We were surprised too
Posted on
December 14, 2013 by
Chris Cairns
The world's most-read Scottish politics website
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Wings Over Scotland is a (mainly) Scottish political media digest and monitor, which also offers its own commentary. (More)
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Wings Over ScotlandA tall tale
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Transphobia
Hamish eats cat food? That’s a bit weird, even if technically he is a cat.
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Not too many wildebeest in Scotland Tasmanian don’t know if you noticed 🙂
Technically?
He is the coolest cat! The cat all the other cats wish they could be, but can’t.
The Daily Mail yesterday was still publishing this bull as if it were fact…Was sitting in the staff room in Newcastle and the guys reading it all thought it was ridiculous and that it was a reason to keep in mind when voting until I managed to point out how much bull it was. Most of the people there live south of the border but the worrying thing is, almost all of them took the article at face value.
The worrying thing is, some of the shit being thrown is sticking.
I was speaking to my sister the other day. She works in Ninewells Hospital, and says that all of her workmates are voting No. It’s too risky, is their reason.
Most folk only get their news through old media.
The fear stories are coming thicker and faster, you almost need a new video, the Top 100 Unionist Myths debunked.
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The average time taken to debunk a scare story must be down to about 15 minutes and 20 seconds now.
turnip-ghostÂ
At least you now have the infi to inform of the ral situation. Always usefuk tobkeep un mind that if people are just scared they can be changed with real ibformation.
I know two have gone from fear  to Yes and  another who was No and is now thinking about the new info.
GMS BBC Scotland programme this morning had Gordon Macintyre Kemp and Daniel Johnson on again, follow up to Newsnight Scotland on Thursday, to carry on the discussion on supermarket prices.
Listening to Mr Johnson trying to scare the Scottish public was pathetic and embarrassing. The Business for Scotland rep, Mr Kemp slapped Mr Johnson all round the studio (AGAIN).
BBC Scotland must see something in this Mr Johnson, because he is on more and more of their shows.
The new Better Together team is really taking shape with new bruisers such as :-
Daniel Johnson
Alistair Carmicheal
James Naughtie
Slightly O/T
Andy Murray doing his bit for the YES Campaign, just to give you spring in your step while doing that xmas shopping.
http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/4640986/Andy-Murray-snub-for-BBC-awards-show.html
Treated to a re-match between Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp and Daniel Johnstone
on GMS this morning. Once again Daniel Johnstone trotting out the usual Better Together crap about added costs. One thing that caught my ear, was the repeat that foreign currency transactions costs his business £ 15.00 each time he has to make a payment.
Now the obvious, as pointed out by Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp , was that as we would be in a currency union, there would be no need for ‘foreign currency transactions’ . The Second and most damming point that Daniel Johnstone couldn’t answer was the fact that Scotland has over £ 90 Billion’s worth of export sales each year and with Sterling languishing in the very bottom of the 200 currencies due to its balance of trade, take out Scottish Exports from the Sterling zone and you have one very sick junk currency. So in fact it would be in everyones interests to agree to a Sterling zone currency union.
The less obvious to many, is the fact that Daniel Johnstone , the BBC’s current ‘favourite stick’ Daniel Johnstone , actually pays a bank to arrange payment of foreign currency. He maybe a ‘Edinburgh Businessman’ , but he is certainly not the brightest ‘Edinburgh Businessman’. These days its de rigueur to not pay any transaction fee. You see companies that have payments to make in another currency use a foreign currency exchange company that go on the market and they work the numbers so you get a preferential rate and don’t pay a transaction fee (I know as my business makes payments to overseas companies)
Here’s another O/T. Spot the mistake!
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http://www.dealmonster.co.uk/deal/travel/dryfesdale-country-house-hotel-1
Hamish is fully house-trained and receives a balanced diet of sustainably sourced, vitamin-rich cat food which keeps teeth and mane in perfect condition … with the occasional unionist thrown in (usually screaming) as a wee treat now and then.
Not many wildebeest in Scotland.
Who is Daniel Johnstone and what is his skin in the game? Tory, Lib Dem? David Cameron’s love child?
Perhaps there should be a ‘Yes’ stall in the main shopping concourse at Ninewells. Â Thousands pass through there daily – it would make sense on a ‘bang per buck’ basis.
There is a real problem with misinformed and unwilling people who are soaking up this pish from MSM, BBC, STV etc. Here are some of the answers I have been given when asking some of these people why they are voting no – ” I don’t like Alex Salmond”, ” I don’t want to lose the Queen”, ” I don’t like the idea of having to show my passport when visiting my English relations”, ” I don’t want Scotland to be on it’s own outside of Europe”, ” We have no resources” – Eh !, ” We wouldn’t have an army”, ” we need nuclear weapons because Iran and Pakistan have them”. Now I know these people are more likely to read the Daily Ranker than the SG white paper but it looks like we have got a big job on our hands to get the truth in to these peoples heads, no complacency, no “sheffield wednesday’s” talk to all your relations and all your workmates and tell them to visit wings, newsnet, bella etc and arm themselves with the truth. The reporting of the SG Q&A’s on BBC Reporting Scotland last week actually bordered on criminality and this shows how much we are up against it but if we spread the word hopefully it will get through. We cannot, must not, have a no vote because of misinfomation.
Some more information for the ‘Don’t knows’ Apology if its been posted before
http://www.theguardian.com/society/patrick-butler-cuts-blog/2013/dec/04/suppressed-tory-report-welfare-reform-link-to-foodbanks-homelessness
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How about pointing out to the No voters in Ninewells that they might just find some difficulty in singing Flower of Scotland at football matches if Scotland votes No, as the words will surely stick in their throats.
Same with Scotland the Brave: just who is going to play that tune if we vote No?
We will be an international laughing stock and nobody will take us seriously ever again.
Just watched George Osbornes Austerity Farm on BBC 2
Oink Oink!
An auld animation but still as relevant today, took a long time for the rest of the animals to wake up but they did (eventually) wake up.
should be sreened Scotland-wide on the week leading up to the vote along with The Cheviot, The Stag and the Black.
A Yes vote would be a certainty.
Down with Ingsoc!
Andrew Morton
After having done some rooting about, came across a Daniel Guy Johnston, known as Daniel Johnson, who is a director of Aspidistra Gift Shops (Aspidistra Ltd, 10 Athol Cres, Edin), Over the Counter Ltd, Edinburgh and Stripe Retail Ltd, Edinburgh. Born 1977
http://companycheck.co.uk/director/910914566
Now this may not be him, but it has to be a racing certainty
Ninewells, ask them how happy they will be when their funding is cut and the Scottish NHS is forced to go private under a British/Tory/labour/Lib Dem government.
Juteman
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If there is a No vote and Westminster starts to privatise their jobs, how will they feel then when they don’t have a job anymore. I think we should meeting fire with fire.
When their bus passes go who have they to blame? Themselves for voting No.
Looking at the Labour party in Scotland I would have to disagree. There are numerous Wildebeests in Scotland mostly on the front benches!Â
The No camp relies on the laziness of political thought.This,along with the relentless media negativity,will make it difficult to change the doubters’ thought processes.However it certainly is not impossible.A Yes vote is definitely achievable.
In our own small way we each must continue to spread the word and make people seriously think about the future.
@ Norrie, Marcia, Juteman. What we are dealing with are people who are frightened of change in their lives. People who are frightened never achieve anything. We must work to help them overcome their fears. Applied psychology.
@ Andrew Morton: That would be the “full English Breakfast”, would it? 😉
@ Edward, Now we know where not to shop !.
There are a lot of Wildebeest in Scotland. It’s our job to turn them from Wildebeest into lions. And lionesses.
o/t stu do you like the wee box thingy
somebody stop me
dont blame me it was ARCHIES fault
wrong one back soon hang tight
900 million eggs are produced in Scotland every year, some of which ends up on Blair McDougall’s face.
The Herald is having a Gardham moment and attacking the SNP plans for the EU by quoting the remarks of Van Rompuy.
A thought occurred to me regarding Van Rompuy and made the following comment on the Herald (which might get deleted by the mods as they usually do):
I find it strange that the real story is Van Rompuy’s involvement in the relationship between Spain and Catalonia. During the press conference in which he remarked about Catalonia. He prefaced his remarks that any decision would be between Spain and Catalonia. So then why bother making ANY remark at all about Catalonia? He had been in Spain to accept an Honorary doctorate the day before (12th) in Madrid from the University of San Pablo. His dabbling in Spanish affairs could come back to haunt the EU, for it is widely known that the Spanish government will not hesitate to squash the aspirations of the Catalonian people by ANY means at its disposal and that includes military. Hopefully it will not come to that. But if it did, do not be surprised by the Spanish government citing the EU as backing the Spanish regime of Mariano Rajoy.
What I’m stating is something that is just flying under everyone’s radar and that is the apparent stance of the EU regarding Catalonia and Spain. The Spanish mind set is such that it will see and treat the remarks from Van Rompuy as tacit approval to take ‘any action’ it sees fit to ensure that Catalonia does not achieve its goal of independence.
The Spanish government will want to be as they usually want to be, very macho and will threaten any means at their disposal to prevent Catalonia from becoming an independent state. Those threats will become action, as the Spanish will feel that they are backed by the EU. If military action does happen and I hope it doesn’t, but with the Spanish, anything is possible. Could end up being the worst period for the EU
Re Ninewells. I was quite shocked when my sister told me. Like myself, she is a commited Yes, and can’t understand their attitude. Some of them are well off doctors and natural Tory types, but even the ancilliary staff she works with are No’s.
Maybe there is something going on with Labour/Union shop stewards spreading No propaganda?
Hospital noticeboards need some Yes posters.
thats not the wrong one enjoyÂ
sleep i need sleep
Re Ninewells, I am not sure which is more wearisome, the easy effect of the Unionist propaganda, or the folly of those concerned in apparently not even attempting to find things out for themselves. Do they really not wonder whether it’s more of a risk to stick with Westminster? Ah, well, the city of jam, jute and jitters.
Juteman.
Re Ninewells voting no: Having close relatives that work there as well and on the feedback I have is that there is a section of the employees that are largely from the Dundee Labour heartlands similar to where George Galloway originated from.
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I also think that these people are ill informed regarding the consequences of their futures if a no vote succeeds.
@Bannock Hustler;
There is no jitters in Dundee, overall I’ll think you will find that Dundee will vote overwhelmingly YES next September.
Juteman, Just read your post regarding Ninewells Hospital staff and I’m on the case as a Yes Dundee ambassador! Just off the phone to Ninewells to enquire if they have some sort of community lounge which we could hire for a question and answer session / Yes Cafe style event where folk can come along and have questions answered etc.
Unfortunately, no one available to talk to as it’s the weekend and the receptionist didn’t sound too helpful, but I’ll call again on Monday and see if I can get something arranged!
Can’t say I’m surprised at the attitude of doctors, consultants etc as they probably stand to gain when the NHS is eventually privatised, some of the consultants already do private work but I’m really surprised at the attitude of ancillary staff and nurses, they are the ones who will end up out of a job when NHS funding is inevitably cut after a no vote.
People don’t really understand how it all works and I’m positive that most people in Scotland, including people within the NHS itself don’t realise that the NHS has always been a separate entity in Scotland but following a NO vote, will either end up assimilated into the English NHS as Westminster will move to limit Holyroods powers, or will have it’s funding cut as the more profitable areas of the NHS are sold off down south.
This needs to be explained to everyone concerned, but the media and Westminster conspire against us!
I was out last night and got speaking to a lie-bor supporter
and he asked me to tell him the difference between the two governments
easy scottish government honest and openÂ
wastemonster government tighter than a camels arse in a sandstormÂ
@Heather:
Good for you, the tide is slowly turning but people like yourself are vitally important to get the message across.
For what it’s worth I am looking forward in joining the YES campaign in 2014
Lou Nisbet says:
14 December, 2013 at 10:30 am
Some more information for the ‘Don’t knows’ Apology if its been posted beforehttp://www.theguardian.com/society/patrick-butler-cuts-blog/2013/dec/04/suppressed-tory-report-welfare-reform-link-to-foodbanks-homelessnessÂ
Just read all the comments and 99.9% of them are highly critical of the Coaltion and Labour yet I’m still amazed that anyone would still think we Scots are wrong for not wanting to stay with the Union. But I’m happy that we at least have the choice to get out. Â I find it when I’m talking to my customers on why we should vote Yes and a lot of them think we should stick with the what we have but can’t stand anyone in the Coalition or Labour. I have 2 New Years resolutions for 2014. 1 is to go running 3 to 4 times a week. The other is to tell anyone I’m talking to about the benefits of voting Yes while wearing my Yes t.shirt everyday.(May have to buy another few Yes t.shirts). Maybe 3 resolutions. 3, Printing cards with Wings Over Scotland. Bella Caledonia. Newsnet Scotland. BBC Scotlandshire. Business For Scotland on them and telling them to check them out and have their eyes opened.Â
I’m also sick of David Cameron telling us that “Anyone can make it to the top if he or she wishes” because most people I know are not interested in making it to the top, they’re only interest is paying their rent or mortgage and having enough for a cheeky wee sherry at the weekend.Â
What’s this with the wildebeest? Hamish is a lion which is a kind of cat, right? Not a Scottish wildebeest?
There’s no wildebeest in Tasmania either. They were probably shot to extinction, like the Thylacines.
Stuart Black. “Full English breakfast “. Â Well spotted, had me beat.
can you imagine the comments if The Savoy had “Full Scottish”on their website.
@Heather.
Great stuff. I’ll make sure my sister knows if an ‘event’ happens so she can tell folk about it.
Re Ninewells:
That doesn’t surprise me in the least, but once the penny drops that the NHS as currently configured in Scotland is quite unsustainable under devolution ( particularly given the aging population demographics and the inevitable cut in funding when Barnett is scrapped), they’ll come round to the idea that protecting front line services and the values and ethos of a national health service are only possible with the economic and fiscal powers of an independent government.
I know someone who works as clinical support worker, though nlt at Dundee, and she is not keen to discuss Independence but says she is a yes. I suspect most of her work mates will be no folk. Going on what I hear, the staff do long shifts and dont want to bother with politics, and they are not aware that NHS Scotland is not part of the uk nhs. They will get a huge shock when their wages are cut if theres a no vote because at the moment they actually get paid quite well for their hard work.Â
As far as I am aware most consultants do private work as well as nhs. NHS Scotland will be ripe for the picking if it is a no vote, the vultures all waiting in the wings. Brrrrrrr.
Well done Stuart! Yes imagine, a Scottish country hotel offers a full English Breakfast. I wonder if there are other Scottish hotels offering full Irish or Welsh breakfasts, or even full German breakfasts!
Re the Herald EU scare, I’ve had a couple of posts get through moderation but one got expunged. This was one where I pointed out that the story had been written in such a way as to avoid the obvious question re Westminster not asking for a ruling. I also pointed out that the headline implied total certainty when the paragraph below said that it was merely the claims of unionists.
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the Herald has an iron clad policy that any post, however reasonable, which disputes the facts or the tone of an article, even if true, gets deleted and if you persist you get put into moderation. This is the most insidious part of the mainstream media No campaign, it’s impossible to dispute their claims, because the only place where most people can see your point is in the mainstream media and they won’t publish it.
Andrew – for God’s sake leave the Herald to the likes of OBE and McKeown – you will not change Herald policy or the aforesaid’s opinions but you are providing advertising revenue for the Herald. That is of course unless the Black Arts gang are paying these newspapers? Be assured we will never know the truth.
@juteman,@Hetty – that’s funny you should mention the staff at Ninewells. Â I was talking recently to a YES supporter who works at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley where the same situation applies. Â It seems incredible to me but many staff seem to be unaware of what is happening to the NHS in England and Wales and what is coming down the line if there is a majority for NO. Â They do not yet realise that the referendum is not a choice between change and the status quo, Â it is choice between two types of change. Â
O/T A couple of straw polls (OK, they’re not controlled polls, but I thought you might be interested anyway. Both are showing over 80% for YES.
First one is on a blog in the Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/alan-wyllie/scottish-referendum-voting-yes_b_4433219.html
And the second one (even better) is on NO SCOTLAND’s own website:
http://noscotland.net/
Loved that! As I’ve said elsewhere, the name says it all: “support us and there’ll be NO SCOTLAND”
Tasmanian says
“What’s this with the wildebeest? Hamish is a lion which is a kind of cat, right? Not a Scottish wildebeest?”
Wildebeest would be Hamishes main (not exclusive) prey, were he to be roaming the Serengeti plain.
@sionnach –
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‘Yes’ vote on the second of your links is currently 86.23%
‘Yes’ vote on the first link huffingtonpost is 88%
Have you thought of running a project fear sweep?
Readers contribute the most ridiculous scare story they can think of and if it then becomes a real scare story they win.
“Have you thought of running a project fear sweep?
Readers contribute the most ridiculous scare story they can think of and if it then becomes a real scare story they win.”
Ha! Excellent idea, I’m just not sure there are any ridiculous ones left they haven’t already tried. “Vote Yes And It’ll Be Two Pence On A Tin Of Beans!” will be hard to top.
Re sweepstake
Â
I’m going with – If you vote Yes the Tories will take over in Scotland.
Basis, not that they usually have one, – the SNP are Tartan Tories and when they break up after a Yes vote they will all join / rejoin the Tories and become the largest party in Scotland again.
and if I’m allowed a second horse
If you vote Yes, JoLa will become the First Minister of Scotland
Basis none but it will scare this shit out of anybody with Scotland’s interest at heart.
re sweepstake – The English may object to the continued use of English as an official language in an independent Scotland.
The Chinese are all going to buy electric cars. The oil will be worthless.
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The sun will never set on the British Empire so we’ll fit solar panels and no one will want your green electricity.
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All your Uni teachers who are English will be ordered home and your tertiary education will collapse.
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The world is going vegetarian, your fish and meat exports will bomb.
If you vote Yes you’ll have to pay the redundancy money for all the Scots MPs and Lords
Â
If you go independent you’ll have to pay the break fees on the contracts with ATOS, Serco, Capita etc.
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Because of the borders you’ll not get people from Belfast coming to Old Firm matches