Universal monsters
Seemingly oblivious to the mockery of voters, the Labour and Tory sides of the media are today doggedly continuing with their quest to convince the electorate that voting for the SNP will let both the Tories and Labour in.
In the latest in a long series of hilarious diatribes from the right-wing English press, today’s Daily Mail (English edition only, natch) carries a mad rant from Max Hastings about “the SNP’s almost Stalinist agenda” imposing a nightmarish “socialist paradise” on the people of England via Ed Miliband and “Nicola Sturgeon, red in tooth and claw”.
Meanwhile, the increasingly hysterical Daily Record has an editorial leader – unbylined but with Torcuil Crichton’s stubby, inky fingerprints all over it – desperately screaming the official Scottish Labour line that the Nats are closet Tories, “the arrival of dozens of SNP MPs in Westminster would make a Conservative government more likely”, and that “without Labour, no one else will be able to stop Tory attacks on the poor”.
(It seems to have entirely escaped Crichton’s attention that Scotland voting Labour, including in 2010, has utterly failed to stop Tory attacks on the poor for decades.)
So now we know – voting SNP will bring about a socialist, Stalinist paradise of Tory governments attacking the poor. Glad we cleared that one up.
It would insult your intelligence, readers, for us to take each article apart line by line. But there’s nothing very unusual about demented zoomery that would be laughed out of some nutter’s Facebook being given a varnish of respectability by being printed in tabloid newspapers, and nor is there much novelty in the SNP being portrayed as some manner of absurd cartoon bogeyman by the UK political establishment rather than the moderate, democratic and popular political party it is.
What’s startling is that neither side appears to be aware of the other. We have to imagine that Daily Record staffers read the Daily Mail and vice versa. (Because 80% of the content of modern newspapers is stories pinched from other newspapers, and another 10% is stuff they’ve all bought in from the same newswire.)
And given that fact, it’s mind-boggling that, aware of what each other is doing, they simply continue bellowing the same self-evidently ludicrous contradictions at each other, seemingly convinced that if only one of them can turn the volume and extremity of the hyperbole up high enough, they’ll drown the other out.
Because the thing about newspapers, the one big advantage they still have over online media, is that they’re ubiquitous. People still have to actively make a decision to go to a computer and look at a website, and it’s pretty easy to avoid sites you wouldn’t choose to visit.
But newspapers are everywhere. They’re in the workplace, they’re given out free at train stations, they’re in waiting rooms and pubs and cafés, just lying around for passers-by to see.
Even if you’d never dream of buying the Daily Mail personally, chances are you’ll pick one up to pass the time if someone’s left it on a bus seat. Even if you see the Record as a vile lefty propaganda sheet, you’ll probably flick through your workmate’s to read the football pages while you’re on a coffee break.
And when both sides are portraying the SNP as dastardly collaborators with the enemy, the conclusion most people will come to is that (a) they’re probably both lying, and (b) that both sides of a Westminster political elite that’s never been more despised by the public are absolutely terrified of a vote for Nicola Sturgeon’s party.
If it’s true – as we’re constantly told by pundits – that elections are won from the centre ground, then voters who are simultaneously told that the SNP are dangerous radical Marxists and that they’re “Tartan Tories” are probably going to decide that logically they must actually be somewhere in the middle.
And to an electorate also desperate to give a kicking to the establishment – quite aside from the 45% of Scots who have altogether more positive reasons for backing the Nats – it’s hard to present a more deliciously appetising prospect than a chance to give power to a centrist, sensible, competent party (ie not UKIP) that’s hated by both the Tories and Labour.
Buy a National and leave it ubiquitously anywhere you can. TBH we need a more Tanloid pro Indy publication tho too
I am really looking forward to #GE2015 when, for the first time in my life, my vote in a Westminster election will actually matter!
The Daily Record a “vile lefty propaganda sheet” Stu?
Haha you do funny very well mate 🙂
Unionists have moved from the opinion, a Scottish accent in the corridors of Westminster is to be deplored, to, Scots holding sway over England’s destiny is a vile threat.
Remember, “Stay with us Scotland. We love you”?
Every day, in every way, England demonstrates its power over Scotland.
A Grand Coalition between Labour and the Tories is already taking shape in these UK elections – “Vote SNP, get you worst nightmare the Scots ruling over England”
Torcuil Crichton: Labour is losing Scotland and they have been for quite some time
Vote So -Has Lab lost Scotland.
YES=92% NO 8%
This in the Record
Did you see the Kez performance last night,cringe.
There is so much horseshit in that Daily Mail piece by Max Wall but this caught my eye..
The Nationalists are committed to renewable energy self-sufficiency by 2025, which means a drive for subsidised wind farms and hydro-schemes on a scale even more ambitious, costly and crazy than David Cameron has allowed the LibDems to impose on Britain
Britain=England=Britain=UK=England…
Well we are coming down to get our turn of having the say in the ‘union’ Max so GIRUY
Max Hastings really has lost the plot, I mean the man really should be under the Doctor.
The article is really distasteful and is driving a very worrying trend towards creating a hate campaign against the Scots down South.
The comments below are frightful apart from the brave few who try to debunk the flawed arguments.
Another variation of too poor, too wee, too stupid only with added fear from the Establishment.
A dawning of awareness that they are losing control of their carefully crafted chimera of Democracy.
Wonder how they will manage their rejections?
Talking of hysteria, I see Martin Kettle has a column in the Guardian saying the Union needs an Abraham Lincoln type figure! D: The guy is a Brit nat fanatic, he would not look out of place next to Cochrane and co.
It was in full flow last night on QT. It was interesting to see a Jim Smart (Tory councillor from Newton Mearns in his role as interested member of the public) propose publicly that if Labour refuse to work with the SNP then it will be futile for people to vote for them. He was essentially saying that 45% (on current polling) of the Scottish Electorate should be completely disenfranchised within the UK. You can vote who you want but you will play no part in ‘our’ democracy or you can vote who we tell you to. Better together indeed. The irony is that this policy would bring independence quicker than anything we could do so bring it on.
For what it is worth my observations on the politicians on last nights shows
Ruth Davidson – excellent. It is a shame we did not achieve independence as she is the sort of Scottish Conservative that would apply a bit of much needed balance to all us lefty zoomers! Shame she is hooked up with the voracious, parasitic Eton boys.
Humza – boy did good. No errors, a positive message and did well not to get dragged into too much bickering.
Danny Boy – he is simply going through the motions until his resettlement grant. Does not look like he believes what he is saying.
Kezia – I nearly, nearly felt a glimmer of sympathy for her. She is so far out of her depth it has gone beyond funny. The audience reaction spoke volumes and this, added to the Ashcroft polls, represented another horrorshow day for SLAB. What sentient adult could vote for this shower? She is the DEPUTY LEADER for gawd’s sake.
@ Stu
“Even if you’d never dream of buying the Mail, chances are you’ll pick one up to pass the time if someone’s left it on a bus seat.”
Aargh – the very thought makes me break out in things I’d rather not mention on a family blog!
If I hear anyone ever say “well I don’t feel like I’m ruled by the English,” I’ll just point to these articles and say “well a fair few of the English seem to think it’s the natural order of things, going by how outraged they are by the possibility of Scots rule.”
The Mail as junk press and smear meister is not new.
“The Shame of the Press”:
link to grousebeater.wordpress.com
Hey Creepy Jim see that picture of Dishface in the Record article was that taken when he was watching your Kezia on QT last night..
And what is with the picture of you Creepy Jim trying to make you look like some philosopher or ‘the thinker’ well Creepy let me tell you that you are a pissofferer and ‘the stinker’ so Fuck off (thrice)
Max Hastings is the type of Tory who looked after the interests of Scotland’s sporting estates when Westminster had control over such matters. The lairds have few friends at Holyrood, and no sporting lobby to speak of.
Tough Titty Eh?
Desperate performance from Jim Murphy on the wireless this morning, our prospective last Labour MP and he doesn’t even want the job? He was better at the witch impression for the weans yesterday, obviously using stuff he’s gleaned from observing Magrit Curran.
All coming back out of the woodwork again post the referendum hysteria now the GE hysteria. Max Hastings needs a lie down in a darkened room.
Expect some very nasty tricks before May 7th.
[…] Seemingly oblivious to the mockery of voters, the Labour and Tory sides of the media are today doggedly continuing with their quest to convince the electorate that voting for the SNP will let both the Tories and Labour in.In the latest in a long series of hilarious diatribes from the right-wing English press, today’s Daily Mail (English edition only, natch) carries a mad rant from Max Hastings about “the SNP’s almost Stalinist agenda” imposing a nightmarish “socialist paradise” on the people of England via Ed Miliband and “Nicola Sturgeon, red in tooth and claw”. […]
Yeah:
“Stay with us Scotland. We love you.”
Well, how do you like us now? 🙂
The other side of this coin, though, is the worrying anti-Scottishness being stoked by the media down south. The first line of the Daily Mail header has is pretty out-there given it’s talking about people who are ahem fae here.
But…all the more popcorn-worthy! I await May with baited breath.
The month, by the way, not the person.
Imagine the hysterical Vote SLab Scotland headlines coming our way May 7. Its all going to make Project Fear look like Bambi. Watching UKOK raging Gordon Brown ponce and posture across a stage in front of usual invited audience all day 18th Sept and via the BBC creep show was bad enough.
These things are sent to try us and then you think, well hold up, all any additional SNP MP’s can really do is try and get whatever THE VOW fraud was, passed through Westminster.
So what’s the problem raging red and blue tory Britnats? Scotland’s been given the “most powerful devolved parliament in the world” or THE VOW, so the current UKOK propaganda goes, everywhere.
Yet our imperial masters are absolutely petrified of England losing complete control of their Scotland region.
I say. Its just not cricket:D
‘If prosperous England is obliged to bankroll improvident Scotland.. then a storm will break’
Much as Hastings’ anguish is rather agreeable, I’m even more entertained by Murphy’s madness in continuing to bang on about a mansion tax to be levied in the south east of England in the context of spiralling London hatred for Scots.
As I said in another thread – more Murphy, please!
apologies – the Tory councillor in the audience last night was Jim Swift and not Jim Smart (that is the opposite of a Freudian slip).
I will stick by my prediction. Scotland will become independent by 2018. I am not sure of the exact mechanism that will bring this about.
However the clock will start ticking in May 2015. Momentum will build and build towards Scotland’s gradual exit from the UK.
Even if you’d never dream of buying the Mail, chances are you’ll pick one up to pass the time if someone’s left it on a bus seat.
There’s never one lying around in the woods when you need it. 😉
New Populus poll (UK) just out.
Scottish sub sample of 186 voters:-
Tory..15%
Lib-Dem..8%
Labour..13% (THIRTEEN, Jim! Have a really nice day )
Vile Separatists..58% FIFTY-EIGHT
Edwin: The first line of the Daily Mail header has is pretty out-there
Racism is not actionable when newspaper do it.
I see you caught my good side in the pic.
To answer Martin Kettle’s plea “Where oh where is our Abraham Lincoln?” (Guardian)
Upon my word, the answer is self-evident:
Alex Salmond! A true democrat with oratorial skills, matched of course by Nicola.
Martin needs to look in the right place.
All ranting headlines are for one reason only…prepare the English electorate for a Grand coalition to freeze out SNP control.
Also seeing the Invisible man in that Monster picture reminds me of The League of Extra-ordinary Gentlemen…cant we ask Allan Moore to write a new graphic novel based on Scotlands current fight, would be right up his street after V for Victory. Even something from Mark Millar will suffice as long as Nicola kicks ass
Could it be that Kezia getup was a manifestation of an inner turmoil.
She is sliding deeply into a hole of cognitive dissonance.
She really doesn’t want to be doing what she is doing, what she is saying and with whom she is mixing. Her problem is that she is a prisoner but cannot see a way out.
The make up was a mask, a comfort blanket. It wasn’t really her, the real she was inside.
I would think most of us have printers at home. Print off a few copies of your favourite Wings or Bella article and leave them scattered around your work canteen. Tape them to the back of the toilet door, slip one into any daily records you see laying around. I’m sure you can think of other interesting places to spread the word. When I visit the local old folks home I’m greeted with outstretched arms “fits at manny sayin at Wings the day let’s hae a read”. We can be ubiquitous too.:-)
I can only assume poor old Max sees his grouse shooting days on his hunting lodge in the Highlands coming to an end.
Max Hastings=seriously good guy!… 😀 😀
As was said many times before and during the referendum campaign: there is no going back; the genie is out of the bottle. Yet unionists, especially in England, just can’t see it. Scottish unionists can’t understand it; they really expected to be rewarded for their BritNat suplications.
Blue Tories say vote SNP get Labour. Red Tories say vote SNP get Tory. Proof the SNP is right on course.
O/T (Sorry Rev but this one is important and could slip through the net. I posted it in the previous topic but re-post it again here. Once again, apologies for going off topic.
O/T
Anyone who remembers my postings about how many Government ministers, elected members, (and the vast majority of the electorate), have no clear idea of what the Barnett Formula is, how it works or what it is supposed to do please note today’s morning news.
You will find it is being reported that Leanne Wood, (Party Leader of Plaid Cymru), is to demand Wales be given equal funding with Scotland in any coalition talks taking place after the General Election.
Now, for those who don’t remember the simple explanation I gave about what Barnett’s Formula does, I’ll briefly repeat it now :-
Barnett’s Formula is intended to work out the extra funds that are granted to Scotland to cover the costs of the Scottish Governments responsibility for running the EXTRA devolved Functions that only Scotland has. As Devolved functions to Scotland, Wales and N.I. are all different so, when Westminster devolves a function, they also must devolve the funds to cover that function’s costs to the devolved administrations. It would be idiotic to devolve a function, that Westminster previously ran and funded, without also devolving the funds to run that devolved function.
So as Leanne Wood is demanding the extra funding, but without demanding the extra functions it won’t put Wales on an equal footing with Scotland. It will give Wales a very great financial extra benefit. This proves, beyond doubt, that the lady, and Plaid Cymru, have no clear idea of what she is talking about.
To reiterate – “Barnett’s Formula calculates the cost of each individual devolved function and allocates the correct funding for government functions previously done and funded by Westminster to the devolved administrations”.
As each devolved administration has different devolved functions then the per-capita funding to each devolved administration is of necessity at different per-capita levels. Thus per-capita funding is correct and does not indicate that a higher per-capita funding is a subsidy.
Thing is that as so many elected members, within every layer of government and the general public in the United Kingdom, are as totally
pig ignorantErr!, unaware of how Barnett’s Formula works, there will be much support for her absolutely idiotic demands.Perhaps this will turn out to be a good thing in the end, for it will force the drip, drip, drip claims that Scots are being subsidised by England to be examined and the truth will become the real winner of this whole sorry matter of how the Barnett Formula is seen as giving the Scots a per-capita subsidy when it does nothing of the sort.
In fact it probably actually means we are underfunded.
Oh! And great article, Rev Stu, that I’m so ignorantly interrupting.
Until the Inderef I always read the Daily Record sports section. Now I have deleted all contact online with this laughable rag. When I see a copy lying around anywhere I always pick it up and drop it straight in the nearest rubbish bin. In newsagents I pick up a copies of The National and put them in front of the ‘rag’ copies.
Prior to 18/9 we were subjected to a tsunami of love from Politicians and ‘Celebrities’ from lists A to Z.
It now seems to be the case that all along they hated and despised us as mere colonial minions – Quelle Surprise.
The question that must be asked of course is ‘If they hate us so much why are they so desperate to stop us leaving their ‘democratic utopia of alegedly equal nations’.
Macandroid says
““Even if you’d never dream of buying the Mail, chances are you’ll pick one up to pass the time if someone’s left it on a bus seat.”
Aargh – the very thought makes me break out in things I’d rather not mention on a family blog!”
So what I suggest is the next time anyone has a heavy cold and sees one on a seat on a bus
just unload the contents of your nose between the pages, no one who has seen whats inside will ever pick one up again.
Like electric shock treatment,
ken whit a mean like? 😉
Steady, Dan Huil. You are starting to sound like the BBC…..
Helpful of both cheeks (of the same arse) to continually draw attention to the fact that, despite Scotland sending 59 Scottish MPs south EVERY election, it’s only SNP MPs that are certain to fight Scotland’s corner.
Yet more evidence, if any were needed, that the tombstone engraver can now confidently crack on with the unionist’s epitaph:
‘They really didn’t think this through’
The buses also have racks of rags, for free on them, many seem to make it to the floor and if they do happen to left on the seats, well they are good for putting under feet just to keep the floor clean I find.
I buy the National, but some of the headlines are a tad misleading regards the Scottish government and SNP I find. Will perservere however. Ah what a wonderful democracy we inhabit in ukok.
Dear Max
We can feel the hate…which is very sweet of you
Love
Scotland
Who needs Max Hastings when we have the Herald and Ms Rowat as well as Mr Torrance?
Anyone read the spiteful drivel today?
Seems that spite and shite is all we can expect from the media these days.
When do we get circulation figures for the Herald? My interest in its demise grows daily.
I wonder. There is no doubt that the unionists are stoking up hatred for Scotland as best they can. I think they are probably succeeding.
There may be an in/out referendum re the EU sometime in the near future.
If I am right, and they are succeeding, what are the chances of a movement in rUK to tag an in/out referendum re the union on to that ballot?
Depending on how successful this project is we might yet get our independence that way.
I get a wee warm glow from considering possible unintended consequences of that sort….
cant cant cant and more cant.
Here’s the difference –
politics from the bottom up – yes, the peasants are revolting,
or,
commentators still wittering on about top-down politicking – as if all the whole system/ establishment needs is better leaders!
– Away ‘n bile yer heids.
GIRUYeez, in fact.
News Flash
SPCA is charging the BBC with wilfull neglect of a pair wee dug on television last night.
Slightly O/t.
Did anyone see the piece last nighton television on Danny Alexander visiting a brewery up north.He picked up a bottle from the production line,to look at the label and the name of the brew was ” Ginger Rodent”.
Strange but true.
Hiding in plain sight?!
Perhaps when they say “voting for the SNP will let both the Tories and Labour in” they mean exactly that i.e. that the only option they have left is to form a grand unionist coalition to entirely disenfranchise the monstrous separatists in the North. And by North we increasingly mean not just Scotland but Yorkshire & even the the midlands not the mention Cornwall & Wales.
That cry of BETTER TOGETHER must be ringing so hollow in the hallowed halls of the establishment
muttley 79 10.48. Unlike Abraham Lincoln, Martin Kettle would cut down the cherry tree because he could,nt reach the low hanging fruit.
@Training Day
I agree more Murphy, much more Murphy; Murphy galore!
He nearly lost it this morning on GMS, a man trying to play a Scottish golf course with his only ‘SNP bad club’ made in labour HQ down South.
I switched the radio off as he finished and enjoyed a nice lie in this morning. Bliss!
A new poll you say! Labour 13% surely shome mistake. 🙂
One good outcome of any SNP-Labour probable handshake is the silencing of ‘Magrit’ Curren’s mono-manic commercial for Cilitbang:
“SNP are scum, scum, scum!”
Don’t really like focusing on people’s appearances but Kezia last night and Murphy? Scary, just scary.
The Ruth Davidson in the SG is different to the one we saw last night in QT maybe because she is the nasty wee Tory in the SG and Ms nicey nicey when the unionists all over the rUK are watching.
Need to keep her image for the boss down South.
Ms Dugdale on the other hand, what is there to say? Still parroting out the same old mantra. She’s an insult. Well out of her depth. Very cringeworthy.
I thought the idea was that they wanted Scots to participate in the UK project? The stage managed love-ins of the referendum seem quite distant now.
Still better together eh?
Exactly. And many voters see an SNP vote as not about giving Labour power, or the Tories power.
It’s about giving Scotland power.
In 2 ways.
Regardless of which London party gets in.
Scotland, we love you, when it’s England interfering in the Scottish democratic process.
Scotland, we hate you, when it’s Scotland’s turn to have its democratic say in a U.K.-wide general election.
Listen, England, if we’re so much of a problem for you, stop and think the next time Scotland has a referendum: encourage your brightest and best to get behind the YES campaign.
Vote SNP,get Scotland is the message.Hope over fear.
@
Dorothy Devine says:
6 March, 2015 at 11:36 am
“When do we get circulation figures for the Herald? My interest in its demise grows daily.”
Unfortunately the Herald and the Scotsman have designated themselves as “regional” newspapers and not “national,” which in itself tells you something about what they thinj of Scotland. But, the real reason for the redesignation is that they only need to publish sales annually and not monthly (?) or quarterly (?).
The Record is a “national” I believe but will soon drop their self designation to “regional” to hide their slide.
It is like seeing yourself in the mirror daily and not realising you are changing but incrementally and imperceptibly.
But, look at yourself in photographs and there is a difference.
They are just postponing the trade, political and financial gossiping and are hoping to hold the tide back and devise a cunning plan to mask the slide, like giving their editions away with pints of milk and to civil servants or hotels.
I am convinced somebody or something is funding the losses from this drop in sales.
It just goes against capitalist logic to aggressively alienate and increasing percentage of your clients.
Just think of Basil Fawlty
Good Lord, that is 10 minutes of my life I will never get back, I feel so dirty now after reading those links, what ytter tripe, surely this could be classed as a hate crime, the ranting and sheer hatred is beyond belief.
@ Macart
They do want scots to participate in the UK project. The problem is that the pesky scots will not recognise they don’t exist and abandon the idea they have interests of their own.
Till they do that there are mere insurrectionists: and you can’t love an insurrectionist, now can you?
garles at 11.43am
Nice one 🙂
@ Robert Peffers I always read your posts as they are very informative.
“Barnett’s Formula calculates the cost of each individual devolved function and allocates the correct funding for government functions previously done and funded by Westminster to the devolved administrations”.
I am puzzled by the use of the (correct funding)is that the costs that pertained at the time of Westmisters administrations ( where are those costings) or what Westminster decides what the Scottish gov can spend.
Jim Murphy(a bit creepy) tells us he reckons Labour will retain all its Scottish seats.Does anyone know what odds the bookies would give you on such an outcome?
Oh those 200 celebrities who pleaded for us to stay because they loved us so much. Where are you now when we get lambasted by the Britnats in politics and the media for daring to vote for a party inside the Westminster system which might look after Scotland’s interests?
Oh, I forgot you only loved us because you owned our land, for our beautiful countryside, for our golf courses, for our food and drinks, for our oil, for our forelock tugging,for our custom, for some memory of a golden ( imperial) past.
Where are you now when we need you to stand up for the democratic rights of a people which might result in us having a say in Westminster.
Silence? Heaven forfend.
Grouse Beater says:
6 March, 2015 at 11:49 am
One good outcome of any SNP-Labour probable handshake is the silencing of ‘Magrit’ Curren’s mono-manic commercial for (Cilitbang):
I was sitting a bit back from the screen when I misread that and the chair tipped over. Absolutely true.
I need new glasses.
i see the possible Anti Austerity £180 Billion Nicola has suggested to reverse the ongoing Austerity regime, red or blue still the same, is earmarked for Scotland only according to Mad Max. This
Is typically Daily Mail showing greedy Scots rather highlight that as a figure across the entire UK to reverse the pressure on the poorest in society.
“voting for the SNP will let both the Tories and Labour in.”
Well, that’s what we’re expecing isn’t it? Scotland returns 59 MPs and the Red and Blue Tories get together in a coalition to keep them out of power.
Hang on … wait a minute … what happened to complete “we love you don’t leave us this way” approach from the meejya?
Oh wait a minute it wasn’t 100% completely we love you was I had a memory lapse for a second there the Mail ran with it’s greedy druggy alcoholic scrounging b****** Scots didn’t it. Nice to see how they have toned down their approach for the lead up to the General Election. What’s that … they haven’t? … Oh you’re right they haven’t have they? 😀
“without Labour, no one else will be able to stop Tory attacks on the poor”.
I believe oor wee Torcuil Crichton spends a fair bit of time in London so I’m “astonished” that he has not remembered the wee *cough* event that took place in the House of Commons on 13th January this year. What’s that he’s no memory of this event well I’m shocked and stunned. I refer off course to the debate and vote on the next round of austerity measuresof course where our *ahem* brave Labour M.P.’s, those that could earsed to turn up that is, almost all voted with the TORIES for another round of £30 BILLION austerity cuts.
What’s that … they did NOT vote for austerity cutys you say. Hmm … Ido believe you are right. Apparently I am in the wrong folks, I apologise, it would appear that Labour voted with the Tories NOT for more austerity but to … erm … balance the books!
Davie you missed one person off your list … Val McDermid. I thought she did a good job fighting our corner last night alongside Humza. I initially thought OUR two gallant gladiators were in for a real kicking last night … four versus two … however, I need not have worried because it was our two gladiators who gave the *ahem* MAGIC FOUR a real kicking. 😛
As far as Kezia is concerned I did reach a point last night where I almost felt sorry for her and wondered if the floor would open up and take her away. NOTE I said ALMOST! It would need a hell of a lot for me to ACTUALLY feel sorry for her at any time far less last night. 🙂
What I found interesting about last night was that at the start a significant portion of the audience, probably the bussed in Tory support from Sussex, were booing and very much against OUR two heros. However, this didn’t last too long and they turned their anger on the more deserving … Kezia Dugdale! 😉
We were never better together, the English thought they bought Scotland in 1707 and that belief has continued to this day. All you ever heard was Darien and that “They” would have to bail out an Independent Scotland when it failed during the Referendum
Sad to say it really should be a cold day in hell when we are Independent and England fails, cause if I we should not assist them. Oh I know I sound bitter, I am.
Murphy as Lurch, Kezia as Morticia but, where is Johann when we need a Cousin Fester to complete the Adams Family
Well folks, it would appear that we bad Scots have upset some of the eejits darn sarf.
Whit’s their problem, they love us, dinnae leave us please. Oh right then, some folk ensured, for the time being, that we have to stay. Fine here we are and we are playing the game by your rules. Oh dear, that’ll no dae, how dare you expect to take your place in OUR democracy. GTF you horrible lot, get back in your box and dae whit your telt.
Well, erm, how tae pit this, NAW. If they are, as some here suspect building towards a national coalition, we will be heading towards idependence quicker than they ettled. But it seems tae be the case of it’s ma baw and your no playin.
The answer of course, is a good hard kick in the ballot box for all these unionist numpties.
Personally …I think it’s hilarious watching the entire lot of them hotfooting from one theory to the next, and then hotfooting back again, while screeching at every possible moment.
on a slightly different note. Brilliant questioning from James Cook this morning to Jim Murphy. Hilarious when asked that if he wins his seat, when would he telling his constituents that he would eventually resign within less than a year to stand in the Holyrood election.
Murphy …’right, the NHS …the NHS’.
Hilarious as Cook refused to allow Murphy change the subject.
What happened to “Better Together” or “Best of Both Worlds”. I suppose it’s alright while we are voting for these English parties and how they want to run the UK. What a fucking knob and a racist comment to make. I am a SNP supporter and SNP member, what you are saying is because of this I have no say and my opinion has no merit because I want independence. The real truth is that Westminster and the media are concerned that Scotland or the SNP will do a better job, and will show the rest of the UK that there is an alternative to these fossil parties. Yes, that’s right we are Better together provided we don’t have a say in how the Country is run!!
A bit of hard cheese served with the sour grapes of wrath as Mr Salmond gets the treatment in the Herald. 🙂
Hope archive thing works…
link to archive.today
@ Fiona
How very dare we. 😀
Well as a fully paid up universal monster myself, I’m used to being misunderstood and chased by people with torches and pitchforks.
I guess they’ll just need to learn to love us for who we are, not what they want us to be. 😉
@ Macart
With your experience of torches and pitchforks you are no doubt aware of what is supposed to happen next?
You get back in your box and they put stake through your heart!
Don’t go into that box, Scotland: it is not a good idea!
First time Hitler Hastings blazed across the teamGB universe and into the UKOK msm, was during his live broadcasts from one of the Falkands war troop ships. If its one thing our imperial masters go hell for leather for, its jingoistic war mongering.
Hitler was probably first of the MOD’s embedded hacks, learning from US Vietnam actual real life journos showing too much actual war stuff, so switching them for hired goons like Hitler.
Even as a spotty teen, it was frightening to watch the whole rule Britannia jingo war machine joyfully leaving Portsmouth like it as 1914 and lets all stick to the bally Bosch. Then you read about real warfare and Royal Navy jets opening up on Argentine conscripted troop’s lines of tents and these guys getting blown to bits by UKOK canon fire.
If neofascists like the Thatcher crew had lost the Falklands war, they’d have be a one term nightmare but that’s the UKOK rulers for you. History rewritten by far right elitists like Hitler Hastings and all UKOK newsrooms everywhere. And now its Scotland’s turn. Thanks again proud Scot buts.
Better Together promised us ‘a strong Scotland within a strong United Kingdom’.
But they also told us Scotland had been ‘extinguished’ in 1707.
Now we see the reality from the hatemongers of the Mail et al: England IS the United Kingdom, and the United Kingdom is England. There can be no Union if Scots have a say.
It is in the interests of both Scotland and England to end this Union, and do it right soon.
Looks like there will be a grand coalition after the GE, but it seems it will operate solely as a support group for Unionists traumatised by the SNP.
There was a leaflet from the Labour Candidate for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath through my door today: Kenny Selbie. A total unknown which is bound to add to the SNP vote as I believe it is the SNP leader in Fife Council standing for that seat. Not sure if this is just a Labour sacrificial lamb or not but polls indicate Labour’s Selbie date in Broon’s constituency is 7 May.
Depends on your boredom threshold and your possession of a smartphone in terms of picking up tabloid trash Rev. I have a high boredom threshold and naive incidents of leafing through various tabloids in search of some actual ‘news’ has inured me to their blandishments. I prefer my own thoughts to picking up the likes of the Mail, Record or Sun.
The National is a good read today with a nice piece on the 18000 submissions to smith that were ignored. Apparently 97% of respondents called for tax and welfare to be devolved.
I have a daily fight to shift the Guardian papers that are strategically placed over The National in our local Co Op. Said Guardians are dumped over by the toilet rolls.
What they hell do they think is going to happen.. A zombie apocalypse?
More Brain? Oh, don’t mind if I do, thanks.. Do you have any oatcakes to go with it?
They just really don’t have a clue about what’s happening in Scotland politically. People are awakening from a slumber that has been Labour led for long enough. The chloroform is clearing form the Labour provided hankies we’ve been greet’n into for years each time another Steel Plant/Coal Mine closed (the list is long).
But rather than analyse what is going on and come up with some reasoned political reporting etc, they ridicule. Just like most folk when they have nothing reasoned to bring to the table – they mock. It’s easier than actually thinking about what’s going on.
We’re not awakening to a new politics. We’ve had socially inspired political views in Scotland for generations. It’s just now it’s being delivered by the SNP rather than Labour. Is that really so hard for a persons brain to comprehend?
Labour seem to think that the party and Scotland were like conjoined twins living a symbiotic relationship.
They are a dead weight in that relationship now.
For Scotland’s sake, they need to be cut free.
gus1940 says:
“The question that must be asked of course is ‘If they hate us so much why are they so desperate to stop us leaving their ‘democratic utopia of allegedly equal nations’”
Simply they are addicted to what they squeeze out of us.
In the best of Imperial ways.They need what the get from us, without it they are screwed. Exactly why we need to be sure we return the biggest crowd of SNP MP’s we can. Who else will fight our corner?against our Imperial masters.
Max Hastings has become a grotesque parody of himself, prostituting whatever talent he had by taking the Daily Mail’s dirty money. I used to think his military histories were well written but when you see how wrong he can be about contemporary politics, it makes you wonder about his judgment. Apart from paying tribute to our role as cannon fodder in major conflicts with a few crocodile tears, it seems he completely loathes us.
What a wee shame.
O/T: while driving through the snowy Dalveen Pass on Wednesday, a stoat in ermine shot across the road in front of me and dived for cover into a ditch. For some reason, at that moment an image of Douglas Alexander formed in my mind, most disconcerting at any time but particularly when motoring.
Tell me it’s a sign, Wingers, tell me it’s a sign…
Gonyirsel, Mhairi.
O/T
Can anyone tell me what the Labour campaign consists of in Dundee? How many folk have they got out chapping doors?
Jim Murphy gets splattered with Eggs
John Major spreads Eggs with Edwina
Ah mean spreads Edwina,s Legs.
There’s that dang Schrödinger picture again. Are the Unionist press actually relying on time travel to resolve the Grandfather paradox they are at risk of creating? That would, of course, require an environment which supports a “closed timelike curve,” or CTC. Right next to a black hole would probably do the trick.
Alternatively, this is M-theory, eh? Multiple universes suspended on multiple membranes, producing multiple alternative realities. Yeah, a universe where all consistent versions of superstring theory are unified, would be just the ticket for a Unionist.
I’ll get ma coat. 🙂
link to scientificamerican.com
[…] Universal monsters […]
We’re “Better Together” as long as *your* elected representatives are not included in *our* government.
That’s the message we’re getting. All this talk about excluding the SNP from a coalition makes me furious.
How dare they!
You don’t have a government, but exclude some people’s MPs because you don’t like their policies. That’s not how democracy works. That’s informing one section of the population that their vote is worth less than another section.
“But they want to break up the UK!” they squeal.
Yes, so? The Tories want to privatise the English NHS. I don’t want that, but if people vote for it, then that’s what will happen.
Better Together, huh? Well it looks like we’re about to find out if they really believe that or not. If Labour shuts out the SNP, when an SNP coalition could form a stable government, then every Scot who backed the SNP will know precisely what his or her vote is worth.
I honestly can’t even believe they’re discussing this in the open. It’s as vile as it would be to discuss “should we have a seperate section on the bus for black people”?
@Tinto Chiel
An ermine should not make you think of Douglas Alexander, you know.
Ermine is the national animal of Brittany, and they tell a story about why they chose it rather than something more heroic. According to them some people were hunting an ermine, and it ran until it came to a very muddy bit of land. At that point, unwilling to sully itself with mud, it stopped and allowed itself to be caught and killed.
The motto of the Dukes of of Brittany is “Plutot la mort que la souillure” ( better death than dirtying oneself). Can you honestly say that Douglas Alexander would die rather than taint himself by association? I think not!
People keep saying, “Expect some very nasty tricks before May 7th.”, I have the feeling that it will be, “ON” May 7th you will see the dirty tricks. Its not just the british establishment that will be afected by a Nationalist landslid, the americans have a vested intrested in the outcome of this election now as well, and they, “REALLY” know how to bring about the results they want in an election, just look at some of the undemocratic leaders they have put into power, under the guise of democracy.
I have heard a number of people now in day to day life commenting on people like Hastings and laughing about “How dare we vote”
The continual bile towards the SNP spills over. The voters are increasingly seeing it as an attack on their choice rather than an attack on the SNP. Scottish nature being what it is that is only going to end one way.
I certainly think “I’ll vote for who I bloody like, you overbearing, condescending git”
I’ve tried a few times to post things on this site but failed. I suppose it’s a bit like campaigning for Independence, just have to keep plugging away and no doubt, one day soon, we will be amazed at what we achieve.
Hopefully this May will be another step on the way.
ronnie anderson@12.41pm
That’s minging Eugh!
i’ve just had my lunch and that will put me aff ma tea.
Mealer
I think they are doing phone canvassing around Dundee (from a call centre) and also have a few canvassing mostly students helping the candidate in the Eastern part.
This article is a stoater Rev.
Stoking up anti-Scots feelings and ignoring the democratic vote of the people here is typical. They never really won the ref.
Sure if they had got their 60/40 they would have had a couple of years with us on the back foot. The result was a “neverendum” and the buggers must know that they are losing every day.
What next, troops in the Scottish cities ? A tory/Labour coalition to ” save the UK” ?
Watch out for more of the same over the coming weeks.
And don’t forget folks . We only need to win once. They have to win all the time.
I am fair enjoying this. Now even the most ardent unionist can feel the ” Love” from our friends down sarf.
Roll on May. 🙂
@ jackie g Well I,m glad to see your following the WOS health & safety rules ( not eating / drinking ) at the keyboard lol.
With regards the Daily Mail.
I read the following on an Indigo Project whilst following Stu’s meteoric rise in funding.
Back the Brit ha ha outdone by Loch Lomond Get in there ANDY
@ jackie g Did your lunch comprise of Mayonez bey any chancety lol
Come on Nicola we have them worried.
@Karmanaut
Been saying it for years, if we were all black people they wouldn’t dare say the stuff they do as it would be seen as open racism
But it’s OK we’re only the Scotch…
@Fiona
You’re surely not suggesting Douglas Alexander is anything other than a man of probity and rectitude?
I’m astonished, Fiona, astonished.
Thanks Marcia.
O/T This writer possibly wearing red rose coloured specs here…
link to labourlist.org
State telly has just shown a wee clip of oor Andy, resplendent in a tracky top with a funded by flag on.
This would be Max ‘Hitler’ Hastings writing for Paul ‘peeping tom’ Dacre’s Daily Mail.
Very trustworthy and morally upstanding types I’m sure. 😉
Maybe there’s a reason most sane people who aren’t closet racists don’t read the Mail?
Lab’s Jim Murphy just said on radio Westminster has say, on Scots NHS funds yet they spent referendum campaign denying that!
Wait, What that was question time that was on last night, I thought it was The Mikado
The way things are going it wouldn’t surprise me if even the right wing press have sussed that Labour are going to have the largest number of seats. Given that they might be deliberately sabotaging the Conservative parties chances at the election in order to push Labour close enough to victory that they can form a coalition that doesn’t involve the SNP.
Other than that if the largest party always gets to run things then why is it that there are so many councils where the SNP have the most seats but no control? Come to that I think that whilst the fixed term legislation has to be voted in order to set the 5 year timer the rest of it still stands. That includes the fact that if enough MPs come together to secure the confidence of the house then they form the government. So even a nominally minority Labour administration with fewer seats than the conservatives is possible as long as the votes go in their favour.
Ian Charichoob Davidson on BBC R4 lunchtime news there with uninterrupted hysterical vote SLab/hate SNP rant. Its quite bizarre listening to frightened thugs but that’s teamSLab.
Not Sir Ian blames it all on cybernats and nats on doorsteps for SLab exit which makes some sense considering how hard all press and BBC working to cattle prod Scotland into voting for buffoons like him.
A very breathless wheezy rather, long list of lies, smears and fears from not future Lord Ian. Then a whimper, a wail, and a “cheer up we have 8 weeks to turn it all around as last time SLab were 20% and lost” or the most ridiculously funny sign off for any politician anywhere. I love teamGB democracy in action
If we only had a teamGB satire
Robert Peffers @ 11:26am:
Interesting stuff. I am asking rather than saying I am sure about this but is there any chance Leanne Wood’s demand is in fact an attempt to procure more devolution for Wales? In other words, to obtain some kind of scenario where Westminster says ‘fine, you can have more funds but you will be taking more responsibility over some functions as well’ and playing into her hands?
As I say, I am not saying that is it at all, merely speculating for fun.
O/T Sack Sarwar fundraiser now up and running
Worth a few quid to see that on election night.
link to crowdfunder.co.uk?
Ronnie:
NO Mayonaisse thankfully,
it was the thought of those two getting up to nae good geez me the boak!
on an aside Edwina once said that foodbanks were popular because they gave away free food FFS awful wummin..
heedtracker says:
6 March, 2015 at 1:36 pm
Ian Charichoob Davidson on BBC R4 lunchtime news there with uninterrupted hysterical vote SLab/hate SNP rant. Its quite bizarre listening to frightened thugs but that’s teamSLab.
Aye heedtracker I was listening driving back and nearly pishing myself with laughter.Going to be a good eight weeks to come
Are we standing shoulder to shoulder in this great family of nations yet? 😉
Edwina Currie did let it slip that John Major tucks his jumper into his knickers, she probably tucks her tits into hers these days. How can anybody take these non-entities at all seriously?
Next week the BBC have decided the issue we’re all concerned about is immigration so in order to address this burning issue a series of programmes have been particularly targeted and designed to scare us all to death about the deep concerns that we apparantly have in this regard
Who knew eh?
If we get a say in our country it’s going to lead to an invasion by the “Nasty Furriners”
Better vote Labour then….Oooh
I like to browse the news stand in the morning, just to see the headlines in the unionist press. Today we had everything from Harrison Ford crashing his plane to asylum seeker abuse. Got to the Daily Redcoat and the entire front page was a vegetable advert for Lidl….. Sums them up a suppose. 🙂
Vote SNP and get a vote that actually counts in WM.
Do any wingers know how I can stop the liberals putting lying shit through my door ? They keep putting anti-SNP leaflets through my letter box. There even mailing it to me. The leaflets keep saying the same “only the liberals can stop the SNP in North East Fife” & “the SNP can’t be trusted with the NHS” . All negative campaigning. Nothing about the wonderful things that there going to do ! Mind you they have done F all while Ming was in the seat. Would the last lib dem MP please close the door on the way out ?
Rant over.
Vote SNP in May. Let’s give liblabcon the long overdue kicking they deserve !
Gavin@2.04pm
Yes if it has an address on it put it in an envelope and post it back they will have to pay for the postage.
@Gavin I wouldn’t worry about the Libdem smear propaganda. This is what they’ve been doing for years. And look where it’s got them.
Maybe you could stick the flyer in an envelope and send it back to them without a stamp?
Jings the photo really could be of Slab!
Here’s a choice
Slab deputy First Minister- Keiza.Dugdale ?
SNP deputy First Minister- Stuart.Maxwell ?
Difficult, I know!!!
I’ve never bought any of these rags and never will, let alone leaf through them.
I think we are heading for a grand coalition, of the unionist parties, at Westminster; anything to thwart a rational, left of centre, popular and Scottish party having their say and running with it.
@ronnie anderson says:6 March, 2015 at 12:06 pm:
… I am puzzled by the use of the (correct funding)is that the costs that pertained at the time of Westmisters administrations ( where are those costings) or what Westminster decides what the Scottish gov can spend.
Ah! Nail on head as usual, Ronnie. You are not alone in being puzzled over that wee question. The track-back to finding out who, what and how that is decided is not easy to follow and they do not seem to want to clarify it for we poor mortals. As you well know the usual debating chamber take on it is that England are, so generously, just from the goodness of their big English hearts, gifting Scotland a great big subsidy.
I can only guess the funding is a function of Treasury Civil Servants (you know the ones I mean, the ones who never, ever, take political sides). They it is who must operate the formula given them by Lord Barnett.
Anyway the point I’m making is that when the MPs in the house refer to, “Needs Based”, in relation to Scottish funding they spin it as if we Scots get extra per-capita funding to cover special needs like the cost of providing services in remote areas being higher.
The real “needs” are, of course, to cover the normal cost of the extra devolved functions that are passed on to the Scottish Government and that used to be funded by the Treasury via UK functions. Many of these functions were never actually done directly be Westminster anyway.
As you know the Scottish NHS has always been a devolved function and thus used to came from the Scottish Office budget. As did Scottish Education and so on. These things were agreed as remaining Scottish at the time of signing the Treaty of Union. I can only assume that the funding was just handed over by the Secretary of State for Scotland.
As for the other devolved functions I’ve no idea how they decide the level of block grant but that is the function of the so called Barnett Consequential. In other words it depends upon the level of funding that the, non-elected as such, de facto Parliament of England spends on England’s functions and, as such it can be either negative or positive.
It can also be fiddled and frequently is. For example, when the de facto Parliament of England decided to set up, “Transport for London”, in addition to the funding they get by, “United Kingdom Transport Funding”, which, (due to the other three counties meeting transport costs from within their block grants), means only England. The de facto Parliament of England made a one off grant to Transport for London that had no Barnett Consequentials, so we all paid for it.
Same thing with the London Cross-rail which they are paying for mainly from Government Reserves and some from direct UK taxation. Both of which we all pay for and which have no Barnett Consequentials. Then there was the Olympic and the London Dome. Normal English infrastructure should always comes as DEFRA funding which does have Barnett Consequentials. Another obvious fiddle was the £4.1 billion, “New London Sewerage Scheme”, that we have all been made to pay for.
Now you may understand why they want to give Scotland only partial Income Tax collection powers. First of all it muddies the waters but it also is fairly insignificant because most tax is now collected as indirect taxation – that is on goods & services. Not to mention that we actually lose out as we have to stump up for the departments to do the collecting but we lose the value of what we collect as they are going to take it away from the Block Grant. So win, win for the Establishment and Lose, lose for Scotland.
The more they can complicate the financial matters the easier they can fiddle them. Fiddle them they do. Notice too that today’s news carries just such a fiddle. There’s an item about the Scottish generators in Fife & Peterhead. This shows the long running fiddle where they charge the Scots to add electric power to the grid but subsidise English generators.
The Fife Plant threatened to close as uneconomic and lo and behold The Establishment are now going to negotiate a better deal for Scotland because England needs to have the use of Scottish power or risk English Black-outs. This in spite of the fact that the Electric Generating Companies in Scotland also charge a higher rate from their customers than they do for their English customers. That is they charge Scots extra to put electric power into the grid and also charge them more for taking it out.
And they wonder why a growing number of us know we are not Better Together.
@Dr Jim
Yeah. You’re spot on. Although talking about denying us democracy is one thing, I wonder if they’d actually go through with it?
It angers me, but at the same time, as others here have pointed out, there is probably nothing more certain to break up the UK than disenfranchising Scotland’s voters. If they really want us in the Union, now is their chance to prove it.
Les Wilson says:
“Simply they are addicted to what they squeeze out of us.
In the best of Imperial ways.They need what the get from us, without it they are screwed. ”
Yes, London benefits enormously from Scottish resources.
However, I believe what concerns them most is status and global prestige, and the potential loss of it. Scottish independence and a diminished rUK is an unthinkable prospect.
Even remaining inside the Union and threatening to take away their Trident toys, touches a very raw Establishment nerve.
@ 1.51 The man in the Jar. Naw we,re no standing shoulder to shoulder.
We,re Head & Shoulders above them.
Rite am aff tae wash ma hair,weil whits left onnyhow.
Sinn Fein and the DUP can power share in Northern Ireland but a unionist party must not work with the dreaded SNP in Britain.
Do Britnat politicians and their media see how inconsistent, disenfranchising and undemocratic they are. Dare I say it downright racist even.
Hi Mealer & Marcia.
Chris Law, SNP candidate for Dundee West, came along to our Team YES Bus meeting last week for a blether.
He mentioned that Jim McGovern’s canvassing team consists of four people – Councillor Richard McCready, Mrs McGovern, and two others.
Further on Dundee. See this post re the minibus going to the Wings get-together on 1st May.
link to wingsoverscotland.com
Stick a post in ‘off-topic’ if you want to book a seat or seats. ^ seats filled so far.
Ricky says:
“Stoking up anti-Scots feelings and ignoring the democratic vote of the people here is typical. They never really won the ref …… The result was a “neverendum” and the buggers must know that they are losing every day.”
They act as if they didn’t expect events to unfold as they are. That is odd.
Despite BT’s lying and scaremonger we were on course to win, just. The Vow etc in the last ten days swung it the other way. They got the most votes.
They might then have secured their Union by actually delivering their promises. They didn’t choose that path.
Given all this … How can anyone see the BT ‘win’ as anything other than a weak and temporary advantage? They MUST have known their position was shakey. Absolutely nothing which is happening should be a surprise to anyone.
And yet, Unionists seem genuinely in a state of shock and awe!
Perhaps they are still living with the London Bubble view of a year ago … Head in the sand saying it will never come to pass.
6 seats filled so far.
Does anyone else get the impression they’re ashamed of us?
kinda like a dirty little secret they don’t want the world to know about,
So while they couldn’t possibly part with a dear relative we’re best kept in the attic where we cant offend or upset the nice people.
link to youtube.com
Anybody for spoiling a party or two? 😉
garles says
heedtracker says ‘Ian Charichoob Davidson on BBC R4 lunchtime news there with uninterrupted hysterical vote SLab/hate SNP rant. Its quite bizarre listening to frightened thugs but that’s teamSLab’
Wow. This was actually a remarkable piece of radio. Major and Davidson sounding an echo from a past long gone. While the ‘real people’ on the street talked quietly and steadfastly, about how much Scottish politics has changed.
Easy to miss it under the Davidson rant but there could not be a better illustration of a generational and seismic shift.
The funny thing is, most independent supporting Scots could give them good advice on how to save the Union (ie. encouraging the emergence of a single, neoliberal unionist party, is not it). The fact that they are unable to work this out for themselves, suggests the Union is beyond saving.
Will be interesting to see what the voting numbers will be. If the more of the people vote SNP than the other two put together how will they explain that one away? A protest vote?
Karmanaut says:
” …. there is probably nothing more certain to break up the UK than disenfranchising Scotland’s voters. If they really want us in the Union, now is their chance to prove it.”
They had a chance to set up a devolution package with Calman which could appease a lot of people and secure their Union. They failed.
They had the chance to put a second undoubtedly popular DevoMax question on the referendum ballot. They failed.
They made their Vow promises then consciously and deliberately broke them. They failed, big time!
Now, they will have the opportunity to work WITH pro-Scottish MPs to deliver a devolution settlement which might work, and to switch to progressive politics within the UK.
THIS IS PROBABLY THEIR LAST CHANCE!
Karmanaut says:
6 March, 2015 at 12:46 pm
We’re “Better Together” as long as *your* elected representatives are not included in *our* government.
I think it is worse than that. Our elected representatives can be included if they are the right ones (Unionists). The concern is that we may elect the “wrong ones”
Those nice puppet Labour MP’s who toe the line are fine (easy to manage – a peerage here, a committee chair there).
The LibDems are even better…and cheaper
I think it is useful perhaps (as this keeps coming up) to keep reminding everyone that Britain, or Great Britain, or the United Kingdom is not a nation or a country, which the SNP is hell-bent on destroying. ‘Britain is, as James Kelman puts it, is not a country, it is the name used by the ruling elite and its structures of authority to describe itself.’
And that is what why we are for a Scottish Parliament for the Scottish people, independent from Westminster corruption.
@ Robert Peffers
These are very important points you raise about the financial position of Scotland within the Union.
We also discovered during the campaign that Scotland had been paying a higher percentage of the national Debt than our population share during the last Tory Government. We also pay interest on the BoE loans although, because they come form the Bank of England, the Westminster Treasury doesn’t pay interest etc etc.
Is there anyone out there with economic knowledge able to put together a paper illustrating all of these scams?
The BBC 24 hour news is wetting itself with the fear of finding Nicola’s tanks parked on Westminster Green. The belated realisation of the consequences of the ‘No’ vote seems to have hit the Imperial capital like Rome discovering the barbarians at its gates.
Ricky wrote
‘What next, troops in the Scottish cities ? A tory/Labour coalition to ” save the UK” ?’
How about the 1000 or so English troops now station in the old RAF Kinloss base.
That could be the starter for 10.
I always wondered why a Scots Regiment/Battalion wasn’t stationed there.
Long travel time for the boys from dahn sath to get home.
Just a thought.
galamcennalath says:
Yes, of course you are right,I only mentioned the obvious, but that is only one finger of a ten fingered sneaky hand.
There are many other things they fear to lose…..
But it’s ok, they love us………aaaaaagh!
Do I have an issue with Max Hasting’s headline? Why? The horror of the Scots being ruled by England has been all too real for too long and I don’t consider that hyperbole
Robert Peffers says:
Robert that was a good informative post. Well done.
Richard Lucas says:
6 March, 2015 at 2:58 pm
“The BBC 24 hour news is wetting itself with the fear of finding Nicola’s tanks parked on Westminster Green. The belated realisation of the consequences of the ‘No’ vote seems to have hit the Imperial capital like Rome discovering the barbarians at its gates.”
ha Ha, your right, funny I remember the Romans called us something similar!
Macbeda says:
Ricky wrote
‘What next, troops in the Scottish cities ? A tory/Labour coalition to ” save the UK” ?’
How about the 1000 or so English troops now station in the old RAF Kinloss base.
It would not be the first time we’ve had troops AND tanks on the streets of a Scottish city guys. 😉
link to en.wikipedia.org
link to dailyrecord.co.uk
link to news.stv.tv
link to sites.scran.ac.uk
I wonder if Edwina Currie still has a couple of trays of salmonella infected eggs we could borrow. The Smurph won’t mind. He has a great sense of humour.
Every time he opens his mouth, I pish myself laughing.
Ref the National, I have a habit of whatever shop or Supermarket I go into, to look at the paper stand.
Inevitably the National is hidden behind all the UK rags, so I always rearrange them so the National is more prominent, carefully you understand.
A habit we all should have!
“Seemingly oblivious to the mockery of voters, the Labour and Tory sides of the media are today doggedly continuing with their quest to convince the electorate that voting for the SNP will let both the Tories and Labour in.”
The horrible irony is it just might. A Lab-Con “Grand Coalition” isn’t beyond the realm of possibility. Indeed, it makes a strange sort of sense when you think about it – what was Better Together, after all?
Would anyone put it past them…?
@ Calum Craig says:
“I am really looking forward to #GE2015 when, for the first time in my life, my vote in a Westminster election will actually matter!”
It’s a nice feeling, isn’t it?
Robert Peffers & ronnie anderson
Hope this helps.
Key Points
2. Grant in aid refers to pre-funding provided to SG sponsored bodies to finance their ongoing operating expenditure within broad parameters set by Scottish Ministers. Grant refers to funding provided by the SG to other organisations and individuals for specific purposes provided for in legislation.
Funding by grant
9. Grant should not be issued to the recipient in advance of need and in many instances (e.g. under the terms of a grant scheme) will not be made available until the recipient has incurred the expenditure and claims reimbursement. Pre-funding, however, may be appropriate in the case of public sector or voluntary sector bodies. Any other proposals for pre-funding must be approved in advance by the relevant SG Finance Business Partner (or equivalent). Grant should be provided net of recoverable VAT. Business areas are responsible for ensuring, so far as possible, that the recipient spends the grant for the specific purpose for which it was authorised. Grant funding provided by the SG must be subject to the lead business area being satisfied as to the standing and relevant experience / expertise of the recipient and any delivery partners. Checklists covering the grant proposal, application and assessment processes are available to SG staff on the SG Intranet.</i<
link to gov.scot
@Les
Well, after finding the deadweight of the Grauniad covering the the National’s front page yesterday, today’s wheeze at the Co Op was someone turning over the National so only the back was showing – then placing it in a far corner.
I reminded the manager that every lost sale is lost profit – and that he ought to keep the papers in order. She feigned ignorance… Does the Co Op have Union links?
Right now, whatever they do in WM be it a Grand Coalition or Lab +SNP it plays into Nicola’s hands.
The first provides a case for ‘No taxation without Representation’ & a charge being levelled against government of suppressing the human rights of every Scot by denying them a voice in WM & dismantling democracy. This will push more people towards indy particularly if they stick to their austerity plans.
The second-Scotland has a voice & uses it wisely to negotiate more powers, gets them & uses them to demonstrate to all Scots that they have a govt capable of running the country. One step further on & it’s indyref2 with less people voting no because they’ve become used to seeing Scotland running itself as being ‘normal.’
Sorry, I should have made it clear that info covers the finance of ‘arms-length’ bodies, though if includes a link to the relevant Local Government Finance section.
Nine years ago in a lecture for the Scottish National Trust about ‘The State of The Union’, Max Hastings urged “if we wish the Union to survive, we must put aside some of the perfectly logical arguments for diminishing the role of Scottish MPs at Westminster, and swallow some measure of Scottish over-representation”. He cautioned that “Should the Scottish people perceive their influence in the United Kingdom dramatically diminished, however ungrateful they seem for it today, I suggest that they would soon convince themselves that there is no longer cause for them to remain on board our ship of state.” So why is Mr Hastings so worried today – isn’t everything going just exactly as he hoped it would? Full text here: link to maxhastings.com
I would very much like to here from an articulate no voter to find out what they think now about the hatred being directed North about the prospect of the democratically elected SNP MP s participating in British state politics.
This was surely why they voted no and why so many down south. begged us to stay.
I am quite grumpy about this.
I do accept the result last year.
They should accept the consequences and stop bleating about it.
Author_Al
Wasn’t sure whether you meant Unionist parties or Trades Unions but here’s the link to trades Unions
The Co-op sponsors quite a number of Labour MP’s, many of them having risen through the union ranks to then stand as MP. My own MP was elected via Railwaymens union & Co-op sponsorship & he’s in a safe seat.
The Co-op retail side itself is part of the Co-op group which is also home to Co-op Bank which is in financial difficulty. This makes the whole of the group subject to WM pressures & easy meat for Unionist parties.
As I understand it, the farms businesses have been sold off to try to recoup some of the bank’s losses but it is still on a shaky footing. Easy to just threaten them with loss of banking licences/FCA approvals etc. Job done!
So by my reckoning it has links to both types of union.
@Lollysmum
I’ll go along with that.
Murphy accused of plagiarism. So that’s where he’s getting his ideas
link to archive.today
Lollysmum
I am typing on a troublesome iPad that loves to change things for no reason. I have to proofread carefully because when I don’t the result can be incomprehensible. I was meaning Unionist links re the co-op but realise now that the business has strong Labour/Trade Union links too.
With Jim Murphy alienating Trade Union members it will be interesting to see how they vote in the GE. As an ex-Labour voter + Trade Union member I saw through the deceit and I am sure many others are reaching the same conclusion. That said – there are still a few ‘Labour Til I Die’ people out there…
I will Labour The Point Til I Die that Labour Abuses Scotland…
The Scottish Government’s plans to bring in Scottish Land Reform and its consequences for the Lairds and their hunting and fishing estates is more than likely what is upsetting the Daily Mail owner and Max Hasting.
Poll in Torcuil Crichton’s piece in the Daily Record yesterday is now,
Have labour lost Scotland?
Yes 95% – No 5%
OT, apologies. Want to make sure a message has reached Lollysmum.
@Lollysmum
You posted a highly supportive comment about an article of mine published over on NewsNet.scot a couple of days back. I placed a note of well deserved thanks under your comment and I would like to make sure you read it.
The only reason I pick up a Record on the train is to stop anyone else reading the undoubted lies it will contain.
It goes straight in the recycling right after I have checked which advertisers I have to boycott.
Are you listening advertisers?
I was working abroad during the Referendum campaign and I used to respond to articles by Hastings et al. It was a regular occurrence to have 32000+ down arrows and complaints against me. I read the comments now and the tide is turning against the big two. There is not the support for them as before. I find this heartening.
i just cottoned on to the labour party’s get-out clause.
They will enter into some sort of agreement with the alliance of the greens, plaid cymru and the snp.
that way they are not talking to the snp directly.
has this got wings?
Re the co-op, i remember collecting for a Labour Party jumble sale in 1980 (35 years ago!) in Alness, Easter Ross (this was when Tony Benn was narrowly defeated by Denis Healey for the deputy leadership). And you know what they donated? a tin of peas. literally,a tin of feckin peas! I couldn’t believe it then either. He must’ve been an snp voter!!!!! 🙂
@Paul, I remember chapping doors for somebody called Boocock at the time. I believe he rose without trace?
Snode1965;
That’s lidl on the shit list then. Won’t shop there again. Wonder if any Scottish retailers read this?
@Johnny says:6 March, 2015 at 1:39 pm:
” … is there any chance Leanne Wood’s demand is in fact an attempt to procure more devolution for Wales?”
Sorry to be late with a reply but I had to go out.
Your guess is as good as mine but as a matter of interest I have the ability to keep a straight fact and appear to be quite innocent. It helps when you are kidding someone on but also when you wish to pick someone’s brains. I’ve been asking elected people to explain the Barnett Formula to me since before we actually got any devolve powers.
You would be amazed at the great depth of ignorance that exists among elected members and I’m talking from the level of Prime ministers downwards to even Community Councillors. Now I’m sure you will agree that when it is explained that it is to the extra funding that comes along with the extra devolved functions it is like a light being switched on and the whole thing becomes clear.
So there can be only two explanations for those elected to office folks to NOT give the truth to the electorate. Ask yourself this, “How many times have you heard high ranking elected people, high ranked Civil Servants or so called journalists, who all should know better, make the idiotic claim that the English tax payers subsidise we Scots?
The facts are clear – first of all the per-capita Scots GDP, (that is the total revenues raised in any given area divided by that same area’s total population), is higher than both the average UK per-capita GDP and every other United Kingdom Country. Secondly the claim that we Scots get a higher per Capita sum in our block grant is also a stupid claim if you know that the reason is we have the highest level of devolved functions and thus get the devolved funding to pay for them.
As obvious as it seems to us that both Labour and the Tories are clearly contradicting themselves in a desperate attempt to villify the SNP (and Scotland), I am still not convinced that many in Scotland will see it this way in the run up to the GE in Scotland. Again the right wing media, which is the vast majority out there, will employ the same disgusting tactics they used during the referendum to help fuel this.
Indeed, I am extremely cynical about the wit and general nouse of your average person out there as rather sadly, although sales are sliding, your average ‘bloke on the street’ is still happy to read The Sun, Record, Star, Mail et. al. and pay for the privilege of doing so. More terrifyingly, however, is that they are also quite happy to base their entire political outlook on these rags.
Lennon once said keep them doped with religion, sex and TV – well quite except nowadays we can (mostly) lose the religion and substitute in anything to do with football and of course benefits which has become the equivalent of the right-wing MSM’s political page 3: Jesse, 22, Lanarkshire, benefit cheat!
Sometimes, it’s a truly depressing place out there.
Have a good weekend folks 🙂
Aaaaregh! I just spent ages attempting to answer the many questions asked about my post about Ms Woods of Plaid Cymru’s claim of parity of funding with Scotland. Only to see it vanish into the ether. After posting the comment I was called away and didn’t get back to continue the debate. So here we go again :-
To explain how I came to the conclusion that the vast majority of elected people and the electorate make such claims as England subsidising Scotland or similar things as Ms Wood’s new claim for parity of Welsh funding with Scotland. I can always keep a dead straight face when asking questions from officialdom and others. They think I’m just stupid and really don’t know the answers.
So from before we actually got any devolved powers I’ve asked people to explain to me how Barnett’s Formula is supposed to work. I’ve asked the question at Prime Minister level and all the way down to community Councillors and members of the public.
It is amazing, but true, that I have had the greatest difficulty getting any reasonable explanation from those who should know the truth. Now I’m sure you will agree that telling the simple truth that Barnett was charged to produce a formula to honestly fund Scotland correctly to run the devolved functions she was to receive suddenly, like a light being switched on in a dark room, illuminates the whole subject and makes it very,very clear. It takes away the whole mystery.
Yet how many times have you heard those, who really should know better make the claim that the English are subsidising the Scots? There can only be two explanations for this lack of clarity and those false claims. Sheer pig ignorance if they do not know or a deliberate will to confuse if they do. I honestly believe that in the majority of cases the person really doesn’t understand the whole Barnett/devolution system. Try asking them yourselves and see what I mean.
So here’s a few things that you may also like to ask them to explain : –
Take, for example, “Per Capita GDP”,, (Per Capita GDP is the total revenues raised from a given area divided by the total population of that same area). In this case Scotland’s is higher than both the average for the United Kingdom and for any other country in the United Kingdom. That means we Scots on a per capita basis raise more revenues for the treasury than any other country in the United Kingdom. Ask them to explain that away.
Then we have the simple fact that when the Establishment delivered devolved powers they made a complete hash of it. First they did not devolve powers equally to the four United Kingdom Countries and secondly devolved nothing whatsoever to England. That made every English MP an unelected member of the de facto Parliament of England and thus they are members of the elected United Kingdom Parliament and also unelected members of the Parliament of the country of England. Third, as the United Kingdom is legally a union of two Kingdoms it has now become a four country set-up being actually governed by the members of the de facto Parliament of England.
Now to the financial implications of this – England having no parliament, is funded as the United Kingdom. So because the de facto Parliament of England decides what the other three countries block grant is to be but England gets funded directly from the treasury,that it is England devolving English powers. This results in such things as the grant made to set up, “Transport for London”, being contributed to by the entire United Kingdom as were a long list of other English infrastructure projects. The London Cross-rail, the refurbishment of every London bus and rail terminal, the London Olympics, The London Dome, The New London Sewerage System, HS Rail projects. et al. So what about such as, the National Galleries, Museums, Ballet, Opera. Et al?
Getting the full picture now? When pointed out it all becomes very, very clear.
Oh! And before I forget – the extra charges for Scottish generators to put power into the national grid while subsidising English generators to do so. That one is coupled to the fact that the power companies charge their Scottish customers more per unit than they charge their English customers. In short we Scots have been taken for mugs since 1 May 1707. We thank you for that Proud Scots buts.
Yet another call,this time from ex Tory party chairman Lord Baker for a Lab/Tory coalition.In the interests of “national unity”.Oh dear
Yet Birmingham just polled 95% said they would want SNP so have an influence in Westminster..
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