.I guess everyone can make up their own mind about him.
Patrick Roden :
Max Crema, 21, Vice President of services at Edinburgh University Students Association.
He’s also a member of the LRC – the Youth wing of the Labour Representative Committee. I wonder who else from Labour were at the demonstratiaon – and funny how all the blame is falling on the SNP and the nationalists!
link to lrcyouth.org.uk
I saw no members of the SNP at the demonstration so how come Farage is blaming Salmond?
Iain Banks article in the Guardian
link to guardian.co.uk
An unusually well crafted piece in the Telegraph about the Farage fracas and the principal’s apparent lack of the Machiavellian guile required of those who would be princes.
I commend it to you.
“Sketch: Nigel Farage versus the ‘fascists'”
link to telegraph.co.uk
Remember when we had a Parliament of our own? We could aye peeble them with staines when they werrna guid bairns. but nobodies nails can reach the lenght of london.
Or words to that effect. Nice of london to come back in range of the pebbles.
The good thing about it all judging from posts to the press expressing the unionist view, is that i doubt if many, if any, have been sent by what would be called the as yet uncommitted, only those who should be committed!
A second bonus from the comments is that any complaints by the ungodly about extreme language from YES supporters has been well and truly shot down!
H’excuse ME!!! BLACKmail??? I prefer “extortion”…much more PC. That nice Mr Farage would never think of anything like that. Only a bunch of Nazis like you separatists would even contemplate it. (Get back in the box, Mr Godwin, you have been a naughty boy.) I hope you are happy, cos now I am going to vote UKIP, cos they have always been on our side…(whoever “we” are…) They have “our” best interests at heart; of this, I am convinced. Alex Salmond is only interested in world domination, and he gives his opponents rope burns, and calls them names, so there…thprprprthhpptprpr…
How about an honorary one day stay in “Zany Comedy Relief” for Massie, after that brainfart?
A right kick in the teeth for Farage and all the numpties down South who jumped on the bandwagon to proclaim that anti English sentiment is rife in Scotland when it turns out that one of the organisers of the demonstration, who was arrested, is English and sponsored by the Labour party to boot.
My red hot labour party member friend is now proclaiming that the demonstration was organized by—-wait for it—-UKIP themselves to generate adverse publicity for the SNP.!!!!!!
les calthorps – Your friend does know the demo was set up by ‘the lizard people in conjunction with the reverse vampires ‘ or have THEY got to him? 🙂
Here’s a sensible piece about the Farage affair: Mike Small in the Guardian:
link to guardian.co.uk
The comments are interesting too. A lot of people from south of the border wondering why on earth the English don’t react in the same way (plus, of course, the usual UKIP nutters).
OK- it’s the Guardian. But even so, at least one commentator is prepared to look at the affair objectively.
The whole thing seems a bit odd for Labour to be honest. The idea that “it’s all the SNP” gives the impression that Labour would never heckle Farage and have no problem with UKIP. Meanwhile most people see this as funny at worst, something great about Scotland at best. It’s only frothing UKIPers and right wingers who are, well, frothing. So which side of that divide are Labour on?
They appear very silent on the whole thing, not sure which way to jump. Do they defend their unionist friends and dissociate themselves from something most see as quite good, or a bit of fun? And let the SNP and indy campiagn take all the credit and kudos? Or defend the protesters, who may actually be Labour anyway, but piss off their right wing unionist friends?
Saw that racist little eejit, Farage, venting his wee spleen about ‘racists Scots and the SNP’ on STV Scottish news at 6 pm…
And there you saw the true face of UKIP; hate-filled homophobic racists. Underneath that exterior of smiles and hale-fellow-well-met joviality lies nastiness that takes just a little scratch to bring to the surface.
Yet the English media treat Farage and his party with kid gloves, showing him in the best light with interviews in pubs and journalists stating how much of an ‘ordinary’ bloke he is. WTF is up with that?
And the No mob keep saying how much alike we are…? Aye, right! Better Together? Further Apart Than Ever!
[…] in a police van, never to carry out his press conference. Which is okay because he’s always all over the news […]
If he thinks that he got a rough hearing, ask him to hold a “meeting” in one of Glasgows
thearters,!!.
This is for real:
link to topsy.com
I wouldn’t trust that man with my granny. He is slimy, creepy and very untrustworthy and let’s be honest racist.
We now have the Tories is Scotland backing Farage.
What a shameful party.
We Scots have our faults, but the likes of UKIP are not welcome, they are not representative of the majority and never will be.
If the English want a Tory/UKIP Westminster government, then hell mend them. They will have to live with dire consequences.
@ianbrotherhood
Eh?
@ianbrotherhoodI’m afraid that link has rather passed over my head. Can you elaborate?
@kininvie & Betsy –
Apologies.
It’s not the content of the link I was highlighting, but the name of the character.
It’s murder trying to explain ‘jokes’, but you’re familiar with the Susan Calman stushie etc, and in a past thread it was suggested (by me) that ‘Calmanballs’ would be a good title for any story based on scaremongering/exaggeration etc. (Calmanballs being a pun on ‘Colemanballs’, the Private Eye column which highlights absurdities uttered by Sports commentators)
I just thought it was interesting that someone ‘real’ has that name…well, almost.
Alright, FFS, okay, I’m going…
Hiding in shops and pubs seems to be the modus operandi of unionist politicians in Scotland when faced by a hostile mob.Scottish politics has a reputation for being “robust”.The moral for these people is,if you can’t take the heat in the kitchen….So glad that people are prepared to get out on the streets and tell these sound bite people that they have to get real.
Right you lot blether blether , faraaaage, faraaaage,
tomorrow Illuminate the Debate has Paul Holleran, Tommy Sheridan, Citizen Smart(with a new song we think) Michael Gray author of Dirty Money article, Rod Mcfarlane from Auld Aquaintance, Labour for Indy and Lynda Williamson social media guru of Newsnet Scotland ALL speaking in St Enoch Square from 1pm about the shite media bias we winge about on here all the bloody time !!!!!!!
I think I know where you should be………………..
@ianbrotherhood
Ah with you now. However surely it has to be Calmanbaws rather than balls!
stop blethering unimportant shite and get to Glasgow tomorrow FFS
Farange issue on BBC 2 TV Newsnight very shortly
Newsnight (UK version – because its Friday, so no Scottish version) will have a representative from the Scottish protest group in Edinburgh yesterday in the studio. Also present is someone from UKIP.
Channel 4 news was very good earlier and covered the subject very well – worth a watch on 4OD (first 10 minutes is great coverage)
@tartanpigsy,
What is happening in Glasgow?
@ Adrian B
link to facebook.com
Pinned article. 2nd Illuminate the debate rally, all speakers listed in post a few up except the excellent Robin McAlpine from the Reid Foundation who I somehow forgot. I have been busy you know
This will be the biggest protest against the BBC’s manipulation of the referendum debate so far
UKIP hangin’ round me
And I’m not so glad you found me
Apologies to Lou Reid
No one else watched the 10o-clock BBC news? The hounding of Farage (as someone put it so well earlier) First item up. Same on BBC Scotland. Farage seems to done himself no favours hanging up on the BBC reporter this morning. Poor old BBC seems to have the hump with Farage big style. It is working out well for indi the BBC indignation is almost amounting to sympathy for the SNP. Alex Salmond getting good airtime and Farage being portrayed as a nasty greetin Englishman. I think this will play well for us. Farage has forgot rule no 1 “when in hole, stop digging”. Jings it has just came on UK newsnight and BBCgiving the UKIP guy a hard time. Whatever next.
All the wet nats that have been complaining that “this will loose us votes” I think that you are very mistaken.
The Man in the Jar
Also first item on STV 10 o’clock news, Farage/UKIP getting a bit of a hard time
@Baheid
Aye like I said this is playing into our hands quite well. I reckon the telephone interview hang up was the pivotal moment. BBC and MSM up in arms. I missed Ch4 must try to catch that. Did you clock the state of the UKIP guy on Newsnite canny call it Newsnicht it was the Friday UK version. Anyway he was your arch typical retired “Colonel” type from the Home counties. Blazer and a wee military tash and a red white and blue striped shirt. He will go down a storm in Scotland I don’t think.
Go on Nigel come back again we need more nails for your UKs coffin.
Nigel Falange.
The man in the jar
UKIP guy is is Roger Helmar (if I caught the name right).
Scroll down he’s on the second piece on the subject on C4 news tonight.
link to channel4.com
This for me is the best piece, from C4 last night. (Scots at their best).
If you haven’t seen this already you will enjoy.
Actually even if you have seen already you will still enjoy. 🙂
@ Kininvie
Don’t apologise about it being on the Guardian website – Mike Small of Bella is spot on. Required reading and thanks for the link.
@ GP Walrus
Inspired!
(Sorry for the lateness of my respective responses. It’s a Friday night and I’ve been oot.)
link to channel4.com
Watch the first ten minutes. Joan McAlpine very good, also CH4 have found a UKIP dodgy donor who has said some rather odd things about women who wear trousers in public – no really.
UKIP the Party that keeps on given for Indy 2014
Seems the chap who organised the protest was an English lad by the name of Mike Shaw, president of the Edinburgh Uni’s Student Association Socialist Society. Yup Nige, anti English eh? Naw jist anti UKIP.
And by the by well done to Mr Shaw for knocking Nige’s wee attempt at playing the ethnic hatred card.
I doubt if this incident will make many change from a No voter to a Yes but I think that it will help alter some of the undecided`s views. When will UK politicians learn (hopefully never) that sending some twat in a suit up to Scotland to lecture us on how stupid we are for not aspiring to be just like them never works. I would like to know if this has helped to recruit more to Yes / SNP membership.
Get ready to fume. The latest guardian article (cowritten by Nick Watt) quotes Labour and Tories blaming it all on SNP and … seriously … “cyber-nats”.
I kid you not.
link to guardian.co.uk
Farage is former Tory public school boy. Max Crema one of the leaders of the demonstration is a Labour party member who went to Harrow. Discuss.
From Guardian online
Michael Forsyth said the protest had highlighted an unpleasant side of some Scottish nationalists. He told the Guardian: “There is an element that is not very pleasant. They are called cyber-nats and are a pretty unpleasant and nasty bunch.
“It is the worst aspects of nationalism – very inward looking and very self satisfied and rather unpleasant. It is anti-English and anti-London. You may not like Nigel Farage’s views but he should be able to go to a pub in Edinburgh and talk about them without this kind of thing happening. It is a very bad advertisement for Scotland.”
George Galloway, who was a Labour MP in Glasgow for 18 years, echoed Forsyth’s comments. He told the International Business Times: “I hold no candle for Nigel Farage but if leaders of democratic parties with substantial support are to be driven out of Scotland under police protection, it’s not going to be much of an advertisement for visitors and investors.”
“The whole event had a very anti-English character, it was very ugly. The language and behaviour of the protesters and the pathetic response of the police, who couldn’t even secure a press event held by the third party of the state, doesn’t say much for Scotland if it wishes to become independent. This kind of roughhouse is only justified against fascist leaders, and Farage is definitely not a fascist.”
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock, the former Labour Scotland minister, said: “There is an element of anti-English sentiment and there is a fairly nasty side to a few on the periphery of the nationalist movement – not in the mainstream. There is a pretty nasty element [in Scottish nationalism] who are exceptionally rude and vitriolic on social networks. But to be fair to Kevin Pringle [SNP strategic communications director] and Nicola Sturgeon [SNP deputy first minister] they have tried to curb them.”
“If you are not on their [the hardliners’] side then you are unpatriotic. It is: you are with us or you are against Scotland. Maybe Farage has highlighted it to people in London. But Labour people and Conservatives have tried to highlight it in Scotland for some time.”
@Baheid
I just watched the Ch4 clip taken in the pub. Has anyone else noticed the sign over the bar, right above Farage? It says, “In the 16th century this was the original,” says it all really!
He has publicly expressed his opposition to a variety of LGBT rights issues and is a climate change sceptic, graduated from Cambridge, etc. etc. etc.
Standard UKIP profile me thinks.
link to en.wikipedia.org
If any of you late night posters want a laugh, take a look at this. The language is not to my taste and not for delicate ears, but after two minutes in I was splitting my sides laughing! Watch from the beginning then wait for the taxi driver’s reaction to the protesters’ use of the term “bawbag” to describe Mr Farage!
Absolutely hilarious!
link to youtube.com
Scotsman in full anti SNP mode in this morning’s story and in letters page which has only printed letters expressing outrage at Farage peaceful demonstration.
link to scotsman.com
There’s to be a big gathering of those nasty cyber nats in Glasgow tomorrow, who knows maybe the odd uni troll as well…… though I doubt it
Get there lets Illuminate the Debate
12:30 march from Strathclyde Union, John Street, to a 1pm rally in St Enoch Square
link to facebook.com
Speakers include Paul Holleran of NUJ Scotland
Michael Gray author of Dirty Money
Lynda Williamson from Newsnet Scotland
and many more..
and @GP Walrus, I can’t get that song out of ma head now, Lou Reed what have you done……..
UKIP hanging round me, and I’m not so glad you found me, and I’m still doing those things that I (should have) gave up years ago owowowo…
@Quinie
Even better than the Laughing policeman. Remember him? link to youtube.com But the taxi driver has him beat.
@ianbrotherhood
As a right-wing commentator, I resent the implication that I’m in the least insecure. Some of my best friends are pinkos.
🙂
@Kininvie
Ha ha, yes, I think I agree that the taxi driver has ’em beat. Just had to watch it again, it’s so damn funny!
@tartanpigsy
So sorry I can’t go to this tomorrow, I know how important it is. Judging by the list of speakers though, this is another step in the growing movement and credibility of the indy campaigners. As we are seeing, the broadcasters will not be able to ignore this one. And if they do, I suspect another “Streisand effect” in the offing as all the cyber-indies protest online and share the posts on FB and Twitter.
The curtain is definitely now being lifted, despite the MSM’s best efforts. Very interesting to observe. Wish I could come to this rally. All the best with it.
You have to wonder why the Tories are so scared of a party with zero representation in Westminster?
just who are these people?
they appear to hold far more power than their standing in the polls would allow them, even the press are printing every last little thing about Farage and his gang.
These are sinister people with equally sinister goals
just look at that twat Lord Monkton who’s opinion of Scotland is beutifully encapsulated in this little gem
“The Scots are subsidy junkies whingeing like a trampled bagpipe as they wait for their next fix of English taxpayers’ money.”
The spurious wailing about suppression of freedom of speech seems only concerned with poor Mr Farages rights, who can apparently snap his fingers and he’s got himself a press conference whereas the protesters have one chance to put their point over and that’s when the cameras are there otherwise its just two people having an argument in the street,
We seem to have lost the passion we used to have in this country and to stand up a shout loudly about what we believe in remember the poll tax, and the miners strikes, were now so cowed by the pc brigade were afraid to say what we really think,
good god go back to edwardian times and their are plenty of political rallies where the candidate was lucky to escape with his life after opposing factions started fighting.
Quite right John King! More passion needed, definitely. Time to get the red flag back up in John Maclean Square (needs to be renamed, that place).
Incidentally, anyone seen this pish:
link to blogs.telegraph.co.uk
Not the gay shoes bit, but this bit, quoted here in full:
Glasgow’s warm welcome awaits
Some of the abuse hurled at Nigel Farage in Edinburgh came from supporters of the Yes campaign in the Scottish referendum, it’s been suggested. If so, it did the trick: here’s one Englishman who’s now longing for independence from our touchy and self-righteous neighbours. Failing that, there must be some satisfyingly petty way we can retaliate. I suggest making it a criminal offence for English people with southern accents to suck up to the Scots by pronouncing “Glasgow” with a short “a”. (The BBC is always doing it.) And the punishment for offenders? Banishment to Glasgow, where I’m sure their patronising little affectation will earn them a warm welcome.
WTF????
The protest made my day. It took a bunch of students of diverse backgrounds and nationalities to show just what lurks beneath the veneer of Farage. According to which newspaper you surf to, the majority are wishing the people down south had had the baws to do the same (grauniad) or are spitting nails at attacking nige (torygraph/ukippergraph) .
I saw it as a legitimate protest. The buffoon held his press conference in a pub, the same pub, by all accounts, where the edl met up last time they were in town. Farage based his anti English claim on being offered to stick the onion joke up his arse. As Curtice pointed out last night, that is a UK flag, not an English flag. Then he hangs up in an interview. What I make of this is that Farage has had too easy a ride and when it comes down to it he can’t handle it. If you disagree or give him a hard time then you are an evil, pinko, racist, fascist. If you agree with him, judging by the posts and tweets of the ukippers then you are definately a xenophobic, racist, fascist.
As expected terry f’wit Kelly was against the protesters. He didn’t realise some of them were from the youth wing of his own party. Some socialist he is.
My phone offered Falange as predictive text for Farage……….
I wonder if these so called Scots from the House of Lords, and MSM will appologise for branding the Demonstrators as anti-English, SNP nationalists. The organiser was a Labour Man and one of the guys arrested was English!
As for the fawning of Farage, I can honestly say that living in the West Midlands for the past 13 years, that the Ukip Popularity is based on one thing more than anything else: that Nigel Farage, puts into words what the English are feeling and he is able to make racism etc, sound exceptable.
The Ukippers, especialy the recent converts, will be furious at the Scots for pointing out what they probably know deep down inside, but have convinced themselves is ok, that ukip is a nasty racist party.
Like a few on here, I think this is working out well for the Yes side and these latest rants by the usual suspects will only serve to lessen what little credibility they enjoyed, as it is revealed that yet again they have been accusing the Yes side without a single shred of evidence.
The next time anyone asks about the nasty Nationalists we just need to remind them that after the nasty Natz were accused of anti-Englishness as well as a dispicable attack on Nigel Farage’s freedom of speach, it was dicovered that the perpratators were a fully paid up labour actavist and an Englishman was one of two people arrested. 😉
I was pleased Alex Salmond gave (FALANGE HA HA ) short shrift, if he had apologized to that twat I would have cancelled my membership of the SNP with immediate effect,
as I suspect a great many more would have done as well
Patrick Roden I think its working out well for the YES side in more ways than one .
Going by the hysterical outbursts from some of our neighbours down south they will be glad to see the back of us in 2014 .
How ironic would it be if Farage’s trip to Scotland pushes forward the cause of English Independence .
On a more positive note what I have been finding since Farage’s little visit is that people are looking for more information , as I have had a couple of work colleagues come up to me without prompting and ask me where they can get more information ‘ needless to say I have pointed them in the direction of wings and newsnet .
It seems the more the media try to paint the S.N.P and independence as bad ‘ the more people start to ask questions .
Thought this might be of interest to Stu. I’ve discovered a (rather convoluted) way to read Scottish Daily Mail articles online for nowt.
Visit link to pressdisplay.com
Click the “search button” at the top.
Type your search term in “Find results”.
(e.g. “snp OR salmond OR nationalists”)
“In newspapers:” > Select > UK > Scottish Daily Mail
(or use the checkbox next to “UK” to search all UK newspapers)
Click the bottom search button.
Shazam! All the anti-SNP propaganda you can eat without having to pay for it.
If a register page pops up after a while, just clear your cookies, and it’ll only work with search results that have their own headline.
“Thought this might be of interest to Stu. I’ve discovered a (rather convoluted) way to read Scottish Daily Mail articles online for nowt.”
Ooh, it works. Splendid, filed away.
Selected madness from today’s Scottish Daily Mail leader:
“THE mobbing and intimidation of UKIP leader Nigel Farage by Left-wing nationalist extremists in Edinburgh has done nothing for Scotland’s reputation as a forum for democratic discourse and civilized debate.”
“On the face of it, this bullying intervention by members of an extremist minority group was no different from scenes frequently enacted on the streets of English cities when far-Right or leftist organisations attempt to compensate by violence and intimidation for their lack of electoral support. The bullies in this instance were drawn from Radical Independence, the significance of which is that it is an official participant in the Yes campaign.”
“The notion that 50 loud-mouthed youths have the right to determine who may or may not communicate with the Scottish public is as dictatorial as it is absurd. The demonstration was allegedly ‘ anti-racist’ and, to illustrate that fact, the thugs involved bawled anti-English abuse.“
“Historically, devolution was seen by the Scottish Left as an opportunity to ringfence Scotland against Thatcherite reforms and market realities. Today, independence is regarded as a chance to subvert Britain’s unity, expel its nuclear deterrent, reinforce the public sector and dependency culture and turn a small nation into a socialist theme park in which all the economic and social experiments that have consistently failed in the past century can be imposed again.”
I thought that this from the comments in the Hootsmon was a cracker.
“It’s UKIP not Ukip, as it’s SNP not Snp. If commentators cannot even represent the name correctly, is it any surprise there is such misrepresentation of UKIP policies? Perfectly true the main UKIP messages are unlikely to appeal to the majority of Scots in the same way as south of the Border. In part, that’s because Scottish Labour MPs fostered mass immigration in England only between 1997-2010.Curiously, UKIP seems likely to be the only political voice in Scotland challenging the false SNP notion of independence. Moving from having material influence in one Union to being an irrelevant minnow in another Union, would make Scotland independent of Westminster, but certainly not an independent nation. A pity that the sneering Mr Miller did not want to engage in such debate on BBC Scotland”.
what nobody in the msm and online has commented on is the complete lack of ukip supporters in the pub to welcome their beloved caudillo. We know ukip like to stretch the figures for their support but there must be at least enough to fill a booth in a boozer?
Also does Falange have any knowledge of Scottish geography? He holds a press conference in Edinburgh to herald his candidate for Aberdeen Donside. Salmond was up there canvassing. Can we expect Falange to do the same?
All in all it shows ukip to be a bunch of disorganised amateurs, dangerous and nasty and not to be underestimated in their appeal to certain types, but amateurs all the same. Can we now expect bt to call for Scotland to stay in the union to protect the UK from ukip? As far as I’m concerned they’ve opened Pandora’s box down south and they will have to live with it.
One of the leaders of the demonstration was English Harrow educated public school boy Max Crema who is a Labour Sabbatical Officer at Edinburgh Uni – a very controversial full-time student union official supported by the Labour Party.
The other leader said on BBC Newsnight last night that he was not a member of the SNP.
Unionst press using this to attack Salmond over this peaceful demonstration when only injury was Farage’s bloated pride.
Another way to get round paywalls such as the herald is to switch to private/incognito browsing. Open up the article as usual, copy the url and then paste it into the incognito tab or Window. If on a phone switch to desktop mode on the herald or huff post to see comments. This doesn,t work for the times or economist but does the biz on the Diddy paywalls
I hear that there is a new job vacancy going around. It will involve going round picking up all of the toys thrown out of right-wing prams in the last couple of days.
I hope that the pay is good You’d be awfi busy. On the other hand there will be plenty of job security.
Linda
I am not in the least surprised that the student’s protesting were from all parts of the UK. UKIP is as serious issue in English politics and various Kippers have said some fairly outrageous things. That the media, including Severin, have concentrated on Farage’s “it is just evil nationalists” spin is as depressing as it is predictable. Kudos to the Beeb for rattling this cage and not giving him an easy run.
Equally depressing to see Labour in Scotland so quiet on the matter…indeed almost supportive of Farage. As an ex-Labourite it still makes me burn with embarrassment. What has Labour become?
I think Salmond has pitched it right. Why apologise for something his party didn’t do and why condemn student protests? That is for reactionary wing nut Westminster Home Secretaries that would like to deploy water cannon to do.
There appear to be a lot of Farage apologists in the Scottish media about his treatment; yet over drinks in London Bridge last night the reaction of my friends to the Edinburgh welcome some people gave him was positive.
Not sure if this has been posted, but an excellent article in the Herald from Ian Bell.
link to heraldscotland.com
When the Scots and English both want to be less British
Why do so many ‘commentators’ merely play at labelling each others views as ‘xxxxist’ something or other?
Is it the schools?
Again, I was there, not as a student agitator (I’m a 51 year old businessman), but as interested and partisan observer. This whole affair has been blown out of all proportion by various vested interests and at no stage was anyone in any danger at all. In fact tourists were stopping to watch rather than rush by in fear of their safety, whilst the assembled press either stood back and watched (the print media) or were right in amongst the huddle with cameras and mics pointed at Farage. You can see the distinctive tall figure of Raymond Buchanan in many of the “mob” shots both still and video.
In my view the whole matter shows up UKIP for what they are; rank amateurs. The time and venue of the press call was all over Twitter more than 24 hours before it started. The pub was open to the public – I simply walked in past the two polis on the door and went up to the bar and ordered a pint while the media scrum was in full flow, all the time with a Yes badge clearly visible in my lapel. When the bar manager decided he had had enough, UKIP could not do anything but leave. They had no contingency plan at all.
While Farage was locked in I simply walked up to the pub door and stood beside the police and the UKIP people to earwig how they were going to sort it out. (Wear a suit – it makes you invisible when there are loads of other suits.) One lady was prepared to get her car to take him out, but it was parked at the St James Centre over a mile away. It was at this point that the police simply had enough and decided to remove him in a van. I stood right next to the police officer as he radioed in to colleagues to arrange the van.
During this time the protestors were all self marshalled to the west of the pub, ie up the hill. They could quite easily have kettled Farage had they wanted to given the weight of numbers, but they simply stood and waited until they got their chance to barrack Farage as he left.
As for reports that folk tried to stop the van from leaving, yes, there was a half hearted attempt from “Rachel” in her wheelchair, but the police simply said something like “c’mon hen, oot the way” and she moved immediately. Of course still pictures don’t show that, they show a bunch of scruffy oiks in front of the van.
The atmosphere at the demo was like a football match in the Scottish First Division, with a few songs, the odd “wanker” hand sign, but lots of laughter at the misfortune and disarray of the hapless UKIP folk. Threatening? Naw. Fun? Absolutely. The best Thursday after work that I have had in ages.
Edit… Also, one of the main chants that the students were shouting was anti-capitalist, not anti -UKIP, pro-independence or anti-English.
@Tom Hog
Thanks for that Tom I think that many of us will be quite envious of your trip to the pub.
@Tom Hogg – Thanks for the insight, it has made my Saturday.
Thanks Tom,
I noticed the girl in her wheelchair. Raymond certainly didn’t feel in any danger either. Perhaps some of the protesters could do with a bit of ‘media training’, but that would make them less of the real people that they were.
Having an open meeting in the pub isn’t the wisest thing to do. Having the details of that meeting all over twitter wasn’t clever either.
Where was Fararge’s legions of supporters?
As publicity stunts go, that has to be the daftest one that I have seen for some time.
As hopelessly off-message as I’ll no doubt be here (and admittedly, not being fully in possession of all the facts to what went on here), personally I think what appears to have happened here is a disgrace and embarrassment for Scotland, in my opinion. ‘Debate’ and ‘protest’ are one thing; ‘intimidation’ and ‘hate-fuelled, outright rudeness and thuggery’ are quite another – and absolutely nothing whatsoever to be proud of.
As anyone who knows anything about me at all will attest, I’m all for rigorous, robust, even shouty debate and I’m no fan of UKIP (although I do welcome their finally breaking the hapless political apathy of the average UK voter).
This wasn’t it guys, not by a very long chalk. A total own goal.
What?
The Scottyish Daily Mail charges to access its online pages.
Thats outrageous! 😀
@Captain Caveman
Got to disagree this time. Have you read the account by Tom Hogg above at 10; 57 am? He was standing right there. No one got hurt nothing was thrown apart from insults (both ways!)
Admittedly it was boisterous but there is a democratic right to protest. UKIP got a good Scottish reality check that’s all.
Captain Caveman, did you read Tom Hogg’s post? You’re criticising the media spin on the incident, not the incident itself.
I note that Gardham in the HERALD doesn’t mention the fact that one of the two arrested is a Labour Party member, employed by the LABOUR Party. How the Herald can employ such a biased reporter as its Political Editor is beyond me. By the way does Lamont support her employee and fellow party member or not? The silence is deafening.
Good video here link to 3meninablog.wordpress.com with *cough* a man in a suit in some of the footage.
What the media is omitting is the half hour in the pub where Farage refused to answer questions put by the students or enter into debate. He obviously thought it was going to be another home counties photo session with the cheeky chappie shagging a pint routine. He has been found out for the lightweight he is.
Protest chant repeatedly shouted and missed by the media. “Unemployment and inflation are not caused by immigration. Bullshit, come off it, the enemy is profit” That old ScotNat standard, eh?
@ Captain Caveman
I am rather disappointed with your comment, as from some of your previous comments I would have expected you to have understood that, even if the media describe something as ‘hate-fuelled, outright rudeness and thuggery’, the reality may be a lot less dramatic; please see Tom Hogg’s description of events above. Where politics are involved, the press have their own agendas and will distort and exaggerate, and even simply lie, as will many politicians. Stories like this, and Calman’s mythical ‘shit-storm of abuse’ and death threats, make me suspect that some supporters of the Union may have made a close study of the work of Joseph Goebbels.
Seanair says at 11.57
It doesn’t suit the Unionist media’s agenda to call on Lamont to condemn the English Harrow public school boy who organised the protest despite that he is financially supported by the Labour Party as a full time Labour Sabbatical Officer at Edinburgh University.
Only casualty was Farage’s bloated reputation.
Captain Caveman
It is only an own goal if you kick the ball. This was a small student demo organised by students opposed to UKIP right policies. Some were English, (one of the two briefly arrested is English) some were Labour Party members and I dare say some might have been radical SSP leaning independence supporters. This was not an SNP, Yes Scotland or anything similar event.
We have nothing to apologise for and I’m not convinced the students have much to apologise for either. He was heckled, he ran away, he threw hissy fit claiming it was anti-English racism, threw another hissy fit on the radio when an interviewer tried to point out some of the above and has got bucket loads of column inches because of it.
I’m guessing he is playing this up to garner more UKIP support in his home base and this has next to nothing to do with Scottish politics of which he clearly knows SFA.
“(although I do welcome their finally breaking the hapless political apathy of the average UK voter)”
Captain, can you define ‘the average UK voter’ for us, especially in the context of UKIP’s electoral results in Scotland when compared to its results in England?
If my friend, well connected to the inner Glasgow Labour circles, and mentioned by me in one of the above posts is correct there would appear to be a tie between the Labour party and UKIP in their efforts to malign the SNP as a racist party. As regards the Scottish Labour party this should not surprise us as there has been a concerted effort on their part, since they lost the last election, to use any means to gain this end and their puppet masters in London are now fully involved in the same game.
According to the media down South this ploy seems to be succeeding and no mention is being made of the involvment of parties outwith Scotland having a leading share in Thursdays demonstration. Even the rag of a newspaper from the East of Scotland, is getting, what I believe is a first mention in the BBCs newspaper review on Ceefax, they of course, as is usual with anything put out by the BBC, are toeing the unionist line in their efforts to denigrate the people of this country.
Tom Hogg:
I hope you won’t mind but I copied your comment to a discussion on my own blog. It is so important that people know that the media was lying through its teeth about this man and his press conference.
I’ll take it down if you object of course.
Tris
Looking at Farage’s coupon in the photo above reminds me slightly of old Edward VIII – that is spooky!
Up until the last two days, I was superbly confident that a more egalitarian Scotland will give Farage, short shrift, and the polls seem to bear this out.
I have to say that now I am not so sure, having listened to numerous rants on FB Independence pages, indicating some surprising and substantial support for ‘Farage’ around EU and Immigration. Some of the comments were quite racist.
The thing is, it’s SLAB that will lose out massively, if this party does survive it’s precarious political honeymoon, and get its toe in the door in Scotland
FB pages are not where you will find incisive political debate, but you will be at the coalface, and have the best chance of uncovering a seam of UKIP feelings.
Frightening.
The sooner we can get a YES and start to turn Scotland around… Not a moment too soon in my view.
Up until the last two days, I was superbly confident that a more egalitarian Scotland will give Farage, short shrift, and the polls seem to bear this out.
Yes, they do. If there is any indication of a UKIP rise, it’s for Westminster, is a few % and taking most from the Tories. All it might do is cost us one panda. Sorry Tory MP.
@scottish_skier Thanks. Did the polls cover all extremities? I had a real sense of rising racism in poor areas and some initial connections being made to UKIP rhetoric..
Probably since they started appearing on TV past few months. Although as I wouldn’t pay attention, I have no idea what kind of coverage they got up here.
“ianbrotherhood says:
17 May, 2013 at 9:24 pm
“This is for real:” link to topsy.com
eh? did I miss something, just some spanish guys talking, well spanish, even translating it gave nothing ?
am I being thick here Ian?
“I’m off to oil my pitch fork. ”
wait a minute I’ll come with you, I’ve got a scythe that could do with a sharpen
I wrote this yesterday in the telegraph
“jdman
17 hours ago
I read the headline and I genuinely thought I was going to read an article about the sneer campaign against the yes camp,
but no,
it appears Graham Archer thinks the sneering is coming FROM the yes camp? really?
how long did you actually spend in Glasgow before you hightailed it back to the smoke?
read any article on any given day and the weight of disdain from the media is overwhelming by anyone’s standards, the sneering is coming from people like Cochrane, Johnson, Gardham, et al”
and the response I got was this
Davids
13 hours ago
“What crap is jdman uttering now?
He seems no longer to be able to speak English, Oh sorry jdman that you are forced to speak English rather than one of the queer Gaelic dialects, then again we might have some sympathy for your mental state.”
I fear I might have upset him
@john king-
No, not thick at all. It was just the guy’s name that I found amusing (Calmanball) – sorry if it was a time-waster…
I went to see John Cooper Clarke tonight, and his warm up act was a guy called Luke Wright, who did this poem that I was rather taken with. 😀
link to soundcloud.com
His comment ‘Didn’t they do well?’ about the demo in Edinburgh got a loud cheer too. 🙂
@HoraceSaysYes-
Re Luke Wright.
Brilliant stuff.
Can’t help thinking it’s what Ian Dury would’ve written about Farage if he’d lived long enough to see such characters appearing to prosper in the England he loved. (Mind you, I’m quite sure Dury would’ve given him both barrels, spared no obvious ‘unt’-endings!)