Until your ship comes in
There’s been a statistic released in Scotland, so obviously there’s a crisis.
Anarchy on the streets can only be moments away.
A five-year (or six-year) low sounds pretty bad. But just how bad is it?
Oh.
The actual number of police officers in Scotland compared to a year ago has dropped by just 30 out of roughly 17,300 – or 0.17%. Put another way, the force’s strength is still 99.83% of what it was in 2015. That’s literally a rounding error – to the nearest whole number it hasn’t changed at all, despite years of austerity pressure.
(What it’s actually more like is standard churn fluctuation, ie slightly more have retired or quit at this precise point in time than their replacements have come into service. If you did the survey a week later the numbers could be reversed – as the graphs show, they’ve gone up and down regularly within a very narrow frame of variance since the SNP’s manifesto-pledge increase was delivered in 2009, and are now slightly higher than they were in the middle of that year.)
And given that recorded crime also fell by 5% last year, to the lowest level since the 1970s, it’s actually a meaningful increase in terms of officers available per crime.
And it compares extremely favourably to the situation in the rest of the UK:
The manpower of England and Wales’s force has dropped by 14% in a period where Scotland’s has stayed the same. (Scotland now has 14% as many police as England and Wales despite only having 9% of the population, meaning it has around 55% more police officers per head of population than the largest part of the UK.)
Northern Ireland, meanwhile, has seen its officer numbers fall by 20% since 2005, while Scotland’s have increased by around 7% over the same timespan.
What’s even more extraordinary is that the numbers have been maintained at these levels despite the stresses of amalgamation and the Scottish force suffering from massively unfair financial treatment by the UK government for the past three years.
The headlines in today’s Scottish media aren’t untrue, of course. It’s just that they benefit from being placed in some sort of context. And that’s what we’re here for.
What do you expect from the yellow press – the truth?
You don’t need to be Taggart, to workout, it’s all SNP bad.
Wake up media, we ain’t falling for your pish.
The police in Scotland are the only force in the UK that has to pay VAT and does not receive this money back from the treasury.
Arresting newspaper headlines from the Joseph Goebbels School of Journalism. Expect all out of context content until there is an other referendum. ‘Newspapers at breaking point as their sales number drop’
I’m going to state something very obvious but nevertheless I need to do it,
I’m actually fed up with this crap. It’s no longer funny.
More examples of the mess and current state of ‘so called journalism’ in Scotland.
All singing from the same hymn sheet, all team GB. (Sadly)
All happy to take the money though even if they have alternative views ?
Adrian B says:
3 August, 2016 at 11:00 am
The police in Scotland are the only force in the UK that has to pay VAT and does not receive this money back from the treasury.
—————
Yes, it’s appalling. However if we are forced out the EU, there is no good reason that VAT can’t be fully devolved now. That could be one positive side effect. Previously EU rules prevented VAT being fully devolved within member states.
The pieces I saw on the news last night made great play of this, before giving the Police Scotland spokesperson’s reply, that it was just a snapshot and that the numbers change all the time, depending on when folk retire etc. But by then, the impact has been made.
It’s telling that at no point did these reports state what the numbers were in 2007, 2010 or in 2016. And this article shows you why.
Here we go again, another day another propaganda onslaught. This s*** is wearing me down and I suspect I’m not alone.
Every day the letters sections in my local rag has the same collection of unionist apologists attacking the SNP or Nicola or Eck on the basis of what are proven lies and distortions, yet daily this crap is printed and bought largely by a readership completely at odds with the papers’ editorial position
There is only one way this will stop, and I aint stopping till we get there. For those susceptible to project fear tactics I am concerned however that what has yet to come will be much nastier than what went before.
The British have no intention of giving up territory or resources on these islands, and they will do anything to prevent that.
I do believe that means anything.
Ya wee rascal Stu…so ye are.
Seriously does anyone actually read the MSM and believe this pish?
Higher number though than in 200,according to that Scottish Police officers numbers 2007-2016 chart.
*2007
Bill @ 11.03
I’m with you, and I would add it’s also boring bland and juvenile.
Imaging how depressing and demoralising it would be to live in a country where the whole of the media TV and print were constantly misinforming and lying to the public purely to destroy the country. Oh…
C’mon Rev’!
Clearly nothing newsworthy is happening in this country(thank God for the Tory’s) and in desperate need of a headline, have concocted this pile of rancid shite to create a feeling of instablity and fear.
What would you do in their situation, write nothing?!
Seriously?
At this point the msm can go and take a flying… squirrel… to itself.
They’ve gone beyond the point of laugh out loud nonsense and straight to utter irrelevance. In fact the further right the title is, the more irrelevant they become to the Scottish electorate.
Their attempts at undermining of not just the Scottish Government, but crucial public institutions and policy has gone into the realms of reckless endangerment long since.
Today’s media aren’t public watchdogs (if they ever were), they are political and corporate attack dogs. Bought and sold for patronage, influence or coin.
Going out to the shops now to stock up on tins of beans and a rifle.(May be forced to use the rifle on yoon journalists in order to preserve my sanity.)
Heard the radio version yesterday. they led with the fall, and finished by saying there’s only 8 more than the extra thousand promised in the 2007 SNP manifesto. So that’ll be 1008 more than Lab/Lib figure, so why not accentuate the positive? Oh, right, MSM=SNPBAD, near forgot.
Sigh. Viewing the world from a unionist pinhole.
Our media is so well managed though – dont you think ??
O/T Apologies : left at end of previous posting
Advise all to give a listen to the Charlie Hebdo observations of Scotland’s political climate at 2.22 hrs in ?
Very interesting listening on how Europe now sees us
link to bbc.co.uk
The Isolator says:
3 August, 2016 at 11:17 am
Ya wee rascal Stu…so ye are.
Seriously does anyone actually read the MSM and believe this pish?
………….
Aye, the 55% who voted NO last time around
They may not be untrue,but worse still they are designed to be misleading.
I used to love reading journalists who gave all the facts ,all the time. It has become somewhat of a rarity these days. The more pressing need seems to be discrediting a government who have done a pretty decent job within their resources.
Lies are not always as simple as telling an untruth. There are also lies by ommission, by inference and insinuation. Journalism these days is about mastering these techniques.
You are old school in reporting Rev. Give the facts and back it up with evidence. Wish there was even two more of you working in the media, but alas–.
But surely we must ask –
‘What does David Torrance think of this ?’
(If Wings is to be taken seriously we must have his opinion .. like all the rest)
It really feels as if the ante has been ramped up with the Unionist press – the hyperbole from the Scottish Express is plain bonkers. It is dispiriting and the BBC in Scotland does nothing to dispel it. In fact it is blatantly colluding now.
It feels like the cybernat stuff is due for an airing again. Not one MSM journalist has ever criticised Torrance for the rubbish he writes as it would shine a light on their own deficiencies. They rarely take any responsibility and it seems even the ones that do are closing ranks – Haggerty was bleating on about him being misrepresented.
They really are an utterly contemptible bunch.
I have written to the SPF to ask them to explain why we are at “breaking point”, when the numbers seem to be holding up quite well in these times of austerity.
Here’s their media release.
link to spf.org.uk
Let’s see if I get a reply.
STV News last night said the SNP extra 1000 target was met in 2011. As noted above, it was 2009.
STV are getting to be as bad as Reporting Scotland. Last night they failed to mention the good news story about A&E waiting times targets met yet did mention another NHS story about operations being cancelled. For a change, BBC reported the good news and didn’t report the bad.
I thought Rev might have gone with the despicable Scottish Daily Mail front page today re the Madison Horn murder. About as vile a front page as I can recall. Presumably social work should now be vetting all persons who could possibly be asked to babysit?
Is it true or did you read it on the BBC/MSM press
Clearly the unionists are depending on people reading and believing the tosh they are served up
‘Newspapers at breaking point as sales numbers drop’.
Good, good, Marcia, but how about inserting ‘continue to drop’. Yeah, that works. But then again ‘tumble’ paints a more dramatic picture. The punters will lap that up. But wait, wait. How about we use ‘plummet’. Yes, much more dire. I like it, I like it. Hold the front page everyone!
Another little shovelful of earth heaped on the grave of the Scottish media’s credibility.
I always say that one day they will actually make a pertinent point about government incompetence, but by then it will be too late as we will have stopped believing them.
@The Isolator
Unfortunately YES. Especially when their only sources of information are the Tabloids and the TV.
Any tabloid headline that has a screaming CAPITAL LETTERS bit in it (like the Express above) can be safely ignored. It is, almost buy definition, PISH
Well done Stu for pointing this infuriating nonsense out so clearly. I am maddened by it. Once an individual realises the nature of what is being fed to them in this sort of organised media conspiracy of lies, there can be no turning back towards trust. Unionists must be terrified that the Scottish government is getting so much right.Your work is very important in allowing the scales to fall from the eyes of those who cannot as yet see so clearly.
This is the very reason for the scepticism over “The Scottish six”
Not only are folk concerned about the outright distortions the Media engage in but also the “Journalistic” standard is so low to begin with
Is it going to lead to an hour of shite as opposed to a half hour of shite with the same people who presented the original shite in the first place
You could say switch over to STV news but the problem there is they share the same shite to make sure the message gets out there, it’s like they meet in the pub before broadcasting
Our so called Scottish news readers huff puff sigh and bat their eyes at the mere mention of something good happening in Scotland
I’m afraid I have no faith in it ever changing as long as the BBC are allowed to “Jealously guard their impartiality”
Except of course when it comes to their budget being controlled by Westminster then there appears to be a wee bit of come and go on the impartiality front
Only with Independence is it likely to change
Today’s fabricated SNPBad story. Yawn.
What is interesting is the way its appearance seems coordinated. How can such a piss poor piece of ‘journalism’ turn up everywhere at once?
Or put another way, conspiracy to pervert the course of democracy, or just endemic plagiarism caused by staffing cutbacks?
Folk mention getting dispirited and angry.
I think that’s the intention.
They want us demoralised.
We can look forward to the day when we no longer care what they write because the will be foreign press to us
It is incredibly boring and predictable, and its never ending.
I would like to say a big thank you to Police Scotland.
Any Indy event I have attended, their presence is low key and I often hope they enjoy it too.
Not easy getting crime stats down either.
@The Isolator
Seriously does anyone actually read the MSM and believe this pish?
Erm, yes. Enough people believe it to make a difference, though the numbers are declining.
Have a look at the latter part of this article where the fourth estate is discussed:
link to yeshighland.net
Dr Jim says:
This is the very reason for the scepticism over “The Scottish six”
Indeed. So many of us feel the North Britain section of the EBC cannot be trusted to drop the BritNat promoting agenda and try to actually reflect evolving Scotland.
Neutrality and honesty are possible, even from the EBC, though.
gordoz highlighted in the last thread a decent piece about Charlie Hebdo observations of Scottish politics at 2.22 hrs in ….
link to bbc.co.uk
The problem I have with the EBC and TheSix is, which is best …. London centric news with Scotland omitted, or twisted BritNat news from Scotland? A shite choice, when you know a third way is possible.
Sadly this pish is repeated in today’s National. I have written a letter of complaint to them. I say sadly because the rest of the National is very good and reports the A&E targets being exceeded for instance which seems to have evaded the attention of the rest of the media plus an absolutely brilliant poem by James Leckie and good stuff from Kevin McKenna, Tasmina, Marin Hannan and WGD
It must be getting through, to even the most stupid unionists, fence sitters and don’t know voters, that the Mainstream Media in Scotland are bare faced lying, Westminster controlled, propaganda propagating and lazy numpties that have ever designated themselves as journalists.
(Oops! – I nearly typed the above as, “The Scottish Media”, and whatever else it is, it most certainly isn’t Scottish).
That load of total numpties would not even make half decent cub reporters for the Hatched, Matched and Dispatched columns for reporters faithfully report the news.
Yet these total load of wasters wonder why their efforts, in the furtherance of the Westminster Establishment’s unionist ambitions, is resulting in the Mainstream Media in Scotland being actually far more in crisis, far closer to, “Breaking-point”, and far nearer to immanent collapse than either the SG, SNP or YES Movement are at the moment.
Has anyone opened a book yet on which media outlet will be the first in Scotland to fold and vanish from the scene?
The ‘official’ Scottish media: lying, distorting, misinforming, scaremongering, misleading, FUD-ing, Project Fearing day after day after day… so you don’t have to.
All part of the ongoing propaganda to build a perception in the colelctive mind of Joe Public that the SNP are failing and thus, by extension, so would an Indy Scotland.
Scotland, yer too stupid.
They hope, of course, that more fall for their pish than see right through it. But the interwebby has changed all that. The Colonial Press are talking pish – they know it, we know it. The real marvel is that they still pump out this pish expecting people to continue to fall for it and ot to see it for the black propaganda that it is.
The Colonial State Media are a disgrace. I just laugh at them becaue they are, at the end of the day, rather pathetic in their attempts to udnermine the confidence of the people of Scotland.
Seriously what the **** is wrong with the so-called ‘Scottish ‘journalists’, that their first instinct is always to run their country down, with hardly a thought.
Are they really so utterly stupid that they do not grasp the basics of personnel management in ANY company or service, in that their are month to month fluctuations whilst some retire, leave or haven’t yet passed training etc.. Do they really need Rev Stuart Campbell to explain basic statistics to them on each and every occasion?? Seriously, are they really THAT dumb??
No, they are not, it just another example of the ‘oh my god Scotland is sh**e’ Scottish cringe mentality that seems endemic within ALL broadcast media and so-called ‘journalism’ in Scotland.
Have these so-called ‘journalists’ no shame? Have they no self respect? Seriously what motivates Scots to get out of bed and write one negative unfounded article about their country after another, day in, day out? I know of no other country in the world, where journalists behave in such a negative way towards their own country.
Any of our so-called ‘journalists’ care to respond? We know you read this, or are all you delicate wee flowers in the cream puff just like Tory boy Torrance.
P.S. Scottish recorded crime is now at a 41 year low.
Proud Cybernat says:
“They hope, of course, that more fall for their pish than see right through it.”
It’s a big gamble on their part because it is only too easy to begin to see through it, at which point soft Unionists are lost to their cause. No one likes being lied to!
Indy folks and hard Unionists have something in common, they both know the lies aren’t aimed at them!
Now was there not a withdrawal of the commitment for the extra thousand officers, requested by Police Scotland, so that they could get more officers out on the street and return to civilians in admin posts?
I can solve all crime.
All of us become Police Officers.
I can prevent all fires
All of us join fire and rescue
I can get full marks for school children
All of us become school……
I am sure there is a problem here
I can get rid of the tories telling us what to do for good. No nuclear weapons, no illegal wars, no unelected Lords and dames.
Vote for Independence. Yip that one works
Imagine a frail old pensioner living on their own being fed this crud? Lies and omissions, spread terro through the Dead Tree Scrolls. Frighten our pensioners to death. Good job, ye Torrances of the Better Together Project Fear Wing.
All you ProudButScot mercenary scribes, you are beneath contempt.
What a way to earn a living.
As for backing James Kelly’s attack on the OBF legislation, when the first fatality occurs at a football match following RFC’s return to the Bull Pen, and the Green and Blue diehards face up to each other four or five times a season, I hold you lot of Unionist Propagandists to blame.
Disgusting low life ,the Winston Smiths of the Unionist Establishment.
Keep it up; it is to be hoped that many more like I, will stop buying your torrid little Rags, and you’ll be out of a what is laughingly referred to, as a job.
How do you sleep o’ nights?
Crime down, detection up, police numbers increased and maintained at an extra 1000, yet SNP is BAD BAD BAD.
This country Scotland, this great vibrant sovereign nation, is in the grip of a SE Totalitarian regime, and our Fourth Estate is the Fifth Column.
It is hoped, even at my age, I never happen to be in the same room any time with any of this gutter pond life.
Let me get this right, because I’m not a big follower of meeja punditry.
Mr Torrance appeared on telly to troll the technical capabilities and production values of his own media, then quits twitter because he’s feeling the heat of folks telling him what a stupid bloody statement that was?
Seriously?
Wonder what the production team who captured this opinion for posterity were thinking?
If that’s the right of it, then… just wow!
The Leveson enquiry into the press was a golden opportunity to sort out the out of control media in this country. The press were up in arms at the time squealing “freedom of the press” when they thought that that they were going to get their arse felt. As usual we got a watered down compromise which basically ended up “as you were”. The press operate under the guise of self regulation. I and my granny is in the SAS.
The media and press did not acknowledge that to maintain the “freedom of the press” there was, or should be, a level of accountability that goes with that. No question of any balance, no question of right of reply or reporting of the opposite of view taken by the newspaper. So if you have a disagreement with anything they say where do you go?. IPSO, the Independent Press Standards Organisation.
What a bloody farce, a more toothless organisation I have yet to see. This lot couldn’t run an investigation into a raffle. They are just another establishment quango who do the absolute minimum to protect their status. They have no interest in holding the press to account.
Most of the press is owned by the political wanabees in hock to the Torries (or is it the other way about?). They feed of each other, they need each other to spread their message but neither will bite the hand that feeds them.
Slightly O/T re the Scottish 6. So instead of 30 minutes of unadulterated UKOK unionist crap we are now to get 60 minutes of unadulterated UKOK unionist crap. I can hardly wait “haud me back”
Just as well I haven’t watched it for years.
as a slight follow up. When crime went up the Police unions said we need more police. They got them.
Crime is going doing and the police unions say we need more police.
No we don’t.
Now that I am 70 just received my new driving licence from DVLA complete with the butchers apron.
Thanks to the Bonny Badge company this scar has now been covered by the Scottish Saltire.
If you want a bit of a smile, have a look at Revs timeline, some very pertinent, witty comments about #torrancegate.
What a big cry baby Torrance is. He has a shambles of an interview, insulting Scots, and announces quitting Twitter last night, all huffy.
To add insult to injury, Dunc Bothersall has come to his defence.
The problem is that apart from WoS there is no one in the MSM presenting the facts as produced by the Rev to counter yet another inaccurate story that will be perceived by the greater public as an example of the Scottish governments failing.
The SNP needs to defend its excellent record with a bit more passion and grit and it could start by throwing the facts produced by the Rev back at the MSM when being interviewed.
We have had all the broken promises since the referendum as presented in the “wee black book“ Trident renewal, dragged out of the EU by English votes plus the prospect of nearly ten more years of Tory rule, yet it would seem that the independence vote is at most 50%.
My point is what is it going to take to get the vote to 60%+.
Something has got to radically change in the approach to independence or it is not going to happen and it can only start with an effective counter to the relentless and unchallenged filth that is the MSM backed by the Westminster machine.
The Great Colonial Media Sweepstake
William Hall and SlyBet now offering odds on which of the following rags will fold in Scotland within the next 3 years as a result of their continued running down, denigrating, SNP BAAAAAD, insulting intelligence, TWTPTS, etc, etc.
The Scotsman – 1/3000
P & J – 1/1500
The Scottish Express – 1/2500
The Scottish Mail – 1/2000
The Herald – 1/500
The Record – 1/9
The National – 8/1
Not looking too good.
It’s not a media conspiracy – no need for a conspiracy – it’s birds of a feather, and a perfect example of what happens when immature people are drawn to journalism, in flocks. Create a sensational headline out of nothing and get your personal political agenda across at the same time – and no more thought for the consequences than you would expect from any self-centred adolescent.
I tend to over-simplify everything but I see irresponsible journalism as both a symptom and a cause of a culture that puts self-interest above everything else. It’s the opposite of a culture that puts the community first, and that’s something we know we could have in Scotland where Blairites and Tories are so thin on the ground.
To keep his job, the journalist needs to turn out regular copy that will help sell the paper to its target audience. The paper ends up reinforcing the prejudices and fears that it itself helped to create in the first place. Vicious circle at best, and, if it remains unchallenged, it fuels the bigotry, xenophobia and all of the other delusional nonsense that goes through the head of an ignorant and self-absorbed individual who sees the whole world subjectively in terms of how it affects him.
We’re all born ignorant and self-absorbed. It’s just that some of us grow out of it.
Don’t worry folks. When we get the new Scottish Six news this type of blatant mis-reporting and bias will be a thing of the past….
….I’ll get my coat
Once again Wings providing the facts and analysis that the mainstream media are unable and/or unwilling to provide.
More armed police set to protect London, say Met chief and mayor
I just hope that they don’t go into any Tesco branch like they did in Dingwall for breakfast and frighten old ladies or else Jackson Carlaw will get onto May about it,oh I forget its only in Scotland that it is bad for police to go armed.
Can we co-ordinate letters of clarification to the “editors” of these biased propogandists.
Protest will not do, but requests for context might. We can all await dismal stories about the Health Service in Scotland, with no comparison made to England.
Still six abin thurr thoosan, accoarrdin tae Radio Scotland news this moarrnin.
Pauchlin numurrs, whit’s new.
@Macart (12.44) –
‘Mr Torrance appeared on telly to troll the technical capabilities and production values of his own media, then quits twitter because he’s feeling the heat of folks telling him what a stupid bloody statement that was?’
Aye, that’s the long and short of it.
Sad, intit? 🙁
The colonial MSM keep punting this pish because a goodly number of people will believe it regardless, because they want to believe it – the Britnats. Similarly, there is a demographic that will never admit that they have ever been wrong about their Unionism, even though the evidence for their foolishness is overwhelming (and even though they might secretly now be ashamed of their past beliefs). Then you have the headline-absorbers, people with neither the ability nor the inclination to move beyond the shock value sound bite, or the ‘Reporting Scotland audience’ as they are more commonly known.
On the other side, we have one guy in Bath working with the evidence. It really isn’t fair on the colonial MSM 🙂
You could be forgiven for thinking someone wishes to encourage a “totalistic” belief systems within Scotland.
link to amazon.co.uk
@Dunks says: 3 August, 2016 at 11:27 am:
” … Seriously does anyone actually read the MSM and believe this pish?
………….
Aye, the 55% who voted NO last time around”
I have to disagree with you on that point, Dunks.
In my view the greatest number of people in that 55% who voted NO last time around did so in the full and certain knowledge that the lies, omissions and prevarications of the Mainstream Media were indeed just lies, omissions and prevarications. They did, however, collectively have quite different motives for voting NO.
For example the former Labourites in Scotland were in charge of Scotland for over 80 years. Thus there are a large number of those NO voters directly connected to the Labour Party as present, or former, Councillors, MPs, MEPs or MSPs. Not to mention officials of the various Labour in Scotland Branches and Constituency Associations.
Add to them those directly connected to the Co-Operative Society in all its various guises – retail, banking, farms & processing, banks & financial and even Funeral Directors.
Now add to all those the STUC and Trade Union officials from Shop Stewards upwards. Plus, of course, their partners, families and those who owe favours to the above.
In cities, towns, villages and hamlets throughout Scotland there are long established Labour Party dynasties stretching back well over a hundred years. These people all mainly know the real truth but their loyalties to Labour, and often their financial interests, prevent them acknowledging that truth.
Then do the same for the Tory and LibDem parties and add the three together before getting to a total by adding the genuine, plain pig ignorant, the don’t vote and the don’t give a damn about politics, as a final total of the NO voters of Scotland. BTW: the above also explains why there are a larger number of elderly people among the NO voters.
@Ian B
I thought this was a joke, but I’ve just had a swatch on the Rev’s twitter and OMG!
Astonished… frankly! 😮
Scotsbob @1pm:
We could ask the press:
“Are you ignorant or apathetic?”
Unfortunately they would likely answer:
“We don’t know & we don’t care”
Policing has improved, it was one of the clubs that could be used to beat us, with centralisation and alleged disgruntlement amongst the rank and file. But that seems to have changed woth the Chief Constable.
Would a more accurate headline not be:
“Scots goverenment maintain 2009 pledge on police officers, despite crime rates plummeting” or, no headline at all, as there is no real story.
Phew!
Lucky the churn did not see numbers drop by 50. Imagine the headlines that would have caused.
People laugh at the press because the press is laughable. OK the Sun and the Express don’t actually qualify as press but the rest used to fancy themselves as credible.
I nipped over to the Scottish Daily Express site to see if the Scottish logo had been usurped – there it is in all its glory and below it a series of nasty articles attacking Scots ,Scotland and Ms Sturgeon.
I do wonder why any Scot buys this crud.
Somewhere in Scotland there has to be a few honest journalists ? Surely? No? Are there none who can look themselves in the eye in the mirror ? Do they all shrink away in shame? Or are they arrogant , self seeking liars I think they are ?
I am still getting that feckin’ ” you are posting too quickly message” Is someone playing silly buggers?
[…] "There’s been a statistic released in Scotland, so obviously there’s a crisis." […]
Excellent, objective journalism, British journalism! They’re a bunch of shits but what can you do.
Up to their old tricks again i see with misleading headlines they really are a sad bunch of gits.
I see the Scottish resistance head bumhole has thrown his toys out the pram and is sulking in the corner over alleged abuse.
Well Dave T if you are going to throw it about you had better be damn ready to take it,what you dont like that well tough.
Wayhey! Torrance is trending AND the Canary are running it.
link to thecanary.co
STV are every bit as bad as Shortbread at this caper, with Tory MSP’s sleeping rough on Pacific Quay in case they’re needed for SNP Baaaad slots!
You know what the really annoying thing about this is, everyone knows that the Yoon media is totally against Scotland and will print and say whatever they like to further their cause against us, and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it, other than suck it up.
“Express: press out. E.g. press out the juice until all that’s left is a useless carcase of unwanted juiceless pulp media.
@Bill and Tinto Chile, thank you for your links in previous article and by the way Torrance seems to be a bit of a Bawbag?
@Valerie 1.44pm
Wayhey! Torrance is trending
Well, there’s a first time for everything.
Adrian B says @ 11:00 am
The police in Scotland are the only force in the UK that has to pay VAT and does not receive this money back from the treasury.
With regard to irrecoverable VAT, an insider told me that Labour did a deal with HMRC to mitigate its VAT liability but this is not available to the SNP.
So I checked out the 2014 accounts on Electoral Commission website and right enough the Labour accounts refers to this arrangement.
On total expenditure of £35 million Labour paid just £1.3 million on irrecoverable VAT whereas the SBP paid £500,000 on total expenditure of £7 million.
A huge disparity considering their expenditure must be on basically the same stuff.
Britnats at “breaking point!”
More publicity than ever before for Torrance! Folks who never heard of him, now do.
Any publicity is good publicity? Unlikely!
Reminds me of an old Rutger Hauer Guiness advert:” If it didn’t exist they would have to invent it”. Ladies and gentlemen the news!
PATHETIC! …..and Torrance wonders why we gent angry at their constant lies!
Have the LibDums paid they money they owe to Police Scotland yet?
As UKOK toryboy’s Brexit catastrophe gets going, FT says “The eurozone has been able to withstand the immediate impact of the Brexit vote. Britain’s dominant services sector was not so lucky.” As EU zone growth accelerated in July.
Will the assorted UKOK media freak show give EU growth their full on toryboy rules Britnattia treatment?
Nope but to be fair, someone in Pacific Quay’s a bit of satirist, in the event of former PM Cammeron’s immigrating to Scotland.
link to bbc.co.uk
Scotland ‘needs more pig farmers’
Oink.
This is what you get when another country controls your news and media it’s like being in a straight jacket with no means of escape most of the news outlets do not allow any kind of right of reply so are free to print or broadcast any old tosh they like and it is absorbed by a good number of scots who frankly are f/n stupid .
How many times have you heard the statement ” oh polititions they are all the same ” and that is supposed to cover their whole view of what is going on around them frankly these people deserve exactly what they are getting right now , and they are totally oblivious to the fact that the SNP government are protecting them from the full brunt of tory cuts .
A short message to those in the SNP administration who should be getting the message out GET OFF YER ARSES AND GET SOMETHING DONE.
Hey Mr Torrance, about this video camera malarky you’ve been bumping your gums about. Is it purely a genetic condition of Scots that we can’t operate them? What do you think?
@heedtracker –
Cameron? He wouldn’t know one end of a pig from t’other.
No, wait…
Perhaps Torrance has watched too much Sportscene. Although I understand that they are going to have more than one camera at Scottish matches this season.
Its this lack of investment by the BBC that makes Yoons think we are too poor and too stupid to do things like any other normal countries.
Yoon culture is so demented he probably means this. Did he also really mean Sectarian er, singing, is really great at the football, lets repeal the OBFA?
Wings Over Scotland Retweeted
James Kelly ?@JamesKelly 55m55 minutes ago
What can we do to win back support for the Union in Scotland? I know, let’s deport a telegenic Australian couple with a Gaelic-speaking son.
One slight omission from this article, it was the Police Federation Board that are the ones giving the media this story whilst also saying the number of force support officers has been slashed and it’s the officers that are having to backfill the civies posts till such time the books are balanced.
Of course the media are omitting this wee gem as well
Ian Brotherhood says:
3 August, 2016 at 2:27 pm
@heedtracker –
Cameron? He wouldn’t know one end of a pig from t’other.
No, wait…
As long as its only between consenting pigs and toryboys, who’s to judge. Poor Samantha though.
That BBC Scotland thing is pretty UKOK mental, even for them and their low barriers for entry to pigs, stuff. Must be a newbie. reaching out, the resistance.
“Mark Donald, chairman of NFU Scotland’s New Generation committee, said the barriers to entry were lower for pig farming than for many other sectors, with some very successful farmers starting with “only a shed and the drive to succeed”.
I’m sure I can work a video camera once I’ve figured out where you pour the petrol in.
@ MSM Churnalists etc,
Please consider yourselves Punched in the face by a Pacifist!
Another lovely tory boost from rancid the Graun’s Scotland freak out today. Nothing from Graun on the great Torrance twitter tragedy of 2016.
Davidson, who is a Scottish Protestant unionist married to an Irish Catholic woman, urged her audience to be moderate in persuading opponents of gay marriage to change their minds.
“I might not always agree with every intervention churches make in politics, but I defend their right to do so. In Scotland, we made sure that as we passed equal marriage, we also protected the rights of religious groups. We owe it to those who have taken an opposing view to engage and explain, to discuss and persuade,” the Scottish Tory leader said.
Davidson added: “You don’t effect change by shouting down your opponents, whose votes you need.”
Rancid dont ask this tory stuffed shirt why exactly, the rights of religious groups actually need protecting from gay marriage but why would they, she’s British!
#JeSuisTorrance
OT – thinktanks and financial reports / projections – Part 1
Since 2012 I’ve read dozens, maybe hundreds of reports from the likes of CPPR, IPPR, IFS, NIESR, you name it. I also used to read share prospectuses and business plans in my previous life.
Business plans etc are “glass half full”, and expected to fill up and overflow. The purpose of course is to try to get investment, share issues taken up. The thinktank reports nearly all seem to be glass half empty. Well, they do have to point out problems, concerns and downsides, but why not also point out possibilites, upsides? Some do, many don’t.
During Indy we were assailed by the media with all these reports telling us how shit Scotland would be as an Indy country. Well, the beauty of now is that with Brexit, the media is split, and reports according to its point of view – if at all. I haven’t for instance seen much if any reporting by the Herald about thinktank reports about Brexit after the EU vote. Yet there’s been at least one – by NIESR – forecasting downards economic growth for the UK, and upwards deficit – from £55 billion forecast in March by OBR, to £70 billion now.
Clearly this affects the difference between Scotland’s forecast deficit as a percentage of GDP, and the UK’s – something our hero Kevin Hague incorrectly refers to as a “Fiscal Transfer”.
It seems to me now is the time for someone, someone with some exposure in the media, perhaps the Cuthberts, but also perhaps the Rev, to point out the contradictions in reporting of the same report by different media.
See Part 2!
The Team GB UKOK England creep shows still stuck on the same old hymn sheets then.
I expect that if Police Scotland pulled the paramilitary stunt that the Met pulled for the BBC today it would be SNP BAAAHD and the whole Nation of Scotland being monstered as terrorists.
OT now
I cant help but comment about a Team GB UKOK England push biker doing a Rio Ferdinand. Now if that had been a Russian athlete there would have been hysteria in the Brit Nat Press and Media to have that athlete beaten black and blue with a cwicket bat. If it had been a Team Sweaties athlete then they would have been calling for a public execution.
Thing is even if we get the Scottish Six. It’s still going to be Burd and co fronting it. Think of the Herald and Scotsman. They report Scottish and international news skewed through the prism of their millionaire owners in London.
The Scottish six will be same BBC bias with a Scottish accent. We already have Laura Kunsberg for that!
OT – thinktanks blah blah – Part 2
Right, now the format of these reports and even plans is often similar. There’s a wodge of sheer data collected, often in an Annex or Appendix. That’s data that can often be checked against published sources, but that’s probably been done so laziness says – accept the data as real.
Above that then is the report. This looks at the data, and makes comparisons, projections, warnings, advice, and is often fairly balanced, downsides but also upsides. Some forecasts are made on account of all that.
Above that then is the executive summary. This is often a bit one-sided, bringing out the points the report writers want to do. In the case of Scottish Independence it’s that it will fail, taxes will rise and public services cut, doom gloom and depression. But now in the case of the UK it can be similar. The NIESR report for instance (which I haven’t throgoughly read) forecast rising inflation, defict and borrowing, against a drop in growth, perhaps even a double recession.
Above that then is the press release, and this usually IS very one-sided, but still has some balance to make it look as though the report is professionally written and fair.
And then we get the bits the media want to report. They pick the bits of the press release they want to push, and ignore the rest. In the case of Indy it’s uniformly that Scotland is doomed. But in the case of the UK and brexit, there is some disagreement.
This is to our advantage, if exploited to discredit media, and even the report press releases themselves which usually seem to be written by someone with Labour / Tory / LibDem political interest.
Yet more divert and deceive nonsense that sadly too many will fall for. With the UK being increasingly flagged as now likely to enter into another recession (I wasn’t aware that most people came out of the last one), isn’t it amazing that the people who caused this economic train wreck are still doing nicely thank you very much. The bankers just keep pulling in obscene amounts of money and paying to have the MSM run fake stories to cover their tracks. Hit and run without any need for truth or substance or consequence. Well here’s a story that is truthful and substantive but sadly unlikely to lead to any serious consequences for those with their snouts in the trough –
link to theguardian.com
I support the Scottish athletes not team GB. No one is going to tell me Scotland can’t have it’s own Olympic team!
I can’t jump ship and get behind a flag that is used in Scotland as a weapon for ultra unionists.
The BBC become more comical by the hour. I’m well past the age for getting a free TV licence and partly because I was only reading Ceefax for news and watching nothing else and partly because I loath UK political propaganda as served by the MSM I didn’t bother to renew my Licence.
So after the existing, paid for, licence expired there began a campaign by a BBC commissioned debt collecting agency to illegally coerce, (blackmail), me into buying a TV Licence. So I went on-line and, after lots of bother, found a BBC web page that made it rather difficult to explain why I did not want or need a licence.
The BBC threatening letters, (they use pseudo-legalese language to intimidate people), stopped — for a while.
Then the process began all over again with the threatening letters all addressed to, “The Occupier”, so it became obvious the BBC debt collectors had no idea who lived at my address nor if the, “Occupier”, was also the owner. They are just accusing an innocent person of being a criminal and without a shred of evidence.
So, as there is actually no statutory reason to inform the BBC of anything, I ignored the threatening letters which became more and more threatening with each succeeding version. Yet in spite of the claims of, “Officers”, calling at any time night or day, no one ever turned up to, “Investigate”, at my address.
So, first of all these, “Officers”, belong to no legal force such as Police, Armed Forces or Security Services. The only work from, “The Office”, of the agency employed by the BBC.
Under Scottish Law they have no other legal right to enter a private property than to proceed, directly by marked paths, to the main entrance in order to contact, “The Occupier”. They must not attempt to, “investigate”, anything, nor even look through windows, as to do so breaks Scots laws on privacy, (there is no English Style trespass law in Scotland).
If they want to investigate they need a search warrant and either a police officer or a registered bailiff in attendance. However, they need reasonable evidence that a crime has been committed and the signature of a judge or sheriff on a search warrant in order to legally, “Investigate”. If they cannot name, “The Occupier”, they have no chance of a legally issued warrant.
Thing is that even if you notify them that you do not watch live TV they do not believe you and will soon begin again to attempt to extort licence money from you and they will illegally threaten you with quasi-legal language from the outset while posing as some form of, “Officer of the Law”.
Now I did not renew my licence when I became 75 and I am now almost 80 – go figure? Five years of constant badgering breaks the law and could be claimed to be, “Stalking”, often old, disabled and vulnerable people as well as attempted coercion to extort money by threats.
So if these chancers turn up at your door remember this – there is no statutory requirement to inform the BBC of anything. The debt collectors are NOT Officers of the Law. Their statutory rights only allow them to enter your property to make contact with the occupier and, as they come mob handed and it only requires one person to make contact your first move is to ask all but one to get off your property.
Then remember they are on your property and you, not they, are in control make sure they know that. Then demand they name the person they wish to contact and, “The Occupier”, is not sufficient to divulge who you are. If they cannot name who they want to speak with tell the one remaining person to leave at once. Finally do report the attempted coercion to extort money from you by posing as something they are not to the police and also that these people have been stalking you over a long period.
OT – thinktanks Part 3 of 3!
Subjectively, IPPR is about the best. It’s Labour started, but left-wing in outlook, It’s not always going to be favourable, including IPPR Scotland, but it’s at least better than most.
IFS seem to come to a conclusion before writing a report, great data, even a good inner report, but subsequent reports aim to confirm that they got it right first time.
NIESR is very UK-oriented, and hence uncounciously biased in its weighing up its data against Indy Scotland. It’s a pity, because they are clever and could be very good and helpful. But as I say, they’re blinded by their UK-centric and hence Unionist outlook.
CPPR now renamed Fiscal Studies Scotland or soemthing (I forget), was very biased against Indy and I wonder if Glasgow Uni disinherited it. It might improve, but it’s still John McLaren and Jo Armstrong who do disagree with each other, quite frequently I think. It’s up to them whether they want to try to become impartial, or be UK-blinded.
Just imagine if the LibDems coughed up the money for their police bill and Police Scotland didn’t have to pay VAT, like all the other police authorities. That would take care of any shortfall in front line staffing.
But then a headline like “Police Scotland starved of funds by unfair Westminster measures” ain’t as snappy as a simple “SNP Bad” one.
You get so sick of ” Scottish” “journalists” and their crock of Carmichael, don’t you?
Meanwhile, the Tories go off on their holidays and stick the two fingers up to the EU regarding instigating Article 50.
It’s time Merkel began to squeeze the plums.
The Yoon silly-season, Neil Oliver was bumpin his gums on Shortbread the other day about not understanding football at all & why can’t the chaps just sport shoulder bags (pauses to adjust the herr) Anybody fur peever?
MSM are definitely up to something today. Why else would the top news story on the lunchtime news be some meaningless guff about gas prices and fixed tariffs?
Scotland used to have really good real journalists because we had so few papers so the standard was very high.
Now after big corporations bought them all you don’t really have any real journalists anymore.
A lot of them are freelance and write what editors and owners what and not what the reality is.
Spend a few hours with some reporters and see what crap they endure from the higher ups even when they know they are lying to people.
It’s what put me off journalism as a career.
Shite Sticks.
I made a point of giving a W BlackBook (Mon) to a OO/Conservative,oh the bile,1st thing he quoted Police going to charity shops for equipment, I asked what equipment BOOTS/StabVests I offered to take him to every charity shop in Airdrie/Coatbridge/Glasgow for the same items lol.
He said he would read the book I,ll give him till next week.
But lets not be complacent People, these lies are doing the rounds & nobody from the SNP challenges the perpetrators neither do the heads of these bodies NHS/ deathstar) Police ect The Bbc/Press need to be challenged head on at every occasion.
Yoon toryboys rushing to defend journalists, are also very odd
((( Neil Lovatt ))) ?@neiledwardlovat 7h7 hours ago
Many useful idiots celebrating David Torrence being hounded out of social media.
This does not help you increase 45% to 51%
So when Torrance comes back tomorrow, then what, will chumps like the above vote YES?
Yesindyref2: “They pick the bits of the press release they want to push, and ignore the rest. In the case of Indy it’s uniformly that Scotland is doomed.”
Apologies for the technical language here but surely, in the event of Scots independence, EWNI will be even doomeder?
Have to say I admire your indefatigability in sifting through all these reports and your ability to spot the misrepresentations, false assumptions and simple horseshit that is used to give a false picture of our economic position.
((( Neil Lovatt ))) ?@neiledwardlovat 7h7 hours ago
Many useful idiots celebrating David Torrence being hounded out of social media.
This does not help you increase 45% to 51%
It’s one less hack printing lies all over this country. Less lies and more truth will get us over the line. Every little helps, to coin a phrase.
Big Jock
Agreed. It’s just an attempt to pacify us nippy jocks. When we complain that the Scottish 6 is just an hour of the same propaganda we’ll get accused of being serial complainers.
Just more “Och aye the news where you are “from our masters, if you ask me.
Feel the fear!
UK should send warships to protect Gibraltar from the Spanish
link to archive.is
Just for clarity, Torrance wasn’t ‘hounded out’ of social media, he chose to leave in the huff when his utter hypocrisy was pointed out to him. A very important and clear difference.
Too many so-called Scottish ‘journalists’ like to dish out inflammatory, derogatory comments regarding those who support Scottish nationhood, but greet like wee girls, when they get same back.
My message to Torrance, is simply this, grow up.
PROOF – THAT THE EXPRESS DELIBERATELY UNDERMINES PUBLIC SECTOR CONFIDENCE,
WHILE CLAIMING TO REPORT NEWS.
The Express, more than any other rag,
should be LAUDING THE SNP GOVERNMENT..
..now that statistics show SCOTLAND HAS A HIGHER RATIO OF OFFICERS than the rest of ‘the country’.
Where do these figure of police numbers come from?
heedtracker says:
“Yoon toryboys rushing to defend journalists”
I really do find it all very odd.
Everyone does actually know that what some journalists are doing is offensive, and why they are taken to task online, don’t they? It’s all some elaborate pretence to innocence, is it not?
They know there is little substance left in the ‘profession’ with opinion and plagiarism replacing investigation, facts and information?
Or, are they genuinely in denial?
The rest of us see the situation with crystal clarity!
Chasing scoundrels out of town is nothing new, and nothing to do with social media!
If they want to print nonsense, feed them nonsense.
@ Robert Peffers
This website should interest you Robert.
link to tv-licensing.blogspot.co.uk
David Torrance – Hey, hey everyone look, over here, look at me, yes me, it’s all about me, I’m leaving and I’m definitely not coming back, no, no way, that’s the last you’ll see of me. Okay, I’ve had my strop, I got the attention I wanted, I’m back. #TotalFuckWit.
Dr Jim:
It will probably go the other way with independence. The BBC will withdraw entirely from Scotland and instead broadcast a full on London Calling service, pumping out propaganda that everything is better the other side of Hadrian’s Wall.
An increasing ‘narrative’ on social media just now appears to be a handful of previously outspoken, more often than not ‘hard’ left Yessers voicing their doubts about independence.
Various excuses are being used – SNP too authoritarian and/or not left enough. It appears to be the campaign run by RISE being continued by the separate individuals most prominent in that doomed movement now turning en masse on the SNP. It does seem independence for them was a vehicle to promote hard left policies first and foremost. The comfort is they are few in number and influence but they will get an enormous amount of exposure thus again distorting the reality and mood of the independence movement.
Also Torrance’s flounce is being used to attack critical voices and associate them with the entire independence movement. ‘If this is the way it’s going to be I don’t want to be associated with these bad people – so even though I was Yes, next time I’ll vote No’. I paraphrase but you probably know who I mean, the concern trolls.
I expect a piece in the Sunday Herald soon on ‘reasonable doubting Yessers’ being given a platform to vent with lots of hand wringing and introspection about ‘tone’ and ‘cybernats’ amounting to absolutely nothing of any substance. Blame will be attributed to New Media. There will be columns for Haggerty, McKenna – and Torrance – job done.
Once Scotland does finally regain nation statehood, the whole of the UKOK tory BBC led meeja will issue a formal apology to the Scots, for the long dreary decades of their awful British shite that they’ve dumped on us, albeit from ever shrinking newsrooms.
Okay this is a test post since i have tried now 3 times to post a link to a blog post about the next yes movement gathering being planned.
If you want to find out more go to munguins republic and look for a true independent Scotland blog post there you will find a link to the facebook page.
It makes you wonder though – do hissy-fit hacks like Torrance really believe the utter pish they write? I mean, REALLY? Do they really believe Scotland is too poor, too wee and too stupid to run its own affairs as a normal independent coutry of the world like any other normal country? Or do they think Scotland is somehow abnormal? Are they in danger of believing their own lies? Do they not join the dots? If they think Scotland is too poor and an economic basket-case why the hell would the UK have fought so hard and dirty in IndyRef#1 to hold onto us? Do they not realise that precisely the opposite is the truth? Or do they know this but, as fully paid-up members of the Yoon-state intend to continue to pump out the lies and distorted truths anyway?
Well, keep it up Colonial State Media. (sniggers).
As the Verve once said, “The drugs don’t work” any more. You need to get much smarter with your propaganda. (sniggers again).
Police numbers might be maintained but civilian admin staff have been drastically cut. That put pressure on frontline delivery.
The cuts might not be as bad as down south but let’s not pretend that cuts have not been made. The public aren’t that stupid.
Yes the SNP has minimised the problem but I’d hate them to spin this. Cuts had to be made, voters know this, after 7 years of austerity it’s hit virtually every household, with more to follow.
Crime at an all time low, not sure about this either, maybe reported crime is down but many people I know don’t even bother to complain any more.
Sorry to be a downer on this but it’s important we overhype this.
Strange that worked fine without the links ?
@Big Jock says: “The Scottish six will be same BBC bias with a Scottish accent. We already have Laura Kunsberg for that!”
And there’s definitely something shady about the fact that the Commons Committee which gave the go-ahead for the Scottish Six comprises 6 Conservatives, 4 Labour, and just 1 SNP MP.
Someone above suggested letters of complaint to these stupid, lazy papers. What about emailing the article to their websites…by the dozen. We know if you get a reply to a letter it’ll be twaddle.
This way is quick and, hopefully if they all get bombarded with the Rev’s proper journalism they might, just might mind you, be so embarrassed that they’ll try harder next time.
Re the David Torrance Twitter story.
Mr Torrance has a Blog in which he states under,”About Me”:
“……. year and a half working as Parliamentary Aide to the Shadow Scottish Secretary David Mundell at the House of Commons………”
The years are 2006-2007.
Crime at an all time low, not sure about this either, maybe reported crime is down but many people I know don’t even bother to complain any more.
Sorry to be a downer on this but it’s important we overhype this.
How to overhype it? “Many people” doesn’t mean much either. Austerity UKOK style has failed completely and it should create more crime but somehow…
Scotish Six (SS) – clearly a sign that the BritNat Establishment in London Toon are losing their grip on Scotland as they realise they now need more than 30 minutes to hammer home SNP BAAAAD and the, er, ‘benefits’ of their glorious Union which includes lots of Tory girls riding panzas. They don’t fucking realise that Scotland prefers Scottish pandas and not BritNat panzas.
Laughing my head off already. And the awful thud you will hear in the background as the Burd bares her gnashers is the wee cameraman struggling to point it in the right direction cause us Scots are not genetically programmed to operate a video camera.
Re Valerie’s archive link.
The clowns have used a photo of that sub that crashed in Gibraltar, their fucktardedness knows no bounds! Gave me a right good chuckle though 🙂
The Police Officer’s Federation Rep was on TV yesterday stirrup up this garbage!
Can he not see the damage that he is doing to the force?
Is he hopeful of promotion, is there a financial reward, will he become the Grand Wizard down the Lodge for securing the lies that bind Scotland to the corruption of Westminster?
Our Police force in proportion to that of England & Wales has 3,000 more officers, but their Rep is telling us that they are so incompetent that having greater numbers than any of the other UK forces, and continually falling crime rates, leaves them too stressed to cope?
I, and colleagues, sure as hell get stressed at work, and our bottom line is deal with it, leave, or get sacked.
We don’t get to retire after 30 years service, nor do we have the good pensions that the complaining police officers get.
I appeal to the ordinary officers to get their own house in order, set their Rep on the right track, or remove him from office.
If not, let’s reduce your number by 3,000 straight away and you can work on equal terms with your beloved English force.
If SNP was to increase the policing levels, you can already hear the BBC: ” SNP waste vital funds by increasing police numbers while crime rates are falling” SNP Bad.
Do the beat cops even know that the SNP Government tried to maintain their pension rights, against Westminster’s demands? The scheme collapsed when Westminster advised that any police pension subsidy given by SNP would have a Westminster tax put on top of it.
These guys are biting the hand that feeds them and they
may find a Knuckle sandwich coming their way!
BBC Corruption petition now approaching 90,600 signatures!
link to you.38degrees.org.uk
Iain More says.
OT now
I cant help but comment about a Team GB UKOK England push biker doing a Rio Ferdinand. Now if that had been a Russian athlete there would have been hysteria in the Brit Nat Press and Media to have that athlete beaten black and blue with a cwicket bat. If it had been a Team Sweaties athlete then they would have been calling for a public execution.
I totally agree but you wont hear from the BBC that she should be sent home.
So Ms Bradford can come on with her latest SNPBad stats without having had the London news on first with the worse English results.
link to i51.photobucket.com
Do the yoon press not realize that when they are found out to be lying, people no longer believe them and stop buying them.
Maybe that has something to do with their plummeting circulation figures. This seems to be a death wish that the bum media has. Unless they are funded by the intelligence agencies, makes no economic sense.
@Proud Cybernat
First pics of the new Scottish six tv set have been released
link to twitter.com
The true test of meaningfulness for the Scottish Six will be how much airtime it gives to Scotland’s elected representatives at Westminster. If they get anything less than fifty-six 59ths of all the time devoted to interviewing Scotland’s MPs, it will be time for a series of major protest marches to Pacific Quay.
Just another routine day in the “Scottish” press – industry-wide misinformation and propaganda designed to perpetuate the ‘too wee, too poor, too stupid’ slander on all things Scottish. Such is the truly disgraceful conduct of the Unionist instruments of control of the UK fiefdom of the north, where ONE tory MP ensures that we have a tory government and where ONE labour MP constitutes our ‘official opposition’! What other nation on earth would be prepared to endure this condition?
Whaaaatttt????
Police Scotland is the only force in the UK made to pay VAT and not allowed to claim it back???
Right, Let’s see my growing list so far:
1. Westminster has been taking away from Scotland most of the revenues from Scotland’s oil for decades rather than investing them in Scotland
2. Union government has been profiting from most taxes paid on products sold in the UK but manufactured in Scotland, such as Whisky
2. Union government has been taking away from Scotland most of the taxes paid in by the people living and working in Scotland
3. HMRC jobs have being taken away from Scotland by union government and not replaced with others
3. Scotland has been expected to contribute financially through taxes to vanity projects far away from Scotland and projects that do not benefit Scotland
4. the Scottish Parliament and most Scottish MPs voted against the renewal of Trident and yet Scotland is still humiliated by being forced to house the WMDs against its will, deal with all the inconvenience and implication of having those monsters in its waters and to add even more salt to the wounds, contribute billions to the upkeep of the darn things!
5. The BBC invests back in Scotland just a small fraction of what it rakes in the form of TV licence fees forced upon Scottish viewers. The rest, of course, is siphoned into the kitty located down south to be put ‘to better use’ by ‘more appropriate hands’
6. and now the new addition to my list I wasn’t aware of: Union government sucks millions of police Scotland’s budget in the form of VAT even when this seems like a clear discrimination compared with other UK forces!
Right, every item of this list is a hole in the Better Together mantra that Scotland only survives because it is continuously being subsidised by England. Sadly it looks as that this union is sucking us dry from every possible angle.
I like to use my list as ammunition against the ‘too poor’ unionist argument against independence at every opportunity I have so I welcome any additions to the list you can think of.
Some of the Wossers have asked about what happens to the Blatant BBC Bias petition above, when it reaches 100,000
signatures.
I have been advised that a George Moore, started the petition, which is addressed to Ofcom, and that it would also have to be discussed by a group within Westminster.
George can be contacted via the envelope that has his name above it, on the petition page itself, so I have asked if he intends sending a copy directly to the Scottish Government, Pacific Quay, and The National?
I will of course keep everyone posted with any updates.
Many Thanks for every signature received to date!
d dd
All this over a Scottish Six,it was asked for years ago.It’s digital times now,we shouldn’t be wanting a twenty years delayed outdated concept, we should be wanting control of broadcasting. Whats wrong with wanting to control of something we all pay for?
You’ll get a scottish six,controlled from London or by a London appointee appointed by a London appointee. That’ll halt the push for devolved broadcasting.Not.
“Europe Elects ?@EuropeElects
Support Free Trade Agreement w/ Britain (if UK exits EU’s freedom of movement):
Finland: 9%
Germany: 9%
France: 11%
Sweden: 19%
Denmark 25% ”
… no surprises there. No one actually believed the UK would be allowed free trade without free movement, did they?
WM only has one way out of this shit – engineer a complete cancellation of Brexit. Though, heaven knows how!
Scotland has a different solution. And, we all know how.
That was some Hatchet Job by BBC Breakfast on Perth’s bid for City of Culture.
As with several posters on this website, I am getting mighty scunnered at the MSM media lies.
So how about this…
Every time a newspaper published lies, then every one of us takes a moment to email a complaint to IPSO – the new newspaper regulator?
Stuart is one of the finest forensic journalists I’ve ever come across. He has already researched the details in that article above. It is a relatively simple exercise to submit a well reasoned complaint against each MSM newspaper’s lies by quoting the FACTS and comparing them to the LIES PUBLISHED BY EACH MSM NEWSPAPER (and the BBC + STV).
By so doing, it will eventually become a problem for the publishers and at some point the fact that MSM are telling lies will filter through the internet to soft no voters who may well end up becoming yes voter.
For example, Ray McRobbie A.K.A. Lord Darling Parody…
link to wingsoverscotland.com
link to twitter.com
… was actually a NO voter for long enough, then he read the facts and became a staunch YES voter…
link to archive.is
SO PLEASE – FOR ROBBIE AND HIS ILK – CONSIDER FILING A FORENSICALLY ARGUED COMPLAINT AGAINST EVERY PAPER ABOVE WITH IPSO…
NEWSPAPERS: link to ipso.co.uk
BBC: link to bbc.co.uk
The thing is, as I point out in the last paragraph, there’s nothing factually wrong in any of the articles. That’s the art of propaganda.
I made this point a while ago, is there not one single person working for the BBC,STV and the papers who has the courage to speak out against this.There must come a point where you would think someone would stick there neck out but it seems salary before principles.What are anyone of these people going to do when we are finally independent, there is no place for them or their organisations.
Have the BBC sacked the reality checking team or does it only check stamens form others 20.000 drop will still having lowers crime rates and best detection rate that Hugh productivity why is that not being hilighted
The Police Budget is £1.1Billion. They got another £100Million from the SNP Gov because they overspent. The elderly in the population is rising. They create less crime. So crime should fall. Crime is gender related – young males – (16) 18 – 24 year old under the influence of drink/drugs. Too many people with additional needs are in prison. Many prisoners should be in total abstinence rehab. It is more cost effective. Police should have better training in additional needs. There should be a tax on ‘loss leading’ drink. So people would drink less and less crime would be committed.
Police sometimes are chasing people on motorcycles with helicopters – £10,000 an hour. People can be arrested for misdemeanours which never go to Court. Police could get a weekend off. Crime figures are quite low as a % of the population.
Tony Hall refuses to believe there is a BBC bias. James Purcell – Labour – is Director of Strategy and Digital.
Logical extrapolation Of BBC NEWS article there are -5000 police officer on the beat in Scotland 2009 14600c -20000 = -5000 to -5400 officers please stop look at the facts before you publish a hemline it take second or minutes and stop the corporation looking like a bias laughing stock or atleast reduces it.
Tony Hall refuses to believe there is a BBC bias. James Purcell – Labour – is Director of Strategy and Digital.
He’s quite the red tory all right. He’s probably what BBC top troughers consider balance.
link to en.wikipedia.org
In December 2008, Purnell proposed charging interest on crisis loans to the unemployed and pensioners made by the Department for Work and Pensions, which are currently interest-free, at a rate of up to 26.8 percent per annum. This was met with great hostility and was blocked by the intervention of Prime Minister Gordon Brown.[11]
Expenses scandal
People please stop making excuses for propaganda.A concerted programme of disinformation is being perpetrated daily on the Scottish people by the Uk/Brit State.
The msm is working in collusion with this strategy.Look at the headlines, look at the narrative. ..they are always identical..they always attack at the same time.Think of the VOW…the Daily Record,the BBC, the Unionist hegemony all acting as one in a last ditch attempt to save the Union.
This time it’s worse..their Brexit strategy fucked up..the plebs – of RUK bought it wholesale. So Fannie Mae and her puppet masters must hold on to us at ALL COSTS.
Remember Ireland?…false flag murders..possible false flag bombing (Dublin1974..by the UDA?.really?).If they were capable of that then..and getting away with it…how hard is it to wipe out journalistic freedom here?
Rev. You say it’s not lying and strictly speaking that’s correct. But to any reasonable person this IS lying. You know it, I know it and dogs on the street know it, they are lying b@$t@rd$!
The BoJo Blews
(from another suitcase,in another hall….somewhere not the in the Eu)
A well heeled hack,a boiler of eels,a dropper of poison pellets,a bowler of googlies,has confirmed (to himself) at long last,he is in fact,a mere curiosity and has ran off to his bedroom,to ‘find’ himself…
Meantime join us tomorrow,when,on an informal pre Brexit visit,Mrs Merkel will entertain the PM with her favourite ukulele rendition of Candle in the Wind.
One more thing
In our northern region crime is at a 42 year low….don’t have nightmares.
Just heard a guy on BBC 2 describe Robert the Bruce as an outlaw. I might be ignorant of my own history but I’m sure he was more than an outlaw.
There is bugger all money in the pot for the Police to play around with.
THAT IS THANKS TO THE IMPOSITION OF VAT AND SCOTS GOVT HAVING TO CUT CLOTH TO SUIT THE DIMINISHING GRANT FROM WESTMINSTER!
The Scots Govt had to reorganise the Police, because thanks to the budget allocation from Westminster, some of the old Forces would have gone bankrupt.
The bottom line is though, that the Police will get on with it, because thats the kind of folks they are. They make things work.
DESPITE THE MEDIA SAYING THEY ARE SHITE, UNPROFESSIONAL AND CARRY GUNS TOO OFTEN ( like them to defend that last one WHEN there is a terrorist attack and the Police on the ground also die without being able to defend folks).
The media and the establishment will spend the next while attacking SNP credibility and they will do that in an organised manner.
THEY ARE ATTACKING DEMOCRACY. THEY ARE LYING.
Lochside- You are spot on. What happened to the Herald backing indi in the event of Brexit? It lasted a week!
We are being played by the media and mustn’t fall for it. The rogue poll came out the day of the yes March! It was a single poll with dodgy arithmetic. It was to deflate yes voters and salve unionists. Who commissions one poll and calls it on that. Same with The Barrhead travel guff and Torrance media huff. Mr I am backing indi after Brexit then sets about yes voters and Scotlands ability.
It’s their narrative going into the campaign. Indi ref 2 has already begun in the media. Another negative smear campaign awaits. Why the fuck can’t no voters see what’s going on. They are too brainwashed and numb to think for themselves.
I’ve got it. The SNP don’t counter these lies because in doing so, it would draw attention to the lie itself.
But why not just release the graph (see above) as an official graphic statement.
To be balanced other media would be obliged to print or at least link to the graph.
.. And the rest of useful get our chins off the floor and come up with some positive messages.
Truly, for the rest of my days I will never give up fighting against this shit and I’m sure there are many like me among us. I would urge all those with children and grandchildren to do as I do and explain to them how propoganda works. With their help we can ensure that the media never win.
So just laugh and spread the word. Their cause is ultimately a hopeless one and doomed to failure.
Once again, we owe a great debt to people like Stuart Campbell for their tireless and often eloquent work of exposing the propoganda. More power to your elbow rev!
Why do the English ,Northern Irish and Welsh police get their VAT back?
The Art of Propaganda
Faux outrage, some Twitter poster who is also a journalist playing the victim card, Stop.
No stop I can’t
25 Journalists Killed in 2016/Motive Confirmed
Abdelqadir Fassouk, Arraed Satellite TV
July 21, 2016, in Sirte, Libya
Pavel Sheremet, Ukrainska Pravda, Radio Vesti
July 20, 2016, in Kiev, Ukraine
Sami Jawdat Rabah, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
October 2015 – June 2016, in Deir al-Zour, Syria
Samer Mohammed Aboud, Free Deir al-Zour Radio, Development Interaction Network
October 2015 – June 2016, in Deir al-Zour, Syria
Mustafa Abdul Hassa, Shaam News Network
October 2015 – June 2016, in Deir al-Zour, Syria
Mohammed Eissa, Nateq Network
October 2015 – June 2016, in Deir al-Zour, Syria
Ibrahim Omar, Al Jazeera
July 11, 2016, in Tarmanin, Idlib, Syria
Khaled Eissa , Freelance
June 25, 2016, in Aleppo, Syria
Khaled al-Zintani , Freelance
June 24, 2016, in Benghazi, Libya
Elidio Ramos Zárate, El Sur
June 19, 2016, in Oaxaca, Mexico
Rohat Akta?, Azadiya Welat
January 30 to February 24, 2016, in Cizre, Turkey
David Gilkey, National Public Radio
June 5, 2016, in Marjah district, Helmand province, Afghanistan
Zabihullah Tamanna, National Public Radio
June 5, 2016, in Marjah district, Helmand province, Afghanistan
Osama Jumaa, Images Live
June 5, 2016, in Aleppo, Syria
Rajdev Ranjan, Hindustan
May 13, 2016, in Siwan, Bihar, India
Zaher al-Shurqat, Aleppo Today
April 12, 2016, in Gaziantep, Turkey
Majid Dirani, Freelance
February 19, 2016, in Daraya, Syria
Ahmed al-Shaibani, Yaman News, Yemen TV
February 16, 2016, in Taiz, Yemen, Yemen
Karun Misra, Jansandesh Times
February 13, 2016, in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
El-Hadj Mohamed Diallo , Guinée7, Afrik
February 5, 2016, in Conakry, Guinea
Hashim al-Hamran, Al-Masirah TV
January 22, 2016, in Dahyan, Saada Province, Yemen
Marcos Hernández Bautista , Noticias, Voz e Imagen de Oaxaca
January 21, 2016, in Oaxaca, Mexico
Almigdad Mojalli, Freelance
January 17, 2016, in Hamam Jarif, Yemen
Hassan al-Anbaki, Al-Sharqiya
January 12, 2016, in Baquba, Diyala province, Iraq
Saif Talal, Al-Sharqiya
January 12, 2016, in Baquba, Diyala province, Iraq
1 Media Worker Killed in 2016
Mahmoud Shabaan al-Haj Hadhir, Al-Aan FM
October 2015 – June 2016, in Deir al-Zour, Syria
12 Journalists Killed in 2016/Motive Unconfirmed
Jacinto Hernández Torres, La Estrella
June 10-12, 2016, in Garland, Texas, USA
Álvaro Alfredo Aceituno López , Radio Ilusión
June 25, 2016, in Coatepeque, Guatemala
Alaa Qassem Mohan, Al-Ahed Radio
May 20, 2016, in Baghdad, Iraq
Manuel Santiago Torres González, Noticias MT
May 14, 2016, in Poza Rica, Veracruz, Mexico
Akhilesh Pratap, Taaza TV
May 12, 2016, in Chatra, Jharkhand, India
Francisco Pacheco Beltrán, Sol de Acapulco and Foro de Taxco
April 25, 2016, in Taxco, Guerrero state, Mexico
Nicolás Humberto García, Radio Expressa
March 10, 2016, in Tacuba, El Salvador
Moisés Dagdug Lutzow, Grupo VX
February 20, 2016, in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico
Elvis Banggoy Ordaniza, dxWO FM
February 16, 2016, in Pitogo, Philippines
Anabel Flores Salazar, El Sol de Orizaba
February 8 or February 9, 2016, in Veracruz, Mexico
Mohammad Zubair Khaksar, Nangarhar Radio and Television
January 29, 2016, in Surkhrod, Afghanistan
Muhammad Umar , Daily Dera News
January 16, 2016, in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan
Cry for them, cry for their families, just don’t try and pretend for one bloody second that that thing is a victim!
Charlie Hebdo Journalists, in Scotland. Well what they said this morning moved me, they the bravest, took the time to look at Scotland, all I can say is thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you.
Charley
Scot Finlayson believe it’s because well apart from Northern Ireland that the Police are run by Local Authorities and in Scotland it’s run by central government. No I don’t understand either but if I remember correctly that was the reason given. Off course Northern Ireland police is run by their devolved administration and they get their vat back…
Apologies for being silly but for some reason I can’t stop think “Ewok”.
There is a definite wicked kind of irony, that team GB have chosen a Scot to be flag bearer at the very last olympics featuring ‘team GB’. As they say for all the very worst comedy shows at the Edinburgh fringe, ‘it’s laugh out loud funny’.
No doubt there will be utterly predictable howls of protest from some in the home counties.
link to archive.is
A Scottish Six will only mean Jackie Bird crawling like an earthworm to show that Scots are too parochial for something sensible and important like a National News, while curling her lip * and sneering every time she mentions the word “Scottish”.
[* I have noticed that others like her, examples are J.K. Rowling and Laura Kuenssberg, curl their lips so often that they have actually frozen in that position: it is quite amazing]
What needs to be done is:
1. Wings for Scotland should crowdraise for a daily show put on YouTube or other internet site at 6 pm.
2. The show would be compiled by high-school students, thus:
(i) showing up the BBC “profesional” journalists
(ii) giving them demonstratable experience in media work
3. The show would be compiled from a combination of news agency reports from that day and information taken from the internet (thus promoting blogs, twitter accounts, alternative media).
4. The show could consist of half news and half commentary and interviews. For example, get Mhairi Black or Linda Fabiani or Callum McCaig on to answer hard-hitting questions, such as:
(i) Indy supporters now think Scotland should have its own currency, but is that not something you are forced into because the UK says you can’t have the pound and they will have ultimate control over monetary policy anyway, so it is not a real “free choice”?
(ii) Polls are neck and neck at the moment: how can you possibly contemplate indy before 2020 at the very least?
(iii) Why do you never defy the SNP whip in parliament?
5. Do the same with the Greens and also see if any NO voters want to come on and explain their stances (lord knows the Tory parties will shun it).
6. Maybe carry out some independent investigations, such as the breaking of consumer law, tales of crooked lawyers, bureaucratic nightmares, inviting anyone from Scotland with a tale to tell…
Young people will get on board if there is a chance to prove themselves professionally and it should be created as a sort of Wings TV, because that way it is more likely to mobilise the greatest asset of Wings…. its brilliant fundraisers!
Never forget: we have to already work as if we live in the early days of a better nation…
If Robert the Bruce is to be known as an outlaw, then the Duke of York is a paedophile.
Depends who you ask..
@Scot Finlayson
Because they arent Scottish and the Govts of NI, Wales and England arent the SNP.
Oh, and NI dont have Union Flags on their Drivers licenses or mention of hard borders post brexit, because the shootings and bombings would start again.
I’ve often thought that there are three primary readership populations in Scotland (actual, anywhere, if I’m honest).
1. Footie!!!!!: care only for the back pages, wouldn’t care if the paper had anything else, and indeed would see that as a bonus (mair spoorts!)
2. SCANDAL!!!!!: care only for social gossip and scandal. Read the horoscope (for a laugh) and anything pertaining to actual news rarely gets beyond the headline. Celebrity is the only qualifier for interest, and the more salacious the better.
3. NEWS!!!: wants to read about, and understand, politics, economics, science, and about actual ‘newsworthy’ events. Recognizes the need to report traumatic events, but wants the reporting to be factual and appropriate, not sensationalist.
The problem with the MSM is that even those channels that once were bastions of #3 have succumbed to the market and the need for eyeballs, with the result that the news they report is sensationalised, and celebrity is lionised.
I think there would be a market for a sports-focused media project (online and in print) – but how to wrest the ‘good’ sports journos from their safe havens? And how to realign the punters towards such a new media outlet. Audience is hard!
I also think the market for SCANDAL is extremely well served — it appears to be the stock in trade of every glossy magazine, and indeed appears to be the sole raison d’etre for most of the tabloids.
Is there hope, then for NEWS? Beyond individual (and highly appreciated) efforts like Wings, what media outlets exist for news? Real news! Not the pre-digested, barely re-heated press-release-in-a-wrapper that passes for the majority of news today, but actual journalism.
There are still some real news sources, but they do tend to have a baseline ideology and a narrow remit — the Economist, for example. Even there, there are a lot of opinion and ‘fluff’ pieces, but at least it is interspersed with reportage.
For those of us with the time and inclination, we *can* find news, and can find sufficiently diverse sources that can begin to eliminate the intrinsic bias in any source. What hope for the rest of the population who have neither the time nor the inclination to make that effort?
We really do need a National media service, with a charter for impartiality and honesty (no false equivalence, please), and for investigating and reporting on news that matters to all of us. The BBC isn’t that – its remit is to the majority which is London/SE first and England second. It’s beyond time for Scotland to have a National media service (and beyond belief that we still don’t)
Aye Louis, I heard someone say that Prince Andrew had a liking for little girls. I also heard that the guy who was convicted in the USA of procuring minors for sex was a mate of his. Must have been mistaken though, as there has been no legal action against HRH.
Just wanted to add, this is the 21st century and we are referring to folk privelaged by accident of birth as “Highness” and Majesty”.
Fucking wise up! No one is Highness or Majestic in my book. NO ONE!
Re Scottish police uniforms,why can’t they have a different uniform to set us apart from the rUK police. This would give give locals and tourists a mindset that they were in a different country from little britengland. Get on it Nicola.
ScottishPsyche @ 16:18,
Well spoken there. The radical left got a drubbing at the last ScotGE and appear to be increasingly getting into a flounce about it. Since indy doesn’t seem to promise them the desired success, they may be tempted to indulge in yet another of those typical lefty splitter hissy fits against indy in general and/or the SNP in particular. The EUref result seems to have accentuated this tendency. Unfortunately, The National seems to be rather too inclined to indulge them as well. Not just today’s mee-too “police breakdown” article mentioned by DMH but also a whole series of long anti-EU letters of late from a few activists.
Brexit is one of the best handles the indy movement has ever had for convincing former “no” voters, but oh dear, the possibilities have far too much potential for the precious purists of the socialist revolution.
I hope they won’t make that historical error, since then their self-serving will merely make them the Unionists next useful idiots.
First independence, then normal politicking can resume. And may the best ideas then flourish.
@Mike D. Simply Cost.
The uniform is pish quality. Police uniform trousers in Scotland cost about £5 a pop ( I shit you not).
Police uniform trousers in USA for eg ( quality kit) cost about $50 a pop (I shit you not).
There is a budget because of VAT and diminishing Westminster handout to Scotland from what we pay in. Cloth therefore needs to be cut etc.
[* I have noticed that others like her, examples are J.K. Rowling and Laura Kuenssberg, curl their lips so often that they have actually frozen in that position: it is quite amazing]
As does,
link to twitter.com
Its probably a verbal and linguistic tick, deflecting away what your saying, while being fully aware of how its probably very dodgy.
Adam’s not tweeted since Monday and my Slovene girlfriend’s not being giving it EUOK/BetterTogether Scotland on rancid The Graun’s comment section either, since Monday.
So if you’re out there Adam, have a lovely holiday.
Scotspine.Diminishing handouts to Scotland. Ah,but is that no they bbaaaad snp’s fault?.
Naw Heed, they are just ‘smug’ looking. It’s arrogance.
K1 says:
3 August, 2016 at 11:22 pm
Naw Heed, they are just ‘smug’ looking. It’s arrogance.
Ventriloquists do the same? Rowling and Tomkins have such similar vocal ticks, they could be one and the same. Keunsberg’s tick is actually much stronger but they probably work on it in tv production, training to express how the viewer is meant to receive BBC info given to them via facial expression. Keunsberg had several very unpleasant pre referendum er interviews with the SNP 2014 where she exercised her clear contempt but that’s hardly news. Its a torygirl world.
Just a little reminder of this map:
link to petitionmap.unboxedconsulting.com
Some braw rich autumn colours starting to show!
Maybe Article 50 will be invoked sometime soon?
Alistair @ 11.15 AM.
I take it that you are referring to “The Press & Journal”.
I read same every day, Highlands & Islands edition, just to get local news. I long gave up on their political reporting but, like you, I scan the letters page. Opposite that there is sometimes a comical piece &, amusing as it is, it does not compare to the diatribe of some of their REGULAR letter writers. Maybe they have been vetoed by WoS. However, I have got to the stage now to feel sorry for them. I imagine them standing facing the North Sea, with an easterly blowing, having a urination break.
Should, after Scotland is free, they decide to leave, let’s have no celebration, just let them go quietly, no hurrahs, just be glad we’ve got rid of individuals who have no pride or dignity for their country of residence. What’s left of the once UK is welcome to them.
Perhaps for a certain Mr Torrance, it’s less about a ship coming in and more about a penny dropping. Scotland is going to be independent, and perhaps all Unionists might want to think about the consequences of that. I don’t mean that to sound threatening, but the world will be a different place, and our place in that world will be different too.
Links
link to thedailysheeple.com
link to theantimedia.org
link to opendemocracy.net
link to politico.com
link to washingtonsblog.com
link to robinwestenra.blogspot.co.uk
Corporate Media and Neocon Propaganda Will Get Millions Killed
link to informationclearinghouse.info
link to journal-neo.org
As I keep saying, if they want me to buy their output or pay their telly tax, this is not the way to go about it.
Fuck ’em. If they want to commit commercial suicide so be it.
Great article Stu, we are lucky to have you.
Just got up, is Dave back yet.
‘The headlines in today’s Scottish media aren’t untrue, of course. It’s just that they benefit from being placed in some sort of context. And that’s what we’re here for.’
That is why your contribution is much appreciated and is how we shall achieve our goal.
Thanks
@ heedtracker, Sarah Smith also has the “Shortbreid Mooth” so something strange going on here. Mebbes there, a Campbell connection here?
@ Col a 7:17pm
Be glad he was an “outlaw”, he was also excommunicated by the Pope for the killing of John Comyn at Greyfriars Church in Dumfries. Had this not been so, then the Chancellor of Scotland, Bernard of Kilwinning, would never have written the Declaration of Arbroath as part of the diplomatic initiative to have the excommunication lifted, and the Pope recognise Scotland as an independent country.
I have to say however, while technically true, I’ve never heard Robert the Bruce being referred to as an outlaw. I wonder whether your commentator had his wires crossed with William Wallace, who was very much considered as an outlaw by the English.
@Bill 1103
I feel exactly the same.
Consider what this story does for the morale of our police force.
These reporters, who knowingly allow themselves to be used to misinform us so blatantly should hang their heads in shame. If it is like this now, what the hell will it be like if indyref2 is called?
We should probably be trying to overload their complaints commission by calling them out in writing on every misrepresentation. The fat remains that as awake and aware as we are of their lies – the tactic works. Throw enough shit and some will stick. With no true mainstream media to redress the balance, I despair at times.
Johnston Press chronically sick Border’s title the ‘Southern Reporter’, headlines the same nonsensical and untrue police numbers story too. I worse, I suppose than their obsession with dog turds and the weekly Thoughts of Chairman Mundell.
Threw it back down, like a shock had gone through me and won’t be buying it ever again. The local council should do a weekly to carry the statutory council notices they pay JP oodles for, they already do a occasional news-sheet to every household, Borders Connect, which could fulfill a more useful community role than its present colourful but light on readable or useful matter effort.
That will have to wait till the nest of Tories (and Tories posing as ‘independents’ such is the infighting) are cleared out in the council elections of doom for unionists and their sorry parties.
O/T but worth a read
link to thecanary.co
Just.