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Wings Over Scotland


Under test conditions

Posted on September 06, 2017 by

One of the handiest things for truth-seeking political commentators (admittedly a rare breed) is that the three component nations that make up Great Britain currently all have different parties in government, so it’s always possible to measure the rhetoric of the main parties against their actions in the bit they’re actually in charge of.

So when Scottish Labour, for example, try to grab the credit for the SNP ending the public sector pay freeze by claiming that they’re “following Labour’s lead”, it’s a simple matter to look to Wales – where Labour run the Assembly – and note that the pay freeze there is very much still in place, with the Labour executive, unlike the Scottish Government, refusing to find the money to end it from its own budget.

(The same is true for many other policies the Scottish Government has implemented to fight Tory austerity, like free university tuition and mitigating the bedroom tax.)

And the Tories are no less hypocritical.

The Scottish Conservatives website yesterday launched an attack on the SNP over the number of vacant jobs in nursing.

And that’s all fair enough. But is there a part of the UK where the Tories run the NHS, so we can see how those figures look in context?

Ah. So where Scotland has a worrying all-time high of 5.2% of nursing positions going unoccupied, England currently has 40,000 vacancies for nurses in an NHS which employs 285,000 – that’s 12.3% of jobs going unfilled, almost two-and-a-half times as many as Scotland.

Scottish Tory health spokesman Miles Briggs said of the Scottish situation:

“This is a problem created by the SNP, which continually gets worse. In an organisation the size of the NHS, there will always be a certain number of vacancies. But this now accounts for thousands of nurses, midwives and consultants.

The consequence of that is a huge reduction in the standard of care offered to patients, and a miserable existence for staff left over to pick up the slack. Nothing the SNP government is doing to address this appears to be working.

The nationalists have been in charge of health for a decade, and in that time have presided over failure. It’s time for a proper explanation as to why this has been allowed to happen.”

So it stands to reason that his own party must equally be responsible for the far worse stats south of the border. And what are the Tories doing about it?

Oh yeah, that’s right – frantically driving away prospective nurses by the thousands, as well as large numbers of the ones who are already here. And without control of its own immigration policy, of course, Scotland suffers the knock-on effects of that along with the rest of the UK.

As in so many other fields, the Scottish Government appears to be working miracles to protect Scotland from the worst consequences of UK government decisions. But under such conditions its efforts amount to trying to fix a broken leg with sticking plasters. Which may soon be the only treatment the NHS can provide.

.

[EDIT 10.24am: an NHS staffer got in touch on seeing the post to say this:

WTEs are Whole Time Equivalents. That is to say, the reason the number of vacancies has risen is that the Scottish Government is seeking to replace expensive agency temp nurses with normal full-time employees, thereby delivering more nurses for less money. In the short term this obviously means an increase in advertised positions.]

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293 to “Under test conditions”

  1. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    Opposition for opposition sake and a heady mix of hypocrisy tainted cringe.

    The basic tactic of the British Nationalist parties appears to follow a very predictable path. ‘We’ve fucked up! Now you sort it out.’

    Projection and deflection. A bit like bacon and eggs where establishment parties are concerned. They’re a canny lot tho’. They cannae do responsibility. They cannae do apology. They cannae do duty of care and they cannae tie their own shoelaces without the aid of an adult supervisor.

    A case of same shit, different day.

  2. sydthesnake
    Ignored
    says:

    Things can only get better, NOT, these are the consequences of Brexit we’re NOT getting told about, the compliant MSM are assisting in this crime that could result in the NHS collapsing, sometimes I think this is the plan, this will allow the NHS to be privatized and the filthy rich creaming more money from us and being portrayed by the MSM as our saviors.

    Syd

  3. Jack Collatin
    Ignored
    says:

    Yet another fat Tory Boy banging his gums, SNP Badding:
    Doubtless Sarah Smith will add ‘critics say’ and this load of Blue Tory Nonsense will be broadcast as gospel on BBC PQ news outlets all day to day.
    They are killing our citizens by forcing their Red Blue and Yellow British Nationalist policies on a country which did not vote for them, yet this unelected Phat Phuk gets air time to spout Btit Nat Tosh like this
    Their Brexit world is about to come tumbling down on their tin foil heads, and they know it.

  4. gordoz
    Ignored
    says:

    So well put have to print out and use this!

    Glad to see you back on form like this Rev.
    Top stuff

  5. Sunniva
    Ignored
    says:

    Miles Briggs is always putting the boot in to the SNP plus getting his face in cute pictures with kiddies trying to detoxify the Tory. Media over drive. Who is behind it?

  6. Malky
    Ignored
    says:

    Another light shone on the glaring hypocrisy of two vacuous parties with nothing constructive to offer beyond their own self-interests.

  7. Feel_loon
    Ignored
    says:

    Great article again
    Between this and seeing that absolute balloon Fallon all over tv smiling about selling the Clyde boys down river
    Raging
    It’s got to happen soon or we are truely shafted
    What a sad sad embarrassing place the uk is

  8. Alex Beveridge
    Ignored
    says:

    My contempt and disgust for Westminster increases daily. With the leaking of the Home Office document yesterday which makes it crystal clear that immigrants are not welcome in the U.K, it’s no wonder we are losing essential workers at, what will be, an increasingly alarming rate.
    Since my life was saved a few years ago, by firstly an Indian doctor, with assistance from a West Indian medic, both working fro the S.N.H.S, and then my recovery was made complete by an Irish surgeon who performed the procedure required for me to be here today, I find it absolutely appalling that people who want to come to Scotland and make a life for themselves here are going to be prevented from doing so by an increasingly dysfunctional Westminster administration who are condemning all of the U.K to a human catastrophe unprecedented in our history.
    When our opportunity to leave this shambles comes, as it surely must, we must vote Yes, otherwise we are condemning future generations of Scots to misery for years to come.

  9. winifred mccartney
    Ignored
    says:

    Wish the National could have a page like the one above every day to call out all the lies, half-truths and downright fiction spouted by the MSM and BBC so that everyone could have the truth.

    I still know people who think the BBC is ‘gospel’ although I do know someone yesterday who was astounded there were no great pictures of Queensferry Crossing in the MSM and who for the first time began to wonder!

    Great way to compare – say what labour in Wales not doing and Tories in WM and everyone will see Labour and Tory – total hypocrisy, total liars.

  10. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    ‘Lord’ Robertson. What a liar. Westminster created and funded ISIS. Bombing the Middle East to bits for years Wasting £Billions of taxpayers money. £Trns in debt. Illegal wars and foreign policies. Money which could have funded NHS/Education and public services. Then trying to blame people in Scotland who campaigned against it. The unionists are just two faced liars. Robertson and Fallon are two faced dangerous ignorant incompetents. Warmongering psychopaths. They just make people more annoyed and angry. MSM tax evading Non Dom owners. They are not even UK residents. Illegal foreigners. Twisted greedy criminals. MSM reconstructed debt.

  11. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    It is never about different policies, or implementions, or mitigations, or even due criticism … it’s about excuses, often feeble, to propagate the SNPBaaad message at every available opportunity.

  12. JaMur
    Ignored
    says:

    An industrial blow torch wouldnae mark their purulent crooked necks.

  13. wull2
    Ignored
    says:

    The problem is, most people remember how much of the VOW and SHIPS eventually were delivered.
    Vote YES next time.

  14. heraldnomore
    Ignored
    says:

    oh, ffffrigates

  15. Highland Wifie
    Ignored
    says:

    NHS England is about to go into meltdown. Asking government for £300m to survive the coming winter. When the full reality of the privatisation of their NHS hits the public they’ll want to take Scotland down with them in the media storm. We must keep telling people how different SNHS is.
    Well done Stu.

  16. Scottish Steve
    Ignored
    says:

    No-voting Scots and true believer British nationalists up here do not deserve the protection the SNP offer them from Westminster’s excesses. The SNP bend over backwards to mitigate Tory policies and all they get from unionists is more blame, more whinging and more grievance.

    If only there was a way to remove them from said protection. We’d soon see how much they loved London rule then.

  17. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    Quangos and managers run the Health Boards in Scotland and Wales.

    Quangos and managers run the Health Trusts in England.

    The politicians mainly talk a lot of keech for lots of money.

    They take the credit when it’s good news and say: nothing to do with us, blame the Health Boards, when the news is bad or there’s a problem.

  18. Muscleguy
    Ignored
    says:

    The Yoon parties seem not to have realised we live in the Information Age. They are treating folk like they live as mushrooms. Some may do so, technophobes, but the vast majority are online and willing and able to check stuff even if it’s just asking their facebook circle.

    Remember SLAB complaining about that? that they couldn’t lie to folk any more as they would fact check and then distrust them. Which also puts Corbyn’s howlers when he was up here campaigning recently in context. It would seem he can’t look up Wikipedia on Scotland either. Too busy looking up vegan recipes probably. Still, it leaves more haggis for the rest of us.

  19. Davis S. Briggs
    Ignored
    says:

    @colin alexander

    There are no ‘Trusts’ in Scotland. Wales & England have them. You have pointed this out. That there are no ‘Trusts’ makes a huge difference in the management & funding of the Scotish Health Service. What quango’s in Scotland are you talking about?

  20. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    A living experiment. How clever.
    I’m looking forward to FMQs on Thursday. Alex Rowley will be on fire – not.

    For those new to the site, here’s the link to bookmark for Scottish Parliament debates and FMQs. Don’t bother listening to the rubbish that the media present:
    https://www.scottishparliament.tv/

    Committee debates there too e.g. at the moment the Forestry and Land Management (Scotland) Bill is being discussed in committee – for anoraks!

  21. Phronesis
    Ignored
    says:

    The NHS – that old political battleground with the same demographic and socioeconomic pressures in all devolved nations. Tricky to compare systems north and south of the border when the internal market is being encouraged in England ,the English NHS is being privatised piecemeal and the whole accountability and governance framework in England is removed from central government. That happens when a Government that does not believe in strong state support or that society exists keeps getting voted in by a society that doesn’t believe in itself.

    ‘We agree that STPs and the ‘accountable care’ system will ironically lead to less accountability, allowing closure of local services under the financial pressures exerted by NHS England’

    nhap.org/time-to-fight-back-on-the-stps/

    ‘The new BMA GPs committee chair, Richard Vautrey, told BMA News action must be taken to make general practice an attractive area of medicine again in the face of decades of underinvestment, rising patient numbers and the failure to recruit and retain staff to meet demand…
    ‘There’s a risk if you have a separate organisation, it becomes a competitor, not a support to the system’

    http://www.bma.org.uk/news/2017/july/plan-to-push-for-more-funds?

  22. Lenny Hartley
    Ignored
    says:

    I cannot imagine how bad it’s going to be for the SNHS post Brexit if we don’t escape.
    My life was saved by an Iraqi surgeon, I had Indian , Pakistani And other Nationality Doctors treat me and had the tender care of Nurses from the Phillipeans and all over the EU. Surely to eveybodies invisible friend that the Scots will see sense next time!

  23. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    A very British tale of two countries. Its really not fair at all and it could see the return of red tory Holyrood. At the very least, massed ranks of UK hacks in Scotland will instantly flip from monstering Scots gov, to worshiping it.

  24. ronnie anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=S9rgxzLJXlA Too start the day of laughfing

  25. jfngw
    Ignored
    says:

    Remember the unionist party mantra, you can’t measure your success by comparing it to other UK regions. Except when they believe the figures are worse in Scotland, it will then be a BBC headline.

    The headline will always be SNP bad even when the figures are the best in the UK, you can envisage what the Rep Scot headline today will be ‘crises in NHS Scotland as vacancies reach all-time high’. There will be no analysis beyond what the SNP failures are and quotes from at least three party leaders. The loss of EU workers will be a short comment tagged on the end after most have stopped listening.

  26. Meg merrilees
    Ignored
    says:

    What’s this about regenerating shipbuilding across England and outer England?

    hears an echo….13 frigates to be built in Scotl..a…n….

    I smell a smell.

  27. Meg merrilees
    Ignored
    says:

    Sent too soon – apologies

    This article tells it as it is.

  28. jfngw
    Ignored
    says:

    Someone recently was querying if there was any source of Rep Scot prior to SNP government. There are a few on youtube, mostly just the opening credits but many of these have the headlines. The intros seem to be less anti SG and not a ‘critics say’ comment in any of them I found.

  29. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Planet toryboy, red and blue, explained to Japan. Imagine a yew kay not run by dingdongs that have ruined sterling, sold off everything we all once owned, ripped up our EU citizenship under our noses. If youre wondering why all UKOK fuel is so expensive for example…

    https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2017/09/05/commentary/world-commentary/weak-currencies-careful-wish/#.Wa-2O8iGOUm

    Is the current sterling weakness — and its mirror, the euro’s strength — all to do with Brexit? Only slightly. The truth is that pound depreciation has been going on for decades

  30. HeehawBaws
    Ignored
    says:

    It was drummed into us that we were too wee and too poor to survive without being supported by altruistic Westminster.
    No matter how dire things get, this narrative won’t change. How much of a basket case are we supposed to believe we are?

  31. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    How much of a basket case are we supposed to believe we are?

    Its a good point because as we all know, Scotland’s middle and upper middle classes enjoy a very high standard of living, if only because housing is much cheaper than in England.

    So for example, this UK gov propagandist is surrounded by ;pads of other UK gov propagandists, all earning ten times more than the Scots, they are relentlessly brainwashing into accepting that Scotland’s a shit hole.

    http://www.thenational.scot/news/14989377.We_ll_win_back_trust__vows_new_BBC_Scotland_chief_Donalda_MacKinnon/

  32. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    Meg merrilees says:

    outer England

    OUTER ENGLAND

    Love it! 😉

  33. Scott
    Ignored
    says:

    Sir Edward Brian Stanford Mountain, 4th Baronet is a Scottish Conservative MSP and very,very rich.

    This person in todays P&J “tory paper” is calling for Shona Robson to resign over her handling of NHS Highland this being the case will he be asking for his Tory health man to go as NHS England is in a much worse state maybe someone should point this out to him.

  34. gordoz
    Ignored
    says:

    You have to lauhgLets face it. Look at the facts before our eyes people.

    If the yet to decide YES/NO switherers in the Govan Shipyards, NHS, Education, Universities, Commerce, Oil/Gas, Tourism, Farming etc cant see whats coming and think the Tories will ever save them, or that Labour ever even cared about them then they deserve everything they get, (Brexit or otherwise).

    I exclude the eejits in ‘East Coast’ fishing & general Helensburgh area Trident base etc; The colonized Northern Isles and ‘well settled’ Borders for obvious reasons (apologies to all YES voting foot-soldiers in those areas but your pretty stuck with dogmatic blighty intransigence I’m afraid).

  35. gordoz
    Ignored
    says:

    You have to laugh. Lets face it. Look at the facts before our eyes people.

    If the yet to decide YES/NO switherers in the Govan Shipyards, NHS, Education, Universities, Commerce, Oil/Gas, Tourism, Farming etc cant see whats coming and think the Tories will ever save them, or that Labour ever even cared about them then they deserve everything they get, (Brexit or otherwise).

    I exclude the eejits in ‘East Coast’ fishing & general Helensburgh area Trident base etc; The colonized Northern Isles and ‘well settled’ Borders for obvious reasons (apologies to all YES voting foot-soldiers in those areas but your pretty stuck with dogmatic blighty intransigence I’m afraid).

  36. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    The Tories have cut NHS funding £20Billion. Education £6Billion a year. They raise £47Billion less in taxes after 7 years. (tax cuts for the weatherstripping). Westminster caused the worst migration crisis in Europe since 11WW costing £Billions. Illegal wars costing £Trns. Robertson and Fallon are warmongering psychopaths. The created and funded ISIS. Bombing the Middle East to bits. Supporting illegal fascist regimes and total absolute despot monarchies. Regimes which would not be tolerated in the US/UK. Totally in debt. Robertson has a damn cheek blaming people in Scotland who campaigned against these policies. Labour were warned about the increase in terrorism their illegal invasions would cause.

    Scotland has always raised more in taxes under the illegal Westminster tax regime. Westminster has taken £Billions out of Scotland and lied about it for decades.

    Thank goodness for the SNP Gov standing up for Scotland. Dread to think what Scotland would be likewithiut it. Vote SNP/SNP Vote for Independence. It will come soon. There will be another GE soon.

  37. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    Davis S. Briggs said:

    “There are no ‘Trusts’ in Scotland. Wales & England have them. You have pointed this out. That there are no ‘Trusts’ makes a huge difference in the management & funding of the Scottish Health Service. What quango’s in Scotland are you talking about?”

    Colin replied:

    If you mean Trusts are a change for the worse when it comes to delivering top quality health care in the most efficient and economical way, then I would agree with that.

    Health Boards are classed as a type of Quango.

  38. ronnie anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    @ heedtracker Donalda MacKinnon’s at the bottom of the Bbc totem pole way way below the Dae whit yer telt line a proudscots butt to quell the natives .

  39. geeo
    Ignored
    says:

    Great stuff as ever!!

    However, i fear indy is soon to be dead in the water.

    Lesley Laird (labour muppet…now what did she do recently to attract ridicule?) has demanded a seat on the JMC to “give it credibility”..

    Pity the JMC has not sat since February and Damien Greene has met instead with the devolved governments not being conveniently run by WM.

    Seems the hapless Lesley Laird is barking up the wrong tree…again !!

    Lesley Laird has shown all the critical attributes to be the new labour leader in Scotland, this latest nonsense is merely her CV.

  40. geeo
    Ignored
    says:

    Yeah….forgot the link for last post…haha
    http://archive.is/IKoP6

  41. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Multimillionaire farmer Tories getting £Millions in non declared subsidies. Pleading poverty. Greedy, nasty little men. Blaming the SNP for 40 years of unionist policies they did not support. They are despicable. Lying in Parliament. It is unionist councils who are cutting education funding. Wasting money on groteque monstrosities no one wants. Ruining city centres. Wasting £Billions of public money.

  42. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    ronnie anderson says:
    6 September, 2017 at 10:40 am
    @ heedtracker Donalda MacKinnon’s at the bottom of the Bbc totem pole way way below the Dae whit yer telt line a proudscots butt to quell the natives .

    Donaldo’s on a cool £170 BBC grand a year.

    Are you Ronnie?

    £170 grand a year of SNP bad, Scotland’s a shit hole, Rule Britannia and above all else, vote SLab or SCons.

    How about midway up the UKOK propaganda totem pole, in their Scotchland region?

    Yoons of the wild frontier do need to be incentivised.

  43. ronnie anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    From Bra’s to Bitcoin Baroness Mone promoting Bitcoin , his she’s geid up her part time job of touring the country encouraging the youth on how to become successful in business .

  44. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    I exclude the eejits in ‘East Coast’ fishing & general Helensburgh area Trident base etc;

    Wee Ginger Dog did mention that Trident does keep open a Tesco 24 in Helensburgh.

    Costing the Earth
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08kv4bf

    Is a good listen to, if only to hear beeb gimps grapple with all kinds of rule britannia, scotland doesnt exist, maybe the EU is not that bad etc

    Anyway one of these shows ends with a frank interview with a bean counter who explains that the whole of the UK fishing industry is actually very small. “UK biscuit manufacturers for example are much bigger export earners than the fash,” explained the nice lady.

    Are they! exclaimed beeb gimp. Lets check. Yes they are. UK fish makes hardly any money at all.

    And yet here we are in Scotland, endlessly vote NO browbeaten by big smelly rotten BBC/UKOK attack propaganda, of the almost non existent fish industry.

    Cant think why massed ranks of tory liggers in all Scottish newsrooms decided fish is the vote NO vote Leave winner.

  45. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    And the Tory argument surfaces once again, it’s always the SNPs fault for being the SNP and we’ll call them vile names to prove it
    If the SNP do nothing they’re guilty of neglect, if they do something it’s the wrong thing, if things work out it’s the broad shoulders of the Inglish government making the tough decisions

    Thing is the facts speak for themselves the SNP given their limited resources do a better job because they put a shift in working at it

  46. Dorothy Devine
    Ignored
    says:

    Heedtracker , what fun to read that pathetic piece from Pathetic Quay – I suspect ‘trust’ is in short supply these days , even shorter than it was before.

    So let’s hear it for Donalda folks – ready? ‘Ra ‘Ra!

  47. ronnie anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    Re Writing of history Adam Boulton ( Sky news ) Saddam Hussain/Gaddafi gave up their WMDs , whits that saying about fooling people all of the time , brainwashing is by nature supposed to be a fine art, not a blunt instrument .

  48. Dan Huil
    Ignored
    says:

    The effects of britnat brexit will only get worse. I’m confident more and more people in Scotland will realize the damage being done to Scotland. There will always be self-hating Scots who will, thanks to the britnat bbc propaganda etc, continue to think the so-called united kingdom is good for Scotland but their number will decrease.

    Meanwhile, don’t pay the bbc tax.

  49. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    Meanwhile over at the Times Alex Massie can’t think of a thing to write so just goes with

    I hate Nicola Sturgeon…so there

    Then he stamps his wee foot

  50. Legerwood
    Ignored
    says:

    There is also a shortage of GPS across the UK.

    BHS England has announced it is to spend £100 million trying to recruit at least 3000 GPs from abroad.

    Most of that money will go to a recruitment agency or two who will be paid a premium – £20,000 – per GP.

    The hope is that the bulk of the GPS will be recruited from Europe!! Aw bless. Brexit anyone?

    At the same time the UK Government is planning to make it difficult for EU national’s to stay here and to come here. They also have immigration policies in place and operating now that will see upwards of 6000 nurses deported per year because they have been here 6 years and don’t earn £35,000 pa

    It is not so much that the UK Government’s right hand does not know what it’s left hand is doing when it comes to policies and their consequences, they are not even connected to the same bl***y body!

  51. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    Meanwhile the Tories have set up agencies abroad in countries outwith the EU, such as in India, Pakistan and the Philipines, in an attempt to attract nursing / social care staff to the UK (maybe doctors too). Channel 4 highlighted that it’s costing them £5000 a head in comparison to the £2500 a head it was costing to get EU nurses / home care staff on board. They’re also having problems in recruiting due to many applicants being unable to speak English. I wonder how many people in the UK are aware of this and if this Tory policy ‘fits’ with many Brexiteers key aim of ridding England, and Scotland for that matter, of furriners especially those with a dark complexion. These people have been duped as Diane Abbott tried to point in the lead up to the EU referendum when she was shouted down during one particular debate. Additionally asking if people thought we could attract NHS staff from countries that pay much higher wages.

    And of course there are those who are more concerned about religion, rather than the colour of a face, who don’t want any more Muslims entering the country. Looks as though they have been duped there too when you take into account that the populace of most EU countries is predominantly Christian.

    People like Farage also influenced the EU vote by scaremongering about millions of Turkish people heading our way when there was no sign of them being allowed to join the EU at all. Reiterated once again by Merkel last week. Meanwhile Theresa May has been doing deals with Erdogan which will no doubt include handing out visas hand over fist. The latter being the case as she seeks deals in Asia and the Far East.

    The whole saga is a massive cluster fudge from beginning to end and the sooner we get out of this dysfunctional Union the better.

    ………………………………………..

    And just wanted to mention that my husband works for a company that employs hundreds of people with many of them on zero hour contracts. Part of his role is to show them the ropes. Every week he mentors the ‘newbies’ and then they move on to other departments. He’s noticed that more and more of them support independence, for example every one of the six new recruits this week are fervent Yessers.

  52. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Dorothy Devine says:
    6 September, 2017 at 11:08 am
    Heedtracker , what fun to read that pathetic piece from Pathetic Quay – I suspect ‘trust’ is in short supply these days , even shorter than it was before.

    Yes, it used to be, “why are these lying bastards lying to me now?”

    But everyone in Scotland knows why now and all the time.

    Donaldo’s on £170k, the Graun ligger that cooked up this pack of lies about Scotland this week, probably £25k?

    Summed up by one comment.

    http://archive.is/LilEI

    montfleury 2h ago

    The headline;

    Nicola Sturgeon: time is right to consider raising taxes in Scotland

    The quote on which it is based;

    Ahead of the budget, we will publish a paper that will set out the current distribution of income tax liabilities in Scotland; analyse a variety of different options, including the proposals of the other parties across Parliament; explain the interaction between tax policy and the fiscal framework; and provide international comparisons.

    Not quite through the looking glass but definitely down the rabbit hole.

  53. Legerwood
    Ignored
    says:

    Sorry forgot to put the link to the story in the Guardian about the recruitment drive for GPS from abroad

    http://archive.is/0wPqe

    Also should be NHS England. I have an awful job with this predictive text thingy. It refuses to learn and now that I can’t spank it …what’s a girl to do?

  54. Tatu3
    Ignored
    says:

    Could the government maybe find some money to enable the Scottish shipbuilders to build electric powered ferries? Like the Norwegians have. That would be good for the economy, jobs etc

  55. Prof John Robertson
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m not in the Wee Blue Links (What have I done?) so a wee reminder of my blog if that’s OK

    http://www.scoop.it/t/talking-up-scotland

  56. Calum McKay
    Ignored
    says:

    In sum, the NHS in England is on its knees, Scotland is managing.

    The bbc foggy the waters by reporting X, Y and Z is wrong with the English NHS, avoiding identifying blame (in Scotland the SNP is always blamed) plus extending and attributing the problem to others without examination or evidence.

    1. Problems with English NHS are due to rising public demand coupled with increased expectations, brexit staff induced shortages, lack of funds and new, but expensive treatments – at no time do they hang blame on the tory government and privatisation

    2. They then state similar situations pertain in the devolved nations’ NHS. No examination or analysis, just a bland statement.

    Most viewers will be left with impression they are all as bad as each other, others will question, ‘OK, let’s see the evidence?’

    Also, for the English NHS no mention of using FOIs?

    It’s a stitch up job at worst, at best condescending lazy journalism.

    We should question the bbc on this kind of journalism as and when it takes place!

  57. ronnie anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    @ heedtracker Am I oan £ 170 grand ah year , let me think oan that ( quik heidrumhodrum ) NAW .

  58. Graf Midgehunter
    Ignored
    says:

    Regarding the NHS.

    We’ll always have this problem with the propaganda bandits at the beeb/MSM as long as the word “National” is in the title.

    NHS of Sco, NHS of Eng, NHS of Wales etc.

    The word “National” is the open door for mixing any combination of statistics/graphs from any one or more of the 4 NHS entities.
    The Rev’s article proves it.

    There is IMO only one way, apart from independence, to counter it. Change the name of the SCOT. NHS to something like the SHS – Scottish Health Service. HSS Healh Service of Scoland.

    No “National”

    The yoons/beeb will either scream blue murder and inadvertently highlight that there is a difference between the Scot. NHS and the others – good PR for us.

    Or. Keep their gobs shut and watch the door slowly shut as the nation-wide changeover takes place. That way the whole population learns and knows about it – good PR for us.

    And no it won’t be expensive when spread over a length of time, when new supplies are required etc.

  59. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    DUP now Rees Mogg. Tory bigots and racists must be delighted.

    Countries (Norway) pay more taxes but get higher wages (double). So they pay higher taxes (50%) but are still left with more (untaxed) money (disposable income). They pay no taxes on the money which is equivalent to annual incomes in the UK. They are over 50% better off by comparison. Illegal wars, financial fraud and tax evasion.

    One of the biggest way to end up in poverty is drink/drug abuse. 10% (20% in relative poverty). Many countries do through taxation or limitation control. Any public money should only be put into proper ‘one chance’ total abstinence drug rehab counselling. Cheaper than prison. Too many drug services/allocation advocate to ‘drink wine with a meal’ or ‘sensible’ social drinking . For addictive personalities that is not an option. Enough is never enough. It is killing people. Healthcare professionals – doctors etc – get no drug/drink addiction medical training , unless they specialise. Unionist councils do not now properly fund social care. Support inappropriate methadone programmes which do not work long term.

    Minimum pricing will be a start. Taken over four years. A final decision still two to five months away. After the Scottish parliament voted for it, except Labour? Costs Scotland over £1Billion a year.

  60. Marie Clark
    Ignored
    says:

    My level of contempt for Westminster and the Britnats at Holyrood knows no bounds. The constant attempt to brainwash us by the MSM is vomit inducing.

    Okay Ruthie baby, we know whaterver the Scottish Government do it’s SNP BAAAAAD. Well, and here’s a novel idea, let’s hear YOUR policies for Scotland. After all, most of what we are up against at the moment, is caused by YOUR party. So come on then big mooth, tell us how YOU are going to sort it out for the people of Scotland.

    Engerland is in one hell of a mess thanks to YOUR party. I would worry if I lived there and took ill. The health service is on the point of total collapse down there, Brexit is a nightmare of the TORIES volition. A bun fight that got out of hand thanks to a bunch of spineless, arrogant tossers.

    SLAB are even worse than the Tories. The very real and viceral hatred of the SNP rules all. It has almost killed them off in Scotland, again boys and girls of SLAB, let’s hear your policies for Scotland. But no, your too busy fighting amongst yourselves let ferrets in a sack. Useless, a complete and utter waste of space the lot of them.

    Never mind SNP BAAAAD, BAAAADDDDEERRRR than BAD.

    I quite like oor Nicola’s plans, it looks like and independent countries plans to a certain extent. Real plans to move the country forward and better peoples lives. That’s the very fact that the Yoons hate. How dare you think for yourselves and make things better. You’ll dae whit yer telt and be bliddy miserable cause we say so. Yoons, away an bile yer heid.

    Sorry for the rant folks, but these twats fair rip ma knittin sometimes.

  61. Graf Midgehunter
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Tinto Chiel (says) O/T from yesterday:

    “Graf: could you put me out my misery re. the gravatar. Is it the foghorn at Ardnamurchan Point?”

    No, it’s better than that. It’s the “World famous” Kinnaird Head foghorn in lovely Fraserburgh. 🙂 Next stop Norway.

    Just down the road from my birthplace. (Not so famous..!)

  62. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    ronnie anderson says:
    6 September, 2017 at 11:41 am
    @ heedtracker Am I oan £ 170 grand ah year , let me think oan that ( quik heidrumhodrum ) NAW .

    Have you ever?

    Its fascinating just how much money beeb gimps pay each other, for what is effectively just another public sector/civil service branch of the UK.

    Their wage bill total must be close to half licence fee income alone. Its one of Crash Gordo’s red tory great triumphs, pushing up pay scales like Donaldo’s, way up, over and above the hoiphalloi.

    You can see that in all professions that Crash Gordo was in charge of. Middle and upper middle class pay scales vaulted way over the lowest in the UK.

    It makes a lot of sense too though, for red tory goons like Crash in particular. Who votes the most? pay them much more than everyone who doesn’t vote.

    Its why Crash looked so shell shocked as he lied his way through his Project Fear stuff in 2014, terrorising piss poor Scottish pensioners in particular. Normally he’d never have to bother, its what he hiked beeb gimp wages up for, and up and up…

    Other mental as anything wages of the great UKOK public sector news. Heads of UK uni’s now earning over £400 grand a year, may be under threat if PM JC is honest about scrapping UK tuition fees. Why though, uni heads in Scotland earn just as much as their English colleagues.

  63. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Brexit. The Tories are negotiating a settlement which will cost more for less, with more red tape for business. Rees Mogg for PM should finish them off.

  64. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    @Marie Clark

    “I quite like oor Nicola’s plans, it looks like an independent country’s plans to a certain extent. Real plans to move the country forward and better peoples lives.”

    Spookily I posed a question or two elsewhere on my impression of the FMs programme for government:

    Heh. Usual suspects and their media moving into full spin cycle and they have reason to. The poor dears appear awfy nervous. Maybe just me, but that programme for government seemed to propose just that… a programme for government.

    Think about that, then ask yourself the obvious question. In fact pose yourself one or two more than that.

    How do you put clear water between two parliaments and two systems of government? How do you underline the case for independence without campaigning for it? How do you make clear the priorities and duties for a Scottish government?

    Well spotted Marie. 🙂

  65. One_Scot
    Ignored
    says:

    Anyone who has Scotland’s best interests at heart might want to help out Craig.

    https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2017/09/save-craig-murray/

  66. Marie Clark
    Ignored
    says:

    Macart @ 12.05 thanks for that Macart. It’s no wonder the noise is being ramped up eh. They don’t like it up em, he he.

  67. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    Test for WoS readers:

    Question:

    How many of the “radical” policies just announced by the SNP are about promoting Scottish independence or Scottish sovereignty?

    A) All of them. B) Most of them C) None of them ?

  68. Proud Cybernat
    Ignored
    says:

    Man at C&A,

    Slowly, slowly, catchee monkey.

  69. Peter McCulloch
    Ignored
    says:

    I would say the hypocrisy of the unionists here in Scotland is breath taking, but then we have become used
    to this from them.

    While they are quick to condemn the Scottish Government over its management of the Scottish NHS,they aren’t so keen to have their parties management of the NHS in England and Wales highlighted.

  70. James Caithness
    Ignored
    says:

    Looks like the establishment is targetting prominent independence supporters. Could this be their tactic?

    https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2017/09/save-craig-murray/

  71. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    @Proud Cybernat

    I don’t know if you are referring to me, but can you expand on and explain:

    “Slowly, slowly, catchee monkey”?

    Is that A,B, or C?

  72. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    As One_Scot says above – Craig Murray under attack now with a libel suit in England. Like Andy Wightman, they are attempting to make people bankrupt to shut them up. Please donate if you can:
    https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2017/09/save-craig-murray/

  73. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Poverty has increased from 18% to 20% under the Tories It will likely increase more. The Tories have cut £18Billion from welfare spending. They are raising £47Billion a year less in taxes. Tax cuts for the wealthiest. Cut NHS £20Billion. Cut Education £6Billion a year. Spending £Billion on HS2, Hinkley Point and Trident. PPI. All a total waste of money.

    Scotland has always been illegally taxed higher than the rest of the UK. Westminster has illegally taken £Billions out of Scotland and lied about it for decade. Oil sector taxed at 40% a year since Jan 2017. Scotlabd raises £58Billion+. Gets back £50Billion. Scotland could raise more. Loses £20Bilion a year to Westminster mismanagement. £4Billion in Oil revenues, £3Billion in tax evasion. £Billions in loan repayments not borrowed or spent in Scotland, £Billions in EU renewable grants and CAP payments, because of Westminster indecision. Scotland can’t borrow to invest in the economy. £1Billion Trident, £1Billion in minimum pricing. Total over £20Billion. The UK accounts are fraudulent, especially for Scotland.

    May is a total liar. False. Fake. Increasing the wealth deficit in the UK.

  74. Dave McEwan Hill
    Ignored
    says:

    colin alexander at 12.29

    All of them actually. We don’t just talk the talk,we do the walk …or the “day job” as it is often called.

  75. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Peter McCulloch at 12:38pm ….. ”I would say the hypocracy of the Unionists here in Scotland is breathtaking …”

    And that includes some who visit and comment on this site, Peter.

  76. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    Let’s see how much the SNP give towards helping Craig Murray. I hope some people on here can spare something to help him and defend freedom of speech.

    It’s not just the rich that try to prevent freedom of speech.

    Health Boards and Councils here in Scotland do it every day of the year.

    Criticise or complain the actions of an official and you are threatened with the Unacceptable Actions Policy.

    “Derogatory remarks” or “rudeness” can trigger UAP.

    What is a derogatory remark? Derogatory definition:

    “showing a critical or disrespectful attitude”

    Rudeness, can mean bluntness, audacity, impudence.

    Put simply. If you have the cheek to dare criticise anyone for not doing their job properly. You are breaching the UAP.

    Article 10 of the Human Rights Act: Freedom of expression.

    A Human Right.

    Except when it comes to criticising anyone for not doing their job properly in public services in Scotland.

  77. Dave McEwan Hill
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T
    The National is a cracker today. Stuff from Kevin McKenna and WGD to keep (and Kevin repeats one of my favourite jokes)

    (cue Rock and some blithering shite)

  78. Ottomanboi
    Ignored
    says:

    UK govt.Defence Sec. Fallon on the Today prog. referring to the need for 13 frigates given the great ‘threat’ of Russian ‘aggression’ etc spoke of reviving English shipbuilding and Harland & Wolff based in Northern Ireland. His tack was very BritNat. DUP done good it seems. Anglia contra mundum?

  79. Peter McCulloch
    Ignored
    says:

    Obviously their barrage of negative SNP bad stories about the Scottish Government isn’t having the effect they hoped it would nor are they able to prevent the truth getting out
    on the social media..

    So it doesn’t surprise me the unionists are resorting to this tactic of attempting to shut people up by making them bankrupt.

  80. Socrates MacSporran
    Ignored
    says:

    We accept: “You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time”; but, the Yoons’ objective now seems to be to continue to fool enough of the people at the right time to defeat Indyref2 the same way it worked for Indyref1.

    We in the Independence Movement MUST find a way of getting the general public, who do not access Wings and like-minded sites, to see how the MMSM is lying to them and thus supporting the Unionist parties – or Scotland is doomed.

    Negating the media has to be THE big push for Indyref2.

    These lies cannot be allowed to continue.

  81. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    colin alexander says:
    6 September, 2017 at 12:55 pm
    Let’s see how much the SNP give towards helping Craig Murray. I hope some people on here can spare something to help him and defend freedom of speech.

    Is there really nothing you wont use to smear the SNP Colin A? I mean really nothing whatsoever?

    Bermuda’s getting another hurricane pounding right now, your challenge this afternoon is Colin A, how to smear the SNP with it all.

  82. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    Those who speak out should to a Tory Boy trick – nearly named a few Tory Boy names there, oops.

    They put it all in their wife’s name and pretend it’s not theirs.

  83. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Don’t like Craig Murray’s attacks on the SNP. Deletes and bans. Will donate because it is the Daily Mail liars. Hope Murray wins. Can’t get the donate facility to work. Could a Bank A/C details be given. It will raise more money.

  84. Michael McCabe
    Ignored
    says:

    @ colin alexander 12:39pm That’s nice. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JddNDtC-Yrs

  85. Ian Anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    In the intense frenzy of the media much is made of a country hell bent on enhancing its nuclear strike capability when large swathes of its population are living in poverty.

    Its government and leader with no popular mandate to rule are so concerned that they might loss power or end up with knives in their backs that the needs of the wider country are not only ignored but are actively acted against precisely because they are poor or disadvantaged.

    This same country is quickly alienating its nearest neighbours when independent observers ask why when engaging with them would enhance the country not diminish it.

    Everyone outside agrees that this course is increasingly looking like it could end in disaster, further damage its domestic economy and also badly damage the world’s economy.

    The country the media is obsessing about is very much in need of a new direction and is of course North Korea – on the other side of the planet.

    But there is another country much closer to home that shares these characteristics – the one we are currently shackled to.

    On the day that the Archbishop of Canterbury says the UK economic model is broken does anyone here think the UK Government will listen?

  86. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    “SHIPYARD workers in Glasgow have been “let down and betrayed” by the UK Government” headlines the Herald.

    I spoke to one of the workers when campaigning a few years ago. He said he was pro-indy, but scared to speak out, because he and the other ordinary workers were political footballs and under a lot pressure to keep silent.

    So, don’t condemn all the ordinary shipyard workers. It’s the GMB Union bosses and Labour politicians who deserve the blame.

  87. Peter McCulloch
    Ignored
    says:

    @Petra says:
    6 September, 2017 at 12:54 pm

    When I do criticise HQ its because I do not believe
    they are tough enough on Labour.
    Until we comprehensively defeat Labour here in Scotland
    we are not going to achieve independence.

    I like many others in the party I have put a great deal
    of time and effort down the years campaigning in by
    elections all over Scotland.

  88. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    So, don’t condemn all the ordinary shipyard workers. It’s the GMB Union bosses and Labour politicians who deserve the blame.

    Condemn them or not Colin A. You’d be surprise how little of a tiny F, they’d give for your condemnation.

    What planet are you currently SNP badding from Colin A?

  89. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Craig Murray criticised the SNP and very publicly denounced his membership. Now expecting money from SNP members. Eh.

    Give Bank a/c details. For goodness sake.

  90. louis.b.argyll
    Ignored
    says:

    Jeepers, Colin A, gets into every thread with his ‘I’m being sensible’ negativity.

    The inverted logic of the Unionists.

  91. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    Dental treatment not available in NHS England for poor people who are forced to pull out their own teeth. Shock:

    Dental charges for adults were introduced by the NHS in 1951.

    The cost of a check-up varies. In England it is £20.60, in Wales £13.50, in Northern Ireland prices start at £6.74, while check-ups in Scotland are free…

    Of those practices displaying information about new NHS patients, 48% were not accepting new adult patients, while 40% were not accepting new child patients.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-41113507

  92. Giving Goose
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T

    Regarding the Type 31 scary new frigate order (you know the boat – the one that’s keeping Putin awake at night *not*).

    Gary Cook, Scotland organiser for the GMB, is all in a tizz over at the Telegraph. He’s miffed because the Type 31 contracts were originally promised (exclusively) to the Upper Clyde, but now they will be built in other parts of the UK.

    If you’re looking for Gary Cook (and any other GMB officials responsible for the Clyde)while passing through the GMB office, he’s easy to spot. He’s the one with “MUG” printed on his forehead.

    What I cannot understand is why Unionists cannot see what I can see. The UK is shite, toast, bollocks, a parody, a joke, dishonest, broken………..I could go on.

    Maybe the big MUG sign dangling over their eyes is causing blindness.

  93. HanadnadShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    Colin

    We had a vote in 2014 because the SNP were a good government between 2007 and 2011. We will get our second chance because the SNP with perhaps with the Greens demonstrate that Scotland can be run well for the majority of its people.

    Consequently, I am pleased with the programme and the discombobulation amongst the Unionists is because they can see that it is a programme that creates interest and discussion. Can anyone remember anything about May’s programme? Sadly for Ruth, it is her party that can’t do the day job.

  94. One_Scot
    Ignored
    says:

    Every journalist, writer or political commentator that is prepared to put their neck on the line for Scotland and our benefit needs to know that we have their back, and every unionist who tries to take any of them down needs to know we have their back.

    And for what it is worth, I do not agree with everything that everyone says, but if they have Scotland’s Independence in their heart, then they can count on my support come what may.

    If they can take down one of us, they can take down all of us.

  95. Tinto Chiel
    Ignored
    says:

    Another great piece of analysis, Rev.: top form.

    I noticed Miles Briggs’ mean-spirited comments on Frank’s Law today in The National, where he stated it was Yoon party pressure which had forced a resistant SG to move on the issue, rather than the SG sensibly (given budgetary constraints) conducting a feasibility study first before deciding to legislate.

    Meanwhile the caring, sharing Conservatives doon sooth shower the Grenfell Tower survivors with their bounty and concern.

    And yet people in Scotland still vote for these bozos…..

    Thanks for the info, Graf @11.52. It looks an absolute belter of a foghorn. One thing less to worry about!

  96. Jack Murphy
    Ignored
    says:

    OT. Yesterday. Scottish Parliament TV. 14 minutes.
    First Minister. Statement for Government.

    SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT’S PROGRAMME FOR GOVERNMENT 2017-18.

    Scottish Parliament TV:
    http://tinyurl.com/y8948tab

  97. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    HanadnadShrimp

    What did you say to make oor Sevie moderate you H&S? He’s a right little hitler on his own turf:D

    HandandShrimp 5h ago
    This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our community standards. Replies may also be deleted. For more detail see our FAQs.

  98. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Scotland is paying £1Billion for Trident to fund jobs in the rest of the UK. Dumped on Scotland against the majorities wishes. 6 rusty subs at Rosyth. Pays £3.5Billion Defence. There are no even frigates to patrol Scotland’s shore. Scotland should be building ferries, Oil vessels and turbines on the Clyde. If not for decades of Westminster mismanagement. Norway builds 100 vessels a year.

    After the £Billions wasted on illegal wars, bombing the Middle East to bits. The Balfour Decoaration. Fallon wants to start a war with Russia. Stuck in the 1950’s. Russia protected the West in the 11WW. 26Million Russians died. Devastated the Russian economy. The Arms race 1970’s was bankrupting Russia and the US. Military spending in the US is extortionist. They are starving people. $Trns in debt.

    EU membership shared Defence costs saves money.

  99. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    As well as listening direct to the speeches and debates in the Scottish Parliament via scottishparliament.tv – the SNP website has a handy summary of the key points in the Programme for Government.

    So when the opposition parties moan loud and long on the BBC and people complain that there’s nothing happening, point them in the direction of this handy summary:
    http://tinyurl.com/ya2h97mc

  100. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    Mmmm, facts, I like facts.

    Unionists don’t.

  101. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    Heedtracker

    I was bit surprised to be deleted to be honest. I briefly said I thought it was a good and interesting programme.

    The only bit I can think was objectionable was the last which was along the lines of

    “You can tell it is a good programme because Ruth is back to clenched face and pointy finger. There will be more of that in the weeks ahead.

    This is good”

    Compared to some stuff said about Nicola it looked very mild. It is Severin though…or one of Santa’s little helpers 🙂

  102. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    HandandShrimp says:
    6 September, 2017 at 2:10 pm
    Heedtracker

    Just shows eh? What a bunch of tories that lot are. To be fair though, when Sevie is on BBC Scotland politics SNP bad tv, doing his SNP bad thing, he’s still got the decency to look really shifty.

    A lot of these guys have a rather psychotic SNP bad, anti Scottish democracy, joyous/hate zealotry on STV and BBC Scotland and it makes uncomfortable viewing. That NI bloke Clegg of the Daily Record is very creepy to watch. Its what he’s there to do, totally block Scottish progress down the road to nation statehood.

  103. Desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    re colin alexander says:

    How many of the “radical” policies just announced by the SNP are about promoting Scottish independence or Scottish sovereignty?
    A) All of them. B) Most of them C) None of them ?

    Colin, ever heard the prhase “You don’t need eyes to see, you need vision!”.

    The promotion of independence is all over those policies. If you cant see it, mores the pity but the image of Scotland as a vibrant inclusive caring and forward thinking nation is an as Independent image as anyone could ever envisage.

  104. William Wallace
    Ignored
    says:

    @HandandShrimp

    There is a wee crew of yoons that go around reporting pro indy comments and the moderators sometimes take them down after a flurry of reports as a sort of pre-emptive measure. I’ve had some reinstated before but, it’s oft too late to make a point in a particular discussion.

    I am now currently outright banned from commenting after giving Sev and the mods the “bunch of tory shill cnuts” treatment and wrecking the place with spam on a drunken excursion. 🙂

    I was happy to get a ban as I was tired of the constant “SNP baaaad” and “Scotland is shite” narrative. I don’t miss the place at all although there were some good debates there from time to time.

    It’s the last Yoon platform I will ever engage on that’s for sure, unless I am trolling it for my own entertainment. 😉

  105. Desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    @Macart, @Marie Clark

    In a recent TV show I watched, main character asks psychologist how he can get back to whwere he needed to be and they hit an impasse. A friend then says “Just go back straight in, forget the rejection ever happened!”.
    The psychologist nods and says “we call that approach “As if”” and off back he goes.

    I think that’s what Nicola and co are doing to an extent. Now stepping forward and acting “As if” they are running the country as an actual Independent nation..not some parish council.

    Soon enough people will recognise it and accept it as the norm\wanted outcome. The games afoot!

  106. Desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    Tatu3 says:
    Could the government maybe find some money to enable the Scottish shipbuilders to build electric powered ferries? Like the Norwegians have. That would be good for the economy, jobs etc

    Thinking forward, cant we build wave powered Ferries?
    Seems a green marriage made in Scottish waters heaven!

  107. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    William Wallace says:
    6 September, 2017 at 2:36 pm
    @HandandShrimp

    Graun’s policy seems to be delete anything they dont like but they will ban you if they get complaints.

    I got banned twice Graun btl, well first one was pre Graun modding, in big red letters, for

    Not to worry____. it will still be rule Britannia from Lands End to Carlisle.”

    Pop, gone. But I’ve seen that extremely non original bit of vile sep impudence several time btl Graun and not peep.

    To be fair I was btl flaming a right tory looking photo by-line, whose piece was a very patronising pile of pants about Scottish democracy and its silly little Scottishy aspirations.

    Outright ban came after a very innocuous spat with a tory twit in Glasgow. Graun doesn’t say why but instantly after, I was gone, mid summer, just before 18th Sept 2014. A coincidence, I’m sure. Heyho.

    Personally though it is really sad, because btl tory Graun is where I met the love of my vile sep life, BetterTogether Slovenia branch manager,

    https://twitter.com/ProfTomkins

    Professor Smirky, to you, the love that dare not speak its name and currently mincing around the Ibrox boardroom:D

  108. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    Hi Adam / abiesalba / Jezerna

    Seems to me you used to be quite a sensible person, so what happened, you’re getting shrill and repetitive? Not making any sense at all, reduced to mumbling and silly innuendo. Was it those vile cybernats who turned your brain to mush with the evil cybermushgun?

  109. Bob Mack
    Ignored
    says:

    Re the frigates being built on the Clyde.

    I hate to say to Unionists “I told you so”, but it’s the only phrase that fits. Gullible in extremis.

  110. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    yesindyref2 says:
    6 September, 2017 at 2:56 pm
    Hi Adam / abiesalba / Jezerna

    She’s a really good kisser too.

    Prof Smirky must have spent hours and hours of Glesga uni time pounding out all those essay length Slovenia says vote NO you Scottish fascists, on the Herald and the Graun.

    But she has shown real commitment to high tory English rule in Scotland, by er, not winning an election, at all. Came fourth in Anniesland last Scots GE.

    If youre ever up in Maryhill, she shares a huge high street tory shop with Annie Wells, that great example of British working class tory, and there is no mention of the words Conservative Party to be seen anywhere, among their giant lettering. Funny that.

    Nor Slovenia:D

  111. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Another wow tory creep out. This was a headliner on BBC r4 vote tory Today show today but those gimps did not mention this PR crew were also Project Fearing in Scotland 2014. The things beeb gimps forget to mention.

    https://www.commonspace.scot/articles/11651/pr-firm-linked-project-fear-struck-trade-body-over-racially-divisive-campaign

  112. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    @Desimond

    “acting “As if” they are running the country as an actual Independent nation..not some parish council.”

    That’s called a delusion, in psycho babble.

  113. gus1940
    Ignored
    says:

    Misreporting Scotland says our colonial masters’ shipbuilding plans will create stiff competition for the Clyde Yards.

    In other words ‘The Clyde Yards are doomed’.

    Isn’t it wonderful being a colony?.

  114. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    Desimond said: “The promotion of independence is all over those policies.”

    I hope you are right. But correct, I don’t see it.

    The electorate will decide if indy has been promoted or not.

  115. Les Wilson
    Ignored
    says:

    gus1940 says:

    As was pointed out to me earlier, just watch how Belfast is sooo
    competitive, (whether they are or not) get a big share, the rest will be done somewhere in Engerland.
    I can’t argue with that idea.

    They must think Clydeside is sliding from their grip.

  116. Brian Powell
    Ignored
    says:

    OK, a huge percentage of the threads are now concerned with arguing or answering to someone called Colin for no useful purpose, so I’m stopping reading the comment threads as I did with Scot Goes Pop and the person that filled the threads there for no useful purpose.

  117. Robert Graham
    Ignored
    says:

    Colin Alexander says.
    .
    .

    .

    .

    .
    That’s it folks . All day every day. Yawn .

  118. Les Wilson
    Ignored
    says:

    Well Nicola IS proceeding
    https://tinyurl.com/y8opnp5y

  119. ronnie anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Brian Powell 3.25 Thats ca’s purpose to deter people from reading this site , send Email to Rev re your intent I’ve made my complaints before now .

  120. Proud Cybernat
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Brian Powell

    What Ronnie said.

  121. Desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    @ronnie, @brian

    I hear you but folk like Colin server no purpose other than to delude themselves and feed themselves on negativity.

    I wouldn’t worry about it putting people off, as:

    a: People read the replies they generate and garner facts from there and then use them in other conversations

    b: People come here because of people like Colin, as long as they exits, people will yearn for the info to correct them and drown them out.

    Ignoring the Colins isnt the answer, we need to help him tire himself out then break down crying as the denial shield collapses in on itself

  122. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Graun, looks like our Imperial masters are going to allow the Scots 56 to stay at 56 MP’s But there’s nothing about Scotland as per from Graun, so….

    Theresa May ‘to ditch plans to cut number of MPs’

    Proposals to trim seats in Commons to 600 will be dropped as Conservatives fear they will not get vote through parliament, Times reports
    The plan to cut the number of MPs in Westminster was intended to save £50m over five years.
    The plan to cut the number of MPs in Westminster was intended to save £50m over five years. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

    Jamie Grierson and agencies
    @JamieGrierson
    Wednesday 6 September 2017 08.16 BST

  123. Robert J. Sutherland
    Ignored
    says:

    heedtracker @ 15:08,

    So goto-help-of-dodgy-govs Bell Pottinger was involved in Project Fear. As that SA story evolved, I did wonder, so now I’m not exactly bowled over at the revelation.

    And surprised neither at the media’s ongoing failure to mention that connection to their unsuspecting viewers/readers.

    But thanks for the link. Every little chip off the wall may not seem much, but it accumulates.

  124. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    59 Scots MP’s! oops

  125. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Desimond – nobody reads the posts, nor the replies to the posts, except the idiots who keep it going. As I posted a few days back – Stu’s advice is:

    1 never respond to trolls
    2 Never discuss trolls
    3 Email Stu – see Contacts above – and he will deal with it.

    I’m just about to email myself in support of the others above.

  126. CameronB Brodie
    Ignored
    says:

    “Sometimes a feeling is all we humans have to go on.” – Captain James T. Kirk

  127. twathater
    Ignored
    says:

    What I would LOVE to see on FM questions is NS getting right in aboot briggsys comments using Stu’s figures and HIGHLIGHTING the FACT that it is HIS TOLIE GOVERNMENT’S policies that is CAUSING the shortage of nurses and medical professionals throughout Scotland’s health service.

    Highlight the difference and figures dramatically and ask briggsys and his cohorts why they are not DEMANDING from their TOLIE masters that Scotland should have it’s own immigration policies to enable Scotland to address this problem

    As the FM questions are televised live this would help address the SNP pish that briggsys and his arseholes like to spout and keep doing it every time so that the brutish bullshitting cabal have no option but to televise it , thereby hopefully showing the voters the true face of the tolies and slabberers

    It also encourages the indy voters when Nicola gets right in tae them

  128. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @colin alexander says: 6 September, 2017 at 12:39 pm:

    ” … Is that A,B, or C?”
    None of the above, Colin and you really are not much good at stirring the shit. As we say in Scotland, awa an bile yer heed.

  129. Robert Louis
    Ignored
    says:

    Ken500 at 127pm

    Craig Murray RIGHTLY criticised the SNP, and their are many who agree with him. You obviously do not, which you are free to do.

    The SNP are not above criticism, and given Craig’s public hard work for a YES vote, I do not doubt his credentials.

    We should back him to the hilt, especially when he is being bullied.

    Many diverse voices make up our YES campaign, some we may not agree with, but at the end of the day, they are on our side – even if they do very rarely criticise the SNP.

  130. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    Jack Murphy says at 1:47 pm …. ”First Minister. Statement for Government.

    SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT’S PROGRAMME FOR GOVERNMENT 2017-18.

    Scottish Parliament TV:

    http://tinyurl.com/y8948tab

    Thanks for that Jack. Well worth listening to. Nicola Sturgeon (et al) is proposing a wide-ranging, progressive programme that must surely stick in the Unionists craw. Stick in their craw because they wouldn’t have a clue where to start. She, in fact, must be one of the most intelligent, hardworking, honest and compassionate politicians on the planet. We Scots are extremely fortunate to have someone like her fighting our corner. More than anything managing to do so, so successfully, whilst Westminster still has control of over 80% of powers.

    …………………………………………

    @ Peter McCulloch says at 1:18 pm …. ”Petra …. When I do criticise HQ its because I do not believe they are tough enough on Labour….”

    Just to let you know Peter that my last post didn’t refer to you.

    …………………………………………….

    @ ronnie anderson says at 3:45 pm ….. ”Brian Powell 3.25 Thats ca’s purpose to deter people from reading this site, send Email to Rev re your intent I’ve made my complaints before now.”

    Spot on Ronnie. We’re a bunch of mugs for putting up with this.

    …………………………………..

    Well worth a read in particular in relation to the motivation behind Ruth Davidson’s call to build 8 new towns.

    ‘Carolyn Leckie: Ruth Davidson has learned much from the alt-right.’

    http://www.thenational.scot/politics/15512192.Carolyn_Leckie__Ruth_Davidson_has_learned_much_from_the_alt_right/

  131. Clapper57
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Bob Mack says:
    6 September, 2017 at 2:58 pm
    “Re the frigates being built on the Clyde.

    I hate to say to Unionists “I told you so”, but it’s the only phrase that fits. Gullible in extremis”.

    ————————————————————–

    Ah yes Bob, but don’t the unionists ALWAYS find a way to justify broken promises and U turns ……we’re all British after all so share and share alike…..probably thought now was a good time to make announcement as Ruth the Mooth has convinced them IndyRef2 is dead in the water….so not a lot the Jocks can do….and proud Scots buts …well they will just plod along basking in the benefits of a SNP Scottish government who try to mitigate all the shit the Unionists generate….while continuing to vote for the unionist generated shit to impact those , they say, they want to still be in a union with….I’m alright Jack.

    Is anyone really surprised ?…..We all knew this was coming….so we are not so much conspiracy theorists just feckin realists……. especially where BritNat parties are concerned……yes ?

    Post Brexit the anti Scottish backlash will climax I am sure……………money will be tight in Blighty and that old chestnut… that is….the Scottish Subsidy Junkie will be the new Brexit scapegoat.

    Better Together ?……….For whom ?

  132. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    I do not try to put people off reading this site.

    Me a Unionist? : Aye, The European Union.

    Any of the “radical” policies mention keeping us in it?

    I do approve of a basic minimum income, but they aren’t bringing it in, just looking at the idea. A start I suppose.

    I approve of a National Investment Bank.

    Action to cut polluting cars should have been done years ago. It’s cos Glasgow’s Hope St is so polluted that they are being FORCED to take action.

    Criminalising smacking by parents and raising the minimum criminal age are bonkers policies.

    I guess the SNP took their orders from Ruth the mooth and the Unionist voters. “Get on with the day job” of administering Westminster devolution and forget about standing up for Scottish sovereignty and Scottish independence.

    Ach well, all these extra criminals that will be created. Jobs for the Social Workers and teachers etc to use the named person scheme to grass up decent parents if a child mentions getting a skelped bum for shoplifting or delivering drugs for adult drug dealers.

    Welcome to SNooPerland.

  133. Robert Louis
    Ignored
    says:

    Listen up Glasgow shipyard workers. Of course Westminster lied to you about the ships being built. They needed to prevent the restoration of Scottish independence. It is what Westminster has been doing for centuries to Scottish industry. The YES campaign made all of this very clear, and explained that Westminster would not honour its promises if their was a NO vote, and guess what, they haven’t.

    For the next independence referendum, remember this. Westminster lies to Scotland day in, day out. Vote for independence next time.

  134. schrodingers cat
    Ignored
    says:

    craig murray is being sued by Jake Wallis Simons, Associate Editor of the Daily Mail Online.

    he is running a crowd fund
    https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2017/09/save-craigmurray/

    caution advised folks

  135. Robert Louis
    Ignored
    says:

    I see JK Rowling is today grumbling about the EU immigration policy from London. So, serious question, did JK Rowling genuinely believe that if their was a NO vote to independence, that Westminster would honour its promises and, for example, keep us in the EU?

    Did other NO voters genuinely believe what Westminster told them?

  136. frogesque
    Ignored
    says:

    Democracy, UK Ok style.

    Baroness Noshina Mobaric, 3rd list Con will leapfrog over 2nd list Con Belinda Don to become an MEP.

    Apparently for this unelected Peer it will be an “honour to serve Scotland”

    So that’s all right then!

  137. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @colin alexander says: 6 September, 2017 at 1:12 pm:

    ” … So, don’t condemn all the ordinary shipyard workers. It’s the GMB Union bosses and Labour politicians who deserve the blame.”

    What utter claptrap, Colin. A trade Union elects all its official and that starts with their own shop steward in each individual member’s place of work. So if the members don’t like it they have the remedy in their own hands.

    Furthermore, there are many different trades involved in the shipbuilding and ship repair industry in my days as a shop steward in the ship-refit/repair industry the GMB were mainly the labouring and skilled labouring workers union. The crafts and trades all had their own unions.

  138. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    caution advised folks

    And is it another ferocious tory hack that’s had the WoS “blogger arrested for alleged harassment” too?

    Why are UK hacks doing this now?

    Is it a new phenomena or just a very creepy campaign by planet toryboy?

    The toryboy now suing Murray is a Graun ligger, novelist and wait for it… a beeb r4 tory gimp regular too.

    Dictat, tory UK beeb gimp style.

    Its either being careful coordinated to take out popular non tory bloggers, or it’s all an affront to the britnat toryboy mindset. How very dare anyone talk back at us, kind of BBC creep out.

    Who were the some of the most outstanding SNP MP’s, beeb uk led media wise and where are they now?

    Alex Salmond, removed and replaced by a tory sock puppet, Angus Robertson, ditto, Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, gone, after being relentlessly hounded by tory roasters at the torygraph especially.

    And ofcourse, the only SNP MP that uncle Rupert’s pet bootboy ligger Neil could barely stomach, on his personal daily BBC Politics vote tory shows,

    https://twitter.com/MrJohnNicolson

    All of them really making SNP presence felt in Westminster, all removed within a couple of years. BBC Scotland monstered them all relentlessly as soon as they were elected, massive and secretly funded triangulated attack at the snap tory GE, and that’s them.

    Its not by chance.

  139. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Les Wilson says at 3:13 pm …. ”Yeah we are going to pay the brexit price!”

    http://www.scottishfinancialnews.com/14292/kpmg-warns-scotland-to-expect-significant-eu-brexit-brain-drain/?utm_source=Scottish+Financial+News&utm_campaign=8200ae1c5b-SFN_06_09_17&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6d918d0031-8200ae1c5b-66792589

    ………………………………………….

    Thanks for that Les. Scary or what! Are we going to see the MSM publish this report? Additionally question U-turn Tory Davidson about the profoundly, critical implications of this right across the board in Scotland? Or Labour’s Rowley, Leonard or Sarwar who all support Corbyn (so the latter says!). That’s Corbyn who supports Tory May on her Brexit plans … the little we know about so far.

    ………………………………….

    Has anyone else noticed how Northern Ireland is being promoted right, left and centre now even in relation to mentioning NIrn and English football, only, on the news? Scotland’s being excluded to the point that you’d think it’s disappeared off of the map altogether.

    I was also listening to a politician (didn’t catch his name) who was raving on about how wonderful the NIrish are, such as they have had great inventors, engineers, shipbuilders, medical researchers and so on. NIrn is also one of the most beautiful countries in the world, so he says! You would have thought he’d actually changed the word ‘Scotland’ for ‘NIreland’.

    ……………………………………

    Excellent ‘long letter’ from Roy Pederson, Inverness.

    ‘Letters IV: Wave power could be key to making the case for indy.’

    http://www.thenational.scot/community/15512198.Letters_IV__Wave_power_could_be_key_to_making_the_case_for_indy/

  140. Meg merrilees
    Ignored
    says:

    If you can bear it…
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-41174619

    This is the Colonial Broadcaster’s Account of Fallon’s latest announcement complete with a very smug picture of Sir Michael ‘He who can never be trusted’ Falloff.

    Seems the GMB are not very happy with (t)Ruthless’s big sister Party down in ReesMoggland

  141. Jamie Arriere
    Ignored
    says:

    That reminds me of that nurse from the election debates, who was supposedly using a foodbank – didn’t she turn out to be an agency nurse, whose hours & agency payments were not keeping her in the manner she was accustomed?

    Hope she has a permanent job now, since there’s so-o-o many vacancies

  142. Ian McCubbin
    Ignored
    says:

    Well covered again Stu. Tories and press have no problem attacking SNP. So glad ths FM has announced the bills and plans for 2017- 18. Out foxes T May. No more needs said other than keep doing the work of road to self determination Nicola

  143. wull2
    Ignored
    says:

    Thanks RP 4.23pm “As we say in Scotland, awa an bile yer heed.”
    My old boss used that saying 40 Years ago, its that long since I heard it,

  144. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @
    colin alexander says:6 September, 2017 at 3:21 pm:

    “The electorate will decide if indy has been promoted or not.

    Utter pish!

    That’ll be the same electorate that voted, by their own admission, in a United Kingdom, General Election for Corbyn even although he did not feature on their ballot papers.

    Is there another electorate in the whole wide World that could be so bloody stupid? A General Election is for electing your constituency MP. It is not for electing a political party leader – who, BTW, can only be elected as leader by the party he/she belongs to.

  145. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    I did warn months ago that the Clyde was unlikely to get the T31, and BAE since announced they’re unlikely even to bother tendering for it, though they do have an outline design. The key thing really as I said, is that the 2009 Terms of Business Arrangement between the MOD and BaE runs out in 2024, and the MOD then has no obligation to BaE to give them orders to build warships or hundreds of millions compensation each year, no obligation at all.

    At 8 T26 in 20 years, 2.5 years per warship, the first three will take until 2024 to complete at the earliest. If the Clyde workers think they’re definitely going to get the other 5 ordered and built there, they need to take a hard long look at what UK Government promises are worth. Nothing, precisely nothing. And that’s nothing to do with the “separatists” or the threat of Indy Ref 2. The UK is stony broke.

    And by the way, building those 8 T26 over 20 years, not 8 years, is going to cost the UK a fortune, keeping the T23 refitted. They’ll be out of life in the early 30s, without considerable monies spent refitting and refurbishing.

  146. Robert J. Sutherland
    Ignored
    says:

    Jamie Arriere @ 17:05,

    Ironic if the only lasting outcome of “nursey’s” wee ambush on BritNatVision was to convince Nicola & Co. that the burden of agency nursing costs had become far too heavy, and had to be tackled toute-de-suite!

    While I imagine in my relative ignorance that there will always be some need for agency nursing to fill in unanticipated temporary gaps, I can’t say I am too exercised whether that particular faker still has employment in Scotland or not.

    (Maybe there will always be a vacancy in Scotland in Union for her.)

  147. Az
    Ignored
    says:

    That is an absolute belter of an article, Rev.

  148. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    Venator seems to be the front-runner for the T31 at the moment:

    https://www.bmtdsl.co.uk/media/6098065/VENATOR-110%20Technical%20Brief.pdf

    Oh, and by the way, I sincerely hope Fergusons don’t get suckered into making a tender for the T31 say for building the Spartan design. Except as a defence learning process to use for the SDF future navy of course.

  149. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Tories dont need elections, in the 20fuckng17 UK zone. Their beeb gimps are very happy to report, Scottish Conservatives website not so much.

    Baroness to become new Scottish Conservative MEP
    36 minutes ago
    From the section Scotland politics

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-41175061

  150. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    So in the year 2017, two of Scotland’s MEP’s are/were/maybe totally unelected. Its all making the average Leave roaster’s Brussels is a dictatorship stuff make sense though.

    Scottish MEP made a Lord to take Scotland Office job
    20 June 2017
    From the section Scotland politics

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-40348639

    Fascinating beeb gimp spin too.

    ‘Crucial time’
    Mr Duncan, who will step down as an MEP, said it was a “crucial time for Scotland” as the Brexit negotiations get under way. He has already said the Scottish government should have a seat at the table to “see exactly what is going on”.

    To see what’s going on is very goon tory.

  151. Andy.D
    Ignored
    says:

    I am proud of our NHS and the work it does under increasingly difficult times, lack of money and staff shortages. Is it not funny though that Brexit is to blame for everything… this summers weather is all the fault of Brexit lack of nurses Brexit, no wage rises Brexit, no Independence Brexit, lack of jobs for Brits that is Brexit flood the country with EU folk and fuck the locals. Aye I did vote for Brexit, the harder the better roll on Mar 2019. Opportunities for our own folk, chance to say we need people for jobs that wont change we never said lets close the border and stop trading with the EU. But you Brexit doom mongers are saying we are too poor and wee and stupid to run our own country we need to give the EU billions to run it for us and flood this small island we their low skilled trash.

  152. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    But you Brexit doom mongers are saying we are too poor and wee and stupid to run our own country we need to give the EU billions to run it for us and flood this small island we their low skilled trash.”

    Good evening Mr Farage:D

    Can’t mind the name of that Scottish UKIPer leader, Jabba the Hut?

  153. Sinky
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Meg merrilees says:

    Biased Broadcasting Corporation at its Unionist best over coverage of UK government’s Frigate U turn.

    BBC Scotland TV news had no mention of the Referendum promises or any SNP spokesperson despite SNP being the main Scottish opposition party at Westminster not Labour.

    Also laughable listening to Labour’s excuses over the Tram debacle. They had a councillor the tram company TIE management board and ignored SNP warnings throughout the process.

  154. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    On the one hand beeb gimps say do not come to Skye this summer, on the other, they tell the English to move to Scotland’s islands. Confused.com.

    http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20170904-these-scottish-islands-may-hold-the-secret-to-happiness?ocid=fbtvl

  155. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    OT – defence
    There’s some good commenters on UKDJ, but what would anyone with any knowledge of the industry at all, think about the credibility, accuracy or intelligence of a defence blogging author who could, apparently seriously, write this:

    The only way for naval shipbuilding to continue to be viable on the Clyde after independence would be for the Scottish government to place a significant order totalling many billions of pounds for a large volume of vessels, likely eclipsing their entire defence budget.

    What a dick.

  156. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    The EU costs Scotland under a £Billion, it all comes back. In CAP payments, Grants renewables etc, shared Defence costs. Scotland benefits from EU membership. It could benefit more without Westminster interference. Scotland loses EU renewable grants CCS etc. ECB investment because of Westminster indecision. The EU contribution for the U.K. Is €15Billion, a cut price rate. A rebate,

    Scotland could get EU – ECB help when Scotland votes for Independence. They helped Germany reunite. It was EU support which brought Scotland Devolution. Self Determination under EU HR International Law. Devolution is inshrined in EU human rights Law.

    Anyone who voted for Brexit undermines Devolution and Independence for Scotland. Scotland has been depopulated by Westminster London S/E centrist economic policies. The Clearances, higher unemployment in Scotland. The Oil revenue fraud. People in Scotland had to migrate to get a job. To the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand etc. Scotland has a 40Million diaspora. Scots have gone all over the world to work and settle. Other countries took them in. The Oil industry. The Oil revenue fraud. Scottish invention shaped the modern world. TV, wireless, telecommunication. Led on to the internet.

  157. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Louis says:

    I see JK Rowling is today grumbling about the EU immigration policy from London. …. question … believe … that Westminster would honour its promises and, for example, keep us in the EU?

    As she said in June 2014 ….

    ” Whatever the outcome of the referendum on 18th September, it will be a historic moment for Scotland. I just hope with all my heart that we never have cause to look back and feel that we made a historically bad mistake. “

    … is she now perhaps looking back and realising that she and other naysayers did in fact make a dreadful “historically bad mistake” ?

  158. Rock
    Ignored
    says:

    Dave McEwan Hill,

    “O/T
    The National is a cracker today. Stuff from Kevin McKenna and WGD to keep (and Kevin repeats one of my favourite jokes)

    (cue Rock and some blithering shite)”

    winifred mccartney,

    “Wish the National could have a page like the one above every day to call out all the lies, half-truths and downright fiction spouted by the MSM and BBC so that everyone could have the truth.”

  159. Rock
    Ignored
    says:

    Ken500,

    “Craig Murray criticised the SNP and very publicly denounced his membership. Now expecting money from SNP members. Eh.”

    Craig Murray is a Lib Dem opportunist, a long term bosom pal of Carmichael, even during the independence referendum campaign.

  160. Golfnur
    Ignored
    says:

    @ yesindyref2.

    Spartan gets my vote on a multi roll purpose, I think. However anything that ties us into any design that requires a UK supply chain, and I include the Type 26 in that scenario gives me the collywobbles, MOD procurement being what it is.

    Agree regards the author.

  161. ALANM
    Ignored
    says:

    I notice on C4 news Ruth Davidson is still getting away with the lie that Scotland is the highest taxed “part” of the UK. She obviously isn’t including the council tax in her calculations. Average council tax bills in Scotland are much lower than those in England and residents aren’t subjected to a water tax on top. You won’t read about this in the newspapers.

  162. Andy-B
    Ignored
    says:

    Yes the hypocrisy is breathtaking.

    O/T. Apologies.

    Craig Murray is in real trouble.

    https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2017/09/save-craig-murray/#respond

  163. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    So the Inglind government don’t want folk to have any rights EU or otherwise,,,,Well shut my face who would have ever seen that coming, I’m shocked and amazed, taken aback, Stunned intae silence

    God help us nae ships to be built withoot the bung noo Oh Oh Oh I just can’t believe the Inglind government would do such a terrible underhand thing

    What’s going to happen to all of those thousands upon thousands of Clyde ship builders futures now?
    Well, there are in fact only a few hundred and they voted for the Inglind governments bribe in the first place even though they were well warned by the rest of us who can actually read and write joined up words and don’t belong to the same one legged trouser club as them

    They went on the telly and told us we were as thick as mince knew nothing and were ruining their chances of Inglind togetherness along with Big Mooth Ruth and Deadhead Kez so my sympathy on this sad occasion for them is NIL
    we’ve got foreign folk in this country who are more Scottish than that shower so they can sod off to Portsmouth where the work will go like they were told in the first place but they knew better together didn’t they

    Ach!

    On a happier note Jackie Bird’s definitely losing her hair is she not, maybe that’s what hate does to your head

  164. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    Mr Peffers, Sir.

    You said I’m a troll, so you should be ignoring me, not giving me attention.

    You don’t want to upset your fellow Wingers. Some of them get jealous if they aren’t the focus of attention, like petulant
    4-year olds.

    Petted lip and all.

    So, how about you focus on them and keep them happy.

    Cheers.

  165. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    @ heedtracker says at 4:53 pm ….”Its either being careful coordinated to take out popular non tory bloggers, or it’s all an affront to the britnat toryboy mindset. How very dare anyone talk back at us, kind of BBC creep out. Who were the some of the most outstanding SNP MP’s, beeb uk led media wise and where are they now?…”

    It’s a concerted effort HT to decimate the Independence movement (a threat to the State). Put a halt to us even thinking of leaving this despicable Union. They’ve got control over the MSM, pumping out their propaganda, so want to take out anyone who’s managing to impart truthful information online and of course get rid of our leaders, such as Alex and Angus. They would love to ‘take out’ Nicola Sturgeon, I’m sure, but realise that, that would result in an SNP surge, so the plan is to totally undermine her abilities / successes to the point that she’ll lose at the next election. Along the way, I suspect, we’ll suffer from some ‘security frights’, anti immigration propaganda and the flooding of Scotland with anti-EU flyers (paid for with dark money).

    I see that the Scotman is actually reporting that ”female SNP MPs on receiving end of worst Twitter abuse during election campaign.” So it must be bad!

    https://twitter.com/MrJohnNicolson

    ……………………………………

    @ Heedtracker says at 6:43 pm ….. ”On the one hand beeb gimps say do not come to Skye this summer, on the other, they tell the English to move to Scotland’s islands. Confused.com.”

    http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20170904-these-scottish-islands-may-hold-the-secret-to-happiness?ocid=fbtvl

    And that’s their other wee ploy. Exacerbate the colonisation of Scotland by encouraging people from down south to move here. Night after night, on the news, bosses of this agency or that authority, governing body etc, etc all have English accents. It’s extremely rare for a Scottish accent to be heard now. Eleven out of fourteen Scottish Universities being run by non-Scots. Totally unheard of elsewhere, such as in England.

    I had my say on here previously as to what should have happened in 2014 regarding who could vote. It didn’t go down well. We’ve now got to take this seriously by requesting a ten year residency limit be included in the next Indyref franchise. Second home / holiday home owners excluded too. If you want to make a difference join the SNP.

  166. Alex Clark
    Ignored
    says:

    @Andy.D

    I can feel your pain Andy as the reality of Brexit becomes more aware. We will suffer of that there is no doubt and for what?

    Already prices are rising though wages are not due to the fall in the value of the £, the UK imports much more than it exports and we now pay a whole lot more for these imports.

    Jobs are another point, who is going to pick our fruit in Scotalnd now? Is that the type of jobs your talking about or the skilled jobs that Europeans bring to our Universities, hospitals and in fact right across the board.

    It is these people Andy who will be leaving due to the fact that they feel no longer welcome. We will still import cheap labour as there is no other choice. Who would want to come here though?

    Most likely people from the poorer Asian nations. Brexit is a massive clusterfuck Andy of a size that has never in the past hit the UK economy. You voted to be much poorer have less influence in the world and to be shunned by your neighbours.

    Sorry Andy but it has to be said only a fucking idiot could have voted to screw themselves up in such a way. Deal with it.

  167. schrodingers cat
    Ignored
    says:

    heed says

    Its not by chance.

    —————–

    no it isnt, but it is worrying. i think petra is right, this is a concerted effort to shut down indy bloggers.

    i’m not sure how we should handle the media, it isnt my field, perhaps conan or others who have more experience could write a blurb advising us how we deal with the msm and what to avoid saying etc,

    we need to be very careful from here on in

    btw, if anyone can spare a few bob for craig pls donate

    I get the impression that he is genuinely in trouble, https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2017/09/save-craig-murray/

  168. sinky
    Ignored
    says:

    From 19 September 2014 From UK Defence Journal

    Now that Scotland has voted ‘NO’ and paved the way for further Ministry of Defence work in Scotland, the defence giant BAE have announced that the contract to build the £200 million frigate construction facility will be put out to tender next week.

    https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/bae-now-able-invest-200-million-clyde-frigate-factory/

  169. Clydebuilt
    Ignored
    says:

    Craig Murray is trying to raise funds to fight a libel action

    https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2017/09/save-craig-murray/

  170. ben madigan
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Alex who talked about “the skilled jobs that Europeans bring to our Universities, hospitals and in fact right across the board”.

    Anecdotal evidence here – I was on an a viva voce university examination commission today.
    The exam candidates were EU students, graduating in the health sector.
    Afterwards they were talking about brexit and moving to EU countries for work.

    Scotland interested them.
    “Scotland’s different” they said
    “it isn’t part of England”
    “Scotland’s staying in the EU”
    “it’s independent isn’t it?”

    I could only say “let’s see at the end of the negotiations”

    Heart-breaking

  171. Rock
    Ignored
    says:

    Where are the “Lawyers for Yes” when Craig Murray needs them?

    As I have posted before, in my humble opinion, the vast majority of lawyers, especially judges, are the lowest of the low.

  172. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @colin alexander says: 6 September, 2017 at 7:42 pm:

    “You said I’m a troll, so you should be ignoring me, not giving me attention.”

    No, Colin, I said you were a waste of time & bandwidth and you blether utter claptrap.

    That’s not giving you attention – its more like giving you the bum’s rush.

  173. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Alex Clark says at 7:45 pm …. ”It is these people Andy who will be leaving due to the fact that they feel no longer welcome. We will still import cheap labour as there is no other choice. Who would want to come here though? Most likely people from the poorer Asian nations. Brexit is a massive clusterfuck Andy of a size that has never in the past hit the UK economy. You voted to be much poorer have less influence in the world and to be shunned by your neighbours. Sorry Andy but it has to be said only a fucking idiot could have voted to screw themselves up in such a way. Deal with it.”

    Andy ”flood this small island we their low skilled trash” D, doesn’t seem to realise either that the UK, such as with T May as Home Secretary, had the power to control immigration all along, but didn’t such as by using the EU 3 month maximum stay clause if you didn’t have a job or enough money to support yourself.

    And then there was non-EU immigration, often higher than EU, which she had TOTAL control over but didn’t bother her backside to do anything about. Then they offered benefits, such as child allowance for EU nationals, that other EU countries wouldn’t advance. The latter of course leading to, in part, the ‘clamour’ for many to get into the UK which put the wind up people.

    Looks as though the plan is for the UK to become a tax haven bolstered by employing millions of people from poor Commonwealth countries, Andy D.

    http://www.migrationwatchuk.org/statistics-net-migration-statistics/#create-graph

    ……………………………………….

    https://thoughtcontrolscotland.com/page/2/

    ………………………………………….

    https://thoughtcontrolscotland.com/2017/09/06/scotland-to-get-a-national-investment-bank-to-help-grow-the-economy-and-do-what-the-big-banks-have-failed-to-do/

    ……………………………………………

    https://thoughtcontrolscotland.com/2017/09/05/in-the-wake-of-the-un-praise-for-scotlands-approach-to-disability-rights-nhs-scotland-announces-traineeships-for-disabled-graduates/

  174. jfngw
    Ignored
    says:

    The intention may not be to shut down the bloggers, they don’t need that. What they have is the ability when referring to any of these sites to mention the court cases, it doesn’t matter the outcome. It’s like the Michelle Thomson smearing, it’s being done to discredit the sites.

    All bloggers need to be careful with their language, anything that can be misquoted will be. Exposing the facts is what is important, it may be better to ignore the personalities. They can do nothing if you stick purely to the facts.

    There are ways calling someone a liar without actually using the word. The obvious one a certain person should have used is ‘I don’t recognise the quote you are using in the context of anything I have written’. After all it’s unlikely we can remember the exact wording of everything we have written. I would also say don’t go on TV if you can’t keep cool when under attack.

  175. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    So now we hear that Ruth Davidson fears the UK (her country) ”won’t bounce back from Brexit hit”.

    Either, she is slow in the uptake or it’s part of a wider ‘plot’ by a soft faction within the Tory party.

    Of course the UK will never recover economically from Brexit, that’s not what it’s about. It’s all about rolling back regulations, the welfare state, and citizens rights to create a far right regime. And Davidson’s party is the cause of all the trouble!

  176. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    People will still contribute against the Daily Mail. It can be taken down. Craig Murray could win. The Express contributor could be made to pay damages for malicious complaint. The Scotsman, Herald, the Record? had to pay damages or issue an apology.

    Craig Murray should give a Bank a/c for contributions to raise more. It will be funded. He should not worry. MSM are ignorant incompetents.

    Where will it be decided? Craig Murray is a Scottish resident. Under Scottish Law. Different? Maybe a lawyer in Scotland will help out for less fees.

    Mail colomnists had to pay damages and expenses and were gone. For defamation.

  177. Tinto Chiel
    Ignored
    says:

    “Opportunities for our own folk” which, Andy.D @6.27, people in the UK didn’t take up, hence the desperate need to recruit them from the EU and beyond.

    Without these workers, we’re screwed.

    “Trash”: classy.

  178. jfngw
    Ignored
    says:

    @galamcennalath

    It doesn’t matter to them, the rich will remain the rich, the royal family and all the pomp of past glories will be retained, MP’s will continue to make meaningless speeches at WM whilst being lauded as visionaries by the media.

    The only downside will be for the bottom half of society, you will either work for what the rich are willing to offer you or struggle with little welfare left to save you. Jacob Rees-Mogg will extolling the virtues of domestic service as PM.

  179. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Ken500 – Craig Murray says in reply to a comment that the UK insists on prosecuting in an English court if the alleged offence is seen in England. The rest of the UK has no means of resisting extradition. Another instance of the odious nature of the law made in Westminster.

  180. Jason Smoothpiece
    Ignored
    says:

    I think it has got to the stage where we need to seek assistance from friends from overseas.

    There are, I’m sure pro Scottish folk in Europe and the USA who could help by shining a light on the goings on here by highlighting in their media the conduct of the British Nat Regime.

    High profile pro Scottish individuals finding themselves arrested or sued or smeared by MSM, it is very worrying.

    The British Nat Regime seem to be moving away from democratic processes, slowly but surely.

    They have learned nothing from other independence struggles where people are unable to pursue their aims through politics other routes are then taken.

    Is this where they want to go?

    I actually think they are sufficiently stupid and evil enough to wander into conflict.

  181. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Scotland is paying to build these vessels. Just another con. Scotland pays £3.5Billion defence a year. Scotland doesn’t even have frigates to patrol the shores. Scotland should be building ferries, supply vessels, liners and turbines. Norway builds 100 vessels a year. Cruising vessels are the expanding market. Commerce is prevented on the Clyde because of Faslane (Thatcher).

    Some folk never learn. The Tories previously broke promises and contracts. They took maintenance work to Davenport even though it cost more. £100Million more. Unemployment in the area was 3%. In Govan it was 15%. They left the rotten hulks dumped at Rosyth. They are still there. They were dumping the waste in Scotland. Now it is being flown around the world. What a waste. The nerve of that Fallon. ‘You are never satisfied’. The warmongering psychopaths. Stuck in the 1950’s. Never trust a Tory/unionist.

  182. jfngw
    Ignored
    says:

    @Ken500

    It’s an interesting point, Craig made the comment in Scotland (Edinburgh), it was Sky that broadcast it to the UK. Which countries laws should be used, and if it is England’s (it is being referred to as libel, not a Scottish Law term as far as I’m aware) was he warned by Sky that he was under English Law jurisdiction.

  183. wull2
    Ignored
    says:

    Most people remember how much of the VOW and SHIPS ended up.
    Vote YES next time.

  184. Chick McGregor
    Ignored
    says:

    Don’t agree with everything Craig says, but I have donated.

    Andy Wightman
    The Rev.
    Craig Murray

    Who’s next?

    And that is before the Repeal Bill, Brexit and leaving the ECHR.

    Well on the way to a neo-Nazi state IMV.

  185. jfngw
    Ignored
    says:

    @Capella

    All channels are broadcast in England, STV, BBC Alba, BBC Scotland. So effectively everything broadcast in Scotland is now under the jurisdiction of English Law. So even if you are discussing Scottish issues in Scotland and mention someone who has subsequently moved to England you can be sued in England.

  186. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    @Ken500

    Craig Murray explained he is being sued for libel under English Law.

    I’m guessing the Pursuer in the case is based in England and that’s why he’s lodged the action in an English Court.

  187. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    @ jfngw – the comment on English jurisdiction and Craig’s reply:
    https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2017/09/save-craig-murray/comment-page-1/#comment-695587

  188. Jockanese Wind Talker
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T

    Any parallels between this:

    https://archive.is/bvqdk

    And

    Businesses Britain’s biggest companies giving public support to the Union over iScotland in IndyRef 1??

    Appears they aren’t playing the Tory Game anymore, Profit being the important thing to them.

    Brexit pigeons coming home to roost.

  189. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    @Rock

    Being friendly with someone who is a Unionist, does not mean that that person is also a Unionist. Some of my neighbours are Unionists and we are friendly with each other, but I support independence.

    As for LibDem, who does Stu Campbell say he votes for?

    “by the Rev. Stuart Campbell, a Liberal Democrat voter at every election from 1992 to 2010 inclusive and, reluctantly, in 2017.”

    Aye, he can’t vote SNP cos he disnae live in Scotland, (but believe me Stu, if you read this, you aren’t missing out.)

  190. manandboy
    Ignored
    says:

    Propaganda is the British States’ most effective weapon. Scotland would already be independent were it not for the huge discrepancy between the massive and corrupt British Nationalist brainwashing media machine and the tiny but effective pro-independence media. Independence will be decided on the media. The BritNats are taking out our snipers.

    We are at war after all.

  191. Jockanese Wind Talker
    Ignored
    says:

    Unfortunately I have to agree with you @Chick McGregor says at 9:36 pm

    “And that is before the Repeal Bill, Brexit and leaving the ECHR.”

    “Well on the way to a neo-Nazi state IMV.”

    ‘GSTQ & Her Fascist Regime’, to paraphrase The Scottish Tories.

  192. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    I don’t think Craig Murray is being targeted because he’s a
    pro-indy blogger.

    He was talking about a completely different subject.

    Also, as he repeatedly points out: there is no SNP pro-indy campaign.

    ( except in the imaginations of people who comment in WoS).

  193. jfngw
    Ignored
    says:

    @Capella

    I wasn’t questioning his comment (I hadn’t seen your reply before I posted as it takes me ages to compose my comments), I was more interested in the limitations of this. It would seem even if everyone is based in Scotland you could still be sued in England as everything is broadcast there, you just decide which one is likely to give you the best outcome or which one will cost your opponent the most.

  194. Hamish100
    Ignored
    says:

    What do you think is rock or Alexander really Mundell?

  195. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    colin alexander says:
    6 September, 2017 at 10:24 pm
    I don’t think Craig Murray is being targeted because he’s a
    pro-indy blogger.

    The whole point is Einstein, if planet toryboy scopes the opportunity to go after a YES vote, Scottish or otherwise, blogger, politician, anyone at all with any prominence, they’re taking it.

    That’s the whole issue. We are now in the realm where so called journalists of the tory press are suing people. This is the same Fleet street sewer that hacked a murdered girls phone.

    This is the kind of corruption that only fascism produces. Even if the accused is entirely innocent, we can never be certain as to how the judges will decide. Even if the accused is entirely innocent, the whole of UKOK hackdom, led by the BBC, will use it all to smear.

    Threaten the UK state and it will fight back. Be a friend to the UK state and they will not trouble you, aka Jimmy Saville, to name but a few of that great British parade of grotesques, for the last several UKOK decades.

  196. Gary45%
    Ignored
    says:

    I may have posted on a previous post last year.
    I appreciate WoS does not support the “anti Zionist” view point, but if you get the chance, please watch,
    The Occupation if the American Mind on either DVD or on another source, and
    Peace, Propaganda in the Promised Land on You tube, it will open your eyes as to what and how Zionist Israel is getting away with.
    Also look at a website called breakingthesilence.org it gives you a view from the Israeli side as to what Israel is getting away with.
    It will make you appreciate as to why Mr Murray is being targeted.

    To believe in a Palestine free from apartheid,
    free from blockades,
    free from persecution,
    and being denied a decent, humane way of life
    under illegal Israeli occupation,
    does not make you,
    ANTI-SEMITIC.

  197. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    @jfngw – understood. Although, if we were already independent perhaps people like Craig would be safe from predatory foreign owned rags.
    However, Andy Wightman is being sued in Scotland as our defamation law is antiquated and unequal too.

  198. Highland Wifie
    Ignored
    says:

    Jeremy Corbyn keeping very quiet about leaked Brexit plan for immigration controls. I wonder why?
    Anyone who thinks Corbyn is interested in Scotland’s needs when his core vote in rUK dictates he supports a hard Brexit is not paying attention.

  199. Morgatron
    Ignored
    says:

    Jockanese ; with Ruthy Rotten on the vocals I .
    I see Hinge & Bracket are in the house again!. Gosh , they are a couple of botins.
    I can see them now , with their Tim Brooke Taylor butcher apron waistcoats on settling down to binge watch the Good Old Days on DVD.Whilst looking at the BBC North England Region Web site of offical potraits of Slackie Turd reading fake news about the hoards of people going undiagnosed of wearing tight underpants and the complications this may cause.

  200. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    They take out the most prominent SNP MP’s general election by general election, then they close down devolution. 2014 was to close a call for our imperial masters.

    https://www.thecanary.co/2017/09/05/taking-six-weeks-off-took-laura-kuenssberg-just-two-paragraphs-reveal-true-colours/

  201. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    From the £4+bn a year world class specialists in misinforming, and these dingdongs have allowed comments too. BBC Scotland banned comments on any of their output which is not mentioned here, shock:D

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-41182519

    Facebook uncovers Russia-funded misinformation campaign
    Dave Lee
    North America technology reporter
    1 hour ago
    From the section Technology 103 comments

  202. Brus MacGallah
    Ignored
    says:

    @Chick McGregor 9:36pm

    Probably Wee Ginger Dug, but harder to go after somebody who writes a humourous column

  203. Chick McGregor
    Ignored
    says:

    Brus
    “Probably Wee Ginger Dug, but harder to go after somebody who writes a humourous column”

    Agree, humour is regarded as a shield, but even more of a shield, IMO, is the fact he has a columnn in an ‘official’ newspaper.

    Going for him would at the very least tweak the ‘free speech’ button of the ‘pro’ journo pack.

    We are into tribalism at its most basic here.

    MSM journalism v ‘the rest’.

    Democracy and truth? Doesn’t get a look in.

  204. Still Positive
    Ignored
    says:

    Brus. And Chick McGregor @12.23.

    I agree the WGD is unlikely to be targeted for the reasons you give Chick.

    The only other indy blogs I read are: Bateman, ex BBC man; Lallands Peat Worrier, a lawyer; Munguin’s New Republic – very few read him.

  205. William Wallace
    Ignored
    says:

    @ C&A 10:24pm

    I’ve largely avoided engaging you because I was observing where you are coming from before saying anything. I’ve had a few so take this as it comes. 🙂

    Gonnae gi it a rest wi the SNP baaaad shite mate? What’s yir alternative? You are constantly moaning aboot how bad they are and daeing the Yoons joab fir them. What do you suggest that they do differently?

    The SNP delivered on Indyref 1 right? We agreed on that?

    They are up against the British Empire. Are we agreed on that?

    Good.

    Now you and eh ken how empire works right? Skulduggery of the highest order. You have also heard the saying “fools rush in” right? Can you see where eh am going here?

    If the SNP play their hand early then we lose and indyref 3 will be a long time in coming.

    Nicola has played a trump card with the program for government. When viewed from the perspective of an impartial and international observer it makes Empire look like a bunch of antiquated dinos whilst at the same time, demonstrating to the entire world that Scotland is ready to lead the world into the second enlightenment.

    It demonstrates good governance, with great ideas and a practical approach to local and global solutions. It shows a desire to make Scotland a world leader in Technology, Ecology, Health, Education, Economics and Politics.

    It is a confidence building thing as an outward looking, forward thinking and progressive nation. She is doing exactly what the Yoons kept shouting at her to dae in order to leave them wi egg on thir pusses. She and the SNP have played a blinder even if you are too short sighted to see it.

    We are playing fir keeps here. It’s got to be done right. You might no see the strategy but that doesnae mean that there isnae one.

    Chill oot wi the SNP baaad narrative, it’s getting on abodies tits.

  206. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Morgatron says at 11:28 pm …. ”I see Hinge & Bracket are in the house again!. Gosh, they are a couple of botins. I can see them now with their Tim Brooke Taylor butcher apron waistcoats on settling down to binge watch the Good Old Days on DVD. Whilst looking at the BBC North England Region Web site of offical potraits of Slackie Turd reading fake news about the hoards of people going undiagnosed of wearing tight underpants and the complications this may cause.”

    IMO Hinge and Bracket as we know them are trying to destroy this site. It’s profoundly serious folks. Not ‘botins’ at all. Let’s not get into the whimsical on here. These people, fervent Unionists, know what they are doing. Concerted? They are on here trying to influence us to stop supporting the SNP and / or our only MSM site, that is the National newspaper. In turn they want to bore everyone to death and chase away new readers.

    Not rocket science.

  207. Michael McCabe
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Colin Alexander the SNP has there own website. Address your moans about them to them please. There’s a good unionist. Cheers.

  208. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    Let’s just move on and keep it simple. If you want Scotland to become Independent support Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP, because no one else is going to do this for us … YOU

    Join the party and donate. The Tories are clawing in millions (plus dark money). Labour are clawing in millions through the Unions. The SNP made £96 thousand pounds from their membership last year. The Weirs donated money including loans that have to be paid back.

    Support the SNP or just FORGET IT.

  209. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Jason Smoothpiece says at 9:11 pm …. ”I think it has got to the stage where we need to seek assistance from friends from overseas…”

    Spot on Jason. It worked for Ireland and it can work for us. Millions of Scots around the World have a better idea of what’s actually going on here than we (many Scots) have. Add to that their hatred of Westminster (on behalf of their Scottish ancestors).

    High time we got out of the English / Westminster bubble and sought help. Financial for a start off.

  210. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @William Wallace says: 7 September, 2017 at 12:51 am:

    “Chill oot wi the SNP baaad narrative, it’s getting on abodies tits.”

    Which is, William, exactly what Colin’s agenda is. It must be obvious to most Wingers that this guy’s main reason for being on Wings and posting the crap he posts is exactly what you identified it as – Anti-SNP.

    The adoption, by independence supporters, of the term, “SNP BAAAD”, is a direct reference to the sheep-like mind-set particularly prevalent among the dyed-in-the wool, (pun intended), unionists of the Labour Party and their more left wing faction in particular. They leader goes, “Baaa! and the sheeple take up the cry.

    I’ve dealt with these types within the Trade Union movement for most of my working life. I was the only non-Labour Shop steward for over 15 years and these guys, (and gals), follow a well trodden path. Once you discover it you see it happening everywhere they operate.

    I could reel you off instances by the score and you also would begin to see the pattern. I’ll give you one example that I highlighted before here on Wings.

    They have a propensity to spring to their feet yelling, “Point of Order”, but they really don’t know what a point of order actually is. They seem to imagine that it is any old thing they object to. It is something like the rather hackneyed Hollywood Lawyer Drama films where such as, “Ironside”, keeps yelling at the Judge on the bench, “Objection”.

    We saw the hilarious example at Holyrood when James Kelly raised, what he claimed to be a, Point of Order, that wasn’t. Only to be told that it wasn’t a Point Of Order and to sit down by a very firm Presiding Officer.

    This behaviour is common among left wing Labour. A Point of Order is meant to draw attention to someone not sticking to the meetings rule book a.k.a The meetings, “Order Paper”.

    Colin exhibits these traits and the same thought patterns. He is not here to debate about independence for Scotland he is here because he and his kind irrationally hate the SNP and, even if his claims of being an independence supporter were true that irrational hate for the SNP will permeate his entire gambit of arguments.

    We have all met it on doorsteps, it used to be, “I hate yon Alex Salmond”. So the canvasser asks the obvious question, “Why? What harm has Alex ever done to You”? They never get a logical answer because they really have no logical reason. Now we get the very same hate shown against Nicola Sturgeon.

    Even by those more elderly and disabled persons who, along with their families, have benefitted most from the policies the SNP have put in place to alleviate the worst effects of past and present Labour, Tory and LibDem legislation.

    They, and their families, benefit from free prescriptions, free home care, free bus passes, the freeze on Council tax, toll free bridges and from free higher education, among other things, but hate the leaders of the government that has put these things in place.

    It is totally irrational and strangely enough they cannot explain it even to themselves. It’s a bit like Arachnophobia – the sufferer knows that it is totally irrational but they cannot stop their irrational fear.

    In fact, like many other insects, the spider is one of humankinds best friends. They have a voracious appetite for flies, midges and other insects that can, and often do, harm humans.

  211. Ghillie
    Ignored
    says:

    Michael Macabe @ 1.09 pm 🙂

    Perfect and only response = )

  212. Ghillie
    Ignored
    says:

    Petra 1.03 am Spot on!

    Petra @ 1.19 am YES!

    Marie Clark @ 11.49 am and Macart @ 12.05 pm

    I was uplifted by Nicola Sturgeon’s statement to Holyrood on Tuesday, an impressive and, I believe, very doable plan.

    What struck me most of all though, was that she spoke and is moving forward as if Scotland IS an independent country.

    THAT is the attitude and for now, quiet, confidence that is preparing the way and leading Scotland to Independence 🙂

    And M.Barnier is coming to speak to our MSPs about the EU negotiations. How open and respectful.

    This is a good time to be alive = )

  213. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Craig Murray will get donations worldwide. Especially against the Daily Mail. Losing readership daily. There will be a bigger fall. Really bad publicity. Tax evaders. Fake News. Bigots and racists. Tax evading non doms supposed to be non UK residents. People have to be UK residents/based to buy shares. Illegal ‘so called’ foreign migrants own the MSM. The Royal migrants. Marrying so called ‘foreigners’.

    The Tories are on the way out. It will not be long. Another GE. The SNP won a landslide victory.

    Tax rises for the multimillionaire, two jobs Tories milking the public purse. That will get the greedy little people moaning. Scotland has lost £3Billion? to May’s tax cuts. Plus the tax evasion sanctioned by Westminster. The Tories are raising £47Billion less in tax a year. Seven years later. They have cut £18Billion from welfare payments. £20Billion from the NHS. £6Billiion a year from Education. Wasting £Billions on HS2, Hinkley Point and Trident. PPI. A higher cost to the public purse. They call it private investment. It is a high interest loan from the Chinese. Of little worth. Being kept off the UK Treasury balance sheet?

    Scotland has always paid more tax than the rest of the UK because of the Westminster illegal tax regime. Westminster has taken it and squandered it. Illegal wars, financial fraud and tax evasion. The Oil sector has been taxed at 40% since Jan 2016. More exploration stopped in 2010 when Osbourne put the tax up 11% (£2Billion) up to 80%. The tax was 62% when the price had fallen 75%. Losing thousands of jobs in Scotland. Even if it was 30% than less jobs would be lost. Fracked US Gas and Gas from Norway is being imported. The Tories are wasting £Billions on HS2, Hinkley Point and Trident.

    The unionists councils are wasting £Billions of public money on grotesque projects of no value. No one wants. Ruining the City Centres. The best way is to vote them out. They are squandering money like there is no tomorrow. Getting into debt.

    It is only the wealthiest tax evaders milking the public purse who will have to pay it. So be it.

    The Postal workers are being balloted over pension rights. Cuts to pension benefits or higher payments. Osbourne took the £30Billion Royal Mail pension fund. This is the result. Higher pension liabilities for Royal Mail. The Fund should be reimbursed.

    Many people left the Police because of changes to their pension contribution. Doubled? Mr Swinney was going to mitigate them in Scotland. Westminster/Osbourne refused.

  214. Robert Louis
    Ignored
    says:

    After watching the extremist right wing Prime Minister Theresa May in PMQ’s yesterday, openly say some truly scary things about immigration, I was even more sure that England is drifting into an uber right wing British fascism.

    Each week a NEW level of extreme right wing views becomes the new norm. And so it keeps going. Those in Westminster who know better and should speak up, do nothing.

    It seems I am not alone in my views on this. People need to starts calling this for what it is. It is a slippery slope which England is currently sailing down. In just a few years, they have gone from being an open tolerant country, into a nasty spiteful, racist, extreme right wing Brit Nat nightmare.

    Even were I English, and opposed Scottish independence, I would be very scared at recent statements by Westminster.

    Today’s ‘The National’ has an excellent front cover.

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DJEY_yqXcAA9XBS.jpg:large

  215. Dorothy Devine
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Louis, though I agree with the slippery slope and your horror at recent statements , I don’t agree with England / Britain being an open tolerant country – it was ever a veneer , self promoted .

    All one ever had to do was look at empire and our behaviour in other countries that we had raped an pillaged and closer to home the manner in which the manor treated the serfs .

    I am getting depressed so I’m off to listen to Runrig , Dougie , Skippinish et al and look at bonny pictures of the bridge.

  216. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    @Ghillie

    From the First Minister’s programme for government:

    “However, we are equally determined to protect Scotland’s interests.

    The UK government’s EU (Withdrawal) Bill represents a power grab. It seeks to replace EU law in devolved areas with unilateral Westminster decision making. That is simply unacceptable.

    As it stands, the Scottish Government will not recommend to this Parliament that we approve the Bill. We will continue to seek the agreement of the UK government to amendments that will address our concerns. However, in case that proves impossible, we are also considering the option of legislation in this Parliament to secure the necessary continuity of laws in Scotland.

    We will also continue to argue the case for continued UK membership of the single market and customs union. Leaving either will have deeply damaging consequences for our economy and wider society. As I said in June, we will consider again the issue of a referendum on independence when the terms of Brexit are clear.” (My bold)

    It’s not how much of a speech you devote to a subject, it’s what you say that’s important.

    The body of the programme is impressive. It sets a clear water precedence in difference of priorities for the Scottish population. They’re about building the confidence of an electorate. Providing a platform and mindset.

    The latter two should tell the more observant what the state of play is on the constitutional issue. 😉

  217. starlaw
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Louis.

    My thoughts exactly, England appears to be on the same slippery slope that Destroyed Germany in the nineteen thirties. Listening to Parliament yesterday and street interviews with the public. Its poor hard done by England and Johnny Foreigner to blame for all.

  218. Robert Louis
    Ignored
    says:

    Starlaw at 0737am,

    Aye. Right now, it is ‘furriners’ they are attacking. Next will be gay people, then those who are not white (regardless of place of birth). Once a new peak of venom has been reached, it becomes the new baseline, the new ‘norm’, and so the country descends.

    It is exactly akin to Germany in the 1930’s. Step by step, drip by drip.

    “First they came for the Socilaist, and I did not speak out…” and all that.

    Never thought I’d see England go down this route so rapidly – although it has always been there, just simmering under the surface.

  219. starlaw
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Louis

    First the disabled … a path already being trodden.

  220. starlaw
    Ignored
    says:

    Listening to Mundell on Radio Shortbread. The mans a total Uncle Tom Scotland should sit back and trust on Westminster to give us all the benefits of Brexit. The gifts will be flowing …AYE RIGHT

  221. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    People are reacting against the Tories. The majority of people are not racist bigots. 17Million voted for Brexit out of a 45Million electorate. Based on lies. Just over a third. If the GE had been held one month later they would have lost. Bribing the DUP for support. The Tories can be voted down in Westminster. Highly likely soon. Another GE which they will lose. A lame duck Gov. The fear on the front benches every time the SNP spokesman asks a question. The only thing that unsettles the arrogant, ignorant Tories. May and her cronies.

    The false, fake concern for the lower paid. It is Westminster that is holding down wages. Public sector pay. The public funding spent on illegal wars, financial fraud and tax evasion holds down wages. Westminster breaking it’s own Laws, holds down wages. Money which could be better spent.

    Just keep on voting SNP/SNP. Vote for Independence. Get out and vote. Scotland is going on a different path. Some folk have realised in Scotland vote Labour get Tory, A lesson to learn. Some people never learn. Or learn the hard way. Dugdale has gone for telling voters in Scotland to vote Tory. The reason Corbyn lost. Dugdale and the cronies.

  222. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    @Macart
    In fact this: “As I said in June, we will consider again the issue of a referendum on independence when the terms of Brexit are clear.” (my bold 🙂

    is not the same as others are trying to say “when Brexit negotiations are finished”. It’s potentially sooner.

  223. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    Mmm, a cracking front page for the Independence supporting The National. It even has subliminal red and white, oops 😎

  224. Famous15
    Ignored
    says:

    Mundell,Mundell pants on fire!

    Wooooo we are going to get powerful powers on Criminal Justice. Feed the weans on that you bam!

  225. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    Guess we’re getting to the meat of it today. The repeal bill and the Henry VIII clause.

    Anyone fancy a central government that can pass legislation at ministerial level without parliamentary oversight? Especially THIS government?

    Y’know, the Scottish government and the wider YES movement have put up with a great deal of media pish over what constitutes a dictatorship. The slurs and smears launched against Scotland and its government by the commentariat have been pretty grim over the period.

    Well, if this debate and vote goes with May? I’d say all the peoples of the UK will get a true taste of what a dictatorship looks and feels like. Oh, and if the Scottish electorate are less than impressed with better togetherness to date? I’m guessing we’re going to be deeply unimpressed with our ‘partnership’ under a central government with those powers to call upon.

    The next two day’s will tell people much of what they need to know about the ‘United’ Kingdom, so I’d pay close attention to proceedings.

    Just a thought.

  226. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    @yesindyref2

    Indeed it could. 😉

  227. geeo
    Ignored
    says:

    So, Ruthie thinks the uk might not survive the brexit hit…!!

    So….presumably she will back independence for Scotland to give us the best chance to avoid the disaster she claims the uk will be post brexit ?

    Surely ??
    …………
    ‘Ruth Davidson fears Britain ‘won’t bounce back from brexit hit’

    http://archive.is/rQuXe#selection-197.52-359.116

  228. heraldnomore
    Ignored
    says:

    Have Bleep and Booster crawled back to their rocket for a while?

    Lifts head above parapet, opens one eye to a slit, starts reading again.

    Morning folks…

  229. BJ
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Louis@7:51

    “” Deprive the people of their national consciousness, treat them as a tribe and not a nation, dilute their national pride, do not teach their history. Propagate their language as inferior, imply they have a cultural void, emphasise their customs are primitive… and dismiss their independence as a barbaric anomaly “”

    Reinhard Heydrich, main architect of the Holocaust

  230. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    @Macart
    It’s a laugh. Even Indy supporting writers are still talking about the Indy Ref having been put back, but as we said at the time, and Rev in his article did, what Sturgeon did was “reset” it to where it always was – after the terms of Brexit were known, but before Brexit happened.

  231. Les Wilson
    Ignored
    says:

    A lot of talk this morning on these Henry Viii laws the Tory’s are trying to implement. These give the government, and if passed all future UK governments the power to make up any law they want without redress.

    The Tories, unsurprisingly argue all will be debated on committees,before they introduce laws. Aye right, they simply need to ensure the right people are on the committee to have their way on anything.

    Taking the Brexit mess aside for a minute, this ability to write all the laws they want, for any reason can, and would be implemented, no other reason than complete control over everything.
    That would turn the UK into a fascist state, where no one can write or say anything against the government or be subject to penalties. This is a huge con on the whole of the UK, one not easily repealed.

    It means they can control absolutely anything. This on it’s own should be enough for Scotland to get out of the corrupt Union.
    We are badly treated in their English doctrine at the moment, the gates of hell will open if they have these powers.

    People everywhere need to wake up to this most anti democratic of measures, this will make the UK akin to North Korea.
    If Scotland does not get out well before this is in law, we are well and truly gagged and bound, with no escape from UK tyranny and theft of all we have. We will have no redress at that point.

    There is little time, catastrophic is not too strong a word to use. This IS a situation the UN needs to be consulted on and then acted upon, to assist their doctrine of democracy and freedom.

    I am a long standing SNP member, but I urge them to take this path, we need assistance to ensure our survival if not the UN then who.
    The SNP cannot sit complaining about this one, we need action and we need it now. Brexit will be disasterous and this measure is a damage control tool to protect the elite and crush any move against them.

    Scotland will be hammered, again. Any thought of sovereignty will be consigned to English written text books as having ended in 1707.
    We really will be finished. SNP get on with it, this is very serious and urgent.

  232. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    @geeo
    (Ruth Davidson) “People in a room talking and then walking out and up to a bank of microphones and saying entirely different things while standing next to each other is part of what negotiation is.”

    Remind me never to buy a used car from her.

  233. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Ruth Davidson is just playing to the gallery while trying to keep the Tories in power at Westminster and ruin the Scottish economy. Self interest. Words don’t describe it. Hypocrite and liar don’t even cover it. ‘Average size lady’.Is the polite way of putting it. What will happen to the partner on Brexit. Illegal migrant? Or will marriage cover it.

  234. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    @yesindyref2

    Heh. Never recalled it being any different.

    Lots of commentators saying what they think was said. Lots saying what they think the FM meant or meant to say. Lots saying what they wish was the case or what they want to be the case.

    Only the processes and actions taken to date matter. Preparation – vote – record and official statement.

  235. Liz g
    Ignored
    says:

    RE.Craig Murray’s court case.
    Robert Peffers….or anyone else who might know!
    Is there no something in either the Treaty of the Union it’s self,or one of the Acts.
    That prevents Scottish “subjects” being tried under English law.

    If I am remembering correctly one of the first times or,the actual first time the Treaty was breeched was,a man getting hung in Edinburgh,a couple of years after the Treaty was signed.
    Convicted under English law and that wasn’t supposed to happen!
    But back then nobody could say anything about it.
    The Union was being enforced at the point of a gun and there were no international Court’s!

    I don’t know if or how it would be of any help to him…
    But if it’s still one of the terms then in “theory” it’s still the Law.
    Espically if it’s the Treaty it’s self because then it would need a change in the terms…and that could very interesting!

    But ultimately it could provide a chance to get this into a Scottish Court,which will cost a lot less than a London one.

  236. wull2
    Ignored
    says:

    I think next to every post it should say “ xyz says I support yes or no” then the post. If they say that they support the other side when they do not. then they should be blocked. This would tell new ones who is who, and old users of this site if they are being honest.

  237. Peter McCulloch
    Ignored
    says:

    @Petra says:
    6 September, 2017 at 4:26 pm

    Sorry Petra I apologise, its always a race against
    time for me before my computer session ends.
    Obviously I didn’t read your post properly.

    So again apologies.

  238. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    Looking at news reports about the supposedly leaked EU info …. looks like IndyRef2 just got a lot closer!

    The EU’s ideas for how things must be the day after Brexit is so far removed from what Brexiteers dream of, that agreement seems distant.

    Hard/disorganised/poor/nasty Brexit means IndyRef2.

  239. Les Wilson
    Ignored
    says:

    wull2 says:

    Good idea, the only problem I would suppose, they could just lie!
    Having said that they would be lumbered eventually, and banned at that point,but could then use another name. Rev could catch them out to a degree via their email.
    As an Independence supporting site, that idea might cut out a lot of time wasting.

  240. Lochside
    Ignored
    says:

    Repeal Bill..Henry the V111 Clause…no deal Brexit….libel actions simultaneously against leading Indy sites and spokespeople (Rev, Craig Murray, Andy Wightman)….social media (and this site) infested with unionist trolls and bots…..suppression of all good news about Scotland’s achievements ( the Bridge, the fitba, the SG’s progressiveness) and its very identity ( ‘British’ whisky ‘British’ fishing,’British Oil etc)….Blatant hateful one sided propaganda from the BBC…Neverending SNPBAAD on the lying press front pages….and yet 50% of our population still act like brass monkeys…shut down, deliberately unknowing and unseeing. Or more like ostriches, heids in the sand hoping no ones going to interfere with their precarious existences.

    The tories don’t want a deal with the EU. They want out, paying nothing of anything that, they owe and emptying the Uk of EU citizens, and driving all unemployed into even lower paid workfare, to replace jobs on the farms and care homes etc. vacated by the Europeans. At a stroke thousands of ‘British jobs for British workers’ achieved…but what a cost?

    No welfare, no pensions until your past 80 years of age, and it will income assessed. They will dismantle all the devolved parliaments…the DUP will be happy with this… and it will be justified on saving money for the’ Greater British good’. The Barnet formula will be abolished and our infrastructure will return to pre devolved decrepitude as all money is thrown at sustaining London as the centre of the corrupt UK universe, the repository of all the dirty and dark money in the world as the UK becomes a banana republic without the sun.

    Let’s take all our MPs out of Westminster as soon as possible and appeal to the UN for help against what is now a demonstrably increasing despotic proto fascist state, which is emerging daily, and is taking away our democratic rights and citizenship without our consent. We are a recognised ancient nation with a 1000 years history and acontribution to world culture unsurpassed by any nation of comparative size. We cannot let our most ancient enemy suffocate the life out of us by stealth and wealth without using every legal means within our grasp to counter and triumph over English imperialism.

  241. Les Wilson
    Ignored
    says:

    Catalonia has set it’s Independence vote for October the 1st.
    Good luck Catalonia!

  242. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    £42Billion being spent on Trident. Cuts everywhere else. Fallon wants to start a war with Russia. After the last illegal invasions. £Trns of debt. What an ignorant incompetent. Some people never learn. The Clyde betrayal. The Trade Union leaders selling the membership down the swanney, as usual. The members don’t come out to vote. The Tories did it before taking maintenance jobs to Davenport even though it cost £100Million more. Unemployment in Davenport 3%. In Govan it was 15%.

    Scotland should be building ferries, supply boats, turbines and liners. The expanding market. There is no commercial activities on the Clyde because of a Faslane. (Thatcher). Scotland pays £BillionS for Trident. £3,5Billion Defence. There are no frigate to patrol the shores.

    ‘Lord Robertson/Westminster supported, funded and created ISIS. Illegal wars. Westminster are responsible for the worse migration crisis in Europe since 11WW. Costing European countries £Trns. They have to pick up the mess. ‘Lord’ Robertson and his cronies are responsible. Supporting apartheid regimes and absolute monarchies. Regimes that would not be tolerated in the UK/US. They were warned the illegal wars would increase terrorism. Yet has the damn cheek to blame people in Scotland who campaign against it, campaigning for their rights.

  243. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    @Yesindyref2

    Yesindyref2 said: “what Sturgeon did was “reset” it to where it always was – after the terms of Brexit were known, but before Brexit happened.”

    I would say she deferred till Autumn 2018, the announcement about what the plans are for Indyref2.

    What Sturgeon and other SNP figures also did was attempt to negotiate Single Market membership in return for dropping Indyref.

    They have already accepted Scotland being dragged OUT OF THE EU against the democratic will of the people, .

    The SNP offered that deal, “major concessions” the SNP called it, but UK Govt chased them.

    Bluff and bluster from WM’s powerless branch office.

    In the 2016 manifesto the SNP also promised a campaign to persuade people that indy is the best choice . What happened to it? It never happened.

    It remains to be seen whether there will an indyref before 2021. I’ll believe it when I see it.

    In the meantime the Scot Govt are doing what they were told to do by the UK Govt, getting on with administering the Scottish Raj for the British Govt.

    And credit to them. They have been better at it than Labour was.

    The SNP have been the best WM devolution administrators I’ve seen.

  244. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    In the 2016 manifesto the SNP also promised a campaign to persuade people that indy is the best choice . What happened to it? It never happened.”

    Why do you keep in lying about this Colin A?

    You cut n pasted the SNP manifesto yourself on WoS, which states very clearly, that SNP believes Scotland has the right to hold referendum like 2014.

    Its as straightforward as that Colin and here you are liking a yoon, over and over.

    Why does this very weird union actually need to be held in place, by the countless and endless yoon lies and liars, just like you Co?

  245. Meg merrilees
    Ignored
    says:

    Just curious… as I wasn’t tuned in to events ion Holyrood yesterday …

    Was the Queensferry Crossing mentioned?

    Did anyone stand up and congratulate the Scottish Government on a successful end to this massive project which also came in under budget?

    And, in the event that it wasn’t mentioned, will it be mentioned today?

    Not holding my breath, but would be really pleased if someone acknowledges this achievement.

  246. Rev. Stuart Campbell
    Ignored
    says:

    “I’m not in the Wee Blue Links (What have I done?)”

    Look more closely.

  247. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    @heedtracker

    Be careful about accusing people of lying. Look at the trouble it has caused a famous indy blogger.

    No, I’m not gonnae sue you. I’ve got used to your ways. You even say some good, sensible pro-independence comments, so I wouldn’t want to put you off doing that in any way.

    But to address your comment, I’m no talking about the promise of a referendum.

    2016 manifesto said:

    “In the next parliament, we will work hard to persuade a majority of the Scottish people that being an independent country is the best option for our country.”

    Maybe they will before 2021, but I’ve yet to witness any pro-independence persuasion from the SNP.

    It’s been the opposite, they have continually distanced themselves from it.

  248. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @wull2 says: 7 September, 2017 at 9:30 am:

    “I think next to every post it should say “ xyz says I support yes or no” then the post. If they say that they support the other side when they do not. then they should be blocked.”

    What a crazy and typically un-Scottish idea. We must not give the unionists the chance to say we are in a bubble talking among ourselves.

    It is a good thing to have different views expressed and that leads to interesting debate and argument but also leads to minds being changed by exposing true facts.

    Banning and suppression of opposing views is both unhelpful and unproductive. There is a great difference between a commenter posting their genuine opposing views and a commenter deliberately attempting to shut down honest debate and that applies to both Yoons trying to shut down Yesers and Yesers trying to shut down Yoons.

    There is presently more disruption to threads by Yesers just pointlessly moaning about, “trolls”, but offering no logical opposing arguments than there is from the obvious people who are set on causing disruption. If you demolish the latter lots most stupid points and otherwise scroll on past their attempted disruption they will realise they have failed in their objective and go away.

    Pointlessly not only moaning about the would be disrupter but also pointlessly moaning about anyone who rubbishes their attempts is playing into their hands It serves no useful purpose that having a moan.

    Wings is an open forum and must remain as such or it will die.

  249. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Robert Peffers

    Excellent comment.

  250. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    colin alexander says:
    7 September, 2017 at 11:14 am
    @heedtracker

    Be careful about accusing people of lying. Look at the trouble it has caused a famous indy blogger.

    I would love to be sued by you Colin A.

    You’re a liar. You are even lying about your own comments btl WoS.

    Manifesto statements you posted/cut n pasted and therefore specific, the SNP belief in the right to hold referenda for Scotland.

    Another example of you lying Colin A is, in you last 2 comments.

    2016 manifesto said:

    “In the next parliament, we will work hard to persuade a majority of the Scottish people that being an independent country is the best option for our country.”

    does not in fact mean,

    “In the 2016 manifesto the SNP also promised a campaign to persuade people that indy is the best choice . What happened to it? It never happened.”

    Work hard to persuade, does not mean to promise a campaign to persuade and therefore renege on this promise, you’ve just invented, with which to smear the SNP.

    Do you see Colin A?

    See you in court, liar, your pants will be very much on fire too:D

  251. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    @heedtracker

    You’re entertaining. But please stick to trying to persuade people that indy is the best choice, cos the SNP aren’t doing it, so someone better do it.

  252. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    See Herald Story:

    “Mother who lost baby in fresh plea for justice”.

    I’m not trying to make political capital out of this. There are things seriously wrong with the system when negligence or misconduct happens in public services.

    The SPSO, who should rule on these sort of things are an absolute disgrace – and I believe it was LABOUR who created them. They whitewash the vast majority of complaints, in my opinion.

    “The SPSO was set up by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Act 2002.”

    So, it’s not a SNP bad comment at all. But the Scot Govt should take more action. The story comments about: “planned new powers for Healthcare Improvement Scotland”, but the SPSO should be abolished and replaced with something much better. Something unbiased.

    Did people know that before the NHS will even discuss compensation they demand you supply your NI number to send to the DWP’s Compensation Recovery Unit?

    So, the Govt can get the money first.

    It can mean, those who have suffered, may never see a penny of compensation for their suffering.

  253. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    colin alexander says:
    7 September, 2017 at 11:33 am
    @heedtracker

    You’re entertaining. But please stick to trying to persuade people that indy is the best choice, cos the SNP aren’t doing it, so someone better do it.

    And ofcourse, you make empty threats Colin A and do not have the good grace to apologise.

    All that’s interesting about you Colin A, is that there are ofcourse arguments for keeping Scotland part of greater England. I can think of some, off the top of my head.

    For starters, almost all of Scotland’s oil and gas riches have been invested in England. As part of the UK, Scots still have complete and unfettered access to this giant investment in England, what the North Sea’s black gold has done to transform England’s extraordinary 21st century transport infrastructure for example.

    We could ofcourse still go and see it all, when Scotland does become a nation state again, but it just wont be the same will it Colin A.

  254. Proud Cybernat
    Ignored
    says:

    “…stick to trying to persuade people that indy is the best choice, cos the SNP aren’t doing it, so someone better do it.”

    Don’t you worry your red, white & blue cotton little socks, man at C&A, ’cause the UK Gov is doing a quite splendid job convincing a majority of Scots that indy is now their best option and in their best interest.

  255. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    colin alexander says:
    7 September, 2017 at 11:33 am
    @heedtracker

    So can you see what I did there Colin the Liar?

    I take your endless, SNP exist but they are shite commenting meme, and then I apply it to the UK and Scotland’s relationship within it.

    Keep em coming Colin the Liar, its catchy.

    Ofcourse massed ranks of beeb gimps do this too, on autopilot but they’ve assimilated a far more creepy propaganda technique too, that Scotland does not exist, ergo neither do the SNP, but the SNP are always bad, v v bad.

    Anyone can be a tory meeja creep Colin A, the Liar:D

  256. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    @Proud Cybernat

    “Don’t you worry your red, white & blue cotton little socks.”

    That is freaky.

    I’ve just sat down to put my clean socks on: Union Jack socks.

    What’s Saturday’s Lottery numbers please?

    Given to me as a joke gift, because people who know me, know I’m very pro-indy ( and much less pro-SNP), but get called a unionist on Wings.

  257. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    @Heedtracker

    BRB – just checking the Guardian – just to please you. Then The National.

  258. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    From The Guardian:

    “How the Aristocracy preserved their power”

    http://archive.is/4hrVH

    A third of Britain’s land is still owned by the aristocracy.

    “In Scotland – Nearly half the land is in the hands of 432 private individuals and companies. More than a quarter of all Scottish estates of more than 5,000 acres are held by a list of aristocratic families. In total they hold some 2.24m acres, largely in the Lowlands.”

    So, after 10 years of SNP Govt and prior to that Labour/LibDems, the figures for Scotland are WORSE.

  259. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Given to me as a joke gift, because people who know me, know I’m very pro-indy ( and much less pro-SNP), but get called a unionist on Wings.

    I know you too Co, you’re a liar and you didnt have to say out loud you hate the SNP, sorry, you’re much less pro-SNP.

    Maybe you really do think YES voters as stupid as you are Colin A, the Liar:D

  260. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    From The National:

    “THE Law Society of Scotland has warned that the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill being debated in the Commons today “would remove the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament”.

  261. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    @heedtracker

    I’m hiding this one from the gf, since the Union Jack mugs and socks wind up.

    But thought you would like to see it. Remember this one?:

    http://archive.is/3pI0d

  262. geeo
    Ignored
    says:

    Got to love the media…so desperate to avoid an indyref, they constantly talk about not having one…!!!

    BBC the other day on 1st DP back after recess STATING as if fact that not only can the SNP ABSOLUTELY NOT hold an indyref BEFORE the next Holyrood election, it will be impossible without a MAJORITY in that Holyrood election.

    Utter drivel, and boy do they have a shock coming next year.

  263. Robert Graham
    Ignored
    says:

    Serious Question is this Stu Campbell’s blog ? or the colin alexander show , i gave up after counting 15 posts either by or referring too this poster , the same thing is starting to happen on other sites a disruptive influence has taken over , coincidence , it’s all very well saying this is a open forum but this is becoming a total farce .

  264. Phronesis
    Ignored
    says:

    The Brexit debacle sums up the unbalanced incompetences of a WM cabal that lack understanding of their own policies – and the internationally community are watching bemused and aghast –

    ‘We have seen this all before. Contrary to their claims to support evidenced-based policy making, this government and the previous government have repeatedly ignored expert opinion that might challenge their political ambitions…

    In July 2012, the coalition (Conservative/LibDem) government launched a Balance of Competences Review which was to serve as an audit of ‘what the EU does and how it affects the UK’. The overall review fell within the responsibility of the Foreign Office, then directed by Philip Hammond. Theresa May, then Home Secretary, and Amber Rudd, then Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, also received reports on key topics commissioned on behalf of their ministries. By the time it concluded, the Review had gathered approximately 2300 pieces of written evidence and produced 32 subject-based reports…

    The government has more than sufficient information at its disposal to inform immigration and industrial policy. May and Rudd have simply chosen to ignore a mountain of serious evidence that challenges their current position in pursuit of Brexit. By doing so, they have further undermined the role of experts and civil society in the process of governance’

    https://www.socialeurope.eu/deja-vu-home-office

  265. geeo
    Ignored
    says:

    If only people would grow up and ignore the trolling prick.

    Those who engage are just as bad as the clown in my opinion.

  266. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    But thought you would like to see it. Remember this one?:

    Thing is Co, if you were an actual YES vote, you would be taking the route of, why are the SNP not campaigning for ref2 now?

    You even cut n pasted the SNP manifesto, stating their belief that Scotland has a right to hold indy refs, and then you blatantly lie about some “promised campaign to persuade.” It id ofcourse not a promised campaign.

    Fair enough Colin A?

    Everything you rant and rage SNP bad about is all for the keeping of this mental union. Yet you are so dishonest, so corrupted, you have to do it the really sneaky creepy way.

  267. Meg merrilees
    Ignored
    says:

    FMQ’s today-

    Nicola’s rallying call:

    The message that I want to send out to people here at home, to people elsewhere in the UK and people internationally … is:

    Scotland is the best place in the world to grow up in and be educated,
    Scotland is the best place in the world to be cared for if you are sick or vulnerable or in need,
    Scotland is the best place in the world to grow old in
    and it’s the best place in the world because of our investment in infrastructure, in digital and in business support to invest and do business in as well.
    That’s the message I want to send to the world about Scotland and all of us need to make sure we do everything that is necessary to deliver that kind of world class nation.

  268. manandboy
    Ignored
    says:

    Excellent, Lochside, and well worth repeating if I may be so bold.

    Lochside says:

    Repeal Bill..Henry the V111 Clause…no deal Brexit….libel actions simultaneously against leading Indy sites and spokespeople (Rev, Craig Murray, Andy Wightman)….social media (and this site) infested with unionist trolls and bots…..suppression of all good news about Scotland’s achievements ( the Bridge, the fitba, the SG’s progressiveness) and its very identity ( ‘British’ whisky ‘British’ fishing,’British Oil etc)….Blatant hateful one sided propaganda from the BBC…Neverending SNPBAAD on the lying press front pages….and yet 50% of our population still act like brass monkeys…shut down, deliberately unknowing and unseeing. Or more like ostriches, heids in the sand hoping no ones going to interfere with their precarious existences.

    The tories don’t want a deal with the EU. They want out, paying nothing of anything that, they owe and emptying the Uk of EU citizens, and driving all unemployed into even lower paid workfare, to replace jobs on the farms and care homes etc. vacated by the Europeans. At a stroke thousands of ‘British jobs for British workers’ achieved…but what a cost?

    No welfare, no pensions until your past 80 years of age, and it will income assessed. They will dismantle all the devolved parliaments…the DUP will be happy with this… and it will be justified on saving money for the’ Greater British good’. The Barnet formula will be abolished and our infrastructure will return to pre devolved decrepitude as all money is thrown at sustaining London as the centre of the corrupt UK universe, the repository of all the dirty and dark money in the world as the UK becomes a banana republic without the sun.

    Let’s take all our MPs out of Westminster as soon as possible and appeal to the UN for help against what is now a demonstrably increasing despotic proto fascist state, which is emerging daily, and is taking away our democratic rights and citizenship without our consent. We are a recognised ancient nation with a 1000 years history and acontribution to world culture unsurpassed by any nation of comparative size. We cannot let our most ancient enemy suffocate the life out of us by stealth and wealth without using every legal means within our grasp to counter and triumph over English imperialism.

  269. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    @geeo

    Calling someone “a trolling prick” is being a trolling prick.

    Oops, shouldn’t have responded to a troll. Apologies, Stu.

  270. Jack Murphy
    Ignored
    says:

    OT.
    Scottish Parliament TV. THURSDAY.

    FIRST MINISTER’S QUESTIONS.
    http://tinyurl.com/y9bnkb5w

  271. Robert J. Sutherland
    Ignored
    says:

    geeo @ 13:02,

    I know, It’s become the Alexander Ragtime Band in here at the moment. But the gish is so persistent now that it’s hard to ignore. In this thread alone so far, the Alexander Quotient is 9.25%, ie. 25 postings out of 270. Some of those are responses to responses, granted, but most are not. It’s becoming a serious problem.

    On a happier note, thanks for a posting you made the other day about this being a time for quiet conversations. Like others, I’ve been getting rather restless of late, so I found that a helpful ray of light.

    Hopefully the increasing grim realities of the emerging Brexitania will spur many more of such conversations.

  272. manandboy
    Ignored
    says:

    As the Brexit talks deteriorate into ever greater farce, as a matter of course seeing as who it is that is dealing with the matter on the UK side, the truth which has been obscured by the British Government’s propaganda, is being revealed. Brexit is and always has been a complete sham since it was adopted by the British government in the person of Theresa May.

    Further, the future envisaged by the Tories depends on retaining Scotland as a colony for the obvious reason that without Scotland’s vast wealth in energy resources, food production and water, rUK is a busted flush, which means that the British Establishment has no future. Without Scotland, Brexit becomes an act of immense self-destruction, which explains why the British Government is ramping up the propaganda, including systematic trolling of indy blogs.

    Soon the desperation now being felt by the British government and the Establishment network behind it, will turn to panic as the pressure increases. Make no mistake, the English ruling class know only too well that Brexit spells the end for them without Scotland.

    We have yet to see the panic however but until we do we must stand firm, keep our powder dry and be ready. Which is what Nicola is doing.

    Just watch the pressure on the Tories build, and enjoy.

  273. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Robert Graham at 12:59pm …….. “becoming a total farce ……….”

    And one wonders why the person (persons?) who monitors this site is doing nothing about it.

  274. heraldnomore
    Ignored
    says:

    Just catching up on FMQs.

    High time someone pointed out to Ruthie just how pitiful Scotland’s tax powers actually are. Taxing businesses, which she droned on about ad nauseum, or indeed any corporate structure, is not on the agenda; just as we cannot tax landlords, savers & investors, property gains – or anything other than salaries and pensions.

    It’s income tax only Ruth, and only a small fraction of the income tax base.

    Now if you’re boss were to confer proper tax and borrowing powers then we just might be able to fully address the economy. But having opposed everything, with your colleagues across the London parties, there’s only one route to get that. Meantime salaries are the only possible source of extra revenue, so thanks for that.

  275. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    colin alexander says:
    7 September, 2017 at 1:42 pm
    @geeo

    Calling someone “a trolling prick” is being a trolling prick.

    Oops, shouldn’t have responded to a troll. Apologies, Stu.

    Well this is a nice opportunity to switch from your I’m a YES but SNP bad stuff, to making actual cases for Scotland keeping the UK going, for a wee while yet.

    What’s so wrong with that Co?

    All your clever clever UKOK deception stuff seems to do, is piss people off.

    Its not like Scots don’t have differing opinions is it Colin A and its presumably why the WoS mods are more than happy to hear them btl.

    Honesty is ofcourse not the yoon way Colin, look at BBC Scotland gimp network’s hourly SNP bad output, but it is the best way.

    Or just leave all the UKOK shyte to hackers like these tories. God knows they get a big enough forum to let us all have it.

    Blair McDougall Retweeted
    Kevin Hague? @kevverage 18h18 hours ago
    More
    pleased to have a piece on GERS (and Prof Murphy’s “contribution”) in the Spectator

  276. North chiel
    Ignored
    says:

    Great post by ” Lochside @ 1017. Slowly but surely matters are
    coming to ” a head” and and there is no better person than our First Minister
    to decide on the time when ” enough is enough”. Patience is a virtue .

  277. heraldnomore
    Ignored
    says:

    Thanks goodness Mr Rowley didn’t throw his hat in the ring – why is it I’m minded of those dark days of DourIain Gray?

  278. Lochside
    Ignored
    says:

    Thanks Manandboy. I’ve enjoyed and agreed with much of your comments lately. Unfortunately, the site is being damaged by one ‘entity ‘and his tag team member,who I’ve long suspected of being either a sleeper or just an self absorbed irritant.

  279. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Lochside says at 3:01 pm …. ”Thanks Manandboy. I’ve enjoyed and agreed with much of your comments lately. Unfortunately, the site is being damaged by one ‘entity ‘and his tag team member, who I’ve long suspected of being either a sleeper or just an self absorbed irritant.”

    Spot on Lochside and it’s becoming clearer as the days go on.

  280. colin alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Heedtracker

    “Honesty is of course not the yoon way”

    Truth is the first casualty of war. The same can be said for politics. That’s not unique to Unionists, though I accept they are very prolific at covering up or distorting the truth about Scotland via the MSM and BBC etc.

    However, from the Sunday Post ( that shining bastion of journalistic truth), ( I’m being sarcastic here) : “straight-talking nationalist Mhairi Black has let the cat out of the bag, revealing politicians are drilled by slick media trainers how to dodge questions by answering with their own agenda.”

    I admire Mhairi Black’s openness here; it’s not criticism.

    As Stu has highlighted, in many cases is not what IS said, but what’s not said, that misleads.

  281. Tinto Chiel
    Ignored
    says:

    Reading Lochside’s passionate comments reminded me of Peter A Bell’s comments in this month’s iScot*** on the disastrous British partition of India and of Tavish Scott’s nasty and desperate attempt to push the idea for Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles:

    “It…says something fundamental about the nature of the British state. It speaks of a blinkered attitude to history. An unwillingness to learn from earlier mistakes. Perhaps even a pathological inability to take responsibility for past actions…

    “It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the British establishment simply didn’t, and doesn’t care. It is entirely untouched. It acts with total impunity, so has no cause to consider the consequences…

    “It’s all tied up with the British sense of exceptionalism and entitlement, which is so ill-concealed by the current Westminster regime. A dumb, smirking arrogance born of the self-righteous certainty that comes with deeply entrenched power.”

    I feel this bunch of chancers will finally meet their match when the EU reminds them of their actual feeble position in the negotiations.

    I predict the Flounce Out and Blame Option by May, and coming soon.

    We’ll have to get our skates on.

    *** great value at £3.99, btw

  282. manandboy
    Ignored
    says:

    Cheers, Lochside, in BritNat world Wings is the starship of the indy blogosphere. It is entirely predictable that No 10 would try to disable it, which is what we’re witnessing.

    Just a little time and we’ll figure out how to counter act and neutralise.

  283. manandboy
    Ignored
    says:

    If it were my blog I’d translate the rogue comments into another language before allowing them to appear – even street Scots would do.

  284. Jockanese Wind Talker
    Ignored
    says:

    F**K me @colin alexander says at 12:25 pm

    “In Scotland – Nearly half the land is in the hands of 432 private individuals and companies. More than a quarter of all Scottish estates of more than 5,000 acres are held by a list of aristocratic families. In total they hold some 2.24m acres, largely in the Lowlands.”

    So, after 10 years of SNP Govt and prior to that Labour/LibDems, the figures for Scotland are WORSE.

    Obviously all they SNP Peers need to have an Estate to go wi their Titles.

    😉

  285. stonefree
    Ignored
    says:

    Craig Murray?…My understanding was CM was vetoed as a candidate for the SNP, hence the bad feeling,
    he is not alone in that
    The Claiment and Law for Jurisdiction? ,This is from an old template for court cases “The Pursuer resides at (your address) and has domiciled there for (Time) immediately preceding this action.” that gives the pursuer the right to law to sue under English Law because that is where he stayed for 30 days.
    It’s been a long while since I did all the court stuff and I’m very rusty I should say also I wasn’t aware that CM stayed in Scotland,in any case, If he does then he could start by claiming that an English court is NOT where the case should be heard as he is not under their jurisdiction

  286. Rock
    Ignored
    says:

    colin alexander,

    “@Rock

    Being friendly with someone who is a Unionist, does not mean that that person is also a Unionist. Some of my neighbours are Unionists and we are friendly with each other, but I support independence.”

    There is a big difference between ordinary people and high profile figures.

    What credibility would Nicola have if she had been bosom pals with Carmichael, the lying unionist viceroy of Scotland during the independence referendum?

    Craig Murray was bosom pals with Carmichael during the independence campaign.

    In my humble opinion, such a person is a tractor, as is the SNP MSP in bed with Dugdale.

    Only politicians without principles can have such cosy relationships with the enemy.

  287. Robert J. Sutherland
    Ignored
    says:

    Tinto Chiel @ 16:01,

    Yes, it was a scurrilous attempt by the LibDems to (mis-)use the Northern Isles to stir up that “divisiveness” they have ever since had the brass neck to accuse the SNP of causing. Carmichael’s mendacity was bad enough, but that one disgraceful manoevre for me crossed the line from advocating a cause by dodgy means to something far worse (which discretion prevents me from elaborating).

    It was a Guardian article on the very eve of the referendum floating that very possibility which finished me with the paper in disgust. The Graun was not alone that day, however – there was a fair degree of co-ordination between papers on the subject, I seem to recall. It was an especially low blow for any supposedly respectable news outlet to give any credence whatever to such a vile and baseless fantasy.

  288. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Thanks Manandboy. I’ve enjoyed and agreed with much of your comments lately. Unfortunately, the site is being damaged by one ‘entity ‘and his tag team member,who I’ve long suspected of being either a sleeper or just an self absorbed irritant.

    That’s nice for you two. Cant say who though? You just cant tolerate stand being talked back at but fair enough chum.

  289. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Thanks Manandboy. I’ve enjoyed and agreed with much of your comments lately. Unfortunately, the site is being damaged by one ‘entity ‘and his tag team member,who I’ve long suspected of being either a sleeper or just an self absorbed irritant.

    That’s just too much of a creep out even for me chum, so you got your wish. My tagteam Colin A will quit too no doubt.

  290. Tinto Chiel
    Ignored
    says:

    @RJS 2.47: yes, I finished with The Grauniad in the final week or so but it was this tosh from Will Hutton wot done it for me:

    http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/06/will-hutton-10-days-to-save-the-union

    “Atavistic forces of nationalism and ethnicity” did not describe the Yes campaign I was lucky to have been part of and I lost all respect for, and trust in, a columnist I had previously liked.

    The Establishment will try this partition stuff again when Scotland votes yes but the Borders and perhaps the Northern Isles vote no.

    We face a monumental fight to get out of this quicksand of a Union AFTER a Yes victory.

    It’ll all be worth it for future generations, though.

  291. Tinto Chiel
    Ignored
    says:

    Ballsed that up. Here it is:

    http://archive.is/FiuI0

    Stoker: spare me!



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